SUNNY DAYS

Few can resist a sail around the Annapolis Basin when the sun is blazing, the breeze is refreshing, and the water is calm. 

This morning, there was a small sailboat catching the wind near Bear Island.

And there, perched on the edge of the hill, is the famous Digby Pines Hotel, adding a touch of interest to that side of the Basin. 

These are some of the  joys of being in Smith's Cove.

REFLECTIVE SUNSETS

One of the joys of living in Smith's Cove is that the setting sun reflects on the waters of the Annapolis Basin. I especially enjoy the moments when the near-tropical blue of the Basin water  fills in between the sky and the sea creating a colourful sandwich. To continue the analogy, the flowers and trees are the condiments and spices that add interest and flavour to the visual platter spread before us. 

Even in the pending darkness, their colours take the edge off the blackness, subtly shading the landscape, creating undulations, perhaps ululations,  for our eyes. We humble souls can only marvel at the magnificence of nature in all its splendour.

MISTY MORNINGS

Misty mornings are a summer feature in Smith's Cove.

This morning, the Princess of Acadia was a barely visible darker grey smudge as it steamed through the Digby Gut, out of the Annapolis Basin and into the Bay of Fundy, en route for Saint John, New Brunswick.

If you are curious about the location of Bear Island, which is visible in these photos, click this link:

http://www.geodata.us/canada_names_maps/maps.php?featureid=CACDR&f=4

GENTLE RAIN

We have basked for nearly a week under sunny, cloudless skies.  

And today, when the farmers are feeling desperate for rain to perk up the crops, we have had gentle, wetness skimming the hills encircling the Annapolis Basin. 

The pleasure of such soft rain is that the light zigzags in sweet refractions, casting the scene into soft focus.

Ah, how we are enjoying this gentle summer. 

WEDNESDAY RWNSYC RACE

The Royal Western Nova Scotia Yacht Club Wednesday race sails into Smith's Cove. It is always a marvellous sight - boats scooting along the water, sails wide open. 

From this high vantage point, we can see the pattern of the boat movements, but generally we do not see any details.

Occasionally the boats sail close enough that we can see persons on board. This is not usual, but it is frequent enough that we anticipate it happening.  

Just as suddenly as they appear, the sailboats seem to disappear. This cove must be a significant 'turn-around' marker for the races, because we often see the Wednesday race, and the Sunday one as well. One of the delights of living in Smith's Cove.

THREE VIEWS OF ANNAPOLIS BASIN

One of the highlights of this village is that the magnificent Annapolis Basin is visible from almost everywhere.

  Today, there was a solo sailboat  plying the waters between Bear Island and Smith's Cove. Otherwise, at that time of day, the Basin seemed inactive.

During the early evening, the Annapolis Basin remained calm. This view is from a spot near Highway 101, looking at the water from a field of thickly growing vegetation. 

Some houses have glimpses of the Annapolis Basin from sections of the yard. Such a view is this one - a snippit of the Annapolis Basin is visible through a grove of tall trees.

Smith's Cove is a small village with a beautiful view, which is enjoyed by all of us who live here.

SCALLAWAG RUN

The Scallawag Run was organised as an enjoyable family activity for Good Times Day plus a fund raiser for the Smith's Cove Fire Department. We walked or ran from the Fire Hall, along the old D.A.R. track line, down past Harbourview Inn to Smith's Cove Beach, then along the beach to the causeway that comes visible during low tides. Apparently there were 78 participants, and as is the usual case, we were clumped together at the beginning. We looked like a parade as we walked along the beach.

And then we walkers stopped short because the causeway was not yet visible. There were portions under water, and no-one was prepared to wade through the water to the next visible portion of the path. We milled around for awhile, chatting and mulling over the options...ie get wet feet or wait for the causeway to appear.

The runners, who started 15 minutes after the walkers suddenly appeared. The young man in the lead just ran into the water, followed by the second place person, also a man, and two boys who were running in third and fourth place at this juncture. The splashing inspired some of the walkers, who followed suit.

But, the causeway very rapidly revealed itself, initially as muddy patches amidst the smooth water, and eventually as a solid causeway.

 Bear Island is populated by at least a thousand seagulls. They quite serenely had command of the grassy marshy portion on the eastern side of the island,  as well as the trees in the middle. 

