What's in a Name?

More tombstones. This one marks the grave of Thomas Swallow, my great great grandfather. There's an interesting family legend that says that Thomas' real name was Cheeseman. He served in the Royal Navy in the early 1800s and got himself into some trouble. To avoid a court marshall, he jumped ship in Halifax. When an official asked his name, he looked skyward to the little birds flitting in and out of the dockside buildings and answered "Swallow, Sir". Thomas was the father of my great grandmother, Matilda - one of 11 children.

This morning I met my new great nephew, Alexander - the little flirt! He is so cute, I could have absconded with him so easily. Hopefully, we will have a chance to get together again before we leave - I promised Dani a tour of the "Homelands".

It rained again today and the humidity is almost palpable in the air. Nellie was covered in heavy condensation this morning which - with the rain - helped remove a lot of the bugs and road grime.

Tomorrow, I'm off to Wentworth - home of the Swallows - where, I understand a descendent is still farming Thomas' farm. More graveyards! What fun!

My Cape Breton neighbours left this morning for PEI and I will miss them. They were so much fun and always had a funny story to tell over coffee.

I was going to head over to Newfoundland next week, but there was a fire on one of the ferries and so there is only one running - and the lineups are miles long. Guess that'll have to wait for my next trip.

To be continued.....

The Plane! The Plane!

Yesterday we went to Seednay for to see the ple-ens. A flight of over 100 planes of all different sizes, shapes, and ages landed on Cape Breton over a period of a couple of hours. They were celebrating the 100th anniversary of the flight of the Silver Dart very nearby. It was part of a trans Canada trip which has seen them touch down at airports all over the country. It was a thrill to see them since aviation has been so much a part of our family history. There's something about the smell of airplane grease......

Today - tadaaaaa!!!, the sun is shining and although the air is still heavy from two weeks of rain, there is a fresh breeze blowing in from the Bay of Fundy and I think it's time to do a little vegging on the beach.

Tomorrow Dani, Jay and Alexander arrive and I'm looking forward to seeing them and then Thursday, I'm back on the cemetery crawl. I have a couple more to do - and so much information to get entered into the genealogy.

Here's a little local joke:







God's County





An American decided try to write a book about famous churches around the world.For his first chapter he decided to write about famous Canadian cathedrals.So he bought a plane ticket and took a trip to Vancouver, thinking that he wouldwork his way across the country from west to east. On his first day he was insidea church taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on thewall with a sign that read ~$10,000 per call~. The American, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what the telephone was used for. The priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God. The American thanked the priest and went along his way. Next stop was in Calgary. There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the same golden telephone with the same sign under it. He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in Vancouver and he asked a nearby nun what it's purpose was. She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God. Thank you,said the American. He then traveled to Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal and in every church he saw the same golden telephone with the same $10,000 per call sign under it. Finally, the American arrived in Halifax, and again, there was the same golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read ~10 cents per call.~ The American was surprised so he asked the priest about the sign. Father, I've traveled all over Canada and I've seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to heaven, but in all the other provinces the price was $10,000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?The priest smiled and answered, you're in Nova Scotia now son, it's a local call

Quietest Bunch of Braggs ----ever!

So, yesterday Charlotte called and suggested we do something together. After much argument with her GPS and several miles over unpaved roads, we accidentally (or was it an accident?) in Bragg Country. We took a good look at Collingwood and Oxford - including the ginormous blueberry processing plant and the Blueberry and Maple Interpretive Centre - where you can even buy chocolate covered wild blueberries. We stopped to take photos of the site of the original John Bragg land and then we visited the old Anglican Church which is the picture above. There in the churchyard rest many generations of Braggs and it felt like I was really at my spiritual eipcentre.

The church had fallen into disuse and so the local family members purchased the building and adjoining cemetery. It sits on a knoll overlooking an old steel bridge over the River Philip. And considering there was a forecast for heavy rains and gale force winds, it wasn't really too bad a day.

