Posted in biographical sketch, Nature

School Day

Posted on by maherrv

Last Wednesday morning, I attended Dave MacLean’s FunGIS class. The topic was calculating the area of a polygon using a Python script. Unannounced, at 9 am , there was an unveiling of artwork by Phillip Bailey in the AV room.

Phillip is a member of the African Nova Scotia community, from Lequille, Annapolis County, and grandson of Harold Cromwell.

The Art is now on display in the entry way at COGS. It is a composite of the African Nova Scotia flag, a topographic representation of the province and identifying the primary African Nova Scotia communities.

A third element of the morning was a presentation on the joint M.Sc. in Applied Geomatics between COGS and Acadia University. Unfortunately, the need for snow tyres meant that I was unable to hear the presentation. The program was established by John Roth at Acadia and myself at COGS.

A couple of weeks ago, Heather attended a guided fungi walk with Keith Egger, organized by the Arlington Forest Protection Society (see post Saving Forests). On Keith’s recommendation we ordered Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada by Timothy Baroni.

It arrived this week at The Inside Story in Greenwood.

The excellent illustrations will be invaluable, as we continue to walk through our property to the Inglisville Road.

Acknowledgements

Dave MacLean’s class on Wednesdays, give me an insiders perspective on the activities at COGS. The guided walk by the Arlington Forest Protection Society added to our botanical reference collection.

Postscript

There will be a delays in posting these recent blogs, as Edward relocates to his Winter base in Florida.

References

T.J.Baroni, 2017, Mushrooms of the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada, Timber Press.

Phillip Bailey, CartographMe. Combining cartography and art. I create hand-drawn maps that hold customized meaning through a description of people, places and events. https://www.cartographme.com

Posted in Book Review

Buy Local; Read Local

Posted on by maherrv

Today, I stopped at the Bees Knees Bakery in Lawrencetown. I ended up buying apple turnover for dessert and a book by Linda Hegland.

Sandra Barry had mentioned that there was a poetry reading at Bees Knees on Sunday, October 15th by Jan Coulter and Linda Hegland. We were on the road to Peterborough.

The store had several books by Linda Hegland.

I selected Place of the Heart: Life on Fat Hummingbird Farm.

Given my interest in ‘place’ and writing. I was intrigued to find that the author is now a resident of Clarence on North Mountain.

In response to my latest blog, Edward Wedler asked questions about the relationship between IoT ( Internet Of Things), AI (Artificial Intelligence) and GIS (Geographic Information Systems).

Did I see these other technologies interacting with GIS education at COGS?

Perhaps with time, I will be able to offer an informed response. It is certainly a changing technological complex world which will impact COGS and its graduates.

With the changing weather, today, I was able to celebrate by lighting the wood stove.

Postscript

I understand that there will be further literary events at the Bees Knees bakery. That’s good news. I intend to go to my next FunGIS class on Wednesday morning. This blog may be delayed, as Edward is travelling down to Florida.

Acknowledgements

Sandra Barry mentioned the poetry reading at Bees Knees. Edward continues to challenge my understanding of the changing technologies and Geography. Bees Knees offers a range of quality baked goods.

References

Linda Hegland, 2020, Place of the Heart: Life on Fat Hummingbird Farm, Published by Cyberwit.net

Jan Coulter, 2023, Fragments of the Mind, Published by Cyberwit.net

The Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, https://www.India today.in/education-today/news/story/isro-offers-free-certificate-course-in-remote-sensing-and-gis

Posted in Event Review

Biochar

Posted on by maherrv

A few years ago, Alex Cole of Little Foot Yurts would visit us in the Fall (see post, Coppicing and Charcoal-Making).

He would make Biochar, using an old dairy condenser on Andrew’s property across the road.
(image by K.salo.85 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

One of the participants was Rick Ketcheson from Annapolis Royal.

Today Rick and Kathy invited us to attend a Biochar event on their property in Perotte. It was a beautiful day to be outside making Biochar.

