Cranberry Island

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Rain….fog….rain…fog….gotta get out of the house,heading over to Cranberry Island.It’s right across from where I live but I haven’t been over in awhile and I could use some exercise today.

Grew up playing on Cranberry…hide and seek,sometimes we would stay all day and play and then swim back on the down tide,the game mostly lasted until dark.

Owned by Germans now for the last 20 years,they had up “no trespassing”signs when they first came,which only gets ignored by us locals and soon they learn when in Rome ….you know the sayin.

When they first built the house it was amazing to watch all the big diggers and trucks get stuck out there with the tide coming in….man,what a video I could have made then! They layed the power lines and telephone lines under ground(they washed up a few times with the heavy tides).

It’s not completely low so…..I will get soaked,I don’t feel like taking my shoes off…..I usually walk the water out of them after awhile.

Been awhile since I have seen the house,I took care of  it for the first German owner for years,loved staying over there with all the piece and quiet!

Last time I was here there were tons of seagull nests and lots of eggs,I hope there still are…………….

The smell is strong today of the woods and salt from the water…..brings back memories…..it has been raining for 3 or4 days and the woods smell is awesome.

There was a cabin  built on the Island by local teenagers in the late 60’s or early 70’s….pretty sure its all gone now,but will check the spot out.

Man,no seagulls or nests….sign of the times I guess…they have been starving here since the local fishery has all but stopped….no more  picture of seagulls off the stern of the boat eating the fish guts that the fishermen throw over the side…..

The Island has lost a lot of trees just like a lot of the islands around….once a few trees get knocked over it isn’t long before the rest go to.

Good to be outside even if it is foul weather!

Johnny’s Ducks….

When I go beachcombing I usually go by this huge yard with a big fence and a pond inside….often wondered what was inside..I’ve seen Johnny outside working a lot….going to visit today….

Wow,there are lots of Ducks…..ducks like I have never seen! Johnny is a duck breeder in his spare time.He buys and sells from all around Canada,he has learned from his buddy who has been a duck breeder for years,he has won some big prizes at duck shows all around Canada.I soon realized even if I live in the country I know nothing about Ducks and breeding! I had a great visit and will update as soon as the eggs are ready to hatch…hope to actually catch them hatching,that would be awesome……..last week I did get a video of my friends dog who got stuck with the neighbors dog….I remembered to throw a bucket of water over them,I just forgot that it should be COLD water and you throw it on the males head and not WARM water on their butts(I think they actually liked that),I don’t think I will put that video up, although it is hilarious!done

Sams Update…..

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I talked with Sam the other day,and winter has been a little rough for him at times…..his fire needs to stoked every few hours so needless to say it goes out at night and he has to restart it in the early morning.At night he crawls in his bed (made just like a birds nest) with tons of blankets over him and takes in with him anything that can freeze…his kittens,whatever food may freeze and he sleeps until the cold wakes him,sort of like hibernation.

He gets up early and try’s to keep warm and visits many of his new friends,and he has many.If he is lucky he can sleep until the sun is up and warms things up,he says sometimes it is warmer outside than it is inside!He still strides around bare feet in his shoes and it never seems to bother him, I have never seen him wear socks,I think he was an Indian in a former life! He did house sit for a few weeks in February for some friends but couldn’t wait to get back to sleeping out doors with all the great sounds and smells( I am jealous,I wish I had the nerve to sleep out in the winter in the forest).

The things he learns from all of this are things that not many kids his age learn.His first day back from house sitting was like -17 and his tent was soaked from rain the week before so it was all frozen …but he is so easy going that he just starts a fire and keeps busy plugging holes in his tent until it gets a little warm.

We all love Sam and he comes for supper here and there and always repays by doing dishes or helping out where he can!His appreciation for things is so much more than ours because we take it all for granted just because we have it around us all the time…..he makes us all take a second look at what we’re looking for.( and rememeber what it was like to live without running water,inside plumbing and little heat)

Live Seal on the beach!

