Campgrounds and CAMPGROUNDS!

Having travelled across Canada twice now, I'm beginning to be a bit of an expert on Campgrounds in this fair land.  They fall into three main categories:

Parking Lot
Cute and Quaint
I Could Live Here

Parking Lot

The Parking Lot campground, you would think would be least expensive but you'd be wrong!  They tend to be set out on acres of land with little gravel pads and your basic services (water, sewer, power, a picnic table and a fire pit).  Your next door neighbour is an arm's length away and the nearest thing to a tree is the little plastic flower hanging in the washroom.  If they are planned well, your front door does not exit out into their sewer line - but that's just a faint wish.  However, better the sewer line than a thousand little plastic bikes and old picnic gear.  The Parking Lot Campground is fine for a short - one night layover where you plan to sleep and then be up and away in the morning but definitely not aesthetically pleasing.

Cute and Quaint

The Cute and Quaint campground is how I would classify our Home away from Home at Hilden.  Scotia Pine Campground is beautifully designed with large trees between each site, a pool, a gift shop and a laundry.  There tend to be more older travellers here than little children and definitely more pets.  These places are quiet, pretty and friendly and ofter very reasonable.

Parks and Beaches

I Could Live Here - is a place I discovered today.  The place is called Chrystal Lake Campground somewhere between Vermilion Bay and Winnipeg.  After driving up the lovely manicured driveway I was greeted by a virtual park (like golf course green).  All I could think of is, "Clark would be SO at home here!"  Ann's other half gets great joy from caring for his lawn and for putting his little John Deere to the test.  This place looks like he been here, too.  The sign on the door says, "Find a spot - we'll see you later!"  So I pulled into this pristine, super level, blacktop pull through site with all the business parts near at hand.  Hooked up and am now off to enjoy the big sandy beach  and wiggle my toes in the lake.  Oh, and it's just about the lowest cost campground I've come across yet!  You gotta love it!

I've always hoped that some day someone in our family will NOT glaze over when I start talking about family history.  So you can imagine the joy I felt when receiving an email from grandson, Mark about the Grade 12 History summer class he's taking (he's actually just finished Grade 10 and trying to get a jump on the years to come)  His project was to do a family tree!  Yay!  Jim, his grandfather, is also interested in genealogy so he had two pretty good sources to work with.  While I'm not kidding myself that this is the beginning of a grand passion for family history on Mark's part, I'm very proud of the work he produced.

Mark's Family Tree Project

To be continued..............................

Waxing Poetic - or Maybe Just a Little Tipsy

This was yesterday's blog.....

I just finished the most beautiful can of Blue – EVER!  After a long day on the road – really long – the campground I am at tonight is also an LCBO outlet and that big can of Blue was just sitting there promising to slake my deadly thirst!  Went down in about three big gulps – WONDERFUL!

Ney's Campground

I’m back at Ney’s Lunch and Campground where the kindly lady owner gave me some very precious lessons on motorhome operations on my very first trip through this country.  She even showed me how to work the hot water heater and the furnace.  Heck!  I didn’t even know I had a furnace at that point.  Like the star pupil returning to visit an old prof. I was able to assure her that her lessons were taken to heart and after four cross-Canada treks, I am now in a position to give a few lessons of my own.  Thanks Tammy Gillespie for the lessons back then and for your warm welcome today.

Chippewa Falls

Today!  Let’s just say my little mind was spiraling about in poetic muse at the wonder of this part of Canada.  That’s what happens when you travel alone, I guess.  To begin with, the TransCanada crosses over some of the most amazing little falls as it twists up and down through the Shield.  The Chippawa River and Speckled Trout Creek were just two that almost had me careening off the road as I caught a glimpse of them.  Cheeky, splashy falls that sparkled in the morning sun as they rushed down toward Lake Superior.

And Lake Superior!   So enormous that even a hint of the far shore cannot be seen on the horizon.  Marvelous bays, punctuated by evergreen islands and surrounded by soft, sandy beaches made it tempting not to stop more than a couple of times just to enjoy the view.

Wild Chicory

This is definitely lake country and even now, the forests are beginning to take on the patchwork look of fall.  Here and there great clusters of moribund water lilys lie in repose on their rusty-green lily pads and little flocks of geese seem to be feeding up for their upcoming flight south.

There was a little light construction going on today, but only the kind that repairs bridges and has a stoplight at each end.  Gives one time to enjoy the abundance of wildflowers growning along the ditches.  Baby blue chicory and purple loostrife predominate, dotted here and their with field daisies and buttercups and masses of yellow yarrow and white queen ann’s lace.    Ingredients for the best hippy wedding bouquet you can imagine.

On to Manitoba tomorrow where I hear gas is about $1.19.  Can’t wait but will have to do one more expensive fill up before I get there.  Gas in Ontario has been $1.15 all the way to $1.49.  You can imagine where I try to shop.

I only have wifi on my phone tonight so will try and publish this through that.  What are the chances?  After losing the power, I had no electronics last night - hence being sent today.

To be continued…..

Do You Want Onions on That?

Just a Joke - That's not Us!

