Place

I am attached to the place I live; sometimes to the extent of forgetting it is not the whole world. 

I live among maple, birch and spruce, in the company of chickadees and jays, ducks and deer in an old residential area of Riverview, NB. Here, it is easy to forget that the river, the bay, the Acadian forest and mountains so close to me are not the whole world for everyone.

Last weekend, we went to Halifax, Nova Scotia and stayed in a hotel where the scenery was office towers and apartment buildings.  This photo is an elliptical-shaped building, The Martello; the penthouse is offered for $860,000. plus the monthly condo fees.  The other view was the snow covered uprising slope of The Citadel, topped with white masts; it looked like the whole hill might be ready to set sail.  Of course, there were trees and parks within the city, and as always, the gorgeous harbour.

It was unlike what I am used to, that’s all.  Not better or worse, simply different.  And that was good.  My poetry writing mind and my photo seeing mind were piqued and stimulated by those changes.  It was a challenge and gift to roam the city because it was not familiar. 

I realized that I am stuck in my love of the place I live.

It is helpful and nourishing to get away to unfamiliar surroundings, to get unstuck and be invited to walk streets shaded and squeezed by sky scrapers, to notice an abundance of seagulls, oak trees six stories tall, myriad bistros and cafes, all as inviting as our own, but different.

We drove out to Peggy’s Cove on Sunday.  The granite boulders and the ocean were strangely soothing.  The Cove has never disappointed; ice, like thin frosting offered the same visual warning to stay off as did the wet, black rocks in summer.  And like summer, people still walked out to the edges, despite the cautions.

I enjoyed the trip away.  It was good to be free of responsibilities, to do what I wanted, when I wanted.

But, coming home, I relearned something I’ve always known. The damp salt air, the stony beaches, the salt water marsh, the muddy Petitcodiac River, the deciduous and evergreen forests of Albert County, New Brunswick are where my roots stretch deep into the earth and hold me in place.

They are my home.

Sunrise on Big Tancook Island NS

We spent five days on Big Tancook Island to celebrate

Gary's special birthday this year.  This is the 5 am view 

from our bedroom window, birthday sunrise.

The colours of the southeast cove 

and the morning sky warmed

and changed like melting crayons.

Our time on Big Tancook Island 

and our birthday celebrations 

were peaceful, full of delight

and laughter.

Big Tancook Island is the ultimate get-away, 

providing opportunities to shed the unnecessary

burdens of life and to simply be,

fully alive, and aware of the natural world.

Gary says it made a birthday he will never forget.

What is it About the Water?

What is it about the water? 

Whenever we have the chance to explore the coastlines of the Maritimes, we do.  There is something nourishing and healing about being close to the shore.

We explored the Terence Bay area of Nova Scotia driving all the way to the end of the peninsula to Lower Prospect.  At the end of the road, we sat and watched people perching on the granite boulders, massive stones which are so prevalent along that coast.  We watched people far out in the Bay in their kayaks. 

We were careful not to cross private property lines, though there does seem to be something inherently wrong about people owning the coast.  Then again, I suppose if I had the money to buy a 300 to 700 thousand dollar property, I might be touchy about people crossing my property lines as well. 

But I don't and won't, so feel happy to be able to look, smell the salt breeze, and feel the spray on my skin as waves splash.

I do appreciate where we live, here in the Maritimes and am content to take photos and enjoy what is free to enjoy.

Because there is something healing and nourishing about being close to the water, isn't there?

Photos and words are copyright Carol Steel.

Text in red contains hyperlinks which will take you

 to another site with additional information,

if you click on the text.

Prospect Village, Nova Scotia

               Two weeks ago, we visited Prospect Village,

    Nova Scotia.  Enamoured with the village, we spent an afternoon exploring on foot.

The original inhabitants were the Mi'kmaq people, drawn by

the fishing around Prospect Bay. 

