Nova Scotia, July 2010

Nova Scotia is an amazing province that I'd never been to, until July 2010, when Nancy and I took a trip down there. We covered the province stem to stern in 10 days. So many special places that are so different from any where else I've been in the country. Canada's Atlantic Playground province indeed!

This is Hall's Harbour, on the Bay of Fundy - home to the highest tides in the world.

Just amazing that the tide completely goes out, leaving fishing boats on harbour floors.

Looking into the harbour from about 10' under water, if the tide was in.

The 'beach' when the tide is out. I would say Hall's Harbour also has some of the brightest sunsets in the world. It was insanely bright!

Then down to Yarmouth, with lots of fog.

Of course there are lots of fishing boats in Yarmouth.

The light house in Yarmouth.

Fishing boats awaiting high tide.

Fishermen put their boats anywhere close to the water.

A wreck in the Yarmouth harbour, with a white bath tub on it.

Nancy relaxing in a warm spot at White Point Beach Resort, near Summerville.

Summerville beach, close to an amazing restaurant called The Quarterdeck with the best dishes ever!

Historic Lunenburg harbour.

Tall ships in Lunenburg harbour.

The wheel house of a former fishing schooner that's at the Marine Museum in Lunenburg.

A real dory shop!

The Bluenose II, laid up for refitting is in Lunenburg harbour, but well away from the public's eye. We searched it out and poached some shots of the proud lady.

Red beach on Cape Breton's east coast, near Ingonish.

View from the point at Neils Harbour, Cape Breton Island.

The town of Neils Harbour.

Sadly, at Neils, I found this dead seal. We drove down the road a bit and found a Park's Canada display on birds. When we told the PC person about the dead seal, she said she was going to go to Neils to cut the head off, as she'd been wanting a seal skull for her educational talks. Too funny.

In the land of light houses, this is the one at Neils Harbour.

The Cabot Trail looking south west to Chedicamp.

The Baddeck light house on Bras D'Or lake.

Peggy's Cove as shot from near the SwissAir 111 memorial spot.

Big waves on a calm day at Peggy's.

Light house at Peggy's Cove. Very difficult to get a clean shot with no tourists in it.

So we went back at night and I got this. We got there later than expected after a local artist invited us into her home for beer. Gotta love the east coast.

Peggy's Cove harbour

A clock from the Halifax marine museum, frozen at the exact time of the huge blast in the harbour in 1917 when the SS Mont Blanc and the SS Imo collided and created the largest man-made explosion pre-atomic detonation.

The CGS Acadia in Halifax harbour, as part of the marine museum. This ship was used to chart most of Canada's east coast and also used as a training vessel.

Alberta and British Columbia

Barrier Lake, AB near dusk with drizzle

Clouds and the road around Barrier Lake, AB

Drops on needles in Kananaskis at dusk

Banff peaks and clouds

Elk in Banff. Note the velvet on his antlers

Night sky in Kananaskis Country

Pink sky, peaks and low clouds in Alberta

Sunset in Kananaskis Country

Kananaskis River getting to sunset

Sunset with some lovely colour

Hoo Doos south of Invermere, BC

The stream flowing down from the top of the Paint Pots, which are a natural source of ochre which was mined and shipped to paint factories in Calgary, in the old days.

Top of the Paint Pots

Marble Canyon, where it drops about 70 feet straight down. Note the forest fire destruction from about three years ago.

The landscape around Marble Canyon is devastated and yet, new growth is all around. What amazed me is that the forest fire area around the canyon consumed literally hundreds if not thousands of hectares.

Marble Canyon

Natural hot spring near Invermere, BC

This pool was about 20C, and 20' X 40'. Spectacular!

Pehto Lake, Banff National Park, AB

Close up of the north end of Pehto Lake

Close up of the south end of Pehto Lake

Crowfoot glacier

The infamous Three Sisters, as viewed from Canmore, AB