So the great Rock and Roll Tour of 2013 is slowly coming to a close but will be fodder of many great memories in days to come.  Since leaving Ann on her driveway on Thursday, I have been spending my time learning to travel alone again - well not really - there's always Digit.  We had a great system for getting the motor home ready for the road which had tasks we each performed.  I, for instance, made sure the windows are all closed and the blinds up while Ann handled the sewer hose and put the cat into her bed.  I unplugged the power and we each worked on one end of the water hose.  We had a checklist that we religiously followed before setting off.  Now I have to remember to feed the cat - Ann's job.  I had had to learn to operate our new coffee machine - also Ann's.  Setup on arriving at the new destination went much better today.  I have figured out a new system that requires only one pass down the business side of the vehicle and one pass back.  It took less than 3 minutes - yeah me!

I miss my best friend - but as we often say - How grateful are we to have had 4 of these great trips to Nova Scotia and a few little side trips as well?

Today I am north of the Great Lakes where there is a dearth of Tim Hortons but you can rent a bush plane for next to nothing.  I passed through the powerful, granite valleys around Sudbury and today enjoyed a long lazy drive along the Blind River.  I am seeing trees beginning to take on their fall colour - another sign it's time to be heading home.

In the past few days, I've come to know Dave Dare Bates - a cousin on several levels.  He is from New Jersey and was just in Nova Scotia doing some family research.  He tells me his one family tree has more than 220,000 people in it.  That makes him about 3 times as crazy for family history than I am.  Unfortunately, he had only 3 days there, which makes me so grateful for the 8 weeks we had.

Daniel Lionel Teed

I've also come to know Peter Teed from Saint John New Brunswick, who

Hugh Mariner Teed

responded to my family history blog.  His two great uncles are part of a study I am doing on family members who died in the First World War.  Hugh Mariner Teed died while training a young Private to use a hand grenade.  The Private dropped it and both men were killed instantly.  Daniel Lionel Teed was a Lieutenant who was shot during enemy bombardment and he was awarded the Military Cross for his actions.   Peter has photos of this decoration and also copies of both men's military records - so I'm looking forward to seeing those.

Our Onion Farm

Every day you learn something new.  Here are two pretty neat things I've learned this summer.

1. If you place a bunch of green onions in a glass with some water in the bottom, the onions will continue growing and you can harvest 3 or 4 times the usual amount.  The leaves continue to grow and so you just snip them off with a pair of scissors.  Next thing you know, new, fresh leaves are popping up ready for your next harvest.
2. If you get bad bug bites, the best thing to get rid of the itch is the heat from your hair dryer.  Just point the hot air at the itchy spot and let it heat up the area for about 15 seconds.  Repeat this process 2 or 3 times.  Remarkably, the itch disappears - at least temporarily.  If you do it 2 days in a row, the itch will be totally gone.  This works particularly well on Nova Scotia's notorious deer flies.  They leave a nasty, itchy bump that can stick around for weeks.  A couple of hair dryer treatments - and they are gone.  It's a miracle!

 Today I passed a road sign to "Seldom Seen", Ontario.  Had I not been tooling along at the speed limit, I would have gone to see what it was all about.  The road sign was small - perhaps the reason for the community's name.

To be continued.....

Saints Preserve Us!

Ha Ha!

Still on the topic of Quebec - I'm not saying the Quebecois  make up the names for many of the religious for whom their towns are named but really!

• St. Pamphile
• St. Remi
• St. Ours
• Saint Ludgar de Milot
• Saint Nicefore

Just to name a few.  However I did find myself giggling as we passed Saint Louis du Ha Ha!  and I giggled again as we saw the sign to Saint Eulalie.

Back in Ontario again just to be greeted by the most incredible rainstorm this afternoon.  It was fun trying to keep track of the lines between lanes while being passed by Transport after Transport.  Happy to be snug and warm here in the campground at Marmora which is where we spent our first night on the road - 11 weeks ago.  Where DID the time go?  Tomorrow, we'll complete this journey together as I drop Ann and her gear off at her house.  However, we're already beginning to plan for another adventure next year.  Who know what we might get up to?

Ontario is building the most wonderful rest stops along the highway called ONROUTE.  Each one features tourist information, a food court, a truck rest area and a gas station - AND THE PRICE OF GAS IS $1.17 here as opposed to $1.39 back in Quebec.  Happy, happy, happy!

Got to run now as we are doing a final quick lesson on the Genealogy Software so Ann continue to add to her 800 or so new found relatives.

To be continued.......

I'm Not Say'in'

Quebec Countryside

So here we are - still in Quebec and I am doing my level best to enjoy our travels through La Belle Province. It has been a wonderful trip from Edmundston, New Brunswick to here at the Montreal West KOA Campground.

• I'm not sayin' that the roads in Quebec are bar none the worst in Canada.  
• I'm not sayin' that the word TRAVEAUX means, "We'll line up a bunch of pylons along the road and make you go 70 for kilometres on end until you reach the big orange FIN sign".  
• I'm not sayin' that these TRAVEAUX sections don't occur about every 20 km down the road.  
• I'm not sayin' the bumper to bumper traffic on the Trans Canada Highway isn't just loads of fun.  
• I'm not sayin' that driving and trying to translate all the French-only road signs isn't just a barrel of laughs.  
• I'm not sayin' I understand why every 10th vehicle we encountered on the highway was towing a little home made trailer filled with stuff and covered over with garbage bags and rope.
• I'm not sayin' that driving over the St. Lawrence on a high bridge in a gusty windstorm isn't something I've always dreamed of doing.  And we were lucky enough to get to pay for the privilege.

