Saturday 6 September 2014

Bouctouche – Eco-center meets the Eccentric


 
The Irving eco-center is a magnificent 12 km. sand dune peninsula hosting Great Blue Herons, piping plover, mussels, clams, scallops, sea urchins, purple sea stars, sand dollars, tiny crabs, snails and slipper limpets. I sampled each. The 1 km. boardwalk snakes through the reeds leaving you at the beach where you determine how far your legs can carry you. There is a light house at the end, my legs, stomach and dehydration stopped at km.6
The camera ran out of batteries at km. 6 so you’ll have to image brilliant sea life, I wasn’t able to capture on film only in my heart. Long walks give you time to ponder your life, your gifts, your losses, and the creative juices that flow wildly. The world problems solves, our dysfunctional families solves, but those Catholics, only God can wrangle that one.
Driving down the Acadian coastal route 115 your eyes are drawn to farmed oysters on starboard and blueberry picking on port, then all of a sudden a pirate ship is upon you. A home with a full mast and bridge is sitting dry docked right beside the road. Eccentric is putting it mildly, over 200 hats hover in her tiny shed that hosts anything British. Jewels, dishware, dresses, shoes, silverware, crystal, chandeliers, and Christmas ornaments, and to think she is from Halifax.
His shop, the ship, has every trinket imaginable. He builds full scale drawing out of wood. Pierre Trudeau canoeing in the deep woods of Algonquin Park with family, friends, and his political caucus in the back drop of a maple forest. Large eagles fly off of Noah’s Ark along with every animal, two by two. He has created a full size coffin with him in it that was rather creepy as I scooted down the backstairs, only to tumble upon hoary moonshine jugs, linen, and tapestry.
A drawer full of keys, marbles, stones, pegs for poles, licence plates hundreds of them, bowls for cooking, more carved wood pieces and hanging lanterns in every vintage and color to match your taste. The side of the boat is adored in paddles, snowshoes, wooden shovels, ropes, colored shipping balls, sponge and Styrofoam buoys in oval, square, diamond and round shapes.
Tractor seats, milk jugs, and park benches greet your eyes, before your eyes are drawn to the female figurehead at the front of the ship garbed in rope. She is busty no less and has to serve as: route finder because men refuse to ask for directions, to ward off spirits, for we all know who the spiritual gender is, and the ropes….well that is as always some perverse male idea.....

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