Photo of the Day: Tide's out

Tuesday, October 15, 2013, Wellfleet Harbor, Wellfleet, MA

Photo of the Day: Sunset Sails Away

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Sunset off the Halifax, NS coastline

I mean ... COME ON!

Dreaming Out Loud - Canada Calling Me Home

Image from here

A few months ago I got a text from my friend Christine that read something to the effect of:

Do you have a passport?

Yes ...

And a few texts later:

Do you want to go on a cruise?

Depends on when and where ....

And still later:

To Canada?

I had to call her back after that one ... because I was shaking. A lot.

NB & Nat'l flag image from here

Back at the beginning of the year, when I started jotting down the preliminary notes for what would be the seeds for these future Dreaming Out Loud installments, I made the following entry: 

NOT a cruise, but a smaller boat trip – maybe to:

Prince Edward Island – for my Anne of Green Gables addiction, and to find the port of entry where my ancestors came in from England

Or

Alaska

I don't think I had ever articulated this dream to Christine. There are more times than I care to count, however, when Christine and I have been on some weird karmic connection when it comes to calls, cards, e-mails, jokes, observations and other odd things. 

Carnival Glory: Photo credit

After talking to her I got the details of this proposed cruise, and while it may not be the EXACT dream, it's pretty darn close. I've learned to start taking advantage of opportunities like this when they come up. Call it a prompting. An opening. What have you.

So I'm getting on a boat. A big boat. A ship even. This Carnival Glory cruise liner, actually. With over 5,000 other people and spending a week doing something I never envisioned at the beginning of this year when I started to dream. Cruising. Me. The introvert. Who would have thought? It will be an adventure to say the least. I hope poor Christine realizes what she's in for. (And, hopefully, The Shushing Librarian is coming with us, so who knows what will happen.)

Nova Scotia flag image from here

 

While it turns out this cruise won't be heading to Prince Edward Island, we will be getting close enough ... this time ... and spending a day exploring Saint John, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia. While Saint John is also a port city, Halifax was a major port of call, especially back when my ancestors were migrating to North America and I feel there's this mysterious connection calling to me.

I just can't tell you where and what and when that connection is ... but it's there. In the seas. In the land. In the songs. In the breeze. And, in the genes.

 This trip is just whetting my appetite for the Canadian Maritimes.

Image from here

With a day in port in both cities, there is not time for major island hopping or genealogical explorations, so the plan includes touristy things, like:

 

Pier 21, Halifax: Photo credit

Citadel, Halifax: Photo credit

Public Gardens, Halifax: Photo Credit

Saint John, NB City Market: Credit

Photo credit

As more of our family history has been explored, more and more of the "pull" back to PEI can be explained due to family connections. I thought it was just my love for that "Anne Girl," but turns out my father's ancestors ended up settling in, and being buried, in the same mid-Island area that are close to the roads and lanes of L.M. Montgomery's beloved books. 

Photo credit

Photo credit

About two weeks after I agreed to go on the cruise, I got an e-mail from Cousin Frank, (the aforementioned author of the book about a paternal grandfather), outlining plans for the first Annual International Reunion scheduled for Prince Edward Island from July 25-29, reconnecting some of our family lines which have long been severed ("slightly") since the family left the island in 1850. 40 odd "cousins" were planning to visit family sites on the island, including homesteads, the port from whence the family sailed from PEI to the USA, the graveyard where a great+ grand-father and mother are buries, AND, (this is what got to me):

• "All of the Anne of Green Gables "stuff" ... Mongomery gravesite, schoolhouse, etc."

People who don't believe in mysterious heavenly influences having a tug on our heart strings and collective consciousnesses ... I don't get them. 

*MY* ancestors are definitely up there trying to get us all headed in the right direction --back up north -- but as usual, my timing is all off and I was overcommitted.

I still dream of PEI, but for the next week or so, I'll just be out to sea, coming close to "home" port, but not quite. I have a feeling I'll still be having sweet dreams.

Wish me luck and ... Bon Voyage  

until my return to the Attic and blogging in general.

Photo credit information

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

"Sea" you soon ... or later.

Port Jefferson: Out to Sea

Port Jefferson, NY

April 2013

Shipwrights' Memorial

Summer 2012: Island Hopping, Governors Island 1

One of the biggest reasons I wanted to go Island Hopping has been hearing and reading about all the variety of very cool things that have been going on -- FOR FREE -- at Governors Island the last few years.