But:

• I am saying that Quebec is beautiful and scenic.
• I am saying that the people we've met have been friendly and interesting.
• I am saying that the roadside rest stops here are the finest I've seen anywhere - and well used.
• I am saying that Quebec drivers are no worse than those in Saskatchewan.
• I am saying that we're only 17 km from Ontario tonight and ready to head for home.

John Deere Lawn Mower

We've seen some interesting things in our travels.  People decorate their homes with all sorts of odd and unique items that really personalize their property.  We've seen our share of lighthouses, windmills and duck ponds in Nova Scotia.  Plastic deer and little forest creatures in New Brunswick.  Religious shrines here in Quebec.  This, however, was one item we passed each day on our way to the campground in Truro.  It captured Ann's attention, particularly, because Clark is a fan of anything John Deere.  So this photo is for Clark.

Breakfast Poutine

Yesterday, I had the most interesting breakfast - unique to Quebec, I'm sure.  It was called a Breakfast Bowl and consisted of two easy-over eggs on top of a mixture of hash browns, sliced sausage, ham strips, bacon pieces and covered with melting cheese curd.  Kind of a Breakfast Poutine, if you will.  It was pretty good - but way too much, especially with 4 slices of thick, home made toast.  However, I soldiered on and am still full 30 hours later.

To be continued....................

It's Better than Television!

I've often said that camping is an Art for women and a Science for men.  It is also a source of great entertainment as we watch the male of the species arrive at a campground.  Let me say, first, that I have had a lot of practice so I'm probably not your typical woman camper.  Today, we arrived back at our camp spot, neatly backed into the space, opened all the operating doors and between Ann and I, had the plumbing, electrical and water hooked up and the little doors all locked again in under two minutes.  We are level and set to enjoy a lovely evening.

A man, however, arrived just after we did and it gave us such joy to see him go through all the motions "men" seem to feel are required in a perfect parking job.  He stopped on the road and carefully walked the length of his proposed site - obviously looking for a level spot.  Slowly, he backed in, got out and did a walk around and then got back in and moved forward several feet.  Not satisfied, he then moved back a foot and came to rest.  Reaching into a compartment in his back bumper, he extracted a 4' long level and placed it on top of the said bumper.  He then got back in and drove ahead a foot.  Checking the level once more, he seemed satisfied.  Next he pulled several yellow plastic chocks from an underneath storage bin and placed them in front and behind each of his tires - and then soundly kicked them into place.  Now the nearest hill to this campground has to be 2km away, so I can't imagine where he thought he might roll away to - but he's going nowhere.  He carefully uncoiled his water hose and then discovered he was about a foot too short to reach the water tap.  Out came the chocks and back went the motor home.  Once re-chocked and water hooked up, he proceeded to plug in the power - no problem there.  Finally, he fished out a contraption that looks a little like a bridge for a toy train set - only this one gets progressively shorter as it goes away from the motor home.  Carefully, he lays his sewer hose down the length of this trestle and connects the business ends to their appropriate apertures.  All this time, his wife is standing back trying hard to surpress a giggle.  The time to complete his task - 42.5 minutes.  Honestly, it's better than Television!

Beautiful New Brunswick

We're still in beautiful New Brunswick - a place so under rated for its beauty.  Long stretches of brand new highway are flanked by moose fences like in Banff.  We passed through Gagetown yesterday, were everyone in the Tim Horton's drive thru was in uniform and speculated that this probably wouldn't be the best place to be a moose, since you're fenced in and in the middle of one of Canada's largest gunnery ranges.

Mother of Invention

"Necessity is the mother of invention" - it's been said, and when you're camping, you tend to spend a lot of time finding multiple uses for the things you've brought along.  One of Ann's great ideas this year was to use clothes pegs to keep stuff from flying out of the fridge after a long and bumpy ride.  We've also discovered Murphy's Law of Refrigerator Clothes Pegs -  the less food in the fridge, the more clothes pegs you need.  The clothes pegs, she also found were most useful in keeping all the little Tassimo coffee packages in their neat chrome despenser.

My favourite new tool, as you may have already guessed in my iPhone.  It is our accountant, our camera, our scanner, our gps, our entertainment centre, our bank machine, our social media centre, our walkie-talkie, our tool chest (levels, flashlights and such), it is our newspaper and our weather man and our trip planner.  I can't imagine how we did the last three trips without it.

Digit's New Best Friend

Digit, my fickle furry friend, has fallen head over heals for Ann this trip.  She spends most of her waking hours following Ann around and watching her every move.  Mind you, it could be because she plies her with catnip, cat grass, treats, cream from her coffee, "real" cat food and water from the dripping tap in the kitchen.  I'm just sayin'!





Oh, and you know that lobster supper that was our goal one day last week?  Well it turned out to be take out Chinese instead. If you are ever in Truro, try Hou's Takee Outee.  Great food  - hugh amounts - great price!  And all you people in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick - you've just got to open a few lobster restaurants!!!

