Monday Morning Musings
Posted on August 2, 2021 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet
The Skyline Trail on a hazy summer day
I don’t know about you, but I am (im)patiently waiting for the dog days of summer to arrive.June was a pretty decent month, but July was quite wet. On many days, it rained cats and dogs. We are by nature, an optimistic lot, so here’s hoping that the summer and fall bless us with some warm, sunny weather.
The weather isn’t helping the battered tourism industry. I took a spin around the Cabot Trail last week with two friends and colleagues from Montreal.
Chad and Emma made their very first trip to our province last week. Chad had the good sense to propose to Emma, and doubly so, by going down on one knee on the waterfront in Halifax. We had a few days together including a tour around the Cabot Trail. As I have commented in this space before, it is infinitely easier to drive the Trail than to walk it. I still shudder at the thought of walking from Cheticamp to Pleasant Bay in one (hot) day (42km) while navigating French Mountain and Mackenzie Mountain. I must be nuts. I can see you all nodding in agreement.
Sadly, there wasn’t much traffic on the Trail and tourism operators are suffering. They are seeing a small increase in traffic but not nearly enough. Many of my readers have been to Le Gabriel restaurant in Cheticamp. It is normally very busy with every seat in the front and back sections of the restaurant flat out. On the day we stopped for dinner, there was a grand total of three tables of patrons.
I think Chad and Emma would agree that the highlight of the trip (other than spending 14 hours of quality time with yours truly!), was the walk on the Skyline Trail just on the outskirts of Cheticamp at the top of French Mountain. The path is easily negotiable by most able- bodied people. It is wide and well graveled, and it is flat. The reward for a 45- minute walk is one of the most spectacular views on the Cabot Trail. It was hazy the day we were there and at first glance, I thought it was fog but in fact, I discovered later that it was smoke from the wildfires in Ontario. Chad commented that it was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen upon reaching the 314 steps at the end of the path. Had he known about Skyline, he might have delayed his proposal. They reenacted the scene although this time, Emma went down on one knee. I called this a “counter proposal”!
I am deliriously happy to announce that my four children will be performing at Piper’s Pub this Friday, August 6th from 6-9 p.m. They are in town to push their dad over the cliff into his 70th year on the planet. There is no admission or cover charge. They haven’t had the opportunity to perform together live for some time now. I can’t think of a better birthday present. Why not drop in, have a brew and a bite, and listen to some great music. I might even take the stage to sing Neil Young’s “Old Man” which seems quite appropriate.
I am about to embark on my second attempt at medical marijuana for pain relief. The first time was shortly after marijuana became legalized. I went to the NSLC and got some CBD oil but honestly, I didn’t get much relief. In retrospect, I should have done more homework and stuck with it a little longer. This time, I will go through a federally regulated cannabis clinic to seek advice on what to take and in what dosages. I have an interview with a medical expert in mid -August. I’ll keep you chronic pain sufferers posted.
This has been yet another edition of “Len Lite”, the new moniker I will use when I don’t have much to say.
Have a great week and stop in at Piper’s on Friday evening.
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