Laurie Saulnier Memorial Trail, Hantsport
Laurie Saulnier Memorial Trail
We discovered this trail when we went to swim at Flat Rock in Hantsport.
I had seen the sign for this Wildlife area and went home to do some research. On our next trip to Flat Rock, we did the trail.
These two activities make the perfect combination for an afternoon!
Here’s what I found out.
The Laurie Saulnier Memorial Trail is maintained by the Hants West Wildlife Association (HWWA) and is dedicated to one of their members.
This loop trail offers 2 km in mixed woodland with tall alder, birch and spruce trees.
When you arrive, park in the parking lot, and head through the big orange gate.
You will see a sign that marks the trail entrance. The entrance is RIGHT BEFORE the sign (not around the corner as we had originally thought.)
However, if you keep going straight, there is a lovely marsh and pond to look at.
The trail is extremely well signposted. There are red rectangular arrows throughout the entire trail to let you know you are on the right path.
The path is quite rough, so it is definitely not good for strollers or really small children.
The trail weaves and winds through the woods and over boardwalks.
At one point you will come to a crossroad in the trail. In front of you is a path marked by orange hunting tape. We took this path stright ahead.
It will lead you out to what appears to be an old logging road. Follow this road for another 5 minutes.
It will take you to another orange gate and back to the parking lot.
This 2km loop hike took us 20 minutes to walk.
Looking at the map afterwards, I believe we took the shorter loop by following the orange hunting tape out to the logging road.
If we had taken the path to the left, I’m convinced this would have taken us on the larger loop. I will have to try this the next time!
It was a beautiful trail and well worth the time to discover it.
How to get there
Take Highway 101 to Hantsport.
Take Exit 8.
At the stop sign, turn left towards the Town of Hantsport.
At the stop sign by the community centre (with the church in front of you) turn left onto Holmes Road.
This road eventually turns into Bog Road and goes over the highway. In fact, this is the spot where Freddie Wilson waves to the traffic on the highway!
Follow this road over a narrow one-lane bridge.
The opening to the wildlife area is a few minutes beyond the bridge on the right hand side. There are signs marking the entrance.
However, you might not see them until you’ve passed the opening, for the overgrowth.
For more information contact the Hants West Wildlife Association.
or West Hants Wildlife Association on Facebook
This would also be a lovely trail to explore in all seasons, including with snowshoes in the winter!
Words by Lora Rozler
Words by Lora Rozler
**Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own**
Sticks and stones can break my bones
But words can break my heart.
Words are powerful.
They have the ability to build up or tear down.
We need to learn to make good choices about the words we use.
This is the theme in a new book called Words by Lora Rozler.
Here’s what the website says:
In this emotional and highly visual picture book, a lonely letter sets off on a journey to find meaning. As it encounters various letter combinations, it is confronted by two distinct paths and must make an important choice.
Readers of all ages will be captivated by this simple, yet high concept, rich story that explores universal themes of discovery, relationships and the need to belong, with an underlying message about bullying.
Both timeless and original, Words is an evocative tale about how letters become words and words create meaning – meaning which could ultimately build or destroy.
Lora Rozler is an elementary school teacher from Toronto, so knows firsthand the issues that children are tackling.
What we thought
As soon as the book arrived, I sat down with my sons to read it. They are in grades 4 and 2 and ages 9 and 7.
“I really liked it! I really liked the pictures because everything is done with letters!”
This is definitely a book that an adult needs to read with children. There are a lot of big words, and my 9 year old had a lot of questions about what the words meant.
When I showed the book to an elementary school teacher friend, she said this book would be best read with students in grade 5 and older. Younger children sometimes don’t yet know their letters and how words are formed.
But, in the end, my boys understood the concept.
“We need to make good choices about the words we use.”
“Some people like you for the bad things you say, but they aren’t real friends.”
Using the Book WORDS
This is a wonderful book that would be perfect to use at the beginning of the year with a group of children. On the first few days of school, with your Girl Guide or Boy Scout Troup, in Sunday School, in your after school program… anywhere older kids are gathered together.
Read the book together. Discuss the meaning of the words. Ask the kids what the moral of the story is.
But then take it another step further.
This is an activity that I used to do with my Girl Guide units at the beginning of the year and it fits well with the book.
On a big sheet of paper, trace once of the children. (We just traced a big stuffed animal!)
Decorate it to make it look like a person.
Inside the person, write all the words that represent being a good person. Use words found in the Words.
Friendly, kind, including people, etc
Outside the person write words that don’t make a good person. Use words from Words.
Hurtful, bully, excluding people, etc.
Hang this poster in your meeting area for a few weeks to remind yourselves how to treat one another.
Words by Lora Rozler is available on Amazon.
Haliburton House Museum, Windsor
Haliburton House
Disclosure: I received a Museum Pass in exchange for our family travelling around to various Nova Scotia Museums and blogging about our visits. How cool is that?
For our next museum visit, we headed to Windsor to check out Haliburton House.
Here’s what the website says:
Wind your way up the tree-lined drive to visit the home of Nova Scotian author Thomas Chandler Haliburton, who lived in this stylish residence from 1836-1856.
Imagine Victorian Windsor as you explore the twists and turns of this house, where Haliburton created his claim to international fame: the fictional Yankee clock pedlar, Sam Slick.
Our Visit
“I loved visiting this museum!” said my 9-year-old son. “Not everything is roped off!”
We have been to a lot of museums this summer and yes, many of the rooms had ropes across the doors to protect the artefacts inside.
Not so much at the Haliburton House!
We were greeted at the entrance by a guide who gave us a brief overview, and explained the layout of the house and its various wings. Then we were free to explore on our own.
