Posted on July 22, 2019 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

“If you believed, they put a man on the moon.”

(With thanks to Bernice MacDonald Photography)

 

“Fly me to the moon,

Let me play among the stars,

Let me see what spring is like,

On Jupiter and Mars.”

Fly Me to The Moon. Frank Sinatra

Where were you on Sunday, July 20, 1969? If you weren’t born, you’ll be forgiven for not understanding the nostalgia felt recently by the 50 and over crowd. It was on this day, that man first stepped on the moon. While the moon landing is arguably the most important event of that calendar year, there were many other things that happened in the world that grabbed our attention.

I was playing in a golf tournament in the Annapolis Valley that day and on the way home, we heard the news on the radio. How about you?

The moon has inspired many songs over the decades.

“Moon River, wider than a mile; I’m crossing you in style someday.” Moon River. Frank Ocean

Richard Nixon became president of the United States in 1969 as the war in Vietnam raged. Joe Namath became a household name when he led his New York Jets football team to a stunning upset in the Super Bowl. The average income in North America was $8,500 and a gallon of gas cost 35 cents.

“I see a bad moon arising; I see trouble on the way.” Bad Moon Rising Credence Clearwater Revival.

The Beatles gave their last public appearance on the roof of Apple studio. Hard core Montreal Expos fans might remember that the Expos made their debut as the first major league baseball team outside of the United States on April 8, 1969

“And if your head explodes with dark forebodings too; I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon.” Dark Side of the Moon. Pink Floyd

I guess Montreal was the place to be in 1969. John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their second “bed-in” at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel during which Lennon wrote and recorded “Give Peace a Chance”. Woodstock, a generational outdoor concert held in upstate New York, dominated the headlines in August of 1969. A “Who’s Who” in the world of popular music (including The Who!) was there including Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, The Band, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez and one of my all-time favourite groups, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

“Well it’s a marvellous night for a moondance; with the stars up above in your eyes.” Moondance. Van Morrison

The Beatles released their album “Abbey Road” in September of 1969. Many people consider it one of their best. Here Comes the Sun remains one of my favourites from that album. For those of you with a funny streak in you might remember the launch of Month Python’s Flying Circus in October that year. In what still ranks as one of the greatest upsets in baseball history, the (Amazing) New York Mets defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.

“If you believed they put a man on the moon, man on the moon.” Man on the Moon R.E.M.

The child in all of us will surely remember Sesame Street.  The first episode of this amazing children’s educational program was aired in November of 1969. The first ATM machine was installed in New York City.

“I love you to the moon and back.” Guess How Much I Love You. Sam McBratney

I have always wondered about this expression as I see it repeatedly on social media platforms. Apparently, every day, the heart creates enough energy to drive a truck for 30K. In a lifetime, that is the equivalent of driving to the moon and back. So when you tell someone that you love them “to the moon and back”, you’re essentially saying you will love them with all the blood your heart pumps your whole life.

Well, how’s that for some light fare during the dog days of summer?

I think I’ll just “moonwalk” out of here.

Have a great week.

Posted on July 18, 2019 under Thursday Tidbits with one comment

Mary Ann Falls

 

In recent years, I have taken an annual pilgrimage around the Cabot Trail, one of my favourite places on the planet. Occasionally, I’ll do a solo trip but the last few years, I have had company. Three summers ago, I took two friends from India who were attending a summer program at the Coady. Last year, I took my granddaughter and this year my traveling companions were my granddaughter and a friend of hers from Montreal. Seeing the Cabot Trail through the eyes of 11 year olds in an education.

We got an early start. You can’t do justice to the Cabot Trail in one day but if that’s all the time at your disposal, you can do a lot. Neither the girls nor I were much interested in visiting local artisans or going whale watching, not on a day when the temperature was supposed to be in the high 20s. Our quest was simple: find water and go swimming.

The drive from Antigonish to Auld’s Cove is quite scenic as St. George’s Bay funnels into the Canso Causeway. The Causeway is purportedly the deepest causeway in the world. The drive from Port Hastings to Iron Mines is non-descript. Passing by the small airport outside of Port Hastings, I wondered if governments would pony up $18 million dollars to build another small airport near the world renowned golf courses in Inverness.

The Bras D’or Lakes seldom disappoint but because of our early morning getaway, I couldn’t get a coffee and treats at the Herring Choker deli and bakery in Nyanza. The Englishtown ferry wasn’t in operation so we had to skirt St.Ann’s Bay via the Gaelic College. This is not the route I normally take but it has several beautiful vistas.

We were getting quite peckish after nearly two hours in the car. No trip around the trail would be complete without a stop at the Clucking Hen in North Shore. While we waited for our breakfast, I chatted with Diana. She’s been there for years and she always has a smile on her face. The ethos of this wonderful establishment can be seen on staff T-shirts: “No Fowl Moods”. I also had a chance to speak briefly with the owner, Melody. I told her that I was “hatching” a plan to walk around the Cabot Trail later this summer.

Swim #1 took place at Ingonish Beach. I couldn’t get over how the beach had changed in one year. It looked like the Parks people had brought in heavy equipment and covered the entire sandbar with tons of mid -sized, round rocks. Not so according to the lifeguard on duty who said that this was the work of none other than Mother Nature earlier in the spring.