Tomorrow we head up into Quebec and whole new type of scenery.  I've got to remind myself that Quebec drivers are not the same as they are in Nova Scotia and I'll have to be on my toes.  But for tonight, we're settle here on the banks of the Madawaska River, enjoying a lovely dinner, good company and beautiful surroundings.  How lucky can you get?

To be continuez...........

Homeward Bound!

So Long!

As the "Welcome to Nova Scotia" sign receded in the rear-view mirror this morning, it was a time to think back on an amazing eight weeks.  Our last stop, as always, was at the tiny cemetery at Oxford Junction where our great great grandfather, John Bragg, is buried beside his lifelong companion and wife,  Jane Rogers.  It was an emotional moment as I sat and tried to absorb the scenery and the spirits of those resting there.  This little piece of ground, I feel, is the spiritual centre of the Bragg Family and from its core radiates the 60,000 or so individuals I have come to know as kin.

John and Jane Rogers Bragg

John Bragg was an apprentice boy from Somerset, England who set out to sea in search of adventure.  From the early days when his only possession was his axe, he built a thriving farm, raised a family of seven children, provided an education for his own and his neighbour's children and sat as a Justice of the Peace at the County Seat.  He showed us that anything is possible if you live right, help your fellow man and set a good example for your sons and daughters.  Quite a role model!



So it was time to say good bye:

Good bye to the picturesque Great Village with it's church spires poking up out of the trees.
Good bye to the Bay of Fundy with its rippled red sandy beaches.
Good bye to Fonda, my Gamble cousin who is as crazy about family history as I am. Such a treat to spend time with her.
Good bye to all the men and women out there who take such wonderful care of the cemeteries.  It is a mark of such great respect to honour these ancestors with their hard work.
Good Bye to the great folks we met at the various little museums we visited.  They are such a dedicated bunch and so generous with their help and resources.
Good Bye to Whirly Gig's in Wallace Bay - great place to stop for lunch.
Good Bye to Kevin at Home Hardware who "invented" a new part for the motor home so we could use the awning.
Good Bye to the Stewiacke Valley with it's majestic vistas and to Folly Lake.
Good Bye to the Ice Cream stand at Bass River that serves delightful (and inexpensive) cones of Oxford Blueberries, Sticky Bun and Grizzly Tracks.
Good Bye to the "not for motor homes, please" roads we found ourselves on as we searched for the Isgonish Burying Grounds and Economy Falls.

Shep Scott

Good Bye to John and Judy Bragg and thanks for a lovely evening at Fox Harb'r.
Good Bye to all the wonderfully polite Nova Scotia drivers - Saskatchewan will be a rude awakening for me.
Good Bye to Charlotte.  We really must get together out west sometime.
Good Bye to Shep Scott who taught us that, at 99 there's still a lot of life to be savoured out there.

Of course the trip would not have been nearly as fun or exciting without my directionally-challenged but very very best friend in the world.  With way more perseverance and dedication that I would have, she trod through one cemetery after another, carefully cleaning and photographing the tombstones.  I think we have about 2,000 photos and most of them were hers.  She was my daily source of giggles and my inspiration to keep on with my project and my encouragement to get into mischief at every possible opportunity.  Ann - one in a million!

So our Nova Scotia journey has ended for this time.  We're in a lovely campground at Grand Lake, New Brunswick; the weather is perfect and it promises of be a gorgeous sunset.  While our time together is coming closer to ending, Ann and I intend to make the most of the next few days - see what adventures we can still pack in before arriving at her front door sometime next week.

To be continued.................

Picture That!

Goal for the Day

As our days here in Nova Scotia slowly wind to an end, we're trying to finish up the items on our "Wish List".  Today's goal is to find a lobster dinner.  I can't believe that right here on the Bay of Fundy, we couldn't find a single restaurant that serves it.  It may mean going to the market and buying the fixings and cooking it ourselves.  Whatever - it's lobster day for us.

Yesterday, as we were just finishing up photographing the final cemetery on our list we were engulfed in a loud and very active thunder storm.  That was a first for this trip and by the time we got back to the campground, the skies had pretty much cleared and we had a lovely evening.

Ann at the Clifton Cemetery

Great Great Grandfather
William Moore

Our photography project was a great success with almost 2500 shots to be sorted out and added to the family history.  Ann is responsible for the vast majority of the images with her great little camera.  She has attacked this work with great gusto - taking along her barbeque brush, grass clippers as her main tools.  My iPhone takes pretty good pictures, but certainly not of the same quality.  We've learned a lot - for instance - cloudy days make for clearer pictures and that if you get close enough there is less cropping and enhancing required on the computer end of things.  The trick we've found is to ply Ann with Espresso before leaving for the day.  She can sure move fast "under the influence"!  How lucky am I to have a friend like that!

Bay of Funday

As we're passing through these familiar roads for the last time this trip, we've been simply blown away by the magnificent scenery at every turn.  We've seen the tides at every point in their rush to the rippled red beaches and back,the glorious Cobequid Mountains, lush forests bedded down in nests of ferns and wild flowers.  It has been truly a feast for the senses.  Outstanding were the lovely and majestic Stewiacke Valley and the Fundy Shore from Economy to
Five Islands.  We've experienced some amazing orange sunsets that cast long shadows over the campground and ever the odd sunrise (a bit early for us most days).

