The Caves of St. Martins

Wishy washy. Typically this term refers to something soft, or fragile, or easy to push, move, and/or manipulate. There are however, times when wishy washy can be something more. In these times wishy washy can be a force of great strength.

I am referring to the wishy washyness of the great tides of the bay of Fundy. They have carved the landscape, and have turned harmless looking water into a powerful excavator.

It was about time we had a good look at this force by going northish from Saint John. I had been told by the people at work of a place on the way to St. Martins called Duck Pond. This place was evidently very beautiful, as the beach was a long bay that gave a stellar view when the sky was clear. We headed there first. In order to get to St. Martins at low tide we also had to go to Duck Pond at low tide, and this mean 10 am in the morning. For those of you who are not familiar with the Atlantic Ocean near Saint John, the land is very hot, and the ocean is very cold... this creates an almost impenetrable wall of fog nearly all the time. This is usually worsened at night and say... in the morning.

So. We went to the beautiful Duck Pond and found that it was, well... foggy. The first thing that we saw breaking through the fog was a sign of danger. Literally, it was a warning sign from the government staying that the mussels, oysters, and etc. in this area were actually poisonous with consumption resulting in paralysis. What a great start to the beautiful Duck Pond.

Paralytic Molluscs

The fog greatly dampened what we could see, but wee were still able to see some amazing things. The beach was still beautiful, and the tide was still out leaving all sorts of critters behind. Through the fog we could still see the wishy washy power of the ocean on red cliffs.

Wishy Washy Fog

When we investigated what the water had left behind we found more periwinkles than one could ever eat in one, or one-hundred, sittings, and mussels. There were so many periwinkles that where they ran out of rocks to cling onto they instead clung onto each other. Those that could not find rocks were racing across the beach in search of a solid shelter. It was like one of those great races against the Sahara with too much desert t cross, and not enough time...

The Land of Periwinkles

Grab my Hand!

The Amazing Race

Caravans

The Grand Canyon Jr.

Having seen enough of the foggy Duck Pond we continued onwards to St. Martins. We wanted to get there while the tide was still low to see some more wishy washy sites. St. Martins is known for its caves that have been warn away by the tides. It seemed like an adventure to me, so that is where we headed next.

At St. Martins the sky was clear and we could see the entire beach. It was made of similar rock to Duck Pond, and the tide had left similar critters behind. On foot we were able to explore the caves and take a look at what wonders the ocean had left us.

The Caves of St. Martins

The World Out There

A Cliffside Illusion

Having seen the sights it was about time to head home, but before we did, it was about time to get some food... standing at the cliffs and pondering a snack we noticed that we were in a near proximity to this sign:

World Famous Seafood Chowder!!!

This most definitely provided us with some ideas as to what we should have to eat and resulted in my trying a bowl full of some World Famous Seafood Chowder!!! Guess what? There is a reason that it is world famous... I mean, c'mon, lobster in a Seafood Chowder?! I can't believe I didn't think of that.

Full of heaps of chowder we began home.

It was on our way home that we noticed an interesting phenomenon. So, the Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world right? It kind of makes one wonder what happens to the boats when the tide comes in and out... heh... We figured it out...

Sitting on the Beach

A Summary of the Maritimes

Having seen plenty for one day we headed home... back to the fog... back to where wishy washy is wishy washy...

I will remember the wishy washy awesomeness...

Why I Love this Place...

Last time when Jerusalem was at the Car Doctor they determined that the sway bar links (whatever those are) might be broken. Sounding important I booked a follow up.

Today was that follow up.

I dropped off Jerusalem with three things in mind.

1. Take a look to confirm that it is in fact the sway bar links that are broken

2. Try to attach the bumper with something more lasting (and less visible to the fuzz) than rope

3. Check the fuses to see if the cigarette lighter can be fixed (for power, honest!)

I wandered off to get myself a haircut and left the Car Doctors to do their thing. They did, and before I even got my haircut I got a phone call. I walked back to the Clinic and listened intently for the results.

Turns out that the sway bar links are in fact not broken, but... all four should be replaced. With parts and labour that comes to say... four-hundred and twenty-four dollars!!! Uh... for a car that I paid one thousand dollars for it hardly seemed worth it. So I inquired further. "Are sway bar links important?" The mechanic went on about something to do with turning corners and I rephrased my question. "This car will probably be retiring in three months... are sway bar links important?"

