Rain, Rain - Go Away!

NOT!

We've been fortunate with the weather up until the last couple of days when all that rain from Alberta has finally caught up with us.  However, even in the rain, there is no place like Nova Scotia.  We have tucked in for the day and are enjoying our furnace and the fact that Ann climbed up on the roof last week and caulked the little hole just above her bed.  Having Netflix on the computer, eBooks at hand and a lot of genealogy to catch up on, it has been a quiet but productive day.

Esther Cook Gamble
Castlereagh Cemetery

Yesterday a cousin sent me a link to her new website all about the Cook family from which we descend.  It's called "Everywhere a Cook/Cooke" (the name is spelled both ways).   My great great grandmother, Esther Cook married John Gamble and they were the grandparents of Julia West Gamble, my Dad's mother.  The link is  http://www.everywhereacookcooke.com  if you want to go in and take a look!  It tells the stories of James and William Cook who came from Northern Ireland in 1761 as early settlers to Nova Scotia.  Poor William was only here a short time when he was drowned in the Bay of  Fundy.  We descend from James who is my 4th great grandfather.


I am currently working on a project to honour the members of our family who lost their lives during World War I and so far, I've found nearly 60 of them.  Next year is the 100th Anniversary of the beginning of the "War to end all wars" and I think it's fitting that these young men be remembered.  Many of their stories are difficult to read but this one was particularly touching:

Major James Howard Tupper was killed in action on September 16, 1916 at the Battle of the Somme.

Major James Howard Tupper

Jim served overseas in the 25th Bn., Canadian Infantry (Nova Scotia Regiment) during the war. Before he left for overseas, Jim wrote a letter to each of his son's which their mother, Letty, was to give them on their twelfth birthdays. In these letters James shared with his children his love for them, his devotion to his wife, and his strong faith in God. "First", he wrote, "be true to your God. Second, be true to yourself. Third, be true to your country." While he was serving in France, James asked a friend to take a small piece of ivy home to his wife. Letty planted the ivy, which thrived in the rich farm soil of the Annapolis Valley. (This ivy was taken from the garden of a convent in France just before he died). In September 1916, James was killed in action. No one can say for sure the influence that James had on the succeeding generations, however, each of James' and Letty's sons served as ministers in the United Church of Canada, and this legacy has continued as a great-grandson now carries on the tradition. James' presence is also acknowledged as his vine continues to be woven into anniversary corsages and bridal bouquets, and crawls along the walls of family homes.

Excerpt from a letter he left his son Douglas, age 9:

'In going into this war it is a great satisfaction to me to know your mother thinks I am doing right and I do not know but what she has hardest part to do, to stay home and have the care of every thing. I know you boys will be a great help to her. Perhaps some day you will be a soldier and a soldier must on all occasions fulfill and carry out his duty his first duty is to obey. Can you do that? I hope so and I think you do. If not you are no soldier. A soldier must obey. I am taking a group of you four children with me. Vera is so young she will not remember me, she is a dear little thing. And now my own dear boy farewell I hope I may return to you. I pray that God may watch over and keep you. There is not a German Sword cut that cuts as deeply as it cuts me to leave you all. I am simply doing my duty as thousands of others are doing. My own dear boy good bye.

Your loving father,

J.H. Tupper'

Letter written by Borden's father Jim upon his going to War.

To: Master Borden Tupper - Your Daddy (To be given when he is 12 years old)

My dear Son:

How dear you are to me you will never know or how hard it is for me to leave you, perhaps never to return, you can never understand unless you go through the same ordeal yourself some day and I hope you may never have to but if you do, face it boy, face it bravely. Do not back down. I love you with all the power of love within me and now on the eve of my departure for war I am writing to you and if I do not come back this will help you to understand why I went, why I took such a risk, why it was necessary. I count my life cheap in the scale compared with the empire. I am a man and being a man I could not stand by and see our country in danger and not do my best to save it. It does not appeal to all alike. As you grow older you will realize more fully what I mean. Perhaps when you read this the war will be over and peace in the world once more.

It may be my lot to fall and not return with the troops and if so I would like you to always remember that I loved you better than life itself. I have looked forward to the time when you would be a little older and I would have the benefit of the years of experience I have had. We would be good friends, you and I, the best of friends. You are my eldest son and I hope you will grow up to be as good a man as you promise to at present.

My boy, always be good to your mother. If my actions deprive you of a father, you will still have one of the best of mothers. You cannot afford to neglect her. Honour her and love her above all else and you can safely rely on her councils and judgement. Be kind and true to Grandma. She is Daddy's mother and has a great store of wisdom for boys and girls.

I must think of you as a boy of twelve, a big boy, a true boy, a boy who will make a man. True men are not plenty and all boys are not true boys. Be a true boy. There are things to be true too. First, be true to your "God". Second, be true to yourself. Third, be true to your country.
You can be true to God by obeying His commands, carrying out His will and being kind to all his creatures.

You can be true to yourself by treating yourself fair. God has given you a body to go through this life. Use your body in the way He would wish you to. Keep your body clean, that will keep it healthy. Keep your mind clean by reading good books, thinking good thoughts and doing kind acts. Choose clean friends and always by friendly. Never go back on a friend. One good friend is worth a great many poor ones. In your play and daily contact with your friends and school fellows be clean in your conduct to them, particularly with the girls. Remember you are a gentleman and treat them as ladies. No matter what they are like it will not excuse you. Avoid the bad ones. You cannot afford to spend time with them. That would not be treating yourself fairly.