We feel so at home here and here are a few ways we know we've been here a while:

1. When you can travel almost anywhere in central Nova Scotia without the use of the GPS.
2. When the lady at Smitty's refers to us as "regulars".
3. When you can pass a cemetery and say "Been there; done that".
4. When the summer student at the Bass River Museum calls you by name.
5. When you know the names of all the streets in the tiny villages along the Fundy Shore.
6. When you can hook up the RV in under two minutes (including water, sewer and power)
7. When everything you travel with is neatly stowed away for the road. (No rattles)
8. When you've had 20 different "next door neighbours".
9. When you have a favourite restaurant, favourite ice cream stand, favourite grocery store and favourite bakery.
10. When you know where to find the "best" pizza - fresh, hot and delicious.
11. When you know where the "bad" bumps on the highway are, and how to avoid them.
12. When you've seen several road construction projects begin and end.
13. When you can spend an afternoon with "family" at the beach.

So - to be continued for a little longer.....................

The Fundy Shore

Bay of Fundy at High Tide

Well, didn't we have an exciting and fruitful day?  Our goal was to travel along the south shore of the Bay of Fundy as far as Parrsboro and then tour slowly back through Five Islands, Economy, Bass River and Great Village and visit all the cemeteries we've missed so far.  It was our first really gorgeous day for a while and the views as we climbed towards Five Islands were spectacular.  On our way this morning the tide was out and we passed miles of wide, brick red beaches.  The blueberries are coming close to ripening and so there were vast fields of bright green, tinted as blue as Paul Newman's eyes.

Parrsboro is a lovely little town with some of the best examples of Victorian homes we've seen - and that is really saying something!  It was a bustling little place with the feel of a resort.  There was a free lecture going on at the hall and everyone was out in their best beach wear enjoying treats from Timmy's in the lovely town square.

Five Islands at Low Tide

What should be one of the seven wonders of the natural world can be seen at Five Islands.  Towering cliffs of red sandstone hug the coast while the five islands jut out into the Bay.  It is truly majestic!  On our way back the tide had come in and the sun was shining on the water making for a sparkling wonderland.

We stopped at a couple of cemeteries along the way and recorded the last resting place of more family members.  As we were taking a break, a young man drove by us and over through the newer part of the cemetery.  He stopped at one grave and carefully cleaned up around the area.  He then went back to his truck and brought out a new flower arrangement and carefully placed it atop the grave marker.  He stood there for several minutes, leaning on his truck and looking at the grave.  It reminded us that everyone buried in every cemetery was a person with a family and a life story.

Road to Economy Falls

As we headed back towards Economy, we spotted a sign for Economy Falls which is legendary for its beauty and so, in search of an adventure, we turned and set off in the direction the sign indicated.  It said the Falls were about 8 km and the first 500 meters or so were really good gravel road.  After that things began to go from so-so to scary.  However, we were intent on seeing the falls, to we persevered at about 5 kph until FINALLY we reached the parking area.

Economy Falls (taken from
the Internet

There was a small path that led into the forest so Ann volunteered to scout out the situation.  We turned on our Walkie Talkies that lost contact almost as soon as she was out of sight.  After about 20 minutes, I was becoming concerned.  We were in the middle of nowhere, in bear country and Ann has been known to be a bit accident prone.  Fortunately, just about then, she phoned (we were at 1 tiny bar on the cell phones).  She had walked a couple of km and was still nowhere near the Falls.  We conferred and thought it might be a good idea to come back to the motorhome.  So we didn't see the falls and had to be content with looking it up on Google when we got home.

Stopped in Bass River at our favourite ice cream shop and this time I had a family-related treat - Oxford Blueberry and Cream cone.  Delicious!

Now we're home to a fabulous Nova Scotia sunset and time to head off to bed after such a busy day.

To be continued..............

We Found the Breaker Box!!!!!

Blessed cool air conditioning - FINALLY!

Rainy Days and Mondays.....

We've had enough rain these last few days, I've had to deploy the water wings on the motorhome. Rainy days, however can be a bonus since you get to concentrate on things other than cemeteries.  I am on the fifth in my summer re-read of Nevil Shute novels and thoroughly enjoying it.  Ann is on her umpteenth mystery, White Hot by Sandra Brown.  She seems to be able to read for hours, whereas my eylids tend to droop by about the sixth page.

Our playlist on the iPhone is a rather eclectic mix of Aerosmith, The Canadian Tenors, Celtic Thunder, Keith Urban with a little Sugarland and  some Waylon and Willie thrown in for good measure. (Have I mentioned how much I love my iPhone?)

I also get a chance to update my family history with all the new information and pictures we've acquired since we've been here.

We've had a little leak in the roof, right over Ann's bed and so, just before this deluge began, she braved the ladder and applied some Flex Seal to the area in question.  These few days have given us a chance to confirm that it really does work!  High and dry!

We've also replaced all the worn out light bulbs, rearranged a bunch of cupboards - all those things you just love to do while on vacation.

Joseph Richardson

Ann has always told me that she had no close relatives except for one cousin in Ontario.  Over the past few weeks, we've been working away at building her family history.  Surprisingly, we've found almost 800 close relations and yesterday, we hit a major jackpot!

