Central Grove Park trail hike - 20 May 07

Cinnamon ferns unfurl by a babbling forest stream.

march break and a dream come true

I hate blogger today... it's eaten my posts three times already. Each type I re-type, the post becomes shorter...!

We had the kids in Halifax this week for the March school break.
On the way there, we hiked at the Blomidon Provincial Park. The view from the top of the look-off was brilliant. The red cliffs of Blomidon tower over the mudflats of the Minas Basin stretched out below. The flats are mirrored in the green rolling fields of the Valley.

In Halifax, we saw some giant robotic reptiles, played at the Discovery Centre, swam for hours at the hotel pool, and had a ton of fun.

I also was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of mine. I've been fascinated with ancient Egypt since I did a project in the fourth grade. My only tattoo is of my name in hieroglyphics. I've always wanted to go to Egypt, and failing that, to at least see Egyptian artifacts in real life. I got my wish. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is hosting a travelling exhibit "The Treasures of Ancient Egypt" from the Museum of Fine Art in Boston. They are the oldest Egyptian artifacts in North America.

I was surprised by how emotional I felt seeing the display. For me, the most moving was the display of a mirror, a kohl pot and stick , and cosmetic pots. I caught my own reflection in the mirror, and immediately felt a connection spanning across space and time to another woman just like me 4000 years ago.

I was also blown away by Graeme Patterson's installation Woodrow. The installation speaks of the death of rural Canada, and features large models of decaying landmarks of his once-thriving, now nearly deserted hometown in Saskatchewan. The models feature small video displays with his own stop-action animated short films and robotic figures. My favorite was the church with an elderly lady playing organ upstairs while two old men bowl in the basement. They were mesmerizing and my kids were really excited about them.

Hiking at Kejimkujik

We drove to Kejimkujik National Park yesterday for a 7 km (5 mi.) hike. I love Keji - I camped there often as a child with my family, and spent weeks there every summer. I love canoeing to the wilderness camping sites on the islands, and I love hiking the extensive trail system.
My favorite hiking trail is the Hemlocks and Hardwoods trail, a loop through one of the few remaining pockets of old-growth forests in Nova Scotia. 350 year old hemlocks tower above to a thick, green canopy. Within the forest, it seems to be perpetually twilight. It is a totally magical and otherworly place. I would love to visit in the winter, but it would have been a 15 km. or so hike... so maybe some other time.

The trail we did yesterday was Peter's Point, a trail we just did in September. In the winter, the dirt road leading to the parking area for this trail is closed and groomed for cross country skiing, so that makes for a longer walk than in summer. There was 5 or 6 inches of snow in the forest. The trail follows a point of land out into Kejimikujik Lake. The tip of the point, at the trail's end, is just a short skip across water to a small island. The point shelters two sandy beaches, one facing north, and one south. It was beautiful to witness the blanketed hush. Beech and Pine

Frozen Lake


Towering Pine

Twilight brook

family hike to Balancing Rock

We took the kids for a hike to the island's best known landmark, Balancing Rock, in Tiverton. The day was beautiful, with temperatures hovering just above freezing. There was no wind, and the woods were hushed with the layer of snow. The sun was so bright and felt so warm at the shore, such a nice break from the cold, miserable weather we've had lately. As hubby said yesterday "If winter were like this more often, I wouldn't mind it nearly as much".

The path/stairs to Balancing Rock.

Balancing Rock, a 30 ft (?) Basalt column perched above the St. Mary's Bay.

Looking 'up' the shore from Balancing Rock, a view of the mainland at East Ferry.

Sunday hike to the shore

Here are some photos I snapped on Sunday when I went for a hike by myself to clear my head of a lot of stuff that happened last week. It had been a rough week, lots of stuff going on, including the loss of my dad's sister Bonnie.

It was windy on the shore, but the walk through the woods was quiet and peaceful. I could feel the thunder of the surf pounding the rocks before I could see the water. As always, I find a stiff bracing wind and the rhythm of the waves cathartic. I just let the wind and water carry away my pain and stress. I always feel cleaner and purer after.

The path through the woods.

Waves rolling in.

Breakers pounding the rocks.