Yarmouth

 July 8, 2023

Castle Lakes CG site 200

Arcadis, NS

Everyone left me once again for another day of adventure near Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

  The gals were drawn to the Farmer's Market that is held Saturday mornings in a building down by the waterfront.

"Are we done here?" asked Uncle Steve.  He was ready to move on to our next stop.  His favorite new store.

We toured the old historic downtown area close to the waterfront.  

on our way to the store that had Uncle Steve smiling from ear to ear.

Of course Dad's smile was just as big.  Just picture a couple of kids walking into a candy store.  

Once the purchases were stowed away, it was on to Pubnico about 35 minutes away to the Living Acadian Culture Center/Village.  Momma said she was a tad worried when the staff member who sold them their tickets said it was a self guided tour of  buildings depicting Acadian life around in the early 1900's.  She didn't need to worry though as the docents at each building were outstanding..... very knowledgeable with engaging personalities. 

The village consisted of a garden area,  cow in a small pasture with a shed and other original buildings that had been moved to this site. 

The first building was the home on the left. 

An addition had been built onto the home but the addition was in such bad shape, it didn't survive the move.  The home belonged to a husband and wife who had no children so they adopted a boy and a girl.  Those children each married and between them had 21 children...yes 21...that's not a typo....thus the need for the addition. Momma said that's like having a classroom full of students.  The upstairs became a sleeping quarters for the children with straw mats spread out over the floor. And just think about feeding that hungry lot.  But the sea was loaded with fish and the Acadians knew how to fish.  It actually became a multi-million dollar business over time.

Momma said the docent had the cookstove fired up and she was making soup for her lunch.  She shared her ginger cookies that had been baked in the oven.  She obviously had mastered how to control the amount of wood and draft to get the temperature just right for her cookies.  If you have taken an historical tour of an older home before indoor plumbing and electricity, you have a good idea of exactly what life entailed in the early 1900's.  It included making soap, butter, candle wax, salt curing meat, tending the garden and storing the root crop.  And the list goes on.  It was a busy lifestyle.

The blacksmith was next on the tour.  He had an audience that included a 5 year old and 9 year old boy.  He made nails by heating metal in the fire using the bellows to create high heat and then beating and shaping that metal with a mallot on the anvil.  He stamped each of the nails with the boy's first initial and age on the head of the nail and presented them with a souvenir.  

When Uncle Steve asked him if the blacksmith would be responsible for making horseshoes, the smithy showed everyone the oxen two piece shoes for the oxen's split hooves.  The Acadians used oxen to assist with their chores, not horses.

In the boathouse, there was a boat under construction.  All the pieces of wood were hand planed and cut.

The second home had a step stove and this docent was heating her meat for her lunch.

  The focus of this stop was more clothing oriented.  She talked about the flour sacks and how the flour companies knew the sacks were used for clothing so they added flowers along with their logo so given a choice, the shopper would purchase from them rather than a competitor.  

The bed was covered in a crazy patch quilt that was all hand sewn.  The scaps of cloth used were diffent shapes ...thus the crazy/random pattern.

She also had a challenge question,  "What is this?"

But it wasn't a challenge for Dad.  He knew it was an 'agitator' used for clothes washing.  Just move it up and down in the wash tub of clothing.

The organ piano was unusual.  It had two large pedals to pump with your feet, two pieces of wood hanging under the keyboard that were moved by pushing them with knees, stops/buttons to pull out and push in just above the keyboard and of course keys to tickle with your fingers....all at the same time.  Whew!  You could get quite a workout.

Here's an eye opener.  Did you know that lobster was considered the poor mans meal?  It was considered fertilizer.  My how times have changed!!

This retired fisherman was explaining the design of the lobster traps.  'Enter the kitchen in the center being drawn in by the bait.  Looking for an escape, the lobster travels left or right into the bedrooms.  Gotcha!'  The design of the netting locks in the lobster.  And there is room for plenty of lobster to fill each trap.

He was working on constructing a gill net.  The squares in the netting are made to a specific size so once the fish enters the netting, the gills won't allow the fish to back out.

There was an old style motor that stopped running and that drew Dad's attention.  He offered a couple of suggestions.  From the sounds of it, I think he was ready to roll up his sleeves and jump right into repair mode.  

Once again, the gang received a great recommendation for a restaurant.  

NO!  They didn't join these dumpter divers.  Notice how one takes the roll of lookout while the other dives right in for lunch.

The restaurant was down by the wharf so they didn't have to go far for fresh fish.

Even the garden salad was a real treat ...beyond the typical...with beets and pumpkin seeds added into the typical lettuce, carrots, tomato, cucumber, cheese served with a blueberry vinaigrette.

I might have enjoyed the dumpster diving but I'm not so sure about that salad Momma raved about.

I'm Chloe