Musical Stones

It seems that her sixth great grandfather was pretty notorious in musical circles in Victorian England.  His name was Joseph Richardson and he invented an instrument called Musical Stones that resembled a big xylophone with keys made of stones from the local Cumbrian hills.  In 1848 he and his three sons gave a command performance at Buckingham Palace before Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and their court.  The concert of classical music was so well received, they were invited back three times.  What a thrilling discovery!

20 Things To Do on a Rainy Day at the Campground:

1. Put a really sticky sticker on the cat's head and watch her try to get it off.
2. Cut your toenails.
3. Play 372 straight games of Bejewelled.
4. Watch the dog people walk their animals through big puddles (no doggie litter boxes?)
5. Sample ALL the Tassimo coffee flavours (Be careful with the Esspresso - believe me,)
6. Brush cat hair off all the furniture.
7. Search for the breaker box. (Nope, we still haven't found it)
8. Make cute little pinecone crafts.
9. Re-organize the fridge and all the cupboards.
10. Watch funny You-Tube videos.
11. Check out pictures of the Royal Baby.
12. Replenish the toilet paper stash in the bathroom.
13. Eat a few too many Sweet 'n' Salty granola bars.
14. Figure out what all those gizmos on the multi-tool are for.
15. Sing off key to Rita McNeil and Jann Arden.
16. Check out the free eBooks online.
17. Clean the litter box.
18. Apply bandaids to all of Ann's "cat" injuries.
19. Say the same things at the same time.
20. Laugh.  Laugh til our sides are splitting and the tears are streaming - at nothing anyone else would get.

Looks like the rain may letting up and there is the promise of a nice sunny weekend so we'll be back on the road and finishing up photographing more cemeteries on our list.  We have nearly 2,000 tombstone images and probably another 200 or so pictures of individual family members since we arrived.  The local museums and historical societies have been a great help and so generous with their time and resources.

So, it's off for a shower and some breakfast and then busy, busy, busy!

To be continued......

Isgonish?

Our First Clue

Today we set out to find the Isgonish Marsh Burying Ground, reputed to be one of the oldest cemeteries in Nova Scotia.  Isgonish Marsh is the site of the graves of the first settlers in the district of the Londonderry Township from the 1790’s to the 1890’s making  it over 210 years old.  Approximately 35 people were buried on this property many of them closely related to our family.

You call this a road?

On arriving at Debert, just north of Truro we were heading to the Tim's for an iced cap. and directions.  However, just as we started down the main street, I noticed a sign to the cemetery.  We turned off onto the little side road which could politely be described as a cart track.  Some 5 km later (at 5 kph) of very rough driving, Ann spotted a little drive with some stones beside us.  

Isgonish Marsh Burying Grounds

There, in a wonderful little clearing stood the old stones in grounds that were beautifully kept by some cemetery angel.  These grave markers were substantial in size, but very worn and covered with moss and lichens.  Fortunately for us, Ann carries a good stiff brush with her and we were able to get enough of the stone clean to be able to read the important bits.  The stones were scattered about, which indicated to us that there had been other burials there that are now unmarked.

Two stones of significance were that of John Rogers and Elizabeth Spencer and that of Sidney Holmes.

John Rogers (sic) and Elizabeth Spencer

 John Rogers and Elizabeth Spencer were the grandparents (and my 4th great grandparents)  of Jane Rogers who married John Bragg and who went to live at Windham Hill near Collingwood.  John and Elizabeth emigrated from Northern Ireland in 1761 with a large group of Ulster Scots aboard the famous ship "Hopewell".  According to census records of the day, John created a prosperous farm on his 1,000 acre grant and a family four boys and two girls soon came along.  Elizabeth died in 1782 and John in 1809 and are buried together at Isgonish.  It was amazing to stand at their graves some 200 years later.

Sidney Holmes (Marshall Cook Staples)

Sidney Holmes was a very special lady.  Born in Donegal Northern Ireland, she met and married a young man named David Marshall.  The couple had two daughters, Elizabeth and Rachel and then David died.  As a young widow with two small girls, she soon married William Cook (my 4th Great Grand Uncle).  William had two sons, John and William from a previous marriage and William and Sidney went on to have two children, James and Rebecca.  The couple emigrated to Nova Scotia in about 1761 much as the Rogers had done but they obtained their grant at Portaupique.  Sometime about 1767, William Cook was drowned in the Bay of Fundy, leaving Sidney with six children to support.  Of necessity, Sidney found herself married again, to Matthew Staples a blacksmith who worked for Governor Cornwallis.  The couple had three more children.  Sidney is buried at Isgonish and her tombstone inscription reads:

In Memory of Sidney Holmes, Native of Donegal, Ireland; Wife of David Marshal, William Cook and Matthew Staples, who departed this life September 1812  aged 82 years - Her troubles were great, she labour'd hard and with tho distress'd her mite  (small pittance) was shar'd.  She had a rich and generous friend, On whose gracious promise she did depend.

It was a perfect day to spend in a cemetery - cool, breezy enough to keep the bugs away and overcast enough to ensure we got some good shots.

More adventures tomorrow!

To be continued........

