Oct 5, 2019
Our neighbor, Garry had encouraged us to visit his sister, Darlene and her husband Jim, who live in Kentville. Darlene is an avid quilter and Jim enjoys woodworking. Jim had spent the last three years building a replica model of the Chis Craft motorboat. I have watched the YouTube videos of the building of the boat and I was anxious to see it. Kentville is about an hour drive and we arrived at their house around 10:00 in the morning.
Jim and Darlene have lived in Kentville for twenty six years and used to own a bed and breakfast inn. They have since sold the business and are enjoying their retirement. Between the two of them they are encyclopedias of information of the area. Darlene showed Debbie her sewing and quilting room and Jim and I went to the workshop/garage to see the boat. Both these talented people have made beautiful things. Debbie was impressed with Darlene’s quilts and I was certainly impressed with Jim’s boat.
We decided to go for a tour of the area and to visit a quilt store in Avonport. This quilt store is directly beside a tool store!! Of course we all bought something at this stop. We then headed out to see more of the area.
Jim explained that this area was once the home of the Acadians. In 1755, the government deported the Acadians out of Nova Scotia. In our travels of Quebec and Newfoundland, we found settlements of these resettled Acadians. While in Nova Scotia, they farmed the areas along the banks of the Bay of Fundy, they built dikes and reclaimed the land and tidal flats. The land is very fertile and subsequently there are many small successful farms, apple orchards and vineyards and several popular wineries.
As we drove into Kentville, we saw that the Pumpkin People festival was in full swing. In the parks and public areas, stick people dressed in costumes, complete with pumpkin heads, are standing in many different poses. This year’s theme was comic characters. This festival is so successful and popular it has been copywrited.
We continued on to Wolfville. Wolfville is the home of Acadia University, an iconic and historical educational facility. We toured the grounds and admired the historical architecture of the buildings. We stopped in at the local market to visit their son. He has set up a haunted house with all the scary makeup and props. The funds that they raise go towards a charity for helping those with mental illness. He told us that it has been busy and very successful. We ate lunch at the Paddy’s Pub, before we continued our tour.
Jim drove up to the Lookoff. (In western Canada they are called lookouts). The view from the Lookoff is spectacular. You can see the Bay of Fundy, Cape d’Or and the orchards and the many farms below. We then drove to Hall’s Harbour. This tiny lobster fishing village is just a niche in the shores of the Bay of Fundy. Its history dates back to the late 1700’s, when a well-known pirate, Samuel Hall, took refuge in Hall’s Harbor. The American militia was pursuing him and just before he was to be arrested he successfully fled but left his ship behind. Legend has it that there is buried treasure left behind in the area. We stopped in at the Lobster Pound and Restaurant where you can pick out your favorite lobster for dinner.
We then slowly made our way back to Jim and Darlene’s home. We enjoyed a locally baked delicious coconut cream pie before we said goodbye. Jim and Darlene turned out to be wonderful ambassadors and hosts. We had a great day with them. The hour drive back to the trailer went by quickly and we were both thankful for our visit with them.
Quilting in a Kayak 