Category: Travel

Today, we went to Kings County Honda in Kentville. On the information panel for our 2021 HR-V we previously received a notice that we needed a B1 service. We made an appointment. It was three weeks away. Meanwhile the notice changed to a B13 service.

After arriving at 8 am, we were offered a shuttle ride to downtown Kentville. We declined hoping the service would only take 1-2 hours. In fact, it took three hours.

After we left Kentville, we noted the following message. Turn by Turn. Waiting for Smartphone Guidance.

By the time we arrived home for lunch , we were exhausted. What had started as a routine service at the Honda dealer, had turned into a confusing conversation with automobile technology.

Who had turned on the requirement for Smartphone Guidance ? Do we need to return to the dealer to answer the question? What happens, if you are not ‘smartphone savvy?’

Even though, we have owned the HR-V for almost a year, we still have problems with the START/STOP button. It can be far too easy to leave the car running. What used to be a satisfying/ personal visit to your friendly car dealer has turned into a marathon exposure to ‘controlling technology’.

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On a very different note, yesterday, we walked the road to the communication tower above Valley View Park. En route, along the roadside, we noted a couple of patches of Agalinis neoscotica (see previous blog on this species).

Postscript

It really is time to thoroughly read the Owner’s Guide for Quick Reference 2021 HR-V.

On Tuesday, Heather and I took a drive up the Valley. The first stop was Tides Art Gallery in Kentville. Unfortunately, they are closed on Tuesday. Instead, We stopped in at Gaspereau Press.

Our final destination was the ArtCan Kitchen & Studios café for an early brunch. I remembered their excellent home made soup and bread. The cafe in Canning overlooks the Gaspereau River. Besides art books and supplies, they had for sale books by Dick Groot (Geographer) and Soren Bondrup- Nielsen (Ecologist).

On our return trip, we took the backroad (Hwy #221) through orchards and vineyards. On a blue sky day the fields which had been recently ploughed, were shining bright.

Last stop: Berwick, at North Mountain Fine Coffees, I refurbished our supply of ground, French Roast Dark beans.

Postscript

This weekend, I rediscovered Theodore Roszak in the bookcase and am re-reading The Making of an Elder Culture; very relevant today.

I found the latest issue of The Canning Gazette. Spring and Mud are Here.

Acknowledgements

Edward added the graphics and links. Heather shared the drive.

References

Gaspereau Press, Gary Dunfield and Andrew Steeves, 2023, Yet Another Plague Year Reader.

Soren Bondrup- Nielsen, 2014, Merging: Contemplations on Farming and Ecology from Horseback, Gaspereau Press.

Dick Groot, 2012, Come From Away: Artists of Minas Basin. A documentary of a little known migration.

Theodore Roszak, 2009, The Making of an Elder Culture, New Society Publishers.

The Canning Gazette, April 2024, Issue 439, Jodi DeLong, Editor.

Edward has been pushing me to expand my thinking on Alastair Humphreys’ micro-adventures concept (also, see post Explore Local). We returned from New Glasgow on Wednesday. So yesterday, we were ready to explore local.

I kicked off the day with the Senior Men’s Strength class at CORAH. Eighteen were in attendance.

Afterwards, Heather was up for a trip to Annapolis Royal (AR). The drive down Highway #1 was stunning: hoar frost on the trees, blue sky above.

We started, as usual, at the bookstores, the Mad Hatter and Mare Gold. Geoff Butler was on duty at Mare Gold. Heather found a reference book, Butterflies of Maine and the Canadian Maritime Provinces: photographs, maps, and collection history. This will come in handy for Summer.

She repurposes abandoned or ‘ghost’ ropes from the sea. ‘ Smirle has also been featured in the Map as Art: Contemporary Artists Explore Cartography, published by Princeton Architectural Press.

Up the road, we stopped at the AR Historic Gardens.

In the shop, we smiled at the garden ornament ‘Down Lost Memory Lane’. We were surprised that the trails had not been cleared. Next time, bring snowshoes or cross-country skis.

Time for a snack.

We needed some ‘light’ reading. “Let’s see what they have in the non-fiction section”. We hit pay dirt. We found three ‘heavy’ books.

For me, Donald Savoie, Democracy in Canada: The disintegration of our institutions. I have always found Savoie’s writing on regional economic development in Atlantic Canada profound and thought-provoking.

