Friday, March 1, 2013

Blast from the Past: Petit Passage, Nova Scotia

My family lived Down on the Islands
off Digby Neck, Nova Scotia 
during my senior year in high school
and my freshman year at university.


1857 Colton Map of the Atlantic Provinces, 
Including Nova Scotia
(I find old maps irresistible!)


Digby Neck is a long narrow peninsula
in western Nova Scotia 
that sticks out into the Bay of Fundy.

Digby Neck, Long Island, and Brier Island
form the northwestern shore of St. Mary's Bay.
The main body of Nova Scotia
forms the southeastern shore of St. Mary's Bay.



Digby Neck and the Islands
(Uppermost and Leftmost Red on the Map)




Digby Neck and the Islands are part
of the North Mountain Range 
that extends from the Annapolis Valley 
to the tip of  Brier Island off Digby Neck.



The North Mountain Range
(Outlined in Red)

The mountain range is divided in two by Digby Gut, 
a deep tidal channel connecting 
the Bay of Fundy with the Annapolis Basin.




The North Mountain Range and Digby Gut
The Gut separates the range.  
Bear Island in the Annapolis Basin is in the foreground.



Digby Gut is the site 
of my earliest geological imaginings.

I will tell you more in a future post;
but, first I have to get a photograph of Dinosaur Rock.
Only my brother Roy and I know where 
this immensely significant geological feature is located.
Suffice to say that North Mountain is volcanic in origin. 

Now don't laugh.
We Nova Scotians take our mountains seriously.
The highest elevation on North Mountain Range
is above Granville Ferry,
a whopping 771 feet or 234 meters.
This nosebleed spot is called Mount Rose.



Mount Rose and Granville Ferry
as seen from Annapolis Royal




The small community of East Ferry 
sits at the end of Digby Neck
(population not counted, i.e. tiny).

Across Petit Passage on Long Island
 is the bigger community of Tiverton
(population 300).


(For a Google Map click on Petit Passage)



We lived in Freeport
at the opposite end of Long Island
(population 291).
Look at the tip of the inlet
right under the "re" in Freeport;
that's where our house was.

Freeport, Long Island, Nova Scotia



This would be so much easier 
if I lived in Halifax, Houston, or Hong Kong!
Then I could just say the name Freeport,
and everyone would know where the heck Freeport is!


Actually our house
was what would be called
a shop house in Asia. 
Store on the bottom front, 
home in the rest.


Getting to or from our home in Freeport 
to the mainland on Digby Neck
was always an adventure.
No matter what, 
it involved taking the ferry across Petit Passage 
from Tiverton to East Ferry or vice versa.

My Sisters:  Bertie, Barb, and Donnie
Waiting for the Ferry
From Tiverton to East Ferry
Summer 1968


Long, narrow, and deep,
Petit Passage is known
for its strong tidal currents.


The world's highest tides
occur in the Bay of Fundy.
Because of this,
water levels in the passage
rise and drop 
about 23 feet or 7 meters
with each high and low tide.
High tide and low tide 
occur two times each
in about 24 hours.

During the flood tide,
rising water flows through Petit Passage 
from south to north
with peak currents running at 8 knots/hour
(9.2 mph or 14.8 km/ph).


During the ebb tide,
falling water flows through the passage
in the opposite direction 
from north to south
with peak currents running at 7 knots/hour 
(8.0 mph or 13.0 km/ph).

1 international knot =

nautical mile per hour (by definition),
1.852 kilometres per hour (exactly),[2]
0.514 metres per second.
1.151 miles per hour (approximately).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knot_%28unit%29


Bottom line ~ those tides ripped 
through Petite Passage 
in reversing directions,
with some of the strongest currents
in North America. 
They required an expert navigator 
to shepherd passengers to and fro 
on a scow pushed by a small tug.

Add wind, waves, ice, fog, and bad weather ~
well things got interesting!



Tug and scow                                 
coming into the slip
at Tiverton
with East Ferry
in the background.