Storm coming later today so I went out for a early morning walk and came across a seal pup washed high up on the sand.Looks like it came in on the high tide and has been there for awhile.They are sassy creatures and can hop 4 or 5 feet to attack if they wish to.But it is so cute ,I have to get close for a better look!…..I went back 3 or 4 times to make sure it could get back in the water and I got some nice video of it.It was stormin and freezin rain coming down so needless to say my camera got wet but it was worth it.done

Into The Wild……..

I met a real cool guy last week,he has decided to live in the middle of the woods in a tent for the winter! Well, I said “I have to see this”.In Nova Scotia although it’s only Dec,it still gets freezing at night.He has never lived in Nova Scotia before and had no real idea of  what our winters are like.He  wants to learn things that only living in the woods with a tent , and not much of anything including money will show him.! Right on,while most kids his age are getting their experience in other ways like schooling or working,he has decided to rough it ( in Nova Scotia alot of people have lived and still live without electricity and other comforts)and see what skills he will need to learn to live without electricity,or running water,or bathrooms and only a stove made from an old part off of an airplane,only a frying pan to cook with,and an old tent that is made of sheep’s wool that you can put your hand through in some spots.

When the snow arrives shortly it will cave in his tent ,so on this day we gathered to help him raise a triangle made from trees he cut down,raise them above the tent and then he will wrap it with tarps and plastic to hopefully protect it from caving in,he has no power,no ladder and few tools ,,but lots of energy with all of us together and his climbing ability we managed to get it mostly done before the weather turned bad…..he has been roughing it for 4 or 5 months and his hands and feet are as tough as leather and his spirit is as high as the birds that soar above him,for lovin, he has adopted two  little kitties who sleep with him in his bed made of  branches and twigs!It’s great to be young and adventurous,even though I am middle age and adventurous I like the comforts of water and power and bathrooms inside of the house too much to live in a tent past 2 or 3 days! Bravo for him to take the challenge.The sense of community is great here for without that he would probably find it very difficult,but it’s people like him that bring out the best in us to chip in and help us remember that we are all brother and sisters!! It’s all about people down here!done

Foghorn

Going up the coast a bit……don’t feel much like beachcombing but I do feel like hiking.

Came across a lighthouse and its loud foghorn!……scared the crap out of me…….I go to sleep to the one just off sure…….glad that were not THAT close.

The storm passed by 2 days ago and it’s still stormy.The smell and taste of salt in the air makes me hungry for a mess of saltfish , porkscapes and onions along with mashed potato and chow chow! I’m starvin!done

Run from the cure…The Rick Simpson story

If you have never heard of or have seen this video you must watch it.Medicinal marijuana has been a huge topic for years.It is now being studied in depth by most countries for its healing abilities.This man who has studied and used its properties to its fullest has done amazing things,including curing cancer.You may have heard  about it a few years ago when it hit the news across the world only to be hushed up and then bullied by police to stop doing what he was doing which was making people with chronic pain and illness better.He lives in my province and I have heard  stories of amazing recoveries by people of all ages,they don’t care how it cured them just that they are no longer in pain.The pharmaceutical companies would never want a cure for cancer since 80% of their profit is from cancer drugs.Go to this link and be amazed! http://phoenixtearsmovie.com

Barrel Head Hunting

Warm day,wonder if the fishermen are out around the wharfs today getting ready for the season.I would like to run into a few of them in particular who may have some barrel heads for me.It’s always nice to have a yarn with them……headin down to one of the remote wharfs

The smell of Autumn is great today!.Plants bursting forth with seed.The bright yellow weeds now wilted getting ready for the cold that is approaching.Wasps everywhere looking for a home.

An old timer tells me I could have whatever I wanted out behind his shed,they threw some old wooden barrels out there awhile ago when they switched to plastic..which were never as good as the wooden,some still use the wooden ones.Excellent,I love checkin out spots like these !

The old timers down here are particular,they like the old ways and are not fussy about changing.I’m glad ! They call me the head hunter,since I am always looking for barrels heads.

