Travelling mercies on the train of life: a well-engineered N.B. holiday

     

     "Family ties are precious things, woven through the years, of memories of togetherness, of laughter, love and tears. Family ties are treasured things and far though we may roam, the tender bonds of those we love, still pull our hearts towards home."    

— Unknown   

     Welcome to my Hometown Memories.   

     

      Now, finding myself in New Brunswick, the province of my childhood, I felt I had indeed, come home. 

     My family and I were overwhelmed and honoured to realize the response of these many folk, who had taken the time to come greet us at a local restaurant in Moncton.

      A sweet reminder of the big, caring hearts these maritime relatives show, each time I visit. 

     

     Karen, Debi and I planned to spend our last week visiting with family. So, the next day we said our goodbyes to the rented Hyundai car and to Mark, as he returned to his job in Saskatchewan. 

     

     Beginning our first day with Gerry, my willing sister-in-law as our able chauffeur, she suggested we go to the downtown Moncton Tidal Bore Park, where, just before 11 a.m., the tidal bore was due to appear. 


          
     Because of the super moon the night previous, there was expected a super tidal bore, which before the construction of the Petitcodiac Causeway in 1968, often reached heights of two metres, and a speed of 10 km/hr. 

   

     I'm not sure how high it was, but we saw several people surfing, taking advantage of the waves. 

     

     During my earlier years here, I recall the tidal bore drawing many tourists to the city of Moncton. 

     Deciding to do a little exploring of the city, I thought a trip down memory lane would give Karen a peek into some of her mom's past. Debi was off spending her last day with hubby Mark, before his departure — visiting the Hopewell Cape Rocks.

     We found what was once the Parkton Elementary School on Mountain Road, the last school where I taught before leaving for the West, all of 62 years ago. Now, with a different name and quite a different facade. Being the teacher she is, Karen was most interested in her mom's teaching days here, especially as I ended teaching a Grade 3 class, as she is presently teaching. 

     

     We drove along the street that I walked many times, to and from my boarding house — 55 McSweeny Ave., which we also located, though now in much-needed repair. 

     

     Continuing our drive, we came upon the Highfield Street Baptist Church, bringing memories of the youth activities I attended there as a young lass. It seemed a much larger, and more impressive building than my memory conjures. 

     All journeys have surprises, they say. 

     Such was the case, when Gerry informed us we were to meet Bob, another of the girl's cousins, for a short time on his lunch break. With many years having passed since our last face-to-face meeting, emotions ran high. 

     What a great serendipity! It truly made my day extra, extra special. 

     

     Upon Gerry's urging, I was pleased to drop by for a brief visit with Marjorie Gibson, a classmate from our 1947 High School grad class. 

     Now, dealing with aging issues, she was unable to attend our family and friends meet and greet. 

    

     For a few minutes, we enjoyed turning back the hands of time. 

     Now, for a pause that refreshes — a yummy lunch at an interesting restaurant in the city, (can't recall it's name) though I do remember my dessert — an over-sized, delicious strawberry shortcake. 

     

     A peaceful drive in the country brought us to the Jordan Life Care Centre where Gordie and wife, Hazel now live. Gordie is Nel's only living brother, now, all of 97 years. 

     Both Gordie and Hazel are living with dementia. 

     Though there were obvious signs of memory loss, repetitive questions, etc., their quiet persona and welcoming smiles made us feel we were being greeted as family. 

     

     This brother, bearing so much of the Eagles' resemblance, brought emotional memories to Karen, a memory of her own dad, still so greatly missed. 

     

     What a treat to see him join us in singing, as he remembered a few words of an old hymn. 

     Then, to hear his prayer of special blessing for God to grant travelling mercies on us, his family, was indeed, so precious.  

     

     

     

     I picture Gordie, patiently waiting "at the station," ready to join those five brothers who have gone on before him. 

     Freeing Gerry from a day of taxi service, cousin Stephen was there, ready to take us on. How delightful to make a short stop to meet his son, wife and cute, granddaughter. Stephen's keen GPS enabled us to locate cousin Georgie and Daniel's new home in the Petitcodiac area, stopping for a brief hello. We paused to refuel (for our driver, especially), for a short supper break at a quaint, corner store-cafe. 

