Bob Burke & Genevieve Keen

2011-11-06T23:58:00.004-04:00

HALLOWEEN 2011
Stephen and his friends from Vernon Street

We had the gang in from Vernon Street for a bit of a party. They had great costumes and enjoyed all the food. Next event on the social schedule is Stephen’s birthday in November.

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2011-11-06T14:42:00.001-04:00

HALLOWEEN 2011

It was a fun Halloween this year with all kinds of characters dropping by. Our house was ghost busted, there were pimps, hookers, flappers, welcoming mats, werewolf’s, bikers, witches, Zorro, Leonard Cohen, Suzanne and many other characters present. The gang had a great time and there were lots of tasty snacks.

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2011-10-16T22:29:00.008-03:00

GETTING THE FLOAT IN
October 10, 2011

We had our float at its mooring for a good portion of the summer and fall. Getting it hauled out involves a bit of work. Jonathan towed it around to the beach where it is stored for the winter. The tow master, our black poodle Niko, assisted him. Niko refused to jump from the float so we had to ‘rescue’ him. This year Bob Marshall pulled it up with his tractor. A lot easier than using a come-a-long.

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2011-10-16T15:35:00.011-03:00

2011 DIGBY RAT RALLY

The Rat Rally was a great success this year and the weather cooperated. Digby was crowded with lots of interesting people, custom made bikes and vendors. I haven’t seen the official numbers but the rumour mill says that there were more than 20,000 bikes and 60,000 people. A number of visitors came to the camp for the weekend.

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2011-09-23T21:08:00.000-03:00

A FRIENDLY GATHERING AT PORTERS LAKE
September 23, 2011

We had a pot luck get together with a number of our friends and neighbours from Porters Lake. There was lots of good food, pleasant conservation and everyone seemed to be having an enjoyable evening.

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2011-08-28T16:00:00.023-03:00

Our Newfoundland Trip
August 2011

Just returned from a two and a half week visit to Newfoundland. During part of our trip we stayed with Mary MacDonald's relatives and were treated like royalty. Some of our activities included:
visits to old friends in Bay Bulls, saw a moose on the highway, attended a 50th anniversary party, dinner theatre in Ferryland, visits to Aquaforte, Trepassey and St Mary's, the Blueberry Festival in Brigus, the Festival of Friends in Middle Cove, George Street in St Johns, the last evening of the Nfld/Lab folk festival at the Mile 1 Center, Signal Hill, the GEO Center, the Rooms, Quidi Vidi, the Battery and tenting in Gros Morne. One of the trip highlights was being screeched in. We were also treated to some traditional Newfoundland feeds that included brews, cod tongues, scrunchions, cod heads, hard tack, toutons, pea soup, peas pudding, seven cup pudding, turnip greens and bakeapple cheesecake. We went on the Argentia Ferry and returned via Port Aux Basques. We will always have very fond memories of this trip and all the friendly and welcoming people. A big thanks to all our Nfld friends.

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Proof that the following pictures were taken with film.

Newfoundland bound on the Atlantic Vision.

She is a fine ship.

The weather was perfect for the crossing.

Arriving Argentia.

A view of St. John's Harbour.

The GEO Center and Signal Hill.

Signal Hill and Quidi Vidi.

Our friends, the Cose's from Auqaforte.

A real classic.

We are just about to leave for a 50th Wedding Anniversary Party.

Brigus, home of the world famous Brueberry Festival.

There are lots of interesting things to see during the festival.

The outer Harbour at Brigus.

Pictures from Ferryland and our friends from Aquaforte.

The site of Lord Baltimore's 1621 residence in Ferryland.

One of many scoffs.

The traditional Newfoundland food was great.

More scoffs.

Genevieve enjoying her cod heads.

Daves birthday bash.

The start of a scuff. Liza from Cabbage Cove could really play that squeezebox!

Things are moving!

Our Screechin. They call it hardtack for a good reason.

The capelin are not the most tasty item. However, kissing the cod isn't much better.

It's finally over with a swig of screech and we now have our Newfoundland travel bags and certificates.

One of Dave's birthday gifts.

The Arches.

Some dead trees in the Arches Park.

A fisheries display at Broom Point.

Broom Point is a beautiful spot.

One of several fishing sites that are found along the coast.

Western Brook Pond is one of the most spectulacular spots in Grose Morne Park.

Some pictures from Western Brook Pond.

The entrance to Western Brook Pond.

A picture from the tour boat.

Port aux Basque ferry terminal.

Port aux Basque from our Hotel.

Homebound from Port aux Basque. That's a moose bumper.

The Downhome Magazine had an interesting set of pictures from our trip.

A black and white print from an old negative.

2011-08-28T15:49:00.006-03:00

Our New Friend
Digby

August 2011

Their is a new friend at the cottage and we have named him Minki. He is a young mink that I discoved in our shed when we arrived for the weekend. Apparently he had entered the week before when Jon and Carly were here.

Minki is very friendly, he would like to play with the dogs and spends a lot of time just walking around our deck. Courisity gets the best of him. When we go out on the deck he approaches and will smell our hand or leg. I hope he does not become a nusiance.

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2011-08-27T16:45:00.008-03:00

STANFEST 2011

CANSO
July 2011

The 2011 Stan Rogers Folk Festival marked the 15th anniversity of this event. There was a long lineup of great entertainers and the weather cooperated again this year. We were able to visit the intreprative center and historic site of Grassy Island near Canso. Parks Canada provide a small boat for transportation to and from the Island. On the return trip the skipper let two young boys steer the boat. It was one of those Kodak moment and their parents didn't have a camera. I snapped a few pics and sent the attached photo to them.

