Nova Scotia / Family Reunion
I headed out from Redditt with my Tent in the Trunk and took 5 nights travelling to reach Mom's home in Cape Breton. I tented near the Kakabeka Falls outside Thunder Bay and right on a beach outside Sault Ste Marie. Both locations were pretty spectacular but I did not spend much time at either. Then it was in to Toronto for 2 nights with Greg & Annette. It was cool just hanging out and heading down to Woodbone beach on a fine sunny day. Onwards early Monday morning to make my final stop in Edmunston, NB - in the rain so I got a hotel. Arrived at Mom's home just before supper on Tuesday.
Ivan once again had is boat, Papa Max, in the water and many trips were taken in the ocean on the shores of L'Ardoise, and through the St Peter's Locks and into the Bras D'or Lakes. The water this years seems to be warmer than in years past - both in the Bras D'or and at our mile long sandy Point Michaud Beach. We also used the Papa Max and Paul's It's A Boat Time to thread the low tide shallows leading into St Peter's Island to dig some nice big clams.
A highlight for this year was our Mombourquette Family Reunion. Our clan is quite large but we did lose many of the seniors from the previous reunion to this one. But we also gained a few members with marriages and births. A large carnival tent was erected on the lawns between Ivan's and Michael's homes and was the focal point of the reunion. Outside of that we had a pig roaster stoked and cooking over a 24 hour period (and another 24 for the coals to finally go out). Music underpinned the reunion with my cousins and some of their friends entertaining us with guitars, mandolin, drums, and song at the reunion tent and at the homes of Al & Janice and Paul & Sharon. Being Cape Breton the weather can be a bit finicky - and we did have fog and rain leading up to reunion. But the weekend itself was bright sunny blue skies with a reasonable amount of wind.
Alana and Mike borrowed my Jag for a 1 night road trip around the Cape Breton Trail, and then headed back home on Thursday.
Neil and Gayle and Abby headed out on Tuesday for a road trip around the province. They took Blair and Morgan with them for a stop off in Halifax before Blair and Morgan flew home on Wednesday.
Ivan and his kids headed out on Friday for cousin Michelle's wedding at a Wolfville Winery (Cole and Jen flying home on the Sunday; and the others returning for another week.
So Mark and Carmen and Luke remain. More beach time.
Fortress Louisbourg
From that point we had all of my brothers (and their families - barring 4 members) arriving over the next 2 weeks. First some were in for the Acadian Day Festival but all were here for the Mombourquette Family Reunion one week later. The same weekend as the Festival the Fortress Louisbourg was having a 300th year celebration and Mom and I went for one of the days. The Fortress has had major reconstruction to have both the village and the Fortress resemble what it did in the days that the British and the French swapped control. Hundreds of "reconstructionists" are employed to be in costume and in character populating the Fortress and re-creating every day life at the Fortress.
Fortress Louisbourg 300, a set on Flickr.
One day celebrating 300th anniversary of the Fortress
Around Cape Breton
Nova Scotia 2013, a set on Flickr.
Various photos from around L'Ardoise
Mombourquette Reunion 2013
A highlight for this year was our Mombourquette Family Reunion. Our clan is quite large but we did lose many of the seniors from the previous reunion to this one. But we also gained a few members with marriages and births. A large carnival tent was erected on the lawns between Ivan's and Michael's homes and was the focal point of the reunion. Outside of that we had a pig roaster stoked and cooking over a 24 hour period (and another 24 for the coals to finally go out). Music underpinned the reunion with my cousins and some of their friends entertaining us with guitars, mandolin, drums, and song at the reunion tent and at the homes of Al & Janice and Paul & Sharon. Being Cape Breton the weather can be a bit finicky - and we did have fog and rain leading up to reunion. But the weekend itself was bright sunny blue skies with a reasonable amount of wind.
Mombourquette Reunion 2013, a set on Flickr.
A few photos from our reunion
Departures
Carmen and Sharon headed out on Sunday for a road trip to Boston.Alana and Mike borrowed my Jag for a 1 night road trip around the Cape Breton Trail, and then headed back home on Thursday.
Neil and Gayle and Abby headed out on Tuesday for a road trip around the province. They took Blair and Morgan with them for a stop off in Halifax before Blair and Morgan flew home on Wednesday.
Ivan and his kids headed out on Friday for cousin Michelle's wedding at a Wolfville Winery (Cole and Jen flying home on the Sunday; and the others returning for another week.
So Mark and Carmen and Luke remain. More beach time.
