After breakfast Debbie called the hospital to check on Ann. She was told that she had gone into surgery this morning. We decided that we would visit her later after she was out of surgery. The time we had, would allow us to go vote and do some shopping for warmer clothes. Voting from out of province was simpler than we expected. We found an advance voting station and showed our picture ID, they showed us the list of candidates running in our riding and we made our choice. We wrote down our choice on a ballot and sealed it in an envelope and its now on its way to Ottawa.
Debbie wanted to buy a digital antenna for our TV in our trailer. We found one at Best Buy, which was going to work for our TV. After finding some flannel shirts at WalMart, it was time to go and see Ann.
She was still heavily sedated but we could see that she was in far less pain then when we saw her last. She slowly became more lucid and we were able to talk to her. She was experiencing a pain in her left leg. It was becoming very swollen and turning blue. Her nurses were concerned and were doing everything they could to give her relief. We felt it was time for us to leave and let the nurses do their work.
We returned to the trailer. Debbie made supper and we tried out the digital antennae. We are now able to receive two channels, CTV and CBC. We watched a movie and went to bed.
We didn’t sleep well, thinking about Ann and her condition. Debbie texted her and she learned that Ann was slated for surgery this morning. Debbie continued to do some cleaning and I had a few other things that needed attention. This kept us busy until about 1200.
As we were having lunch Debbie mentioned that she did not feel right being in Ann’s house while she is in Halifax by herself waiting for surgery. She had texted Ann and learned that the surgery had been postponed until 9:00 this evening. I also felt the same about the situation and we decided that we would leave here and travel to Halifax to be with Ann. Some of Ann’s local friends were planning to go to the Celtic Colors tonight. Ann had purchased tickets for us to go and they invited us to go with them, but we called them and told them that we would be going to Halifax instead. We closed the house up, said goodbye to the dogs and departed.
The five-hour drive to Halifax was uneventful. The long weekend traffic was building, particularly traffic moving north into Cape Breton. We arrived at the QE2 Hospital at about 8:30pm and dropped off Debbie. I went to the local Municipal Campground at Shubie Park to secure a campsite. After unhitching the trailer and returning to the Hospital, I learned that the surgery had been postponed until tomorrow. This was not the best of news for Ann and she was quite upset. We stayed with her for the next two hours, until her pain medication took effect and we said goodnight to her. We hope she will have a good rest. Hopefully the surgery will take place tomorrow.
As we drove back to the campground, we noticed that this end of town was completely in the dark and was experiencing a power outage. The gates to the campground were not functioning and the manger had to be called out to manually lift the barriers so we could get in. We were both quite tired and fell asleep immediately.
We woke to the sound of Debbie’s phone ringing. Ann was up early in the hospital and was giving us an update as to what was going on with her.
During her ride in the ambulance to Halifax, she had texted and e-mailed many of her friends and telling them of the news of her condition and journey that she is now facing. Ann was also keeping Debbie informed.
Throughout the day Debbie spent the time cleaning Ann’s house, preparing it for her return home. I worked around the house, changing HVAC filters, and winterizing the house.
In the evening Debbie made supper and we watched a baseball game on TV and then went to bed.
We showered and ate breakfast, fed and ran Ann’s dogs, (Pepper and Bella – who are missing their master), and drove the 35 minutes back to the hospital. Debbie had gathered some personal items together for Ann. We found Ann in much better condition than when we left her. Her potassium level had been reportedly very low so she was receiving medicines to bring this back to normal as well as pain medication was providing her some relief.
Bella and Pepper
We are prepared to stay with Ann today however, it was also evident that there were things that needed to be attended to at the house, so I left Debbie with Ann and I returned to the house to prepare it for winter and repair some minor things. Ann has many friends and it wasn’t long before a steady stream of well- wishers came and went throughout the day.
Late in the afternoon the decision was made that Ann needed to be transported to Halifax. A team of surgeons and specialists would preform the necessary operations there. At about 8:30 pm the EHS personnel arrived to prepare her for the five-hour journey to Halifax. Her brothers, Robert and James, and Debbie and I said goodbye, wished her well and told her that we will come down to Halifax to see her in the hospital. Ann has insisted that we attend to the Celtic Colors festival. She has purchased the tickets and wants us to go.
The following morning, we had breakfast and Debbie convinced Ann that we should go to the local emergency ward to get checked out and get some action on her condition. She was taking new medicine and although this appeared to be helping she was still in poor condition. I drove Ann and Debbie to the local hospital, and while they were there, I did some grocery shopping and ran errands. We decided that we would see this through with Ann. We are able to look after her needs and have no pressing commitments.
When I finished running my errands I returned to the North Sydney Hospital and learned that we were now taking her to the Cape Breton Regional Hospital in Sydney. The examining Doctor was making arrangements to have Ann undergo a CAT scan. Ann was admitted into the CBRH emergency immediately and had the CAT scan done within the next two hours.
The result of the CAT scan was told to Ann and us directly after, – Ann has ovarian cancer and it appears to have spread to other organs. She is now to undergo several other tests before the doctors and specialists can determine what to do next. The three of sat in the room in total disbelief. We stayed with Ann throughout the day and night comforting her and helping her through her pain and the many emotions associated with what she is going through. By midnight, Ann was sedated with pain relief medicine so she could sleep and rest. We returned to her home and tried to sleep.