To get an education God has given you a time of youth to prepare your mind, knowledge to gained every day but only one day at a time. You will get tired of school and you will see boys who do not do very much and you will think they get along just as well but they will not and they will perhaps find it out in time. Study your lessons each day, one day at a time and you will find the better you know your lessons the better you will like to go to school. You will not be true to yourself unless you learn your lessons each day as they come along. You are storing up knowledge that will be most useful by and bye. Get your storehouse "your mind" well stored with the useful knowledge that you get at school and as you go through life you will always find use for it and no man can take it from you and you cannot lose it. You will always have it.

Be true to yourself in your play. Play fair or not at all. A boy who will not play fair is likely to make a man who will cheat in his business. They are both on the same road. The business comes a little later on.

You can be true to your country by being a good citizen, one ever ready to defend what is right and oppose what is wrong. As you grow to manhood you will have to decide on many questions, "public questions" and take one side or the other. It is your duty to do that. Decide honestly and then act accordingly. If filling any office of any society, or in any public capacity, do your best. This is all included in "citizenship of the right kind. It is not always necessary to die for your country to serve her. You can live for her, and only do your duty as you see it and you will not be fulfilling your obligations.

I have many friends upon whom you may rely for council and help. I cannot name them all but only a few of my nearest and dearest ones. I need not mention your uncles Elias and Forbes as well as uncles Charlie, Hallet, and Uncle Reg. You can always depend on Rev. E. B. Spurr. He is one of my very best friends and I claim him as a brother. Mr. C. L. G. Hervey, Mr. L. Wiltshire, Mr. C. C. Rice, Mr. R. G. Whitman, as well as many of the newer friends in Bridgetown. You will of course have your own friends and companions but you can remember these as some of my best and truest friends. I did not mention Mr. Young or Mr. Williams you know now what friends they are.

And now my own dear boy may God keep you, protect you and watch over you and make you worthy of the love bestowed upon you.

Be kind to your sisters. You have two sisters now and I hope you will have them for many years. You and Douglas love each other which is right. I know you both love your sisters and they love you. How happy you will all be.

My own dear boy I must close. I cannot express my love for you. May God keep you and watch over you,

Your loving father,

J.H. Tupper

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

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

Words - Don't Fail Me Now!

Stewiacke River

Yesterday dawned overcast and a bit misty.  It looked like it might be a good day to stay close to camp and read or spend time on the computer.  We, however, decided that if it was going to be dampish outside, we'd go somewhere and do something inside.  Just about that time a Facebook notice appeared on my screen announcing that the Stewiacke Valley Museum was open from 10 am to 4 pm.  Perfect!  Upper Stewiacke is only about 35 km from here and I had lots of family in the area to research - so off we headed.

This is where I need my words.  The Stewiacke Valley is one of the most spectacular sights I've ever seen.  The road winds and bends between ditches full of lupins, daisies and buttercups and the view across the broad hills leaves one breathless.  The fields are so brilliant green that even on such a cloudy day, it makes your eyes hurt.  Gracious homes with gingerbread eaves and elegant gardens come and go and great acres of corn, peas and hay spread as far as you can see. Lazy herds of milk cows graze contentedly waiting to return to their big red barns for their evening shift.  I could have kept on driving for days.

Stewiacke Valley Museum

I've learned that asking about too many ancestors at these small museums tends to muddy the waters.  So I went in with just one question in mind.  Did they have any photos of the Johnson Family?  Ann just howled when the young lady who works there said "I'm related to the Johnsons!"  and the nice volunteer lady said "So am I!"  So, feeling very much among kin, I asked my question.  The result was a big binder full of old family photos of the Johnson family dating back to the 1870s.  What more could a genealogist ask?

Agnes Johnson

I've mentioned before how much I love my iPhone and yesterday, it came to my rescue again.  I had downloaded an app called CamScanner which allows you to scan documents and photos and then make notes about each one.  Going through the binder, I found photos of many family members, scanned them and noted who they were.  Talk about a kid in a candy store!  There, laid out before me were the images of people I only knew by name.  How wonderful to put faces to those names!  This photo, I thought was particularly nice.  Agnes was my 2nd cousin, 3 times removed.

So it was a very productive day, but it was also a day where we laughed to the point of danger.  While I was getting all these photos, Ann was having a good look around the Museum.  Presently, I could hear her laughing and chatting with someone upstairs and before long the 3 of them came downstairs to the main room.  She had in tow, two charming elderly gentlemen and they were thoroughly engaged in their banter.  She marched them over and introduced them, and the one man, it turned out is also related to me from another part of the province.  His name was Al Flemming and he comes from north of Truro.  His first ancestor to arrive in Nova Scotia was James Flemming who chose the worst piece of farmland on the Fundy Coast that became known as "Flemming's Folly".  Later the name was shortened and that is how Folly Village got its name.