As we went around the guide would appear and show us special things in all the rooms including the secret compartment in Haliburton’s desk
And a pierced disc machine used for playing music.
My son called this a ½ tour. A bit of a tour, a bit of our own time to explore, and a bit of an explanation.
He loved this, as he didn’t have to “listen” the whole time.
In most of the rooms there are interactive things for children (and adults) to explore.
In the kitchen in the basement there is a trunk full of “what is this item?” goodies.
There is also a room full of old-fashioned children’s games and toys for the kids to play with. We spent a lot of time playing in here!
Another fun part of the house was the viewing tower where you could see out over Windsor and the river (maybe if there weren’t so many leaves in the way!).
We also loved learning about some of the expressions that Haliburton coined through his character Sam Slick:
Quick as a wink
Facts are stranger than fiction.
It’s raining cats and dogs.
Six of one, half a dozen of the other
Barking up the wrong tree
…And many more!
Hockey Heritage Museum
In the other half of the house is the Hockey Heritage Museum.
Nova Scotians are now able to learn about the history of hockey and the life of Thomas Chandler Haliburton in one trip to the Haliburton House museum in Windsor.
Even though my kids are probably the only ones in the Valley who don’t play hockey, they still enjoyed the exhibit very much!
In one of the rooms there was a hockey game for them to play which kept them entertained while we looked at the exhibits.
The exhibit is very well laid out, with lots of things for kids to see, and questions for them to think about and answer while looking at the display, such as
How has hockey equipment changed over the years?
Haliburton House was another great place to visit and to learn more about our local history.
I’m so impressed at how the boys have combined information that they have learned at all the museums to gain a further understanding of life in the 1700-1800s in Nova Scotia. It has been a great summer of learning!
Hours & Admission
Open Seasonally
June 1 – October 3
Monday – Saturday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Admission
Child – Free
Youth – $2.80
Adult – $3.90
Senior – $2.80
Family – $8.65
How to get here
Once you come off the highway, the museum is extremely well signposted.
Take Exit 6 from Highway 101; follow signs to 414 Clifton Avenue, Windsor, Hants County; located on the Evangeline Trail.
And, don’t leave Haliburton House without asking about the haunted pond out front!
Blueberry Cobbler
Old-Fashioned Blueberry Cobbler
I had just gone blueberry picking and was having company for dinner.
What should I make using the blueberries?
Then, I remembered an old-family recipe that my mother used to make. This recipe originally came from my grandmother.
Blueberry cobbler.
I served it with ice cream and it was a huge hit. In fact, there wasn’t a drop remaining.
This recipe works well with any seasonal fruit from strawberries to blueberries, peaches and rhubarb.
Blueberry Cobbler
Fill a casserole dish with your favourite fresh (or defrosted) seasonal fruit.
Sprinkle with 1 TBSP sugar.
Cover with topping.
Topping
1 ½ C flour
1 ½ Tbsp baking powder
½ C butter
1 ½ Tbsp Sugar
½ C milk
Mix with pastry blender.
Dough will resemble biscuit dough.
Place in clumps on top of the fruit, so it is all covered.
I sprinkled again with a bit of sugar, but it is not necessary.
Bake at 350degrees for 35 minutes until it is golden.
Serve warm with ice cream.
Try to keep some for leftovers!
Heustis Beach
Heustis Beach, Annapolis Valley
I have lived in the Valley for pretty much my entire life and had never heard of Heustis Beach!
Some people call it Heustis, others call it Houston. No one seems to know which one, as it isn’t signposted. We all agree that it’s a great beach!
Many of my friends were posting pictures from their adventures there, so I knew we had to check it out.
Heustis Beach is a lovely red rocky/sandy beach near the base of Blomidon. It’s a great place for a bonfire, or to swim in the Minas Basin.
Because it is lesser known, there are fewer people there.
Before you go, you must check the tide times.
Enter Cape Blomidon into your search.
Even at the highest tide, there is still a small beach area, and several tidal pools to explore.
The tide goes out (or comes in) very quickly, so be aware!
When we were there, the kids discovered some muddy banks and had fun sliding into the water below!
Things to Know
- Wear old clothes/bathing suits and bring old towels. The red mud stains.
- There is no shade.
- There are no bathroom facilities.
- Plan for the trip home. You will be muddy, dirty, and perhaps smelly if the kids are playing in the mud. So bring some old blankets or towels for the car!
Remember, this is what being a kid in the Valley is all about!
How to get there
In true Valley-style, the directions I was given were as follows:
Drive towards Blomidon until you get to an old green barn. Turn before you get to the new green barn.
And they were right!
Drive to Canning.
Turn left onto Pereau Road that leads to Blomidon.
Pass Delhaven and the fishing wharf.
Further on the right, you will come to an old green barn.
There is a cross road with a street sign, opposite Stewart Mountain Road.
At the far side of the intersection there is a newer green barn.
Turn right down this road.
Park at the end and let your adventure begin at Heustis/Houston’s Beach!
The Tattle Book
The Tattle Book
“Mom! He pushed me over!”
“Mom! She’s not playing fairly!”
“Mon! They are cheating!”
And the list goes on.
Do you ever get tired of the constant tattling? Having to referee arguments?
I don’t know how many times I’ve had this conversation:
Tattling is to get someone into trouble.
Telling is to get someone out of trouble.
There is a difference.
To combat the tattling in our back yard (made up of my kids and a lot of the neighbourhood kids) I use the Tattle Book.
Put a notebook outside with some pens and markers.
Tell the children that every time there is a complaint to record it in the log book.
If they cannot spell or write, they can draw a picture.
Tell them that at the end of the day, you will review all the complaints and pass your judgements then.
Guess what.
After a few entries, they get bored, and stop tattling!
I highly recommend this trick for a peaceful afternoon!