The answer changed. Since they aren't broken, and Jerusalem will probably be out of my hands in a few months, sway bar links are not that important...

Great. Onto item two. The bumper. Turns out that the Car Doctors at this specific clinic did not want to take a whack at the bumper and referred my to a body shop. They explained to me where the shop is so I have no problem stopping by tomorrow after work to make an appointment.

Three. A fuse was in fact burned out so the mechanic replaced it. The cigarette lighter still does not work well, but the power outlet has recovered. Perfect.

I did not get a lot of work done, but I did take their time and had my wallet out ready to pay.

Final bill?

$0.00

They said that I give them enough work, so for this I owe them nothing... Oh, there are times when I just love the Maritimes. Thank you!

Oh yeah, and for anyone living in Saint John. If you ever need car repairs... Lansdowne NAPA Autopro!

Now I can call myself a Real Engineer

I took this Internship with the New Brunswick Southern Railway for a number of reasons. One reason was because I love trains. One reason was because it brings me a little closer to the world of Atlas Shrugged. And one reason was because upon my accepting the offer it was said that I could drive in a locomotive.

The first two reasons were good, but upon hearing the third on I was sold.

Being well into the Internship it was about time to get things rolling. I spoke to my boss and he made the arrangements. Last Thursday (yeah, yeah, I am a little delayed on the blog writing) I was picked up by one of our guys and driven out to McAdam.

You are saying you have never heard of McAdam, New Brunswick? Well... until I worked for NBSR, neither had I. I don't know how far away McAdam is from Saint John (I suppose I could Google it... but then again... so could you...). Anyways, we headed Southish towards St. Andrews and then turned into the booneys. We drove through nowhere and when we reached the middle ad were in McAdam. McAdam looks like it used to be more than it is now. It is my understanding that back when passenger trains ran the line McAdam was booming. Now, the passenger trains have left that line desolate and McAdam is a quiet little town without enough people to warrant a cell phone tower. The trains may have stopped, but the train station has been maintained as a tourist attraction and as a monument to when the middle of nowhere was the middle of somewhere.

McAdam Train Station

We arrived in McAdam a little bit early. I showed up at the resthouse (where the train crews sleep - home away from home) and it turned out that the train crew was in fact... sleeping. Actually, the Engineman was conscious, but the Brakeman (Conductor) was no where to be seen. Having time to spare I headed towards the train station. I took a look around and spoke with the girls manning (womanning) the station. I said I explained that I did not have much time in McAdam and wondered what there was to see. She said I could probably see most of the town in half an hour. She asked what I was doing there and I told her that I was on the next train out. I received a blank look as the proceeded to ask if I was aware that there had not been a passenger train on those tracks in decades. I informed her I was aware.

McAdam Train Station

I headed out to McAdam to see what I could see. Turns out that the girl at the train station was right; you could see most of McAdam in about half an hour. I wandered about but soon had to head back to the resthouse. One thing that I found amazing was that there is a Masonic Lodge in McAdam. Evidently many of the small towns in that area have Lodges and other like associations.

Downtown McAdam

Masons

Cook's

After returning to the resthouse I found that the Brakeman had awoken and we now has a full train crew. We were just waiting for the train to roll into town. It did not take long before we got the call and piled into the car to drive to the station. We drove down, got out, and arrived just in time to watch the train pull in to the McAdam station.

My Train Rolls In

I got to watch as the guys prepared the train to go. The crews switched over and then with a joint effort the two train crews attached the appropriate cars. I watched the train go back and forth as it went up one set of tracks and then down another, collecting the cars as it went. One thing that I found interesting was when the train went up one set of tracks and then I saw the Brakeman hanging off of the edge of a car. The car was rolling down the tracks and it was connected to three other cars. He waved to me as he went by and it took me a moment to realize that there was no engine attached to those cars... he was riding them as if with magic... I like to call that kind of magic gravity, but for a moment I was seriously shocked and awed. Now I am just awed.

