NSBS Skills Course And Beyond - A

Through November I was at the NSBS (NS Barristers' Society) office as part of a class taking the practical Skills Course (why this wasn't included in law school is beyond me, although it might have something to do with students of any Canadian law school being able to practise in Nova Scotia, and the skill set needing to be standardised somehow).  Three weeks of lectures, videos, and interactive exercises passed very slowly, but it was a nice change of pace.  We were given shared and private fact scenarios and told to negotiate or interview each other, depending on the day, and were evaluated by watching a videotaped session with a course instructor, on a pass/fail basis.  It's no fun watching yourself do something that dry, and I found myself to be so boring I started losing focus as a spectator.  The instructor however found I engaged the client competently and so I passed that component.

We had to do a couple negotiation exercises, one on one and in a group setting.  There was one guy, a Brit who moved to PEI (PEIslanders take the NS course because there's too few of them to make it worth doing at home) who I worked with a couple times.  He was funny and pleasant to interact with, but very hard-nosed at the bargaining table.  Why can't disputes be settled with a good, clean poker game?  At least there I'd have a fighting chance!

The weather was largely sunny and cool, so I'd be able to walk the 2.1km past the Citadel and Town Clock to the office (15 minutes, despite Google recommending 27).  Even better, with the exception of a few days requiring I wear a suit, the dress code was back to dress like a student - comfortable and relaxed!  A national heritage site overlooking the city and harbour as part of my daily commute?  No traffic jams, bridge bottlenecks, or delays?  No need for a jacket and tie to add heat while walking?  Sign me up!  Not only did I have a pleasant commute, I sometimes got to walk part of the way with classmates I hadn't seen in a while and catch up with them.  It seems there was a rash of babies arriving after grad - our little JKLM was the only one to show up between exams and grad, though!

After the slow and occasionally boring pace of the Skills Course I go back to the DOJ, working in Solicitor Services for another month (likely to be very slow with people leaving for vacations), then I transfer to Civil Litigation (CivLit) in January where everything's always busy and happening, preparing court cases and reading files, making sure everything's ready to go.  CivLit involves lawsuits against or by the government, and for example can cover slip and fall injuries or property damage from flooding or disputes regarding property sales.  A specialised department of CivLit is Child Protection, where I'll be for my final month of articling.  I'm told that Child Protection is like crim law - either you love it or hate it.  I'm also told that in Child Protection you don't break up families (they're broken already) or take kids away, rather, you take them into care when there's no better option.  We'll see how that goes.  First I've got to get through the more mundane lawsuits and related workload.  Whoever planned this articling assignment had it backwards - I'd much rather have 6 months of PPS and 9 weeks of CivLit, instead of vice versa.  It would seem I'm one of the few articling clerks they've had who feels that way.  However it goes, CivLit will be much more busy than Solicitor Services - I'd better rest up while I can!

Until next time,
A.

End of PPS - A

My time at PPS is pretty much done. My last report wasn't exactly brief so I'll try cut down the stories to the more interesting stuff.  It's not all court preparation and plea bargaining at PPS, there's research and memos to do as well.  What law students might shrug off as a boring intellectual exercise comes to life when you realise the answer to this question could win or lose a case.  If nothing else, a good memo can line up good references for future job applications.  I've written two memos, had good feedback, and we'll see what I can make of the opportunities arising.

The memos here were for a murder case.  I can't go into details, but suffice it to say a mentally ill man opened his door to find a shotgun pointing at his head...I wasn't involved in the courtroom action beyond being allowed to take notes and ask questions later, but I did get to see some evidence, including the crime scene and autopsy photos.  Not exactly cheery, and definitely not for the weak of stomach.

This case was at the preliminary inquiry (PI) stage, where the Crown lays out enough evidence to have the accused committed to trial.  Sometimes the accused can consent to committal, and just see what evidence the Crown has to decide whether or not to plead guilty, and figure out what kind of jail time is likely.  PIs tend to be short and relatively straightforward, but can carry some of the drama of a full trial.  Rather like a dress rehearsal in many ways for both sides.

