Grumpy Old Trucker

Saturday August 6, 2011 was one of those days that makes the trials and tribulations of life all worth while.  As you know if you read this blog very often, I tend to have no trouble finding things to make me grumpy.  However, Saturday was not one of them.

My cousin Sandy, her husband Gord and there dog Jake are on a cross country tour in their motorhome and currently in Nova Scotia.  Since I arrived home late Friday and had time to mow the lawns before dark we made arrangements with Marilyn’s brother Merle and his wife Chris to allow us all to join them for the day on their 33 foot Chris Craft which they keep tied up at the Armdale Yacht Club in Halifax.

The weather report predicted fine weather for Saturday but that was a bit of an understatement.  It turned out to be a gorgeous day replete with sunshine, and light summer breezes.  We started things off by picking up Gordon and Sandy at their campsite in Laurie Park, a provincial campground near Wellington on Grand Lake.

Gord and Sandy Rutherford with Jake.

First order of the day was coffee since the campground wouldn’t allow generators to be run until after 10 AM so we went into Halifax, and after me driving in circles for awhile trying to re-familiarize myself with the city, we found a Smitty’s Restaurant and enjoyed a tasty brunch.  After that we still had a bit of time to kill so we took a stroll in the Halifax Public Gardens.

Walking led to sitting. I may have dozed off there for a second or two.

Of course Marilyn was doing most of the photography so she didn’t appear in too many photos but we did manage to get a couple of her a bit later.  When we arrived at the boat just before 1:00 Merle and Chris were anxious to push off because where the boat was tied up was sheltered from the prevailing breezes and rapidly getting uncomfortable with the sun beating down.  For this reason we failed to get any good shots of the boat from the shore.  The boat’s name? Redundant III.  Their first boat was Redundant Sea and the second Redundant II

Underway at the capable hands of our skipper, Merle Parker

And our knowledgeable tour guide Chris Parker.

So we traveled out the North West Arm around Point Pleasant Park and up into Halifax Harbor.

Lot's of tour boats were out and the people were really getting their money's worth.

The party boat Silva was busy all day too.

Marilyn got many beautiful shots as we traveled up and then back down the harbor.  It was difficult to choose only a sampling.

Pier 21 where many thousands of immigrants set foot on Canadian soil for the first time.

A great shot of the Halifax waterfront.

Part of the Canadian Naval Fleet.

The bridge looks a little different from this side. No pieces fell off while we were under it though. That's a plus.

George's Island mid harbor.

The flag ship of the Canadian Navy.

Marilyn has been deathly afraid of water all her life so this was a real coup for her.  I’m real proud of how she handled it.  When I mentioned we should get a boat like this of our own, her reaction was somewhat less positive.  Oh well, I tried.

Told ya I'd get Marilyn on the other side of the camera.

A view below deck on the Redundant III

The marker for Redundant III's mooring in Timmond's Cove on the NE side of McNabs Island.

Marilyn and Merle’s father, Harold Parker,  was a gunner stationed on McNab’s Island during the war.  In the 70′s I spent time helping to build roads on McNab’s Island to further my heavy equipment training with the Canadian Armed Forces.  Now many times throughout the summer Chris and Merle enjoy the quiet just off the island’s shoreline.

The view forward. McNab's Island dead ahead.

Our Skipper firing up the BBQ.

So who could ask for more? A lovely sunny day of fair weather, which has been rare this summer, calm waters, good food and fine friends and relations to share it with. Not much there to make a GrumpOlTrucker grumpy, except it was all over much too soon.

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