After leaving Port Hawkesbury I made my way through Antigonish and down the number 7 towards the ocean. The sun was out and I was excited to get some shots. The shoreline didn’t let me down especially in the fishing village of Marie Joseph and then again in Mitchell Bay. Some of the shots I got were very unexpected, like an old faded living room chair in a yard full of weeds.
I was going to call it a night in Sheet Harbor based on it was getting late and I thought the sun was about to set. Then I realized I was still on Newfoundland time and had more than half an hour to go. I found and shot another old boat then proceeded to chase down the sunset, looking for subject matter that would work well with the golden light. Today though, it wasn’t meant to be as I just didn’t find one. Since I was getting close already I ventured into Halifax for the night. After driving around a bit I found a Walmart. It was getting late so I figured it was time to sleep. As I was getting ready to climb in the back a guy in a parka, holding a cell phone comes up to my window. I rolled down to see what he needed and he asked me if I knew the number for a taxi. I politely told him I wasn’t from Halifax and that I didn’t know the numbers. He then stood, in the cold wind two parking stalls away from me, staring at me. After about 15 mins of this discomfort I drove away and found a different spot to sleep. Talk about creepy.
Category: Cross Canadian Road Trip 2009-2010
Tags: Antigonish, Atlantic, coast, creepy guy, Halifax, Marie Joseph, Nova Scotia, ocean, Port Hawkesbury, South, Walmart One Comment
Apparently in Newfoundland when a school bus is retired it just becomes a useful storage tool. Or a house, or a Fishing shack or perhaps just a lawn ornament but today I saw more “re-purposed” yellow buses than I’d ever imagined possible in the reasonably short distance I’ve traveled. I’ve also noticed a bit of a love for old train boxcars as well.
Anyway, a few of them made for some good shots, even found one on the cliff of the ocean at “Jerry’s Nose”.
I pretty much started my shots at Jerry’s Nose this morning and kept heading out to Cape St George and around. I was a little disappointed in an area called Three Rock Cove as they seem to have a garbage problem. I came across a road called “Beach Road” so of course I went down it. Any chance to get close to the waves makes me happy. What I found was a beach alright, but covered not only in discarded fishing supplies and items but also a whole lot of household items and trash. You’d think with a potentially nice area like that that someone might have some pride in it. So far, the low point of my Newfoundland experience.
I continued on to a ridge of land that extends for miles way out into the gulf. Ocean on each side for miles. It would be cool to see it from a plane for sure. At almost the end was a little fishing post and port called Blue Beach. Closed up and quiet this time of year but neat to see none the less. I took a few shots in the snow and wind and made my way back. Retracing some of the road I took to get to Cape St. George I stopped at Wayne’s Convenience Store. Met and chatted with another Wayne and his family for a bit.
I thought of staying in Stephenville again but as it was still semi light out I continued through the snow to Corner Brook where I am for the night. I’m hoping to stay awake for the Canucks game which I can listen to via the streaming radio station on the internet. Perhaps, as a friend said, Burrows can have a hat trick of hat tricks!
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