In his early years, among other pursuits, Al raised bees.  When my cousin, John Bragg was starting out in the wild blueberry business, he and Al would go out into the fields at night and release bees for pollinating the blueberry plants.  He worked for Elmer Bragg for a time and gave John a puppy who grew up with him.  The dog was called "Boy". (as in "Here, boy!")  He was telling me of visits he made to Tweet and Elmer's home in Collingwood.  Such a small world.

And the day wasn't over yet!  On the way back, we headed to Walmart to pick up a few things.  As the result of a minor tombstone injury the other day, I have a bum knee that makes walking on hard surfaces a bit painful, so I decided to try out one of those little electric scooters that the store provides.  What fun!  We were zipping around the store (my children would have been so embarrassed!) and giggling like school girls.  At one point, I had to put the thing into reverse and that is where we lost it!  The thing beeps when it backs up and that is what set us off!  The fits of laughter must have left other shoppers thinking "Those two should never have been allowed out on their own".

What a great day!

Cowboy Up!

While we're giggling our way around Nova Scotia, life at home goes on and I wanted to share a couple of photos taken at a rodeo last weekend by Megan (my aspiring photographer granddaughter).  Nice shots, Meggie!

It's all Black and White

Carolyn & Studz - Matchey, Matchey!

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

Life is a Highway - In So Many Ways

So Ann and I and our feline travelling companion, Digit are finally settled in OUR spot here in the Scotia Pines Campground at Hilden (just south of Truro).  It's OUR spot because it is the one we always get when we're here.  Unfortunately, when we arrived there was someone in OUR spot and so we had to wait for them to leave.  They were a lovely British couple with a young son who are touring Canada province by province.  At any rate, Our spot is right at the end of the property where we're two steps to the laundry room and five to the garbage container.  Because we're on the end, we have a lovely large "yard" with picnic table and we can only ever have one close neighbour. Our view consists of lovely fields and forests.  It suits us just fine.  We spent most of yesterday getting settled in, doing some long overdue washing and a bit of a re-shuffle of our stuff.

Last night a lovely lady came to our door inquiring about the wifi setup here.  She and her husband from Tamegami, Ontario and are travelling in an SUV.  They sleep in the back and set up their "kitchen" on a picnic table.  Definitely not my way to travel!

Home away from Home

Life on our wheels can be pretty easy when you come equipped with the necessities.  We have all the appliances we need - fridge, freezer, stove, oven and microwave.  There are two big comfortable beds and a smaller one for a guest should we need it.  We enjoy a full bath with tub and shower and we are blessed with an air conditioner, hot water heater and furnace.  What more could a person want?  Add to that we brought along two laptops, two eReaders, two iPhones, our Tassimo coffee maker and a Soda Stream drinks maker.  Our campsite comes equipped with 30 amp power, water and sewer hookup as well as a Cable TV outlet.  We couldn't be more comfortable at home.

Stoney Creek Cemetery,
New Brunswick

Every year we spend some time in local cemeteries, capturing the images of the headstones of our ancestors.  And every year we get bitten by the same invisible menace.  We never actually see who is doing the biting and because they only get us in cemeteries, I wonder what their source is.  Could it be that we are still sharing genetic material with those long gone?  At any rate, these little beggers get into your hair and leave an extremely itchy knot on your scalp.  We've tried Deep Woods Off and all the other repellants and nothing seems to work.  Neither, sadly do any of the anti-itch products available at the local pharmacy.  I guess it's the price we have to pay.

My cat, formerly known as Digit, has turned into something of a princess on this trip.  She has always been afraid of strangers and I believe her early days were probably spent in a barn or alley somewhere.  Regardless, she has attached herself to Ann in a big way this year.  She sits for ages, just watching what Ann is doing and she has obviously set up some form of communication with her.  They have a set routine for feeding, a cuddle, water dripping from the tap, a little cream from Ann's coffee stash, a treat, a cuddle, some catnip, a bit from the cat grass plant Ann brought along and even visits overnight to curl up on Ann's bed.  At the age of 12, maybe her feral ways are behind her.

Today is cool and humid and I think we'll get off to our next cemetery early - just in case it rains.  We are going to the Old Barns Cemetery in Hants County where our Ancestor of the Day is buried.

Ancestor of the Day

Today's Ancestor story is about a family.  Captain James Scott Simmonds was born in Old Barns in January 1794.  Old Barns got its name from the Acadien barns that remained on the site after the expulsion of the French from the area.  When our ancestors came from Northern Ireland and New England in 1761, they found the remnants of the Acadien farms with plowed fields, dykes, and farm buildings still in place.

James was related to me this way:  John Simmonds/Susannah Campbell -> John William Campbell Simmonds -> Susanna Simmonds -> Flora Ann Campbell (Gamble) -> Julia West Gamble -> My Dad -> Me.  He was my 3rd Great Great Uncle.

In 1816, he fell in love with and married a young American lass named Mercy Ann Freeman.  Soon the couple were expecting their first child but just before his birth, James was killed by some falling timbers at a local barn raising.

Grave of William Henry Simmonds

His family was devastated and his parents were fearful that Mercy would take her baby back to New York after the birth and they would never see their grandchild again.  So, probably with the best of intentions, they contrived a plot.  When William Henry Simmonds was born, the grandparents somehow convinced Mercy that the child had died at birth.

