A virgin kayaker

Shortly after my arrival in Halifax this summer, I went sea kayaking with a friend of mine. It was a half day trip starting at 9 in the morning. Halifax was cool when I arrived. But kayaking on the sea was downright *cold*. Despite fears of capsizing, getting hypothermia, and the loch ness monster, I paddled on.

The rookie and the vet (sort of).
Here I am with my buddy Bryce on the docks of East Coast Outfitters, a sea kayaking company just outside of Halifax in Lower Prospect.


Fortunately, I survived the ordeal. Having the memory of falling into the Pacific with my old camera fresh in my mind, I decided against bringing my camera out until we hit land. Though I didn't roll over once and though I wish I could have taken some pictures while on the water, I am happy to still have a functioning camera and would make the same decision again. That and I also had no distractions while I kayaked and I was able to fully appreciate the experience.

Our guide's map.
We left East Coast Outfitters (ECO) and travelled towards the Rogue's Roost, eventually stopping on a small beach on a small island called Hearn Island (West by Northwest of ECO) where we stopped for some snacks.

The water was a little choppy in some parts since the morning was windy. And yet it still felt peaceful. The sea floor could easily be seen as in many places, with rocks often jutting out, as the water was only a few feet deep. Many of the passages we took on the way to Hearn Island, narrow and shallow, would not be passable later in the evening as water levels drop. Many different birds soared overhead and circled nearby - cormorants, gulls, and even a bald eagle. Sea kayaking is activity I could easily get hooked on...

Hearn Island, Nova Scotia.
One of the many pictures I took while on our break at Hearn Island. Looking east at Roost Island.

Start of another journey

I love writing. I love photography. And I have thousands of pictures that I'd like to share. Organizing all of my pictures is an intimidating task - one that I avoid at all other costs. And it only gets worse as I continue to take more and more pictures. So at this rate, my pictures will remain a bunch of zeros and ones on my computer, never to see the light of day.

I've thought about how to best share my pictures and though there are countless photo-sharing websites available, I can't help but think about all that I am missing when I look through my friends' online photo albums. There's a story behind each picture, a richness just waiting to be discovered. So I've opted for a different route. I'll do what I do best and ramble on with my writing. Feel free to ignore the words if you prefer, but either way, I hope people will enjoy viewing the photos as much as I have enjoyed taking them.

Green Cove, Nova Scotia.
Looking south along the Atlantic coast. Notice the pink bands in the grey rock. The pink granites and the grey gneisses were once molten rocks and the patterns you see are a result of different cooling rates in the two different rocks. Most of the coastline around Cape Breton is very rugged, lined with rocks like these.

I was recently in Nova Scotia for the Canadian Ultimate Championships, so I took the opportunity to visit Cape Breton's Cabot Trail since I was in the area. Absolutely breathtaking. It's a beautiful drive with dozens of lookouts along the route where you can stop. This picture was taken at Green Cove, which is part of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

If you have an opportunity, I would highly recommend a visit here. If you don't, well, I would recommend you create the opportunity.

So now that I've sufficiently procrastinated by setting up this blog, I should get back to my school work.

Comments are not only welcome, but desired. If you've got something to say, I want to hear it.