Located off the tip of lower Manhattan, Governors Island has been many things over the course of its history, mainly related to the defense of the Port and City of New York, but has been "semi-dormant" for the last few years as plans came together to utilize the land and buildings. For a few months over the last few years, the bulk of the Island has been open for exploration on the weekends - much to the delight of New Yorkers looking for new vistas and relatively uncrowded spaces to "staycation."

Trying to get my "posse" of girls together is tricky, given our varying schedules, but Amelia and Christine and I found one Saturday in late August to venture forth.

We met at Grand Central and then took the 1 down to South Ferry. The Battery Maritime terminal where the Governors Island ferry docks is steps from the Staten Island Ferry - so my earlier Island Hopping adventure was good reconnaissance for this trip. There are plans to update the waiting areas at the Maritime for Governors Island visitors as part of the ongoing redevelopments, but on our trip, it was pretty basic: vinyl signs, airport-esque queues leading up to bag searches by Parks Department people, and then in line out to the Ferry.

All Aboard!

A word about the wait in line for the FREE ferry: [Rant on.] What is up with people pushing and cutting lines? I mean, come on! There is one (1) door. We are all in the same line. We are going to the same place. The Ferry fits a LOT of people. The ride is like 10 minute--tops. The view of the Harbor is not going to change if you get there first by pushing people out of the way. If you DO, you will slow down the line. Just CHILL. Honestly. Some people are so rude. And that's saying something when I take mass transit every.single.day! I can't even blame the out-of-towners. These were pushy outer-borough New Yorkers that were being obnoxious. For shame. [Rant over.]

Once on board the Ferry, which is much smaller than the Staten Island Ferry, we managed to get up on the top deck looking west toward Lady Liberty. There she is looking at Castle Williams on Governors and then Staten Island Ferry going past Ellis Island.

Christine and Amelia celebrating that we have arrived at our destination. Looking down from the top deck as all the passengers stream off the boat and onto the Island.

There are a few things to do right when you get off the Ferry. There's the Parks Department Book/Gift shop (which we missed both inbound and outbound - next time.) There are pop-up tents with information, maps, t-shirts, and directions. Signs show you the way to the bike rental areas, to the tram, and which way to the various walks, the Castle, the Governors Beach Club, and a few other things. We actually didn't do any of that either. I suggested that perhaps we should wait for the crowds to disperse, by exploring the Cooper-Hewitt exhibition at Building 110 - right next to the Ferry stop. (Future post.) After a lovely time getting some culture, we headed left into the interior of the Island and ended up near Nolan Park and some of the lovely old family and officer quarters.

Scattered throughout the Island are installations that are part of a cooperative effort with the Storm King Art Center, which are an interesting counterpoint to the old established trees, brick buildings/barracks, and various architectural components.

We wandered and wondered, stopping to play, eat, observe, shop, and - in my case - document. (More posts to follow). There was so much to see; we really only hit a tiny bit of the accessible areas. We will have to come back to do the sea walk around the entire periphery, see Castle Williams, rent one of these family bikes, or just come and scope out our spots to read, relax, and take in the views.

It's so fun to explore with Christine and Amelia. You never know what Amelia's going to say, (Did you know: She is her own action figure!) and they are both game when I have them pose like models at weird spots. Hey - let's read this sign! Hey look at that weathervane!

Just standing by the railing you can see so much of New York's maritime history float by. L: Out in the harbor, the past and present at the docks. R: Closer to shore, these poor kayakers weren't making much headway in moving in anything but circles. I wanted to shout directions, but then, I paddle in circles too. Just ask my father.

Don't miss this landmark - or the rock telling you it's a landmark.

As you can see, by mid-afternoon, the clouds had rolled in, so we headed back to the Big Island of Mannahatta and ended up doing more wandering. Look at that: The Freedom Tower is really starting to dominate the skyline - or are your eyes just drawn there like mine because of the twin ghosts of what once was?

My lovely lovely friends!

So that's a quick overview of the trip to Governors Island. Future posts will delve into what all we did in 5 very busy hours on shore.

Governors Island is open a few more weekends this year. Better hurry if you're going to make it. Maybe I'll see you there next year?

Governors Island National Monument's 2012 public access season goes until September 30th. The island will be open on Saturdays, Sundays, and Labor Day Monday for public access.