Day 3 - We take the Ferry to Nova Scotia - and meet ASSHOLE CAPE BRETONERS

After last years experience we decided to reserve our ferry ride the night before, just to make sure we'd get on the Ferry from Woods Island to Caribou. We chose the 2:45 crossing figuring it would give us time to slowly make our way to the Ferry.

Near Woods Island Ferry

In the end we ended up at the Ferry around noon, so we asked them if we could move our Ferry ticket to the 1 o'clock Ferry. They put us in the standby line and we got in to the 1pm Ferry.  On the ferry I ran into a woman with a Pitbull called Mira, that she was taking to Mira River :) The lady said she was "Taking Mira to the Mira"

Ferry going in the other direction

We stopped at the Canadian Tire at Port Hawksbury because the cooler fried both 12V plugs in the truck. I suspected since both went out, that it was a fuse and not a fried port. We had debugged the cooler with an electric plug and the cooler was really dead.

The mechanic was super nice and he took a fuse from another place to make the 12V work again. I will have to get that checked next time I go to the mechanics.

 We got to Corney Brook around 5pm and the camping spots were fully booked. So we went back to Cheticamp for dinner. We saw RCMP car there just before the entrance of the park, giving tickets.  That's when I realized that the picnic sites at Grand Falaise was overflow camping.  We considered camping on the beach at Pleasant Bay but when we passed there was a bunch of locals drinking around a fire already.

We ended up at MacIntosh brook and realized that it was also overflow camping. The sad part is that we only noticed the stops on the right side of the road. There were nearly as many spots of the left side of the road.

We setup our tent and were probably asleep by 10:30. Around midnight I started to hear loud talking, singing and general noise. Eventually I had to get up and go to the bathroom after Terry got up to pee. I wandered to the bathrooms next to a kitchen shelter, and noticed that there was 4 people drinking, 3 men and a woman. I figured they were camping too and just having a drink. WHile I was in the bathroom, there was knocking at the woman's bathroom door, I assumed it was a moron letting out some steam.   I finished washed my hands and left pretty quickly, like I tend to do in the midlde of the night.  I heard just as I hit the grass going towards our spot "FUCK, I missed her. She left the bathroom too fast, I couldn't FUCKING SCARE HER".  Which got me to run to my tent.

The noise did not stop. In fact one idiot decided to get into his car and start playing music at a pretty loud volume.  One man nicely said "Could you turn it down, it's almost 2am and I have children trying to sleep". The guy said "no problem" and turned it up as loud as he could. Then he got into his car, and drove about a foot away from each tent a couple of times and then left the campsite tearing off like a bat out of hell in one direction. Came back a few minutes later going in the other direction.

The sad part is THERE IS NO FUCKING CELL RECEPTION THERE!!!  There is also no emergency phone. There is emergency phones about 20 km one way near French Mountain and there is another emergency phone 20 km in another direction. BUT NOTHING AT MACINTOSH BROOK.

Are the Cape Breton folk that live near Cape Breton Highlands National Park so rich that they can afford pissing off and scaring off tourists?

Basically these 4 morons in 2 cars, terrorized about 30 people trying to sleep, some with children between midnight and 2:45 AM. It was about that time when they finally fucked off.

few more photos from PEI

Hi from PEI

Hello from Cavendish

Around Cavendish

JellyFish at Greenwich

Lighthouse at Stanhope

Hello from Greenwich beach

Day 2 - Prince Edward Island is always charming

Stanhope Campground

We went to a few of the beaches around Stanhope and then drove to Souris.  This was likely the third time I'd been.  I've gone with my parents when we went to "Les Iles de la Madeleine" and we'd passed through last year together.

Souris Beach

This year we went to the  beach and looked for sea glass. We found lots of it but most of it was of poor quality.  It was mostly broken glass vs sea glass. I will at some point show the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to sea glass vs broken glass.

Greenwich Beach

On the way back from Souris we stopped at Greenwich beach. It's very nice and peaceful, most people go to Cavendish, so Greenwich is pretty deserted. Unfortunately for us, it was full of Jelly fish. Ick.