Brakeman Magic

With the train ready to go all was ready. Our train was 4020 feet long and called 2317, after the name of the lead engine. It was 4ish in the afternoon and finally time to go. We all piled into the engine and were on our way. As we pulled through McAdam we were going slowly, but as soon as we cleared the town we began to pick up speed. It was not long before we hit the speed limit of 40 miles per hour and were roaring down the tracks. We were literally roaring, locomotives are not the quietest of vehicles. Roaring away the Engineman switched off our locomotive to let the two behind us do the work.

From then on we just got to sit and relax as we cruised through nowhere, leaving the middle, and heading towards somewhere. I was told that it is quite common to see moose on these trips. This was not a shock to me as it appeared as if we were going through one bid swamp. It was about then that the Brakeman told me that if you take a straight path from McAdam to Saint John just about everything in-between is swamp.

We were now definitely in nowhere. The only thing that could be seen were railroad tracks ahead of us and behind (for as far as the eye could see), and abandoned power lines. There was a certain kind of peace in the seclusion of being nowhere, and a certain satisfaction in knowing that it was only us out there.... us and the mooses.

Lines to Nowhere

We continued along the powerlines and noticed that they were in various states of decay. Some were tipped over. Some still had cables attached. Some had insulators. Some were standing if brand new... but then the ones beside would be all busted. I was told that the wires were worthless because they were steel-coated-copper lines as opposed to copper but that there was still something of interest here. Insulators. Evidently the insulators had been replaced over the years, but in some places there are still original insulators, and those ones are marked CPR. As we drove along the Brakeman asked me... "want one?"

I have yet to turn down an adventure, and so this was one I would not turn down.

In nowhere, the 2317 pulled to a stop and we piled down to the tracks. There was a tipped over powerline there and still with an original insulator. The Brakeman was down into the bushes before you could blink, and after the blink was done he was back on the tracks. In his hand he held a CPR marked insulator... for me.

Salvaged Memento

CPR Insulator

Booty in hand we resumed our voyage.

Lake

We continued through the wilderness without seeing a soul for some time, but eventually we saw signs of man again. We could see the highway running up against the track and in the distance we could see houses. I was sitting in the Brakeman's chair so that I could see out the window and out that window I could see people enjoying a beautiful day. There, standing in the distance was a little girl... waving.

I was frozen. I saw here waving but I did not know what do to. "Wave," said the Engineman. "Wave," said the Brakeman. "Wave!" The both said. Finally figuring it out I pulled my hand into action and waved back to the little girl. I could see her pleasure from my simple action and I found myself filled with something unfamiliar... a warm fuzzy feeling. As we continued down the tracks more people waved, and I was more than happy to wave back.

On our way we caught glimpses of a town in the distance, and a thousand other beautiful sights.

A Town in the Distance

While we were still in nowhere the Engineman asked if I wanted to try and drive. Before I talk about this let's get this straight. I was not left alone driving, I had someone over my shoulder standing at the emergency break at all times just in case. That said, I was sitting in the Engineman's chair and I was using all of the controls. It is relatively easy to drive a train in the basic sense, I mean, it runs on a track so steering is not an issue... but, there are other challenges. Carrying around the better part of a mile of freight means that there are a lot of cars bumping around, so if you go down a hill your cars are likely to bump you from behind as they come down after you. If you put on the brakes all the cars are likely to squish together, potentially damaging them. I was taught the basics of how to keep the train stretched out, and what to do when going over a hill.

Some of the most exciting parts were when we got to railway crossings. Then I got to pull whistle. It is definitely fun to come up to a crossing, and pull the whistle to let everyone know we are coming, and then to wave out the window as you go by.

Now I am a real Engineer!

The Train

As we reached civilization the Engineman took over, which is probably wise since I was shocked that I had not already crashed the train.

Back in civilization we had reached were we were doing work on the tracks. This means we got to drive passed all of the equipment from our gangs. This also meant that track speed was down to 10 miles per hour. With nothing that we could do, we brought the train down to 10 MPH and continued on towards Saint John.

Saint John

It was 8:30 pm when we rolled into the Yard. It was an amazing day, and one that I will not soon forget. I can now call myself an Engineer, and mean it, and I will always have that salvaged keepsake from CPR's abandoned powerlines.

Thank you Chris and Ricky; it was a great day.

Home Sweet Home

p.s. Check out my album here to see all of my NBSR photos, including a number of photos of my trip from the Brakeman's seat.

Inspections!

