Ernest Blair Experiment

This week, I received feedback on my blog from Celes Davar at Earth Rhythms. Our paths have crossed several times : Newfoundland, Prairies, Nova Scotia. Most recently, in the context of experiential tourism and his work with Food, Art and Nature (FAN) in Kings County.

He tells the story of the return of the American Woodcock. He uses a PUC (‘a small recording device that sits in our sunroom and records bird songs, continuously uploading them in real time via the Internet’)

( I imagine doing the same with a beautiful male pheasant, in our backyard)

Edward sent me an email on Memory Mapping. Marlene Creates, a Canadian Artist is giving a talk at a UK conference, April 30, 2025 on’Walking and Memory Mapping’ ( I will try to add the link, in Edward’s absence).

Last Night (Wednesday) Heather and I attended Matthew Rouse’s presentation ‘ Introduction to AI’ at the Lower Granville Hall. It proved to be an excellent talk, to an audience of about 16, at a great location. The only drawback was the drive home to Middleton on a dark April evening.

There will be a lunch time presentation by Heather Leblanc on MapAnnapolis this Sunday, 12 noon, same location.

It is truly remarkable to find these presentations, available in rural Nova Scotia. It gives me insight into a proposal to COGS on ‘AI and the Geography of Annapolis County’. (See next week blog).

Reference

Matthew Rouse. 2023. Will AI take my job ? Predictions about AI in Corporations, Small Business and the Workplace. Self-published.

Acknowledgements

Edward continues to share his finds on the web. The same is true of Celes Davar. Thank you, both.

Today, Heather and I walked around First Lake, part of the water supply for Annapolis Royal (AR). This is part of our growing resolution – to keep healthy, we must find a significant walk every day. There was no-one on the trail. It is well-marked with flagging tape. There was a slight dusting of overnight snow. Afterwards, we stopped for a coffee at the Sissiboo Cafe on the Main Street of AR.

Between the endless election coverage, I have noticed the CHIP advertisements with Peter Mansbridge on the CBC. Mansbridge notes the stereotype of the retired segment of the population.

This strikes a chord with me. Since my retirement from the NSCC Annapolis campus (AGRG) I have continued to write a regular blog ( ernestblairexperiment.wordpress.com ). These blogs give a window on retirement living in rural Nova Scotia. I have made significant effort to engage instructors and students at the Centre of Geographic Sciences. I have worked with other retired faculty in an attempt to engage this segment of the population e.g. Edward Wedler, John Wightman. Each week, I forward my blog to over thirty associates from my previous working life in the county.

If Annapolis County is going to flourish into the future it is critical that the local population work together to promote the natural resources and human resources of this part of the province.

With a network of NSCC campuses, it can spread across Nova Scotia.

In particular,we must use modern technology to share current information on our landscape, our resources, our industry, our people.

My proposal is simple. We need to work together to present ‘the geography of Annapolis County’. We need to understand the landscape: geology, ecology, climate. We need to understand our resources: agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining. We need to understand our demographics. We need to use the latest technology to share images, links, research results. We need to join the ‘creative rural economy’.

If you are reading this blog, please imagine ‘ how we can join the dots’ ,’how we can empower all members of society’.

Please forward your questions and ideas. I will gladly share these findings. It could be a ‘story-map’. Together, we will enhance Annapolis County, the Annapolis Valley, rural society, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Postscript

This week, I am encouraged to see locally a talk on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Heather Leblanc on the findings of MapAnnapolis, and the availability of live music at the Evergreen Theatre.

I have shared this draft with Edward Wedler. He has asked for a rewrite on my expectations from the NSCC. My expectations are that the educational institutions treat the needs of the community seriously.

They have showed initiative with the formation of CORAH ( Center of Rural Aging and Health). They need to recognize that the new Geographic Science and Technology can address our ‘sense of place’, leading to experiential tourism and other economic opportunities.

The Spring Equinox is a harbinger of change. On Saturday, I wanted to celebrate, and decided to reconnect with Delaps Cove. We took the Bohaker Trail and enjoyed the beautiful clear vistas of the Bay of Fundy. Driving the shore road, you enter a different world, and a different economy, from the Valley. We decided to save Charlie’s Trail for another day.

After the walk, we stopped at the Crow’s Nest in Hillsburn for a late lunch: they serve an excellent sea food chowder, in a ‘homey’ atmosphere

Thrilled with this successful adventure, we stopped at Bees Knees for fruit cake. Then on to Kingston Park for a recreational cool-down stroll.

In the evening, I checked out Scott Osmond’s ‘Hidden Nova Scotia’. No reference to Delaps Cove. I had the realization that Osmond tends to focus more on the human artifacts on the landscape, and less on the natural features of the landscape

With much enthusiasm, I thought about a Sunday hike out to Peter Point in Kejimkujik National Park. But the weather did not cooperate; instead snowflakes on a cold wind. Must wait for more Spring sunshine.

