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!

The One That Didn't Get Away (update)



About 1975
My father-in-law, ' Dick' Bullock, in charge of food services for Air Canada flights out of London, had flown in from Heathrow in London to visit with us in Cape Breton for a week or so. On his last day with us he was able to buy a so-called sea salmon that had been caught off shore in the Atlantic by fishing boats making hauls for other fish. I talked him in to going up to the large pond behind the house and posing with fishing equipment as if he had caught this lovely fish there. When he flew back, on Air Canada, he had the food crew put his fish on ice for the trip home to England. The crew all knew him well and he made a production of showing them these photos of how he had caught the salmon in the wild. It went over well and he kept up the charade until he also showed the London terminal crew the photos. I think he had to buy them all a round after he broke the joke to them.

The young boy in the bottom scene is my older son Shawn

Michael

25 February 2013
 I carved this angel from a a piece of white pine a few years ago and had planned on making more for a small income around Christmas time - but a torn rotator-cuff curtailed that activity and I have never tried another one since.  Maybe blogging this will push my starter button once more.

The Old Barn - On A Warmer Day





The bottom photo shows my great friend George MacKay standing on the scaffolding he had put up quickly (in about the amount of time that I would have been thinking what to do) on this fine day.  He cut the uprights (spruce) from a stand across the road from his home,  freighted them down around the two bridges and up my lane and then working steadily without wasted motion had her up in an hour or so.  "That will get you started", he said.  And it did.
The top photo is me starting to work my way up with the roofing deck -  a day or so later, in the middle scene, I'm almost to the top