If you were crossing to East Ferry at high tide,
the tug would push the scow up
to the south end of the passage,
drop into the fast north current
and and make a quick dash
for the slip
at  the wharf in East Ferry
as it passed by.

Tiverton, Long Island
from the Scow, 
Summer 1968

If you were crossing to East Ferry at low tide,
the tug would push the scow up 
to the north end of the passage,
drop into the fast south current
and make a quick dash
for the slip 
at the wharf in East Ferry
as it passed by.

Many a tourist has turned back up the Neck
at the sight of that tug pushed scow
at the bottom of the long slip by the wharf
saying, "Forget that!"

You could smoke a pipe 
and check your engine while crossing.



The ferry sort of ran at regular times, 
but if no one was in line
it wouldn't cross.

Sometimes you would have to phone over
to the other side to have it come pick you up.

At those times you could entertain yourself 
by playing photographer.

  The wharves at Tiverton
with Lobster Traps
Summer, 1968

Crossing from Tiverton to East Ferry
with Fog Beginning to Roll In
Summer, 1968


Getting to the Islands is easier now.
The tug and scow were first replaced
by the ferry Joshua Slocum in 1973.
Later the Joshua Slocum was moved
to the crossing between Freeport and Westport,
and the ferry Joe Casey took over the Petit Passage run.
As of 2004, the Petit Princess makes the
Petit Passage crossing.

This video gives you a sense 
of what crossings on the Islands are like.
Here the Joshua Slocum is plying the waters
between Westport and Freeport.




I hope you enjoyed this Blast from the Past!

62 comments:

  1. Thank you for the geography lesson. As I sit here in a wooded valley surrounded by hills I can't imagine what life on an island must have been like. How different our lives were. You had adventures that I have only read about in books. Thank you for the pictures, especially the older ones. It's fun to look back. Peggy from PA

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    1. Hi Peggy! Thank you for your thoughtful comment! I have lived in some remote and unusual places. The world is such an amazing place, so many different life paths. I enjoy finally having the time to play with my pictures, writing, and memories. Have a happy Saturday!

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  2. Have never been there, but of all I am aware. Not sure I'd want to rely on a ferry though, so in the dark side of HRM, we remain at our show. Liverpool was where I spent many a year, until I moved out and got the little rhyming rear.

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    1. Hi Pat!
      For kind words, thanks (Canadian) again!
      In my head they shall remain!
      In which Liverpool,
      did you attend life's school?
      Ferries are fun,
      especially in the sun!
      I wish you may
      have a good day!

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    2. Liverpool on the south shore in NS, not England lol and nice rhyming reply too from you.

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  3. Hi Fundy, It's Barb. Perhaps folks might have seen the Stephen King Movie
    Dolores Clayborn - it was filmed in and around Long Island and its neighbor island Brier Island.

    I loved this blast from the past - my only question is "do I ever smile in a picture?"
    Cheers & see you soon,
    Barb

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    1. Hey Sis!
      I nearly put in a clip from Dolores Claiborne, but when I found the Joshua Slocum clip with a reporter from Digby, a mention of Islands' Consolidated School, that cute Islander teenager, and all the men in hard hats, DC was ungraciously dumped! I so love men in hard hats!

      I thought you might jump in and say that you too knew where Dinosaur Rock was ~ and maybe you do!

      I'm sure in my massive photo collection there is a picture of you smiling. I sure hope my computer and your scanner are compatible!

      Three more sleeps (as Krista used to say), and I'll be seeing you in Calgary! I may skip Silverton and watching the fish and rays in its huge aquarium during my five hours layover in Vegas on the way. I have to read the Book Club book ~ actually I have to find it. I think there's a future blog post there!

      See you soon!