This years lineup include Catheine MacLellan, Bruce Guthro, Dave Gunning, JP Cormier, Rawlings Cross, Crash Test Dummies, Peter Yarrow, Dan Hill, Ron Hynes, Judy Collins and many more. Bob's favorite was Beoga, a traditional Irish Band that featured an outstanding bodhran player.

We are looking forward to next year’s event.
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Canso from Grassy Island

2011-08-27T14:54:00.001-03:00

Vernon St Visit
Digby July 2011

We were delighted to have Stephen, Sarah and their friends from Vernon St. visiting the camp for a few days. This year we had a short nature hike and were fortunate to see a beaver and a birds nest. Besides all the good food at the camp, the group also enjoyed a meal at the Dockside in Digby.

Our plans to visit Upper Clements Park was curtailed by bad weather; however, we went to the Habitant in Annapolis. The intrepretators were great and everyone had a great time. Hopefully we can get to Uopoer Clements next year.

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2011-06-10T11:28:00.007-03:00

LOTS OF BASS THIS YEAR!

Jon caught this 19-inch bass at the camp this past weekend. Another fisherman landed a 20 incher nearby. Bass are very plentiful in the lake and I was able to snap this photo from our patio deck of papa bass (red box) guarding his nest.

A male small mouth may build several "practice nests" until he finally settles on one as suitable. The nest is usually a large, perfectly circular, clean gravel structure. Nests are usually located near shore in lakes; downstream from boulders or some other obstruction that offers protection against strong current in streams.

In the spring, when the water temp reaches about 62 F, the male comes close to shore and using his tail, fans out a nest on the lake bottom. The male smallmouth may build several "practice nests" until he finally settles on one as suitable. The nest is usually a large, perfectly circular, clean gravel structure and are usually located near shore in lakes; downstream from boulders or some other obstruction that offers protection against strong current in streams.

After the nest has been completed the spawning begins. Eggs are deposited on the lake bottom where they are then fertilized by the male. The male defends the nest aggressively until the eggs hatch. He then guards the swarm of thousands of young, called fry, until their egg sacks are absorbed, which takes about a week. The young fish then disperse into cover like grass beds where they begin feeding on minute creatures in the water. As they grow, their prey size increases, they begin to take insects and minnows, and gradually begin to take small fish and crayfish. Adult bass eat many prey species, including smaller fish, small snakes, frogs, and sometimes even baby ducks.

The young bass has a perilous life as only a small percentage live long enough to grow to adulthood. They are prey to many species when tiny, including large fish, turtles and birds. But those that do survive become one of the top predators in the environment, and the most sought after gamefish in the Canada.

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2011-06-10T08:24:00.009-03:00

LOBSTERFEST 2011

We had another great Lobsterfest this year with our Clubski 30 friends. As usual, the lobsters were great and we enjoyed the socialization with the gang. The weather was a tad bit on the chilly side but we made the best of it.

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2011-05-02T10:39:00.004-03:00

New home for our Kayaks

Spent the weekend at the camp in Digby finishing the boat room. First, plywood was installed on the walls before mounting the Talic kayak racks. These units are very compact and can be folded up against the walls when not holding the kayaks. Next on the agenda is finishing the remaining walls to accommodate two windsurfers, two canoes and their respective accessories.

I also spotted our friendly beaver who is helping himself to all the young saplings on the property. It has been over two years since the last sighting.

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2011-02-17T21:40:00.010-04:00

Sunday River and the Quebec Winter Carnival

February 2011

This year we returned to Sunday River for a week of skiing, shopping and lots of fun. Bob can’t ski so he spent his idle time exercising, tying flies, working on the computer and reading. Our group included Mary MacDonald, Dave MacDonald, Holly Hunter and Boyd Hunter.

After the skiing was finished we all journeyed to Quebec City to take in the Winter Carnival. This time we were very fortunate to be able to stay at an Apartment on Rene Lévesque Avenue which was on the Carnival Parade route. We enjoyed fine dining, the usual carnival rides including Mary and Genevieve’s Dog Sled Mushing. Holly and Boyd gave them a run for their money this time around. Neither the International Federation of Sled Dog Sports (IFSS) or the International Sled Dog Racing Association (ISDRA) have approached them to sign up for next year’s Iditarod.

We left Quebec on Monday (February 14th) and had a very snowy drive home arriving totally exhausted at 3:00 AM on Tuesday morning.

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Bonhomme.

It must have been cold!

This guy has been to a few carnivals.

Boyd & Holly mushing.

Their book on the subject.

Mary demonstrating her technique

Getting warm.

Snow sculptures.

The parade.

The Fenicular.

The old city.

The dining was great.

Our apartment on Rene Lévesque Avenue.

Some fun with photoshop

2011-01-24T22:58:00.003-04:00

Winter at the Camp

January 2011

We spent January 23 & 24 at the Camp in Digby. It was very cold (-15 C) and with wind chill factored in it was down to -25 C. Don Haight, our next door neighbor, celebrated his 85th Birthday and the community held a surprise party for him at the Fish & Game Association Hall.

It is very windy out on the point but the camp was exceedingly cozy with the ambience and warmth from the fireplace. The water is not hooked up so we had to rough it a bit. When I cut a hole to get water the ice was 8 inches thick. Niko and Zack detested the cold and did not enjoy going out for their break. We look forward to a longer stay in the near future.

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2010-11-16T12:28:00.005-04:00

We almost owned a houseboat

November 2010

The Digby area experienced a record rainfall during the early part of November and the southern end of the providence experienced considerable flooding and damage. The intense rainfall raised the water level in our lake five feet above normal. At its crest the water was within an inch of flooding the lower woodshed. Fortunately, the camp was still had a foot or more of reserve above high water. We came close to owning a houseboat! Part of the problem resulted from plugged drainage culverts at the end of the lake.

