Crescent Beach Block…..

Just a little video showing our towns  pathway to the beach     ( that was just redone last year) blocked by rocks….the piece of land next to it was bought and the owners wanted to extend their lawn right over our passage way to the beach…..I guess maybe they changed their mind when someone told them if they do this they will never be able to keep windows in their house!…..oh and maybe the Department of Natural Resources had some input along with the town…..I don’t mind people coming here to live ..it’s just the attitude they bring with them…..done

Nova Scotia Music Awards Brunch

Well, I got to go hang out at the Nova Scotia Music Awards last weekend and take in some music.We …Harmony Bazaar Festival of women and song ….were  nominated for an award…Event of the Year……we didn’t win…… The Halifax Pop explosion won,but it was good publicity just to get nominated.These awards were given out at the sold out Sunday morning brunch which explains why there were very few winners on hand to receive their award,but it was quick and to the point so it was actually pretty nice.

Lots of great music throughout the week…not enough women there singing, but one of the very good ones was “Stone Mary”…check her out sometime,man can she play lead guitar and belt it out!

There was alot of music business stuff that I found stuffy..everyone always trying to impress somebody…..everyone trying to look important….all I wanted to do was get my comb out and comb alot of the young guys hair…that messy look sure is in….looks like they just got out of bed,mind ya there were a few old ones with messed up hair but they really did just get out of bed . Not very many of them went to bed before 4 in the morning……too much and too loud for this chick! When you walk into a room and your whole insides start vibrating from the loudness…time to leave……yes, I like loud music but the young ones today like it at the loudest setting that their amps have.

Anyway,the best part of the morning was when everyone’s  friend…PAM SAMSON( from Liverpool,N.S)…….was up for Volunteer of the year award……and SHE WON!

Pam and her husband Allen  have been having  musical  events at their house  for a few years now….They almost all have played at her house…Matt Anderson,Steven Bowers,Irish Mythen and the list goes on.Not only does she have great music but the food she cooks is amazing,and tons of it! She(they) definitely deserve the award…..CHEERS  PAM AND ALLEN!!

The opening song is Andrew Hunter singing his new hit …and the lady ending the video is Kim Wempe singing her new east coast song…Both were very enjoyable performances….. done

Clam Island

Man, I haven’t been out on the shores for awhile…..seems like a good day to,even if it is cloudy..it’s fresh and completely Autumn.I have never been down to clam Island because I was told a few years ago that there are alot of sink holes near the shore line and is a bit tricky getting on and off the island.I have heard that some people go clamming down there…so it is low tide and I am heading down.

Ohhh ……how nice it is to live freely along with the fresh air and salt water….totally intoxicating!! The loons call in the distance and the crows and squirrels are noisy announcing my arrival.The path is rough and leads down along a rock property line….something from the past.

It’s a cool brisk wind….sure makes you feel alive!  The wind in my hair I feel part of everywhere……

Looks like a few clamers have arrived….good…… get to have a chat maybe before heading to the island.The loons call is mesmerizing…..evokes a  strange mood in me.I feel free…….

I only have about an hour before the tide will force me back….and rain may come…..so I better get to it…..good to be alive…..today….done

Sonny and Cher!

Now, before you look at this video you have to know the story first…..a long time ago(20) years ago,when lip syncing was very popular I decided to do one because I had the perfect song and the perfect person to do it with.The song was “I got you babe’ and I would be Cher and my short sister-in-law would be Sonny.Well let me tell you we had a blast! We went in the local contest and won! My sister in law is very shy and was freakin out at the last minute ,so we had a few drinks and I said Come on! your going up! and she did and we had a great time! We did it numerous times for people over the next few months…until my wig  fell apart.It was a mop,I bought 2 and tied the ends together and dyed it black, to make it look like Cher’s hair.My sister-in-law cut her moustache and side burns out of an old furry vest.We were asked to go up on the end of the show and sing it again and by that time my sister-in-law had lost her moustache and later found it stuck in her hat!

