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!

B&B St. Teresa NFL (First Night in NFL) - 2nd Post

© July '12    photo by smck

© July '12    photo by smck

© July '12    photo by smck
Before we turned in for the first night on Newfoundland we walked the 500 meters or so down to the shore and then along the beach.  It was different in the scale of shore line edge to the water but otherwise very similar to walking along the beach in Cape Breton - windy, cool, refreshing and with utter solitude from life's usual bustle and intrusion.  (and of course as a tourist I had no worries about working on those cold and beautiful waters).

B&B St. Teresa NFL (First Night in NFL)

© July '12    photo by smck

© July '12    photo by smck
Great introduction to Newfoundland B&Bs and to NFL hospitality.  Will type more here later - all good.

I would recommend this B&B to anyone that is not into upscale motels or destination resorts of a similar nature.  To me this is easily a four star location - not because of the swimming pools, room service, golf courses, (non-existent) but because of the cleanliness, homeyness, and removal from the sounds of traffic and bustle of built up areas and with a host - Margo - that was friendly, charming and the sort of person that one could easily become good friends with.  We choose the suite which had a full bath, bedroom, and setting room with great furnishings and there was an adjoining room where the other guests and yourself could mingle together if they wished along with a lovely kitchen where tea and coffee were ready to make.  An evening home cooked meal was available for a small extra fee - much cheaper than eating out - and the breakfast part of the B&B the following morning was really great. This all - including the evening meal - would come in at less expense than a single room stay in the most modest of motels.   Another reviewer that I read before we decided on this location also gave four stars and their only misgiving was that for some people the drive off the main highway was some where in the neighborhood of 18 kilometers of sometimes patchy road.  I think that for him, as it were for my wife and I, that it was an interesting drive where the off main route gave one a feeling for the everyday life in this area.  Also the drive along the shore to get there was stunning in places.  My next posting will show a photo or two of the shore we drove along.  (and although in the normal course of blogging I tend to skip about in time and place - for this Newfoundland portion of the blog I will try to give any potential traveler a consistent look at each stopping place).

Picoides articus - Black Backed Three-Toed Woodpecker

© July '12    photo by smck

Birds The Golden Guide to Field Identification of North America

An uncommon woodpecker even in its preferred habitat - coniferous forests. Note barred sides and black back. In the East no other woodpecker except the much larger Pileated has a solid black back. . . .Only the male has the yellow crown.

The first or second day back at the Grand River Falls house I thought that I might possibly have seen a Black Backed woodpecker atop one of the power poles along the road but the brightness of the early morning sun made identification difficult. Thus this morning when I had had tea I decided to check out the power pole (it also had a visible opening at the very top that just might have been a woodpecker nesting cavity) again but as I started to get up from the steps where I had been looking out across the yard while drinking my tea the very object of my thoughts flew in and started pecking away for breakfast on one of the pines that Buddy had planted many years ago. He continued unconcerned as I went in for my binoculars and my camera and returned hoping to get a decent photograph or two.

These two photos show him much better than the ones I posted in May (Black-Backed Three-Toed Woodpecker ).
© July '12    photo by smck

Last Night - Caribou B&B - Great

© July '12    photo by smck

© July '12    photo by smck  

This was a great bed and breakfast stay at Port aux Basques - they are booked long in advance and we lucked out from someone's cancellation.