Afterwards, we came home via the old military road to West Dalhousie. We did not see a soul. Even the campground at Gibsons Lake was deserted. Along the road the tamarack foliage was simply spectacular.

The previous day, we had been to Annapolis Royal for a medical appointment. Afterwards, at about the same time (3 pm) we went over to Parker’s Cove to take the coastal road to Hampton The same late afternoon light highlighted the striking colours of the foliage on North Mountain.

This evening, I checked my book shelves, I found Sacred Soil: Biochar and the Regeneration of the Earth, dated 2017.

(see post Overstory)

Acknowledgements

To Rick and Kathy Ketcheson for inviting us to the hands-on demo at Perotte. Rekindling our interest in Biochar. Edward Wedler continues to make a significant contribution to these blogs. He searches the web and finds interesting connections. This week, he heads down to Florida, as a snow bird. We will try to maintain the connection. Heather travelled the same road with me.

References

Robert Tindall, Frederique Apffel-Marglin and David Shearer, 2017, Sacred Soil: Biochar and the Regeneration of the Earth, North Atlantic Books.

Posted in biographical sketch

Experiment

Posted on by maherrv

Years ago, I had called my blog Ernest Blair Experiment. Ernest for Ernest Buckler. Blair for Eric Blair aka George Orwell. Now I am conducting an experiment (see also an early post We Are All Geographers).

In order to understand the changes in GIS technology, I asked David Maclean if I could sit in on his Fundamentals of GIS (FunGIS) class, offered at 8:30 am on Wednesday mornings — not to become proficient in the latest technology but rather to appreciate the learning environment. The session this morning introduced me to some of the new materials from ESRI. For example, Briefings – how – to – info.

My plan is to attend every Wednesday morning class. Today, there were eighteen students; each working with two computer screens.

My intention is not to disturb the learning process. Instead to understand the technology, and how it can be applied to current geographic problems in society.

My hope is to attend COGS on a regular basis, on Wednesdays, attend the FunGIS class and watch the learning process with my new cohorts.

In my mind, this is an experiment. Can a retired faculty member/educator still make a contribution across the generations?

From the Reader, Community Spaghetti Dinner at COGS Thursday, October 26 5-6:30 pm. Adults $10.

Acknowledgements

Thank you, David Maclean for facilitating my experiment / learning opportunity. From Jennifer at the COGS Bookstore, I learned that there is a knitting session at the cafeteria on Wednesday at 11:30 am. Heather has gone to check it out today.

Reference

Briefings in ArcGIS StoryMaps.

POSTSCRIPT

Here is an entertaining read of COGS’ First Semester Overview Fundamentals of GIS for non-Geomatics Grads by Liam Gowan, as posted with ESRI Canada Centres of Excellence.

Posted in biographical sketch, Book Review

Made It, HOME

Posted on by maherrv

We were away for a week. Two days driving each way from Paradise to Peterborough. Three days in Peterborough, enjoying activities with grandchildren, Fraser and Logan. Total distance travelled 3878 kilometers.

While in Peterborough, we watched speed skating practice and training for soccer. We managed to find time to visit By the Books, Thoughtfully curated used books on Water Street.

I found Peterborough, Land of Shining Waters, a centennial volume published by the City and County of Peterborough 1967. Also, The Wilderness Companion. Reflections for the Back-Country Traveler.

From the Preface:
”Sigurd Olsen once wrote that a long standing habit of his canoe trips was to take little scraps of paper on which he’d copied brief passages taken from writings of poets, saints and other spiritual seekers. He would gather these bits of prose and poetry in what he called his ‘medicine bag’ and now and then, while he was in the canoe he’d pick one out, put it on the pack in front of him, anchor with a stone, and slowly read it.” P4.

Heather found three books:
Taming the Ox
Zen Lessons: the Art of Leadership
Daily OM

What were the highlights of the trip ?

We visited the British store, outside of Peterborough. I picked up winter supplies of Branston pickle. The other highlight, we picked up our Swift canoe to bring it home to Nova Scotia.

