June 5-11, 2023
We have had a very busy week - not necessarily missionary focused, but we had lots of fun. I'll relate the important event first, then give you a travelogue.
This evening we had two baptisms. Both sets of Elders have been teaching each of the men individually and they decided to be baptized together.
Elders Palmer & Payne, Fabrice, Remy, Elders Strong & Skinner
Fabrice is from Rwanda and has been in Montréal about seven years. Remy is from Tanzania and has been here since February. His brother-in-law passed away in March so Remy came to help his sister with her four children.
The baptism goal for the mission in 2022 was 200; we had 213 (if I remember correctly). The goal for 2023 is 348 baptisms. I thought that was a pretty lofty goal (me of little faith) but as of the end of May, we have had 145 baptisms. That is exactly on target if we need an average of 29 baptisms per month. The Lord helps us to set His goals; He will then help us to achieve them.
Last spring and this spring we noticed an alarming amount of dandelions everywhere. It seems that no one makes an effort to control them. We see acres and acres of dandelions everywhere.
Then we learned about No Mow May. It is an initiative to discourage people from mowing their lawns and fields in the month of May when spontaneous perennial flowers provide important food and habitat for pollinators. It seemed a great idea to begin with but now there is controversy about this being the correct way to go about it.
Tuesday evening we flew to Halifax Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia is in the Atlantic Time Zone, so one hour later than Montréal Eastern Time Zone. We arrived late and stayed at a nearby hotel. We returned to the airport for a rental car Wednesday morning and drove to Dartmouth, where the temple is located.
Halifax Temple
It was a cold rainy day at the temple
The next stop was Peggy's Cove; a place I have always wanted to visit. In September 1998 Swissair flight 111 crashed in the ocean off the shores of St Margaret's Bay near Peggy's Cove. All the passengers were lost. One of the memorial sites created is at Peggy's Cove.
The first lighthouse in Peggy's Cove was built in 1868. It was a large house with a light on top and was the home of the lightkeeper and his family. During WWII it was used by the Canadian Navy as a radio station. The present lighthouse (above) was completed in 1916 and manned until 1958 when it became fully automated.
All hairdos going forward are compliments of the gusty ocean breezes and the curse/blessing of naturally curly hair.
There are people everywhere that can't read!
These signs are everywhere around the lighthouse. Also signs that say "deaths have occurred" from strong waves crashing onto the rocks. It won't happen to me, right?
And of course we journal our food adventures as well..
My long awaited for lobster roll (worth the wait)
John's yummy seafood chowder - delish!
Have you left your car lights on?
The fog comes and goes at will.
Don't begrudge it.
Wish instead that you were as free.
We had a 4-hour drive from Peggy's Cove to Advocate Harbor on the Bay of Fundy, another bucket list place. The Bay of Fundy lies between the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and touches the state of Maine. It's known for extremally high tides. Here your capacity for wonder isn't just filled. It overflows.
Our home for the night. We stayed in the lightkeeper's cottage.
The trail to get to the lighthouse
We parked the car at the top of the trail and hiked down about 500 meters to the lighthouse. It was very rocky and going down was actually worse on the knees than climbing up the next morning. A single man operates the inn and restaurant at the lighthouse. He hires some help in the summer months but does most of the work himself. He has been doing this for 24 years. He is still in the process of renovating and updating the four guest suites. He is an amazing chef and treated us to a lovely salmon dinner. Only one other couple arrived later in the evening so we had all his attention most of the time. There is no Wi-Fi, no television, just nature. Very refreshing.
Low tide
The tides change every six hours. It can vary between 3 feet at low tide to 34 feet at high tide. And it happens quickly. Unfortunately, we only saw low tide. High tide was at 3:35 am. We did get up and go out to the cliffs but it was soooo dark, we were unable to see anything. We could hear the waves crashing on the cliffs but couldn't see a thing.
Sunset at Advocate Harbor
Thursday morning we drove to Charlottetown Prince Edward Island. There are only two ways to get to PEI - by ferry or drive across the Confederation Bridge. The bridge joins New Brunswick and PEI. The curved, 8-mile long bridge is the longest in the world crossing ice-covered water. The bridge took four years to build and opened in 1997. It takes 10 minutes to traverse.
Confederation Bridge
There is no fee to cross from New Brunswick but to return to the mainland, there is a $50.25 toll. It was a pleasant drive across Northumberland Strait. The promo signs for the bridge say "take the high road."
PEI was a delight. Our main goal was to visit Anne of Green Gables sites, which we did, and the rest of the island was so beautiful. Lots of rolling hills and picturesque farms, much like we see in Maine. We did see a lot of the devastation from Hurricane Fiona that has not been cleared away. I may have mentioned that we had planned this trip in September of 2022. We just didn't feel good about going and cancelled our plans. Hurricane Fiona hit the same weekend we had planned the trip. Tender mercies!
Lobster feast
Complete with placemat instruction on how to eat it. Lobster, not the placemat.
Friday was dedicated to Anne and lighthouses. We started in Cavendish, where the author lived with her grandparents and modeled all her stories after her life there.
Green Gables Heritage Center
Lucy Maud Montgomery was born in New London, Prince Edward Island. After her mother's death in 1876, she lived with her maternal grandparents in Cavendish until 1911, when she married and moved to Ontario. While living in Cavendish, she wrote her first novel, Anne of Green Gables (1908). I have been in love with Anne and PEI since I read the books as a young girl.
Display of the "Anne" books in the heritage Center
Lucy Maud's cousin's farmhouse
Lover's Lane
We drove through Prince Edward Island National Park, along the northern coast. We stopped at several lookout points to admire the ocean, my happy place. While researching a rock formation we saw, I learned something very interesting.
Teacup Rock - I took this picture
This is Teacup Rock before Hurricane Fiona
It was a large, impressive structure that narrowed at the center then widened at the base, like a cup and saucer. In September 2022 the teacup fell off the saucer during Hurricane Fiona. All that's left is the base of where it once stood.
North Rustico Lighthouse
We stopped at North Rustico Harbor for fish and chips lunch. We watched several fishing boats come in to unload their morning catch, then go back out to sea. This lighthouse was automated in 1960.
Canada's smallest province is only 140 miles long and 40 miles at its widest point. The deeply-indented coastline of sand dunes and red cliffs is home to 63 lighthouses and range lights. With an average one lighthouse for every 34 square miles, PEI has the highest concentration of lighthouses in North America.
My favorite lullaby
Our last stop for the day was the Cow's Creamery, Canada's best ice-cream (so they say). I haven't tasted all the ice-cream in Canada, but this was pretty good!
The cheese locker, taken through a window
Udder products offered at Cow's Creamery
We love you.
You love us.
We hope you enjoy our hospitality.
I can't remember this line
But if you marry one of us
You fly free!
When we were stopped at the gate he said "grab your stuff and get out!" I love a good sense of humor!
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