Category: Nova Scotia

5 days is not enough to do justice to this magical isle at the northern and eastern most part of Nova Scotia but we gave it a good shot. Highlights for me were the 3 hikes, one on each coast observing the lobstering near the coast and the extreme cliff drop offs, bird life (seagulls, cormorants mostly) and similarities to both New Zealand (ocean culture) and rainforest like forests with ferns, heavy undergrowth, Japanese Bamboo without the humidity of Borneo.

Squeezing in 15 holes on Highland Golf Course designed by Stanley Thompson (my Dad’s name) at sunset and then watching the heart of Canadians broken with their Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup Finals. Hockey at the end of June?  With Florida winning the title?  Maurice Richard is groaning in his grave.

We did not go kayaking or whale watching but hopefully planted lots of climate conversation seeds with our Simple Steps handouts and renewed awareness on how little the average person talks about climate change. We learned at the CCL conference that Climate is 12^th on the list of reasons to vote in the 2024 election. Looking forward to passing out the “Talk About Climate Change” caps that I’m bringing back for our CCL and ECA warriors to encourage a deeper level of infusion into the current culture. This election season promises many surprises…..thanks Joe for your service, time to mentor the next leaders and step aside….my fervent prayer to the Democratic Party. Just heard that Angie Craig is the latest MoC (member of Congress) to politely request Joe to step aside. I’m asking YOU to step up and speak up on what matters to you outside of your comfort zone.

Back to the EVenture…The Whale museum in Pleasant Bay is worth a visit, they are doing a lot of good education of protecting our oceans and their largest residents. The sperm whale brain is 20 times larger than the human brain, can dive over 3,000 feet deep and hold their breath for over 2 hours. Try one minute.

Heading on I saw a sign “Gompa Monastary 9 km” another “next time” visit to see where Pema Chodron, a wonderful Buddhist teacher lives. Instead we had our ‘bog walk’ on the top of the Cape Breton plateau with amazing views of the coast line and the famous Cabot Trail that guided our journey around Cape Breton. Cheticamp was our last night’s stay on Cape Breton. A tourist haven with French Bakery, music venues, light house tour and Mindy’s fav; learning about the art of hooking, making rugs, portraits and scenes. See photos of the museum and Lola’s Hooker shop. Another sad story of a rich cultural tradition dying from loss of practitioners.

Early morning coffee with John Begin and his fair trade Sea Wolf coffee shop and crossed the Canso causeway to the mainland of Nova Scotia.

– Paul

We had one more day to explore the tides in the Bay of Fundy – the highest tides in the world – which we decided to do along the Minas Basin.  It was a rainy morning, but we decided we wouldn’t let that stop us.  No such thing as bad weather only bad equipment.  Unfortunately our equipment failed to meet our expectations with disastrous results for Paul’s phone and our good camera.  Though both were “protected” in our raincoat pockets, those pockets leaked leaving internal puddles of water that ruined both of these electronics.  Unfortunately that memory distracts from the great interpretive trail we found that follows some of the archeological evidence found of the early indigenous inhabitants of Nova Scotia.

We carried on and the weather did clear to cooperate somewhat – at least the pouring rain had stopped though visibility continued to be limited.  I did get my chance to walk on the ocean floor at low tide – such an amazing experience to watch how quickly the tide was rising with every wave.  One has to pay careful attention to the tide timetables and water levels so as to to get caught unaware in rapidly rising water, but when well informed it is magical and powerful.  Our exploration continued and included Five Islands Lighthouse lookout and Cape d’Or until we found a local campground for the night.  The next morning we squeezed in just a bit more experience of the tides of Fundy before saying goodbye to Nova Scotia and heading inland.  I found myself strangely emotional to leave.  Was it the pull of the tides?  Or the winding down of our vacation time?  Who knows, but we took one last chance to say thank you to the waters and people of Nova Scotia before moving on.