In terms of travel, we enjoyed our best night at the Quality Inn in Levis on the way home. We also enjoyed the fabulous colours, as we followed Highway 20E through Quebec province.

The greatest challenge was the final day of driving. Levis- Rivière de Loup- Fredericton – Moncton – Amherst – Truro – Paradise.

Mistakenly, at the end of the last day, we took the route through the Rawdon Hills.

Map Carta link https://mapcarta.com/24580910

The roads were dark, and it started to rain. We took our time and thankfully arrived safely, with the canoe.

PS. Peterborough is certainly ‘Canoe Country’.

Acknowledgements

Patrick, Emily and the boys looked after us well for the three rest days in Peterborough. Patrick gave the driver, a rest after two days on the road. Heather shared the journey. Edward added the links and graphics.

References

Peterborough: Land of Shining Waters, 1967, An Anthology. U of T Press.

David Backes,1999, The Wilderness Companion: Reflections for the Back-Country Traveller, NorthWord Press.

Madisyn Taylor, 2008, Daily OM: Inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy and fulfilling day, Hay House.

Zen Lessons, 2004, The Art of Leadership, Translated by T. Cleary, Shambhala Classics

Charles Johnson, 2014, Taming the Ox: Buddhist Stories and Reflections on Politics, Race, Culture and Spiritual Practice, Shambhala Publications

Posted in biographical sketch

Screening / Road Trip

Posted on by maherrv

Saturday night, we attended the screening of ‘In the Quiet and the Dark, Saving the Eastern Hemlock’ at Kings Theatre in Annapolis Royal,

“ The documentary by local film maker (Tupperville), Nance Ackerman follows the passionate people to save Eastern Hemlock from an invasive tree-dwelling insect (Hemlock Woolly Adelgid) in hopes of preventing ecological catastrophe. Film-goers were also treated to a screening of Tim Wilson’s short documentary Old Growth, before the main feature and to a Panel Discussion featuring Nance Ackerman, Donna Crossland, Sally Steele, Lorne Julien and Nina Newington. “

Both documentaries were beautiful works of art, featuring local concerned , environmental citizens. The screening raised a number of questions.

As a Geographer, I had questions on the distribution of Eastern Hemlock in Nova Scotia and beyond. I wanted to see maps of existing stands, the distribution of both healthy and damaged stands. What is the forest matrix within which the Hemlock stands exist? I recognize that this information on the forest matrix raises many additional concerns.

It was an excellent artistic, community event. With high attendance, and many salient questions from the audience.

Before the showing, we had decided to take a road trip to Peterborough, Ontario to visit family. Hence, on early Sunday morning, it was time to ‘get out of Dodge’. We spent a good twelve hours on the highway. And made it to Levis, PQ, just east of Quebec City. Our objectives were simple:

a) can we still make long-distance drives across the country?
b) how will the ‘new-to-us’ Honda HRV perform ?

The answers: Yes and Well.

The next day, we arrived in Peterborough. The weather and the forest colours were stunning. As usual, we were shocked by the road traffic on Highway 20 West and Highway 401. Montreal proved challenging, even on Monday morning.

Acknowledgements

John Wightman joined us for the Kings Theatre screening. We were thankful for the welcome in Peterborough from Patrick, Emily, Fraser and Logan. We plan to return home, next weekend.

Reference

SOOF Newsletter, Sunday, October 15, 2023 (see post SOOF presentation)

Posted in Book Review

Canadian Magazines

Posted on by maherrv

We are in New Glasgow for Thanksgiving weekend. This is an opportunity to catch up with the Fall magazines. From Saltscapes (October/ November 2023 ), I find In Praise of Books (and the people who sell them). One of the feature stores is Endless Shores Books in Bridgetown and Jennifer Crouse. Last week , Jennifer was recommending to Heather ‘The Last Bookshop in London’ by Madeline Martin.