So... I have never been exposed to this stuff, but evidently, there are random vehicle inspections here in Saint John. I suppose it makes sense with the annual vehicle inspections but it is not something that I would expect.

I was on my way home from work and noticed that one lane was backed up. I switched into the not backed up lane thinking that everyone in the other lane was turning right, it was rush hour after all... I guess not everyone was turning right.

As I finally got to where my lane was backed up and pulled to a stop I heard a voice through my window. There was a friendly Saint Johnner calling to me. He was cursing lightly about the the road block up ahead. "Road block?!" I asked. Evidently the cops just park their cars in the middle of the road at random times and ask to check your paperwork. I suppose this makes things a little safer with all of the impending vehicle breakdowns due to an enormous amount of salt damage but still... irritating much? The Saint Johnner let me go in ahead of him and I joined the queue.

I did not think much of it until I got close to the front. Uh... my bumper is being held on by rope... I wonder if the cops would overlook that... probably not...

Just when I was starting to worry I noticed the line starting to move... the cops had decided that it was time to move on and fortunately it was before I got there... I saw the fuzz breaking up and we got through scott free.

Well... everything happens for a reason, and I think that this whole experience was a sign from God/The Universe/Evolution that I should take Jerusalem into the Car Doctor. I don't need the bumper fixed... I just need it to stay on without super conspicuous ropes being attached... so... yeah...

Appointment booked. Crisis averted. Take that the fuzz.

Pfffffftttt...

The people here do not swim in the ocean. For the most part they think that it is too cold. I've swam in colder. I've cliff jumped into the frozen depths of of the Rocky Mountains. I've forded frigid glacial streams. I've swam in a lake still covered in ice.

When the water is cold enough, it isn't. You jump in and your skin is not cold - it's on fire. The first thing that courses through you is not the burning sensation of your nerves shocked in the cold, but the feeling that all the weight on the world has fallen on your chest.

That said, the people here do not swim in the ocean because it is too cold... pfffffffttt.

Don't get me wrong...the Bay of Fundy is not warm water, but its no glacier. On a sunny day it would be great for a refreshing dip. Unfortunately, on the water we don't seem to get many sunny days. Saint John is usually covered in a thick fog that extends from the shore up until about our house. We are sometimes in the fog and sometimes out. Driving towards it you can see a great wall of darkness. The fog looms on the shore like a mysterious mire.

So mire me in! We were on the beach hunting more of those highly exotic and dangerous Periwinkles when I had the urge to swim. I mean, we were on the beach, and after all, it is always warm at the beach!

It was warm... and foggy... and mirey... and... wet.

So off I went into the water. It was cold. It was very cold. However, it did not cool my body. My skin felt it, but my body remained warm. To make sure it was a real swim I dove under. I was a little concerned about rocks under the surface, but I carefully took the plunge.

This photo was recorded to record my moments of glory...

Tourists!

My only regret... I was not wearing my Speedo.

Next time...

Next time.

PEI Day 4

We were up early again, but this time it was a different purpose. We needed to pack up the camp and get ready to go. We did all that, and even before the required check out time. We had now seen the middleish part of PEI and the eastern part of PEI, but had not yet checked out the west. Luckily there was still time.

Knowing we had to get back to Saint John we did not have tons of time, but we had a few hours to kill. We went back to the information centre and picked up some of that red drink that Anne of Green Gables drinks... Raspberry Cordial... or something.... and then headed west. We drove along the coast for most of the time and were wowed, as always, by the beautiful views.

We cut across the island until we were on the southern shore. We were looking for the bottle house on our way back to the bridge. The bottle house is a set of buildings constructed completely out of glass bottles. When the man who did this started recycling did not exist, so he went to the dump every week to try and find more glass bottles. It is actually quite amazing what he was able to do with a little mortar and plenty of glass.

Inside the Chapel

A House from the Outside

Inside the House

Art

Aware of our timing we did not doddle too long and continue down the coast. We did stop however in a provincial park. We got out of the car, walked to the beach, and for the first time since we had arrived on PEI we stood in warm water. Sure, they say the Gulf of St. Lawrence is warmer than the Atlantic near Saint John, but really, a little warmer than frigid is not great. The waters in the Northumberland Strait however are much much much warmer. We had the strong urge to go for a swim, but were bound by the realities of having to drive home.