Heather found Johan Norbert’s, Open: How Collaboration and Curiosity Shaped Humankind and Manno Schilthuizen’s, Darwin Comes to Town: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution.

We headed home on Hwy #201. Stopping briefly in Bridgetown for a few grocery items. By this time, the hoar frost had melted off the trees. Exhilarated, we were keen to dig a path from the back door down to the greenhouse.

This was just a simple example of exploring local (see also, posts Hidden Treasures and For Viram). It motivates me to have that difficult conversation with the administration, faculty, and students at COGS on the need for a ‘Geography of Annapolis County’. Together, we can do it!

References

Donald J. Savoie, 2019, Democracy in Canada: the Disintegration of our Institutions, McGill-Queens University Press.

Johan Norbert, 2021, Open: How Collaboration and Curiosity Shaped Humankind, Atlantic Books.

Philip G. deMaynadier, et al, 2023, Butterflies of Maine and the Canadian Maritime Provinces, Cornell University Press.

Menno Schilthuizen, 2018, Darwin comes to Town: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution, Picador

Acknowledgements

Edward continues to contribute both his artistic talent and links to relevant readings. Heather brings her natural history and enthusiasm for outdoor adventures.

Postscript

Recognizing that we were home, last Thursday we celebrated and had lunch at the Bee’s Knees; home-made soup, quiche, and coffee.

This week, we have been living in Rossland, BC. We have visited Trail and Nelson. The families have been enjoying the skiing on Red Mountain.

With the car rental, we have been introduced to the wonders of GoogleMaps, and the use of a cell phone to obtain shortest path and directions to these mountain communities.

Certainly, it feels as if I am operating in a different technological age. Wanting to stop at the gas station, to purchase a paper map.

The new technology offers three dimensional imagery of the mountain landscape (for skiing and mountain biking). It provides feedback on road conditions (e.g. congestion).

The end result is that my grandchildren have access to an online GIS/GPS, as we navigate the landscape.

When exactly did this happen?

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In our travels, I have checked out a couple of bookstores. At Otter Books, Nelson, I found Roger Lewis’, ‘Identity Matters’. At Gold Rush Bookstore, Rossland, I found Jane Goodall’s, ‘The Book of Hope’.

The new Geography is very ‘person-centric’.

Postscript.

This afternoon, we left Rossland early because of a pending snow storm. We enjoyed the drive through Grand Forks, Osoyoos, Penticton; finally, back to Kelowna. En route, we enjoyed the sight of the hoodoos, as well as, the orchards and vineyards throughout the Okanagan valley.

Acknowledgements

Andrew, my son, has been mentoring my learning on the iPhone, GoogleMaps and messaging. Heather is sharing the experience: ups and downs. Edward has added his original cartoons and links.

References

Roger C. Lewis, 2017, Identity Matters, Noveletta Imprint.

Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams, 2021, The Book of Hope, Caledonian Books.

Saturday (December 30) we were up early to fly from Vancouver to Kelowna. The flight departed at 9:40 am. Once again, we checked in our carry-on bags at the gate.

Unfortunately, we could not land in Kelowna because of low cloud/fog. We were back in Vancouver by mid-morning.

The next challenge was to find out what had happened to our bags, and what was the plan. With help from Andrew, who was at Kelowna airport, we discovered that they would try again at 2 pm. Meanwhile, we searched for our bags on the carousel, and seeking new boarding passes.

The second time, we were successful. Andrew met us at Kelowna airport. We rented a car and he drove through the mountains to Rossland. There was snow, but the roads were clear. The bags were delivered in Kelowna.

Lessons learned.

1. While I use email on my iPad, I need to become more proficient with the messaging capability of my iPhone.
2. It was not clear whether Air Canada was using messaging on the iPhone to confirm the status of flights and bags.
3. If cell phone is the preferred device, then it is critical that seniors are familiar with the messaging functionality.
4. What happens if you do not use a cell phone, or are not proficient with the full functionality? This becomes a form of discrimination for elders.

Next weekend, we hope to navigate the roads through the mountains, back to Kelowna, followed by a flight to Toronto and then Halifax.

Postscript

Rossland is an awesome downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and mountain bike resort. It attracts a highly active, youthful clientele (link).

Acknowledgements.

Thanks to Andrew and Laurel for their help in navigating the cell phone/messaging environment. Edward added his graphics touch.