Two paths to the sea

[vaneramos]

Cape Breton


[GUELPH PUBLIC LIBRARY] There is a hill with two springs north of Whycocomagh. One stream runs east to brackish Bras D'Or¹ Lake where village lights shine across still water at night. The other trickles west to Lake Ainslie below sloping hay fields, with terns screeching on a rocky strand. It feeds the Margaree River, winding to the ocean through a deep valley dotted with white farmsteads.

At the divide, one might expect to find the jagged teeth of Cape Breton highlands; in fact a low mountain looms behind the farmhouse, but the two sources arise from one meadow, a few paces apart among goldenrod and wild apples. A man bought this land to live out his dream, building gardens in the rocky soil. He plants wild blueberries among the goldenrod and hopes to retire with the earnings. Green tomatoes hesitate to ripen in the cool summers, but there are hundreds of fat peas and red beets. He used to break his life into five-year plans, but this endeavour might take longer.

Each winter seals cross miles of mountain and forest from Bras D'Or and slide across the lane in search of sea. They have faces like puppies, but are too fierce to approach.

~~~~~~~~~~

¹ Locals pronounce Whycocomagh and Bras D'Or this way: why-COG-a-muh and b-DOR.

Comments

[mhkrabat.livejournal.com]

Nothing to do with anything I suppose but I wonder:

Is there a correlation between Bras D'Or and the name of a beer I used to love to get in Canada called Brador?

[ubermunkey.livejournal.com]

that photo is a keeper and that story is too
introduce us to this man
show us his hands?
His garden
his bearies
the very sweat of his brow
that we too
may share this dream

love
munkey

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

That's amazing! I didn't realize you had roots on Cape Breton. John, one of the couple I visited, works at an inn in Baddeck, and we drove through it on our tour of the Cabot Trail. What a gorgeous peace of earth. Have you ever visited Nova Scotia?

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

The company originated on the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, so I doubt there is any connection with Cape Breton. However the French for Molson Breweries is La brasserie Molson du Quebec, so perhaps that's where the name comes from. And I'm no linguist, but maybe there's a common root word. Bras d'Or means "golden arms." Cape Breton, like many parts of the Maritimes, has some Acadian heritage.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

This is Gary:



I took more photos of the farm, which I'll try to post when I get a chance.

I met him on the train in April 2004. It was good getting to spend time with him.

[ubermunkey.livejournal.com]

nice image he looks stabile and kind of tranquil
those words may sound kind of strange but to me both things are good....

be well

looking forward to more images
cheers
munkey

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I gather he left Toronto and went to the Maritimes partly to cut down on stress and the toll it was taking. To see him, you wouldn't know he had trouble with anxiety. I wish I had the means and guts to up and go like that.