Acknowledgements

Lacking access to Edward’s online talents, this short blog is devoid of links and images. Apologies.

Postscript

The last mile or two to the Delaps Cove trailhead is not in great shape.

Watch out for significant pot-holes.

Reference

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

With the first day of Spring, we expanded our walk to Valley View Park ( see Middleton Walks (1)). Today we celebrated with the CORAH exercise classes.

Overnight, Edward forwarded two links. The Map Reader is a film set in rural New Zealand, about a young man obsessed with his map collection. https://youtu.be/-m4xPr274gw?si=w4oQmDYLPdyo14O

The second was a conference from the Livingmaps Network, including Marlene Creates ‘Walking and Memory Mapping’. https://marlenecreates.ca/virtualwalk/

From the Centre of Local Prosperity, the link to the webinar ‘Safeguarding Community Economics in Troubled Times’ with Michael Shuman.

Meanwhile a phone call from The Inside Story in Greenwood. Scott Osmond’s book ‘Hidden Newfoundland’ had arrived for pick up. This is the companion to ‘Hidden Nova Scotia’.

Books to read ; online food for thought. Meanwhile the meadow alongside the Annapolis River is under Spring flood water.

Acknowledgements.

Thanks to Edward for the online links. When necessary, we can return to the Inside Story, previously owned by Edward and Anne Wedler. Heather and I look forward to rediscovering hidden Newfoundland this Summer. Edward is back in Florida. I will try to add the necessary links.

References

Scott Osmond. 2022. Hidden Newfoundland. Boulder Books

This week, we had to spend a couple of days in Pictou County. This provided us with the opportunity to visit the deCoste cultural hub in Pictou and the Museum of Industry in Stellarton (see also Pictou Visit) .

As before, I am impressed by the combination of the theatre, the art gallery and the library in downtown Pictou. It makes me reflect on what is the equivalent in Annapolis County? At the Centre, I discovered information on ‘Our Climate Quest’, a special exhibition at the Museum of Industry. This includes a series of Climate Conversations: a guest speaker series and a new exhibition by Science North.

Before heading to New Glasgow, I stopped at the Middleton Library.

Making the trip from Middleton to New Glasgow, we were fortunate to be accompanied by Gordon Lightfoot.

‘Country Road’ and other songs that illustrate the relationship between Canadians and their landscape.

This landscape is not simply a set of resources for exploitation, nor something to be traded away to the highest bidder. Within Nova Scotia, there is a diversity and richness that is not ‘up for grabs’. The landscape (aka Geography) cannot be separated from the people who share that richness.

Acknowledgements.

Heather took the winding road through the Rawdon Hills with me to Pictou County. Edward added his touch.

Reference

Sarah Sands, 2021, The Interior Silence: My Encounters with Calm, Joy and Compassion at 10 Monasteries around the World, Chronicle Prism.

The weather played a significant role in our weekly activities. We made the run to New Glasgow on Tuesday/ Wednesday.

Thursday is ‘Register/ Reader’day. We stopped at the Bridgetown library. I could put my feet up and read the Wednesday Register and the Thursday Chronicle Herald. Bumped into Steve Raftery. We compared notes about life in Bridgetown, Paradise and Middleton. Certainly, we are happy to be off Highway #201.

Overnight, the snow melted.

The meadow alongside the Annapolis River turned into a lake with ducks swimming. The deer must have headed for dry land. There are still blue jays and cardinals in the bushes.

Friday, we thought that we would take a stroll around the French Basin in Annapolis Royal. When we arrived, there was snow on the wind, blowing off the Basin. It did not take long for us to take refuge in the Sissiboo Coffee Roaster Cafe for a hot drink.

Fortunately, I had managed to attend men’s Strength and Fitness class at CORAH, earlier in the day.

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Andrew, my old school friend from England, sent me a reference to Dr Sanjay Gupta’s book Keep Sharp. I think somewhere in the basement, I may have my own copy. (Found it !)

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We are looking forward to the first day of Spring. And when we can bicycle along the Middle Road from Middleton to Lawrencetown. Edward writes to watch those potholes as he shows in his cartoon.

Acknowledgements

It has been a ‘tough’ week with all the nonsense, South of the border.

We must continue to appreciate the ‘simple things’. Even the crypto quote and word search in the Bridgetown Reader. Edward has returned from Florida, in time for Spring.

