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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The North East Flats - II

30 November 2013

The Susquehanna Flats were famous throughout the late 19th century and through the first half of the 20th as one of the locations for the greatest gatherings of ducks, geese, and other water birds in the world.  Closer to hand at the little town of North East were their own local flats (and at that time the river exited through what was known in my youth as the 'old channel' with extensive flooding marshes on either side).  Today - as above - there are some ducks and geese but the greater flocks are the ubiquitous Sea Gull that spend most of their day at the river but on high tide depart to forage at the great landfill located on Beacon Hill, and the old and new channels are merged into one large man-made body of water with attendant marinas and shore developments that have destroyed forever any vestige of the appealing rural peninsula jutting into the bay.  

Beacon Hill, so named for the ancient signal fires that indigenous Indian tribes fired to pass signals up and down the coast to other 'beacon hills' both north and south, later became a modern 'Beacon Hill with a small tower light to guide the early planes in their flight.  This later was bowdlerized to 'Bacon Hill' with its' own legend of feral pigs etc. 

The Morning News



02 December 2013

Kemo Sabe

The Lone Ranger and Tonto went camping in the desert. After they got their tent all set up, both men fell sound asleep. Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says "Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see?" 
The Lone Ranger replies. "I see millions of stars".
"What that tell you?" asked Tonto. 
The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says, "Astronomically speaking, It tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What's it tell you, Tonto?" 
"That you are dumber than Buffalo scat Kemo Sabe.   It means someone stole our tent"...