Our neighbors, Bob and Luella Marshall, were also threatened. The water level was almost up to their water pump. By November 12 the rain had stopped, the culverts were cleared and the level of the lake was receding.

Genevieve has been busy getting ready for Santa and has the camp decorated. We now have a wood insert for the fireplace and are better prepared for power outages.

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2010-11-09T12:06:00.008-04:00

Duvall Visit

September 2010

After returning from Alaska and departing the Statendam we drove to Duvall to see Andrew, Kristie and Tessa. Tessa has grown considerably and is now doing a lot more things since our spring visit. This time we visited Leavenworth, a beautiful Bavarian styled village on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. The drive through the Cascades was picturesque and enjoyable. This town is best known for its shopping, food and year-round schedule of celebrations, festivals and events. From Kinderfest (just for kids), International Accordion Celebration, Oktoberfest and Christmas Lighting, to Washington State's oldest festival - the famous Autumn Leaf Festival. It has lots of very unique (and expensive) Bavarian style gift shops.

We also revisited a number of our old favorites - North Bend, Redmond and Snowqualmie. On the return trip to Vancouver we detoured via Baker Mountain. The road was very narrow with numerous switchbacks and no guardrails. The weather was perfect for the drive to the top of this mountain and the scenery brought back fond memories of our ski trips to Val Gardena. Flying home was uneventful and we arrived requiring a few days of rest to recuperate from our adventures. We really enjoyed our short stay with Andrew, Kristie, Tessa, the dogs and the cat.

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2010-11-06T20:18:00.021-03:00

Alaska Cruise

September 2010

Our lifelong dream of taking an Alaskan Cruise has finally come true. We departed Vancouver in company with Dan, Jan, Fred and Shelia on September 18 for a seven day tour of the inside passage via Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay and Ketchikan. The scenery was spectacular, the food was scrumptious, the onboard entertainment delightful and the weather was very accommodating for most of the voyage.

In Juneau we took the cable car to the top of Mount Robison and then spent the rest of the day shopping and drinking Duck Farts at the Red Dog Saloon. The next stop was Skagway. This town was made famous by the Klondike Gold rush at the turn of the century. One of the highlights for us was a ride up the narrow gauge Klondike and White Pass Railroad. It is difficult to understand how the early prospectors were able to carry 2000 pounds of supplies through this pass and on to the Klondike. Upon returning we spent a few hours shopping, Genevieve tried her hand at Can Can dancing followed by a meal at the Red Onion Saloon.

Departing early evening, the ship arrived at the entrance to Glacier Bay the following morning. We cruised up the Bay and arrived at the face of Johns Hopkins Glacier around noon. It was an amazing experience to be able to see the beauty of the glacier up close and hear the very loud ‘explosions’ of the calving ice. Words alone can’t do justice to the grandeur and magnificence of a glacier.

The next scheduled port on the trip was Ketchikan. Unfortunately, there was a medical emergency onboard and the ship had to divert to Juneau. This combined with a storm with gusts up to 110 mph delayed our arrival by 6 hours and there was not sufficient time for the ship to make a port call. Those who were not seasick could only wave as we sailed by.

The ship arrived in Vancouver early Sunday morning and we departed for Duvall to see Andrew, Kristie and Tessa.Double click to enlarge pictures

2010-10-28T01:58:00.000-03:00

Halloween Party

October 2010

This year we had some fantastic costumes and lots of good food. Dave and Mary came as Charles and Camilla, Shelia as a Harry Potter character, Dan and Jan as a King and Queen, Richard and Martha as Gerry Garcia and his wife, Stephen as a Soldier, Nancy as a Witch, Cathy as a Ladybug and we dressed as Hippies.

Just before Halloween Genevieve had the Craft Club members in for tea and Stephen’s friends from the group home for pizza.

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2010-09-05T10:51:00.000-03:00

Fall Travels – Vancouver

September 2010

In September we took the 7 day Alaskan cruise on the Statendam, a Holland America ship. We traveled with two other couples, Fred and Sheila and Dan and Jan.

We had three full days of sightseeing in Vancouver before the cruise departed. Love Vancouver and all the sights, Gastown, the steam clock, the Vancouver Aquarium, Grouse Mountain, Stanley Park and Grandville Island.

Once you got over the tram ride to the top of Grouse Mountain there was lots of entertainment. A theatre showing movies about BC and nature conservation, a raptor show, a lumber jack show and we saw two grizzly bears that are in a special habitat.

This was our first visit to Grandville Island. It is a great place with lots of crafts and food. There was a fundraising event in downtown Vancouver where many high end Lamborghini, BMW, Porsche and Ferrari sports cars were on display. We have never seen so many expensive vehicles before.Double click to enlarge pictures

2010-09-04T17:10:00.000-03:00

Wharf Rat Rally

September 2010

This year’s Rally was expected to be the largest ever. Hurricane Earl threatened to pass through Digby during the event and only a last minute path change saved the day. The final result was heavy rain and gusty winds on Saturday. Unfortunately, the threat scared many would be participants and this year’s attendance was down. There were the usual exhibits, high end bikes, demos, stunts, etc.

We invited Fred and Shelia Maggio, Dan and Jan Wile as well as Dave and Mary MacDonald to stay at the camp. The weather was great on Sunday, the last day of the event and we had a great time strolling through town with all the other people.
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2010-07-07T16:32:00.004-03:00

STANFEST

July 2010

We had a great time at this year’s event. Usually there is fog and rain; however, this time the weather was perfect with lots of sunshine. The festival is a tree day international festival of songwriters showcasing Canadian and worldwide grassroots musicians in all genres. Our favourites were Valdy, David Myles and two of Newfoundland’s most rousing traditional bands, the Navigators and Shanneyganock.