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    2. Thanks for your posting of your memories from my old hometown, Freeport, and the islands where I grew up. I was a schoolmate and friend of your sister, Barbara, and have many fond memories of the great times we had. I learned to swim (dog paddle) with Barbara as my teacher in that cold, cold water of the cove and learned to ride a bicycle on one of the bikes owned by one of the kids in your family (we were too poor to have bikes). My sisters Dawn and Jane and I spent many happy days playing with Barb and Roberta either at your parents' house or at ours. Life was so simple and uncomplicated then! Best of wishes to you and your family.

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    3. The family moved away when I was just a little girl (maybe 5 or so), but I remember well the huge walking doll that Roberta gave to me before they left. That doll swam with me in the cold water of the cove lol. Thank you for the memories Roberta!

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    4. Hi Trudy and Luanne! Thank you for sharing your memories of my sisters, Barb and Bertie! I will pass your comments on to them! I have many fond memories of my time in Freeport. Have a good one! Louise

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  4. Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed this blast from the past. And I laughed out loud with your mountain comment!

    I love old photos. Whenever I look at them, I wonder about the people that lived there, and what it was like.

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    1. Hi Martha!
      I'm so glad that you enjoyed my BFTP!

      I used to break out in a sweat at the thought of drop offs so high up. Now I'm climbing Fourteeners. I'm getting in shape to tackle Quandary outside of Breckenridge this July. It's 14,271 feet high (4,350 meters). It's supposed to be a relatively easy and gentle hike up the trail I'm going to take.

      I love old photos too! I also wonder about the people, their lives, and where they lived. I decided that I would post old photos and tell something of their history on my blog.

      Have a happy Saturday!

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  5. What an adventure!
    I love the maps, especially the 1857 map. I'm a retired cartographer, and I'm still drawn to maps.

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    1. Hi Terry! I was hoping that you would enjoy the old map. I am always surprised by how accurate some of the old maps are. The coastlines were pretty well known. The interior of Newfoundland was quite blank until the 1960s ~ amazing.
      Have a nice day!

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  6. The old map took my breath away. Not because I'm a retired cartographer like Terry - I'm not, but because it was so sxtraordinarily beautiful! The circa 1968 picures I enjoyed because I have so many just like it from my growing up years!! Greying old black and whites. Thamks so much for the post. going down east is my next goal in life!!

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    1. Hi Francie! I'm so happy that you found the old map beautiful! They have a real human quality to them ~ the lovely colors, the beautiful script. I spent a lot of time as a kid drawing maps, once I learned how to use a grid system to draw with. And I would color them with the prettiest colored pencils I could find. Of course, my third graders colored maps too! I'm in the process of scanning my old photos and restoring them as best I can with my limited editing ability. Go East, my friend! It's so different!

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  7. I really enjoyed this Louise and learned so much about my province! It is great country down there. Loved your photos.

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    1. Thanks Jim! You're such a sweetheart! I'm glad that you loved the old photos! I'm having such fun working with them and telling their stories. And, I'm having so much fun learning more about Nova Scotia myself! Have a fun day!

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    2. Hey, Jim!
      I don't know if you had time to check out the video, but I spotted your candy striped smokestacks in it. The girl from Islands Consolidated School must have been interviewed in Halifax. I'm assuming there are dry docks near the smokestacks!

      I graduated from Islands Consolidated ~ well junior matriculated. Mom and Dad sent me on to a four year degree from Acadia because it offered me so much more than the school in Freeport could! Dad was the principal and a teacher there; Mom taught there too.

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    3. I worked for EastLink Television in Aylesford at the time and conducted the interviews in Halifax at the Irving Shipyard.

      I've always been facinated with the Digby Neck ferries since my grandparents took me on my first trip to the Islands when I was a kid. When I received the government press release inviting the media to the boat naming ceremony I certainly made it a point to get this story on tape.

      The second interview was Ron Russell, NS Transportation Minister. I can't remember the names of the first guy or the student. Their names would have appeared on the screen when this story was added to the rest of the "EastLink Magazine" show for that week. This clip is directly from the editor at the time in New Minas so it didn't have graphics.

