Joggins

Joggins is a UNESCO site because of the large numbers of fossils found there.  I'm not very scientific, so to me it was mainly a big beach of rocks.

However, I really, really like rocks, so I was very happy to go there!

The views were gorgeous, despite the day being rather cloudy.

We didn't have a guide or any posted information, so my guess is that this orange stain was caused by iron deposits.

 Walking on the rocks wasn't very comfortable.  Not as bad as up in Georgian Bay, but rough.

We found a fossil very easily.  Isn't this cool?

 We had fun picking through the rocks and looking at the view.  Look at this picture below, isn't the rock gorgeous?

So is my sweetie!

East Coast Birding

Dodie, Irene, and I are all birders (to a varying degree), so the guys had to put up with a few hours of walking around Sackville N.B.'s waterfowl park.  It's a really nice place for a walk.

Deb with all her friends!

The boardwalk runs right around and through the park, so you're able to get close to the birds.  We saw a lot of birds, but I was most impressed with the Pied Grebe, which I had never seen before.

They are classified as a duck, I believe, but they are ... different looking.

It was much easier to get a good look at it with binoculars!

The view was pretty, despite the cloudy day.

The view is lovely throughout.

We also spotted a Gadwall, a number of Warblers, and a Redstart.  Also a rather shy Muskrat.  I think if I lived in Sackville, I would be here all the time.

This gives you an idea of the size of the place.  When you leave the boardwalk, there is a trail on land that goes all the way back to the park entrance.

Iain was pleased to see his favourite, the Red Winged Blackbird.

Red shoulders rule!

We saw a lot of birds that I didn't catch on camera.  I watched one Black Duck for about five minutes as it poked among the reeds like it was going to build a nest, and then changed its mind.  I tried to photograph it, but all you can see is a lot of reeds - the duck is just too well camouflaged!

Nova Scotia

So, something we did last year - we went out east!  My first time ever, and hopefully not my last.

We went with the usual crew, Dodie, Myles, Carl, and Irene.  Travelling with this bunch is always easy and fun.  The guys shared the driving, while we ladies did our best with the navigation (not always completely successfully, but what's a tour without a few unintentional side-trips?).

Kind of unnverving, but just a truck being towed ahead of us.

We made an overnight stop in Edmundston on our way, as doing the whole trip in one day was just too taxing. The Quality Inn has a decent room price and a nice little pub/restaurant, with at least one amazing waitress.  Because it was our anniversary, Iain and I got the non-shared room.

 One thing about our group:  we are all likely to get up early and get going, so we have time for intentional side-trips as well.  We stopped in Nackawic to see the World's Largest Axe!

I made Dodie pose for this picture of her trying to grab the world's largest axe!  It didn't come off just right, though.

No stop is complete without a snack - Robin's Donuts provided yummy nourishment.

We finally arrived at the cottage in Bass River, N.S.  The cottage belongs to a family from Renfrew, friends of Dodie, who were kind enough to rent it to us for a week.  It's a lovely spot on the northeast shore of Cobequid Bay, which is inland from the Minas Basin.

The tide is out, which means there is lots of mud!

Here is a nice shot of the cottage.  The deck is perfect for martinis and relaxing!

The cottage is a family retreat, and you can see that some serious rock collecting has gone on over the years.

We actually did have very nice indoor plumbing, so this is just for fun.

Missing Onyx

It's hard to lose our friends.  We didn't have Onyx all that long, in people years; he came to live with us in 2010, when our friend Wendy passed suddenly.  He has been a joy to have here.  The house is empty without him, even though three cats still prowl the place; his personality filled any room he was in.  This picture really captures him in a typical stance, watching for something to happen that he could be involved in.

He was in his twelfth year, but one couldn't think of him as a senior cat - he was simply too lively and playful.  I guess it's not a bad age, but we certainly didn't expect to lose him yet.  So long, dear friend.  Thanks for all the snuggles.