Driven by Fear

There are many times that I feel intimidated by the thought of a certain experience.
Solo camping, for instance.  Logically, I think - why don't I ever do this when I think of it so often? For some reason, being alone in the woods is something that seems so overwhelming because it's unfamiliar territory, quiet and a confrontation of the worst.. our selves.
The expression 'being afraid of your own shadow', is interesting to me, because what I'm learning is that the scariest thing of all is, in fact, my own shadow.  My own silence.

In my early adulthood, I've learned to notice when I am intimidated by a certain experience and analyze why I'm intimidated and know what it is that I fear. Once I learn what it is that I fear, I wonder if this fear is useful to me.  If it isn't, this is more reason to take on this experience to seek out personal growth.  I suppose this is why a friend of mine told me she thought I was brave.
"Maybe," "I said, "but the truth is, in everything I've ever done, I have never had to take risks I wouldn't be able to deal with. And it's not that I'm not scared.  It's just that I prefer to face the fears that don't serve me."
Speaking in front of a crowd, for example. In the past, I was terrified.  I knew there was no logical risk in doing so and yet, every time I did do I would rouge all over my chest and my face, stumble on my words, and I'd be shaking.  Then I became a teacher and the thought of speaking in front of others did not become so daunting.
Now, my fear is being alone.  Taking care of myself.  "Courage..."

The thought of sitting still for 10 days straight, for example, scares me has always made me feel incredibly uncomfortable.  Whenever I am alone, with no tasks at hand, I become anxious.  I find solace in unhealthy behaviour like seeking company in Facebook or eating for the sake of eating.   Why is it so hard for me to be still in my own thoughts?
I have no complaints about my life and I can't quite answer why yet, but the best solution is to find comfort in being alone.   In my youthful experience, none of my experiences have been traumatic, I've had very few significant losses, and yet, the tiniest stress, like deciding what I'm going to do with my time causes anxiety that drives me to do things I know are not healthy.
And yet, here I am, fearful of the presence of my own shadow.  What if I make the wrong decision?
Nothing is permanent though...  and all things that can occur can only result in personal growth.
Growing up, I always found comfort in being around others, I always had somewhere, someone to run to for comfort.
I don't know where this fear of being alone or making the wrong choice by myself came, but I do know that the only way to overcome it is to get used to it. To face my fears.
So yes, I suppose you could say that I am driven by my own fears.