We went with our friends David and Mary MacDonald and Richard and Martha White. It was lots of fun and we prepared tasty meals.

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Valdy

David Myles

2010-07-06T22:34:00.008-03:00

Andrew, Kristie and Tessa Visit!

June 2010

We had a great time at the Camp in Digby with Andrew, Kristie, our new granddaughter Tessa, Kristie’s parents, Julie’s son Talyor, Stephen, Jonathan and Carley - a real family gathering. It was the first time we had an opportunity to use the new facility with that number of people and the time together was very enjoyable. Tessa was a lot of fun and she had a great time playing on the deck.

The fisherman had great success catching perch and the lobsters were very tasty.

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2010-07-01T01:44:00.000-03:00

Stephen and his friends visit Digby

July 2010

Stephen and his friends visited the camp in Digby for a couple of days with an overnight sleep. Everyone had a great time with lots of food, boating, swimming, fishing, campfire and fireworks. We had lots of laughs and great weather for the occasion. They are looking forward to coming next year and staying longer.Double click to enlarge pictures

2010-05-19T23:35:00.012-03:00

Our visit to see Andrew, Kristie and Tessa

May 10 to 18, 2010

TEXT TO FOLLOW

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Tessa with one of her more serious poses.

Genevieve combining two of her favourite pastimes - quality time with Tessa and shopping.

Tessa in her bedroom.

Genevieve relishes every moment with her beautiful grand daughter.

Tessa enjoys getting out and running on her visit to the farm.

Is this an indication that she may take up chicken farming?

Andrew and Kristie's back yard. Kristie really enjoys gardening and she has turned this area in to a very beautiful spot with all the flowers, trees and shrubs.

Andrew noticed a lot of wasps near his hot tub. Upon closer inspection we found a huge nest. It took three cans of spray and over three days to get rid of all the pests.

Sususi

Danger

We visted the Columbia River Gorge for a few days and stayed at the Bonneville Hots Spring Spa and Resort. It was a very nice place and each room had its own hot tub to enjoy in private at any time.

Leaving the Resort to do a bit of sightseeing.

In front of the Bonneville Dam Spillway.

Bob in front of the Dam's Interpretation Center.

Tessa really enjoyed this fountain near the Fish Hatchery.

Hermon the Sturgeon was 11 feet long and weighted over 400 pounds. Tessa was fascinated when he swam past the viewing window.

A view of the spectacular scenery of the Columbia River Gorge from the Washington side.

Another view a few miles closer to the coast.

The Oregion Wine Press anticipated our visit and published this cartoon in the May 2010 Issue of their Journal.

The Burkes enjoying their Wine.

Ditto

Maryhill was one of the wineries we visited.

Bob and Genevieve on the Maryhill patio deck.

Genevieve with Mount St. Helens in the background.

A panorama of Mount St. Helens taken from a nearby look off.

A closeup of Mount St. Helens.

A view of the Toutle River with Mount St. Helens in the background.

This photo shows the debris that still remains in the Toutle River from the May 18, 1980 eruption.

The signature airplane in Cabelas Lacey Washington store.

One of the displays in the Cabelas store.

2010-05-01T11:18:00.006-03:00

WE HAVE A NEW CHIMNEY

May 1, 2010

Our chimney was in a serious state of deterioration and needed replacing for some time. The contractor we wanted was to busy to do the work last fall; however, we were first on the list for the spring. We now have a brand new chimney built with Antique Acadian brick.

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Taking down the old chimney

Putting up the new chimney

2010-05-01T00:53:00.008-03:00

CAMP UPDATE # 17

April 30, 2010

We just arrived back from Digby and a week of moving out of the shed and into the new camp. All of the major tasks are finished and we started moving in the new furniture and getting the place ready to live in. The dishwasher and fridge are working along with the bathroom. There is a problem with the electric range and we have to go back to Sears to see what the fix will be. The pan drawer at the base of the unit seems to be from another model and does not fit correctly. The new digs look and feel great.

We still have to bring the remaining dining room chairs from Dartmouth and one living room chair is on back order. We started to move the beds from the shed but didn’t get this tasked fully completed before returning home. It will be completed when we go back again next week. Let’s hope it will be a warm summer so we can enjoy lounging on the patio deck.

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The Living Room

A panorama of the Kitchen

The cook's view

Our plumber has done a great job

2010-03-09T11:12:00.011-04:00

2010 OLYMPICS

February 2010

We watched lots of the Olympic coverage with our friends. Our favorites were the hockey games and snowboarding. The gold medal game with the US was on the last day and prior to the closing ceremonies. Dave and Mary MacDonald brought champagne and gold medals to celebrate.

Celebrate we did! As soon as Canada got the first goal Dave popped the cork and we made a toast! It was a spectacular ending for the hockey game and a great closing for the Olympics.

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Click once to hear our song!

2010-02-17T16:00:00.019-04:00

GENEVIEVE WINS BIG

FOXWOODS!

February 17, 2010

We enjoyed the DOO WOPP concert with all the old performers. They still had a lot of ‘get up and go’ left in them and the performance was high energy. After the show we had a bite to eat and Genevieve tried her hand at making the big win! As you can see from the cashout stub we will have to return again to hit the jackpot.

The next day we drove to Boston and went to a small Italian restaurant in North Boston (Antico Forno) for Valentine’s dinner and had a great meal. We stayed in a new Hotel in Waltham (Cresent Suites Hotel, 287 Cresent St. Phone# 781 314 7900) that had recently opened and used the commuter train to get into and out of town. The Hotel was very reasonable, had very spacious rooms with separate kitchenette, bathroom, bedroom and two TV’s. It also had one of the best complimentary breakfasts’ we have ever eaten and the owner brewed us the perfect frothy cup of cappuccino! If you are ever in the area it is a great place to stay.

