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Point Prim, Digby, Nova Scotia, Automated Foghorn and Canadian Maritime Lighthouses

10/8/2013

The Point Prim Lighthouse is found near the town of Digby, Nova Scotia. Digby is best known for their huge fleet of scallop vessels.

Most Canadian Maritime Lighthouses we encountered were built with the same style, an octagon with a square top. This particular lighthouse at Pt. Prim differs from the usual one. For one it has vertical red and white markings, for another reason, it is square rather than round.

One of the famous lighthouse keepers that worked at Pt. Prim, Captain William Ellis is famous for saving the lives of many seamen but also for inventing the automated foghorn.

One of the reasons for going to Pt. Prim was to see the geological formations shown here.

The rocks are formed as columns very similar to the Giant's Causeway in Ireland, but different.

A good place to find more information about Canadian lighthouses is at Lighthouse Friends, this link opening to more information about Pt. Prim.

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Irish Famine Memorial in St. Andrews, New Brunswick Canada

10/2/2013

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St. Andrew's, New Brunswick, Canada isn't all tourist shops, museums, golf courses, marina and the like, they also have a beach with a memorial to the Irish Famine victims. Many emigree's to Canada found themselves confined to hospital island, an entry port facility where many died and were buried. Hunger during the potato famine or Great Famine years of 1845-1852. Imagine being so hungry you have no choice but to leave and die on some far off shore where you've never ever been.

Read more about the Great Famine at the history place.

The cross shown is based on the early wheel cross from Celtic art, but extended beyond the wheel into what is known as a Latin cross, similar to the one found at St. Edrens, Ireland, according to "Symbolism of the Celtic Cross" by Derek Bryce. Here's a good video explaining the Irish Famine.

Nearby to this monument is a campground. The beach is stony, but good for walking and watching birds.

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Mi'kmac Splint Basket Varieties shown at Museum of Natural History, Halifax, NS, Canada

9/1/2013

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While traveling in the maritime provinces of Canada, we encountered many historical and modern signs of the Micmac or Mi'kmac (we saw it spelled both ways on the signs) peoples, an Algonquin language people native to the area, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia. At the Museum of Natural History, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, we were show some of their modern splint baskets, examples shown in the above photograph.

Here's an example of Micmac music, the Micmac Honor Song video.

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For the Motorcycle Lovers

6/29/2013

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I was thinking of my sister-in-law Laurie and her husband Jim, and my uncle Curtis and Randy (who gave me my first ride on a motorcycle) when I took this photograph of a Yamaha motorcycle in Dublin, Ireland.

I have enough trouble keeping my husband's hands off the sexy machines without the devil's interference.

Anyway, hope you all drive safe!

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Learn about Tiffany Glassworks at Morse Museum of Art, Winter Park, Florida

6/26/2013

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Until I visited the Morse Museum of Art, I had no idea about how much Louis Comfort Tiffany contributed to glass work as an art, beautifying many homes, and employing many people in the production of his works.

Many examples of the fine work he did are found at the tiny museum in Winter Park, Florida, close to Orlando. Included in the exhibits are many glass windows, lamps, and sculptures along with exhibits showing how some of the items were manufactured. The museum offers handouts that explain each of the art works found inside. It took us about 2 hours to tour the museum. The gift store in itself is quite the treasure for finding gifts--I was able to stock up on my note cards.

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Pool Culture in Florida

3/31/2013

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You don't live in Florida long before you run into swimming pool culture and it may involve Pinch-a -Penny Pool Supplies. I couldn't resist snapping this colorful side of the building photograph because it tells just what Pinch-a-Penny cares about. They want us all to have wonderfully clean pools where we can float around on a inner tube all day long. Who would disagree?
There are other pool supplies stores. Our pool is pretty much operational year round, but after December until March or April, the pool and outside air can be a bit cool. We keep ours warm with a thermal blanket and solar heater.

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Fallen in Three Wars Honored on the Rebuilt Riverside Waterfront in New Smyrna Beach, FL

3/2/2013

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My husband and I recently visited New Smyrna Beach, Florida and found a section of riverside waterfront filled with history. The marina was especially fun--showing they still take their pirates seriously, as did we.

The town offers more than what we saw in our short couple hour visit including a lunch at Blackbeard's restaurant where we had prime rib, french dip and raw oysters at the best price we've encountered.

War 1: 1777--Insurrection and Independence from Cruel Immigrant Settler Overseers

Citizens of the Smyrna Beach colony walked out of their indentured agreement to report the cruelty they'd received to the governor in St. Petersburg. An initial problem occurred when 425 settlers died during the crossing of the Atlantic ocean, then the remaining 1215 found that only 500 settlers were expected, so everyone went hungry. Many of the settlers were of Greek nationality, the origin of the colony name.

War 2: Civil War Found New Smyrna with the Bombing of a Local Hotel

There's more to the history of this former fort turned into a hotel, including local remains of the Timacuan people native to the area.

I didn't realize that the Civil War impacted Florida much, but the hotel bombed by two Yankee ships shows differently.

War 3: World War I Veterans Memorial

This informative little memorial offers up evidence of some of the price paid by Americans in the First World War. There were many dead, many taken prisoner. Many famous battle sites are mentioned including Flanders Field. Each plaque lists different services played--chemical warfare, supplies, tanks, soldiers, etc. A quick add up of numbers quickly finds the people involved counts more than 100,000. Its worthy of a look or two.

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About World Society Blog

3/2/2013

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This blog is about society around the world and culture. Not the culture in the "culturing a bacteria" sense, but about who people are in terms of what they make materially, how they live, the buildings, the art, the books, the artifacts, but also what they do to enjoy life.

It include's the golf that I'm blogging about, as well as all sports. This is for fun and what people do for fun, and for war, and how people make war or love. Look forward to a myriad of experience found within this blog.

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Forward>>

Point Prim, Digby, Nova Scotia, Automated Foghorn and Canadian Maritime Lighthouses

Irish Famine Memorial in St. Andrews, New Brunswick Canada

Mi'kmac Splint Basket Varieties shown at Museum of Natural History, Halifax, NS, Canada

For the Motorcycle Lovers

Learn about Tiffany Glassworks at Morse Museum of Art, Winter Park, Florida

Pool Culture in Florida

Fallen in Three Wars Honored on the Rebuilt Riverside Waterfront in New Smyrna Beach, FL

About World Society Blog

Sheri Fresonke Harper

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