Later in 1794, Irish and English fisher folk settled

the Village of Prospect. 

Though the area constantly endures strong winds and salt spray, perched on the rocky shore of Nova Scotia,

it is still considered to be a place of refuge during storms

and a good place to fish.



The name Prospect evolved from its earlier Mi'kmaq name, through subsequent mutilations by Irish and English explorers, cartographers and fisher folk.

We weren't the only foot travellers that day.  A photographer braved the winds and cool weather seeking to capture photos

of the wave action.

The trek through the village was time well spent. 

What could be more peaceful

than a day with wind and water,

friendly people sharing history

and spectacular views at every turn?

All photos are mine.  If you want more info about Prospect Village, check out http://www.prospectvillage.ca/. 

If you're searching for a place to stay, so you can explore this area too, click on http://www.prospectvillagebb.ca/

Wedding Blessing

When my daughter made plans to be married on the rocky coastline of Nova Scotia, she asked my sister to paint a picture of the site.

We travelled to their special place a few weeks before the wedding, took many photos and gave them to my sister for inspiration.

Rounds of wind whip the rough coastline, sending grand waves crashing, seawater foaming, creating a wild venue for a wedding, even more challenging for  painting.

My sister, Wendy is an accomplished artist with work found in Canada and the eastern United States.  So, the painting sounds like a simple request, right?

Not so!  Wendy suffered a debilitating stroke in 2003, losing the use of her right arm.  She has painstakingly re-learned to paint with her left hand.

Just as Wendy is a role model for anyone faced with a physical disability, my daughter is a role model for any woman struggling with painful changes and life-altering decisions.

Because they are both strong women, determined to weather the storms of life with humor and honesty to discover their own happiness, the painting is a link and a blessing between them.

For more information about Wendy Steel, read my blog entry of March 8, 2011.  All photos are mine.  Words in red will give you additional information, if you click on them.

Prospect Village Bed and Breakfast, Nova Scotia

Down a twisting shore road to Prospect Bay, we crest a hill and before us—paradise!  Have you ever been to Prospect Village on Prospect Bay, Nova Scotia?  Unique combinations of older cedar shake homes and modern styles; a combination of respect for the past and valuing of a life lived in a place blessed with natural wild beauty.  Most of the homes in the village have remained in the same families for generations.

We stayed for a few days at the Prospect Village Bed and Breakfast, while in the area for our daughter’s wedding. (See my blog entries for November 15 and 16, 2011.)  Our hosts Rosalee Peppard Lockyer and Allan Lockyer shared the colourful history of this Bed and Breakfast, through conversations over breakfast and a written history left in each guest room.

Prospect Village Bed and Breakfast was built as a summer home, in 1849 by James W. Johnston, then premier of Nova Scotia. Five years later, it was acquired by Patrick Power, a prominent Nova Scotian, and member of the House of  Commons from 1867-1872.  A devout Roman Catholic, in 1875, he gave the property to the Sisters of Charity who turned it into a convent and school.

In 1906, the Sisters of Charity left Prospect, unable to support the convent; the school was closed.  From 1909-1911, it became a “Glebe” or residence for priests who had ministered to this parish since its inception in 1794.  The cross was erected beside the house, on an old graveyard and original church site, to commemorate the 200^th anniversary in 1994.

In 1917-1918, it became an orphanage for children whose parents died in the Halifax Explosion.

In 1926, it was again sold; this time to Margaret Young who operated it as a hotel into the late 1940’s.  Bob Lanigan was a teen when he worked here as a helper in 1932.  In August 2006, he told a story that Margaret could cook the halibut and haddock he’d catch, in a dozen different ways but she admonished him that besides her staples of potatoes and carrots, she had only two things on the dinner menu:  Take it or Leave it!

In 1950, a group of recreational fishing enthusiasts bought it for the Salt Water Fishing Club.  In 1989, it was sold and subsequently converted into a Bed and Breakfast.  In 2006, Rosalee Peppard Lockyer and Allan Lockyer purchased and now share this marvellous and miraculous place with folks who seek accommodations in Prospect Village.

