Today we head “West” towards the southern tip of Nova Scotia. Locally they say west, but we think that we are heading south. Today we are heading to Musee des Acadiens des Pubnicos in West Pubnico on one of the southern most points of Nova Scotia. This is a recreated Acadian village with village actors and interpreters. After the Acadian peoples were forced out of the Martine areas of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island and relocated to areas along what is now the east coast of the US. Note that were relocated to Protestant areas since they were Catholic. This happened prior to the founding of the US. Only afterwards did many migrate to the New Orleans area becoming what we now know of as Cajun. They were not moved directly from the Atlantic Provinces to southern Louisiana.
At some point Acadians attempted to return to Atlantic Canada. They were more welcomed back in the West Pubnico area often being able to secure the same land they once owned. Many other locations did not welcome them back as readily.
We spent three hours or so walking the grounds and enjoying the exhibits. The interpreters were most informative. The highlight for the day centered around the making of a couple of wooden wheels. The hub and spokes along with the wooden wheel rim were already completed. We witnessed the process of taking a iron rim, heating it in a fire to expand the ring then place it around the wooden wheel, hammering it into place, then pouring water on the finished wheel to cool it down and have the iron ring contract around the rest of the wheel. It’s an art and certainly not a science. The two wheels we witnessed were only the second and third wheels completed in the village. They were in the process of relearning the art of wheel building led by a skilled wheelwright.
After leaving there we headed toward Yarmouth and down to Cape Forchu. If you have ever traveled the ferry from Bar Harbor in Maine to Yarmouth, NS Cape Forchu is the first bit of land you pass by. We enjoy a few trails and ocean views. While walking the trails Wells decides to rest his right arm and hand and move his camera to his left hand. No risk of missing a shot since he did not expect anything to pop out of nowhere where he needed quick access to his camera. Boy, Wells was wrong. While walking along a trail a weasel popped out of the undercover ten feet away, looks at Wells and disappears into the understory.
Next is was into downtown Yarmouth, a town centered and focused fully on the port and waterfront. We enjoy another dinner then head back the hundred miles to our campground.
Seeing North America 