Autumn in Atlantic Canada began with hurricane-strength post-tropical storm Fiona. My small town in the Annapolis Valley area of Nova Scotia got off easy—Fiona walloped central and eastern Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island, Prince Edward Island (PEI), and Newfoundland. My family in Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, has been without power at their house since Friday evening (that’s 4 days and counting).
In September 2019 when Nova Scotia was hit by Dorian, our last big post-tropical storm, I stayed overnight with friends rather than try to get any sleep in the tiny house during high winds. So I was very glad to have company again during Fiona to distract me from over-worrying. This month, MAC and I had our first visit together in almost three years! We did lots of day trips (Annapolis Valley, South Shore, Kempt/Noel Shores), enjoyed a four-day road trip to Cape Breton Island where we drove the Cabot Trail, saw ten (10!) waterfalls, and ate very well. Rest assured, there will be lots of travel posts coming up on our Nova Scotia adventures! She stayed 2.5 weeks—we had warm summer days for the first 1.5 weeks, then some rain and cooler days, and then Fiona.
I was not surprised when I got up Saturday morning and found we’d lost electricity overnight. Later in the morning when I was on the sofa just resting my eyes, I was jolted into action when I heard the familiar sound of the stove clock and fridge hum starting up at once. I raced to plug in the phone to recharge! Then I remembered to run to the kitchen to turn on the kettle for hot coffee! MAC thought I was being pessimistic but, after only a six-hour outage and from prior experience here, I assumed that the power restoration might be short-lived. But it stayed on.
On Thursday, the equinox, MAC and I had our last outing of her trip: Kejimkujik National Park Seaside. This is a remote and protected coastal area where, as hoped, we got to watch lots of Grey Seals and Harbour Seals in the water and on the rocks off the coast and far from the few humans that were there. After a walk along the white sandy beaches (these are off limits in the summer during nesting season of the endangered Piping Plover), we drove a short distance east along the coast to have lunch overlooking beautiful Summerville Beach.
MAC has now returned home to Atlanta, GA, her flight unaffected by the storm. I missed her immediately. But I am busy in prep mode for more adventures and my first time beyond the Maritimes since the pandemic started—an upcoming road trip to Ontario and into the US. Yes, I checked to make sure my passport hasn’t expired.
References and related links:
- MAC: mon amie Caroline.
- Kejimkujik National Park Seaside (Parks Canada site)
- Fiona’s Fury: A look at what the powerful storm did to Nova Scotia (SOURCE: CBC News)
- autumn 2021 (post #171)
- storm (post #123)
Dad says
.Good summary. You packed a lot in in a short time. Now she is back in Georgia and you are getting ready to leave for Ontario.