They tell me they are the last of a dying breed,their children are leaving to go to work out west or go to school somewhere,wharfs are rotting down,not enough fish anymore,and they are all getting older.

There is a big push on to move people out of the country and take them to the cities,no work in the country and means to make a living is hard,so we are being forced to leave or sell our homes and head to the city where we live poor and have to rent,Then the rich folks who don’t have to worry about making a living buy up our land that was in our family for generations and live there never to be lived in again by our children.SAD,but true.So those of us who refuse to go, live hand to mouth here, but are as rich as can be living free by the sea.

These ways and these shacks soon will be gone and their ways will be lost to us as we foolishly follow the world down its meaningless path of industrialization…..done

Beachcombing At The First Stone House…….

I had to go back to check out a few spots that I never got to for one reason or another.This is the first of all the stone houses built.

This spot is right on the ocean…basement flooded more than once…On the Rocks alright!!

Nice day…sun in sun out…but warm wind.Enjoying myself

Lots of spots to go beachcombing! Beautiful Heron ,feeding.( I thought it was a crane at first)

Grab my guitar….I love it down here……all this could be gone in the blink of an eye…

I have hands to help with and legs to help those who have none….eyes to see with..ears to hear with…yet still sometimes I act as if I were drunk and take it all for granted (wait now ,maybe I am drunk..LOL).

I may never get the chance to experience this earth or anything through these eyes again once my time is over,so I try to ingest all I can, piece by piece, understanding at the same time that this is just my puzzle and that to each his own!!
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East Side beachcombing

Beautiful fall day,warm and inviting.

Man,nice spot here,kind of reclusive ,mostly locals,I don’t think they are used to too many people down this way.

Looks like I can walk the coast line for a couple miles to that old lighthouse that I had seen out on the point yesterday.

Tons and tons of driftwood! Yahoo!

It’s the oldest lighthouse around these parts.It sure looks like it.It looks like it was part of something else a long time ago.Years ago they were manned or womanned,now I don’t think any of them are.I would love to try it for a winter.

No dropping anchor sign,first one of those signs I have ever seen,sand bar right off here.Beautiful harbour.

Almost there,man the driftwood!

Yea,tons of it but it is all rotten,it has been here for years,too long,but I have found a few nice pieces.

Lunch,I’m starving!

Stone staircase on the way back…..checkin it out

Metal house–looks like a fish plant—it looks German.You can tell who ever owns it doesn’t spend a lot of time here,not really lived in.It looks nice inside……great view!!

Great day!………headin home!
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Long awaited Return to the abandoned house

Don’t really want to go in………………but I have got to see what is in the trunk!………creepy place ,but it is early afternoon,so not so creepy, but still creppy enough………they did call me a baby for not checkin out the trunk soooo……..I have to go……….now…………….ok………..gonna do it………………..this oughtta be good………..

( if you haven’t seen the other Abandoned house and Back to the abandoned house videos,they are worth it before you watch this final one) done

Sunrise

Beautiful sunrise,may get to go to Cranberry Island on the low tide!

Crisp out,seagulls squawking,sun rising.

The smell of low tide makes me yearn for my youth,sending messages to my brain of things long past.

Tide didn’t go completely low and I don’t feel like getting wet,so I will wait to see if it goes any lower,full moon approaches and that means tides will be especially low the next couple days…..good time for beachcombing.

I am addicted to early morning light.

So fresh,so new,everyday is a new day and anything is possible.

Early to bed early to rise makes you healthy wealthy and wise,my grandpa told me that.I grew up with him, I got up every morning at 5 (got dressed under the covers if it was too cold) headed down the stairs to watch him light the kemac stove,boil some eggs,fry some cottage roll and listen to the radio.After that he would wash his face right up over his head,brush his 4 teeth.Scrub his hat,shine his shoes and have a hot toddy all as the house was just waking up……memories……..
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swimming at the stone house !

Beautiful day,going down for a swim at the stone house.The people who own it are fantastic people and really appreciate what they have.They are away and told me I could come anytime to enjoy it……so I am going! I will do some beachcombing along the way since it is a bit of a trip to get there.