One thing about criminal court is that expert witnesses not only know what they're talking about, but they tend to be able to clarify things and explain to the court what is going on.  In this case one expert witness was the Chief Medical Examiner of Nova Scotia, and he walked us through the autopsy.  I'll spare you the gory details but it really was fascinating to learn what he saw and what it all meant, and he presented it so simply that I don't think anyone in the room had any questions or confusion.  I'm told I should enjoy this calibre of witnesses while I can, since in my Civil Litigation (CivLit) rotation the quality of witnesses drops off dramatically.  Anyway, in this case the accused consented to committal and will stand trial in the New Year.

It's really hit or miss when an accused decides to represent himself.  The judge has to explain the procedures and bend over background to make sure everything's understood, then the accused often takes the stand and torpedoes his own case one way or another.  I got to sit in on the trial of a man who decided to go it alone, and while I only got to see him cross-examine the victim, it was a lesson in precision I won't soon forget.  The accused was the victim's landlord, and one day a dispute arose that ended in threats of violence and some physical contact.  The accused also happens to be a realtor and minor media figure here, and blamed the victim's interview with a certain magazine for the trial going as far as it did.  But while the accused was clearly a man of some education and eloquence, he was not careful enough.  As he asked the victim questions, it was obvious the traps and answers he was trying to get set.  The victim was also educated, not very eloquent, but extremely precise.  The accused would ask a question, and the victim would first answer the question as asked (completely missing the point the accused was trying to make), then rephrase the question to what the accused intended, then answer it to make the accused look stupid.  The accused's choice of words used a lot of assumptions that the victim would clarify and refute with devastating precision.  The accused here was found guilty, and I spoke with the victim afterwards to compliment him on his performance under cross-examination, and instead of being some kind of communications professional it turns out he's a mathematician.  Go figure!

I'll end my PPS reports with my PPS principal's three rules for working as a prosecutor: 1-family comes first; 2-it is what it is; 3-make sure you're presentable going into court.

Until next time,
A.

Harvest and Halloween - R

October has been a busy month, with lots of fun activities and outings, great food and even a visit to the local farm orchard to pick up some pumpkins and fruit. Here's a look at what we have done this month:

Though he wasn't actually eating at Thanksgiving, he got plenty stuffed just the same 

On the weekend before Halloween, we broke out the costume and took Jonathan on a trip to a local farm that grows all kinds of fruits, vegetables and of course pumpkins - the petting zoo was an added bonus!

Jonathan just being his usual silly self and hanging out in a crate of pumpkins

Though Jonathan was mighty interested in the goats . . . the goats were more interested in finding out whether or not the stroller was edible (hmm the goats and Jonathan seem to have a thing or two in common these days!)

The farm was great, you could get right up close and personal with all the animals

First tractor ride . . . a John Deere just his size!

Jonathan wasn't too interested in the ducks . . . but they were preoccupied with the mud puddle anyways

A little wooden car, also just the right size for Jonathan - and Mommy even let him drive!

Enjoying the fall colours while banging on a bunch of stuff hanging from a clothesline - what a wonderful way to spend the day!

Look at me, I'm as tall as a giraffe!

Cutest little giraffe you ever did see

On Halloween, it was our library day . . . so of course Jonathan went in his costume

We also saved Jonathan some pumpkin out of the batch that we made pumpkin pudding out of . . . it was his first try with solid food!

Why not stay in the costume all day long, when he only gets to wear it for such a short time! 

He loves his Bumbo seat, and it make an alright high-chair for now . . . 

Sour?! . . . 1st bite of solid food - pumpkin.
He did manage a few bites afterwards, but kept making the face the whole time :) 

We also got some apples at the farm/orchard and made applesauce for Jonathan as well. It has taken him a few days to get used to solid food . . . but he now enjoys eating both pumpkin and applesauce to the delight of Mommy and Daddy!

Seeing as the colours were so beautiful outside, we decided to try our luck with a fall photo shoot. 

Jonathan cooperated beautifully and we got a few really great shots of him playing in the leaves

Taking a family shot proved more difficult . . . the tripod and remote were great, except it was hard to get Jonathan to look at the camera! Here's one of the best of our many shots :)

That pretty much shows you what we have been up to in the last half of October. We have had some gorgeous weather and been trying to take advantage of it before the wind/rain and snow that mark winter here in Halifax start.