– Mindy

Dingwell beach

Dingwell Beach

Dingwell Beach

Bog watch pitcher plants

Bog walk reflection pond

Bog walk white carpet magic

Paul greets the pilot whale at the Whale Interpretive Center

Whales – wow!

Great questions like this…

Who knew!?

Cape Breton sunset

Acadian interpretive trail

What might life have been like here?

A lovely accidental discovery

Great throne Paul

Fabulous French pastries

Mindy delights in a chocolate croisant

Rug hooking history in Cheticamp

A hooking artist and hero

Modern hooker Lola who is retiring from the business this year

Lighthouse on Cheticamp Island

Acadian pride

MFA (MN Frisbee Assoc) makes a stand on the Middle Head

Name these birds for extra credit

World Famous Cabot Trail

Wonderful interpretive trail in the rain

Fern forest like New zealand

Highest tides in the world near Fundy Bay

Walking on the ocean floor at low tide

Who could this car belong to?

Gloria who shared her local knowledge and love of the area

Five Islands lookout

Looking at the islands at high tide

The muddy trail to Cape d’Or

Intrepid roses everywhere in Nova Scotia

Cape d’Or lighthouse- thanks Craig Neal

Windy and wild on the Cape

Redd-Y doesn’t mind a bit of mud

Cape Chignecto on the Bay of Fundy

Contrasting stones at Cape Chignecto

I’ll let Paul go back and talk about the days in between if he wants to. I’m going to keep jumping ahead.

We arrived on the ferry in Digby, Nova Scotia, and first had to find a charging station. Once the car was filled, we looked to fill our bellies with the famous scallops for which Digby is known. We were not disappointed by the small establishment we found along the wharf. We managed to get the last of their scallops lightly pan fried and delicious accompanied by chips (fries) and coleslaw.

As it was now heading towards the evening, we decided to look for camping along Digby Neck and explore the unique topography of this small spit of land that is an extension of the Appalachian mountains. The views were beautiful both over St. Mary’s Bay and the Bay of Fundy. I was hoping for a camping spot to watch the sunset over the bay of Fundy.

We turned off at Whale Cove to look for the one campground noted on the tourist map. Not finding it, we stopped to ask a local who peered us through his fence. To our good fortune Stanley became a fast friend, though he told us the campground had closed he owned the land up to the bayfront water and said we were welcome to park there and stay for the night. He gave us a tour of some of his personal projects, including a beautiful overlook of the bay. He introduced us to his pets and told us stories of having lived in the village since he was born.

We parked our car down near the water with a full beautiful view of the sunset. And to my delight, this was no ordinary sunset, but hours of a pink and blue tinged sky as the sun sank over the horizon and continued to illuminate the clouds until nearly 11 PM. The self inflating foam mattress we purchased for the back of the Tesla has proven to be a great idea. We shift our belongings to the front seat – nicely packed in bins for easy stacking – spread out the mattress with our sleeping bags and pillows from home, set the camping mode and enjoy mosquito free, perfect temperature and very comfortable night’s sleep with views of the sky, the bay and our other surroundings.

The next morning we took a short walk along the waterfront then headed out to find coffee and to see Balancing Rock on Long Island south of Digby Neck. We arrived at the ferry stop then did a few calculations to realize we couldn’t do that and make it to Chester by early evening. So we turned around knowing we would find many other natural wonders along our way. We took the scenic route along the shore and enjoyed the view.

Driving an electric vehicle still takes more planning than a gas powered one. Though there are multiple charging stations throughout Nova Scotia. They are not as fast as the Tesla superchargers we are accustomed to and to our surprise we were not the only ones looking for a high-speed charge. At one stop, we actually had to wait when we arrived at our planned charging spot. Charging takes an hour even at a DC fast charger which is enough time to go for a walk, but they’re usually located in a city area not very friendly to walking so instead we keep planning the trip and seeking advice from locals.