Distraught, Mercy did return to her parents.  She became a seamstress, eventually remarried and move to Illinois. The elder Simmonds raised the boy, telling him that his mother had died in childbirth.

Many years later, William Henry Simmonds became a ship builder near Boston.  One day a young man came to him looking for work.  The young man was named Freeman and William mentioned that his mother's maiden name was Freeman - Mercy Freeman but that she had died when he was born and that his father had also died in a freak accident.  The young man countered that he had an Aunt, Mercy Freeman who married a sea captain in Nova Scotia who also was killed in an accident.  They had a young son who died at birth.

The thought haunted William and the next day he convinced the young man to take him to meet this woman.

Evidently, William had grown up looking very much like his father and when he walked into "Aunt Mercy's" home, she fainted dead away.

Overjoyed at this reunion with his mother, William left his ship building business, packed up his family and bought a farm near her home.

**********

Well, that's it for today.

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

We're Not Lost - We're Just Exploring!

Guy Densmore

Part of the fun in travelling around Nova Scotia is looking for opportunities to stop and talk to people.  Sometimes we even ask directions when we really know where we are.  Yesterday we came across this lovely couple well into their eighties.  Both were quite deaf and the gentleman had yet to insert his Sunday dentures.  When we asked for directions to the local cemetery, we were broadsided with information.  These two knew everything that had gone on in the area and they were quite excited to share the gossip.  We found out how much Guy Densmore had paid for his tombstone and wasn't it cheeky of him to put a picture of his house on it?  We heard about who was related to who and weren't we lucky to go on such a long trip?  They were delightful as well as helpful because people like that can put the art of genealogy on such a personal level.

Ancestor of the Day.  

Since I'm travelling all around the area and learning so much about our family from the past, I thought it might be fun to share.  Today's ancestor is Captain Robert Wilson McLellan and he is related to me this way:  Isabella McLellan -> Jennie Chisholm -> Isabella Campbell ->Flora Ann Campbell ->Julia West Gamble -> My Dad -> Me.

Robert was born in Economy, Nova Scotia in September 1826 and went on to become a ship builder and master mariner.  Mary Ann Corbett was his wife and the couple had two little boys.  In 1860 Robert began work on a two masted brigantine called the AMAZON which he built at Spencer's Island just up the coast of the Bay of Fundy from home.  By May, the ship was ready and she sailed along the shore to Five Islands to be loaded with lumber bound for Britain.  During this time Captain Robert was feeling unwell but thought that the fresh ocean air would do him the world of good.  By June the ship was loaded and underway but they only reached New Brunswick when it became very evident that Robert was extremely ill to the point of death.

The ship turned back toward home when, at Spencer's Island, Robert succumbed to pneumonia.  The following day his crew carried the remains of their leader back aboard ship and set out for Economy.  Seeing the ship approaching the pier, Mary Ann went down to greet her husband, only to be told the awful news.

Later the ship was sold to an American and was re-christened the MARY CELESTE - a ship that would become world renowned as the ghost ship.  In 1872, the Mary Celeste sailed into Gibralter  with no one on board.  The Captain and his wife and two year old daughter, as well as 7 crew had disappeared.  No one knows for sure what happened to them.

Captain Robert Wilson McLellan is buried in the Economy Cemetery in Nova Scotia.

Unfortunately, we had a wicked rainstorm last night and so missed the Super Moon but maybe tonight we can catch what's left of it.

"Clean out the fridge" for dinner. Coleslaw, Chef Salad and Hot Dogs.  Everything tastes so much better in the out of doors.

Met a guy this morning from Windsor who had advertised on Kijiji something Bill wanted.  Since he lives nearby, he dropped the items off and it turns out we may be related.  He's coming back with his family tree next week.  Teeny, tiny world!

Going to look for the moon.

To be continued.

Dipping into the Gene Pool

The O'Brien Story

It was a cemetery day today - and very productive one at that!  We went cross-country and followed the south shore of the Bay of Fundy through Shubenacadie, Selma, Noel Shore and Maitland in search of recently discovered relatives.  The road was narrow and windy but the scenery was spectacular and over the day, we watched the tide come in and then recede as we drove along.  With our heads swirling with O'Briens, McLellans, Densmores we visited the Noel Cemetery, the East Hants Cemetery and the Selma Cemetery and once again, Ann did yeoman's work capturing all the family tombstones.  These families are all connected to us through James Johnson and Elizabeth Patterson, our Cobequid Planters who arrived here in Nova Scotia in 1761.

Noel Home - Just Sold for $99,900.00

Along the way were amazed at the number of homes for sale in the area.  We had spotted one house on the real estate ads for $99,900.00.  It was a lovely house full of charm with an updated kitchen.  When we drove by today, it was showing that it had been sold.  But looking behind it we checked out their view - clear across the Bay of Fundy to Bass River.  Someone got themselves a lovely bargain in a great setting.

Ann tends to think that I am related to everyone in Nova Scotia and although I try to convince her that it isn't the case, fate always steps in to prove me a bit mistaken.  We stopped at a lovely little museum in East Hants to do some research and there was a nice young man named

Marcel Dion

Marcel Dion, who is the summer student for this year.  We began chatting and he mentioned he went to college in Truro and I asked if that was the same college where Fonda Gamble Smythe taught?  Sure enough Fonda was his teacher and she is my cousin.  So there you go.

