18-21 August: Mission Film Noir Possible and Yo Joe.

18 August: Deliver the Target
(Cue slow quiet repetitive jazz music) I woke up before mom, got some things together, and had breakfast. Cereal with cinnamon and milk. Something for my stomach to ruminate on life with. 

    At 5am, I woke her so she could get ready…for seeing her potential third husband. At 525am, us and Cookie went down to the car. We were not observed and drove nearly fifty minutes to the dark edge of a nearly empty Sobey’s parking lot in Tantallon. Only the early shift at the grocery store had gotten here earlier. The other vehicle was there…waiting. Was I too late?

    I stopped behind it and slowly exited the car. A woman came out of the passenger side, saying something softly to the man driving. Removing a large practical pack, she shut the door and approached.

    Opening the trunk, she laid her bag inside. “Ready?”, I said. 

    “Ready,” she replied with a look like five pounds of anticipation in a three pound bag.

    “You’re in the back, with Cookie.”

    My sister said with false surprise, “Oh. Couldn’t leave him alone, eh?” I nodded in the affirmative. I couldn’t refute her question nor the way she said it. It was the better choice not to answer with words. We got in and I played the chauffeur to the airport.

    As we went, my sister went over the itinerary. It sounded fun, especially the zoo. It would be just the one plane ride to reach Toronto, the big balloon of a city with its big pointy needle. A city on the edge of a potential kerplow. They would be there for three nights and on the third night mom would see him, Mr. Sheeran. He would sing for her like his life depended on it, if he knew what was good for him. 

    I, on the other hand, would be dog-sitting for a half blind and half deaf 18-year-old dog with separation anxiety. A tough mission, but I traveled across the country to do it. The pay was good. Molasses cookies.

    At the airport I helped with mom’s bag and we wished each other a safe and pleasant time. Myself and Cookie headed back to Mom’s place. (Cue high tempo yet tentative music that drops away as my car rides into the early dawn)

18-20: (Back to your regularly scheduled travelog) My moments away from Cookie were limited during these three days. I couldn’t take Cookie into many stores and I couldn’t leave him alone for more than 2-3 hours.

    What I did was quick and direct shopping with little exploring. Groceries were bought for my lunches and suppers, including stopping at the intriguing Fresh Cuts market. Giant Tiger and the biggest darn Great Canadian Dollar Store I had ever seen were visited, and yet only bought one thing there, were two other places I explored. Also on my list were two thrift stores, a liquor store (for a nice NS blueberry wine and an Amaro I hadn’t tried). At the liquor store I also saw a bottle of something I always laugh at…Great White wine. The bottle is huge, inexpensive, 20% alcohol, and if memory serves it tastes like very substandard sweet wine. It has been run by Peller Estate since 1965 in Truro Nova Scotia. BTW the "winery" is in an industrial park.

    There was one stop that really impressed me. Lanzalot Game Store in Blockhouse, between the highway and Lunenberg. It's a converted old red house. Boardgames, puzzles, and the cashier are on the ground floor. Miniatures and terrain are on the second floor. Storage and office are on the third (not open to the public). I spent a fun hour and a half looking around and chatting with the owner, recently retired from the military. 

    Nearby I quickly purchased two French pasties from Boulangerie La Vendéenne. One was an apple tartlet and the other was a chocolate croissant. Delicious.

    A purchase I made in one of the thrift stores I didn’t hesitate to buy. It was pure nostalgia from the past. The first animated G.I. Joe cartoons, for the five-episode miniseries that aired in September 1983…The M.A.S.S Device. I had some of the toys when I watched the series, which aired one episode a day during the week. My friends would rush to our homes, after school, to see each one. I remember thinking it was awesome with good guys (and good women) vs bad guys (and bad women). Great action and spy stuff. The series rested comfortably within my heart and mind. For $2.50 how can you go wrong, right?

