Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Southwest Coast of Nova Scotia

 We left Halifax after an almost teary goodbye with Mark, Jen and the kids.  It was so great being a part of their lives the past year. To have seen the boys grow and mature over the year, to do kookie things with my daughter and all the help Mark has given us from trouble shooting our motor, to accepting all our various boat parts that come by mail, and finding us one of the nicest cars we have owned, it was very difficult for me to leave. 
We have had some superb weather, wind from behind for the most part and beautiful bright sunny days with cooler nights.  There was a frost warning two nights ago so I am hoping some of the leaves will turn before we leave the country.  I have cancelled my phone service as of Oct. 5 so if the weather continues to be kind to us we will cross to the U.S. just before it runs out. 
                          Looking out over the water.

Our first stop after Halifax was Chester, NS. There are quite a number of Americans that live here so it had a "Cape Cod" feel to it, with huge mansions lining the shorelines.  They have boat houses with enough square footage that we could comfortable live in.  We stopped to borrow some U.S. charts that a fellow in the Race the Cape said we could have.  While we were swinging on our anchor he came by in his motor yacht and offered us the use of one of his moorings. Meanwhile another fellow whom we had very briefly met stopped by to say hi and later on dropped off some home grown vegetables, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, and some preserves,  WHAT A TREAT! 
          Something to add to my sign collection. 
Today we are in Lunenburg today and marvelled at the Bluenose II. It is absolutely beautiful but at $45 for a two hour ride we decided to forgo a chance to ride on the Canadian Icon. 

Today was maintenance Monday we were told and we got a chance to briefly chat with a couple of the crew.  I exchanged varnishing stories with one girl and another fellow said he had been aboard during the summers since 2004, what a great summer job.  He has finished his education and is planning to go lobster fishing once the Bluenose II is put to bed for the winter. 
                                     The colourful Lunenburg waterfront. 
That afternoon a former co-worker of Barry's came and picked us up and took us on a very picturesque tour around Lunenburg county. We ended up at their home, they have a lovely newish bungalow with 1.3 acres of property that borders on a small pond.  They have two Labrador dogs and we witnessed them plunging into the pond off their dock to get a floating bout, they loved it. We had a wonderful time as we were treated to a haddock dinner and introduced to a game of washers.  It has much the same rules as horseshoes but it is played with heavy metal washers and you have to get them in a wooden square container. Instead of a stake to get a ringer inside the square is a tube that they put around a lobster once they catch it to contain it's claws.  Too much fun, the girls triumphed in the game of girls against the boys but when the Langes took on the Strydes we were beaten badly!!