Hawaii was a great introduction to finding comfort in being alone.  I learned that often, it requires less energy to please only me than it does to please others.  I found that I actually really enjoy being in the woods alone, and doing various activities by myself is very satisfying.  I found peace in the presence of myself in the forest or the ocean.
I embarked on a particular journey that most would find far more daunting than I even considered.
I had been meaning to go to Iao Valley for quite some time.  Several times, I ended up going other places and once I drove up the road, only to find that it was far too rainy in the valley to have a nice leisurely walk.  This time, however, I hitch hiked with my pack, thinking I could sleep there if I had to or wanted to- I just didn't want to worry about hitching in the dark.
Perfectly logical right?
A boy asked me as I was hiking up the concrete pavement toward the trail "Are you sleeping here? That would be AWESOME!"
I honestly said "Oh, I don't know, probably not..." Thinking I'd probably have time to hitch hike back without worry.
My decision began to waiver as I walked the trail.  I took a nice detour, discovering a gorgeous lookout and sat and sang there for about 20 minutes.  Singing seems to somehow detoxify me of all worry in a way I really can't explain.  As I took a big breath of air, this was another occasion in Hawaii where I thought: "I could die here..."  And not in a fearful or negative way.  Death, as in a feeling of ultimate peace. I don't see death as a negative experience, generally.
I walked further down the trail and saw prints of wild boar.  At this time, I was further along the trail and I hadn't seen any people in a while.  My heart began to beat faster and I became more aware of my surroundings as I walked slower and listened for any movement around me.  Not far from there, I stopped and sat down to calm my nerves.  I texted a friend to ask what to do if I saw wild boar.  He didn't answer, but as I was sitting, someone walked by me to ask if I was alright.  "yeah, I'm totally fine, but do you know what to do if you encounter wild boar? I think I saw tracks."
In a typical Hawaiian fashion, he said "don't worry about it."
Later, my friend responded to my text telling me that i would pee my pants if I saw wild boar.  Glad I didn't get that text in time...
So, with the reassurance of this man, I continued to walk the trail until I came to a beautiful outlook of the vast valley.  I meditated for about 5 minutes before I got a little anxious about losing daylight. I thought about walking further, but thought if I was going to make it back home before dark, I had best be going.  On the way back, I went to find a place to pee. In doing so, I found a perfect place to camp.  It was not visible from the trail, easy enough for me to find with a natural marker, level and perfectly clear so that I wasn't killing any vegetation.  I took it as a sign that I was invited to stay.
So I happily set up my tent and took a book down to the river to read and to collect water. (I don't generally recommend drinking unfiltered water, but freshwater from the mountains if often the cleanest water you'll find.)
My mini trek to the river was just so exciting and exhilarating. I was just in awe of the forest, of the water and of myself.  I felt that I was exactly in the right place, at the right time.  I was about to spend my first solo camping night in the Iao Valley of Maui.
And I had no idea, even then, what I was doing...
Back to my tent, I lay myself to rest maybe ten minutes before it started to pour rain.  Ahhh, the comforting sound of rain at night when you're sheltered.  I smiled some more... At some point in the night, I heard what I thought was some bustling in the forest.  "It's just the rain," I thought... "or mongoose?"  Then I thought of the boar prints.  S#!$!  Was it wild boar?  No, that's not likely... So I put my head back to sleep.
A few minutes later I heard voices that sounded like minions fro Despicable me.  I honestly wasn't even moderately frightened by this sound.  "I must be dreaming," I thought to myself, "or it's mongoose." And I put my head back down to sleep.  The next day I listened to mongoose on a youtube video.  It definitely wasn't mongoose.
Later, I learned that Iao Valley is, as I felt, a very spirited place.  There have been many wars in this valley, one where Hawaii was taken over. Another legend stated that there were so many deaths in this war, that the river was turned red.  I was camping in what many would consider a haunted forest. 
I wanted to be as respectful as possible when I was there, so I do recall unconsciously asking the forest if it was okay for me to stay.  I left no trace, as always when camping, but in every moment I was there, I felt humbled by it's beauty and grace.  And for whatever reason, the forest accepted my presence.
The rain stopped in the morning when it was time for me to leave, and finding a ride back to town didn't feel like a daunting task at all. I would have stayed longer, but since my gear was wet, I thought it would be best to go back to my place on the dry side of the island to let it dry.  The trails were just too wet to venture too far.
I told my story to a neighbour friend and she was dumfounded. "Menehune, you must have heard the menehune," she said.  "the little forest soldiers."

If I had known what I know now, I would have been so scared.
But I didn't. And I'm thankful I've had this beautiful unique experience that makes me feel so directly accepted by the earth.

I've never felt so at peace or calm as I did in those humbling moments singing "Colours of the wind" or dipping my feet in the cold water from the mountain.  I've never felt so happy being alone as I did that day in Iao Valley. In a house,  however, I have a very hard time being alone.

 As an adult, the most sustainable way to find comfort is by finding it one's own mind.  The tools you have in your mind are tools you can never lose, and no one could ever take that away from you.  Furthermore, I believe that we can only rely on ourselves for satisfaction and inner peace.  We must not seek others to make who we want to be.   It is imperative to chose to be around people that set good examples, but in the end, you make your own decisions as to who you want to be.
To live in peace among others, we must first learn to trust ourselves. To trust ourselves, we must be aware of what limitations we set for ourselves and what we want to keep ourselves from or open ourselves to.  And so, to find peace in myself, to break barriers that create needless limitations, I feel I am driven by my own fears.

I have no pictures that I took of Iao Valley (ipod ran out of memory.)  I decided this was an experience I could capture with my mind and my words.
So here's a picture that I have a postcard of...

Credit: http://galleryhip.com/iao-valley-state-park.html

Life...

Reconnecting with a mother's womb

Since I failed to write while I was actually in Hawaii, (it was not so easy for me to write a lot on my ipod.) I'm going to have to write blurbs about my journey that are out of order and hopefully interesting to puzzle together as it is read.

Most days when I go on Facebook and I can't think of anything to write on my status, what comes to mind first is "I love."  That's it.  I only actually did that once.  But if nothing at all, that's what I think.  I think that's a good sign.  On days that I feel blue, I think of these moments and I know I'm doing alright simply because I love... so many things, so many beings, so much life so much.