We then went over to Pugwash for a late lunch/early dinner and had the best seafood chowder ever! I really enjoyed the day with Charlotte - we haven't spent time together for ages and it was nice to laugh about the crazy family we came from.

Today's a bit of a rest day. Having a barbeque tonight with the folks next door, who are from Newfoundland - and funny as all getout. Got to do some laundry and tidying up - and HAVE to empty the litterbox (At 150% humidity - it doesn't take long to make it's presence known).

To be continued...

Camping is a graveyard is pretty inexpensive.

Although it's hard to read, this is the grave marker for my great grandmother and grandfather. Most of today was spent actually visiting the cemeteries and photographing. It was overcast, but most of the pictures turned out OK. Judy, I sure wish I had your gift.

I visited the Bass River cemetery and there was a guy there mowing the lawn. As soon as I appeared, he shut down his little John Deere and took me on a walking tour. Turns out his grandmother was my grandmother's twin sister. He had a little story about each one and I was scribbling as fast as I could to take it all down. He was a pretty big guy and had the loveliest down home accent. These folks don't realize what valuable information they have in their heads.

On a roll (so to speak) I headed over to Economy and inched my way into the cemetery there. The stone gates were just a little wider than the motorhome, so I had to fold back my side mirrors to get through. Again, I found lots of family plots and did a lot of snapping. Then I realized that there was only one skinny little road through this place and no more than a couple of feet to turn around in. Needless to say, I got stuck. Did I mention it has been raining here - a lot! I finally extracated myself, but when I was done... Well, let's just say, if you have a spare corpse lying around, I know where there's a pretty decent sized hole they might like.

On my way back, I stopped at the little museum in Bass River and picked up the photcopying they had done for me. As they often do, things pull together. I had just taken a shot of William Beattie's grave and within the papers from the museum I found this letter, written by my great grandmother (the one in the grave shown above). It is dated December 6th 1871 and it read:

Dear Aunt,

It is very sad news I have to tell you now. Uncle William is gone to his rest. He started for Halifax the first of last week in a little vessel by Winsor way and the vessel was l0st and all on board drowned. 10 persons in all.

Uncle William and Henry Moore's son, George were all that were from about here. The rest were from the Five Islands. That's were the vessel was from. There were four of the bodies found. George Moore was one of them. He was buried yesterday. They have gone back to search for more. If Uncle is found we will send you word and if not, we would be glad to have you come down. This is a hard trial. I don't know how we will get along. We can only look to Him who doeth all things well.....

Your affectionate niece,

Flore A. Beattie

A tradition I think is very heart warming, here is that people put solar patio lights by the graves. I'd love to go some evening when it's been sunny all day. I'll bet it's a pretty sight.

A Whale of a Tail - or is it the other way around?

This morning I went whale watching - which was one of the things I really wanted to do while I was here. As you can see by the photo, it has been a rainy, foggy cool day and I had my doubts as to whether it would be fruitful. But the tour operator guarantees a whale sighting - so there you go. I trucked on over to Westport and boarded the Chad and Sisters Two at the appointed time. Finding it was fun - the fog being pretty thick. We donned our life jackets and headed out into the Bay. Round and round in circles we went and then - right in front of us - there it was. Glad I got the picture. We must have drunk a gallon of coffee and I was drenched to the skin but since it was definitely a sight I'd never see in Saskatchewan - well, well worth any discomfort endured. I spent most of the time visiting with some folks from Phoenix who shared the same sentiments.

One of the towns I have spent time in since I've been here is Great Village - home of my Chisholm and McLellan relatives. Honestly, if I were choosing a location for the great Canadian movie, this would be the place I would choose. It is just the right mix of quaint victorian homes painted in all colours of the rainbow, the right spired churches, the intriquing antique shops and galleries and super, super friendly people! I loved it!