This place is amazing,my other video shows more of the house,This day is beautiful,no other place in the world could beat where I am today! Harmony exists here ,makes me wonder about all the worldly activities,like ripples on a lake,one disappears and another one emerges.Shame we don’t seize every opportunity to improve ourselves instead of putting it off till we are less busy,which never seems to happen.Worldly activities are endless!  WE will only be here for so long!

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Sand Dollar Hunting

Beautiful day,sand is hot wind is gentle,low tide.I always find tons of sand dollars down here,I am getting low and need to collect some more.It is usually scarce with people down here if I don’t come around the main part of tourist season,but today there are quite a few down here.There is a big boat moored down here,wow,looks like an old dragger fixed up with 3 big spars on her.Neat!That’s why there are so many down here,checking out the ship.People coming in on a little skiff and getting dropped off at the beach.I talked to one lady who told me that the boat is indeed an old dragger fixed up.It is privately owned and is used for a touring ship.They take 7 days and tour all down along the lighthouse route along the coast in southwest Nova Scotia and then back to Halifax,$3,000 for the trip,mostly rich people on board.This lady was getting on there because she has family working on board and she lives close by.We are now selling Nova Scotia! I don’t like that because there are tourists everywhere now that we have been discovered.Watch out now.

Anyway ,I am not finding any sand dollars! Unheard of ,are they all getting picked up by the hundreds of people that come here? I have never seen this beach so bare.This place is like an uncharted island! I don’t care where you go in this world it doesn’t get any better than this! I found a few things,I will come back and check after the September tides have changed.There are tons of sand dollars about 3 or 4 feet out,that is where they mate…but they are alive,I sure hope tourists aren’t picking them up!

Sure enough I saw two people out collecting them,I told them you can’t take them if they are alive,and they said “oh,of course”, and put them all back.I didn’t zoom in on any for you so I will put a picture of one along with a sea urchin.Some people dive and collect sea urchins to sell,they are fancy food in some countries,very tiny creature inside it must take a few just to make a tablespoon of meat.Because they are fishing them I find very few along the shores where I used to find hundreds,life is definitely changing and I am not thinking for the better.There is a chainsaw going full tilt in the background,A big cruise ship moored off here,Big jets going over head……....Planes, trains and chainsaws pushing and carving our way further down the road to endless and needless places that rob us of our senses and throws us into a space where we become who they say we are and forget our way back. If we are to return we must remember what we were all born with but now have forgotten as our adulthood slowly steals it away. How do we get it back? Memories take me there but I only get glimpses,oh to be truly awake.

How stupid we have become, protecting our borders, protecting ourselves at any cost, all false securities. Whether we want to believe it or not we are all the same, the best that is in you is the best that is in me also, the worst that is in you is the worst that is in me. We only fool ourselves into believing in these false securities like money to entertain our minds so we won’t have to look within. We all know, we ignore it and return to our daily activities that bore us into believing that this is reality, until one fateful day that comes for us all,” when” is hidden from us, but we will be expected to be ready when it comes.done

Back to the abandoned house!!

On one of my adventures I happened upon an old abandoned house,(for those of you who haven’t seen my video of it you can watch it on my blog here,) anyway ,I saw an old trunk upstairs in the house and couldn’t get to it because the stairs were not safe and could cave in at any moment,so I left not knowing what was in it.Soooooooooooooo,I have gone back,my curiosity got the better of me.I took an old claw rake with me to try to get to the trunk.I didn’t want to go back,it was just to creepy and dangerous,the house could cave in at anytime.The place had a feeling that you get at a funeral.Anyway I’m down there at 6 in the morning,just in time to awake a few critters,and the place really creeped me out,reminded me of some scary movie.The whole time I was there I could’nt wait to leave,I don’t usually ever get nervous about places like that.Just before I left I heard an animal(I would say) moving around in there,that was enough to get me out of there,anyway have a look at my video……..it is funny!   (I will have to go back)done