The Road to Heaven

It was not long before we were at the bridge and were paying our $42.50 to leave the island. Over the bridge and on the long road back to Saint John. It was long, seemingly long at least because the temperatures inland were outrageous and Jerusalem's air conditioner doesn't seem to uh... work... Whatever.

The rest of Jerusalem did work, and we did make it home.

It was a good long weekend. We saw a great many things and did some things that we will remember forever. I guess it took a week to write about it here, but you can't rush greatness.

If anyone ever has any questions about where I have been because they want more information to do it themselves please e-mail me. I am not very good at including all of the formal names and locations of places...

Until the next adventure...

4000 Visitors!!!

Yay, after only one year 4000 different people have checked out this blog... we are only 348,031,140 visitors behind Post Secret so keep up the great work!!!

Don't forget to spam your family and friends with the URL... http://stepsofforeignsoil.blogspot.com/... don't forget...

PEI Day 3

We woke, ripped and ready to go... well... sort of. Turns out that trying to do everything you can on a trip is kind of tiring, and by this point we were starting to feel it. It was a late night, and because of the screaming ankle biters at the campground it was an early morning. We had our customary bacon and eggs and then set out to complete what we could not the day before.

Due to our Jerusalem related issues we did not complete going through the National Park. This might have been ok, but when we asked the campground guy where the best beaches were to see... he said there. So we borrowed the park pass for another day and headed back to where we left off.

We did not stop at every little beach to see what was there, but we stopped at plenty, and the campground man was right. The beaches were spectacular. The sand on PEI is killer soft, and more often than not it is bright red. On one of our stops we came across a lonely lighthouse with a plaque on the side. It spoke of the "Yankee Gale" which was an enormous storm starting October 3, 1951. The storm wrecked at least 74 ships and killed at least 150 crew.

Lighthouse

Out of the park, we had spent a significant time in the middleish part of PEI. That was great, but we had aspirations of seeing as much of the island as possible. We took to the highway and began to drive east. We marveled at the countryside as we continued further east and eventually made it to the coast. We stopped in a town called Souris to grab some ham and bread and then continued on to the first beach we could find. We set up our camping chairs and settled in for an enjoyable lunch while we watched the ferry pull out on its way to Nova Scotia.

It was a good afternoon but we were running out of time for the day's main events. We headed to Charlottetown once again. In the city we had a few minutes to walk around, but the only thing that we really saw was that we needed more time to see the city. Some of the glaring sights were in our line of view, but Charlottetown certainly has much more to offer than we took her for.

St. Dunstan's Bascilica

War Memorial

"Erected by the citizens of Charlottetown in memory of those

from Prince Edward Island who gloriously laid down their

lives in the Great War and honour forevermore

of those who served therein"

Inscription (From In Flanders Fields)

"To you from failing hands we throw

the torch be yours to hold it high."

Church

Running our of time we headed to the water. We were to meet a lobster fisherman who would take us on his boat. The season was over, but we would still get a chance to see how the fishermen did there job, and to learn about lobster.

The Captain's name was Mark and he and his First Mate Cody welcomed us to the Top Notch. The boat had recently been converted from being ready to fish to being ready to host tours (a metamorphosis that occurs every year) with a canopy over the deck and two picnic tables on board. Us and the other couple boarded and then we were on our way.

The first trap that they took us to (and hauled out of the water) was filled with crabs. The crabs were bycatch from the lobster season as they crawled into the trap with the lobster. The fishermen are allowed to keep the crabs in the trap until the crabbing season starts, but their value is minimal at best. We still had the opportunity to pick up the crabs and see how the lobster trap worked.

Crab Trap

We learned some very interesting things about the lobster industry. A fisherman needs a licence to fish lobster. No new licences are ever issued to help preserve the industry. That means that new lobster fishermen need to buy a licence from a retiring fisherman. These often cost five-hundred-plus thousand dollars. Once the fisherman has the licence that does not mean he can set his traps anywhere. The lobster industry is self-policing in that the fishermen have divvied up the areas. If you bought a licence, you could fish where that fisherman fished, but if you put your traps in another area, they will "magically" disappear. Fishermen on PEI are allowed 300 traps and often work hours like 3:00 am until 3:00 pm. Female lobsters with eggs must be thrown back as well as lobsters that are too small.