Cavendish cliffs

We drove back and went to Cavendish beach. It was a nice beach but I think Greenwich is nicer.  There was tons of people at Cavendish and Jellyfish there too.

Cavendish Beach

There was an Osprey's nest near Dalvey lake. I managed to take a couple of photos.  We also saw lots of cormorants. Those black duck looking coastal birds.

Osprey

Day 1 - We camp at PEI's National Park!

We got to Stanhope Campground in the Prince Edward Island National park by 9am. We left Montreal around 9:00pm after I had a nap.

Our site, the last one available for the two nights we wanted when we checked a few nights earlier, did not get freed before 11:30. We checked out several beaches along the long strip of land around Stanhope.

I ran into a local woman on the beach near the lighthouse. She heard my shutter going, saw me take panoramic views of the beach behind the lighthouse and asked me what type of camera I had. When I told her I clicked a lot to remember where I'd been she asked where home was.  She also told me about the beach glass festival at Souris for that week-end. Of course at first I had no idea what place she meant when she said Souris in English.  And then it hit me.

We stopped at the Blue water Grill Take-out at the Covehead Wharf for dinner though Terry wanted to try Richards. However Richards had a 20 people line-up pretty much from 5-8pm.  Funny part is that the owner of "Richards" restaurant, and sea tours is a ex pat Quebecois!

At some point we went to park to chill for a few minutes and I looked up to see the cutest little fox. Terry threw some potato chips out and she ran to eat them. Of course we're not supposed to feed the animals but how do you say no to a really cute little fox????

Finally it's that time again.

So sometime this evening we are hitting the road. First stop is Stanhope campground at PEI national park.  Terry really wanted to go hang on the beaches there last year but it was so fully booked, because the first Monday in August is New Brunswick provincial holiday and it's also a day off in Nova Scotia.

Wednesday night when trying to decide what our first stop would be before getting to Corney Brook in Cape Breton, we looked at Amherst Shores, it was fully booked, we looked at a few other places and it seemed hopeless. Then he suggests PEI national park. I figured it would be fully booked, but the Stanhope campground had ONE SPOT that was free for Saturday and Sunday night. So we booked it. 

This is all sorts of awesome because with the entrance to Federal parks free... we'll really be able to enjoy both the Cavendish area, the Stanhope area, and the third area of the federal park in PEI.   I went to Cavendish beach with my parents as a teen and with husband #1 in the 1980's. Haven't been since, though not looking forward to spending that much time on the beach. Will have to get myself the mother of all fucking hats to wear on my head. not supposed to get sun on my scar... could make it look bad. Other than the fact I really don't want to have more skin cancer. 

After Corney Brook, we're thinking Broadcove, then Mira River.  This year were definitely going to do the bird island boat tour, and it will be the 5:15 photographer's one next Friday.  Will be reserving that very shortly.   Also will be doing a lot of the trails in Cape Breton highlands National park. I've done many trails on the Cheticamp side, this year I hope to go on trails on the Ingonish side.

Once we leave Cape Breton, we'll be going to the Halifax area. We plan on staying at Graves Island Provincial park, which is 45 minutes from Hatchet lake, and also we want to visit the Thomas Raddall Provincial park. Would also like to visit the Kejimkujik Federal park, but don't know if it's going to happen. The seaside Kejimkujik is right across the bay from Raddall Provincial park.

I LOVE Rayon

As fabrics go, many people go on and on about silk, and while I do like silk, my absolute favourite is Rayon. Especially rayon challis. Some varieties are so soft and comfortable I would use them as bed sheets. I'm not even talking bamboo rayon. Just plain rayon.

My favourite is the one I used for the dress below. The texture is absolutely divine.

Of course Rayon comes with it's own challenges, it seems the fabric stretches and grows even when it's a woven.  I've learned to wash my rayon, fold it perfectly and sometimes even iron it, let it sit, then cut it.  AND NEVER RE-CUT thinking it's too big. Fabric may have shifted and if you recut, garment isn't going to fit!

I've been in love with Rayon since I've been a little girl. My favourite pieces of fabric and kerchiefs were made of rayon. I suspect my grandma might have liked rayon too.

