What's It All About, eh?

Cape Breton evokes deep memories and strong emotions for me as well as a deep appreciation for the beauty of my adopted island. My hopes are that you too might find the photos evocative - maybe a view you've not enjoyed before, or an 'Oh I've been there', or if from away that you may be encouraged to visit this fair isle so that you might come to love and breathe Cape Breton as I do. One word about place names that I use - some are completely local usage while others are from maps of Cape Breton that I've purchased over the years. I frequently post travel and other photos that are of interest to me - and hopefully you.

On the right hand side bar find my take on Single Malt whiskey - from how to best enjoy this noble drink to reviews (in a most non-professional manner) of ones that I have tried and liked - or not. Also musings, mine and others, on life in general.

Photographs are roughly 98%+ my own and copy-righted. For the occasional photo that is borrowed, credit is given where possible - recently I have started posting unusual net photographs that seem unique. Feel free to borrow any of my photos for non-commercial use, otherwise contact me. Starting late in 2013 I have tried to be consistent in identifying my photographs using ©smck on all out of camera photos I personally captured - (I often do minor computer changes such as 'crop' or 'shadow' etc but usually nothing major), and using
©norvellhimself on all photos that I have played around with in case it might not be obvious. Lately I have dropped the ©smck and have watermarked them with the blog name.

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NOTE: TO ENLARGE PHOTO, CLICK ON SAME - If using Firefox also click f11 - photos will fill the screen ...... ----------------------------------- ......TRANSLATION BUTTON AT TOP OF LEFT COLUMN!

James - he always seeks the warmest part of the house, but he likes to be on my legs as I do the same seeking of warmth


this has been an unusually warm February and there should be no reason to seek the warm spots in our old fashioned hand hewn log home from about 1915 (give or take a little) but when I returned from the Carotid Endarterectomy the first day I felt fine with just a hint of a cold but since then I have been fighting chills, achy joints, coughing spells, sneezing spells, and all the associations of respiratory illness - I hope it is simply a cold, and not the 'flue', as I am self restricted to the house for a while - the procedure itself seems to be healing well and quickly and am scheduled for an ultra-sound in April - so you will be seeing a slew of  'in-house' photographs probably - we shall see.



James Himself - joining me in front of the gas fire in the living room


Shadows of The Afternoon


Red-bellied Woodpecker - Female & Male - Melanerpes carolinus











The top photograph is the female whose nape (back of head) is red while the crown (top of head) is not red  - then note the lower photograph is of the male with red nape and crown  

Nearby The Beaver Flowage


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there may be more countries looking in but the blog template I am using only reports the first ten countries - bummer - BUT still thanks to all of you

p.s. just added Peru and Germany

Shadow Play


Carotid Endarterectomy


I went into Christiana Hospital yesterday at 6:oo a.m. and was prepped for a surgical procedure at 8:00 which lasted about 2 and a half hours.  They released me today along about noonish and I am home in decent mettle updating my blog.  I am always super impressed by modern surgery and the fact that after being stitched up internally they used the equivalent of super-glue to hold the whole thing in place. Should be driving again by Tuesday.