Red Lobster

Lobsters of the Top Notch

We also learned something else that is interesting. Not all lobster are red (or whatever browny colour they are in the wild). There are also lobster that are red while they are still alive (see below), and there are blue lobster. We had the pleasure of seeing a red lobster which is a 1 in a 100,000 phenomenon, and we saw a picture of a blue lobster. A blue lobster is an albino, and in 8 years of fishing Mark has only ever caught one. In the end they all turn red when they are cooked, but it is interesting to see.

We pulled out one more trap, and inside was a 13 lb lobster. One interesting point is that scientists do not know how long lobsters live. It is actually possible that lobsters can live indefinitely due to an ability to not only regenerate their limbs, but their organs, and DNA. The largest lobster ever caught was 44.4 lbs (caught in Nova Scotia) and they believe that it was possibly well over 100 years old. This lobster, Willy, was huge and must have been many years old, especially when you consider that the lobster you get at the supermarket could already be over 7 years old!

Lighthouse from the Cove

We pulled the Top Notch into a calm cove and settled in for supper. While we waited Mark and Cody prepared our supper. On PEI they eat their lobster cold, so when in Rome...

Lobster Dinner

I have eaten my fair share of lobster, but not everyday like a lobster fisherman, so when Mark offered to shell my lobster I could not resist. When I do it, it is a huge disaster. I get the meat out, but the collateral damage is well... my kitchen... Mark graciously let me film his shelling. He said that everyone does it differently, but his method is certainly better than mine.

How to Shell a Lobster - Captain Mark

If you ever make it to PEI I highly recommend this tour. It is well worth the price. For more information click here.

The View

Saying good-bye to a fantastic supper and fantastic view we were ushered back to the Charlottetown harbour. We made it back to Jerusalem and had to drive half nearly all of the way across PEI to get to the campground!

20 minutes later we returned. I had a fire with some hot dogs and smores and then headed to bed.

PEI Day 2

After a long night of torrential downpours we woke up. The tent held true and there was only one spot were a few drops of water managed to sneak in. I headed out into the world and build the fire that we didn't have the night before. It did not take long for me to crack out the fry pan to start cooking up some bacon and eggs.

We started things off by heading to Cavendish, home of Green Gables. This actually did not mean that much to me, but for those who have read/watched Anne of Green Gables this is a big big deal. The first thing we saw was the house that the author (Lucy Maud Montgomery) lived in. So the house is gone... but we visited a very nice hole! Actually the grounds are still maintained and were very beautiful. It is easy to see where she drew some of her inspiration. We then traveled just a few minutes away to Green Gables.

Green Gables

As I said, this might have meant more to me if I had been more immersed in the Anne of Green Gables stories, but it was a long time ago since my sisters sat me down to watch the movies with them and to be honest, I can't remember much. I think I will be super excited once I watch the movies... once I find a copy... uh... working on it...


Anyways. After we had our fill of the Cavendish area we decided to immerse ourselves in some of PEI's natural beauty by going to PEI National Park. PEI is known for its red soil and we found no shortage of that. The beaches were vast and were quickly filling up with people. The weather was still testy due to the storms the night before, but the Islanders were out in hordes (despite the frigidity of the waters of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence).

Red Cliffs of PEI

The beaches are covered in a very soft sand rise into great dunes. The dunes are covered in a tall grass and stretch along the coast. Far off the sandy dunes transition into red cliffs that cover much of the shores of the Cavendish area. We drove along the beaches and then atop the red cliffs. We managed to pull over every once in a while for me to wander around on the sand looking for treasures... or periwinkles...

Down the Cliff

The Littlest Periwinkle

Bottom of the Cliff

It was on one of these little walk abouts that faithful Jerusalem was well... less faithful. Allow me to paint the picture for you... Us, just pulling off of the main road in the park and into a less frequently traveled area to wander around. Hopping out, looking at this, and plenty of that, and then returning to Jerusalem. Doors open, closed, seat-belts on, key in the ignition, and turned, and the motor turning over... and the motor turning over... and the motor turning over? Why on earth is nothing happening... That dear friends is when the sinking feeling hits. The key turns but we get nothing but some clicking sound... Battery... gah... Location? Middle of nowhere.