After Boston we continued on to Bangor with a brief shopping stop in Portland where they now have a Cabela’s. The store has a real airplane hanging from the ceiling. It is not as large as the one we visited in Texas but it is a great store. On the following day we went to see Stephen King’s home in Bangor before returning to Dartmouth, arriving just before the start of a major snowstorm. Niko and Zack are very happy that we have returned.

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2010-02-17T13:44:00.007-04:00

SUNDAY RIVER 2
February 17, 2010

We had a potluck supper with a group of our friends and were treated to a magic show by Paul Saulnier, one of the Club Ski30 members on the trip. It was great entertainment and we are still scratching our heads as to how he accomplished the tricks.

Genevieve really enjoyed the skiing and conquered a number of runs that intimidated her last year. On Friday we departed for the Foxwoods Casino to see a Doo Wopp Concert and arrived early evening. Driving through the backwoods of Maine can be a bit of a challenge, especially when they close a key road without posting any signs at the beginning of the route.

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2010-02-10T12:52:00.013-04:00

Sunday River

February 10, 2010

We are in Sunday River with Club Ski30. Conditions are excellent and Genevieve is making great progress on the hill. Monday evening the group dined at the Phoenix and this evening will be holding a pot luck in our room with several others from the Club. After the sking we are going to a DOO WOPP Concert in Connecticut followed by a few days of shoping in Boston with Mary and Dave MacDonald before returning home.

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2010-01-30T00:04:00.009-04:00

OUT OF BOUNDS

January 30, 2010

I discovered a catagory of photographs on Flickr known as OOB or Out of Bounds. It is a technique where it appears that the subject is coming out of the picture. This is my first attempt at this 'art form'.

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2010-01-26T21:00:00.006-04:00

CAMP UPDATE #16

January 26, 2010

We went to Digby on the weekend to have a look at the recent work that has been done on the camp and to meet with Jamie Keen to finalize the door style and hardware for the kitchen cabinets. Most of the work has been completed. The main things left to be done are the basement stairway, kitchen cabinets, kitchen & bathroom plumbing, gutters, foundation parging and some latticework on the patio deck.

We are getting anxious for summer to arrive!

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Niko and Zack exploring the snow in front of the shed.

A view from out on the lake. We hoipe to be swimming in this location in a few more months.

Looking in from the front entrance. The fireplace is now complete.

A view from the living room towards the kitchten and dining room.

In the dining room looking back towards the kitchen and living room.

2010-01-26T20:54:00.003-04:00

ICE FISHING

January 17, 2010

The Department of Natural Resources has stocked Penhorn Lake with over 1000 Rainbow Trout and opened it to ice fishing. It is becoming very popular and it is not uncommon to see more that a half dozen fishing tents on the weekend. I don’t known how many fish are being caught.

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2009-11-22T16:57:00.012-04:00

HALIFAX OLYMPIC TORCH PARADE

November 18, 2009

We went to see the downtown Halifax Olympic Torch Parade on the evening of November 18th. Sarah Conrad was a torch bearer and she played a key role in the ceremony. She snowboarded down Citadel Hill, received the flame from Sidney Crosby, carried the torch to the Grand Parade and lit the caldron in front of City Hall with Primer Dexter, Mayor Kelly and all the other dignitaries who were present on the main stage. Bob was able to get a picture with Sarah and Stephen with the Olympic torch and Jon got an excellent shot of Sidney Crosby handing off the flame to Sarah.

Many more people show up than was anticipated by the officials. There was no crowd control and it was a free for all, especially when Sidney Crosby showed up. Bob played paparazzi and shoved his way up close but didn’t get a good photo. He was almost knocked off of his feet when the crowd bolted to catch the action.
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A proud moment for Stephen.

Genevieve and Stephen watch Sarah Conrad board down Citadel Hill.

Gary and Genny, Sarah's parents.

Sarah makes it down!

Waiting for Sidney Crosby

Sidney arrives along with throngs of people.

Handover of the flame.

Lighting the cauldron at City Hall.

A mosaic of photos.

2009-11-14T11:27:00.005-04:00

We have selected our Deck Furniture for the Camp!

November 14, 2009

2009-11-05T14:35:00.005-04:00

CAMP UPDATE #15

November 4th, 2009

We haven’t updated progress on the camp in recent weeks as it has slowed a bit. The guys are now back and putting the finishing touches on. The bedroom floors are down, trim has been varnished and will be installed staring today. The electrician is coming back this week to finish off the wiring. Jamie Keen has started the kitchen cabinets. We are hoping that by the end of November most of the work will be completed.

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Our bedroom now has flooring.

Scott working on the varnish.

David is busy as well.

A view of the deck.

The front side.

A 270 degree panaroma from the deck.

2009-11-05T12:49:00.004-04:00

Halloween 2009

We had our friends in again this year for a bit of a party on Halloween. There were some great costumes and everyone enjoyed the food and conservation. Our dogs were great and seemed to enjoy all the ‘strange creatures’. We hope to make this an annual event.

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2009-11-05T12:31:00.005-04:00

Surprise 65th Birthday Party

For our 65th birthday Sandy and Bill Foster arranged for a surprise party at their house. They invited us in a very casual fashion to drop by for a cup of tea and pizza. We didn’t suspect anything at the time. Upon arrival there appeared to be a lot of cars in the area but we thought one of their neighbors was having a function. To our total surprise, the house was filled with all our friends, there to welcome us ‘over the hill’. A short while later Elvis and Marylyn show up unexpectedly to add more surprise, humor and birthday best wishes.

Wow, what a party!!! It will be an event that we will never forget. Many thanks to all our wonderful friends for this thoughtful occasion. Photos provided by John Robar, Stephen and Jonathan Burke.

