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!

Renewal - II

HEMLOCK, EASTERN (Tsuga canadensis) with fresh tips  - see http://www.conifers.org/pi/Tsuga_canadensis.php

Native Laurel bursting with new leaf growth and flower sprays

A better view of a different native Holly

Renewal Everywhere

Spring growth adorns this non-native evergreen that I planted years ago

 The Rhododendron (from Ancient Greek ῥόδον rhódon "rose" and δένδρον déndron "tree") suffered from winter damage as well as the usual insect battles but a few flowers survived to spring forth this year

A native Holly that I transplanted years ago from in the wood to along the old brick walk (faintly visible in lower background) is sending forth flower buds and also losing last years leaves in great abundance.

Downside To Lovely Wooded Homesite

As I wandered around my country yard and wood taking photos yesterday I knew that as soon as I came into the house afterward that I would have to do a careful search for ticks and throw my clothing into the washer set on hot for any stragglers that might still be wandering around them.  In the photo above is a fairly small tick that I removed from a rather private area.  I tried the suggested applying Hydrogen Peroxide which supposedly will make them release their feeding grip and back out from being embedded into your skin but like many other such suggestions it did not appear to work, so tweezers were the usual tool of removal.  I have been treated for Lyme disease , a tick born pathogen, several times and am always very aware of the risk of having ticks attach themselves to you when being out-doors where deer and mice abound.  The quicker that ticks are removed after attaching to ones self the lesser the odds are that any pathogen has been transmitted.  For a good over view of ticks and Lyme see:           http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/      or     http://www.medicinenet.com/lyme_disease/article.htm