Hair We Are

"Hair we are" in Shelburne, Nova Scotia. After a couple of days at Greenhill Lake Camp, we ventured out in the cappucino car and drove all day Wednesday, arriving at dinnertime last night to the Southshore Sister's Bed and Breakfast. I was thinking about calling this post "Hair we are" on the way down, because my hair is growing fast and furious. I opened up the local newspaper last evening and there was an ad for a local hairstyling shop: "Glee's Hair We Are." Cool. Thus the name. And this morning, I thought I would use a comb for the first time in months. Not that it made any difference, but it sure felt good to comb my hair. Can't wait to use a hairbrush; then I'll be singin' the Veggie Tales song again, "Oh, Where is My Hairbrush?"

Brenda and her husband Paul own a three story vintage house right on an ocean inlet in Shelburne. It is idyllic and I always feel like I'm visiting a bed and breakfast when we're here. We stay up on level three. It's an aerobic activity just to go to bed. The bedroom also has its own private ensuite, so it truly feels like a B & B.

This morning, Brenda, Doug, Aaron and I packed into the cappucino car and off we went on a day's adventure in a southeasterly direction. First to Birchtown, to a Black Loyalist School, then to Barrington, where we climbed to the top of a Lighthouse (more stairs). Brenda was a bit dizzy but I did fine. She was worried about me, but I was more worried about her. We spotted a shoe store and I lit up, since I really need new Birkenstocks. Not knowing whether they had such a thing, we ventured in, and lo and behold, they had Birks, Clarks and Riekers (sp?). They had the exact model I've been wearing for eight years, and I asked if they gave any discounts to out-of-towners. "No tax," the cashier replied. Favour. Who would think I'd buy another pair of longevity sandals in such a remote place? I think God had something to do with it.

We met Paul for lunch at an organic cafe (the food was organic, not the cafe). I actually had a gluten-free panini and sweet potato fries, topped off with a strawberry-rhubarb-organic ginger ale smoothie. Lovely.

To a local music store where I bought new guitar strings, and Aaron talked to the owner about guitar necks. Doug went to Home Hardware and bought a $3. belt and was pretty proud of his purchase. He was wearing a homemade belt, so it was an improvement.

We drove to Shag Harbour, where the only government-validated UFO sighting happened. I wanted to stop at the post office and get a letter with the postage cancelled on it, but we drove by too fast. We saw the ocean where the UFO happened. That was good enough. When you drive with Doug, you have to be prepared to shout "STOP" if you want to see anything, or he drives until he can't drive anymore. He was that way when he owned trucks, I guess -- it's in his blood to get the load delivered. In this case, he was on his way to see the windmills.

On we traveled to Pubnico where seventeen huge windmills were awaiting us. Doug has been obsessed with these for years. He wants to build one. He was going to build a lighthouse once, too, but hasn't done that yet. It was going to be a library lighthouse. Maybe he'll build both structures if we ever move again.

We drove through East Pubnico, West Pubnico, Middle West Pubnico, and Pubnico. Very detailed place. Acadian in culture; hard to believe so many people live way down here on the tip of Nova Scotia! Finally made it to the 17 windmills. We took pictures and videos of these amazing machines. All of a sudden, one of the corporate trucks came zooming by, and then backed up to where we were standing inside the gate. We thought we might be in for a reprimand, but no, there was more favour coming -- this time for Doug. Rejean, a mechanical engineering tech is passionate about his work, and we followed him to the outermost point of the cape, where we got to go inside the windmill, and he explained how it worked. He told us that he climbs a 250 foot ladder when he needs to work on the windmill turbine. He said he can climb it in six minutes, twelve minutes or three minutes, depending on his energy level. The turbine is 30 x 12 x 12. It was massive. More pictures and Doug was in his glory. I thought it amazing that we were inside a lighthouse today, AND a wind turbine. I can tell that the wheels in Doug's head are now turning, as he is no doubt designing a windmill to live in or something.

We traveled back via the highway and I drived to catch some shut eye, but I have a desperate chest cold and the coughing won't let me sleep. Brenda put me in a lounger when we got home. I went to sleep for a few minutes in the sun out on her deck, with the ocean passing by in the inlet. Beautiful. Doug thinks I should go to the hospital to get my chest checked out, but we might just go to the pharmacist and get some cough medicine (OK, Nurse Cherry?).

Well, I must go eat dinner -- it smells wonderful. Fresh haddock off the boat this morning, salad and potatoes. Organic.

Deb in the Southshore