I have been posting thoughts on Facebook and I'm quite happy with what I've written.
This is a recent post... (edited)

Ease... When I seek to find ease in a moment, I think of swimming with the dolphins.
It was a childhood dream that came to me in real life.
I can picture it now- I'm there... In anticipation, I can't contain myself. My breathing changes, my arms, and thus my heart opens... The moment then comes where I come face to face with the creatures I've admired from thousands of miles away and everything just stops. I scream a bit, let some water into my mask. Whoops! I put my head under and suddenly, I'm not in awe, I'm not jumping for joy. I'm just... calm. I experience peace that feels deeper than the bottom of the ocean that I can see.
I watch, as if I've been here so many times before.  They float so effortlessly through the water, with half their brains shut off.  This bay is their sleeping place.
I, too, float effortlessly just above them. For once, I am on this planet with no resistance. No gravity to pull me down, no muscular output, just...rest. All I need to do in this moment is breathe and let my body float. It feels so natural, so simple.
No sound other than the whale song, a dolphin click, my breath, the oceans' breath. Just life.
My thoughts? Mmmm...
Only weeks later I hold a baby in my arms. It looks so blank- it can barely even see me- heck, even if it could, it wouldn't know what I am. It's been floating for the past 9 months and suddenly it must face the next 100 years or so of it's life resisting gravity. But it trusts. Somehow this baby knows it will be alright.
And so, I, too, must know that I will be alright, whether my mother- or the ocean- is holding me or not. If I want to sustain happiness, I must find this mother's womb within. This baby knows it will be alright, and the dolphins know they are safe, just floating on through the water without thought. I am at peace with my body, and calm in my surroundings. I don't always need to think.
Thank you Maui for bringing me back to my mother's womb, thank you baby, for reminding me of perspective and to the dolphins for helping me find ease.  Thank you to myself for seeking opportunity and finding the perspective I need.
Today, I am in awe of life as I celebrate with new family.
I miss a family I once knew very much, but I know that I am loved nonetheless.
And I let the tears that need to flow move through me while I think of this new found ease.  A mother's womb that I carry in my own consciousness.  

Making Lemonade... courage

Ahh you know the old cliché "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!"

Well, this is exactly what I have become so good at as of late.

Right when I was feeling most settled, my view of my life in Winnipeg turned right around is so little time.
I was just getting home from the Yukon, things were so bright, and I was getting used to my life.  Then, in months' time, I realized that there was something that wasn't quite right.  I did everything I could to stay active, busy, healthy and to help my partner in any way I could.
Then there came a day when I felt angry with him for something so small.
That's when I realized what it was- I wasn't satisfied with the limitations of being in a relationship at this time in my life. There was no "one," he was my soulmate for the time I needed him to be.  It wasn't that it "didn't work out,"  it was simply that our growth together had reached it's plateau and we were no longer learning what we needed to from each other.  And so, we decided it was our time to part ways.
So I embarked on a new journey.  This was shortly before Christmas, then I had exams. I found a lot of social outlets, kept myself busy, even doing hot yoga on a daily basis.  I was handling it as best as I could and we remained on positive terms.  It was truly the best possible separation as it was mutual and everything.
But when one leaves the comfort of what they know, there are always insecurities that follow.
Will I still be out camping like I've loved doing since we were together?
Will I ever learn to hunt and fish so get my own meat?
How can I continue to get outdoors if I don't have a car or a partner to go with?
Will I ever have homemade mayonnaise?????? HAHA!  He loved his home made mayonnaise...
How can I get by as cheaply as possible on food?

Well, it's a process to unlearn habits, create new thought patterns and create a life for oneself.  We were always quite independent and I made an effort to try to learn all the things I could from him as we went so that I could do these things for myself.
But when you're in a relationship, no matter how independent you are, the connection that binds you with another person is never easy to come over. Logically, I knew marriage was unreasonable as one's needs change in different times of their lives, and you don't know if a person will suit your needs the same way in another time- marriage is just a way of telling yourself you're comfortable and safe.  (Even though divorce is always a possibility...)  It's kind of a lie people tell themselves to make themselves feel like being invested in someone is worthy of their time.  The truth is, we don't know if a person will be in our lives 10 years from now because people change.  Needs, thoughts, habits change. Naturally.
Nonetheless, he and I grew together and we had habits together.  I saw my life with him.  Travel, a house, children... But he was never really interested in the things I wanted.  Cultural travel, learning languages, breaking barriers, working with nature and people in new places... it never appealed to him.  I always knew I'd have to leave him to pursue these dreams one day, but I really loved him, so I thought I could make it work.