     As the golden sun was preparing to sign off for the day, Stephen chose the scenic route, delivering us to the Amsterdam Hotel in Moncton, for our final night's stay. 

     One last surprise, driving us through the area where Stephen lives, gave us a glimpse of he and his wife Karen's lovely home. Reluctantly, we bade another cousin, goodbye.
  

We made memories everywhere we went. 

Still more to come, from a country kid from New Brunswick.

— beulah

Travel tales: Follow the red dirt road

     "... and I think to myself, what a wonderful world."    

     
     Each time I visit my favourite province, Prince Edward Island, I marvel at the well-kept farms dotting the landscape, the soft, rolling hills and the green countryside. 

     Fields upon fields of potatoes growing in the red soil, are a sight to behold. 

     

     Over 88,000 acres of potatoes are grown each year, and is the life blood of the island's economy. 

     Driving along the south shore, new vistas at every turn, we soon came upon the charming, seacoast, fishing village of Victoria by-the-Sea. 

     We chose to book most of our accommodations at Bed and Breakfasts. 

     We sought to meet as many locals as we could, and to understand the lifestyle and culture of these amazing folk, who greet us in such warm friendly ways. 

     We were warned..."Your heart rate will slow, your smiles will last longer, and you'll sometimes forget where you left your shoes." 

     

     We soon found that to be true. We strolled along the tree-lined streets, checked out the lighthouse and explored the quaint shops, and then filled our tummies at The Lobster Barn.

     I was awed at how the sun cast its parting rays of sunshine across the water. 

   

     Fishing boats in large numbers, lined the docks, swaying to-and-fro. 

     We paused for a moment to say "Hello," to a local.

     

     Karen's friendly chatter with a couple out on their verandah, earned her an invitation to "Come inside!" and view their home. 

Mark and Debi Harvey enjoying some time together with a toast.

     A three-storey estate, the Orient Hotel Bed and Breakfast where we spent two nights, had its own old friendly charm. 

     

     

     We soon warmed to it, in spite of struggling with our luggage up a long flight of stairs to our suite. 

     Truly a highlight, was the play we attended, The Tale of a Town at the historic community hall, now home of the Victorian Playhouse Festival. 

     Comical  renditions were acted out, depicting the life and flavour of some of these unique brand of islanders.

     By now, we are feeling right at home on Anne's island. 

     Of course, we must visit the area that inspired the delightful stories by L.M. Montgomery — the Anne of Green Gables series. 

     

     It brought on another deja vu for Beulah, bringing memories of her honeymoon escape 62 years previous — even to the same week. 

     Another photo-opp at cabin No. 26, this time with my lovely daughters, (two beautiful results of that loving union so long ago). 

     

     Nels would be quick to add, "much water has passed under the bridge since then."  

     Our planned visit to Charlottetown, to connect with Ruth Steeves — Nel's only living sister, 89 years young — was truly a few hours of sheer delight.

     Though there were many obvious signs of aging, Ruth enjoyed receiving my book, "Seeds of Love," as photographs brought back many great memories for her. 

     Karen and Debi enjoyed re-connecting with cousin, Julie, after so many years. 

     While in Charlottetown, we were reminded that 2014 marks the 150th anniversary of the 1864 Conference. It was when New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec met in this city, to the begin the formation of our new nation, Canada in 1867. And, in 2017 we will celebrate that anniversary. 

     Our final night on the island was spent at the lovely Warn House Bed and Breakfast, in the vicinity of Summerside. 

     Decorated with antique furnishings and Canadian artwork, it had a quiet, magical charm. 

     Approaching its exterior, we were immediately impressed with the colourful surroundings — a welcoming red door, and yellow, red and blue deck chairs. I love colour! 

     

     We found our hosts, Alice Berube and Gerry Gill most interesting. We really felt we were at home away from home and wished our stay could be extended. 