Here's a list of the really important things to take with you on an RV vacation:

1. A level - so you don't end up sleeping up hill.
2. Velcro - I have velcro stuck to everything so it doesn't slide around while I'm on the move.
3. Rubber drawer liners - for the same reason as above.
4. My GPS - Miss Hathaway has become quite a good conversationalist and has kept me from getting too lost, too often.
5. My computer - not only does it keep me in touch, it's a great research tool and also doubles as a DVD player so I can watch the odd movie - I really recommend "Men of Honoir" with Robert DeNiro and Cuba Gooding Jr.
6. Move than one towell - I remedied this today on my way back.
7. RVing for Dummies - invaluable!

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to have a visit with my cousin Charlotte and then I'm back on the graveyard trail.

A Dime for your Thoughts!

What an amazing sight! The tall ships festival has begun in Halifax and about every half hour a new one enters the harbour. A bunch of us went down to see the beginning of this spectacle and I can hardly wait to go back and see it when they are all there. We are going back tomorrow night to see the fireworks and see the rest of the ships. If you want to see the ships yourself, here is the link: http://www.tallshipsnovascotia.com/ships.aspx

And you just have to love a province that has a special holiday to celebrate the good works of a favorite son, Alexander Keith. Another moose/deer image to add to my collection.

I've been warmed and amazed at the hospitality of the people here. I honestly feel like a celebrity. They even did a little piece about me in the local paper, although I can't believe there aren't lots of people who come here every year to look for their family roots. I've met so many people who are distantly related on my grandmother's side and I haven't even started on the Braggs yet.

The jazz festival is also going on in Halifax now and my cousin Charlotte from Edmonton is here volunteering. Hopefully, we can get together for a visit. And then, at the end of the month, my niece Dani will be here for a visit with Jay's family - Can't wait to see them, as well. I guess you have to go all the way across the country to catch up with family you never see at home.

'Tis a Grave Undertaking!

So, this morning I spent a grave morning at the Economy Pioneer Cemetery, taking photos of old family gravestones. I then had lunch with a very distant relative who was rounded up for me by the ladies from the museum I talked about yesterday.

I spent the afternoon getting groceries and wandering around the little fishing harbour. I could spend a fortune of “nautical”souvenirs but I showed great restraint.

I have set up shop here at Truro for the next two weeks because it is within a stone's throw of every place I want to spend time and do some research. I'm in a lovely piney campground with all the amenities – I could even have cable if I wanted. The internet connection is really good so I can be working on my computer while I'm doing me gravedigging. I'm also 45 km from the Bragg homestead so it's just a quick commute.

I still can't get used to coming around a corner and finding a beach or a lighthouse or something equally foreign to Saskatoon, but today this little fishing wharf was the best yet.

I took a GAMBLE and won!

July 11

Finally! After 5 weeks on the road, I am in Nova Scotia today. I got here early as there seem to be fewer campgrounds to choose from and many of the ones I looked at were jam packed and not very appealing. So, I'm at the Amherst Shore Provincial Park.

As is my new habit, I usually treat myself to a little nap after a long drive. Today, when I woke up, I thought I had gone deaf. The only sound I could hear were the little waves sipping at the red sand shoreline.

I'm only 45 k from the family seat but want to get some laundry done and get myself re-organized before making my presence known. This area reminds me so much of Bragg Creek (plus a great big ocean) that I can see why my grandfather and great uncle chose the land west of Calgary to settle.

July 13

After 3 days and nights without my wifi, I am glad to be back on the net. I have been driving through my spiritual homeland today and seeing, for real, the names and places I have been working on in my genealogy persuits for such a long time. The photo above is the Bass River Museum and I stopped in there because it was raining and because I saw that the door was open. The young lady inside began poking through records for the Gambles (my grandmother's family) and pulled out a 4 inch binder full of information about the family. It contains papers, legal documents, census records and many letters from family members over decades recounting various family stories and memories. The ladies are going to make me a copy at (get this) 5 cents a page. They also have all the cemetery records for the area so, tomorrow, I am going grave jumping in Bass River. Can't wait!!

