OB September 30

Hiked and Biked 12.5 KM

It was a beautiful morning! We had a leisurely morning, chatting with Fred and Sharon. The horses put on quite a show as they scrounged the campsite across from ours. The beagle, Jack, held his own:

We discovered that the family with seven kids actually has 10 here (and four more at home). Yep, and all from the one set of parents. And home-schooled. And very well-behaved. Duggars!

David caught a view of (and pretty good pic of) a new Life Bird, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo:

We rode to the beach, walked and enjoyed the waves and seashells. And, of course, horses:

After lunch, we rode to the bridge which joins Assateague Island to the mainland. On the way back, had my photo snapped by a local newspaper guy who was doing a story on people at National Parks who would be affected by the pending government shutdown tomorrow. Yep, that’s us. Eeks.

David chatted with two Harley riders (I sat quietly, listening at a distance) walking through the campground. In just a few minutes, we discovered that they were everything we weren’t in terms of US politics (and Cable news). They love Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck and Hannity. They hate Obama (though as a patriot-which he kept saying-he had to respect the role). They were fundamentalist Christians. We agreed to disagree!

Back home we lazed and read then joined Stacy and Mike, Jack’s “parents”. They are very funny and we enjoyed standing around their fire. Fred and Sharon joined us. Back home for dinner and worries about what we’ll be doing as the government shutdown seems imminent.

In the meantime, here’s this morning view from my chair:

OB September 29

Hike and Biked 12.5 KM

We were up early after being awakened in the night by a low-flying helicopter (probably) and a Screech Owl (we think, though Peterson’s doesn’t list a Screech Owl any more).

It was a quick drive to Assateague National Seashore, and we were welcomed right away by some horses:

We paid for two nights (Site C49) since it IS possible that the government will shut down Tuesday and we’ll be S.O.L.

It was early, so we walked the beach for an hour, saw some Gulls and Sanderlings:

some people fishing, and the gathering for the funeral of a local surfer:

Apparently, the ritual is for surfing friends to go out in to the water and form a circle with boards as a tribute. We didn’t stay, but it sounded lovely.

We got to our site, ate lunch, met Sharon and Fred, our neighbours from Seattle, and went for a bike ride amongst horses and Egrets:

Back at the site, we talked some more to Sharon and Fred, met more neighbours with their Hound, Jack-for Jack Daniels, and saw a doe and two fawns (one was hiding):

David found a patch of Prickly Pear Cactus (way out here?)":

then we watched as a horse helped himself to the food on a neighbour’s picnic table (there are seven kids and two adults!). Apparently it got at least one bag of marshmallows:

There was a glorious sunset tonight:

Here’s the view from my chair:

Outer Banks (OB): September 27 and 28

September 27

Loved the Eastern Seashore last fall, so decided on a couple of weeks out here again this year.

We left in plenty of time and had a leisurely drive to Gananoque and a two-second border crossing. We were passed by several police vehicles, including seven motorcycle cops. We’re thinking maybe a funeral somewhere east?

The leaves are starting to change through New York and Pennsylvania. Speaking of New York, have you ever noticed the Greek and Roman names of towns along I81? Cicero, Syracuse, Utica, Rome, Camilius,, Homer, Ithaca and Marathon? Have thought this before but am writing it for the first time.

We stayed in the PA Welcome Center but wouldn’t recommend it (very noisy). Go further south and stay in the Flying J at Exit 211.

It was a good travelling day. Here’s the view from my chair:

September 28

Up early and off to Delaware. We passed a sign for “Quaker Steak and Lube” and two “Bieber” buses (you never know).

In Smyrna, DE, there is a great Welcome Center with an interesting set up for truckers. Since there is  “No Idling”, there are machines in the parking lot and you can pay for heat, cooling and hydro for you vehicle. Very interesting.

We passed through Dover and it was Race Weekend at Dover Downs (race was Sunday). There were RVs everywhere and tailgate set ups and lots of people. And, for some reason, there were scores of Yard Sales set up along Highway 13.

We headed for the Trap Pond State Park and passed another phenomenon: hydro poles (or just tall tree trunks) for TV aerials.

We got to the park, paid our $30, got water and electricity and stayed in a noisy Saturday night place.

Here’s the view from my chair:

NL August 8

Ahhh…a sunset over Reitman’s!

Our little Walmart campground grew and was safe all night.
We were up and away early for the last leg of the drive. Nothing really to report. But we got a picture of this:

THAT is why we call all Moose “Prudence” (often calling her name or singing the song, “Dear Prudence”).
The bridge below Montreal proved again to be stress reliever, though there was some traffic where 20 exits on to 30 (new construction which will be finished soon).
We got back around 7:30 safely.
It was an amazing holiday to a very special place.
Here's an album of all the beautiful wildflowers we saw (and partially identified) this trip:
https://picasaweb.google.com/113390676240612869195/2013NewfoundlandAndLabradorWildFlowers

NL August 7

Great sunny day for driving.