I seem to have caught a cold that has left me with less energy than usual. Yes, I have tested multiple times now for Covid each time showing negative even though there have been reported cases from the conference so I’m being extra cautious by wearing my mask and staying away from people I don’t know and can’t give full warning to, so I didn’t mind having one day of driving where I could easily doze in the car as we headed to meet a new friend in Chester.

– Mindy

I’m finally settling into vacation. Lots of hours getting ready for the conference and lobby day. The lobby day is ultimately my responsibility though I have lots of help from 400 plus volunteers and my 11 fellow Regional Directors.

It was strange to be at the conference and miss all of it. I was sitting in the hallway at the lobby help desk during every session but the time I spoke. I watched snippets on the livestream between questions. But it is totally worth it! There comes a time during the conference when I realize it’s now in the hands of the volunteers on the lobby teams. They’ve asked all their questions, gotten advice, planned with their teams and are ready to go.

Lobby Day on the Hill is magical. I participated in 3 lobby meetings with minor roles. The rest of the day I was chatting with CCLers in the cafeteria or getting high fives and waves as we pass in the hallways – these same hallways that so many before us have walked to shape our country the best way we all know how. Then comes the final celebration at the reception that evening. And with that everyone heads home.

It’s a little strange to walk through the hotel the next day and have all these strangers sitting at the tables and in seats where CCL volunteers were for many days before. Time for us to go.

I tied up loose ends on Thursday and Friday and set my email vacation notices. All while we headed northeast along the coast heading for friends and vacation.  A charge stop in Portland where we were greeted by Peter then had lunch with Annie and Thea. Two nights with Sarah and Paul in Robbinston which was the perfect setting to pause and get into vacation mode.

And now we are on the ferry heading for Nova Scotia and the adventure that awaits- after minor inspection at the border. Apparently it was a little suspicious that we would go through Canada two years in a row with a carload of camping equipment, but as they verified, that’s all we have.

– Mindy

CCLers heading to Capitol Hill

Boarding the metro for Capitol Hill

Lining up on the Capitol steps – Paul out in front taking his own picture.

Meeting with Michael at Sen. Cramer’s office

Welcome back, 4 days later. The conference is complete, Mindy is at her staff retreat and I’m waiting for Kate Schacter, our RPCV forEnvironmental Action president and main driver of bringing the Peace Corps Community closer to what CCL is doing.

So much of our lives are about doing stuff and getting stuff done. I (pt) on this trip am  attempting to break some patterns, read more, blog less, feel more deeply and take the time to do that. At 75 I’m clearly aware of the 3rd Act of life and how it requires a different  understanding,…. acceptance.

Last night a Muslim girl spoke about her experience lobbying and then spoke to all of us in how we make sense of our good actions here in DC while thousands of kids and innocent people are being raped, killed forced to escape.  For me it was a stark reminder  how different our realities are when instability, war and poverty dictate  people’s lives. I thanked her mentor Karina this morning. The youth at this conference were beyond my expectations. Inspiring  leadership, poise, courage, and open hearted and wonderfully naive.

Mindy- Now a certified Rock Star in the CCL World.

She and her team organized individual schedules for the 1,000 lobbyists, and confirmed 441 congressional meeting (97 of 100 in the senate) and now she has to (as an introvert) walk thru the quiet hallways so people don’t recognize her…true story!

Her multiple  weeks long commitment for pulling this off I have witnessed since April and I’m doing my best to give/ find for her what she needs….”we miss our body pump”  The number of people from the conference that just rushed up to her to thank her and hug her….ya had to be there, and again,  and again.  Lobbying for the first time can be a life changing experience. The comments by the first timers are powerful listen to them here.

The amount of thought, practice and preparation for these lobby meetings make all the difference. By the time we arrive at the offices all we do is listen, ask open ended questions and show undivided attention and appreciation ….it works. Not as fast as we’d like but we are moving a huge piece of machinery here.