I finally had to use my generator the other night in a provincial park and now I know I have about 8 hours of power on a tank of gas. The only problem is that it's a bit noisy so I didn't keep in to unless I needed it.

Nova Scotia, so far is pretty and smells much more like the ocean than New Brunswick did. Fortunately for me, it's lobster season so - guess what's on the menu for tonight?

Some Beach!

Today, I am camped within feet of the Atlantic Ocean at Dalhousie, NB. There's an actual real-life lighthouse right outside my door. Finally, we're (me and the cats) having great sunny weather and I can just smell the lobster from here.

The pompous moose (is that a grapefruit?) from Quebec road signs, called Prudence have given way to a much mellower looking fellow in New Brunswick. AND they actually have them here. I saw 2 cow moose grazing beside the highway this morning and if there hadn't been a big truck on my tail, I would have stopped for photos.

I have been quite blown away by the wild flowers along the roadside. There are millions of lupins in every colour you can imagine. Cream thru pink thru blue thru mauve all the way to deep royal purple. These are bedded down in massive patches of white daisies and dotted with wild tiger lilies. The whole picture is framed by acres and acres of - what I assume are fiddlehead ferns. Breathtaking!

New Brunswick has been a delightful surprise. The countryside is beautiful and mountainous (not the Rockies but enough to make my ears pop) and the roads are by far the best I've come across. This area abounds with the most perfect Christmas tree pines and the air is a spicy mix of salt water and the forest.

Now, I'm going beach combing. Sure wish I'd remembered to bring my binocs.

A Moose named Prudence!

The moose on the "Moose Crossing" signs in Quebec (as with everything else in the province) is bigger and much more menacing than in Ontario. And I still haven't seen the real thing. The all seem to be named Prudence (until I remembered that I was just being warned to take care - in French)

So here I am barreling along the Trans Canada, bound and determined to make it into New Brunswick before the end of the day, when I came around this corner and was treated to the mose incredibly spectacular view of a lake in dark boiling fog with spears of sunlight piercing through into the water. Having spent the day meandering along the south shore of the St. Lawrence, this seemed like a fitting place to stop. So, here I am just 40 clicks from the New Brunswick border at Lac Ste. Something.

I haven't talked much about the weather and that's because, on the whole, it has been pretty cold and rainy. With the exception of the week in Muskoka, I have used and blessed my little furnace every day. With new reports of a drought in the west, I wish I could package up some of this moisture and mail it back.

Tomorrow, I hope to get my first view of the Atlantic ocean and plan to spend a few days exploring New Brunswick before heading down into Cumberland County in Nova Scotia.

I think we've landed in Kansas, Toto!

Bon jour, Au Jourdui je suis en la coeur de Quebec. Aidez-moi!!!!

Yesterday I entered the Province of Quebec at about 10:00 am and really do feel like I'm in a different country. To begin with, I've noticed the way Quebois have a flair for the extreme. The worst roads and the most Arretez signs I've ever seen. There are no uncontrolled intersections here – every single one is a four way stop. Can you imagine how long it took to get through Montreal? I

saw my first depanneur (corner store) and caleche (horse drawn carriage) and was amused to see that there are as many PFK (Poulet Frit Kentuckie) here as there are in southern Ontario.


Once I got out in the country, I realized I was in corn country. Corn fields – as far as the eye can see. (not as high as an elephant's eye, yet – but it's early in the season).
Two things that have rather surprised me are the lack of quaint stone farmhouses and religious shrines. You could take any farmhouse here and plunk it down in Perdue and it would fit right in. The only difference is that here they all seem to have two or three gigantic silos build of cinder block. As to the religious shrines, I remember them from my travels in my teens but times have changed and perhaps I haven't been in the right places.


