Posted on June 25, 2025 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with no comments yet

Touring Torbay

 

“Summer breeze, makes me feel fine,

Blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind.”

Summer Breeze – Seals and Croft

It’s shaping up to be a banner tourism season here in Nova Scotia. The stars seem to be aligned. The weather has been pretty good so far. With all of the lunacy going on south of the border, many Canadians are choosing (wisely, methinks) to vacation closer to home or somewhere in this great, vast nation. Many Americans will travel north of their border to escape the madness. With the exchange rate in their favour, a Canadian vacation is a great option.

Summer is a time of hope and blackflies!

Last weekend, a friend of mine and I decided, on the spur of the moment, to take a Saturday road trip to Guysborough County. Over the decades, I travelled the main roads and the back roads of Guysborough when I was in business. Other than one memorable, treacherous drive to Little Dover on the last day of RRSP season in an ice storm, every trip to Guysborough seemed to unearth some new treasure.

Like any true Bluenoser, and lover of music, I have attended Stanfest on numerous occasions. And, yes, I have taken the Country Harbour Ferry!

Our ultimate destination was Torbay.

We drove to Auld’s Cove, took a hard right and headed up (down?) route 344 from Mulgrave to Boylston. It was a spectacular day as we passed through Pirate Harbour, Steep Creek, Middle Melford, Sand Point, Hadleyville, St. Francis Harbour, Manasette Lake, Port Shoreham, and Manchester before making a hard left into Boylston. People rave about the Cabot Trail and rightly so. It is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. I have driven it dozens and dozens of time, and actually walked the entire 300 kilometres in the summer of 2019. While Route 344 doesn’t have the mountains, the ocean vistas and quaint harbours have their own special attraction.

Of course, locals know that one of their own, legendary Canadian author, Harry Bruce, spent many years penning wonderful stories about Atlantic Canada from his home in Port Shoreham.

We were getting peckish and decided to lunch at the Cast Away Café on the waterfront in the town of Guysborough. It was a first visit for me and won’t be the last. The building has a distinct vibe, the food was great, and the location, nothing short of spectacular, overlooking Chedabucto Bay. I even bumped into well known musician, artist, and handyman, Steve Wright.

We drove through Lundy and Larry’s River before arriving at our destination just a few kilometers from Seawind Landing in Charlos Cove. If you want to get away from the madness for a day or two, I highly recommend this establishment.

We walked down the boardwalk at the park in Torbay. It’s always a bit cooler on the coast than inland but the ocean breeze was gentle and refreshing. We stood on the beach and just stared in wonder. I couldn’t help but think how unbelievably lucky we are to have visions of paradise right in our back yard.

Might I suggest a staycation in Guysborough County. Spectacular scenery, great food choices and fine folk.

And you can take the Country Harbour Ferry!

Summer breezes certainly make me feel fine.

Have a great weekend.

Posted on June 18, 2025 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with one comment

Write your own story

 

“I will remember you,

Will you remember me?

Don’t let your life pass you by,

Weep not for the memories.”

I Will Remember You – Sarah McLachlan

So, you don’t want to spend 300 or so hours writing 115,000 words about your life.

Another Father’s Day has come and gone. It is one of my favourite days of the year, and not for the reasons you might think. Every year, Father’s Day coincides with the U.S. Open golf tournament. I played golf for almost 5 decades before my back decided that walking in the woods was preferable to looking for golf balls in the woods. This year was no different as I watched the best golfers in the world struggle with what is arguably the hardest golf course in the world.

However, that was not the highlight of “dad’s day”. Last Sunday, we had a “fam jam’. Pete flew in from the west coast and all my children and grandchildren got together for food, music and laughs. These gatherings are precious because life is fleeting. As Sarah McLachlan said, “don’t let your life pass you by”. Any opportunity to get together as a family is time well spent.

I’m not much for gifts. There’s nothing much I need at this time in my life other than extra strength Tylenol. I received one very special gift from a family friend. A book.

Since I retired, I have read hundreds of books. I write down the titles so that I don’t make the mistake of reading the same book twice unless it is done intentionally. Lately, I have been going back to read some of the classics. I’m a big Charles Dickens fan and presently, I am wading through Great Expectations.

When I opened the book that was gifted to me, I was surprised to see mostly empty pages. It was then that I realized that it was up to me to write the script.

The book is called “Dad, I Want to Hear Your Story”. This comes from the bestselling “Hear Your Story” line of books. Substitute the word mom for dad and the book will be much different. This book is the place for a person to tell their life story while creating a legacy.

