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Yesterday, Tuesday February 11, Heather and I attended a meeting of the Memory Cafe at the Evangeline Club in Berwick. It was a one hour event at 2:30 pm. Beforehand, we went to New Minas. At the Cole’s bookstore in the mall, Heather noticed Scott Osmund’s book ‘ Hidden Nova Scotia’. We picked up a copy.

Scott is from Corner Brook, Newfoundland. He completed degrees in Civil Engineering and Geography at MUN. In 2014, he established HiddenNewfoundland.ca as a place to share the Newfoundland hidden places, lost stories and natural wonders. In hopes that it would bring awareness of its history and provide others with an opportunity for adventures. In 2021, Boulder Books published Hidden Newfoundland. Hidden Nova Scotia was published in 2023..

After New Minas we stopped at Berwick for groceries and North Mountain coffee. The Memory Cafe was recommended by N.S. Health Services, Shelley Kingston.

The format was simple. Once per month groups in different communities share time together. Yesterday the focus was on a couple of Maud Lewis prints and the songs of the Beatles. Tea, coffee and desserts were available.The music was memorable for all the couples in the room.

Afterwards, checking out Hidden Nova Scotia it includes BRITEX, Bridgetown, Upper Clements Park, Nova Scotia Textile Limited Mills, Windsor, South Maitland Railway Bridge.

This morning, John Wightman and myself had a meeting with David Bowlby, MLA Annapolis County. The conversation topic was the four Moonshots developed by Edward Wedler ( I will publish #4 this week) and the relationship between the Human Resources at COGS/AGRG and the natural resources in the region: Mining, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Reference

Scott Osmond. 2023. Hidden Nova Scotia. Boulder Books.



Yesterday, with fresh snow on the ground, Heather and I walked the road to the communications tower above Valley View Park (see also A Walk in the Park). Earlier, while in Bridgetown, we stopped at Endless Shores, where I picked up Peter Moreira’s book Backwater: Nova Scotia‘s Economic Decline, 2009.

Today, Wednesday, I checked online whether he had written any further books. Instead I found a podcast: Peter Moreira reviews the findings in the latest Atlantic Canada Start Up report, dated 2022.

Off to the Inside Story in Greenwood; they did not have a copy. Apparently, the book costs around $300. I returned to the COGS library to see if I could obtain it through inter-library loan. Chelsea Heighton proved very helpful.

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This evening, we have tickets to the film, A Complete Unknown at Kings Theatre, Annapolis Royal. It is about the life of Bob Dylan.

Sunday, we have tickets for Macbeth – Stage to Screen. We will travel to both with our friend, Jeannie.

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Later tonight, I may have the chance to reflect on the changes in Nova Scotia between 2009 and the podcast by Moreira in 2022. He was more optimistic in 2022. I wonder what he thinks today, in 2025, with Trump in the White House.

References

Peter Moreira, 2009, Backwater: Nova Scotia’s Economic Decline, Nimbus Publishing
Peter Moreira, 2022, Podcast interview with David Campbell and Don Mills
Nicholas Hill, Sarah Hines, Nelson O’Driscoll, 2024, Wetland Restoration for Endangered Species Recovery: A multidisciplinary case study of Big Meadow Bog, Brier Island, Nova Scotia, Springer Publishing.
Wendy Elliott, 2025, Books by Locals, The GrapeVine, February 2025, p.5.

Acknowledgements

Heather shared this busy day. Edward had time for the edits, before he headed back to Florida.

This week, I met with Brent Kerr. He is part of the new PC team representing Annapolis County. I wanted to ensure that our political representatives had a good appreciation of the educational and technological resources in the County, at both COGS and AGRG.

Today I attended my first class of the year, Men’s’ Strength and Fitness with Sandy Murray at CORAH – Middleton. This afternoon, we will meet Paul and Ruth Colville at the Capitol Pub for lunch. If we still have the energy we will go for another snowshoe around the Annapolis River meadow, below our house (cancelled, too cold).

Next Monday and Tuesday, COGS will be hosting a two day Industry Expo. This includes tours of the Map Collection by Andrew Hannam and Chelsea Heighton.