A Murder of Crowes and Other Feathered Family - And a Bunch of Braggs

Annie, wife of
David Crowe

My friend Judy takes some amazing photos of crows, those feathered scavengers that live in every part of this county.  And, like Judy, I have quite a collection of Crowes myself.  Nearly 700 of my ancestors are blessed with the Crowe surname and this past few weeks, we've been capturing some photos of their last resting places.  Beginning with James Crowe who was born in 1715 and came to Nova Scotia in 1761, the family has prospered on the North Shore of the Bay of Fundy.  There is a town just outside Truro called Crowes' Mills and the name can be found on tombstones from Portaupique around to the Noel Shore.

Not to be outdone, we also have a long line of Swallows in the family.  Thomas

Swallow Road

Swallow jumped ship in Pugwash, married Hannah,  the daughter of our United Empire Loyalist forebears, Daniel Teed and settled in Wentworth in a place called Swallow Hill which is located, funnily enough, on Swallow Road.  Hannah and Thomas were the grandparents of our grandfather, John Thomas Bragg of Collingwood and Rockyford, Alberta.

Anna Haining Swan - giantess

Regal in name and of interest to history, the surname, Swan also pops up from time to time.  Anna Swan, the Nova Scotia giantess was one of our own and was famous around the world.

We have 12 Birds, 109 Cocks, 48 Eagles, 1 Hawke, 33 Martins, 4 Mallards, 2 Robbins, 176 Swallows AND 303 Marshes where they can nest and to keep everyone in line 203 Faulkners.

Fox Harb'r Resort

A Bunch of Braggs

Last evening, we ventured over to Fox Harb'r for dinner with John and Judy Bragg and were joined by cousin Charlotte who is visiting her son in Halifax.  We were also joined by David Hoffman who works with John and his wife Nina.  John, David and I are working on a secret, but very exciting project that, I'm sure, you will be hearing much about in the coming months.  It's a blockbuster!

It was great to hear about their trip to England and specifically their visit to the little churchyard in Chard, Somerset where Emanuel Bragg and Mary Woodland are buried.  They were the parents of John Bragg who came to Nova Scotia in the 1830s to settle at Windham Hill.  Emanuel and Mary were my 3rd Great Grandparents.

We had a great evening exchanging family stories, sharing a delicious meal and having some good laughs.  An enjoyable evening by all standards.

The drive home was a bit of an adventure, as well.  When the sun goes down in rural Nova Scotia, it gets really, really dark and we were travelling some pretty narrow and windy roads.  It began raining and, mindful of Charlotte's deer encounter 2 years ago, our speed was well under the posted limit.  My mother always told me to go to the bathroom before leaving home and I should have taken that advice.  The rain didn't help and by the time we got into Truro, I was feeling a little desperate.  Almost within sight of the campground, we encountered a railway crossing with all lights and bells going full tilt.  Uh! Oh!  Well, just my luck, it had to be one of the longest freight trains in the history of eastern Canada.  Fortunately, it FINALLY passed and we made it home, dry and in ship shape.  Good lesson!

This morning we are going to the RV repair place to see if they can find the breaker switch for the Air Conditioner - since the forecast for tomorrow is for low 30s with high humidity.

To be continued...........................

I'd Like to Know.......

Debert Military Museum

One of the other highlights of our tour with Fonda on Sunday was driving through Debert.  I was surprised to learn that there was an RCAF Station there as well as a large army base that was used for the marshalling of troops headed overseas at the beginning of World War Two.  100 km north of Halifax, it was on the main rail line from Montreal and was massive in size, with over 6,000 civilian employees and a population at many times exceeding that of Truro.  The air field became part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan which trained thousands of pilots from Australia, New Zealand and India before they embarked for Europe.  Today, many remnants of the base are still visible in the area.  Permanent married quarters have become smart little homes and all the streets have the names of World War Two era aircraft - such as Lysander Street and Lancaster Road.  The base was also home to eastern Canada's only Diefenbunker which provided communications and alternate government accommodation during the Cold War.  I had been wondering if Dad had spent time there but since the station was built in 1940 - he was already in England and had been involved in the Battle of Britain by then.

Lost at Sea

Graves of Captain John Dill and his brother
David Dill.

These young men came to my attention as we were photographing the Folly Village Cemetery the other day.  It is not often that you see such a large and grand tombstone with the names of two men on it.  So I went investigating and this is what I found:

This is the story of John and David Dill (3rd cousins, twice removed) and William Henry McLellan (3rd cousin, 4 times removed)  and their tragic deaths in the Bay of Fundy.  The brig "Phoebe Ellen" was a two masted vessel, square rigged on both masts and had been built by Captain Robert Dill (father of John and David) in the 1860s near Great Village.  On January 8, 1872 the ship was loaded with goods bound for Cuba.  John Dill had just taken command of the ship and his younger brother, David, had left his position as school master to come on the voyage.  It was his first time as a crew member and he worked well with his cousin William McLellan.

As the ship neared Toney's Cove near Digby, all sails were furled and the crew was on deck.  Everything looked ship-shape.  Inexplicably, in a freak northwesterly gale and thick fog  the vessel was drive aground and lost.  The weather was extremely cold.  The question then became: "Why did the Captain not take measures to prevent this grounding?"  Of the many things he could have done to prevent the wreck, he did nothing.