Cheers for now,
Racheal

"Home" to BC with Jonathan - R

Right after celebrating Aaron's birthday at home in Halifax, Jonathan and I took a trip "home" to BC. We spent a week in the Lower Mainland, splitting our time between the Penrose and Martens families.

Jonathan was a happy little flyer . . . much to my relief
(and that of the other passengers too -  I am sure)

Nana and Papa (my parents) picked us up from the airport and we had dinner with my brother Gord and stayed at his place in West Vancouver that night. During the night, my sister Elena along with two friends drove down from Prince George . . . it was great to wake up in the morning and see them! We spent that next day at the Seattle Premium Outlets - Jonathan's first cross border trip was uneventful thanks to his passport and a letter from Aaron giving his consent.

That evening Jonathan and I moved into Grandma and Grandpa Martens' (Aaron's parents) basement guest suite. We had dinner that evening with Aaron's brother Chris and his girlfriend Deena, and then were joined by AJ (Aunt Janice) and Uncle Dennis for a wonderful dessert!

Jonathan coped well to the time change, adjusting his feeding and sleeping schedule quickly

It was wonderful to spend some time with AJ and Uncle Dennis, and to see them interact with Jonathan

The next day Jonathan and I spent the day with the Penrose family at the Vancouver Aquarium and Jonathan got to meet and hangout with his cousin Austin.

Uncle Gord gets in some quality time with Jonathan

Jonathan was enthralled with the fish and sea life

It was great to get him right up close to the glass where he could look and "touch"

Jonathan had a great time with Austin, gumming on his fingers
and gaining a few feet in height every time Austin picked him up!

All in all it was a wonderful day which Jonathan really seemed to enjoy!

That evening, we celebrated a belated birthday for Deena and prepared for the Open House to meet Jonathan the next day.

Deena and Chris with the Martens' traditional blackforest birthday cake trifle . . . mmmm

On Sunday, the Martens' opened up their home to family and friends so that we could catch up and they could all meet little Jonathan. Though we missed a few who were working, sick or otherwise occupied, it was wonderful to spend some time with all those able to make it!

It was nice to see Erin (a friend from days as a rugby trainer) and her son Austin.

After the excitement of the Open House it was nice to relax at Gord's the next day and spend some time with Nana and Papa.

Nana and Papa enjoyed having some quality time with Jonathan and we are thankful they were able to make it down to the Lower Mainland for our visit!

Aunt Pat was able to make it out to Langley for the Open House, but most of the rest of her family could not - so she had Jonathan and I over for a gourmet dinner the next evening! It was wonderful to catch up with PJ (as well as her children Isaiah and Elena) and Deb and Joel in addition to Aunt Pat and John over the lovely meal. That evening, we also discovered that Jonathan's first tooth had come in . . . and he hardly even fussed at all!

Jonathan got to see a bit of White Rock too, as Grandma Martens and I took him for a stroll along the boardwalk there the next day. It was a bit windy though, and the tide was out so we didn't get to dip our toes in the Pacific - that will have to wait for the next trip!

Jonathan makes good use of the bouncer that at one point a long time ago
Aaron used as well!

We spent a lot of time at Grandma and Grandpa Martens house . . .
but somehow I didn't get a single picture with either of them!

I got some more shopping in on our last full day, and had a great sushi dinner with Gord and Austin. 

Jonathan and his cousin Austin hanging out at Uncle Gord's after a dinner of all-you-can-eat sushi

Then it was back to Langley to pack up for our early morning departure back home. The flight home was another great flight for Jonathan . . . despite the fact that his second tooth erupted at 30,000 feet somewhere over Manitoba!

As we fly into Halifax, out the window we could see that autumn had arrived!

It was a wonderful visit - though too short as always. However, it was great to be back home and fill Aaron in on all of our travel stories! I am grateful for all the help Jonathan and I received while travelling, from flight attendants getting us settled, to strangers helping us with our bags . . . but it made me even more grateful for a loving husband and eager father to share parenting with, I just don't know how single parents do it!