Instead of you trying to write your autobiography, here is a way to tell your story in a format that is simple. Here is your chance to leave something precious to your heirs.

Even though I recently finished the first draft of my autobiography (long form), I was intrigued enough to start filling in the pages of this book.

Here are a few examples.

“What were the prices of the following things in the year you were born”? (I was born in 1951) A loaf of bread: .12. A dozen eggs: .60. The average price of a new car: $1,362. The average cost of a new home: $12, 179.

“What song was on the top of the Billboard charts?” “Too Young” by Nat King Cole.

“What were a few popular television shows?” “I Love Lucy”, “Dragnet”, “The Lone Ranger”.

“What is your favourite childhood memory?”

“Where was your mother born and where did she grow up?’

I think you get the picture.

All the prompts are there. It’s simply a matter of you taking the time to fill in the blanks. I think many of us regret that we didn’t ask more questions of our parents and grandparents. These people were great record keepers, something I fear is a dying breed. Many of the answers can be found quickly using a search engine but the deep, meaningful stuff can only come from family history.

Here’s your opportunity to create your own story that can be shared. I still believe in having written documentation in hard copy form.

Why not give it a try?

Your ancestors will love you for it.

Your life and your stories matter.

Have a great weekend.

Posted on June 11, 2025 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with no comments yet

 

A ramblin’ man

“Lord, I was born a ramblin’ man,

Tryin’ to make a livin’ and doing the best I can.”

Ramblin’ Man – The Allman Brothers Band

I just finished reading a fascinating book by the well-known travel writer, Rick Steves. In 1978 when he was 23, he and a buddy decided to travel the “Hippie Trail”, a trek that started in Istanbul, Turkey and ended up in Kathmandu, Nepal. From Turkey, they had to travel through, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India before reaching their destination. I’m not so sure that anyone in their right mind would attempt this in 2025!

Having done a bit of travelling myself, I love reading other people’s accounts of their adventures. It’s a big world out there and much to experience. Many people are too timid to get outside their comfort zone and that is perfectly understandable. We’re all different and there’s nothing wrong with staying close to home.

Here is what Steves has to say about this: “There’s so much fear these days. But the flip side of fear is understanding, and we gain understanding through travel. Travelers learn that fear is for people who don’t get out much; that culture shock is the growing pains of that broadening perspective; that we’re all God’s children- and by traveling, we get to know the family.”

When I speak of traveling, I’m not necessarily talking about going to an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean or taking an Alaskan cruise. I’m talking about visiting other cultures and getting your hands dirty, figuratively speaking.

I am one of the lucky ones. I have had the time and the curiosity to go to very diverse places in the world.

Two stand out.

I spent 6 months in India in 2016-2017 volunteering with NGO’s (Non-Governmental Organizations). My work included working with poor and marginalized people. I witnessed incredible poverty in the slums of Delhi and travelled to remote tribal villages. I worshipped with people afflicted with leprosy and celebrated with 500 sari-clad women on International Women’s Day.

And yes, I experienced the horrors of carrying an expired visa which put me under virtual house arrest in New Delhi for almost three weeks. The searing heat (40+) and unbelievable pollution were superseded by my fear.

In my late 60s, I travelled to Northern Quebec and spent the better part of three (Covid) years in a fly-in Inuit community. It is one thing to read about the challenges, struggles and trauma of the Inuit people, but to live it is another thing. Living and conversing with elders who were survivors of residential schools was incredibly humbling. Along with witnessing trauma firsthand, there were many joyous and humorous experiences.

At a dinner hosted by elders, I sampled “country food” which included raw beluga, arctic char (raw or cooked) and one of my favourites, caribou. When the meal was just about done, I was asked to partake in sharing (yes, eating!) the brain of a Canada Goose. I was a bit squeamish but managed to eat it. It was actually very delicious and apparently, a delicacy. I was then offered the eyeballs of a ptarmigan, a medium-sized game bird. The first one I swallowed. The second one I chewed. I can assure you that this is an acquired taste. It was similar to the taste and texture of a cod liver oil pill that many of us consumed in our youth.

I also did a 10km walk with two friends in -50 weather.

I’ve lived and worked in one of the hottest places on earth and one of the coldest.

I came home from these trips with gifts and trinkets but with something more treasured.

Once again, I quote Rick Steves:

“I came home with the most valuable souvenir: a broader perspective.”

Have a great week