Rosalee and Allan have retained the character of this 4 1/2  Star Bed and Breakfast by including luxurious linens, Nova Scotia paintings and art, Red Oak floors, handmade soaps and crèmes, organic regionally-sourced breakfasts, handcrafted furnishings, live music and unparalleled Maritime hospitality.

In recent years, the Prospect Village Bed and Breakfast has been featured in the National Geographic Magazine in an article on Nova Scotia, in movies such as Baby starring Farrah Fawcett and Jean Stapleton, in Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas with Christina Applegate and in a documentary for TV on the fateful Swissair Flight 111.

Professional singer and songwriter of Maritime heritage, Rosalee Peppard http://www.rosalee.ca/ sings and tells stories with guests in the evening.   She and Allan began the KITCHEN concert series in November 2006.  Because Rosalee’s singing talents and oral “herstory” skills are in ever increasing demand, they are planning to sell this historic property…perhaps to another couple who could cherish the scenery and history of this unique property on Prospect Bay, an easy drive to Peggy’s Cove and to downtown Halifax.

We enjoyed our recent stay at the Prospect Village Bed and Breakfast.  Were impressed with the warmth, charm and ambiance of the place, as well as the gentle grace with which Rosalee and Allan share Maritime hospitality.  It was a superb location for an intimate wedding!

We’ll stay there again! 

Many times, we hope!

All words in red will take you to another site with additional information, if you click on them.  All photos are mine.  Historical data comes directly from conversations and documents at the Prospect Village Bed and Breakfast.   To learn more about the Prospect Village Bed and Breakfast click this  http://www.prospectvillagebb.ca/  and to learn more about Rosalee Peppard click this  http://www.rosalee.ca/

Wedding in the Whirlwind

Melanie and Kelly love the wind and rain; get plenty of both where they live on the south shore of Nova Scotia.  Their first date was a walk out to the waves and wild water at High Head, so they wanted to get married at that same place.

The weather didn't cooperate...at all.  The wedding day dawned in the torrential down pour and gale force winds of a tropical storm passing over the Maritimes. 

Still, they were cheerful and determined to make the best of the situation.

A small wedding with only immediate family began at their home with photos and laughter and searches for the rubber boots and rain gear...

yes, they still intended to walk to High Head.  

Gary and I went on a scouting mission to check out the wedding site:

the waves were 50 feet high

and the pathway was largely under water. 

What to do?  The owner of the Bed and Breakfast where we were staying

offered her back deck

as an alternative wedding spot.  It was 30 feet from the water with

not quite so much danger of someone

getting washed away during the ceremony. 

We booted up and left for the wedding.

In this photo, you can see the effects of the wind

but the driving rain doesn't show very well.  

(I'll post more photos on that in another blog entry.)  

We came around the corner of the

Bed and Breakfast to face the water and the wind and the rain. 

Everyone was immediately soaked to the skin! 

But cheery and happy.

The Justice of the Peace (pink) had to have help hanging on to her papers,

so she could read out the marriage questions and vows.

Back at the house, everyone changed into dry clothes. The bride and groom stayed in their wet ones until after they had signed their papers and lit their candles. 

Note: wet hair and happiness!

These are a few of the photos from the wedding in a whirlwind.  I'll be posting more over the next few days and will share a story or two about the B&B, the location

in Nova Scotia as well as the wedding itself.

Melanie and Kelly love the wind and rain. 

They got married in a whirlwind of water and wind.

Congratulations and blessings to them both!

All photos are mine.  If you want more information about the Prospect Village Bed and Breakfast,

please click here  http://www.prospectvillagebb.ca/  or if you want more information about the owner, Rosalee Peppard, a talented singer and keeper of Maritime oral "herstory" click here  http://www.rosalee.ca/