     Gerry, a trained chef, we learned, knew how to make and tastefully present delicious breakfasts. 

     During our meal, we were delightfully surprised when Alice and Gerry, with their violin and gaelic hand drum, serenaded us. 

     

     Had our stay been longer, we could have enjoyed one of Gerry's famous lobster dinners. 

     So, before leaving the island, I did indulge — enjoying every morsel.  

     

     

Beulah enjoys every morsel of mouth-watering Atlantic lobster.

    

     Saying good-bye to this special bit of paradise" we carried our memories across the Confederation Bridge, (a 12.9 km. structure completed May '97) to the New Brunswick mainland— the province of my childhood. 

     

     We were anticipating more wonderful memories that we knew lay before us.    

     

     "The best things in life are the people we love, the places we've been and the memories we've made along the way."  

— Unknown

— beulah

Travel tales: from deja vu, to flu and then, "Achoo!"

     

     Travel — the only thing you can spend money on that will make you richer."     

     I travel, not to find myself, but to remember who I've been all along — a Maritimer at heart. 

     Truly, my life is richer because of all the wonderful people I have met throughout my life's journey. Now, I can add several more to that list.  

     

     With our chauffeur, Mark Harvey, at the helm — his GPS close by, and Debi, his knowledgable assistant occasionally checking the road map — we made our way over the Canso Causeway, connecting Cape Breton Island to the Nova Scotia mainland.  

   
     We rolled in to our destination for the next two days, reaching the quaint town of Baddeck. We were in awe of the beautiful Bras d'Or Lake, as the late afternoon sun cast its rays upon the water. 

     I immediately experienced a moment of deja vu, as before me was the Heritage House Bed and Breakfast, images now surfacing of my last visit here four years ago with my sons, Dave and Roger. (Of course, this had been in our initial plan). 

     

     

     Receiving warm greetings from our previous hosts, Liz and Dick Grubb, I felt I was being reunited with old friends. 

     What a delight to introduce them to Karen, Debi, and Mark, more of my children.  

     

     

     The Heritage House, built in the 1860's, does exude a flavour of the past. 

     Now, prepared to enjoy the quiet, peaceful surroundings that seemed to be beckoning me, I soon learned it was not to be. 

     Debi, for the last few hours of travel, had been experiencing flu-like symptoms — now, it was my turn! 

     Hers lasted 24 hours — mine, a half day longer. So much for my tour of Baddeck. 

      

     I learned, though, there is always a silver lining to the darkest cloud that may hover over us. 

     How grateful I was to not be travelling while experiencing such agony. Our other travellers, Karen and Mark, totally escaped our malady. I was OK with it though, as I had visited Baddeck, at least, on three other occasions. 

     My companions enjoyed exploring quaint Baddeck, visiting the famous Alexander Graham Bell Museum, and taking in a special highlight, "a ceilidh" at the community hall just down the street. 

     In Gaelic "ceilidh" (pronounced kaylee), means "kitchen party" or, an informal gathering making Celtic music and dancing up a storm. What fun they had ( the girls anyway), singing along and dancing with the "locals." 

     
     

     We said our goodbyes to our Bed and Breakfast hosts, and to Nova Scotia. 

     

     We carried on our journey, making our way to the Wood Island ferry that carried us across the Northumberland Strait to the pristine province of Prince Edward Island.  

     The more maritimers I meet, I am reminded that they are indeed..."a delightful breed."   

     Consider the following Canadian Maritimes true story, (or so they say).     

The Sneeze   

     They walked in tandem, each of the 92 students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt. Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and moms freely brushed away tears. 
     
     This class would NOT pray during the commencements, not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it. The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance, and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families. 

     The speeches were nice, but they were routine until the final speech received a standing ovation. A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened. All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED. 

     The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said,"God Bless You."  

     And he walked off the stage.  

     The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with, or without, the court's approval. 

There's a few folk around who still "stand for what they believe." I did hear this earlier, in the news, during "grad" days (May or June), without the added sneeze story, of course.    

     "The best trips never really end." 

 ... More to come.

— beulah