“The Last Bookshop in London is an irresistible tale which shows the transformative power of literacy, reminding us of the hope and sanctuary our neighbourhood bookstores offer during the perilous trials of war and unrest”, Kim Michele Richardson.

In the same issue of Saltscapes (p.28-33), Written in Rock, Table
Point Newfoundland records a prehistoric moment. This brought back memories of Gros Morne National Park, Western Brook Pond and the Serpentine Tableland.

The second magazine, Canadian Geographic (September/October 2023) is full of interesting articles. Here I will select Opoyastin’s Wolves of the Big Wind ( p.78-85).

An early morning encounter. With the first rays of sun warming their fur, members of the pack rose one by one to stretch. (Photo: Christoph Jansen) (Canadian Geographic)

”What makes Churchill Wild’s Wolf program unique is the interpretative approach to citizen science, the program pairs traditional field work with indigenous oral history”, p.83.

This reminded Heather of her time spent at Wapusk National Park.

Since my previous blog post, I have had the time to finish Graham Greene’s A Burnt-Out Case. To fully appreciate the book I had to remind myself about Graham Greene’s life. The simple solution was to use Google. Greene was born in 1904; died in 1991. He was a sub-editor of The Times. In 1926, he had been received into the Roman Catholic church. In 1940 he became literary editor of the Spectator. The next year, he undertook work for the Foreign Office and was sent to Sierra Leone in 1941-43. All of these ‘life experiences’ are captured in A Burnt-Out Case.

I found this short book, deeply moving, as the main character is defined as a ‘burnt-out case’ – a mental leper through whom the disease has run its course.’

I will swap this book with Heather for ‘The Last Bookshop in London’ A novel of World War II.

References

Madeline Martin, 2021, The Last Bookshop in London, Hanover Square Press.
Graham Greene, A Burnt-Out Case, Penguin Books.
Saltscapes, October/November 2023.
Canadian Geographic, September/ October 2023.

Acknowledgements

Jennifer Crouse passed ‘The Last Bookshop in London’ to Heather. John Stewart provided access to both Saltscapes and Canadian Geographic magazines. I found the Graham Greene book in the recycled bin at the Annapolis Royal library. Edward added the artwork and links. Edward and Anne were previous owners of The Inside Story bookstore in Greenwood, NS.

Posted in Uncategorized

Brown and Greene

Posted on by maherrv

This Fall, we have been in the habit of stopping at the Brown Dog Kitchen when we visit Annapolis Royal.

Besides coffee, we can be tempted to pick up a savoury pie or the curry of the day. The cafe is in the same building as the Library.

This week, at the kitchen, I picked up a brochure on Meguma Canoe.

They provide rentals for trips on the Annapolis River. Later, I learned that Don MacLean at COGS is the person behind the new venture. The brochure includes a map showing the routes on the Annapolis River between Nictaux and Hebbs Landing.

At the Annapolis Royal library there are used books for sale.

I picked up Graham Greene, A Burnt-out Case; a Penguin book, first published in 1960. Time for a book review.

From the back cover, Raymond Mortimer, Sunday Times:
”I do not think that he has ever written anything more persuasive, more deeply-felt or more powerful.”

”In a despairing fling to have done with the world and women and fame a well-known architect buries himself at an isolated leper colony in the Belgian Congo. He is recognizable, by his mutilated mind, as a ‘burnt-out case’ – a mental leper through whom the disease has run its course.

In his relations with his native servant, with the colony’s doctor, and its Catholic fathers, Querry discovers a sort of sunset peace. But the outside world is tragically incapable of leaving the story there.”

This week, as part of Plannapolis, there are a series of community meetings.

Looks like, I will attend the session at the Lawrencetown Fire Department, Monday, October 16, 6-9 pm.

Stantec and municipal staff will be presenting the proposed Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use bylaw for public input. (see posts 2022 “Lawrencetown Event“, “A Vision for the Annapolis Region“, “Home Place“)

Will they be addressing no spraying of Glyphosate in Annapolis County? (see posts “A Green Future?“, “Habitat Destruction“, and “Citizen Celebration in Burlington“)

Acknowledgements

Edward has returned from Cape Breton.