So the whole thing made me reevaluate my life in Winnipeg.  I found so much support in my community.  My friends, my family, his family, my school, yoga- they were all so encouraging.  Quickly I became interested in other men, in new activities (acro!)  and, of course... TRAVEL.  Well, Norway was on my mind first and foremost, but this is a trip that will require more planning as it costs a lot to get there- as anywhere across the ocean. Or so I thought....
Then a friend spoke to me about Maui, Hawaii.
Ohhh, I have to finish school, I said.  Maybe I'll come for a bit.  I was talking to a friend about a few things, what I wanted in life and what I felt I was lacking.
Self confidence was what I missed the most since he left.  He didn't take it from me, but the security of his presence and financial contributions was very comfortable.  I had no idea how I could make it work when he left. But then I realized, I had no house, no car- nothing to worry about if I left.  I had enough money (not much) that I could take time off and explore.  So when a friend offered me a place to stay in Hawaii, it was an offer I simply couldn't refuse.

"Courage," reads the tattoo of an old friend I reconnected with.  In French, it means "take care," as well as being brave and determined.  Courage is what I was seeking: the ability to be confident enough to take care of myself and to adapt in new situations.

And so, I embark on another journey to become more of the person I've always longed to be.

The wild woman I always wanted to be.
Playing harmonica with the waves and the whales at Hookipa lookout!

The woman that called me to come to Maui.  I never would have thought of it if it weren't for her!

Life in Winnipeg, Life as an aquarius...

Ahhhh... Life in Winnipeg.
It's a beautiful town to me.  I've lived the great majority of my adult life here so far.  I have made many friends here and a lovely community of people I really love and trust.  It's the place where I've found my first place of comfort in my own home. Friends that will stay with me in my heart forever.  A strong love that just couldn't keep up with my wandering heart.  And Winnipeg's music.  I'm only just discovering the music...
Winnipeg is my home now, and I love it.
But after some recent life changes I believe I've decided that my heart wants to wander once again.  My heart is telling me to do some more soul searching.  To smell ocean air, to meditate, to play and dance and be with nature.  I feel myself going to a very stable, sturdy career but I want to let go of responsiblity while I can, while I'm young and wild.  I don't want that stable spot quite yet...
So I'm opening up to opportunity... And it feels so right.  Raaaa I just want to run around and scream happy things!
I love home!  I love what I do!  I just want to love me!  (and I do love me i just want to love being authentic me in every moment, which requires some alone ness, and some room for spontaneity... maybe possibly travel and space!  And there's something about ocean air that I want to breathe.
At this time in my life, Winnipeg is my home and I love it.  But I sense that some day my home will be by the sea in a small home far from too much noise.  But that's a ways away! 
Life in Winnipeg... I love Winnipeg but I won't forever be a prairie girl!  Who knows!  Maybe I won't forever be an ocean girl or a mountain girl... I'll just be water.  Ebbing and flowing, shaping to whatever surroundings I so choose.  Maybe I could make a home of any place I go.  Maybe this is a skill I seek to find.  Any which way, I love a lot about my surroundings and I'm excited to meet new surroundings, but I don't love some of what's inside, so I must let myself be free....

Lost heart!  Soon to wander again!

And here is a video of me in the beginning of my travels in Maui, Hawaii...

From Prairies to Mountains

For all my friends and family that want to know how my trip to the Yukon went... well words just can't describe what I felt.
Sam has been talking about moving to the Yukon for some time now.  My only worry was the dark months in the winter, and I didn't know how I'd handle the sunlight in the summer since I prefer to go to bed early.
But after 2 days I was convinced. Then I was talking about it more than Sam.
Job prospects are good, the environment is inspiring and the one thing I love most: people that live there are there because they WANT to be there.  Because it's so darn beautiful!

I love Yukon's biodiversity.  Every time we went for a hike I could spot at least 1 or two more flowers or plants that I'd never seen before.  And the flowers are so vibrant in the summer! It seemed as though I had a "flower of the day" every day. You may notice I have a habit of wearing flowers in my hair often.

I love Whitehorse culture too.  Everyone we met talked about how much they love the Yukon, and people are there because they love nature, so they really respect nature too.  I'm told that people won't let things that disturb nature fly too well.  Furthermore, the campgrounds are awesome.  $12/night.  Cheap! And Beautiful!  No plug-ins or anything unnecessary when camping :)  The government campgrounds are all over Yukon and they're fairly convenient and beautiful! If that's not awesome enough, you are invited by locals to camp in places that aren't regulated too.  (As in you won't be charged- they trust that you will be responsible about it.)  Sam and I were given a nice place to camp near carcross that was on the Windy Arm (a lake) right by a beautiful trail on Montana Mountain and no one bothered us.  (Not even bears. :P)  The thing I love about Carcross is it's emerald lakes.  Beautiful!  And on Windy Arm, there are no bugs! Yay for wind!

