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.

COMMENTS are appreciated as feedback is the driving energy of blogging - And if you like this site please pass it along to a friend. Thanks!

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!

Faeries and their Familiars All Around Us

 Faeries and their Familiars All Around Us

Another Line of Demarcation That Has Moved in My Life Time


for most of my younger years when the Old Mill Dam was still intact (a remnant in granite is visible on the far right) the normal high tide came just above the gravel bank on the right of the foreground tree leaves but on the left side of the creek (high middle photograph)- occasionally with favorable winds and a good moon it would come just to the foot of the dam (where the flat water starts to run more like a creek) - but now the tide rises, slightly for certain, but higher by about six inches or so on a regular schedule - and in weather conditions as said above, it will rise visibly on the far side of the second easterly bridge fed my Mauldin Avenue

Tree Work - III


The agility and hand and arm strength of these tree surgeons is incredible - notice that Jeremy's right hand is holding the limb he just chain-sawed off using his left hand only to run the chain saw, as the limb toppled downward he is in position to throw the limb slightly to the right of the tree - I am impressed as always at their work skills - and always with constant vigilance as to where the chain saw is, where the limb is and where it is going, and where the boom is in terms of obstructions - a big thumbs up for truly professional work!

 

Tree Work -II


















Cecil Tree Service, LLC started business in 1958 by Jerry Cox and is still going strong under his son, Jerry, and his grandson Jeremy - the intrepid young man in the bucket boom preparing to take down this lovely pine not because I am anti-tree but because the base is in a high state of decay at the back giving me the shivers every time I park my truck.

Well - Tree Work Needs Done


I called my favorite tree trimmer in the Cecil County area - and a day later he is on the job making me safe again


Just A Comment On Number of Pageviews By Country


When I look at the daily and 'now' statistics for page views per country I never see Canada anymore - and it was sort of a disappointment.  But when I look at page views per country over the course of a week, then amazingly Canada is second from the top.  What I figure is that there are a lot of countries around the world that see my blog but perhaps only for one day out of that week and at the time they viewed more than Canada did on that particular day - and since Google only gives the top ten countries for any one period of time, if Canada is perhaps 11th or12th for the day it just gets dropped, while some country paging in just one day a week with a few hits disappears from the top ten over the term of a whole week.  At any rate, thanks old friends and hopefully some new, from Canada for tuning in faithfully for this low-key blog, 



Casual Photographs While Freeing Mower



Stuck - IV


a crucial step when moving the mower by hand is to disengage the transmission by pulling out the bypass valve lever - the lower left of back plate - and even more important is to re-engage same by pushing it fully in before starting the motor to move forward (the lever is fully depressed in the above photo so motor may be safely started)

Stuck - III




Stuck Mower - II