Saturday, October 19, 2013

This Week's Photo

Pleasant Bay - Cabot Trail
 
Early Monday morning on Thanksgiving Day, before the sun was even showing any light in the starry sky, I packed our picnic basket with the lunch that I prepared the night before and  packed my charged cameras, cell phone and (just in case) all its cables and chargers. By the time we had everything gathered and ready to head out, the sun was just coming up over the hill giving us an amazing warm yellow sunrise.
On this road trip, we decided to head for Sydney and do the Cabot Trail counterclockwise. Somewhere on the 105 near Bras d’Or we stopped for a coffee at Tim’s and then down the road to top up the car with gas. Instead of taking the ferry in Englishtown, we drove to St Ann’s and enjoyed the spectacular view of St Ann’s Harbour and its winding roads. The fall foliage was not quite at its peak, but another week or two would have done it, changing what is still green into yellows oranges and reds.  But then waiting too long, we risk having heavy rain and strong wind, leaving us with only bare trees with shades of browns and greys.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Where my Father Was Standing

Photo of the Week September 27, 2013

The Cape Breton Living Photo of the Week for September 27, 2013 is of where my father might have been standing when he was in Cape Breton back in 1942-43 during WW2. All I know is that he came over from Mulgrave on the ferry to Port Hawkesbury for a visit and that the photo was taken nearby where the ferry came in with the automobiles. As the years went by and with the opening of the Canso Causeway, the area has changed, like the background and along the railroad tracks. Looking at the photo (Photo of the Week photo), I’m thinking that the old photo might have been taken further south along the train tracks with maybe Point Tupper in the background? The next photo is where I think might be the right place.

Another photo from the same visit is of him posing in front of a large sign saying “PORT HAWKESBURY WELCOMES YOU TO CAPE BRETON ISLAND”.  This sign was set in front of the Baptist Church on Granville Street for the tourists arriving on the island by the automobile ferries until the opening of the Canso Causeway on May 20th, 1955.  
Soon after this day visit, my father returned home to Aylmer Quebec to later get married and raise a family in Ottawa. Looking back, I know my father never knew that decades later he would come back to this lovely island to visit a daughter of his who met and married a Cape Bretoner and later made this island her home…