    Then…when I came back home…I watched it for the first time since it aired. My young mind didn’t acknowledge the glaring plot holes, multiple MacGuffins, random Deux Ex Machina's, and blatant product placement to sell toys. I will still have warm fuzzy nostalgia for it, but I now can acknowledge its faults. Speaking of product placement, I have a funny story about the many cartoons and toys of the 1980’s.
When Ronald Regan was elected President, he initiated many pro-business deregulations to support his trickle-down economics. Before, cartoons linked to toys were considered advertising by the FCC and stations had to log them as part of allowable advertising time. This meant those kinds of shows were few and far between. With the loosening of these regulations under Regan, major toy companies rushed to have half-hour shows made to help sell their toys. After school time and Saturday mornings became video babysitters for parents at the expense of a demand for toy purchases. Each show added friendly messaging to provide an educational/moral lesson, to abide by new FCC regulations. When the Children’s Television Act of 1990 was passed, these toy driven shows faded into the background. The TV cartoons of the 80’s may have been market driven, but they were certainly memorable.

    During my time babysitting Cookie, I also took him on longer and longer walks to get more exercise. It was nice seeing him romping in the grass with a satisfied smile and reliving his youth.

21: Accepting the Target
(Cue frantic jazz at moderate volume) Around 9pm I got the message. They were back in Halifax. I drove to the arranged pickup spot, exit 7, for the handoff.
It was dark and remote and perfect. When I shut off the car, the animals voiced their eternal challenges and complaints to anyone who could hear them. The moon, as tired as I was, hid its many cratered eyes behind a blanket of dark clouds.

    A truck came up from behind. I tapped my brakes in code. I stepped out and greeted my contact. She said fun was had and my mother saw her potential third husband from afar, but there was no proposal. Ed Sheeran was already married. Mom said she enjoyed herself and that’s what mattered. The mission was a partial success.

    With my mom seated in the car and her bag in the trunk, we headed off to her home. I took a slightly longer way home. I said it was because I was throwing off a tail, but really, it was because I got lost. It mattered not. My stay in Bridgewater was soon to end. (Cue a slow horn solo that sounds like a lullaby)

16-17 August: Entrepreneurial Spirit, New French Capitol, and Preparing for Another Trip.

16 August: After breakfast and chatting we went downstairs with Cookie, mom’s dog. He’s 18 years old, mostly blind and mostly deaf. 

    We went to the car with a blanket, spread it out in the back seat, buckled Cookie in, and went to LaHave. Mom wanted to show me the bakery there. It was an impressive building, by the harbour, and has some history.

It was built in 1901, by the Boehner brothers, as a shipping and fish plant supply shop. It changed hands many times, became run down in the 70’s, and was bought by Gail and Mike Watson in 1983. After starting to fix it up, their investor friends pulled out and Mike had to go South on long haul fishing ships. Gail turned to one of the previous businesses here and started the LeHave Bakery, which became a hit through her hard work. With the extra space, Gail leased the rest of the building out and only asked for 30% of the entrepreneur’s profits instead of rent. Inside there is the bakery, cafe and sit down lunch place, craft and art store, book store, and several thrift shops specializing in clothing. It has become an attraction for locals and visitors. I could see why my mom liked it as it had a little of everything and was nice to walk through. We each had a ham and swiss sandwich, which was delicious.

We were about to head back when I checked my phone. I put a pin at a lighthouse a short distance away when I was doing research before this trip. Mom was interested so we drove about seven minutes away. Once we arrived, I saw that the lighthouse had a bonus. It was the site of the first capital of New France from 1632-1636, called Fort Sainte Marie de Grace. This was before Port Royal, now Annapolis Royal, became the capital of New France. 

There was a BBQ going on outside the lighthouse to make folks aware of disaster preparedness. They had portable short wave radio antennas up and kiosks open for educating the public. I read through the signs by the shore on the history of the fort while mom tried to enter the lighthouse museum. After I finished reading, she was sitting by the lighthouse steps as they don’t permit dogs inside. I asked her if it was alright to quickly see the inside and that perhaps she’d like to look at the kiosks. 

