RCMP Musical Ride in Cowichan Valley

Glorious summer day in Cowichan Valley, a great day to take in our beloved Royal Canadian MOUNTED Police at one of their cross Canada Tour stops, right here on expansive Avalon Farm on Herd Road near Duncan. Normally a training and competition venue for Three Day Eventers, today three container size horse trailers emblazoned with the Musical Ride logos, and carrying 35 horses and a couple of spares, drove into the Equestrian Center Yard.

Another trailer transported tack, gear, supplies etc - quite a logistics challenge.

Totally disciplined, the caravan arrived about two hours before show start, horses were unloaded, tacked up, and the riders donned their iconic red tunic uniforms.

Here they are, almost forty black tall horses, bred in the RCMP breeding division.They are dressed in blue and gold travel blankets and being as cool as can be. No a flicker of nervousness or excitement anywhere.

 

 

 

 

These animals are bred for size, strength, uniform colour (all black) and suitable disposition and athletic ability.
 When old enough to start training, their riders work to perfect the horses' skills. After three years, any horse, that does not meet stringent demands of the Musical Ride is offered for sale at public auction - a good time to pick up a Hanoverian bred mount.

  

What would a Musical Ride be without the oh so Canadian performance of a Pipe Band. The Cowichan Bay Pipers are quite in demand in Tattoos and Highland Games all over Canada and outside the Country.

To start things of on the right hoof, members of the Cowichan Valley Driving Association demonstrated the skills of 'large and small' driving teams. Katharina with Bliss shows off excellent dressage agility on her beautiful marathon style carriage. Formal attire, blanket and hat are de rigeur - lovely.

Size definitely is not everything, as this spirited little mini horse demonstrated - the lady driver seems to enjoy her drive around the grass ring. She uses a small training cart.

Boys need their toys...and some of the non motorized ones offer just as much enjoyment as a multi horse power gas guzzler.

As they say in Police Speak, an RCMP officer with his canine unit, for me it is a Policeman with a very very well trained German Shepherd dog. This animal is totally concentrating on his work, not a second of inattention. He obeys - not voice commands - but sign language, some of it quite obvious, like sit up, or lay down commanded via a raised or lowered hand. But some of the other commands are so imperceptible, that a casual observer notices the dog's reaction but not the handler's command.

 Lovely purebred individual. I understand that there is a waiting list more than 400 strong amongst RCMP officers to be accepted into the canine unit, as the work is exacting but extremely satisfying with a trusty partner like this one.

1700 tickets sold. Bring your own lawn chairs. No pets, close sun umbrellas when horses are in the arena (great idea). Toilets, hot dog stand, cookie stand, a couple of community tents and ONE ice cream concession. Temperatures being pretty high, the latter had a line up with an elapsed time from end of line to ice cream cone in hand was about 40 minutes. However, all done by volunteers, parking arrangements, toilet facilities, traffic control - all went without a hitch. Best of all were the special handicapped parking arrangements. Handicapped visitors would park their vehicles  in a designated piece of the immense field, and then would be transported via volunteer golf carts to the observation spot of their choice, wheel chair, lawn chair and all.

Here they are, a dramatic entry into the marked off performance area. The dark pine trees in the background, with the sun throwing a deep shadow at their feet, thirty six horses and their riders in traditional red tunic emerge from the forest into the light.

The horse, ever cool and calm, ready to go through the various synchronized exercises. Years ago the Musical Ride was an entirely male domain, but today a large percentage of the riding officers is made of of females.

Quadrilles, windmills, spirals, interlocking circles, cross cross traverses, flat out charge (all in one direction, and away from the public just in case one of these well trained animals would take a liking to greener pastures outside the enclosure). I sat at ring level, and the intricate manoeuvres could not be clearly captured on camera...hence all the experienced spectators camping on the surrounding slopes - better view.

Stubben Saddles (German brand of renown), double bridle, gloves with gauntlets, handgun strapped around the waist, red tunic and dark pants with gold stripe - as traditional and picture postcard as it can get.

And The Hat, worn dead straight, not even a millimeter tilt...

All the horses have Maple Leafs brushed like a water mark on their hind quarters, however, dust covered them quickly.

After the ride....meet horse and rider...a field day for kids

Well, he is ready to go home

In truly Canadian fashion, people were asked over the loudspeaker to pick up their and any other garbage before leaving the site - and guess what - they did!
Oh Canada!

