Monday, July 23, 2007

I'm Running Out of Cute Titles

Yesterday afternoon started out cloudy, but turned very sunny and warm. I went to Gaspereau Valley Fibres just outside of Wolfville (about an hour northwest of Halifax) to stock up on spinning supplies for this week of practice. I met the owner, Brenda, coming from the barn with a basket of fleece to prepare. Inside the wool shop, I was helped by a very nice lady named Jali.



The haul (left to right): Blue Faced Leicester, a bag of dyed wool top, dyed merino (mostly brown but with green, purple and pink bits), and a baby camel/tussah silk blend that scares me just to look at. I’m saving the camel/tussah for the actual workshop next week.


On the way back to Halifax I thought I’d stop at Grand Pre at the National Historic Site, since it was just down the road from Wolfville. This is a site commemorating the Acadian culture and exile. The Acadians (for my American readers) were French settlers living in Nova Scotia after the British took over the area. After decades of living as neutrals, they were rounded up and deported in 1755. Those that survived wound up all over the world, including Louisiana, where the word "‘Cadian" evolved into "Cajun". A few managed to escape the roundup, and some eventually made it back to Nova Scotia from afar. Longfellow wrote a famous poem about it called Evangeline. Although Evangeline is a fictional character, she has come to represent the exile.
I happened to stumble across Acadian Day, with free admission and cultural activities.




Model of the dikes the Acadians used to reclaim coastal swampland.







Acadian dancers.







Memorial chapel and gardens.










Evangeline statue.










Back in Halifax, I checked into the dorm at Dalhousie University. Does this take me back about two decades! Hauling my suitcase and spinning wheel up to the second floor reminded me of my age, however. Also, I had forgotten how empty a dorm room is! I have a double, though, so I’ve already spread out my stuff and settled in for the week, with room to practice my spinning in the evenings.

Lunenburg and Mahone Bay
This morning I drove down the coast to Lunenburg, a town settled by mostly German immigrants. It was a fun place to walk around.




Figurehead #1.









Fishermen's Memorial, Lunenburg.










Psalm 107:23














There are some pillars with blank spaces left for future names.








Figurehead #2.












This one's for the Queen Bee and Princess Sage.










This one's for Lacy.










Then it was on to Mahone Bay for lunch. This is a pretty town with lots of artisans and craftspeople. Not too packed with tourists – at least on a mostly-cloudy Monday. I was surprised to find (gasp) that it had a yarn store. No more Fleece Artist purchases, though.


My favorite Canadian road sign. Although it makes me smile (is it calling all puzzled people?), it means that a visitor information centre is near, which means helpful people, maps, and clean washrooms.



Spinning practice tonight.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

HI, Sarah!

Very cool stuff! I continue to enjoy the lobster references...

What kind of dog did the dog hair come from? My sis-in-law spun hair collected from her Samoyed and it made really nice yarn.

It will be very good to have you home again soon. We miss you!

Love, Anita