References

Graham Greene, 1960, A Burnt-Out Case, Penguin Books.

Meguma Canoe. explore@megumacanoe.com or megumacanoe.com

Posted in biographical sketch

Photo Album

Posted on by maherrv

This blog post complements ‘ Hidden Treasures’. Neither Heather or myself are very confident taking and sharing photographs with our cell phone. Viram provided us with photos from his visit.

Old Meadonians and wives
Heather and Mira
Annapolis Valley
Enjoying
Selfie at Ashram
The Ashram
  1. Old Meadonians and wives
  2. Heather and Mira
  3. Annapolis Valley
  4. Enjoying
  5. Selfie at Ashram
  6. The Ashram

On Wednesday, we attended Deb McBean’s presentation on cellphones at CORAH (Centre of Rural Aging and Health), NSCC Middleton (see earlier CORAH post). There were about thirty attendees, mainly retired citizens. The presentation covered the language of cell phones. There are a series of smaller, hands-on working groups scheduled for both Apple and Android phones.

Jennifer Westman announced that there will be new CORAH programs at the NSCC campuses in Port Hawkesbury and Shelburne (https://nscc.ca/corah).

On Thursday, we went to Kejimkujik National Park to walk the Peter Point trail. When we returned home, we discovered no Bell Aliant service. For two days, we were without telephone (land line), TV or Internet. There was a technical problem in the Bridgetown- Lawrencetown geographic area.

This serves to illustrate a problem in rural Nova Scotia. Not only do we need reliable infrastructure, we also need access to the technology for an aging population, and access to practical, hands-on problem solving. If we do not address this inter-generational issue, then we lose access to a significant community human resource. CORAH is but one small step towards inter-generational education.

Acknowledgements

Viram provided the photographs. Edward brought his graphics skills to the table. Heather walked the same trail.

References

CORAH at NSCC. https://nscc.ca/corah

Posted in biographical sketch

Hidden Treasures

Posted on by maherrv

One of the delights, when you have visitors from afar, is to discover hidden treasures in your home landscape. This week, with Viram’s visit, I discovered two treasures.

First, Dhiren was interested in golf. This resulted in a visit to Eden Golf and Country Club in Paradise. I had driven by, many times, but never stopped to enquire about the facilities, green fees etc. A delightful spot that can be appreciated, even by a non- golfer.

The second treasure was the Arunachala Ashrama in Clarence. Again, many times, I have driven by, on my way to Bridgetown. This time, I stopped; the door was open. We returned with Viram, Mira, Dhiren and Bharti later in the afternoon.

From the brochure:

Nova Scotia Ashrama. Amidst the gently rolling hills and quiet rural surroundings of the Annapolis Valley, an intense life of prayer and meditation is practiced by a few residents of the Nova Scotia Canada Arunachala Ashrama. A temple ‘Sri Arunachala Ramana Mandiram’ was inaugurated in 1975.”

” Happiness is inherent in human beings and is not due to external causes. You must realize your SELF in order to open the store of unalloyed happiness.”

During Viram’s group visit, besides enjoying vegan meals at the Air B & B in Cottage Cove, we had the opportunity to enjoy Germanic food at both the Edelweiss Inn, on the Mount Hanley road, and the German Bakery in Annapolis Royal.

Postscript

The best view of the Valley is from the lookout in Valley View Park. You can look down on the mosaic of fields, pick out the Annapolis River, and Hwy #101 going up over South Mountain to Annapolis Royal. Awesome !

Edward was away this week.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Viram, Mira, Dhiren and Bharti for opening our eyes to the hidden treasures. Darlene for information on the Ashrama. Heather for companionship and support.

References

Arunachala Ashrama. Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi Center

Nova-Scotia@ashramana.org

Eden Golf and Country Club edengolf.ca