.Now the video is poor quality because it was taken off of a cassette of poor quality and put on DVD,but I hope you enjoy it! The people at the show sure did,you can tell by the video!  Life to me is about lovin,livin and a laughing!done

Hurricane Bill

 

water rolling over sand dunes covering the picnic table

Well,Hurricane Bill didn’t last long,alot of wind and rain in the early morning hours,by lunch time  it was all over, but it flooded some areas of our little town.We have one way in and one way out and that’s just where it flooded.They closed the road for a while which meant no one could get in or out,so that meant I was stuck just on our almost island to do my video taping so I went around to the main spots that were getting hit.Awesome!! The road is all beach on one side and mostly water on the other so we figured if the tides rose much it would cover the road and it did.One wave came over the sand dunes and picked up a truck and drove it into a car doing some damage to both.The bell buoy that sat at the head of our beach was knocked over by a few waves.Our museum and tourist bureau  got the worst part of the flood,probably a lot of damage to anything that was inside for sure.Man it was an awesome day!! But I never got out of town to actually see other places that would also be in danger of flooding,oh well!done

Country Mouse goes to the big city to see John Prine!

Going to Toronto to see John Prine!  oh yeah!!!  Never been to Toronto but this town seems tooo small for me these days so I can’t wait.Flying to Montreal and taking the train (which I love) to Toronto.John Prine has always been one of my favorites! Going to just relax and do whatever we want.Rogers cup tennis is at York University and I am a big tennis fan so will probably take in some of that…….and it all started back in February when my friend called me up to tell me she bought us tickets to the concert (she was in a meeting when her blackberry popped up a message “would you like to buy tickets to the John Prine concert in Toronto” and being such a boring meeting she said yes and just kept saying yes till we had our tickets and flight booked).I have been looking forward to it ever since she called.

It was a fantastic trip! We were staying down on Young street (in the heart of Toronto) so there was things happening all the time! Rode the subway and trolley cars a lot,Kensington Market and China Town were really great,especially the Tibetan clothing store( I bought the belly dancing outfit shown at the entrance of the store,I love it!)

We also went to the Jersey Boys….The Frankie Valli and The Four seasons story……that was really, really great! I never appreciated their music before now.We were the youngest ones in there,all grey heads! Would have loved to get some video of that…….but no way possible.At the John Prine concert they came up to me and told me there was no video allowed at least 3 times( couldn’t help myself).!

It was a total treat to get away from the country and after 4 days it was a total treat to get back to the country! The noise and crowds and heat soon took its toll.It took me awhile to get my land legs back ……I was moving all the time….we stayed on the 13th floor so we were either on the elevator or the subway or the trolley cars or the train or the plane!The city’s are great to visit but I think this country mouse is happy with its own little slice of cheese, for now!done

HARMONY BAZAAR IN LOCKEPORT!

WOW!…..What a weekend of music!….Friday night Irish Mythen blew everyone away,as she always does! If you have never seen her…..you have to go see her.Melanine Doane was next up and put on a great performance,she also is a must see.Fridays weather put us inside but Saturday the sun was out and the new outdoor stage was used for the first time…and let me tell you every performer loved the stage.We had workshops that were well attended going on during the day stages….Socan and other industry groups were on hand to talk to people about the industry.I talked to Rita during our dinner that was put on for people and friends in the music business, and to talk with her was almost spiritual for me!…What a humble and wonderful woman to meet and she gave it all at the concert!

Madison Violet played before Rita and were excellent! They were a very tight band and you could tell they play all the time…I think 8 or 9 months of the year they are touring.They have a new cd which I bought and have been playing every day.

Sundays youth stage was really good…to see how each of the young ladies have improved since last year was amazing.! Tiffany Latham who is from our home town ( Lockeport) blew everyone away!…she is only 10 years old and there is no question she is an old musicians soul born into a little girl! We love her and will enjoy watching her grow up with her music! We had a lot of other young ladies who are growing on the fast track with their music,and those who return each year will enjoy watching them grow in their music.

I would like to say that we all did a fantastic job all year long getting ready for this festival…when I first joined this group I was amazed at what so few were accomplishing.There have been many, many,many hours put in to this festival from a lot of people,and we thank them all.Our volunteers were numerous and supportive,we thank them!The town and local communities were very supportive
and we thank them.There were many tickets sold and I thank those who bought them for supporting us so we can do all of this again next year! This years festival was a huge success and I think we are well on our way to fast becoming one of the best festivals around.There is no question that those who didn’t come this year for whatever reason will know that next year it will be the place to be,and buy their ticket early!!
done

done

Cranberry Island

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!

done

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…..

done

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 shore…….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