TEXAS RANGER: Halifax, NS to Liverpool, NS to Shelburne, NS August 7--9

     After a bit longer in Halifax than anticipated to allow for passage of Tropical Storm Bertha, we moved south along the coast of Nova Scotia. Peggy's Cove, in an area of granite upheaval further reformed by years of glaciers, manifests a stunning topography with granite boulders protruding randomly and frequently from the landscape. Peggy's Cove Lighthouse stands on one major granite outcropping at the ocean's edge. This lighthouse, over its long history, has burned every type of fuel used by North American lighthouses, from whale oil to electricity. Mahone Bay, farther south, has several interesting towns, and is said to contain an island for every day of the year. Lunenburg has many restaurants, a Fisheries Museum, and a number of preserved or restored fishing vessels, including the famed Bluenose II. We ran a long day, and anchored in the Mersey River in Liverpool Bay.
     The following day we ran on down the coast, passing the white sand beaches (like the Caribbean) of Carter's Beach at Port Mouton (so-named because centuries ago someone lost a sheep overboard here), and on to Shelburne. Shelburne Bay is considered to be the 3rd-largest natural harbor in the world, and is a 10-mile long harbor at the head of which is the town of Shelburne, founded in 1783 by thousands of Loyalists fleeing New York following the American Revolution. We picked up a mooring ball, and waited as some thunderstorms (with hail) passed through. It is certainly cooler afterwards! The Camden Yacht Club from Maine is having a 2-week cruise and is here for the weekend, so there are lots of beautiful sailboats around us.
     We will study weather predictions, charts, etc. and determine within the next day or two our route and time for return to the states. We will miss Canada; not only has it been temperate while our friends at home suffer mid-90's, but the people, in general, are much more relaxed and easy-going. Some of that may just be the fact that we are around boaters, but even in non-boating environments the pace of life is slower and simpler, folks are not constantly glued to cellular devices, and there is actually time for conversation.