August Days

For me August was always the important month of summer. The first days of summer heat are gone, the mornings are breathing a little cooler, and yet it is delightful during the days. Many flowers are first starting to bloom now, apples and fruits are growing bigger every day and we go harvesting raspberries and even later blackberries. Many days are crystal clear and it is fun to take the camera and hunt for those nice photo opportunities. Yesterday I was intrigued by the bright colours and went south on the island. My first stop was at Mulholland Point where I took a few shots with the Mulholland Lighthouse and the Narrows. A boat was running up against the violent tidal current. They had the engine on full throttle, the bow came up high and the boat was producing a great wake behind. It was a very quiet Sunday, with little traffic across the border. Was it the long weekend we’d had last week which made people stay put? Anyway, time to brush up on the history of the lighthouse: Built in 1885, Mulholland Point Lighthouse served as a guide for the many small coasters, passenger ships, and freighters traversing the narrow Lubec Channel en route to or from the United States or Canadian ports on Grand Manan. Although the lighthouse is not open to the public, visitors are free to walk around the structure and to enjoy the picnic site next to it. From the picnic area at Mulholland Point are views of the FDR Memorial Bridge, Lubec, Maine, the Channel Lighthouse, and the islands and waters of Johnson's Bay. Often, harbor seals can be seen swimming just offshore in the Lubec Narrows. Lighthouses remain an important cultural feature in the Maritime Provinces and have become a unique appeal to an increasing number of visitors each year. I drove on to the other side east of the bridge. I met a few cars but when I reached Cranberry Point I was all by myself. Here we can look out towards the east and Grand Manan. It is a lovely inviting view. Most island visitors never get to see this. They seem to be in a hurry. For what? Whoever comes to Campobello Island needs to have time to take it all in. This is not a Mekka with tens of thousands of tourists swarming all over. It is rather a “best-kept-secret” a tip of an insider to a lonely wanderer who wants to take a few reflections over nature and life itself. I was looking for that lonely bench up on the rocky shelf. It is a place for worshipping nature. A few gulls out there, the gentle lapping of waves against ancient rocks…. That’s all there is to it. Thanks for stopping by again!

More Fog And More Music

Day 2 of the Fog Fest started with fog so dense it was hardly possible to see the neighbour’s house. This festival sure does honour to its name. Looking at the program we decided to visit the library Gala at noon. The program there consisted of song writer and book author Brian Flynn’s presentation where music and literature were equal parts. I have to add that this Brian Flynn is not just Mr. Anybody. Brian Flynn has been working with the U.S. Government for more than 20 years as Assistant Surgeon General, Associate Director, at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.  Brian has been at the most horrible places. He was in Manhattan after 9-11, he has been in Littleton, Colorado after the school massacre, in Oklahoma in the aftermath of terrible tornadoes, has seen horrible floods and remnants of coastal hurricanes. He has met people who didn’t know whether there would be a tomorrow or whether life could go on. His long experience with the darkest hours of life has provided him with a unique gift of putting words to beautiful songs. It has also made him a gifted author who has recently produced 2 very interesting books “The Wisdom of Stones” and “The Voices of Stones”.  ”The Wisdom of Stones combines fine photography and inspirational text intended to provoke thought, promote reflection, and engender connections between people and their environment. The book was born of psychologist/ photographer Brian Flynn's observation of people's fascination and connection with beach stones on the shores of Campobello Island, Canada. Many of the island's visitors spend time walking silently on the beaches, seldom looking up from the stones underfoot. Periodically, beachcombers stoop down, pick up stones, examine them, and place them in their pockets. This often goes on for hours. At the end of the day, they proudly display their treasures for whomever will look. Seldom has a vistor left without a bag full of stones to display or add to their collection. Brain Flynn's work has been focused primarily on large-scale trauma--disasters and terrorism. These experiences have fueled his passion to find beauty where others do not (or cannot) see it, to find order in what others see as randomness and chaos, and to nurture hope and meaning where and when he can.” Brian has a home on Campobello Island. From 3:00p to 5:00p we went again to the beautiful Prince Cottage for yet another musical event. The performers were part of the Lubec,ME Summerkeys program. It was time to have sweet romantic dreams when Winslow Browning played South American melodies on his Spanish Guitar.   Another marvelous experience on this Saturday. On our way home we saw mighty thunder clouds moving in. They all went by with some rain, but no thunderstorm.

It’s FOG FEST folks!

When the fog is rolling in on Campobello it is best to be inside and listen to some real good music. That was exactly what a whole lot of people did today. It all started out with “Harper’s Mae” at Jocie’s Porch at 10am. Two young people, he with a nice guitar sound and she had a pretty voice to sing off a number of  folksy songs and known melodies from long gone days. The place filled up pretty quick, Bobby and his mother Angela served the best coffee in the world (way better than any Starbucks or even Tim Horton’s) and everybody was enjoying himself.                                                          At Jocie’s Porch From 3:00p to 5:00p we could listen to Philip Albert’s eloquent variations of known classic jazz sets. And to give this an appropriate frame it happened in the Prince Cottage in the Roosevelt Campobello Int’l Park, The Prince Cottage sits just below the Roosevelt Cottage and opens its long classical facade towards the Passamaquoddy Bay. I couldn’t but imagine what life was like for the folks who once owned this magnificent place. The piano was part of the original furniture and dates from 1851. While Philip brought out the most beautiful melodies I looked through the large windows and saw the fog waltzing across the bay. The house was warm and offered a cozy elegance. Great coffee and cookies after Eleanore Roosevelt’s recipe.  What a treat! Philip Albert at the piano                                                  The Prince Cottage Fog Fest is lasting for 2 more days, so if you happen to be in the neighbourhood why not take a trip over and see us? It’s sure worth it. Campobello Island has taken a major step forwards being a destination. Thanks for dropping by!