As for the midnight sun, it was really nice for hiking because we didnt have to worry about being out too late, or flashlights in the dark when camping and we had no problems sleeping because we were active and outside so much!

If you ever go to Whitehorse, make the extra trip to Tombstone National Park. (It's about 1.5 hours from Dawson, north on the Dempster Highway.)
We didn't care for Dawson City much.  It's a tiny town full of tourists and young people with summer jobs to satisfy tourists.  It's an old mining town and it's main attraction is a casino that has three shows daily in the summer.  There's something about the look of Dawson- or maybe it's the history: a town of people who came to earn money digging for gold- I just didn't dig it.  I have no interest in gold.  I do, however, love rocks and I collect them.  :)  I can't wait to show off my nerdy rock collection to all my friends!
Anyway, Tombstone National Park on the Dempster Highway.  GO!  From the mountains you can just see for miles.  There are 4 designated trails but honestly, you can just walk anywhere because it's in the toundra and it's so easy.  So go on, explore!  You can see animals far far away, and you may experience quick change in climate.  It's SO cool!  We were over 1700 m above sea level just by foot!
Tombstone was my favourite.
Another place we hear has beautiful scenery is Haines. It's in Alaska and it's close to the coast. We had planned to go to Skagway but heard it was annoyingly touristy and my passport got wet and messed up so we decided not to go to the trouble.
Next time :)

As for hosts... we couldn't have asked for better hosts :) We finally got to use couchsurfing and we loved it!  I hope to keep in touch with them and I really think we've made some good friends.  After spending an evening with our first host I said to Sam: " I really think we scored coming here!  She's so awesome and I can't believe how much we have in common!"  She lived in a beautifully wooded area with a view of the mountains on a trail from her home.
Then our second host was just as outdoorsy.  He lived a little ways outside of Whitehorse and I'm sure we would have learned a lot if we stayed longer, but he had his many ways of being really resourceful!  It was really fantastic sharing a few meals and some meaningful conversation as well.
We would have liked to hang out more but I guess that'll just have to wait until we move to the Yukon :)

I also picked up a book I'd seen in Winnipeg.  Well, the woman that wrote this book about wild edibles lives in Whitehorse!  And it inspired me to harvest a few wild things too :)  I made some fresh labrador tea the next day (its so good fresh- kind of minty, kind of pine-y. It opens everything up!)
Dried roses, fireweed and yarrow.  I could have done more and greater quantities, but I mostly wanted to enjoy my walks.

All in all, I felt we belonged in the Yukon - I even found yoga there :)  And I hope to return to that studio again!   I felt a very positive energy in all of the Yukon and I really see myself returning someday.  I want to be a boreal woman!

[This edit of adding pictures is rather delayed (nearly a year later... But it completes the post!]

Swinging on a branch on one of the trails!  Where there once was a mining operation, near Carcross

Ahh, Tombstone National Park!  This is a little valley where the snow never melted- not even at +25 degrees celcius in the heat of summer!

Sam and I on the mountain!

Banff National Park

Grizzly Trail near Tombstone National Park

Ahhh, the variety of mountains at Tombstone National park... :)

With a view like this... one needs to know how to smile.

This is in Northern BC along the Alaskan Hwy.  I recall we discussed how it would be so lovely to spend a summer working at a fishing lodge or something out here...

Another image of the beautiful grizzly trail near Tombstone National park.  Next time I go, I'll make it a trek to camp out there!

Super sprouts!

Alright, I know.  This is silly.  But I got excited about my bean sprouts and I thought I'd share :)

Yay!  Sprouted mung beans!  They're leafing!

I'm eating them nom nom nom nom.

Well, it's been almost a year since I've posted and I've had requests to write again since Sam and I are travelling once again!
This time we're travelling by car with a canoe on the roof!  I'm going to bring my camera and the computer, but I can't guarantee I'll spend much time on this! (I call the computer POODER so if you ever see "pooder," it means computer.  That was adopted from Sam's dad when we lived together :P

Now I live in a house with my best friend Sarita.  I call her my Frife.  Friend for life/friend wife :D
We had a room mate who was awesome, but she's travelling now so we're looking for someone just as awesome in their own way to join us again!

As for pictures to catch up on my life... well i haven't taken many at all.  But I'll browse through to see what I have to show the world who wants to know.

I didn't take this.  But... YUKON!!!! 