      This is one of the more memorable stories I did in my career! I especially enjoyed being able to go up in the wheel house of the Slocum.

      -Jeff Keddy

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  8. What a great place, love your photos.

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    1. Thanks GT!
      I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed the photos!

      I'm off to Calgary in a few days, and I hope to scan more of my childhood photos ~ When there are five sibs, they get divied up in five ways.

      It was wonderful to live down on the Islands. One of my somewhat removed relatives, David Outhouse, used to run the tug that pushed the scow to and from Tiverton. I wish I had taken more photos, but I had to support my photography with my meager allowance!

      Have a good one!

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  9. Hello Louise,
    Loving the maps (like you, I enjoy all maps!) and really lovely to see these old photographs as well. Good post (as always!). Hope you both have a good weekend.
    Ivan

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    1. Thank you for the encouragement, Ivan! I was thinking of you and Terry as I was hunting down maps! You and Mark have a good weekend too!

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  10. This makes me really want to visit Nova Scotia someday :)

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    1. Hi Keith! Nova Scotia is definitely worth a visit ~ but you have to get off the main highway and take the byways. If you stick to the highway, you mostly see third or fourth growth scraggily trees and swampy ponds. Gone are the days when Nova Scotia's forests built schooners and tall strong masts. I hope that you are enjoying your weekend.

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  11. Enjoyed all your old B & W photos tremendously! In 1968, I was growing up in my little one-horse prairie town in Manitoba. No need to worry about tides and ferries there. I had never even seen an ocean at that point. Or a mountain either. And don't worry, your "nosebleed mountains" would have seemed like legitimate behemoths to us flatlanders too.

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  12. Hi Debra! Thank you for your kind words! I'll bet you had gorgeous big skies around your prairie home. I used to read Mowat's "Owls in the Family" to my third graders. I never saw real mountains until I was twenty-three; but, I still love North Mountain! I hope that you are enjoying a relaxing Saturday. It's down right HOT here!

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  13. Hi Louise!
    I decided to comment in fits and starts as I read through your post this time and guess what when I clicked the Petit Passage google map ~~~ well ~~~ suffice it to say, everything disappeared so I'm "starting all over again". No matter I just learned something ~~~ you can't do what I thought one could do!

    I rowed out to Bear Island in 1972 with a bunch from Digby Pines for a head banger of a party(teasing...only for fun and a brew). We had to be aware of the tide of course and this particular afternoon and evening fit in perfectly. No stranding us for hours. Even if we hadn't figured that fact out we could have snuggled all night. Oh youth!

    That same summer we drove to Petit Passage but never managed to get over to Freeport (forget that!). winkity wink! What a shame for me. I have never had a chance since.

    The tides are so part of our existence here in Nova Scotia. I was pretty much born on the shores of the Bay of Fundy, well at least carried by basket over pastures, down trails, over rocks to Black Hole as an infant. The tides almost carried me out to sea once as I was managing some beach rocks and a very active high tide. I kept slipping on the wet stones as I tried to reach for shore with out-stretched hands trying to save me. Every time I thought I had my footing the waves would drag me out again. It took a few attempts and I finally made it to shore, scraped and exhausted. SO need less to say I DO RESPECT the tides of the B of F. This experience has always remained with me and I draw upon it every time I'm near the waters and on any beach or shore.

    I look at those 1968 photos, thinking of where I was at that time in my life...1st year of university under my belt and trying to teach kids swimming at Acadia. I feel so sheltered compared to your world. So much had happened to you. This was your path and you wouldn't be you today w/o these experiences. Thanks again for sharing and helping to put many things into perspective for me. Funny how our paths have re-crossed and that similar places(some) were part of our world back then.

    Ron

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  14. Thanks for your very thoughtful comment, Ron!

    I too know the pain of having a comment wiped out and having to start again! Aaarrrggghhh!

    Maybe you and Jim will get down to the islands! They are gorgeous on a sunny day, but when it's foggy it is a whole different creature! It's amazing how our paths have crossed and recrossed!