Did you know that if you line up the bottom your hand on the horizon and then count the fingers on your hand til you get to the sun you can tell how long til sunset?  Each finger represents approximately 15 minutes. So if there are three fingers, it's about 45 minutes tin the sun goes down.  This is especially important tonight because we're waiting to see the SUPER MOON.- reportedly the largest one this year.

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

Hurry Siri!

Most of our morning was spent watching the coverage of the flood situation in Southern Alberta and I'm thankful to everyone who sent me updates.  Looking at Stampede Park, it makes you wonder how they will ever be ready in 13 days.  Bragg Creek was looking pretty bad and I was wondering about our old cabins on the river and behind Merryfields.  I just hope everyone stays safe and that the worst is over.

I almost feel a little guilty saying that the weather here near Truro has been warm and sunny with a lovely soft ocean breeze.  Right now I'm looking at the most amazing sunset that covers the colours of the rainbow.  Our campground is filling up a bit since it's Friday evening and the air is tangy with the aromas of barbecue and campfires.  There are kids in the pool and playground and riding their bikes around the roads.  It's all very laid back and peaceful.

Have I mentioned how much I love my iPhone?  Not only does it allow me to communicate with home but it has quite a bunch of other great services that are handy to have on the road.  We have a nifty little app that manages our expenses for us; one that keeps track of our todo list and another that is a level so we know we won't be rolling out of bed at night.  It has a flashlight app that is pretty useful later in the day and of course, the GPS system - WAZE.  After a bit of a rough start, we are now finding WAZE  amazingly useful.  Today we were off to Sobey's for groceries so we just typed in "Sobeys" as our destination and the system came back with a choice of stores in the area.  So slick!  BUT for me the greatest thing I have found is the ability to transfer reports from my genealogy software to my iPhone as an iBook.  I now have a list of everyone buried in a specific cemetery right at hand while we're wandering around.  AND it also provides me with the camera to take photos and movies of the cemeteries.  I LOVE IT!

While I'm pretty game for most things in life - I don't like heights very much.  Fortunately, my travelling buddy, Ann has no problem. So how happy am I when she hops up the ladder to take care of a little leak in the roof?  In addition to keeping me in a permanent state of the giggles, I'm so fortunate that she dares to do the things I'm too chicken to do.  And not only that but she has no sense of smell so I don't have to clean the litter box as often.

Ann and I had Slippery Chicken and Coleslaw again for dinner tonight.  Did you know that a cold roast chicken has no GST or PST on it?  Good to know - it saves about 2.50 a bird.

Before saying goodnight, I'd like to say a special hi to my sister-cousins and nieces who are following me along the trail.  Charlotte, Shirley, Norma and Mary Lee (when she's at home) and the Danis.  I love the fact that you're out there and can't wait to tell you more about this wonderful family we come from as I spend time with new cousins here and visit the places our ancestors lived and are buried.  Thanks for coming along for the ride.

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

The Homecoming

Home Again

And so, here we are once again in my favourite place in the world, Nova Scotia.  After a glorious drive through the remainder of New Brunswick, we crossed the border about 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon and are now booked into our spot at Scotia Pine Campground just south of Truro.  It's wonderful to be back and it is fortunate that we seem to be bringing the good weather with us.  It's been cold and rainy here for the past couple of weeks but the forecast for the next several days is warm and sunny - which it is out there this morning.

Stoney Creek Cemetery

Yesterday, at the start of our journey we had the chance to visit the cemetery at Stoney Creek, not far from Moncton where many of our Rogers ancestors are buried.  After proceeding through a gate just off the highway, we drove down a little winding trail through the woods for about a kilometre.  As I am pondering how I'm going to back the motor home back up the road, we came out into a pristine little clearing where the cemetery lay, surrounded by a chain fence.  It was a tiny place with maybe 30 or so graves, but considering its isolation, very well taken care of.  I often feel that there are special cemetery angels out there who take care of our ancestors with loving care and respect and I thank them every time I come upon such a scene.

We had a wonderful time, photographing the various stones and figuring out who each one was.  Unfortunately we were unable to find the grave of my 3rd Great Grandfather, James Rogers who was buried there in 1816.  His youngest daughter married John Bragg from England and Windham Hill, Nova Scotia and was the grandmother to a long line of Braggs over the centuries.

Maxine

Our new motto has become WWMD - What would Maxine do?  Maxine is the crabby old lady of cartoon and book fame who has a rather cynical outlook on life and she always makes us giggle.  There is an enormous zip line over the Reversing Falls in Saint John.  We figured that Maxine would say something like this about that:  "What is the harness on the zip line for?  To keep the Depends in place!"

Today we plan to do a bunch of boring stuff like grocery shop and clean up the motor home and then tomorrow we're off touring again.

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

Fish and Trips

Flower Pots - Hopewell Rocks

Aw! Lovely New Brunswick!  Our last day here was spent off the highways and biways and deep in the lush farmlands along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy.  Tonight we're staying at Hopewell Cape, right next to the giant flower pots that sit on the floor of the Bay at low tide and where you can walk on the ocean floor.  What a wonder!  This is the area of the country my great great grandmother, Jane Rogers is from and tomorrow, before we leave, we will be visiting her father's grave at the Stoney Creek Cemetery just up the road.