Cheers,
Racheal

Articling at PPS - A

Back a couple years ago, Scott and I were going down a hallway in the Crown office when we heard a lawyer yell out indignantly "oh for f@*#'s sake!"  Scott turned to me then and said "I think we're going to like it here."  As it happens, we both did, and when I finally started my PPS rotation during my articles, my prosecutor principal summed up my feelings in two words: "welcome home."  I have the princely total of 9 weeks of my articling year to spend in PPS, and I'm making an effort to make the most of each minute.  The office is still as boisterous and ribald as ever, rated at least 14A, and it's unlikely Jonathan will make an appearance on any "take your kid to work" days in the near future.

My prosecutor principal is a busy person, and not always able to give me files to prepare in court.  I haven't done as much as I'd like in court, but so far I've handled a bunch of first appearances (mainly adjournments to let the accused get their disclosure and talk to a lawyer) and a couple sentencings.  I was supposed to run a trial but the guy pled guilty and we went straight to sentencing.  Now.  Preparing a file is important (and yes, expect to spend 12+ hours preparing files for 6 hours in court, not counting witness preparation for trial) since at any stage in the game the accused can plead guilty and go straight to sentencing - if you don't have a plan you'd better be good at improvising.  Actually, given how unpredictable court can be, even after diligent preparation you can still end up flying by the seat of your pants.  Only very veteran Crowns can do a morning in court without preparing files in advance and not faceplant.  And that's if they're lucky and have a favourable judge.

The first sentencing I got to do was for a drunk driver.  First offence, no criminal record, no injury or damage.  I recommended the minimum sentence and it was accepted.  Racheal wasn't impressed when I told her, until she found out what the mandatory minimum sentence is: a $1000 fine and 1 year driving prohibition, nationwide.  There seems to have been a cluster of drunk drivers since, one hitting a parked car and driving off, and another running a stop sign and causing an accident.  You can bet they won't be getting the minimum!  Another driver was asleep in her car at a stop sign.  A cop pulled up behind her, hit the lights and siren for a second, and she jerked awake.  She ran a red light and sped off down a main road just at the start of rush hour.  The chase was on, and soon going too fast to be safe.  The cop backed off and lost her, but saw a fresh set of skid marks and soon found the car parked and her running across a field.  He chased her down, got her on the ground to handcuff her, when she crapped herself.  Copiously.  In his field notes he wrote "I could smell alcohol on her breath heavily mingled with the smell of fresh feces."  She didn't cause an accident but the Crown is seeking a heavier sentence, likely a good chunk of prison time, for drunk driving and the police chase.  I suspect the poopy pants will be their own punishment.

My prosecutor principal is a veteran Crown who knows the judges well enough.  There was a bail hearing with a cute girl as a possible witness.  The judge was in a cranky mood, and has a reputation as one who enjoys female scenery.  My principal was *this close* to calling the girl as a witness, and having her go sit beside the judge in the witness box, to cheer him up.  Given the circumstances of the case it would have been suspicious of her to actually do so, but she told me later that knowing your judges can save a lot of headache in court.

Sometimes we'll get a rash of similar charges - 4 or 5 drunk drivers, 7 shoplifters, even recently 3 cases of domestic violence, 2 of which had both parties facing criminal charges.  The first case involved the guy strangling the girl with a belt for a while, then when his back was turned she pushed him headfirst down a flight of stairs.  Both of them injured, so both of them face charges.  Me, I wouldn't charge her with anything serious if I could avoid it as he likely had it coming.  But a different case had the girl gouge the guy's face and draw blood, then the next day he picked her up and bodyslammed her to the ground in a theatre lobby.  Some would call it a tie, and not worth pursuing (especially since they're estranged and in the process of divorcing) except both events were done in front of their kids.  Nova Scotia law says that exposing kids to domestic violence can be grounds to take the kids into protective care - seeing as both partners are seeking sole custody of the kids, it might be fitting for them both to lose custody, at least for a while, to teach them a lesson.  Cases like that have no winner - the kids have already lost, no matter who goes to jail.  There were also a couple murder verdicts that came down - talk about a situation with no winners!  A young man goes to jail for 25+ years, breaking his mother's heart, while the victim's daughter grows up without a father for no good reason.  There's a certain satisfaction as a prosecutor in putting away a murderer, and getting the victory, but sometimes it's a very hollow victory.  Law, like life, is much more often messy rather than glamorous.  There's nothing to celebrate in broken lives.