So, out we hop and pop open the hood. The battery looks like it was hit by an atomic bomb with corrosion all over the electrodes, but... well... I bought it that way and it has worked so far. We continued to gaze hopelessly for a few moments when by chance another car pulled by. It was an older gentleman traveling with his wife and a friend from Ontario. In a thick (Eastern European) accent he asked if we were having car troubles. We assured him that we were and he jumped into good Samaritan mode with aims to save us from our woes.

Long story short we managed to scrape off enough of the corroded batter electrodes to get jumper cables attached. With some reluctance my dear Jerusalem sprang back to life.

Resurrected.

How I love helpful strangers. The man packed up his cables and the crew prepared to leave. Before taking off the man's wife came to our open window and offered some advice. She said that her husband's philosophy is that if you can help, you should. And it was that philosophy that drove him to save our day.

I will remember that.

Jerusalem purring along we booked it out of the park and towards Charlottetown. As we entered North Rustico we saw a mechanic. Not believing in chance or coincidence I thought that this was a sign and that we should stop in right away. We pulled in to the parking lot and I hopped out to talk with the mechanic (while leaving Jerusalem running... thank God I didn't stall). I told the mechanic that I had an urgent issue that I really needed addressed. He asked if it was small and I assured him it was. Right then. Right there. He managed to squeeze us in.

Right Then, Right There - New Rustico Mechanic

$20 and 30 minutes later the battery was tested (and pronounced alive and well), and the electrodes were replaced. With the connection restored Jerusalem was not only resurrected, but cured!

If we were 10 minutes later the good Samaritan would not have been there to boost us. If we did not stop in North Rustico, who knows if we would ever have found another mechanic to squeeze us in. Everything happened as it should, and it was all perfect.

Running perfectly on time we headed straight for Charlottetown. This weekend was Charlottetown's Annual Summerfest and we had means to attend; at least for one night. Surprisingly we did not get lost as we followed the roads into Charlottetown's core and then found a lucky parking space (1 in a 1000).


The Summerfest has all sorts of fun things. There are lots of things for kids, such as face painting, and those blow up castles you can bounce around, and a climbing wall, and there are lots of things for adults, such as a busker circle, lumberjack competitions, and a petting zoo!


We wandered around a bit trying to figure out what to do when the petting zoo called our names. Naturally petting all sorts of strange animals sound like a pretty good adventure to me... but so does taking my picture with all sorts of strange animals. I do have an affinity for taking my photo with strange nouns (people, places, or things) so this was right up my alley. I have a number of photos in this category, and this definitely fits in there...

Me and an Ostrich

I should also make honourable mention of this beast here. I did not get a photo with it but I must include it because I have no idea what kind of animal it is. It looks like some kind of cow... thing... I shall call it a... Flogamopatrops...

Flogamopatrops

Following our run in with nature we watched a busker juggle with fire. His show was directed at children but there were definitely a few jokes in there for the benefit of adults.

Fire Juggler

The next event was definitely a highlight. I have seen lumberjack competitions on television, but not in person. This was a real live lumberjack competition, with real live lumberjacks!!! For those of you who have not seen the competitions they race at doing all sorts of lumberjack type things, like throwing axes, and cutting with axes, and cutting with saws, and cutting with chain saws, and climbing, and log rolling, and etc. I'll not bore you with my descriptions, but it was an amazing show, and very well performed. I have two movies for you below that should give you an idea of what we were privileged enough to see. If you want more information you can check out the West Coast Lumberjack Show's website though it is currently under construction.

Climbing Lumberjacks

Logrolling Lumberjacks

Our final event for the evening was a show put on by Cirque du Soleil. This was the first time I had ever seen them and I will say that I was amazed. So amazed that I did not record a single second of their performance. That is probably some kind of stupidity, but I will call it... engrossment. Incredible. Jugglers, stilts, crazy-ropey-ribbony-things from the ceiling, acrobats, fire, and an overall great time.


Just to prove I was there I managed to sneak one photo...

Cirque du Soleil

I highly recommend that if ever the opportunity arises, that you (yes you) check out any of their shows. Truthfully, awe-some.


Back in the revived steed we returned to our campsite in New Glasgow. Late, and tired we turned in for the night; finishing a long day, and preparing for another...