To assist the new PC team, I provided a list of email contacts at both COGS and AGRG. There is a long history of the application of Geomatics technology in the region. This includes the maintenance of a network of climate stations, the use of LiDAR and more recently drone technology, and the application of AI.

If the province wants to develop its natural resources, especially agriculture and forestry in Southwest Nova, then it is important that our political representatives fully understand the significance of the management and access to these geographic data sets.

I would encourage the NSCC not only to support the local community through CORAH, but also through showcasing access to these Geomatics resources within the research community. This would complement the industry showcase, where the focus is more on employment opportunities for future graduating students.

Acknowledgements

Edward is away, hence no graphics or links. Heather shared the snow shoeing experience in the meadow, below our house.

Between 1963-66, I was an undergraduate at the University of Birmingham, UK.

For two Summers, I came to Canada to work at the McGill SubArctic Research Lab, in Schefferville, PQ. I was a field assistant to graduate students working on the Canadian Shield. The research involved digging soil pits and undertaking till fabric analysis.

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This Monday evening, after being saturated by the CBC coverage of Donald Trump’s inauguration, we decided it was time to find out more about David Bowlby,

The AGM meeting was 6:30 pm, at the NSCC Middleton campus.

I had always enjoyed his writing. Time for a re-read.

Later this week, I shall drop by the PC office to learn more about the current government plans for Annapolis County. In particular, I am interested in the use of modern mapping technology (at COGS and AGRG) and its application to resource management in the county (agriculture, forestry, fisheries and mining).

Acknowledgements

Heather joined me at the AGM for the Annapolis County PC party.

Edward added the graphics and links.

Reference

Harold Horwood, 1972, White Eskimo: A novel of Labrador, Doubleday Canada.

From my growler of Brickyard Red beer, purchased at Lunn’s Mill:

“In 1760, this beautiful part of the Annapolis Valley was known as Lunn’s Mill, named after the major industry in the area: a bustling sawmill owned by John Lunn. Around this time the Charming Molly set sail from New England carrying the first New England Planters. These intrepid people helped expand the community with farms and shops, and in 1822 it was renamed Lawrencetown.”

Besides stopping at Lunn’s Mill for the beer, I stopped at Bees Knees in the village to pick up a couple of slices of quiche.

The other day, I was talking with Paul Colville. We commiserated about the closure of Bistro 300, the coffee shop in Middleton, next to the Independent grocery store.

Walking home from the grocery store, we found a different route, behind St. Monica’s Catholic Church. It was marked by the sound of a pileated woodpecker in a grove of trees.

Meanwhile, at the house, we continue to be entertained by grey squirrels gathering up the acorns, and by the blue jays from the neighbouring feeder. Today, there is a male cardinal in fresh snow.

From the top of the red oaks, there is a Northern Goshawk scanning the riverside meadows..

In the next week or so, I shall be reporting on the COGS Industry Expo 2025 (January 27-28) in Lawrencetown. More on that event, once I see the detailed program.

Acknowledgements

Heather shares the exploration of the local geography.

At this time, when Canada is under siege from the South, it feels good to ‘support local’. Here are a few examples.

The lady who did the work, expressed the opinion that it was an enjoyable task. Just the text of all the blogs from 2024, no graphics ( as added by Edward).

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While in New Glasgow this weekend, I had the opportunity to read an older issue of Saltscapes magazine.

It included an article by Bob Bancroft on the Eastern Cougar and the protection of its habitat. I also chanced on a map of Canada, advertising the Fifth International Protected Areas Congress held in Vancouver, February 3-9th, 2023 (Link to Scholarly articles).

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As is our habit, we shared Saturday night with John. We watched two episodes of As Time Goes By on PBS Maine (BritBox link) Such a pleasure to watch Judy Dench.

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Sunday, the weather remained good. A light dusting of snow on Mount Thom. We took our usual route through the Rawdon Hills, and then down through the farmlands of the Annapolis Valley, from Windsor to Middleton. Overall, roughly , it is a three hour drive.

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From CORAH, a notice on Maps as Art: the Beauty of Exploration. Join NSCC library staff Andrew Hannam and Chelsea Heighton for a talk on the COGS Historic Map Collection. Wednesday, January 29 10-11am or 1-2 pm, Thursday January 30 10-11 am or 1-2 pm. Register via email, CORAH-avc@nscc.ca or by phone, 902-825-5215.

