Tuesday, we had to go to town in Kentville. It was time for a car service at Kings County Honda. While waiting, I stopped at Shelf Life Used Books and picked up two items.
First, Kent Thompson, Biking to Blissville: A cycling guide to the Maritimes and the Magdalen Islands. Written in 1993, before his book, Getting out of Town by book and bike. It includes two rides of interest to me in Nova Scotia. One was around Great Village, with a nod to Elizabeth Bishop, and a second, around Bridgetown, with a nod to Ernest Buckler and Ken Tolmie.
The second book, A Natural History of Kings County published by The Blomidon Naturalists Society in 1992.
“It would also be appropriate to dedicate the volume to Kings County itself, for it has had an inordinate capacity to nurture naturalists. A geographic area often becomes famous historically because of the endeavours of its people. We often overlook the obvious lesson that it is the terrain that manipulated people and elicits specific capabilities, and not the other way around.”
The book has sections on Geography, History, Habitats and appendices on field trips and naturalists of Kings County.
It makes me wonder about ‘A Natural History of Annapolis County’.
Through email, I have received three interesting notices. From Gregory Heming, I received the link to One Resilient Earth, ‘crafting new narratives for resilient communities in Atlantic Canada.
‘A collaboration between the Centre for Local Prosperity and One Resilient Earth to design and facilitate a series of virtual workshops on transformative climate resilience and green recovery’.
‘Following the virtual Thinkers Retreat, the Centre for Local Prosperity will produce a publication compiling the final vision, insights and resources gathered through open dialogue’.
From Danielle Robinson, a copy of her PhD thesis defended at the University of Guelph Cultural Sustainability and rural Food Tourism in two Canadian Wine Regions. Danielle visited the Annapolis Valley in 2019 (before COVID 19). At four hundred pages, it will take me a while to digest the research results.
Finally, from Jane Borecky about the Hyland cinema, pay-for-view, NFB presentation Sovereign Soil about farming in the Canadian sub-Arctic.
Happy Birthday to my sister, Maureen. She is 72 years young today (24th).
Acknowledgements
Anne Crossman for remembering the name, Shelf Life. Gregory Heming, Danielle Robinson and Jane Borecky for forwarding the links. Heather for an enjoyable day in town, away from our parched garden. Edward for his Graphics contribution.
References
Kent Thompson, 1993. Biking to Blissville: A cycling guide to the Maritimes and the Magdalen Islands. Goose Lane.
Kent Thompson, 2001. Getting out of town by book and bike. Gaspereau Press.
The Blomidon Naturalist Society, 1992. A Natural History of Kings County. Acadia University.
Ernest Blair Experiment 
Hi Bob,
I hope that you and Heather and your apple orchard are doing well this summer! Seems like we are having heavy blooms of hawthorns, blackberries, cherries and more. Good to see.
Do you know where I could get a copy of A Natural History of Kings County? I’d like to purchase a copy.
Thank you.
Cheers to you and Heather! Celes
>
LikeLike