An investigation showed that the accident took place on a Sunday and being a staunch Presbyterian, Captain John Dill practiced what he preached - and that included not working on the Sabbath.  Unfortunately, this left the ship in peril when the weather turned on them.

The body of Captain John Dill was found ashore, cut in half by the ice packs in the Bay.  His young brother, David and cousin William McLellan were found frozen to death, lashed to the deck of the ship.

The young Dill brothers were laid to rest together in the Folly Village Cemetery.  William Henry McLellan was buried at the Portaupique Beach Cemetery just down the road.

A sad day for all involved.

******************

I'd like to know how the cat can find the geological centre of my bed at night and then spread out in all directions, leaving me hanging onto the edge of the mattress to keep from falling out!

I'd like to know how the guy who mows the lawn here knows when we have guests for dinner and chooses that moment to cut the grass beside our site.

I'd like to know where the Old Barns at Old Barns went.  Apparently they were remnants of an old Acadien settlement that were still standing when our family settled that area in 1761.

I'd like to know how so many bustling old communities in rural Nova Scotia like Londonderry and Castlereagh have become nothing more than a few houses by the roadside.  Such a shame.

I'd like to know how many tombstone photos we've taken since we arrived here but I'm betting it's more than 1500.

I'd like to know when I'm going to find the time to process all those photos.  First I edit the picture in Picassa to make it clear and readable, next I rename each one using my own naming convention and then I try to match it up with my genealogy database.  When I don't find the person there, I go off searching through a myriad of sources to try and figure out how they fit into the family.  I think our success rate is about 85%.

Bugger

I'd like to know when Ann is going to get tired of tromping through cemeteries with her grass shears, bristle brush, and Off Clip On insect repeller (which we call the "Bugger").  She's captured some amazing shots!

I'd like to know if we will ever get tired of Slippery Chicken and Cole Slaw, followed by a Skinny Cow ice cream cone for dinner.

I'd like to know how 2 adults and 4 kids fit into a pop-up camper trailer on a rainy day.

I'd like to know where the breaker switch is located in this motor home, so I could flick the switch and turn the air conditioner back on.

I'd love to know how I ever existed without my iPhone.

And I'd love to know if anyone is having a better summer.  Somehow I doubt it.

To be continued.....................

Londonderry Aires

Londonderry, Nova Scotia

Londonderry in Colchester County is a fascinating place to visit and I can't thank Fonda enough for the wonderful guided tour she provided for us yesterday.  In the 1800s it was a thriving community that made its living through iron mining and was said to have been bigger than Truro in size.  Set in the beautiful countryside it is now a shadow of its former self but many remnants of its glory days can be seen if you know what to look for - and Fonda does.  Almost consumed by the forest now, you can still see the old slag heaps and coke ovens along the side of the hill where the main mine buildings once stood.  Visible in memory only is the site of Londonderry Station, once a hub of transportation for the iron ore and for passengers coming and going.

Londonderry was the birthplace of many of our ancestors with names such as Campbell, Cook, McLellan, Crowe, Mahon, Spencer and Vance among the most numerous.

Not far from there is the beautiful old United Church at Acadia Mines that Fonda and her family purchased and are now trying to find a place and purpose for.  Inside, we found the old organ, rows of pews and even a box containing the numbers for the hymns to be posted at the front of the church every Sunday.  The building is in remarkable condition and it will be a wonderful adventure to re-purpose and bring it to life again.

Shep Scott

After the church, we drove along to Sutherland Lake where we dropped in to visit Shep Scott.  Shep was married to one of our Gamble cousins, Helen but he himself is also related to us through our Mahon and McLellan forebears.  Shep will be 100 years old on his next birthday.  He told us about being in the Air Force during World War II and about some fishing adventures that included our cousin "Wink" Gamble at Gamble Lake near Castlereagh.  What a treat it was to meet him.  He's a high-tech kind of guy and I've asked to be his "friend" on Facebook.

During our travels, we crossed the Acadia Mines Bridge which is tiny and narrow and spans a 100 foot gorge that has a wonderful waterfall near the bottom.  Spectacular but a little scary for the "height" challenged.

And of course, our day would not be complete without visiting a cemetery where many of Fonda's Rushton ancestors rest.  It's high on a hill and overlooks a stunning valley of trees and blueberry fields.

Oxford Junction
"Bragg Cemetery"

On the way home, we stopped at the little blue church at Oxford Junction where all the Braggs are buried and which, I believe, is the spiritual centre of the Bragg family.  What a lovely way to end our tour!

On a more practical note:  We've discovered a quick and easy way to determine whether our motor home is level when we park in "our spot" after a day of cemeterying.  Just open the bathroom door.  If it stays open, we're level.  If it closes slowly - it's level enough and if it slams shut, it's time to re-park and try again.

It's a good thing cats don't have fingers because Digit would certainly have Ann wrapped around her little one.  She talks to Ann constantly and is rewarded by a series of treats, food, cuddles, catnip, cream in a bowl and the turning on of the kitchen tap so she can get a drink.  She plays with the dripping water, trying to catch it with her paw so the drips have to be just a certain size and speed.  Most of the rest of the time, she simply watches Ann's every move, like some fascinating movie.  I'm not sure who has who's number.

Thanks again, Fonda for a great day!  So special!

To be continued........................