    That memory of trying to get to shore over wet rocks must haunt you to this day. Mom almost drowned on the sandbar that connects Bear Island to the beach very near my Great Aunt Nan's house. Uncle Cuppy was tending his weir and got to her just in time. The water comes in so fast. We're so used to great tides, but most of the world has had no exposure to them.

    Living Down on the Islands was an adventure ~ and I go back whenever I can ~ and whaling whenever I can. I miss the old scow though; the Petit Princess is so tame!

    Have a great week! I'll be heading to Calgary early Tuesday morning ~ can't wait! I'm far more excited than Terry who will be batching it for a little over a week! I stocked up on cereal because he doesn't like to cook! Hee hee! I know what he'll be doing ~ stopping off at Parkway!

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    1. Have a great trip to Calgary....your sis probably can't wait for your smiling face to be on her doorstep. I suspect you might find some other pictures at her place....fingers crossed!

      Hope Terry can handle the "batching it time" ! I'm sure he'll work out and eat and work out and eat. Sounds pretty good to me!

      Bon Voyage!

      R

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  15. Wonderful! Nova Scotia IS beautiful, like much of Canada, and of course I love anything maritime-y! Thank you for sharing your pictures -- I love the charm of old photographs :)

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    1. Hi B&R! Thank you for your kind comment. I'm sorry that I am just now responding, but I had to go to Calgary, Alberta to help out one of my sisters who had an operation last week.. She is fine, and all is good. I've also spending time with my other sisters, family, and friends. It will be another week before I get home again and have a chance to catch up on all the fun blogs I am missing. I hope all is well with you and yours! Take care!

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  16. Well, I absolutely DID enjoy this blast from the past. I realize that photography has been a love of yours for many years (It is just about 5 years for me since I started). i especially loved seeing your home, the one of your sisters waiting for the ferry and the one of the gentleman checking the engine. So much interesting information here. I will come back for sure to read the post again. Digby brings back a very special memory for me. It was there that I saw my first humpback whale. I was teaching in Bridgewater at the time (stayed there for 3 years) and one summer, drove to Digby to do a zodiac whale-watching adventure. The fellow who organized it lived in a house very similar to the one you show. He was a marine biologist and had a bed and breakfast as well as his whale-watching business. I loved the tour so much, I stayed overnight so I could go out again the next day. That 2nd day, he took me to a spot where I could get out of the boat and hang around the rocks watching seals and other wildlife. He came back a few hours later to pick me up. Such fond memories of that trip. i think his name was Tim. (Thanks so much for visiting my blog. I hope we can continue to be great blogging friends.)

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    1. Hi Carol!
      Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving such a kind comment. I'm sorry that I am just now replying, but I had to go to Calgary to help out one of my sisters who had an operation last week. She is fine, and all is good.

      I really enjoyed reading about your trip to Digby and your whale watching adventures. I too have watched seals with a biologist, but I'm not sure he is the same one. I could watch whales, seals, and other wildlife over and over. I'm not sure if you are familiar with Mark's The Black River Blog. He is yet another biologist who lives in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Ron (Sophie) and I went to school in grade eight together, and Mark was about seven years behind us. He and my sister Barb may have been in the same grade together. His blog is awesome.

      It will be another week before I get home again and have a chance to catch up on all the fun blogs I am missing. I look forward to viewing your blog, and I also hope that we can continue to be great blogging friends. I'm so glad that Ron sent me your way. I hope all is well with you and Black Jack! Take care!