Our journey to the Maritimes always includes plenty of seafood and this year the price of

Lobster Supper

Lobster is at an all time low.  Ann's full Lobster Supper tonight was about $15.00 and I had the most amazing Fish and Chips I think I've ever eaten.  Oh, and some delicious seafood chowder that I couldn't resist.

Tomorrow we'll be heading just a couple of hours south, to our final destination, Scotia Pines Campground, just south of Truro.  There is always an amazing feeling of homecoming as we pass the blue and white lighthouse that is part of the "WELCOME TO NOVA SCOTIA" sign.  We have many people to see, places to go, events to attend and cemeteries and museums to explore.  Can't wait to get started!

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

Lupin Around New Brunswick

Once again we've been enjoying the wonders of New Brunswick today.  We enjoyed our visit with Yogi Bear at Jellystone last night and then spent some time this afternoon touring Fredericton and Saint John.  Fredericton has  city wide access wifi - called Fred-E.  It's wonderful to be so connected.

Lupins in New Brunswick

The roads through this province are amazing!  Mostly four lane divided - and brand new.  It certainly makes for an easy drive.  The ditches here are full of Lupins, Queen Anne's Lace and little blue daisies and the scenery is spectacular.

Waze

In my last post, I may have hinted the the new Waze App on my iPhone had caused us problems.  As in most things, blame the driver - not the vehicle.  We spent some time playing around with it yesterday and discovered that we can search for - let's say a campground in Oromocto.  Once you select the campground of your choice, Waze with navigate you right there.  Great trick!  I think as we're getting to know it better, it is becoming more and more useful - AND it was free!

Thanks Carolyn!

I have talked before about the Camping Angels out there who always seem to come to your rescue when you need them.  I don't know how often someone has gone out of their way to give me a hand when I needed it.  The one Camping Angel Family I haven't mentioned are my daughter, Carolyn, her husband Shane and my favourite granddaughter, Megan.  They are busy, busy people and I can't thank them enough for all the help they have offered when I'm getting ready for one of my little adventures. Not only do they help me prepare the motor home, but Carolyn drops in and checks on my place at home to make sure everything is OK.  I don't say thanks, nearly often enough.

The Accidental Tourist (s)

Someone (I won't divulge who) suggested we download the Waze GPS app for the iPhone after I reported that my Garmin had died.  So we did and got off to a great start this morning.  "After all" I replied to the idea, "How lost can you get in New Brunswick?"  Spoken too soon!

Welcome to the United States
Of America

We drove out of St. Nicholas Quebec and followed the Trans Canada Highway almost to Riviere de Loup at which time Waze suggested that we take a little shortcut.  The weather was beautiful and we had no specific destination in mind so off we went.  After many km on pretty rough roads, we were directed to turn left and cross a bridge.  Imagine our surprise when the sign ahead said "Welcome to the United States".  At that point there was no place to turn around and so we proceeded through the Homeland Security process.  It must have been a really slow day at Fort Kent, Maine because they had all the time in the world.  They escorted us into the office and proceeded to go over every inch of the motor home.  After half an hour, we were released and proceeded down the road.  The Border Security guy said that if we were heading towards

Welcome to Canada

Woodstock, New Brunswick, we would be better off to cut across the top end of Maine.  Since we were already there, we agreed and took advantage of 93 cent a litre gas along the way.  We began searching for a place to camp for the night and (believe it or not) still following the Waze voice made a left hand turn only to be greeted by a sign saying "Welcome to Canada"  The border guy just laughed at us and asked if we had been sent to him by our GPS.  Guess we're not the only ones to get caught that way.  So it was a pretty busy day, two provinces and two countries!

I

They're Not Kidding

n Maine the officials put up these enormous signs with orange flashing lights, warning of Moose on the road. We actually did see a young one right beside the road and the area is so densely treed, I'm wondering how many we didn't see.  At any rate, once we were back in New Brunswick we found the roads beautifully fenced off with wildlife fences and with occasional under the highway tunnels for animals to get to the river safely.  Very nice!  The roads here are wonderful and we are now safely ensconced in Jellystone RV Park near Woodstock.

Really - Not My Cat!

Did you know it's National Duct Tape Day?   Duct Tape is a Camper's best friend, as are zip ties, Krazy Glue and velcro.

We celebrated with dinner at an Irving Truck Stop and this is what we shared for dessert.  Yummy!




Happy Father's Day to all the great Dads out there.  I hope someone does something nice for you tomorrow.

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

Miss Hathaway Jr.

Quebec City

Beautiful, beautiful Quebec!  It's been a glorious day for travelling with perfect temperatures, fantastic roads and relatively light traffic for a Friday afternoon.  Yesterday we had a wonderful stay at the KOA campground at Ste. Phillippe and today we're at St Nicholas which is just across the river from Quebec City.  We've seen plenty of those pretty grey stone churches with their tall white spires and we know we are in La Belle Province for sure.

We've got an extra passenger riding with us today - a teeny little housefly who has managed to survive despite numerous attacks by Ann with her flower-shaped fly swatter.  Even the cat has lost interest in him.  He may be here for the duration.