Acknowledgements

Heather joined me on the trip to visit her Dad in New Glasgow. Ninety five years, young ! As you can see, Edward has returned from Florida. Thank you so much for your contribution.

It’s been a tumultuous week. Started well, with the January GrapeVine at the Bridgetown Library. Wendy Elliott’s column on Books by Locals featured a review of Garry Leeson’s new book ‘One Damn Thing After Another’. I think that sums up very well the first week of 2025.

We spent part of a day driving to the Apple Store at the Halifax Shopping Centre. I needed support to make sure I was making payments for online storage. It has been quite awhile since we had wandered through a large mall.

I had a beer with John Wightman. We went over the history of CANMAP. This not for profit was invented by John in the era of Roger Tomlinson. The acronym stands for Canadian Numerical Mapping Applications (CANMAP).

Moving onto this week, the media has been full of Justin Trudeau, Donald Trump and Elon Musk. I tried to turn it off, by watching North to North. This distraction reminded me of the landscape of Iqaluit, and the time we spent living close by, with Andrew and Julia’s family.

Ultimately, life is about landscape, and how we share it with friends and family, embedded within its local geography: climate, ecology. Unlike the newsmaker/ politicians, it is not a resource to be traded for personal gain.

As I look up from my desk in the basement, I see Nancy Turner’s book. The Earth’s Blanket. Traditional Teachings for Sustainable Living.

That reminds me, that we CAN MAP !

Postscript

We walked in the Riverside Park this morning. Noticed that the watch had disappeared; hopefully, to its rightful owner. Edward is away in Florida.

References

Garry Leeson. 2024. One Damn Thing After Another. Moose House Press.

Nancy Turner. 2005. The Earth’s Blanket. Traditional Teachings for Sustainable Living. Douglas and McIntyre.

Yesterday, I received an ‘end of year’ email from Ollie at Moresby Explorers on Haida Gwaii. It reminded me of our time on the west coast (see below). Time to reconnect.

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Later in the day, we went to Berwick. I needed some technical advice on my iPad. Jason at Gekko Tech is an excellent resource for all things related to Apple computers.

While in town, we stopped at North Mountain coffee shop. I picked up Mount Kenya coffee and Heather picked up a box of North Mountain tea sampler.

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Over Christmas, the Bridgetown Reader is not available. Instead, I purchased the Annapolis Valley Register, Thursday, January 2nd. On page A3, there was an interesting article on Allison Maher (no relation) by Jason Malloy. The title of the article ‘There’s no how-to manual’.

This struck a chord. As you likely know, I have been writing this blog since 2013. At this time of year, I go to Integrity Printing in Bridgetown and ask them to print (hard copy) my blogs for the previous year. When the holiday is over, I shall go and ask them to print off, Volume 9. Just the text, not the graphics and links. Although there is a great benefit in Edward’s contribution.

Perhaps I can take a lesson from Allison Maher and recognize that ‘there is no how-to manual’. Time to ‘bite the bullet’.

Reference

Jason Malloy, ‘There’s no how-to manual’, Maher writes about grief in latest book, The Last of the Firsts’. Annapolis Valley Register. January 2, 2025. Page A3.

Check out this link to her book “The Last of the Firsts”.

https://49thshelf.com/Books/T/The-Last-Of-The-Firsts

Acknowledgements

Edward continues to provide excellent technical and creative input to this blog. Heather shares the journeys.