Wednesday felt like a break…Mindy had staff meeting and bonding with her team of Regional Directors. Paul went to the Peace Corps office with 2 CCL staff Joe Robertson director of CCI (International) and Karina Ramirez the CCL DEI Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) coordinator. 5 staff where attending from PC including Andrew Wilson the director of the Third Goal (what PCVs do when they return home) and Nik Karr the Climate Change expert tasked with creating Climate Adaptation and Resilience programs for countries of service.  Also Dan Baker the director of NPCA (National PC Assoc) and Jonathan Pearson, long time friend and advocacy director of NPCA and his assistant Kathryn from Kansas.

We had a robust conversation about raising the awareness of Climate Action and how best to tell the unique story that PCVs and RPCVs have to tell about our international experiences and linking with CCL.  The word “Lobby” is a stumbling block for PC, a government organization with strong limits on what they can do as a government entity. More to come on this. We followed the meeting with a meet and greet at the near by Wundergarten Beer Garden and met a bunch of new RPCVs from the DC area and kept building connection. After all, it’s ALL about relationship right?

Caught the end of the Farewell Celebration for Mark Reynolds the first and longest serving CEO of CCL as the organization brings on their new leader at the end of this month. Thanks Mark, no words can convey what you have created for CCL and all of us!!

Time to head north and start phase 2 of this EVenture.

– Paul

Mindy at the Lobby Help Desk

Mindy presenting Lobby Day Logistics

North Wind Regional social gathering

Jerome Foster speaking

Peace Corps Action Table

Cathy with the Canadian Quarterly Dividend check

Paul dressed to lobby

on the way to Capitol Hill

Big group photo at the Capitol

Front row friends

one more year

Paul’s Gustavus classmate

Rep. Pete Stauber’s office

Rep. Brad Finstad’s office

Rep. Greene’s office

Celebratory breakfast post lobby day

OK, welcome back to our yearly EVenture journey to  another amazing part of North America while moving our country and planet toward a better decarbonized future.

With our planned trip to Nova Scotia we opted to drive Redd-Y (our model Y Tesla) instead of our usual Amtrak trip to DC for the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) International Conference. Much prefer the train but this year flexible travel wins out. Quite a flurry of action and pressure getting out of town. With Mindy in charge of the organizing all the lobby meeting2 (now at 422+ confirmed of the 535 offices), finding Pickles care (thanks Twila, Jag , Zorro and Tigger), final planting and watering plan for our mini urban farm…it was a lot!!

We hit Chicago after rush hour which was quite painless  and arrived at Faith and David Van Gilder’s home outside of Fort Wayne IN at 12:30 am. RPCV  (Peace Corps Vol) Faith (Botswana) like Paul  (Malaysian Borneo) is an active advocate for Peace Corps funding and legislation and offered her home for our first night on the road. What a beautiful location in the woods…frog sounds, giant trees, no traffic…just what we all need. Breakfast with Faith, sorry to miss Dave….next time.

More travel on Friday through Indiana, Ohio (best rest stops) and into the gorgeous hills and mountains of Pennsylvania and Maryland with the ever present memories of Mindy and Ryan’s  2016 Low Carbon Crossing bike journey. The final leg along the GAP and C & O trails into DC during the election of Donald Trump.

Now in  Washington DC and the annual CCL International Conference.  Here’s the link to follow the proceedings  www.cclusa.org/summer. Over 1,000 volunteers from every state and many countries building non  partisan political will for climate solutions.  We will be having 3 days of learning and planning for our Tuesday lobby meetings with Congressional members and their staff on permitting reform essential to reach our climate goals and seek co-sponsors for the “Prove -It Act” which does the following:

• Measures the carbon intensity of certain goods
• Helps America negotiate effectively with trading partners
• Builds on bipartisan momentum to act on global carbon pollution

Both of these asks are friendly to both sides of the political spectrum, CCL’s specialty.

Time to get ready for the National conference call and an afternoon of Climate Conversations of the DC Mall, the swag for the conference?….baseball caps with “Talk About Climate Change”  just what everybody needs.

and the blog is launched…thanks for reading.