Swim #2 was at Mary Ann Falls, a short jaunt from Ingonish. You have to be paying attention to the signage. For some unknown reason, there is a huge sign for Warren Lake as you’re heading north from Ingonish but Mary Ann Falls, which is the same exit, is nowhere to be seen on this sign. If you’re traveling from Neil’s Harbour in a southerly direction, Mary Ann Falls is on the sign. Go figure. Maybe someone from up that way can explain this discrepancy. The girls agreed that this was the highpoint of their day as they jumped off the rocks into the deep, chilly pool below the falls.

Their bathing suits didn’t have time to dry before we stopped at Black Brook for swim #3 .After a picnic lunch, they spent a short time playing in the waves. The promised hot day never quite materialized and they once again found the water quite chilly.

Just a footnote for anyone heading around the Trail. There is still a lot of road construction.

With time on our side, we took a short detour off the trail and went through the village of Neil’s Harbour. This is a beautiful drive and takes you through Smelt Brook, White Point, rejoining the highway near South Harbour. The scenery is spectacular and a hidden gem that most people miss and probably don’t know about.

With thoughts of walking the Cabot Trail, I paid particular attention to the stretch of road from Cape North to Cheticamp. There are some serious climbs and equally challenging descents. If you’re a walker or hiker, you know that walking down a mountain is much harder on your legs than the ascent. We stopped at the ice cream place just south of Pleasant Bay. I learned from the staff that there’s actually a hostel in Pleasant Bay which I’ll check out as part of my planning for my walk.

My granddaughter has a great memory and insisted that we stop for supper at Le Gabriel in Cheticamp. I always have a chat with Brenda Lee who runs the floor operations at this busy restaurant from her wheelchair. I told her about my plans to walk the Trail. She gave me a look that suggested that I was bonkers. She said she didn’t want to hear a report about an old guy getting eaten by a bear. I took exception to her calling me old! The meal was excellent. The girls were too full for dessert but with a cooler in the car, were able to get take out desserts.

Swim #4 was in the rapidly growing town of Inverness. Two world class golf courses have transformed this once sleepy and dying town into an economic juggernaut as evidenced by the helicopter pad near Cabot Links and many new eating establishments and lodging options. Inverness Beach in the evening is sublime. The (slightly) warmer waters of the Northumberland Strait were welcomed by the girls as they frolicked in the waves for the better part of an hour. The father of a young family was sitting in his wheelchair with warm sun bathing his face while his wife and children walked the beach.

A magnificent sunset greeted me as I crested the Havre Boucher hill. My two charges were fast asleep in the back seat. All felt well with the world.

Have a great weekend.

 

Keltic Lodge

 

Posted on July 15, 2019 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

Drove my Zevvy Chevy to the levy

 

“Baby you can drive my car,

Yes, I’m going to be a star.”

Baby You Can Drive My Car. The Beatles

I’m all charged up and ready to hit the open highway.

I attended the Art Fair last Friday and met three young men from the Clean Foundation. Clean is a non -profit, non-governmental organization. “Clean makes homes more energy efficient, restores streams and watersheds, engages youth on the environment, promotes green transportation, mitigates the effects of  storm water, helps communities reduce waste and contributes to public policy discussions.” https://clean.ns.ca/

There was an electric car parked outside the Art Fair venue. Ben, Noah and Daniel have a pretty sweet summer job. They are employed by Next Ride. http://nextridens.com/. They get to travel around the province attending events and festivals educating people about the merits of electric cars. Let’s face it, the future is now and electric cars will become as popular as hoola hoops were back in the 60s.

These three guys obviously know their stuff and spoke in a language that I did not understand. They tried their damndest to help me understand the basic of electric cars. “Hey, throw in some quantum physics while you’re at it,” is what I felt like saying. I feel quite certain that if the car companies promoting this technology could just hook these lads up to the charging stations, they could fuel just about any make or model. Their energy was infectious.

They offered me a chance to take a ride in Zevvy, the car they are using to get around the province. I signed a waiver and Ben and I took it for a spin. It was a very quiet ride except for Ben who sounded like a buzz saw as he pointed out the many advantages of green energy.

Did you know that there are Federal incentives up to $5,000 to purchase an electric vehicle? There are currently over 100 charging stations across Nova Scotia including one in the parking lot behind Bloomfield Centre on the campus of St.F.X. University. Want to learn more? Check out this website and get yourself up to speed. https://www.evassist.ca/

I got quite an education in the 30 minutes I spent with these guys. I didn’t want to burst their bubble by telling them that I have discovered a technology which is every bit as efficient as an electric car with very low overhead and NO carbon footprint, just real footprints: my two legs.

Last Friday night I got banished to my sister’s cottage as our tiny apartment was filled to capacity. As sad as I was to leave the chaos created by four young girls, I sucked it up and did my duty. I hadn’t spent a night at the beach in well over a decade if not longer. After a lovely, quiet visit at my brother’s cottage, I walked a few steps to my sister’s place. It was a rainy night. I took one of the beds in the upstairs, opened a window and put my head on the pillow. I listened to the pitter patter of the rain on the roof. I smelled the fresh salty air and could hear the sounds of the waves caressing the shoreline. Even on a rainy night, there’s something magical about a night at the beach.

Have a great week.