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  17. OH MY GOODNESS!! What a great post!! And I was SO EXCITED to see that the ferry was called the JOSHUA SLOCUM!!! Of course, that was named for the fantastic Canadian sailor who sailed around the world and wrote about it in "Sailing Alone Around The World"! I did a post about the book, which I just read this past year. I LOVE THAT BOOK!
    And I would never make fun of elevation of that mountain or hill, whatever you call it there. My beloved Arabia Mountain (which is really a monadnock) is not very high but it is enough to be above the local landscape and high enough to be closer to the clouds!! Heavenly! xx

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    1. Hi Kay!
      I enjoyed your comment very much! Joshua Slocum is well known down on the islands because he lived on Brier Island during part of his childhood. I'll have to read that book, I'm sure it is fascinating. I am a big fan of monadnocks! I've climbed a few in Newfoundland!

      I'm sorry that I am just now responding, but I had to go to Calgary, Alberta to help out one of my sisters who had an operation last week. She is recovering well, and all is good. I've also been spending time with my two other sisters, family, and friends.

      It will be another week before I get home again and have a chance to catch up on all the fun blogs I am missing. I hope all is well with you and yours! Take care, Kay!

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  18. so amazing. the photos are stunning a true manifesto to life

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    1. Hi IA!
      Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a kind message! I'm sorry that I am just now responding, but I had to fly to Calgary, Alberta to help out one of my sisters who had an operation last week. She is doing well, and all is good. I'm also spending time with my two other sisters, family, and friends. It will be another week before I get home again and have a chance to catch up on all the fun blogs I am missing. I do enjoy your lovely art work and photos! I hope all is well with you and yours!
      Take care!

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  19. Very cool islands I know and love too! I was on Brier Island about 4 times last year. Once for whale watching, twice for birding and once just because it was a beautiful day for a drive. I never tire of those island shores and enjoy it through my camera. Thanks for sharing your pictures that show the islands and a glimpse into their history. I find myself returning the the graveyards to look at the amazing ancient, textured, lichen covered, hand tooled stones... :) ME

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    1. Hi Mark!
      Thank you for commenting and sharing your love of the islands, Mark. I try to get down to go whale watching every time I am in the vicinity. Penny Graham, who owns Mariner Cruises, went to school with my brother and I when we lived in Freeport. I'll have to check out those gravestones!

      I'm sorry that I am just now responding, but I had to go to Calgary to help out one of my sisters who had an operation last week. She is doing well. I've also spending time with my other sisters, family, and friends. It will be another week before I get home and have a chance to catch up on all the fun blogs I'm missing. I hope all is well with you and yours! Take care!

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    2. Harold Graham was the first person to take me out whale watching back in the mid -1980s. I was out this summer with Penny. For a few photo peeks back at Brier on my blog SEE: http://blackriverlakeblog.blogspot.ca/2012/10/ruffle-my-feathers.html and http://blackriverlakeblog.blogspot.ca/2012/05/westport-bound.html . Hope your sister is OK and that your rekindle with family is a bright flame in time. Best

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    3. Hi Mark! Thank you for the links to your blog posts on the islands. I always enjoy your photos. I used to sing in the choir and teach Sunday school at the Baptist Church you photographed. My sister Barb is doing very well, and I had a blast with my family. I'll be catching up on blog posts shortly. Hope all is well with you and yours!

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  20. Oh! So beautiful. Those photos made me yearn for a time like that, I'd love to experience life then:)

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    1. Hi Laeli!
      Thank you for visiting my blog, becoming a follower, and for leaving a kind comment.

      I'm sorry that I am just now responding, but I had to go to Calgary to help out one of my sisters who had an operation last week. She is mending well, and all is good. I've also spending time with my extended family.

      It will be another week before I return home and have a chance to catch up on all the fun blogs I am missing.
      I hope all is well with you and yours!
      Take care!

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  21. Wow! What an interesting and charming place to have lived :)

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  22. Hi Sara Louise!
    Thank you for visiting my blog and posting a kind comment.

    I'm sorry that I am just now answering, but I had to go to Calgary, Alberta to help out my sister who had an operation last week. She is doing well, and all is good.

    It will be another week before I get home again and have a chance to catch up on all the fun blogs I am missing. And yours is definitely fun!

    I hope all is well with you and yours! Take care!