A young Crown has taken me under her wing, and is a feisty little thing.  She was supposed to run a sentencing hearing in Supreme Court for a domestic violence case (boyfriend broke into girlfriend's house, choked her to brief unconsciousness, and fought off her father trying to protect her.  Why the father, who was at a distinct size disadvantage, didn't use a frying pan or rolling pin to intervene is beyond me).  Thankfully no lasting physical harm, but rather traumatic emotional harm for sure.  Defence counsel (a certain legal aid lawyer with hair as disorganized as her practise) knew the Crown's position on sentence since January, and got a half-assed presentence report done out of province that didn't include a risk assessment of the offender.  Defence came to court seeking a delay for the risk assessment.  Crown was, shall we say, very forcefully ready to proceed.  On the record, but before the judge came in Crown told defence that deliberate stalling tactics wouldn't work.  Defence lawyer smirked - she has a reputation for delays.  Crown told defence "You're coming up on retirement soon and I'm just getting started.  I believe in holding grudges, and if you f@*$ with me I will make your remaining years a living hell any time we meet in court."  Again, a rather smug look in reply.  Judge comes in, the two sides state their positions, Crown emphasizing that the victim doesn't feel safe with the accused running free waiting for a risk assessment to be done.  The judge said "I can take care of that" rather dismissively (this is unusual, and not often a good omen for either side).  It turns out the judge's wife had been a victim of domestic violence some years back, and he had taken the issue to heart, being personally aware of the trauma.  Defence gets the adjournment, but the offender got remanded in custody for six weeks, to allow for a thorough risk assessment to be done.  This way the accused can't conveniently forget any appointments, the victim and her family are safe, and defence lawyer isn't rewarded for her shenanigans.  Well, as he said "remanded" it was like a baseball bat to the defence lawyer's gut.  She flapped her mouth wordlessly like a goldfish for a while, "uh, er, um, what, uh, my lord??" and got a rather stern look.  He offered to give the psychiatrist more time to do a thorough risk assessment, which defence declined.  The Crown came back to me to discuss what happened, including her threat to defence counsel, and I have to admit I was a little bit scared of that little spitfire, and told her as much.  Apparently I'm on her good side, and am thankful for that.  So the offender cools his heels and gets an early taste of the (likely) 3+ years of prison he'll be getting, thanks to his lawyer's deviousness.  Too bad this result won't hurt her too much!

So, the lesson so far: know your judge, know your opposing counsel, and know your files!
Until next time,
A.

The Fall Schedule - R

Now that October is here, we are full swing into the fall activities. Jonathan's schedule keeps both him and I pretty busy! At the same time, it is nice to get out and interact with other moms/dads and babies and get to know more people outside of lawyers and nurses as well.

Mondays, there is a drop in group at a local church. They serve cookies and tea and there are lots of toys and such for the babies and young children to play with. It is pretty informal and walking distance away which makes it even more appealing!

On Tuesdays, Jonathan and I have dropped in on a nearby yoga studio that holds Moms and Babes classes. The instructor leads a class for the moms and the babes roll around on the extra mats next to us. It would seem that Jonathan gets more out of the class than I do judging by his flexibility:

Wednesdays is Reel Babies - matinee movies for adults and their young children played at the local Empire Theatres alternating between Dartmouth and Halifax. We get to vote on upcoming movies, and the theatres are equipped with swings, bouncers, exersaucers, bottle warmers and change pads . . . and filled with other screaming babies so you don't have to feel bad when your little one starts fussing! Oh and the sound is turned up so you can still hear the movie over the kids :)
Also on Wednesdays we have a library group that we go to. There are lots of other kids Jonathan's age, and we read stories, sing songs and play with new friends each week.

Our Thursdays are reserved for playdates with other friends who have young ones. It is nice to get outside some times, but also nice just to have someone over every once in a while - if nothing else it motivates me to clean house!