Reference

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Keep Sharp: Building a Better Brain at any age, Simon & Schuster

Today, Heather and I attended this immersive workshop on dementia at CORAH, NSCC Middleton. Our interest was the relationship between memory loss and dementia. The workshop was hosted by Sheila Schuehlein from AGE-u-cate training institute. The forty five minute event was held multiple times on Monday, March 3rd. ‘Participants gathered in small groups, don specialized sensor gear and engage in tasks within a controlled environment’. The simulation and debriefing included current CCA and Practical Nursing students.

After the debrief, we picked up three empowerment tools (handouts) on Understanding Behaviours, Better Communication and Understanding, Preventing and Responding to Stress Reactions.

The concept of a transformative simulation journey has considerable merit. In my upbringing, my sister suffered brain damage at birth.

As we ‘age-out’, we worry about the impact of memory loss. While this immersive workshop did not address this specific relationship, it provided a focus for understanding personal behaviour, and the impact of family context.

I have never forgotten the insistence of my parents, for my brother and I to ‘go out into the world’ (aka Canada) and discover our own way of life. While our sister was provided with long term care in England.

Over the weekend, we were in Dartmouth. Our grand-daughter, Isla was competing in the Eastern Canada speed-skating championships for Team Iqaluit at the RBC Centre. We stayed at the Sandman Hotel. Our biggest challenge was navigating the streets of Dartmouth with a paper map. For example, Saturday morning, I wanted to catch up with the Chronicle Herald newspaper. This involved a trip to the MicMac Mall.

When I explained this to Andrew (Isla’s Dad), he was astounded that I did not have Google Map on my cell phone. This has now become my next ‘learning experience’, aka memory task.

Acknowledgements

Heather and I shared Saturday night in the city, including Supper at Denny’s. This reminded Heather of the time when we lived in Redlands, California.

From the Bridgetown Reader ( February 28th.) Page 9. ‘Letter to Warden and Council of the Municipality of Annapolis County’ from Nina Newington.

“Minister of Municipal Affairs, John Lohr recently sent a letter to all Wardens and Mayors ‘asking for you and your council to signal your support for greater resource development within our province by letter or press release.

This is a peculiar request.”

I agree with Nina. The real resources of Annapolis County are its citizens. We should be proud of our history, our relationship to the landscape, our educational programs.

Why do you think world class technology companies from California come to Lawrencetown to recruit new employees ?

Why do you think provinces with responsibility for the management of their landscape and natural resources come to recruit the next generation of employees ?

Why have other countries developed educational programs that follow the COGS model ?

The reason citizens move to rural Nova Scotia (including Annapolis County) is because of an appreciation of the creative opportunities for writers, thinkers, artists etc. This combined with access to the technologies of Geomatics, Remote Sensing and other landscape monitoring technologies is GOLD.

Let us not lose sight of the opportunity.

With three levels of government: federal, provincial, municipal it is far too easy to become entrapped in the bureaucratic process, at the expense of creative thinking.

Acknowledgements

Edward remains in Florida, with limited access to his home computer environment.

This week has been challenging, hence no blog. The challenge is all the global political posturing. To compensate, Heather and I attended the SOOF Soup Saturday meeting at the Centrelea Community Hall. First, I wanted to renew our membership. Second, I wanted to hear Lisa Proulx on Citizen Science and third, to hear Brad Redden on lithium exploration licenses on South Mountain in Annapolis County. I invited John Wightman to join us, because I know that he has good, first hand experience on lithium exploration.

Overall, it was a positive boost. It gave us a sense of community. It reminded us of the potential value of rare earth minerals in Nova Scotia,

Today (Sunday) we enjoyed the hospitality of Vicki Barteaux, Jeannie and Tim Shoveller, and their friends David and Carol, in Clarence. We shared a belated birthday cake, cooked by staff at Bees Knees.

Last Thursday, the Reader was full of notices about community activity. This included a talk by Andy Kerr on AI at the Annapolis Royal library. CORAH is presenting a transformative simulation journey, Experience Dementia Live ( Monday, March 3rd.)

On the reading front, I continue to work through Mike Parker’s ‘Map Addict’, (356 pp.)

Two pieces of information reminded me of time spent back in England.

‘The very first Director General (DG) without military training was Professor David Rhind, who took up his post only in 1992.’ p.90.

‘Today’s Ordnance Survey (OS) is a very different beast from its earlier incorporation even that of only thirty years ago. The appointment of Vanessa Lawrence as DG is the most obvious symbol of a new digitally oriented, more feminized OS’ p.92.

I recall fondly, my time in the UK, with both David and Vanessa.

In conclusion, we do need to maintain our cadre of ‘citizen scientists’.

The message to myself is how to balance the roles of ‘citizen’ and ‘scientist’ in these difficult times.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Heather, Jeannie Shoveller and John Wightman for giving me a sense of community.

Reference

Mike Parker, 2023, Map Addict, William Collins.