My handy iPhone

After 40,000 km, my GPS (Miss Hathaway Sr - because she's so bossy) finally gave up the ghost yesterday just as we were about to enter Montreal.  A bit panicky, I decided to try out the Google Maps app on my iPhone to see how it worked.  Surprisingly well, I have to report - AND it offers traffic updates as well.  And while I'm on the subject, I have fallen in love with my iPhone.  I even have an app that turns it into a pretty reasonable flashlight, a mirror, a grocery list, our setup and tear-down checklist, finds us great campgrounds, gas stations, restaurants and grocery stores, lets us check the weather, keep in contact with folks at home and afar and much of it just by voice command.  Don't you just love technology!

Digit and the Drips

Digit has been such a joy to travel with this trip.  Her latest source of entertainment is trying to catch water drops from the kitchen sink.  So cute!

Had Slippery Chicken and coleslaw for supper.  Slippery Chicken has a story.  Back in the days when Ann and I worked together in Edmonton, we went shopping one evening and she picked up a roast chicken from the heating machine.  As she turned around to show it to me, it went flying out of her hands and slid halfway down the aisle of the store.  I think I just stepped over it and pretended I had no idea who this crazy woman was.  Ever since, it has been known as Slippery Chicken.

Night for now.  To be continued...........................

It is What it Is!

Our new motto!  What do you think?    So heavy rain storms - they are what they are!  Absurd traffic - it is what it is!  Ponds full of blossoming lilies - they really are what they are!

Montreal Rush Hour

We had just such a great day of driving - for the most part.  Left Mamora, Ontario fairly early and headed off Ottawa way.  The sun was shining and traffic minimal on the Trans Canada - very rural and green.  About 3 o'clock it started to cloud over and we had a good hour of heavy rain before the sun came out again.  By this time we were well into rush hour in Montreal and making very little progress.  

Actually, we meant to be heading for New York State this morning, but as is our privilege we changed our mind and headed east instead.  We are now settled for the night just south of Montreal and tomorrow we'll be in New Brunswick.

Our neighbour at the campground last night was an elderly lady travelling with her cat from Michigan all the way to Newfoundland via Maine.  I'm sure we'll run into her again as we move on down the road.

Tobacco Outlet Stores

We drove through Kahnawake this afternoon and for blocks and blocks each lot had either a cheap cigarettes shack, cheap booze outlet or a cheap gas station.  Unfortunately, their gas prices didn't seem to be any lower than those just down the street.





Digit has been so good on this trip - so far!  She climbs up into the bed when I start the engine and stays there until I let her out.  So easy to travel with!

Night for now!   To be continued.........................

Take a Gander at This!

So we're off!  After a great morning of successful repairs - thanks to Clark - we now have a working air conditioner on the vehicle which really didn't help today because it rained - really hard - all day.  But I'm sure some of those hot Nova Scotia days will find us giving it our blessing.

Antique Store Sign

You have to love people's creativity.  This sign was on the lawn in front of an antique store in Peterborough.  Tickled my fancy.

Without thinking I said to Ann as we drove along: "I don't know where I'd be without the GPS"  Talk about stating the obvious!

Gas, this morning for all my friends in Saskatoon was $1.15 a litre!  Such a treat!

I had very exciting news this morning from my cousins, John from Collingwood and Ryan from Vancouver.  Both of them have just returned from a visit to Somerset England and brought back some great genealogical research and photos.  My 4th great grandparents, parents of the original John Bragg who came to Nova Scotia in the 1830, are buried in an ancient cemetery in a town called Chaffcombe.  They were Emanuel Bragg and Mary

John and Judy Bragg in Somerset

Woodland and we had always assumed they belonged to us.  Now we have written proof from the church registry over there.  I know it sounds a little geeky, but it is a major breakthrough in my research.  Emanuel and Mary's grave marker no longer exists and our cousin John has taken it on as a project to see that it is replaced.

The Beginning of the Middle

Ann - Ready to hit the road!

So, today I completed the first leg of my journey to Ann's home in Sharon.  We spent most of the day packing her stuff into the motor home so we'll be able to get a nice fresh start in the morning.  Clark, bless him, did some little repairs like fixing the latch on one of the cupboards and figuring out how the steps work - pretty slick once you get it the hang of it.  We had great Chinese food for supper and now I am about to call it a day.

So this is the beginning of the Middle of our journey and we can't wait to get under way.

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

Snippets of Life on the Road

Blind River

The last few days have been about the might and dramatic beauty of the Northern Superior shore. Mighty vistas, vast waterscapes, rugged forests that suggest hard lives and strong people.  Today, however, the drive took a softer tone.  Much of the day I meandered along the Blind River with its slow currents and breathtakingly beautiful fields and tiny villages.  It put me in mind of picnics, parasols and potato salads on a rug under a tree.  Lovely!

Yesterday I did my share to battle the great Northern Ontario black fly.  What sounded like rain on the windows turned out to be swarms of the little black beggers and it took a power washer this morning to remove them from the windshield and front panels of the motor home.  Thousands of them - yuck!