Again, I let Miss Hathaway guide me through the roads less travelled and a drove through some quaint and lovely villages where the multi-coloured little houses sit right on the roadside with no front yards. Each one seems to have a porch with a rocker and a 'grandpa' sitting there watching the world go by. Each village has a red brick church with a tall cream coloured steeple – the tallest building in the town.


Driving is a bit more of a challenge here, as I have to translate as I go along.


Tonight, I'm at Quebec City and plan to stay a day or two to see some of the sights. I won't be crossing the St Laurence again any time soon. The tunnel that leads to the bridge is about 4 inches wider than my motorhome and the bridge which is a kilometre or more wide is one of those metal ones you can see through. Tummy knots time.


It's the beginning of my second month on the road and I can't believe it. The time has just clipped along but I'm within easy days of my target so all is well.

Ode to the Golden Arches

I've been driving for hours and hours
And I'm getting quite numb in the seat
I've seen sights that were so pretty
But I'd really like something to eat.

Then over a hill I espy them
Like a beacon of hope in the night
Those beautiful Golden Arches
And the end of my hunger in sight

I'm not really big on their burgers
Tasting like old glue as they do
But I love their Chicken Caesars
As a matter of fact, I'll have two.

No matter the province I'm travelling
Or how far into the country I roam
Those beautiful Golden Arches
Remind me I'm not far from home.

Where are the Fashion Police when you need them?

I saw this and couldn't resist. I'd like to say a few words about the way men of a certain age dress in campgrounds. The fall roughly into two categories and you can usually associate them with their motorhomes.

The guys in the big rigs (greyhound bus size) are a natty bunch who sport plaid bermuda shorts, golf shirts and white shoes of some sort. They always top off the outfit with a jaunty hat (often bearing their gold club crest or some such form of identification). Often, their wives are in similar outfits.

The other guys (mostly hauling 5th wheels) wear t-shirts (if they wear shirts at all) bearing such witty sayings as "A 24 a day keeps the camping OK" or "Do bears go.......(you know the rest). They usually wear torn cut-offs and either black socks with sandels or runners. It's when they don't wear their clever t-shirts that really provide a picture. 'nuff said'

Being in Ottawa I thought it a shame not to visit some of the sight while I'm here, so I stayed over today and went to see the new Canadian War Museum. My grandson, Mark would love the place. On my way back I'm going to spend some time there going through the archives to see what I can dig up about my Dad's time overseas during the war.

Tomorrow, I am going to brave up and wiggle my toe in the Quebec highway pool.

We're having a dilly of a thunder storm right now, but Nellie is cosy and dry so all I have to worry about are the two cats clinging to my legs, begging to be picked up.

Some Things Never Change!

Some things change a lot over time. Yesterday, I went driving around my old neighbourhood - Carlingwood - in Ottawa. I drove past my old house and my old school where I spent every winter night skating and every summer night playing baseball. With the exception of the growth of the trees in the area - it all looked pretty much the same as it did back in the day... I drove past the old swimming hole at Lake Duchene and it has been turned into a lake front condo development. Another thing that doesn't change much here are the crazy drivers. I felt like I was back home in Saskatoon. I had also forgotten that when there is a holiday in this fair city - everything (and I mean, everything) shuts down with the exception of some drugstores and corner shops. And since I had not done a grocery shop yesterday, I am dining a la cuisine de Shoppers Drug Mart tonight. (See, my french is coming back).

I had a lovely lunch today with my cousin Mary Lee and her husband Colin today. It was great to catch up and we spent some time looking at some old family photos. There was one of cousins Robert and Allan (ages 4-6) all dressed up in sweaters and berets (very European and very funny, if you could see the pair of them now).

Tonight, I am going in to Greely - the local community - to watch the fireworks and then tomorrow I am heading off to Morrisburg to see some of the historical sites in that area.

I'm a little apprehensive about crossing into Quebec, but I think if Miss Hathaway carries on in English, she should get me through to New Brunswick by the weekend.