The museum was well organized and researched. I found out about this place and of Acadian history in the area. Lots of pictures were taken so I could read through them later and find out more if interested.

        On the way back we completed another errand then I wrote more in my travel journal while mom and Cookie rested. Mid-afternoon we all got into the car to travel to Tantallon, near Peggy’s Cove, for another reunion. My sister, and her husband Danny, were hosting a BBQ for us as well as my nephew Brodie and his new girlfriend. We chatted and got caught up on what each of us were doing. Adjourning inside to eat, on the menu were chicken burgers, corn, and hodgepodge (garden vegetable soup with cream broth). It was good to spend time with everyone and have time in person, rather than using remote conversation tools.

        We left around 8pm, so that everyone could get ready for work tomorrow. Mom and I relaxed until 930, when I felt the need for sleep to replenish my sleep batteries. 3.5km walked and 3 stories climbed.

17 August: Not much done today except helping mom complete last minute purchases and her giving me the rundown on food and facilities like laundry. After helping some of mom’s friends assemble a puzzle, we went downstairs for a supper of sweet and sour meatballs on rice with carrots. Mom and I went to bed early because someone was traveling and it wasn’t me this time.

15 August: A Goodbye and Plans Change.

Early…oh so early…we woke at 215am. Quick ablutions completed, I carried our luggage down three flights of stairs to load them into the car. After a last check of our room, I grabbed our breakfast wraps (provided by Postmaster’s B&B) and we were off to the airport.

        Checking into Air Canada (AC), for our separate flights, was smooth and the rental key drop-off was as simple as letting the keys fall into the box slot. Security was light and we walked to a spot where we could sit and just be together for a time. We would be apart for two weeks. Many variations of “I’ll miss you” were said with emotive glances sent back and forth. Then, always too soon, it was time.

        I escorted my wife to her gate for a 5am departure. With hugs and kisses she went to show her ticket and ID then entered the passageway to board her plane. Next stop for her was Toronto then a connecting flight to Victoria.

I found a spot near my gate, had the breakfast wrap, and wrote/typed my travelogue. I had a lot to catch up on yet another part of my brain also needed to catch up on something else. Sleep. I fought hard to stay awake by walking the length of St. John’s airport and back, which worked for thirty minutes. 

There was an announcement. My flight, which was supposed to leave at 7am, was delayed until 8am. The reason was crew delay. When we went through security, my wife and I noticed that the only flight cancelled was the arriving AC flight from Montreal. Now I wondered if that flight was the one that I was to take to go to Halifax. Sure enough, after another hour, there was an announcement that the passengers on the flight to Halifax would now be travelling with Porter Air at 9am. Yay?

I continued being active to stay awake, boarded the plane, got settled, and promptly fell asleep. I was nudged awake for breakfast, as I had asked the flight attendant to do so, and after finishing the food went back to sleep. I needed it as I would be renting a car once the plane landed.

Once landed the baggage retrieval and car rental went quick. I phoned mom, to let her know I landed and my ETA. After a Costco stop, I went to Walmart to get a cell phone holder to help navigate without looking down at my phone on the passenger seat. After following directions, I arrived in Bridgewater (near Lunenburg) and buzzed her room at the independent living seniors home. While I waited, I could see residents enjoying putting puzzles together, playing pool, or chatting in a large open gathering space. Looked nice inside and out. Modern, but not cold.

No answer. Just voice mail. I phoned her cell…nothing. What the heck? She said to go to the main entrance and buzz her. What gives? I waited, then tried both numbers again. Then again. 

Being worried I buzzed the main desk and let the person know who I was trying to contact, mom’s room number, I was expected, and my concern. The lady paused then told me my mom would be right down. When mom arrived, she told me there was a main entrance, one level up and adjacent to the main road, and she was waiting there for me. Regardless of the lack of detailed instructions that this was the plan she took me around to show me the building and also showed me off to some friends and staff. She signed me in using a tablet at the main entrance and we went upstairs to her room.