Bear

Lunch today was spent in a beautiful picnic area somewhere near Spanish.  Ontario has some of the nicest rest stops and this one was no exception.  When I stop, I usually grab a bite to eat and let Digit out from under the covers (where she always rides) to visit the litter box and have a drink and some dinner.  As we sat there discussing our day, a lovely young bear came cantering by, no further than 10 feet from us, and disappeared off into the woods.  So cute!!!! (We were inside, by the way)

Up here in Northern Ontario, everyone seems to be towing something.  They tow horses and boats, tent trailers and cars, multi story canoe carriers, U Haul trailers, Quads, Golf Carts, Sea Doos - anything that can be hitched on behind a truck or car.

Just south of Sudbury they are twinning the highway and there is a LOT! of road construction happening.  A new - and interesting idea from the Department of Highways - painting all the road lines in a construction zone a bright fluorescent orange.  Easy to see and I'll bet it glows in the dark!

Mennonite Family

The countryside I drove through today is mainly inhabited by old order Mennonites and it was lovely to see the families trotting along beside the highway in their black buggies.  I saw one woman with her son who were parked at the end of a driveway with the buggy turned sideways and with shelves installed so they could display their vegetables, flowers and maple syrup.  Further along I saw a man in the typical black pants and suspenders guiding a team of heavy horses around his field in front of a seeder.

And so here I am in Parry Sound, home of Don Herron's Charlie Farquarson and tomorrow I'll be at Anns.  So excited!

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

From the Beak to the Pope's Nose of Lake Superior

View from the Highway

Wow!  Such a productive day!  689 km from Thunder Bay to Sault Ste Marie.  Virtually over the top of Lake Superior with magnificent scenery and lots to keep me entertained.  And, to my delight - no gas price gouging that I've encountered in other years.

When I stopped for gas this morning, I met a man who was a 31 year veteran of the RCMP and who served with a friend of mine in Ottawa - small, small world!!

Men and their Toys

I've often espoused that for women camping is an art and for men it is a competitive sport.  Perfect proof happened by last night as I was trying to fix a leaky water hose.  These two good old boys were enjoying a beer together when they spotted my distress.  Over they came with tool box in hand and between them must have tried at least 14 ways to fix the problem.  Finally, they gave up and lent me one of their hoses for the night.  I was more inclined just to let it leak - after all - I had paid for the water.

Here is the traffic report from Highway 17 this morning:

Harley the Traffic Guy

Harley:  "This is Harley the Hang-glider bringing you all the latest traffic news from Thunder Bay to Marathon on this lovely Thursday morning!"

Jim:  "What can you see, Harley?"

Harley:  "Well, Jim, I saw a car on the road near Mud Lake and another one just past Rapid River.  Oh - I can see a little brown car by the Provincial Park!  Oh, no wait, Jim it's just a moose on the loose."

Jim:  "Anything else, Harley?"

Harley: "Well Jim, as usual, Officer Tubby is out doing his 10 am stop check over by the falls and there's a crazy old lady with a cat driving a motorhome and insisting to the Officer that she hadn't had a drink - YET!"

Jim: "Sounds like a pretty interesting morning, Harley........ Harley?  Harley   - Oops, sorry folks, seems like Harley has crash landed in Lou Bibby's Lily Pond again.  I guess that's all for the traffic report,"


A great day of driving - and almost at Ann's.  FINALLY!!

To be continued.......

A Speed Bumpy Sort of Day.

Speed Bumps

Despite my best intentions to get on the road early and make some good time - the forces beyond my control had other plans for me.  Not one, not two but seven construction zones hampered my progress.  They were the type with a stop light and I hit every one just as my side turned red so had to wait for several dozen vehicles to make their way slowly through before it was my turn.  Then just after going through Ignace, there was a semi on its side in the ditch and the police had traffic stopped for about half an hour.  The driver, so the constable told me, was OK.  So my 5 hour drive was more like 7 and here I am in Thunder Bay.

Sleeping Giant - Thunder Bay

The one advantage of these little pauses was the chance to really look around and see the sights.  This part of the country is so beautiful, it's hard to keep my eyes on the road.  Huge, chunky rock formations, kelly green fields in broad sweeping valleys are such a distraction.  So were the little cobalt lakes with Thom Thompson trees growing on tiny rocky islands that scatter out alongside the road.  Awesome in every way!

Just after lunch I passed the RCMP Musical Ride heading for Kenora to perform at their annual fair.  Bill and Carolyn's friend Sherri rides with them and wouldn't she have been surprised if we bumped into each other - both so far from home.

Little church at Upsala

Passing through Upsala just a while back I noticed the lovely little wooden church - so reminiscent of the tiny churches that dot the Nova Scotia landscape.  This church, however, appears to be abandoned.  The paint is peeling and the place looks very run down. Such a shame!

Dad just after DDay in France

Today is the anniversary of D Day and I always think of Dad when it comes around.  Landing on the Normandy Beaches, his job as chief engineering officer was to prepare a landing strip and refueling depot for the allied air forces.  Their aim was to get the job done in three days, however, with bullets and bombs from both sides whizzing overhead, they managed to get it done in two.  It must have been a harrowing experience but he was
rewarded by receiving the Member of the British Empire Medal.  This was the highest award presented to ground crew during the war and when asked what it what it was for, he would just reply "My Bloody Effort"