Postscript

Winter ReflectionsAs the days lengthen, a sense of anticipation fills the air. The gradual increase in daylight hours signals the return of spring and the renewal of life that will soon follow. Large storms batter the coast, snapping trees like twigs and uprooting the seabed to be displayed on the beach like a gift to the land. Witnessing the first glimpse of sunlight after a storm is so welcoming. Here on Haida Gwaii, the changing of the seasons is more than just a shift in the weather; it’s a dance of life—both marine and terrestrial—that never ceases to inspire.The Magic of Winter on Haida GwaiiDuring these cooler months, the waters surrounding Haida Gwaii come alive in unique ways, showcasing the dynamic interplay of marine life. Humpback whales, often thought of as summer visitors can be spotted feeding on the abundant krill and small fish near our shores. Meanwhile, sea lions gather in noisy colonies along the coast, their barks carrying on the crisp winter air. It’s a reminder of the resilience and rhythm of marine life that defines this region.Haida Gwaii’s temperate rainforests continue to thrive, even in the heart of winter. Mosses and lichens, which play a crucial role in the ecosystem, are at their greenest thanks to the season’s moisture. During winter, puffins lose their beaks’ vibrant orange and red colours, replacing them with duller shades. The bright hues return as spring nears, signalling readiness for mating season. These moments of quiet discovery make this time of year so special.A New Year, A New AdventureAs we look ahead, we’re excited to get back on the water and meet the new people who wish to experience Gwaii Haanas. Whether you’re reminiscing about the thrill of a zodiac tour or the serenity of exploring ancient rainforests, we hope the memories you’ve made with Moresby Explorers inspire you to stay connected to the wild beauty of Haida Gwaii.If you haven’t yet experienced the magic of our tours, now is the perfect time to start planning. And if you’ve joined us before, why not share the experience with a friend? There’s nothing quite like the joy of discovering this incredible region for the first time—or seeing it anew through someone else’s eyes.Fun Facts: Seasonal Shifts and WildlifeDid you know that Haida Gwaii’s unique geography makes it a hotspot for migratory birds? As winter wanes and spring approaches, keep an eye out for the return of species like the sandhill crane. These elegant birds use the islands as a stopover on their journey north, symbolizing the season’s change.Many birds, such as cormorants and gulls, undergo pre-breeding moults, replacing worn feathers with fresh ones to prepare for the demands of the mating season. This process often results in more vibrant plumage. Stay ConnectedAs the seasons change, so do the stories of Haida Gwaii. Follow us on social media or visit our website to stay updated on the latest news, wildlife sightings, and upcoming tours. We’d love to hear about your favourite moments with Moresby Explorers—share your stories and photos with us!Here’s to a year of meaningful adventures, shared stories, and deep connections to the extraordinary beauty of our planet. Thank you for being part of this journey with us. We can’t wait to see you on the water again soon!Warm wishes,The Moresby Explorers TeamCopyright © 2024 Moresby Explorers, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you either opted in via our website or you are a previous guest of ours. Our mailing address is: Moresby Explorers365 Beach RdPO Box 127Sandspit, BC V0T 1T0CanadaAdd us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

With the approach of the New Year, our thoughts go towards travel. Fortunately, the mail strike is over; this week, we received our new passports.

Before Christmas, we stopped by the Middleton library. Heather found three books of interest. This allowed me to start reading, No Place for a Woman: The Life and Newfoundland stories of Ella Manuel, compiled and edited by Antony Berger. Berger, her son, is a Geologist.

Heather and I met Ella Manuel in the early 1970’s. Heather was employed as a seasonal Park Naturalist. I was a Geographer, teaching at Memorial University in St Johns. Conducting field work on the west coast, and leading ten day back-packing trips into the Long Range Mountains for Black Feather Adventures. This was a company, owned by Wally Schaber,operating out of Ottawa.

Ella owned a house in Woody Point. She had been instrumental in community support for the National Park.

From the back cover, by Annie Proulx:

“Newfoundland’s international reputation as a treasure house of remarkable storytellers is enhanced by this rich account of the life and career of the unforgettable Ella Manuel, twentieth century writer and radio personality. Her story is told with wit and affection by her son, Tony Berger.”

For Heather and I this book brings back so many memories of the landscape, our life, and the people of the West coast of Newfoundland.

Acknowledgements

Heather has shared the journey, from the time we met in Gros Morne National Park. Edward is away, hence less images or links.

References (from the Middleton library)

Antony Berger (ed), 2020, No Place for a Woman:The Life and Newfoundland Stories of Ella Manuel, Breakwater Books.

Pamela Mulloy, 2024, Off the Tracks: A meditation on train journeys in the time of no travel, ECW Press. https://ecwpress.com/products/off-the-tracks

Joan Didion, 2021, Let me tell you What I Mean, Alfred Knopf. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/666038/let-me-tell-you-what-i-mean-by-joan-didion/