Of all the "synthetic' fabrics rayon is my favourite.  It's man made but with natural fibres. It breathes. It feels divine.  Don't tell me that viscose is the same. I've had a few clerks at club tissu trying to tell me that viscose is a form of rayon. Yes.. but not natural fibres. Viscose makes me sweat and stink and feels like nasty polyester. Rayon, is another story. Then there's modal which is also a type of semi synthetic rayon, often used with cotton in my old navy shirts, and that seems ok. Makes for extra soft garments when modal is added.

So it's normal.

This is how my head looks today. I still have a bump on the scalp end of the scar, and numbness on the top of my head. Since it's now 6 weeks from the surgery, I decided to call the dermatologist at du Marché. The one who did the biopsy and ask if I could be seen this week.

As it turns out, he was working only till noon today and then he's on vacation. I let his assistant know about how I still have a bump, and I still have numbness at the top of my head and I wanted to make sure this is normal. I said the scar was beautifully healed, but the bump and numbness and pain was of concern.

 She said she'd leave a message for the doctor and hoped he'd see it before he quit at noon. Well 30 minutes later she called back to say that due to the location of my surgery, the bump and head numbness is normal. There has been a nerve that was affected. I can massage the bump when I'm not doing anything and it's bugging me, it should help and that the doctor would like to see me in a followup in December.

New Dress made from McCalls pattern and Batik cotton

I bought this lovely Navajo inspired batik at the Atlantic Fabrics in Truro last year.Used McCalls M7535 to make this one.

What a fucking day.

Today was one of them "special days". As I'm getting ready for work, I pass one kitchen chair, trip over it and chair falls on the ceramic floor and breaks! Yep. One of the chairs I've had since I was 20ish. My favourite kitchen set.

 Then I get to work and get on to the work I have to do. At least the past few days I've been testing mostly monitors on a old product so I don't have to put cards in and out of systems and risk banging my head under my bench. Well regardless, one of the few times I did go under my bench I banged my head good, right next to the scar. Have big bump right next to my scar. My head is still pretty numb there.

I convinced Terry to have lunch with me, and we went to Ben and Florentines. I like the fact they have plenty of healthy and gluten free options. In fact I was thrilled to discover another item on the menu I can consume. There's so many there, I actually have to choose what I want!!!! So I chose the quinoa bowl. Our food arrives and mine does not look like a bowl. Call waitress, and ask "This is the Quinoa bowl"? It wasn't. She tells me it will be a while longer since they have to make the Quinoa bowl from scratch.

Sucky part it was like 1:30PM when we went there, so there was not much people. I figured I'd make lunch under an hour. But with the fuck up it took 1:10 minutes. However to make up for it, I got my quinoa bowl for free. It was delicious, except for the asparagus. I'll know next time to say "Hold the asparagus" unless Zoey is with us, then I'll dump it in her plate :P She likes asparagus! There is something else on the menu at Ben & Florentine's where I ask to hold the asparagus. Really not a fan.

Quinoa bowl from Ben & Florentines

Glad today is done. 2017 still sucks.

Ironic how the most racist group in Quebec is also the most inbred?

The region of Quebec that is most racist and Xenophobic is the region of Saguenay-Lac St-Jean. This also happens to be a region in Quebec which is a hotbed for hereditary diseases, not just due to inbreeding but inbreeding does not help.

From an article " There are higher rates in Quebec of some 30 diseases with a genetic basis, including cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs, and certain types of muscular dystrophy, high cholesterol, and rickets."

 While they say that some of the reason we have so much hereditary diseases in Quebec is also due to the "founder effect".  But what's for sure is that people who are carriers of certain diseases, should not reproduce with other carriers.

So immigrants coming to Quebec especially those that do not have any French ancestry could help improve the gene pool. But those from the most inbred areas are also those who are most against immigrants. Life's irony!

Gig at Lancaster camping resort

Beach at Lancaster Park

They sold a Mexican poutine, that was quite acceptable.

The PoliceMen live!

Last stitch finally gone.

So this morning we removed the last stitch. Finally. Now hopefully the numbness on the top.of the head will disperse. ..

Really Google ?

I'm very disappointed with Google News, offering me Rebel Media as an option for news.