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2009-11-05T12:15:00.003-04:00

Cape Breton Outing

This year we spent a few days in Cape Breton with Ross, Henrietta, Clive and Claire celebrating the Celtic Colours Festival. We stayed at the Normaway Inn in the Margaree Valley. Ross drove us around to see all the sights of Margaree and the surrounding area. One of the interesting spots was the Glenora Distillery where they produce the Glen Breton Scotch. They have a great restaurant and provide tours of the Distillery. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to see the facility as we had to rush back to catch a music event. Everyone had a relaxing weekend.

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2009-11-05T11:55:00.005-04:00

THANKSGIVING 2009

This Thanksgiving we were in Digby and received an invitation to dine with Bob and Luella Marshal. They are our next door neighbors on Porter’s Lake. Richard, Gail, John and Linda also joined in. The meal was great, the evening filled with conservation and laughter as we discussed everything from the good old days to current events.

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2009-10-04T17:13:00.004-03:00

CAMP UPDATE #14

October 4th, 2009

We now have running water and a working toilet in the shed. Work is progressing on the camp as well. The patio steps are almost finished, the gyprocking is completed and all the walls primed. The contractor plans to finish the painting and start the window and baseboard trim next week.

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The main stairway to the patio deck.

The view from our future bedroom.

A view from the front entrance.

Looking into the kitchen and dining area from in front of the fireplace.

2009-09-24T11:33:00.008-03:00

PIG ROAST

On September 19, 2009 we attended a house warming and anniversary party for Richard and Gail Hicks who live down the lake from our camp on Porter’s Lake. They celebrated by treating everyone to a pig roast. It was our first pig roast and we really enjoyed the feast.

Roasting a full pig requires a lot of time and work. Richard has done it several times and has the process perfected. For a gift, we presented Richard and Gail with a framed photo of a goose that frequented our lake last year. I was the unofficial photographer for the occasion and gave them over 200 pictures of the celebration.

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2009-09-24T10:15:00.005-03:00

CAMP UPDATE #13

September 23, 2009

The gyprocking and crack filling was completed yesterday and the subcontractor is back today to finish the final sanding. We have been cutover from the temporary power service and have power to the shed. It is a real luxury not to lay out extension cords each time we go to camp. We can now have the fridge on when we leave and take advantage of the electric heat as the weather turns colder.

The plumbing in the shed is finished and the lines pressured tested. Our plan is to temporarily hook up the pump in the camp next week so that we can have running hot water and a functioning toilet in the shed. I installed a pump up toilet in the shed without any rough in plumbing and it has been a project from hell. As you can see from the photo, the walls needed to be opened up to hide the plumping and I wanted the pipes to be installed in a manner that would allow for easy removal of the pump unit for winterization and repairs. The wall is now back together and ready for painting.

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2009-09-10T22:12:00.005-03:00

CAMP UPDATE #12

September 10, 2009

When we left today the construction crew were finishing off the insulation and vapour barrier in preparation for the gyprocking which is scheduled to start this coming Monday. The rough in plumbing for the vents and drains is done. We have an enclosed bathtub and were not able to find a proper drain pipe in the Digby area. Bob will have a look in Dartmouth tomorrow.

Most of the deck skirting has been finished and we will need to have the front step modified to accommodate a landing half way down as it is both too long and steep. The concrete support footings have been poured and the crew will finish the stairway sometime in the near future.

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Jonathan took these pictues with his fisheye lense on September 8.

The following two pictures were taken on September 10 and show the progress that was made skirting the deck.

2009-09-01T20:21:00.007-03:00

CAMP UPDATE #11

August 28, 2009

More progress this week. The fireplace is finished on the outside, all the windows and siding have been installed and the deck is almost complete as of September 1, 09. The crew was starting the deck steps when we left today (The pictures for this posting were taken on August 28 and do not show the deck railing in place.)

In addition, the basement stairs are being installed, the tub and toilet have been delivered, the fridge, dishwasher and stove are ordered and will be coming soon, the air exchange has been installed and the electrical inspection is scheduled for tomorrow. Once the inspection is done they can start the insulation and gyprock. Jamie Keen is coming this weekend to start the kitchen.

We are doing are best to retain our sanity during this whirlwind of activity.

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2009-08-21T00:09:00.012-03:00

CAMP UPDATE #10

August 20, 2009

Construction is progressing at breakneck speed. The interior wiring is almost ready for the rough in inspection; the siding and windows installation is almost finished except for the wall containing the fireplace. Neil Cress is waiting for the chimney to be installed before he works on this wall.

The mason, Fred Maxner, showed up on Tuesday and had about two thirds of the chimney and fireplace in place when we left Digby late in the afternoon on August 20th. The brick pattern we choose is called Acadian and it has a very antique look. Fred and his helper are doing a great job.

Most of the afternoon was spent storing items around the property in anticipation of hurricane Bill. Hopefully it will bypass Nova Scotia far out to sea.

To track the hurricane click on the following link:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

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2009-08-08T11:21:00.002-03:00

KAYAKING

I ran across this photo that was taken the last time Andrew and Kristie were at the camp.

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2009-08-07T14:49:00.005-03:00

CAMP UPDATE #9

When I left Digby on August 6th the guys were putting on the blueskin and styrofoam insulation over the housewrap. The soffits are just about finished and the electriction has been by to hook in the shed, prepare the main 200 amp feed for the NS Power Corp to hook into and install some outside lighting fixtures. The phone line now goes into the shed via conduit.

The siding arrived a couple of days ago and the doors/windows should be on site in a day or two. I worked on getting the pumpup tiolet installed and was able to get most of the work done. A few more fittings are required to complete the job.

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2009-08-03T14:25:00.003-03:00

BARBEQUE

July 21, 2009

We had Stephen and his friends from Vernon Street in for a barbeque. The weather cooperated and everyone enjoyed the food.