Kindermusik happens on Fridays at the Maritime Conservatory. Jonathan has really enjoyed the class and is great at beating on the drums and making music with the different shakers, rattles and bells. We have had a lot of fun in the class and made some new friends too!

Saturdays, we tend to spend at home or as a family on different outings. Aaron really enjoys his weekends with Jonathan and takes over in all aspects of his care when he isn't at work which is a welcome break for me!

Jonathan has been taking swimming lessons at the Canada Games Pool on Sunday mornings. It has been so much fun seeing him get used to and enjoy the water (even in the cooler leisure pool). Both Aaron and I typically go in with him and alternate in playing with him in the water. He sure loves splashing and is getting pretty good at kicking too. He's not so sure about being dunked and when we try to get him to blow bubbles he tends to try to drink the pool water . . . but otherwise it is all good fun!

Now don't get the wrong idea, we by no means do everything every week . . . the library group, Kindermusik and swim lessons are the only constants. Everything else is hit or miss depending on nap time, our health and energy levels. But it is nice to have so many options!

Cheers,
Racheal

Bar Exam Results - A

It's official.  As of 4:15pm today I found out I passed the bar exam!  No fewer than 16 out of 55 students failed (an uncommonly high amount) and I'm very thankful not to be among them.  I not only passed, but the NSBS (Nova Scotia Barristors Society) has incorporated 3 of my answers (out of 12 questions) into their sample exams of how to answer questions for future students.  This indicates I did better than just barely pass, but I'm not intending to ask exactly what my mark was - something about dental exams on gratis horses.  It's a huge relief having this load off my back, and next up I take the bar course in November after my PPS rotation.

Bar exam results here if you care.  I'm #120730.

I'll see you later,
A.

Visitors from the West - A

In late September Aaron's Uncle Dan & Aunti Judi came to visit as part of their Great Canadian RV tour.  They stayed in a campground near Peggy's Cove and did a lot of their own exploring, but spent a weekend with us so we could show them a bit of Halifax, and introduce them to little Jonathan.  

We tried to go to Your Father's Moustache, our favourite pub, but there was a live band and dancing and too loud and crowded for little boy's tastes.  We went instead to the Rock Bottom Brewery pub, where Uncle Dan enjoyed a lobster and Jonathan got a little fed up with the noise there too.

We took them on the Harbour Walk and through the Farmer's Market.  It was a nice day and a long walk, featuring rum cake and Cows ice cream.  There were people fishing off the boardwalk, and one guy pulled up his line to show off a live lobster hanging onto his bait with a claw.  He shook the line but the lobster held on for quite a while before getting bored and letting go, falling back into the water.  Sadly, we didn't have a camera with us to catch that moment.

It was nice seeing them again, sadly they had a ferry reservation to catch on their way to Newfoundland so we didn't get to show them all we could have.  Maybe another time!

Until next time,
A.

Articling Update & PPS transition - A

I'm almost done my first phase with Solicitor Services, as I have only 1 week to go before starting with PPS.  I'm still waiting for the bar exam results, and really hoping for a simple "pass" rather than any target grade.  The last day they can release marks is October 6th, I'm hoping they don't wait that long.

It's been a slow summer, what with all the vacations going on in the office.  That said, I've managed to work on 3 assignments that made news headlines, and one of them involves a billion-dollar contract.  It's quite the feeling to see my research and recommendations be built upon and implemented, and I don't think my classmates in the corporate world have a hope of making such a broad impact as articling clerks working in government.  Sure, they might handle powerful corporate clients in takeovers and litigation, but government is bigger than that.  Not only does government have a bigger impact, it also has a very broad scope - one day I might be doing a question on copyright, and another I might be dealing with how elections are run.

I did get to have an unsupervised client meeting recently.  It was reminiscent of a West Wing-style "big block of cheese day" where people or issues not normally dealt with are given a chance to be heard.  Despite having a couple obscure questions, I think we were able to reach a common understanding and they seem happy with my performance so far.  I recently got a performance evaluation done, and despite not pleasing a couple office cranks, my principal (supervisor) found my work to be very good, and gave me very encouraging feedback.  Apparently the key is to know who to please and how to manage expectations.  Some people are impossible to please, at least as far as a lowly articling clerk is able, and I'm not supposed to stress too much about what's beyond my control.

