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!

Along The Boardwalk To Western Brook Pond - I

© 10 Jul '12     photo by smck
I never did get around to properly identifying this lovely lily like flower (in my youth, flowers remarkably similar to this were called Flags by my parents - this has been replaced by Iris today) that grew along the boardwalk (and throughout the boggy marsh) .

© 10 Jul '12     photo by smck
Information signs are posted at intervals to give one a better grasp of the habitat around them. Read how here the boggy peat gradually encroaches upon and conquers the sprucey forest
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Headed To Western Brook Pond, NFL

© 10 Jul '12     photo by smck
Looking across a very large boggy area toward Western Brook Pond and the table-land tableau - photo taken just before we parked at the public parking area for visitors walking to view the pond up close and possibly take the tour boat up the mighty fjord-like pond itself.

© 10 Jul '12     photo by smck
Leaving the parking area we walk along the  boardwalk, that extends most of the long hike in, through a small grove of stunted spruce that still survives the bog.

© 10 Jul '12     photo by smck

Gradually the spruce, becoming more shrub-like  give way to the rising bog.  As I walk dry-clod on this modern freeway through the bog I can imagine the workers driving small pilings and planking the walk while sloshing in the marshy bog as black flies entertain them.   Amazingly for being in this northern clime in early July neither of us were ever bothered by biting insects.
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Muddy Creek Forks

© 17 Nov '12     photo by smck
© 17 Nov '12     photo by smck
© 17 Nov '12     photo by smck

© 17 Nov '12     photo by smck
The little secluded valley launch site for our balloon ride
The secluded valley with the surrounding hills being preplanned so that the balloon envelope can be inflated without being bothered by the wind current that we will be riding after launching aloft. 
 The last photo has the chase-van unloading in the right background.


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Quiet As A Shadow

© Nov '12     photo by smc

© Nov '12     photo by smc
Another shadow photo as we drifted along Muddy Creek valley and then as we passed over Muddy Creek
I tried a reflection photo but the ripples gave it a looking through frosted glass look.  Kevin took a great reflection photo from a pool of placid water that captured the vivid colors of the balloon envelope in sharp detail. 
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Up, Up And Away!

© Nov '12     photo by smck

© Nov '12     photo by smck
© Nov '12     photo by smc
 Slowly and quietly the ground receded away from us and for a moment I felt a tense awareness of how casual this was - no seat belts, no attachments, just the five of us standing in a close group inside the not quite waist high gondola wicker wall while we smoothly ascended higher and higher.  An old quote of Will Rogers on one of his radio shows about being high on a cat-walk on Hoover Dam and knowing that he was going to stub his toe and go floating up in the air and over the waist high wall popped into my mind.   So, wishing I had a neck strap on my camera, I belatedly got the shot of the chase van and crew on the ground below.   Then Mike drew our attention to the shadow of our balloon against the receding wooded hill and someone said "That's us".  And indeed it was.  The unfelt air current - since we were moving with it - carried us along Muddy Creek shrouded in frost covered trees, most still in the shade of the coming sunrise.  All this time we were approaching a tree covered ridge that diverted Muddy Creek to the right. Mike, deftly controlling the propane burners, took us at tree top level up and over while telling us to watch for the deer that ran in alarm from the passing balloon.  I could hear them running through the leaves but could not see them until they ran out into an adjoining corn field. 
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