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  23. Hello Fundy Blue! I am messaging you from ...... FREEPORT! I moved here just a year or so after your family moved away. My husband and I discovered your blog today and so enjoyed the pictures. I see that you visit the area now and again. Have you see the Facebook Group "Islanders" There are a lot of really old pictures and history on there. I found a picture of your brother on there today. My husband remembers your parents well. He drove the ambulance for the MacIntyre's that lived across the road from you. We are now working on a history of the ferry service from 1804 to present. Could we use a couple of the pictures of the ferry from your blog? They would be such a wonderful addition to our project.

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    1. Hi Anonymous! I am so, so sorry I didn't respond to you until now. Being a relatively new blogger, I hadn't learned how to be notified when someone left a comment. It wasn't until now when suddenly hits on this post started climbing that I thought to check. I certainly remember the MacIntyre's and the ambulance! I would love to have you use my photos for your project ~ just credit them to me: M. Louise MacBeath Barbour. I'm going to look up the Facebook Group that you mentioned and try to abet you a message through there. again I apologize for this late, late reply!

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  24. Hi there!! I think my wife went to school with you Fundy Blue and that your parents taught her in Grades 11 and 12. I also think that the photo of the man with the pipe is her father. He was a good friend of your father.

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    1. Hi Long Islander! Thank you for your kind comment! Now I'm longing to know who your wife is, and who the guy with the pipe is! I'm so sorry that I didn't get back to you sooner. I didn't realize anyone was leaving comments recently until I started seeing hits going up on this post. When I published the post, I hadn't learned how to set things up to tell me when someone left a comment! It's so fun to hear from people on the Islands. I have many special memories from there!

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    2. Hi Louise, it's Loretta. My husband checked out this site. I recognized Dad (Watson Crocker)immediately by the hat, the pipe, the truck, and he looks like my brother.

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    3. Hi Loretta! I just found this comment! I so wish I had found it sooner! I had been getting some hits on this post ~ actually this is my most popular blog post ~ and I thought I'd better check it out again! What fun to find out that the man is your dad. I'm sure I knew it at the time, but who it was vanished from my mind (too much of that going on lately!). Thanks for letting me know! I hope all is going well with you!

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  25. Hello, just finished reading your blog of the Islands and the ferries. I graduated from ICS in 1975 and I do remember when you father and mother taught there. I remember you and your family members going to school there , I think Barb may have been in my class or a grade ahead of me. Your segment on the ferries was very enjoyable. I have worked as captain on the different ferries on the Brier Island run for 27 years, currently the Joe Casey. Again,thanks for all the info you provided ,hope to see more.

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  26. Hi Islander! Thank you for your kind words! You made me jump for joy! I can't tell you how good your comment made me feel! I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. When I published this blog post, I hadn't learned yet how to set up something to notify me. when someone left a comment. I don't know if I'll get down to the Islands this summer, but if I do and you're on the Joe Casey, I'll be sure to say hi!

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  27. My mom grew up in Freeport. The Thurbers, that's my family. :)

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    1. Hi Bonnie! Thanks for visiting my blog! I'm sure, your mother, like me, has many wonderful memories of Freeport!

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  28. I've so enjoyed the walk down memory lane. I grew up on the island until I was 14 when my mom remarried. That was 1969 so we did go to school together for a short time. Miss it so and go back every chance I get. Theres really no place else like home. Thank you for the memories.

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    1. I'm glad that you enjoyed my post, Donna! I, too, get back to the island whenever I can ~ maybe again this summer! It's hard being so far from Nova Scotia, because there truly is no place like home!

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  29. Enjoyed the photos and video. Spent my summers in the 60's in Westport with my gram (Gladys Bailey). The pictures bring back fond memories...

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  30. Just found this, Gord. I've been traveling. I'm glad that you enjoyed my post. Are your related to Shirlou Nickerson? Hope I've spelled her name right. We were classmates in '66-'67.

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Thank you for your comments! I appreciate them very much.