My summer vacation...a little late posting...

[sparkle]

Hello all! :saludando:

I kinda realized the other day that I hadn't been on here much this summer! I'm wondering where the summer went as I am now sending kids on the bus (believe me...NOT complaining about sending them off! They are sooooo ready...or maybe it's me who is ready!)

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Anyway, my mom is from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia and every year we go to visit family in a little town called Bay St. Lawrence (which our family calls "the bay"). For those of you who have never been...a quick setting.....

It is a small fishing community off of the Cabot Trail. My mom is from a family of fisherman and my favorite Uncle, Cisco, is also a fisherman. In the off season, he does whale watches from his fishing boat to tourists and let me tell you....he is plenty busy! lol This is one of my favorite places to go and I feel so incredibly lucky to have family here to visit! What a beautiful place...the pix really don't do it justice.

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This is a view of Pleasant Bay. It is a mountain valley town along the Cabot Trail (@ a half hour from "the bay"), right outside Highland National Park. We had to take this shot cuz my husband found a painting of this place at one of our local antique shops...how weird is that?? :new_shocked:

Here is "the bay"...my papa's house is the (can't miss it) BRIGHT green house (lol), my fave uncle's is the brown one behind the BRIGHT red roof! Colorful folk, ay?? lol

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One of my uncle's friend's (and technically his competition) fishing boats with a full house on board looking for whales....

Any whales yet??? Nope, just some kayakers (they were pretty far out, too!!). One of them was pulling his kayak up along the edge, then he fell to the ground and started flopping like a seal. We got some extra entertainment that day! lol

Can you imagine living here?? Talk about on the water!

Some pretty scenery from the boat...

My boys, Breton-right (notice the name??) and Loren-left (form of Lawrence...name of the town), on the boat...

is it my turn to drive yeeeeeet???

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"Look on the other side of the boat!! Pilot whales!!" :new_shocked:

come closer....

show me your pretty face...

we also took Maren (my daughter...name means "of the sea") to the beach for the first time. She LOVED it and couldn't figure out why the waves were pulling her down...we ended up going swimming unintentionally...

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look at those waves!

Sorry for being so long! Thanks for letting me share!

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[anoki]

Thanks for posting that!!! It is soooo beautiful out there.....

I had the chance to go to New Brunswick this summer....but I just couldn't afford the time away from the business right now. I do regret not going....it would have been lots of fun (lots of corgis too!!! lol)

~kathryn

 

[backwoodsnanny]

Beautiful scenery and obviously a wonderful retreat to home. thank you for sharing.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Oh WOW!!!

You are going to be SO rested.

I was born by the sea- once it is in your blood it pulls you back....all the time.

Wonderful pictures, thanks for sharing them.

 

[Cronewolf]

: :saludando: :aktion033: Yes I was born on an island on the Chesapeke Bay. Hardly ever go there any more most of the family gone now. Don't really miss it.

 

[mountain_waif]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

 

[RAPfrosty]

Wow, how beautiful! I would love to go there some day! I love your children's names too, I love it when names have special meanings like that.

 

[twister]

:aktion033: Beautiful photos, I especially liked the close up of the whales.

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yvonne

 

[Sunny]

OMG! Your pictures are AWESOME!! Your photo of Pleasant Bay was taken from practically the same spot mine was when my daughter and I were out there in May. We went whale watching there, too (Captain Mark's). We saw one (possibly more) fin whale breeching several times but at quite a distance. You were soooo close to them! We also saw some harbor porpoises which gave my daughter an even bigger thrill than the whale. Because it was still so early in the season, the boat they usually use wasn't ready yet, so we went out on an 8 or 9 seater Zodiac! That was a little too much for Alexis, especially on the way back, because the waves were SOOOOO high, but she still really enjoyed it. Even your photos of the coastline are so similar to mine. I honestly think Cape Breton Island is one of the most beautiful places in all of Canada. You really are fortunate to have family there you can go and visit.

I just looked up Bay St. Lawrence on the map, and we DID drive through there later that day. I took Alexis up to Meat Cove because I wanted her to see the place I've reminisced about so much. I was there when I was kid and remembered the road being about the scariest one I've ever seen. And it really hasn't changed much! LOL! But the views from up there are spectacular.

Thank you so much for sharing your photos and memories. And I love your children's names!

 

[sparkle]

Oh my goodness, Sunny!!

I love talking to people who have gone there! That road to Meat Cove IS scary!! lol

The next time you go...you HAVE to go on my uncle's boat....his name is Cyril Fraser and his boat/business name is Oshan Whale Tours. He does have signs posted.

I think there are only 3 whale tour boats in Bay St. Lawrence...one is Sail to the Whales (sailboat) I can't remember the name of the other one, but the boat I pictured belongs to Dennis Cox.

Of course, I'm going to be partial to my Uncle's!

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The day that I went out, it was insanely rough and choppy. In fact they ended up cancelling the final run for the day cuz it was so bad! We were relatively close to the whales, but I have really good zoom on my camera. When my husband went out the next day, he said my uncle saw a fin whale breeching in the distance, but he missed it.

My mom is one of ten kids :new_shocked: (lol) so we have family all through Canada, including Ontario. I agree with Cape Breton being absolutely spectacular! I showed pix to a friend at work and he said, "it kinda looks like Maine"....uh....no, it really doesn't! lol Glad to know there are others out there that truly appreciate this beautiful place!

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I keep telling my husband I would move there in a heartbeat....and he always looks at me funny!

: I would love to have a trail riding business up the mountains and down to the beaches....*sigh*...maybe someday. lol

And thanks all for the nice compliments on my kid's names. I always like something a little different that mean something. There was no question what we were going to name Breton!! :bgrin

 

[Marylou]

Oh so beautiful! Had to call Arnie to come see them. He loved them. You are very lucky to be able to go there every year.

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