The northern side of the island is not generally visible. It is quite eroded, probably from the strong waves and the frosts of winter.   

 There were sailboats anchored off the beach on the north side of the island. They had a bonfire on the beach, and cheered for the running participants who passed them. By the time I was going past, they had doused their fire and were rowing back to their boats, but they gave a wave and a shout of encouragement to us.

 We rounded the western point, and there was Smith's Cove in front of us. This is a view we rarely see of our village, and what a delightful view it is, too. I could pick out my house in the midst of the group on the hill in front of us. That was a bit of a thrill.

The walk back was slow and difficult because the rocks were rounded stones, slippery with water,  seaweed and sea moss, and many covered with sharp barnacles. But, we walked on, without hazard, back to Smith's Cove Beach. This was our final view of Bear Island before we made our way down the beach towards the Fire Hall, and our end point.  

It was a fabulous idea, and all persons throughly enjoyed themselves. It was such an pleasant and appealing outing, that I'm sure word of mouth alone will encourage more participants next year. 

There is talk of making this an annual event,  including it in the Run Nova Scotia itinerary, and perhaps enlarging it to include a marathon. Now that would really put Smith's Cove on the map. Let's hope it happens.

GOOD TIMES DAY

Every year, the Smith's Cove community hosts "Good Times Day". There are activities available at various venues in the village. The day always starts with breakfast at the fire/community hall. 

Our volunteer firemen prepare and serve the food. 

Members of the Auxiliary (like me) help with table clearing and make the toast.  I was one of the women on toast detail this morning. I popped a couple of hundred slices of bread into the toasters, buttered them when they were ready, and artistically arranged them in the toast container on the serving table.
In between I teased the pancake maker, and chatted with the bacon man   and the egg man.  Our Fire Chief, the President of the Auxiliary , and our Fire Auxiliary Emeritus  were everywhere, chatting, helping and advising.  

There were 165 persons at breakfast today, which is quite a commendable number for tiny Smith's Cove.

EARLY MORNING AMUSEMENT

How lovely is the morning. Variations of the view over the Annapolis Basin are visible from almost any vantage point in Smith's Cove village. Unfortunately, historic views, when the village was full of farms are now blocked by thick growths of trees and tall bushes. We are fortunate to live with a view, but the trees on the plot below us are growing rapidly, so within a few years we shall no longer see the Annapolis Basin from our windows. Until then, we enjoy every minute of the constantly evolving seascape that is considered so typical of Smith's Cove.

From our viewpoint, we can see the Bay Ferries terminal, and out the Digby Gut to the Bay of Fundy. On this fine day, the ferry is visible, tied up at the dock. The long view of the Bay of Fundy is obscured by a bank of glistening fog.

Daily, during the summer, the ferry leaves Digby at 0800, bound for Saint John. Today, as the fog flitted and fluttered into the Annapolis Basin, the barely visible ferry floated serenely towards the ethereal horizon.  

 The fog hugs the coast, casting a damp chill on the beaches, forests, and remaining farmlands on the North Mountain, as we call those hills that dip into the Digby Gut. Frequently, once the ferry is fully in Bay of Fundy,  it floats out of the mist and into sunshine.

Today, typically, it will be mid-morning before the fog rises into the sky, forming those magnificently brilliant white clouds that stereotypically represent a fine summer's day in the Maritimes. Until then, we shall be entertained by the misty dance on our view-scape.

CANADA DAY

In the Maritimes, as in the rest of Canada, the weather can be unpredictable. We were expecting a fine, warm day, and we were not disappointed.  This is how the day started; a snapshot taken from the verandah at about 0730 this morning. The sky and the sea were cerulean blue, and there was only a hint of cloud in the sky. A wonderful start for Canada Day.

 The day continued as promised. The air was warm, and inland it was hot. The sky remained blue, with light clouds. Towards evening some clouds rolled around the atmosphere, but they did not sink low, and certainly did not diminish the frivolity of Canada Day celebrations in Digby.

This is how the day ended - a lovely, soft pink (what we used to call "sky-blue-pink" tinted the horizon. The evening retained warmth from the day, but the cool on-shore breeze freshened the air. The sunset lingered for nearly an hour, as the horizon slowly darkened to the usual indigo. A fitting end for the day.