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2009-08-02T11:08:00.009-03:00

SPECIAL OLYMPICS 2009

The Nova Scotia Provincial Special Olympics were held in Halifax from July 17 to 19. Everyone was impressed with the stately display of pomp and colour during the opening ceremonies. The exicited participants could not wait to get the games underway. Stephen's Baseball team participated and won Bronze. They all had a great time.

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2009-08-02T10:34:00.005-03:00

TALL SHIPS

July 20, 2009

The tall ships visited Halifax during July. They departed July 2oth and Bob was able to get a few pictures during the sailpast.

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2009-08-02T00:21:00.014-03:00

CAMP UPDATE #8

August 1, 2009

A lot has taken place since the last post. The roof is now shingled and less water gets in the basement each time it rains. Neil and his crew worked on a job in Digby during the week of July 27 to 31. This gave us time to have the trenches dug for the services (power cables and water/sewer pipes).

It was a major job requiring about 175 feet of 5 foot deep trenches. The weather did not cooperate as it rained for most of Thursday (July 30th) when the power cables and water pipes were being installed. Power feeds to the camp and shed will be underground. We also installed a water and sewer connection between the two buildings as well as a two inch counduit to provide for telephone, tv, etc.

The job was started on the Thursday and the trenches filled in by early afternoon on Friday. The excavation crew had the site cleaned up and the roadway smoothed out shortly after.

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A view from one of the bedrooms showing what will be the dining room, kitchen and living room. The opening with the big "X" will be a patio door to the front deck.

A view of the basement.

The trenching has started!

A panaroma of the dig.

The finshed trenches with the services installed.

One worm to another 'I really like your new condo. The wiggle way goes on forever and the colourful view from the balcony is breathtaking.'

The two blue pipe on the left are water and sewer. The grey pipe is a piece of 2 inch conduit for tv, phone, etc. The larger of the two black cables is the 200 amp power feed to the camp and the smaller is a 100 amp feed from the camp back to the new shed.

The backfilling was very labour intensive as a 12 inch layer of screened sand had to be hand raked around the power cables before the trenches could filled.

The job is almost finished!

2009-07-17T10:29:00.007-03:00

CAMP UPDATE #7

July 17, 2009

A brief history in pictures.

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2009-07-16T23:00:00.004-03:00

CAMP UPDATE #6

July 16, 2009

When we left Digby today the carpenters had just started shingling the roof. The weather continues to cooperate and Neil has not had any delays with gettiing the building materials so far. The roof should be finished by mid next week if the weather continues. Bob has been working on the plumbing in the new shed and got the counter top installed and the hot water heater connected. The next trip will focus on the toilet and kitchen sink. He is using the new pex plumbing and it is much easier to work with than the traditional copper/solder approach.

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2009-07-13T01:03:00.013-03:00

STANFEST 2009

This was the 13th year for the Stan Rodgers Festival and our first time at this event. The music was great and the weather awful. We had been forewarned about the weather and camping conditions but did not go properly prepared. Next time we will take rubber boots, a bigger tent and sleeping gear that will keep us well above the tent floor. Normally one can not park their vehicle at their campsite, necessitating that the tent and gear be minimal. Our reserved site was flooded out and we got relocated to an area near the main stage where we could also park our cars.

The music was great and there were many performers from the local area and far abroad. Most of the local groups were very good and sang or played many original songs. Genevieve enjoyed the event despite the weather and camping conditions. We hope to go again next year and you can bet that we will be prepared for the worst case conditions.

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Arriving at the site in Canso. This is typical weather for STANFEST.

The campsite that we shared with Dave and Mary MacDonald.

It should have been called MUDFEST 2009. As you can see the place was like a bog and it rained most of the time. Our tent was very water resistant and we did not get wet.

Most of the 'roads' were very muddy.

A closeup of our small tent. Fortunately Dave and Mary had a huge tent that we could use for eating our meals and getting out of the rain.

A panorama of the site. Our tent is the one in the yellow circle. Attendance topped 10,000. The lucky ones were staying in the large motor homes at the top of the hill next to the tenting area.

We were so close to the main stage that we could watch the show from Dave and Mary's van.

The main stage on Saturday. It was foggy and raining.

Raingear and rubber boots are essential for this event.

Many of the performer venues were in large tents.

There was no shortage of local talent and they put on a great show.

Don MacLean singing American Pie.

Enjoying the festival.

2009-07-09T22:56:00.018-03:00

CAMP UPDATE #5
July 9, 2009

The camp is coming like a house on fire. We have been in Digby and at Stanfest for most the last two weeks and have not had an opportunity to post updated pics. When we left Digby today the walls are up and boarded in, most of the roof trusses are up and a small part of the roof has been boarded in, the sona tubes for the patio deck are in, the intake from the lake well is hooked up, the fireplace chimney base is finished and the electrician came today to discuss the wiring.

Neil Cress has been able to put his full crew to work on this project (5 guys) and they are doing a great job. They should be able to start shingling the roof next week if the weather holds out. Here are two pictures taken just before we left late this afternoon.

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A view looking at the 'back' of the camp. The two upper window openings are for the bedrooms. These two bedrooms also have a second window that looks 'down' the lake. The large bottom door opening will provide access to a storage area for our kayaks and windsurfers. The bottom window opening on the right is for a future basement 'rec' room.

A view from 'down the lake'. The dining room and what will be the screened in padio deck are on the right. You can also see the opening entrance to the screened in padio deck and a window opening overlooking that deck. The next three openings on the end are for a fireplace and two living room windows. The window opening on the left is for one of the bedrooms. The footings for the padio deck and stairway are also visable in the lower area of this picture.

A view looking from the road leading to the camp.