In just over a week I go to PPS.  I'm looking forward to being back in the courtroom before my favourite judges, but hoping I haven't forgotten too much of the technical procedure rules, or about evidence, or any number of other topics.  Hopefully I get the chance to impress and succeed, and start laying good groundwork for a post-articling job.

One thing about articling is that there's no vacation time, just pay in lieu, so I just get the occasional long weekend like everyone else.  This complicates taking trips and such, so when Racheal goes to BC with Jonathan in mid-October I'll be cooling my heels here.  Here's hoping Jonathan travels well, and copes with the time zone change ok, and that Racheal survives the flights with him!

Well, fingers crossed for a favourable bar exam mark, and a good final week at Solicitor Services!

A.

Down to Yarmouth and Back - R

Over the Labour Day weekend, we took a trip down and around the South Shore and Annapolis Shore. It was a lot of area to cover in a weekend, but we did our best.

First stop was Shelburne:

One of the first Dory shops in Atlantic Canada, and it still functions as such!

We stopped for lunch at the local Farmer's Market and had tomatoes, berries, and some treats
to eat as we walked along the rest of the waterfront

Just outside of Shelburne, is an area which originally started out as part of Shelburne where the Black loyalists were segregated and grew to be known as Birchtown. If you have read The Book of Negroes (a good read by the way) these places are mentioned.

Birchtown - where the Black loyalists were segregated

St. Paul's Church in Birchtown

inside the church

After Shelburne and Birchtown, we headed further south and stopped in a Historic Acadian Village just outside of Pubnico Harbour.

Aaron and Jonathan taking some shelter in the shade before we walked around the site 

The village is set up so that you can walk through the buildings on your own and encounter Acadian descendants of the original inhabitants of the village who would answer questions and tell stories of life in the 1800s.

Oh look, a bed just about right for Jonathan . . . and its almost nap time too!

Salt Cod 

This fellow explained how the villagers would trap lobster and make nets to use in the surrounding waters. He was a rather accomplished bilingual story teller going back and forth for the benefit of different groups. The lobster claws above him came off a 20-lb lobster!

Had to get a photo of the local lighthouse

1915 Model T Ford

Our next stop was Argyle, which is home to Canada's oldest Courthouse and Gaol.

We stayed in Yarmouth during the trip. A small city, but quaint and yet had everything you could need.

Jonathan took advantage of the extra big bed

Our next stop was Cape Forchu and the Lighthouse there

Yarmouth Harbour

Cape Forchu Lighthouse

Jonathan taking in the interpretive centre

Close up of the cuteness

We kept driving along the windy roads, and came upon this rocky shore near Cape St. Mary's

Cape St. Mary's Lighthouse

After driving around all day, we spent the evening walking around Yarmouth Harbour, and seeing their downtown.

Yarmouth Olde Courthouse

On our drive home, we took the Annapolis Valley route, and stopped in Gilbert's Cove on our way to Digby.

Gilbert's Cove Lighthouse

We drove out on the Digby neck, trying to find Balancing Rock - we never did find it, but found a great area to take a break from being in the car!

In Annapolis Royal, we stopped at the Tidal Generator Station which attempts to harness the mighty power of the Bay of Fundy tides.

Sorry for the tilt - it was the only way to capture the whole scene!

This was the original turbine designed to withstand the tidal changes in the Bay of Fundy . . . it functioned for all of 2 weeks before all of the blades broke off. They are still attempting to design a stronger turbine able to withstand the enormous forces caused by the tides.

In Annapolis Royal we also stopped in at Fort Anne which was the French answer to Halifax's Citadel - it traded hands many times before the British finally held it.

Not a Hobbit home, this was a magazine storage area - as in gun magazines

Fort Anne - soldier barracks and mess

Again, not a Hobbit home . . . this was a storage area for cannon balls and gun powder.

It was a lovely trip, but it was nice to get home and be out of the car for longer than 8 hours!

Cheers,
Racheal