Rebel Media articles should not be pushed by Google news. This is Canada's Breitbart, and should not be shared like fact.

UGH

Wonder if something is wrong with the comments.

In 2017 there has not been one comment left on my blog. I know people don't leave comments often, but none?  Makes me think the comments aren't working....

Still got one fucking stitch

For some reason the top two melting stitches have been giving me a hard time. Maybe it's because they are on my scalp rather than my forehead. The presence of hair might have hampered my body's ability to spot foreign substances Yesterday morning Terry cut the last top stitch saying it was the only left. This morning I realized that the one before that is still there intact. WHAT THE FUCK!!! All the other stitches are long gone. Highly unimpressed.

Le pont Couvert de La Macaza

Reserve faunique Rouge-Matawin photos

lac des sucreries

lac des sucreries

Lac Jamet

Lac Jamet

Spot 1 Lac Jamet

Ruffed Grouse

Ruffed Grouse

Loon

Lac des cinqs doigts

Lac des cinqs doigts

Lac des cinqs doigts

Cascades

cascades

Camping at Lac des Sucreries at Rouge-Matawin

So this was my second attempt to go to the Rouge-Matawin wildlife reserve. We had not gone camping yet this year and after all this time we decided we should. My head is still sore but we hoped it would be ok.

We decided to go there because it's reasonably close and he keeps saying he wants to go to Parc du Mont Tremblant. I've been there enough, I've been to all the areas, and lets be honest, Tremblant, Oka and Plaisance are where Montrealers go in large amounts. In fact there are people who only camp at the same place every single year.

Since I like variety and I don't like crowds I decided to retry Rouge-Matawin, despite my Lac Jamet experience. I think the problem there is that I took the 4, and then the 41 and got lost. If you take the 2, you get to the 6 and Lac Jamet easily. We did actually try to go there this time on Saturday, and we decided if we go to Rouge-Matawin again, we'd take the first spot on Lac Jamet.

So Thursday night we reserved spot 39 at Lac des sucreries. It's right at the La Macaza entrance, I figured we'd be able to make it there for 9pm.  Originally he wasn't supposed to work and I was finishing at 1:30. In the end he did work and I had to pack the truck alone and pick him up at 4.  We didn't leave Montreal till 6:30 and the Laurentian auto-route was a giant parking lot all the way past St Jerome.   We made it to the Wildlife reserve it was 8:50. 

Since I already hat a spot, she just had to make a paper for their holder and I was good. She said "Oh you're right in front here".  Now I figured she did not mean it LITERALLY.  I thought she meant that the Lac des sucreries campground is almost in front of the acceuil.  No, spot 39 is LITERALLY in front of the acceuil. ANd it's confusing, because you can go from 1 - 34 and 40 & 41 are all continuous in the campsite and 35-39 are in front of the acceuil, 39 is right near the canoe portage trail.

Well we went around for ONE HOUR looking for spot 39. Unlike parcs in Wildlife reserves they do not give you a map of the campground.  Thankfully a butch lady say us driving around in circles and stopped us on one of our loops and asked if we needed help. We told her our problem. She said, No problem, follow me, the lady camped over yonder knows all the spot, she'll tell you were it is..

So it was now 10pm and PITCH BLACK. The new tent requires 2 people to put up and light, so we used the car's headlights but without running the truck.  BIG MISTAKE.  At some point the truck didn't start anymore. We hadn't even filled up the mattress. Thank god I had brought the tent floor.  At least it wasn't too hard sleeping on that floor.

Thankfully the next morning, my truck started, so I took it for a 30 minute drive back to La Macaza to make sure battery was good. Then we filled the mattress..

We did end up canoeing a bit on le lac des sucreries after it stopped raining on Saturday.

On Sunday we packed and we were back in Montreal by 12;30. Mostly because I was too tired.  I didn't have the energy to canoe. I didn't have the energy to do much of anything. Just packing uppacking, putting up tent and tarps wore me down completely.




Critter count, Ruffed grouse, loons, chipmunk, squirrel, groundhog.

First dress I make myself since flood

Rayon print with a retro pattern from the 90's