The entrance. This is about three feet higher than the old camp.

Installing one of the main support pillars for the area that will be the screened in patio.

A view of Duck Cove. The Boundary Trail that we are working on can be seen in the lower left portion of the picture. Unfortunately there are very few ducks this year.

2009-06-28T12:51:00.005-03:00

CAMP UPDATE #4

This week the guys finished the knee wall, installed the foam insulation around the concrete walls and put up one of the two load bearing walls. He weather has been bad and Neil is still waiting for the floor joists to arrive. I just received word from Neil that the Joists have been delivered and the backfilling of the foundation will be done on Monday, June 29. The bricklayer who will be building the chimney will also be there Monday.

It is egg laying time for the turtles and several make their way up on the lot each evening to find an appropriate spot. There is lots of exposed sand with all the construction that going on and the turtles are having a heyday digging holes.

Most are snapping turtles but we have seen two of the painted species. Niko and Zack are having lots of fun challenging these ‘intruders’. Peter the Rabbit has also taken a liking to the clover makes a daily appearance for his meals.

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Installing the drainage pipe.

Genevive inspecting the basement.

Peter Rabbit.

A painted turtle looking for a place to lay her eggs.

Niko and Zack are not happy with this trespasser.

2009-06-20T00:08:00.013-03:00

THE 'GET AWAY GIRLS' AT HEATHER'S HOME IN HUBBARDS

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Heather's home.

The great view.

Relaxing on the front steps.

Getting ready to watch Mamma Mia.

Before returning home we went to a professional stylist to add a bit of fringes, wispy bangs, short crop, bob, jagged layers, bed head look, curl, retro style and colour.

We took advantage of the local taxi service for a ride to the hair salon.

2009-06-18T22:16:00.008-03:00

Morning Craft at Myrna's

It was a wounderful day. The weather was gorgeous and the food delicious. We spent more time eating and talking than crafting.

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The 'Crafty Ladies'.

The weather was perfect for this outdoor shot.

A bit of photoshop was used for this one!

June 21st, 2009 will be Myrna and John's 40th wedding anniversary. Fran presented them with a bouquet of flowers from the 'Crafty Ladies'.

2009-06-18T20:54:00.006-03:00

CAMP Update #3
The Foundation is Almost Complete.

When we left Digby on the morning of June 18/09 the cement trucks were arriving with the concrete for the basement floor. The knee wall is up and soon as the floor sets up the crew will tackle the basement partitions and the camp floor. The following pictures show progress up to June 17.

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The guys hard at work on the knee wall.

A view of the basement walls.

The fountation forms being loaded for their return to the rental company.

Laying the interior drain pipes.

These guys have written the book on how to do it.

A photo of the progress as of late afternoon June 17, 2009.

We have cleared out a lot of the trees from around the new shed. The view of the property and lake are spectacular.

Genevieve has started landscaping around the new shed. I call this Hosta Hill.

2009-06-11T22:46:00.016-03:00

Camp Update #2

The Foundation Walls are Poured

On Monday June 8, Neil Cress and his crew started installing the forms for the foundation walls. There were more or less completed by the end of day Tuesday and the concrete was poured on Wednesday, June 10.

Great progress has been made during the past week and a half. The next stage is to remove the forms, stud up the basement knee walls and then pour the basement floor prior to installing the interior load bearing basement walls. Once these steps have been completed the engineered floor joists go in.

We have been spending a lot of time in Digby over the past two weeks. The new shed is very comfortable to stay in. Bob has cleared a number of trees from around this building and we now have a great view of Porter’s Lake and Duck Cove.

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The guys hard at work on the forms.

A detail of the 'step up' to accomodate the siding.

The forms were almost completed by end of day Tuesday. When this photo was taken part of the inside north wall form had to be added.

Last minute adjustments to the form.

The pumper has arrived and extended its boom.

Setting up for the pour.

The pumper operator.

The concrete starts to flow.

A very short break for the crew as the pumper shifts to a new wall.

Once the pumping started it did not take much time to fill the forms.

The completed walls.

Combining two photos with a photoshop action gets interesting results.

Another example of what photoshop can do.

2009-06-07T22:43:00.005-03:00

LOBSTERFEST 2009

We had a great Club Ski 30 Lobsterfest again this year at McLeod’s Cottages in Brule. The weather was great and some of our friends spent a few hours on the water windsurfing even thought the wind conditions were not ideal. Mary and Dave MacDonald shared the cabin with us and we had dinner at the Train Station Inn in Tatamagouche on Friday evening. Everyone had lots of laughs, the group had two bonfires, the sunsets were superb and we all savored the succulent flavor of the lobsters.

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2009-06-04T01:13:00.042-03:00

The Camp is Gone !

June 1st was a sad day. The camp was demolished; however, we will always remember the great times that we have had over the years with family and friends. By the end of the day all that remained was a huge hole in the ground. The contractor started on the concrete forms for the new camp on the following day and the footings were poured by 5:00 PM on Wednesday.

We are staying in the new shed and the power and water have not been connected as yet. It is a bit primitive but we are surviving.

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The demolition is finished.

Excavating for the new building.

Almost finished.

The excavator slipped off its track. It is the mother of all tire changes to get one of these things back on. One perk is that this brute has its own built in jack.

Our local 'Buiding Inspectors' dropped by to get an update on progress.

Building forms for the footing.

Pouring concrete.

Placing rebar.

Almost finished.

A panoramic view of the finished footings.

Jody Ross, the excavator operator, lives just around the cove from us.

2009-06-03T22:37:00.006-03:00

SPECIAL OLYMPICS 2009

Stephen attended this years games at the Beazley Field in Dartmouth alongs with his friends from Vernon Street. The bad weather held off and everyone had a great time with lots of first, second and third place finishes.

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