Sarita's Christmas Muffins :)
And our other lovely once roomie now seasta :)

An elf with beautiful gifts!

Christmas at Sam's dad's place

Silly Christmas characters.. This photoshoot was SO FUN.

... As you can tell

Christmas with the awesomest bunch!

Sam's eating after work.  Plates are sometimes overrated.
And those are goose meatballs I made ahead of time for Sam.

It's been a while...But my mind is formulating plans to travel again!

Gee, it sure has been a while since I've posted on this blog!  I don't think anyone is really following me anymore, but it's a nice little scrapbook in case all my things one day go up in flames or I lose my memory... (These things happen, though I don't think it'll ever actually happen to me... just like everyone always says!)
ohh yes and I forgot to mention that this spring and summer, Sam and I didn't go on many foreign adventures, but we travelled a bit on weekends to go camping in new places, even going further north than Chisasibi on Labour day weekend! :)  These pictures are from May 24 weekend to Theodore Rosevelt Nat. Park in USA. We went with some friends and made some bison friends while we were there :P

So since our travels in the east coast, I've become a lot more comfortable with Winnipeg being my home.  I've made friends that have made impressions on me, and I have found a community that gives me a great deal of comfort.  Upon arriving home, I continued my job working at a hunting and fishing store, but I eventually got a job doing what I did in Katimavik- working with adults who have mental disabilities.  The people I work with each have their challenges, but they are each capable individuals, living independently and I really like that my job is to enable them to be individuals, to facilitate an independent life style.  And the people I work along side care a lot about what they do.  This isn't a job where we get paid much more than minimum wage, or require any background education, but we're caring people that just want to help others in need.
In September I also started school for Massage therapy.  I'm currently exploring my next traveling opportunities because there's a big part of me that really wants to use my skills abroad in a volunteering setting while discovering a whole new cultural way of experiencing human interaction.  I want to do some volunteer work here in Winnipeg as well to kick start my career, meet new people, make connections and get a lot of experience really quickly, but I feel that I won't experience diversity unless I seek diversity on my own.  At some point I want to see the Yukon with my partner Sam and then my plan is to graduate with a massage diploma here in Manitoba, work here for a year, maybe two to pay off any debts and save money, (maybe volunteer for 1 month somewhere in that time?) then travel to south america or Africa for 2 months up to one year  and find a new home (permanent or not... well see!) maybe the east coast?  or New Zealand?  Australia?

As much as I love school, I'm really looking forward to travel in the nearby future. And to using the art of touch to heal others.
I can't wait to have knowledge to offer to the world!
For now, I can certainly offer my services and human touch in a non physical way :)

Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island

You're going to have to wait for pictures on this one because I'm a little bit behind, but I'm sure you can handle the wait ;)

The Cabot trail felt a lot like Newfoundland, but more developed.  There are more coffee shops and what-not in between, and the houses seem to be much further apart.  It's the same rocky highlands, and ruggedness, just more art shops (some really impressive ones!) and a different kind of community feel.  We decided to go to the northernmost community, meat cove, which is off the Cabot trail, and quite nice.  It's a small community, and it isn't super touristy.  There's a small beach and really stiff cliffs.  Actually, a day after we left, we heard that someone had fallen off a cliff and wasn't found until a few days later.  There's camping there, but it's right on the cliffs, and there isn't much protection from the wind!  It would be absolutely beautiful though- terrific view of the ocean, 5 minutes from the little beach and close to the community hall/restaurant/information centre/ all-in-one-everything-for-the-community place.  The restaurant wasn't particularly professional, but it has a nice, relaxed feel and Sam enjoyed the fish! We even ate our meal with a squirrel that stole my toast and a tater! 

I couldn't believe how many artisans there were!  We only stopped at a few- a glass blowing shop and a wood shop, with specific things in mind for gifts and we found some!  The glass blowing place was really impressive, and the pieces we so beautiful.  If I had heaps of money, I would have gotten a few more things, but what's life with things anyway.

We only stopped for one trail because we pretty much only had one day to do the whole trail, but on that trail, we saw a moose!  She was drinking some water, and she saw us, but didn't seem bothered one bit by us, so we got to take a closer look.  At this time, the moose are pretty tame, but they are much more aggressive in the fall, I hear.  (As are many wild animals, like deer, which Sam (and hopefully me too some time!) will be hunting this fall!)

Next time, I'd like to go Whale watching in Cheticamp or pleasant Bay.  We wanted to this time, but it just didn't work out so maybe we'll do something else because we actually have enough money!