She showed me around the nice one-bedroom apartment, took her dog Cookie out for a bathroom break, and we went back downstairs to the parking lot so we could drive around for some errands mom needed to do. We chatted while driving around and again once back at her place. For supper she paid for my meal in the common dining room and we ate with her friends. The conversation around the dinner table was about how well mom is getting used to the place, what I did for work before I retired, and what places I went to in Newfoundland.

After getting back to mom’s room, we chatted some more until my internal energy reserve approached empty. I flossed, brushed, and expanded my portable air mattress to sleep on the couch while mom went into her room to read. 4.6 km.

14 Aug: I Wanna Rock, more Rabble, and Packed like Mackerel.

Today, after a full English breakfast at our B&B, it was time to rock! The Johnson Geo Centre, on the Battery Field on Signal Hill, educates visitors about deep time geology in Newfoundland and Labrador. They use geothermal wells to heat/cool the building, most of which lies underground to show off the ancient rock formations of the upper Precambrian era (500 million years ago).

    We spent two and a half hours within the centre seeing the temptations of the gift shop, mystical creatures exhibit (including the wild bologna), oil drilling in and around Newfoundland (with incredible models), an octopi hard at work in their office cubicle, animal science (featuring Puffins), general geology with samples, the influence of Dr. Harold “Hank” Williams to the science of geology, and space science. They also had kids sections where you can be more interactive with the displays…but I was too old…waaaaaaaaah!

    While walking back, towards downtown, a fog began rolling in so we spent time admiring the changing scene before us.

    We also passed the “George the Fifth Institute”, which I now know was built to provide “wholesome” temporary accommodations to fishermen, sealers, and naval reservists visiting St.John’s. It also provided accommodations, through a separate entrance and living area, to daughters of fishermen and seamen who came to the city for work. It was opened, in 1912, remotely by a telegram from King George the Fifth. It is a grand brick building. Books, education, lectures, and alcohol free festivities were provided here to improve the lives of people within.

    For lunch we were back at The Rabble. The place was almost empty at 1pm so we must have missed the lunch rush.

    Shared a beet salad (with cucumber frisee, whipped Tahini, and shawarma spiced vinaigrette).

    Then we had halibut and cod chowder with focaccia, and a plate of two ham sandwiches (with Gruyere & pickles with fries on the side). All were yummy and filled us up just right.

    We shopped for most of the afternoon at kitschy tourist places, handmade yarn clothing stores, and thrift stores. It was a much better selection of stores than the drudgery of Victoria’s tourist row along Government street. We also made a quick stop at “Sword n’ Steel”, a game store chock a block full within their small square footage using clever shelving to display it all.

    Back at our B&B we repacked our luggage for tomorrow then left for an early supper. We had a few places in mind, but settled on Annie’s Wine Bar. The place was PACKED like sardines, which was convenient because one of their specialities is canned fancy fish!

    Also notice Annie, the owner, was a fan of MF Doom with some action figures of the late rapper on a high shelf.

    We started with some bubbles with Syfany wine from Czechia’s Andre Pet Nat Rose winery. Its taste was quite complex and delicious.

    Next were crackers and beef tartare (with dijonnaise, pickles, capers, shallots, and parmesan), tinned horse mackerel in brava sauce (wow oh wow was it great).

    We ended with a mixed cheese plate of Manchego (firm sheep's cheese from Spain), Bresse Bleu (soft cow cheese from France), Midnight Moon (firm goat cheese from Holland), and le Riopelle de L’isle (soft cow from Quebec). All the cheese was accompanied by a lovely cranberry sauce. It was a fantastic assortment for our final night in Newfoundland.

    The walk back was a requirement and once back at the Postmaster’s Inn we were ready for bed. We had four hours to get some sleep before we would wake up at 215am. 9.1km and 45 flights of stairs climbed.