by Barry Wood
I grew up in Mosherville, outside the town of Windsor.
It is a typical inland area of farms and thick forests.
Like most Nova Scotia towns and villages, it is quiet and
sparsely populated. Residents use clotheslines to hang out
their laundry and they drive into town weekly to purchase
their groceries. The forest stands along the muddy riverbanks;
cattle drink from trickling brooks. Men in coveralls repair
old fences along dikes, frequently swatting away bugs and
mosquitoes. Black crows glide through the air and flocks
of sparrows sit on the telephone wires to watch the men work.
Welcome to Nova Scotia: a peninsula, Canada's
second smallest province with a bit of land
connecting it to neighboring New Brunswick. The Atlantic
crashes against the rugged coastline. Nova Scotia is
Latin for "New Scotland." The International Gathering
of the Clans rotates yearly between Nova Scotia and Scotland.
They’ve called Nova Scotians "Bluenosers" or "Bluenoses"
since the early 1700s because during the planting and
shipping of Irish Bluenose potatoes, fishermen got blue smudges
on their noses from their blue-stained work gloves.
Sturdy wooden houses combat Nova Scotia's harsh
winters. Many residents still burn wood to
heat their homes, and the weather can change rapidly.
A heavy fog in the morning can turn into a hot, rainy, or
cold day.
The province enjoys four distinct seasons.
Spring is a time for new growth and the arrival of Nova Scotia's
provincial flower, the pink, sweetly fragrant Mayflower.
Summer is warm to hot like most of the upper east coast of
North America. Picnics and camping are major loves of Nova
Scotians. Fall weather can be crisp in the morning, with a
heavy white frost on everything, followed within hours by
a warm day. The trees are breathtaking as the leaves turn
to vibrant colors. Pumpkins with toothy smiles, some with
candles in them, sit on front steps and lawns awaiting
goblins and ghosts on Halloween. Winter brings snow and
bitterly cold temperatures. People everywhere will be out
skiing, skating and sledding.
Nova Scotia has the highest tides in the world.
One hundred billion tons of ocean water, a tidal surge
that begins in the Indian Ocean, flow into the Bay of Fundy.
The tide lifts boats and ships. Mudflats, where people dig
for clams beneath swooping, wailing seabirds, is, within
hours, filled with water and a bountiful supply of fish,
including lobsters and herring.
Deep-fried fish and chips, grilled Atlantic salmon, boiled
lobsters, and clam chowder are local favorites.
But the unanimous favorite is apple pie with ice-cream.
Filmmakers have noticed the beauty of Nova Scotia
and made many films here. One was Dolores Claiborne,
based on Stephen King's book. Another was Margaret's Museum.
Festivals fill Nova Scotia's summers, linking seafaring
legacy and agricultural exhibitions with arts, crafts, and music.
The splendid Annapolis Valley has a yearly Apple Blossom Festival
that includes a crafts fair, parades, and fireworks.
Nova Scotia is famous for its wild blueberries.
(Blueberry Grunt is a personal favorite!).
Nova Scotia Blueberry Grunt
1 quart blueberries
1/2 cup sugar, or more to taste
1/2 cup water
Boil base in a large saucepan
until there is lots of juice
Dumplings:
2 cups of flour
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. shortening
4 tbsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. butter
Pinch of salt
Milk or water
Sift together flour, sugar, baking
powder, and salt. Cut in butter and shortening. Add enough milk
or water to make a soft dough. Drop by spoonful on top of
blueberries. Cover tightly. Cook for fifteen minutes.
The capital, Halifax (population 114,000) was founded
in 1749. It is the largest city in the Atlantic-Canada
provinces of Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick,
and Nova Scotia. Halifax is hilly, with some very steep streets.
Standing in the center of the city is the Citadel, a military
fort overlooking most of the city and the ice-free harbor where
huge container ships arrive every day. The daily noontime firing
of the Citadel’s cannon has occurred since the mid 19th
century. The walls are steep masonry. Several stone-lined
underground rooms were completed in 1956. To this day,
Halifax has a large navy presence.
The waterfront is one of the most popular tourist areas
where wooden buildings and 18th century
stone structures blend with modern skyscrapers, and
street buskers perform for appreciative spectators.
The streets of downtown Halifax are narrow and
cannot be widened because the buildings sit so close to the
sidewalks. Finding a parking spot at night when something
is happening downtown is nearly impossible. The busiest
street in Halifax, and arguably the friendliest, is Spring
Garden Road. The street is crammed with shops, eateries,
and bookstores. Traffic usually crawls. This is the best
place to park the car before setting off on foot.
The nightlife of Halifax boasts countless bars
of every fashion that are usually packed on weekends. There
are movie theatres, live theatres, a casino, and many
restaurants and cafes. The boardwalk along the harbor is
perfect for a quiet evening's stroll. Sailboats of every
size and shape crowd the waterfront and the Bedford Basin.
George's Island and larger McNabs Island sit proudly in the
harbor. On the other side of the mile-wide harbor, connected
by two bridges, is Dartmouth, the City of Lakes.
Tragedy has not escaped Nova Scotia.
Swissair Flight 111 crashed into the ocean off Peggy's Cove in
1998, killing all on board. And the explosion caused by the
collision of the two ships, the Imo and the Mont Blanc, which
had been carrying explosives, on December 6, 1917, destroyed
most of north-end Halifax and claimed the lives of almost
2,000 people.
After the sinking of the Titanic, Halifax became the final
resting place for many unclaimed victims who were buried
in three different cemeteries here. Haunting rows of
tombstones, each inscribed with the date April 15, 1912,
are reminders of that tragic event.
Nova Scotia is a place where people still care about others.
The word "WELCOME" appears on most front door mats
--many of them hand made. This is a place where folks will offer
a big wave when you're leaving, along with the heartfelt invitation,
"Come back again!"
Barry Wood is an aspiring horror writer from
Halifax, Canada. He has written more than
50 short stories since 1997.
Continued http://boomersint.org/intern.htm
ASIA, Thailand, Japan, Korea,
