It wasn’t long after leaving Antigonish that I saw the “Welcome to Cape Breton” sign at the Canso Causeway. A little detour into Port Hawkesbury for Tim’s then on my way around the North side of the Cape. As I drove through the morning the cloudy sky started to break up and I was getting some nice pieces of sunlight. One of those came while I was shooting an old blue Chevy work/farm truck resting in a field. I continued on into Port Hood, then Mabou where I found the Mabou lighthouse. Took a few shots of it and a boat named “Sea Angel”.
As I was getting ready to leave a fellow came down and started chatting with me. In conversation he let it known that everyone is surprised that the weather, rainy and mild, was so good. I was told that usually by this time of year I wouldn’t have been able to get down the road to the marina as the snow would have been so high and the marina is usually frozen solid. He said that by now he drives his kids to school on the ice. Apparently, as mediocre as it is for photos, for traveling I’m still being blessed with great weather.
I stopped at a little cafe in Inverness for dinner called the Coal Miner Cafe. Not bad but consider this is Cape Breton Island I figured the fish and chips would have been a bit better. The waitress was awesomely friendly and it was a nice break from the road.
I pulled over into a little turn around that was surrounded by trees, across the highway from the crashing waves of the ocean. In the rain and the dark, I watched a movie on the laptop and went to sleep.
Muddy Waters
Waking up in West Point after a night of watching movies on the laptop and keeping an eye for an appearance by the moon (I got a glimpse but then he was gone), I took a walk along the beach of West Point and took a few shots of the lighthouse against yet another cloudy sky.
After about twenty minutes the sky did start to break up a little and soon I found myself in a different location, shooting a rotting boat in a field with almost completely clear skies. This however, didn’t last long. As I drove and explored I found more cool things. Some old lobster traps retired to a field, another old fishing boat called the Marilyn Ann that was literally rotting back into the earth. I checked out the North Point lighthouse and beach and then proceeded back Southeast as it got dark.
Returning to the Earth Marilyn Ann
I’m back in Summerside tonight. Using the free internet “hotspot” in a depressingly semi vacant strip mall while a female jazzerfit class works it up across the food court from me with the hip-hop/dance music blaring, a great addition to the high pitched Christmas music that is germinating from the mall speakers. This has to be someone’s hell. Aside from the elderly gentleman that seems to be waiting for his wife I am the only one here in this food court, maybe it’s mine.
I figure I’ll hang around here in Summerside tonight. I noticed a Walmart nightlight on my way in so once I get kicked out of here or go insane (whichever comes first), I’ll head over there.
Meandering back and forth across the “lots” that make up the rural areas of P.E.I the sky was threatening most of the day. The radio said it was coming. I didn’t find a whole lot for shots. Plus with my recent photographic disappointment looming in the recesses of my psyche I was a little less than enthused about the gray clouds overhead.
After a disappointing visit to “historic” Orwell Village I eventually found myself at Point Prim and the lighthouse. The wind was cutting through everything and there was traces of small hail being blown through. As I took a few shots of the tall beacon and then some of the sea the sun tried desperately to peak through the scattered clouds. This was just enough to make the shots and the day worthwhile. As I collapsed the legs on my tripod and started back to the truck it came. Full on, sideways incoming, big flakes of wind fed snow.
For the first real snow to hit me on December 1st while on a cross Canada road trip is pretty impressive. I really can’t complain and so I won’t. Live is good. I’m in Mantaque, P.E.I borrowing a low signal stream of wireless parked in a quiet church parking lot while the last sprinklings of the days snow subside. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and clear here, Thursday rainy but with the balmy temperature of plus 13. …and so I continue.
Implosion of the Heart
Category: Cross Canadian Road Trip 2009-2010
Tags: Canada, cloudy, Lighthouse, Mantaque, New Brunswick, Orwell Village, P.E.I, Point, Prim, rain, Road Trip, snow, wind, winter 3 Comments
Awaking to a drizzly, foggy day I ventured along the New Brunswick shores of the St. Lawrence some more today. Miscou Island and the Miscou lighthouse. Shippagan, Pigeon Hill and a few old shacks and houses in between.
After shooting the lighthouse on the point of Miscou Island I traveled back down, finding an old shack. As I explored it I found one section was full of lobster traps, door open. So I took a few shots of them all stacked up, the cloudy sky peaking through the open and neglected roof.
Despite the glum weather I think I got some interesting shots. After dark I started looking for a laundromat as it’s getting to be that time again. No luck yet and I’ve ended up back in Miramishi again for the night. Will be heading South when I leave here tomorrow, not North into the bush like last time.
Lighthouse at the tip of Miscou Island, New Brunswick