Today we are heading back up to Cape Breton to visit Ann again. We had left her before going to Isle de la Madeleine and we are now coming back to be with her for the opening night of the Celtic Colors. We are worried for our friend as she was basically couch ridden with sciatic nerve issue’s, she had lost weight and did not look well. Ann has always been a healthy woman and is not one to be immobile due to health reasons.
The four-hour drive to Boularderie was uneventful. The highway is in good shape and we cruised along looking at the changing fall colors and singing along with the radio.
When we arrived at Ann’s house, (Miss Taken tried to take us through the turnip patch again!!) we found our friend still in poor condition. We ordered pizzas and talked about our trip to the Isle de la Madeleine, until it was time for her to go to bed.
I wanted to do a few errands and things before we go anywhere today, so I was up early, showered and set out to town. I needed to refill a propane tank (we are averaging one 20 lbs tank a month), with the colder weather coming we are using our furnace so I wanted to make sure we had lots of propane on board. By the time I returned, Debbie had breakfast ready and so after breakfast we headed out.
We are going to Mahone Bay, and Lunenburg today. We are then going into Halifax to meet Sarah and her new husband Jeremy for supper. Sarah is the daughter of Carol and John and we have known her for many years. We were unable to come to their wedding three years ago and we are anxious to meet the man in her life. We have visited Mahone Bay and Lunenburg in the past but, as ever, the scenic coastal drive through Chester was wonderful.
Mahone Bay was abuzz with people. The last time we were here it was quiet and sedate. Today it was wall-to-wall people. Two tour buses were parked downtown and people were strolling all over the streets. Mahone Bay was celebrating their annual scarecrow festival and there were scarecrows all over the place, all makes and models and types of costumes. We were lucky enough to get a table, (after Debbie invited another couple to join us) in a restaurant called O My Cod. They were packed but took our order and we enjoyed a fantastic meal. I ordered fish and chips and the pieces of cod were the largest I have ever had. Debbie enjoyed a lobster croissant and by the time we left we were stuffed.
Debbie wanted to visit a quilt shop down the street, and I wanted to take some photos, so we went our separate ways. We joined up a couple of hours later and as we drove to Lunenburg we told each other what we had seen in Mahone Bay. Lunenburg was not as busy, however it was getting late in the day. I wanted to see the Bluenose II. It was not at Lunenburg the last time we were here, so I was happy to finally see it at its moorings. We were too late to go onboard for the tour but I was able to admire it docked. Although it was refitted in 2012 and some changes made to it, it is still the iconic vessel that made Nova Scotia and Canada famous.
It was now time for our hour drive back to Halifax. We were making good progress until we were stopped in a construction zone for approximately 20 minutes. Incoming traffic to Halifax was stopped bumper to bumper for at least four kilometers. We texted Sarah to tell her that we would be late and we finally met them at the restaurant over a half hour late. We had a great time meeting Jeremy and the best part of the evening was when they told us that Sarah is pregnant! We talked and visited for several hours and we learned all about Jeremy. Finally it was time to say goodbye, as they had to work in the morning. It had been another full and exciting day.
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.
It was time for our truck to have another warranty check and an oil change. I had made arrangements for its servicing and our appointment was in the afternoon in Halifax.
I had to take the kayaks off the truck, because of the servicing, so that gave me a chance to go for a paddle before we had to head into the city. The Sackville River is directly behind our campsite and it took me only minutes to be on the water. There was no wind and the fall colors are reflecting off of the water. This part of the river is a quiet area, and the water is slow. I paddled for about 3kms upstream and was able to take some great photos. I had to turn around as there was a quite a large rock obstruction that would require me to do some serious portaging to get around. Debbie would have the coffee on by now so that was enough for me to turn back.
We had visited Halifax twenty years ago and we noticed the changes that have occurred in that time. Halifax is a bustling and busy city. After leaving the truck at the dealership we got a shuttle ride to the Halifax Shopping Center. We needed to buy some warmer clothes because most of our summer clothes are too light for the weather we have been experiencing now.
The truck was finished at 5 o’clock so our shuttle picked us up and we went back to the dealership. It is comforting to know that it is running well and all the systems are in good condition.
We returned to the campsite and had supper, watched a movie and went to bed.
We are off to Halifax today. It is sunny but there is a chilly wind and the temperature at 7:00 is 3 degrees. We both are enjoying the sun and our spirits are high. Debbie had secured a KOA campground in Upper Sackville and we will be making it the home base as we tour around the Halifax area. I made plans to bring our truck in for another warranty service work on Friday. We left Amherst at 9:30 and headed down Hwy 104, a toll highway. It is one of the few main highways that we have travelled on, on this trip. It is a relief not to have the bumpy roads that we have experienced the past month.
As we headed east, we noticed that the trees in this region are turning to fall colors more vividly than in the other areas we had been in. Perhaps Hurricane Dorian did not the give this area as much wind damage as in the areas further east.
We arrived at the KOA and set up our campsite. We had to buy groceries and some other supplies so after setting up we drove into Sackville, about 10 kms from our campsite. Debbie noticed that Downton Abbey is playing at the local cinema theatre so she convinced me to go with her tonight.
We returned to the campsite and I barbequed some pork chops and Debbie prepared some fresh corn and brussel sprouts. We had a great supper and then drove back into town for the show. I and six other men were severely outnumbered tonight. I do have to admit that I enjoyed the show. As I am typing this blog, the sky is clear and the stars are bright but it looks as if it could be a frosty night tonight.
Quilting in a Kayak 