DAY
SEVENTEEN
A day out and about
today---traveling to what they call the South Shore in Nova Scotia. That is the shore opposite the one where we
are staying so we drove east on the main highway to the town of Middleton and
then went south toward Bridgewater. The
road that bisects this portion of the Province between the two towns is wooded
and it is becoming clearer daily that an early autumn is beginning here. Hints of red and yellow are appearing in
trees and we could see color in leaves of trees here and there as we drove
along.
It was a pleasant drive south to
Bridgewater. We passed through many
small communities, most of them with no businesses at all in them, only a sign
to indicate that one was entering the community and then some houses and then
on to the next one. We drove to the
community of New Germany, which is almost to Bridgewater, and found it interesting
because it was in this area that 300 German immigrants came to Nova Scotia in
1750. They actually landed in Lunenburg
which is on the coast of the South Shore but they made their way inland and
settled in the forest area where they could make their living in ways other
than fishing. Today, New Germany is a
small community but there is one of the few Lutheran Churches outside of
Halifax there with a cemetery containing the graves of German pioneers who
arrived in Nova Scotia long ago.
There is a very nice and long lake
surrounding New Germany also. We stopped
for a bit beside it as we entered the community and then rode along beside it
for a good distance beyond the little town.
We soon entered Bridgewater, which
is one of the larger towns in Nova Scotia.
It has many areas for shopping and a river running through the town that
divides it into two sections. There are
two roads that run on either side of the river and one can choose one to drive
beside the river. We chose the river on
the western side which runs beside the river and then the river empties into
the Atlantic Ocean so one can drive beside water for many miles.
The road soon led us to the small
community of La Have which famous for the La Have Bakery where we stopped and
bought sandwiches, tea, and cookies to have for lunch. We drove just a short distance down the road
and found the Point Park Lighthouse and picnic area and enjoyed our lunch on
land that had been claimed by the French in 1632 and they had established a
fort there to protect their interests alongside the river that joins the ocean
at that point. We soon realized that we
had been to this same place when we were in Nova Scotia in 2008. There is a cannon by which I had my picture
taken then so we took another one to compare it to when we get home.
Driving just down the road a bit
more we found Crescent Beach and stopped off there to walk on the beach and get
our feet into the Atlantic Ocean briefly.
This was the first time since we had owned Bo that he had been to a
beach. He walked down the beach with us
as the waves came in getting his feet wet.
He stopped to smell various things in the sand and acted like he
thoroughly enjoyed being there. We
collected some shells and driftwood and enjoyed the bright sunshine and the
blue sky with white puffy clouds.
We continued down the road to
Brooklyn and Liverpool, both quaint towns that resemble British ones in many
ways, with well kept homes and decorative gardens. Some of the streets bear British names and
the Mersey River runs through them.
This same river begins north in the national park and is a slow, lazy
small river but when it reaches the ocean at Liverpool it is wide and faster
moving and is used by a power company to produce electricity.
Leaving Liverpool, we began the
drive home again through largely forested areas that lead to small communities,
some of which have only signs to let the visitor know it exists. The road back to Annapolis Royal is long and
not very exciting but it was a pleasant drive through the tree covered hilly
landscape.
We always are glad to arrive back at
our cottage in Parker’s Cove after exploring some of the area. It is great to get comfortable and sit on the
porch with some coffee and just stare at the bay in front of us, watching the
seabirds doing their antics and the fishing boats bobbing up and down in the
water at high tide.
I am thankful for the time to relax
in such a beautiful place and reflect upon the goodness of God and the bounty
of the earth displayed here. Abundance
is seen in the crops grown in the Annapolis Valley and the variety of fish and
wildlife in this area, the work it provides for the local persons, and the food
it supplies to those who want to enjoy it.
One can drive north and west and see farms growing crops of many
kinds. One can drive south and east and
see the fishing industry at work in many ways.
Boats are constantly coming and going on the Bay of Fundy bringing in
their catch to please locals and visitors and to be packaged for sale on the
market.
The beauty of the earth is on
display here and the result of human care and industry can be seen in so many
ways. It is truly a place that can
soothe the soul and spirit.
“You
make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills…By the
streams the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the
branches, From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied
with the fruit of your work…O Lord, how manifold are our works! In wisdom you have made them all.”
(Psalm 104:10, 12-13, 24a)
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