Monday Morning Musings
Posted on June 26, 2017 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet
Delectable
“ Hello, muddah, hello faddah; Here I am at Camp Granada,
Camp is very entertaining; And they say we’ll have fun if it stops raining.”
Camp Granada – Alan Sherman
A message came a few weeks ago from my brother wondering if Betty and I would be interested in spending the weekend in Cumberland county, going for a lengthy hike, spending a night in a rustic cabin and having a nice meal the day after. It sounded just about perfect.
Until I got a “ man cold” and my chronically horrid back decided to act up.
I watched the forecast with more interest than usual this past week to see what Saturday was looking like. I rarely pray for rain but the thoughts of a four hour hike in the rain followed by a meal of freeze dried food and beds with no mattresses… just a piece of plywood, was not enticing in the least.
Having downsized a few years ago, including the dispersal of all camping gear, including sleeping bags, a trip to Canadian Tire was required. I got to see firsthand the newly expanded premises and the new and longer lineups. But having experienced gargantuan lineups in India at grocery stores and ATM’s during the demonetization crisis, the lines in front of me barely caused my heart rate to increase.
On Friday, the forecast for Cumberland County on Saturday was for rain… a 90% chance. The hiking and camping were scrapped. I could hardly contain my joy. But we decided to take our new sleeping bags, just in case the weather people got it wrong. That rarely happens.
We drove up to Amherst on Friday afternoon. The Sunrise trail on a sunny day is a thing of beauty. Toney River, River John, Tatamagouche, Wallace and Pugwash are all interesting places. We decided to fortify ourselves that evening with a fine meal at Le Chat Bleu in Baie Verte. Now before all of you Newfoundlanders get all hot and bothered, there is a Baie Verte in New Brunswick too. Folks, if you ever get a chance, you have to check this place out. The building is older than Canada and has charm. And the food is simply fabulous.
Saturday was just about as miserable as one could imagine. It rained all day but that didn’t stop us from taking a long drive. We drove cross country and traveled highway 209 for several hours stopping in Parrsboro, Advocate Harbour and Joggins. We (?!) visited several craft and antique shops. The fog enveloped the coast line preventing us from seeing the splendour of this part of the province. We had a spectacular lunch at the Wild Carraway in Advocate Harbor.
As we sat and enjoyed steaming hot bowls of homemade asparagus soup, we pondered what it might have been like on the trail had we decided to brave the elements. We all concluded that it would have been abject misery…wet, cold and mosquito infested forests followed by a night’s sleep on a piece of plywood. Somehow the seafood special at Wild Caraway ( and a dessert that should be served in heaven ! ) seemed a step up from freeze dried twigs and berries.
On our way home yesterday, we stopped in at the Lakevale Mini Trail Community Centre for a delicious lobster dinner. The folks out there have this down to a science and it is one of the many great examples of how volunteers make communities run.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life. That can only mean one thing. It’s time to put the hammer down and start eating sensibly again. After eating nutritious Indian food for six months ( which I absolutely loved ), I came home in May and have returned to some very bad habits including a surfeit of desserts… sometimes twice a day.
Why not plan a “staycation” in Nova Scotia this year? It is an amazing province with so much to offer… including cabins with plywood mattresses!
Have a great week.
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