In Nova Scotia, we passed exit signs for Monastery, then Monk (and a little later, for Moncton!).

We now know why we don’t see Moose in New Brunswick. There are signs on the Moose fences saying “Close Gate After Use”. We figure the Moose are very obedient and close the gates on themselves (or maybe the signs are for snowmobilers????).

We’re now in the Walmart parking lot in Edmundston, New Brunswick. Remember how we commented on the unheard of English only or bilingual French and English signs in Blanc Sablon, Quebec (two seconds from Labrador)? And how unheard of those signs would be in the rest of the French-only Quebec?

Well, this Walmart is in New Brunswick (a bilingual province), and all the signs inside and out are French only. Interesting:

This parking lot is like a mini campground, so we feel quite safe. We met two couples from Ontario (they admired the MoHo) and one guy said some kids sprayed his trailer with ketchup at 1:30 in the morning. It was in Quebec. Not sure why it happened, and it’s the first time we’d heard anything like this. Something to think about. But we’re good tonight, and here’s the view from my chair:

NL August 6

Even a grocery store parking lot has a nice sunset:

Seagulls, Newfoundland’s Roosters, woke us up to a sunny/black sky mix. We stopped at the wharf again then headed to the ferry. And, on our way, saw this beautiful rainbow, a fitting end to our trip here:

Saw this in the parking lot. Who would band a Gull, and WHY????

We say goodbye to Port aux Basques (including the local wharf which was struck, and damaged, by the ferry a week ago):

And here’s our last pic of Newfoundland for now:

The seven-hour ride was great. It was sunny and warm and we spent the whole time on deck enjoying the ocean and conversation with Guy and Francine from Quebec, fellow kayakers. No whales, but we did see spouts.

We were welcomed to North Sydney by buildings which would protect our bodies and souls:

Once on shore, we headed to Port Hawkesbury and passed some interesting restaurant signs:

• Lick A Chick (and the side ice cream business Lick A Treat)
• and two derogatory (yet self-named) places: The Spaghetti Benders and The Herring Chokers

We got some KFC and stayed in the Walmart. Here’s the (morning after) view from my chair:

NL August 5

Hiked 5.5 km
Here’s last night’s sunset (I say two suns; David says it’s just the clouds; I like my perspective better):

We drove in to Grand Bay West, the town next to Port aux Basques to find the beach walk we remember from our first trip here (2001). We found a boardwalk (6 km) and a runner told us that we could either hike it (nope) or drive to the other end and get on the beach (yep).
We saw the horses we remembered, but the beach seemed smaller, and the boardwalk was new and nice (including some fitness stops). We even were educated on the Grand Bay Schist rock formations). It was a nice, nostalgic visit (including a Ruddy Turnstone, a bird we first saw here and maybe the start of our birding interest and a HUGE Gull):





We decided to head to the J. T. Cheeseman Provincial Park and spend the day there on the beach. There wasn’t a soul around, except for one guy in a car. We strolled the beach, found a path through the dunes to an inland tidal pond and were attacked by some territorial Terns. Braving the noise and the dive-bombing, we came across flocks of Semipalmated Plovers and two kinds of Sandpipers (too lazy to ID):



We walked back (in our own footsteps; no one was about):


After lunch, I read and David napped, then, when I set out for a walk, I looked at the guy in the car who was still there. Wow, it was David Ward, a friend from Peterborough/Lindsay who has been living in McCallum (a small, isolated outport on the South shore) for the last five years. When I think of Newfoundland, I often think of him and another friend who together bought a house there. Though they are no longer together, he has stayed there, written a book, published online articles, teaches online and is a member of that community, even working on a lobster boat in season. We had a great time chatting for two hours about life in Newfoundland and changes there, especially in places like McCallum which is now facing the question of resettlement/relocation. This was another special moment for us.
Before we left, we walked some more along the T-Railway (the former railway tracks that are now a provincial park and trails across the province):

We headed back to Port aux Basques to listen to music at their festival and stay for the night. We went right to the wharf and discovered that, because of a little rain and threat of thunderstorm, the music had moved. So we stayed for a while, watched the antics of four New Jersey guys (and a bunch of locals) trying to fix their sail:

As we watched, we decided they were Rumrunners (well, I did) and were like Al Capone getting booze from St. Pierre. Well, later, I talked to one of them and, in fact, they WERE next heading to St. Pierre. Too funny.
We decided we were too exposed here to sleep, so moved to a Coleman’s Grocery Store parking lot overlooking the ocean (with permission) and had a quiet night.
Here’s the view from my chair: