Day 64 – 05Mar2011 – Wharf Rat Rally

Day 64 – 05Mar2011 – Wharf Rat Rally, originally uploaded by thegardenshutterbug.

Project 365 – Wharf Rat Rally.

Day 64 – I spent the day in nearby Digby, home of the Wharf Rat Rally, a huge motorcycle rally held on Labour Day weekend each year. It is an amazing event – one could spend a day just gawking at the thousands and thousands of cool bikes, taking in the events, or touring the Annapolis-Digby region.

While the Rally headquarters is to the right of this sign, I did find it rather comical that the sign appears to be associated with the church…

Day 50 – 19Feb2011 – Building a Fort

Day 50 – 19Feb2011 – Building a Fort, originally uploaded by thegardenshutterbug.

Project 365 – Building a Fort… AT the Fort!

Day 50 was the Saturday of Annapolis Royal’s Heritage Weekend. We had loads of fun in the morning at the Gardens, snowshoeing and enjoying the Acadian House. Then in the afternoon, Fort Anne National Historic Site was the site of Family Fun activities.

In this photo, after some sledding, we began the construction of a second fort on these historic grounds, made of igloo snow blocks. The snow was wet and therefore perfect for this building project. Everyone had a great time, and then went into the “real” Fort to enjoy hot chocolate and cookies.

Day 42 – 11Feb2011 – The World Watches…

Day 42 – 11Feb2011 – The World Watches…, originally uploaded by thegardenshutterbug.

Project 365, Day 42 – The World Watches…

Sometimes one has to look beyond the local community for a photo that is meaningful for the day…

DAY 37 – 06Feb2011 – Superbowl Crowd

DAY 37 – 06Feb2011 – Superbowl Crowd, originally uploaded by thegardenshutterbug.

Project 365, Day 37 – Superbowl Crowd

Superbowl Sunday, and thus I found myself at Hillsdale House Inn, Annapolis Royal, for our annual Superbowl Party. 14 friends gathered to watch the big game, and to eat ourselves silly.

A grand time was had by all. Yay Packers!

 

DAY 5 – 05Jan 2011 – Ohhhh Canada…

DAY 5 – 05Jan 2011 – Ohhhh Canada…, originally uploaded by thegardenshutterbug.

Day 5 of Project 365 and my photo speaks volumes for how most Canadians are feeling after the gold medal game tonight.

We live in a country where anything less than hockey gold is disappointing… ohhhhhh, Canada – what happened???

{{sigh!}}

After MORE rain…

Well, once you don your raingear you might as well go for it… so I spent a good part of today playing out in the rain. Sometimes,  still shots are very telling. Even the “After the rains” shots I posted yesterday tell a pretty good story.

But then there are times when a video clip says so much more. And to get a true feel for the volumes of water we are experiencing, you’ll find these clips say a lot more than the photos did!

The first is of Mickey Hill Pocket Wilderness – the flow from Lamb’s Lake. The picnic tables were afloat, and the walking trails were impassable, but I captured a bit of the waterworks…

Then on to the Grand Lake Flowage… and turn up the volume!

and

Department of Transportation crews are on high alert all over, but especially watching the bridges BELOW Grand Lake as this deluge of water could cause the bridges to fail… They have also evacuated some low lying properties in case the dam above this wall of water actually let’s go!

All for now…

TGS

After the rains…

It’s been a really wet fall, and the last couple days have been very monsoon-like… with very heavy rains for extended periods of time. Couldn’t resist a bit of an excursion today to see what mischief Mother Nature had gotten into…

First stop was Bear River, where the normally calm waters were very stirred up…

Then on to Clementsport to have a look at Moose River – specifically the Clementsport Dam Community Park… years ago on nicer days, I would swim here… not today!

And at times like this it is always worth a drive out to the 101, to see the Grand Lake flow… the power of this water was unbelievable, and the roar as well! Good luck to the bridges a few miles downstream…

So, the forecast at this point says “Additional rainfall amounts of 50 to 80 millimetres are expected.“

This brings to mind an old campfire song we used to sing at the House of Roth when I was a kid…

I’m thinkin’ an ark may not be a bad idea just now…

TGS

A 300th Anniversary at St. Luke’s…

I was privileged to have the opportunity on Thanksgiving Sunday to photograph a special 300th Anniversary celebration in Annapolis Royal…  2010 marks the 300th anniversary of an enduring Anglican presence in Canada, and Annapolis Royal was the site where this Anglican ministry originated.

Entitled “Thanksgiving on the Anniversary of a Parish”, it was a well planned and orchestrated event, involving all the things one might expect of a major event in an Anglican Church. I sat in the balcony so I could photograph without disrupting the proceedings, then scooted ahead of the procession to Fort Anne, where they recognized the land on which early prayers would have been said 300 years ago.

At the conclusion of the service, the bishops were led in a small procession around the ramparts, with a view of the Annapolis Basin behind, creating a visual that allows one to imagine life here 3 centuries ago!

 

Arrival of Lt. Gov. Mayann Francis

 

 

Choir, Clergy and Bishops... oh My!

 

 

And the service begins...

 

 

Presentation of a Needlepoint 300th Symbol

 

 

The Bishops Three...

 

 

Procession to Fort Anne...

 

 

At the Fort...

 

 

The Processional Cross stands out against Fort Anne...

 

 

Procession of Bishops led around the ramparts...

 

 

On the ramparts...

 

 

The Bishops Three...

 

There’s nothing like a heritage church, its special celebration, and all the resulting pomp and circumstance, to get a Shutterbug excited. Add to that lots of clergy and bishops, cassocks billowing in the winds, and the stark contrast of a cold Annapolis Basin in the background… well, it was quite a day.

For a bit more on this event, from a different angle, visit A Happy Annapolitan.

TGS

Wharf Rat Rally 2010

Hurricane Earl was NOT welcome during Digby’s Wharf Rat Rally, and feeling unwelcome, he decided to visit the other coast of Nova Scotia thankfully. While Earl’s impending visit created some challenges for Wharf Rat organizers, the Rally was still a great success from all reports. Congrats to the organizers!

Aside from enjoying any opportunity to ride my bike, I also love the various photo opps during the Rally. Here are some highlights from 2010…

Downtown Digby

The Cutest Biker EVER!

Some trick riding

And the traditional burnouts...

My bike, and my brother's...

Some wicked paint jobs...

And some cool features...

Some gleaming chrome!

And the odd rat or two...

And while those photos are all cool, the best came from the Historic Gardens as riders posed with their rides surrounded by our beautiful gardens!

Hawg Wild in the Gardens!

For more Gardens bike photos, visit the Historic Gardens Blog!

Wharf Rat Rally – remembering 2009!

Wharf Rat Rally – talk about photo opps! I guess you have to like bikes, but who doesn’t appreciate a gleaming motorcycle with a cool paint job and shiny chrome!

Anyway, I’m a fan… it’s an amazing event and good for tons and tons of photos. So as I think about cleaning up my bike for the weekend, I remember some of the highlights from Wharf Rat 2009…

Photos in the Gardens: You & Your Bike! (For more on this, click here).

Motorcycle-inspired planters & displays in the Historic Gardens…

And bikes… and more bikes… For more pics, Click Here.

If you get a chance, biker or not, drop down to catch some of Wharf Rat Rally September 1-6. You’ll have a ball!