Long Weekend at VIctorias Tango (and Latin) Festival

3 August, Centennial Square in Victoria. Latin music, a few Latin themed concession tents, City of Victoria licenced bar and empanada tent, and a couple of make shift dance floors and a stage. With a benevolent sun warming up the scene, what better thing to do but dance Tango. A few representatives of our local talent put on demonstrations for an interested and appreciative audience, whilst the usual suspects (tangueros) are waiting in the wings to have a go at dancing themselves.

Of course, nothing would work without the right shoes....

Representatives from Dance Calgary giving a demonstration of Tango Nuevo

Crafts from various South American countries are offered for sale, as well as painting of -what else - Tango and Flamenco scenes

A few audience members seemed somewhat unimpressed, but were definitely dressed and made up to impress

For a few spectators - memories of home

Old and young enjoyed the sun, the music, the performances and the dancing

Photographers had a field day

Victoria City Hall towered over the 'fiesta'

Tango images on Victoria Centennial Square...

A taste of South America, however, the liquid refreshments were from right next door - Island Pale Ale....

The music plays, and everyone who knows a little bit about tango hits the floor

An elegant demonstration of salon tango

One heard almost as much Spanish as English amongst  the participants of the Fiesta.

Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia

 

Tatamagouche village town house

Well, Nova Scotia barns are succumbing to vines....

All country lanes along the Sunrise Trail lead to the sea.....

 

Tatamagouche town mansion

 So many names...Musquedoboit, Shubenacadie, Stewiacke (Lower, Middle and Upper, mind you), Tatamagouche...a mix of Acadien, Miqumac First Nation and various other sources make for a challenging collection of names for towns and villages. I drove along the Sunrise Trail towards Tatamagouche, allegedly a town of grain elevators. I found one abandoned grain elevator.

 But - it sure must have been a quite important rail way station - to this day as a matter of fact. However, instead of noisy shunting of rail cars, the sidings are quiet.
A remarkable number of retired rail cars - in very good condition - have retired to a couple of abandoned tracks and have been converted into an 'inn'. Yes, mobile accommodation of a different kind. Lined up around the old railway station, here they are, converted into individual suites for use of vacationing guests as well as a stationary 'dining car'. All, I must say, very much used by appreciative guests.

Part of the old Railway station in Tatamagouche, now a craft shop

An old boiler parked amongst flower gardens

Train Station Inn...

Front Porch to one of the Inn suites....rolling stock.

Tatamagouche Railway Station, now a rather quaint inn...

 

A few arts and crafts shops and galleries line main street Tatamagouche

A good place to savour a tasty Lobster Chowder

Main Street House

Main Street Tatamagouche a hundred years ago

Main Street Tatamagouche now

Quaint and cosy - Raven Gallery

A little outside town, beaches and their 'hinterland' of stagnant wetlands. No wonder there are billions of giant mosquitoes swarming around. Unfortunately some unpronounceable disease has killed off many if not most of the resident bats and barn swallows, so the biggest consumers of said mosquitoes have disappeared to the benefits of the pesky insects and the detriment of human residents.

The beaches are inviting...shallow water for hundreds of yards, warmed by heated sand and sun, and not exactly overcrowded

Sloughs from the wetlands almost dry up during low tide, and the characteristic smell of the Atlantic, so distinct from the Pacific, fills the air with tangy sea weed scent.

My travel companion, Stumpy, cooling off by laying down in the shallow waters.

Just behind the sand dunes of the beach, the wetlands with algae filled ponds lined with thousands of cat tails - home to a multitude of waterfowl and hordes of said mosquitoes

Bring your Deet!!!

Sunrise Trail Nova Scotia

Driving East from Pictou, the famous Sunrise Trail leads along the Northumberland Shore towards Amherst. Along the way one passes through a host of quaint fishing villages, rural settlements and swimming beaches.

Toney River is one of the many Fishing Villages, where lobster boats are lined up along the docks. 

 

Lobster Boat

After fishing season, it appears that this lobster boat doubles as a summer cottage and BBQ deck

Low tide, these harbours are small and apparently not deep enough for any sail boats; their draft would be too deep.

Markers along the boat launch.

Typical steeples church in River John on the Sunrise Trail, Nova Scotia

Stone carving on a gravestone, erected for a sailor of 20 years of age. He was washed overboard from this very brig, and found in the ocean a few days later, his remains are buried here.

Dwyer was the lost sailors name, and his gravestone tells his sad story.

Nova Scotia, New Scotland - the Scottish Thistle appears in many guises...

A small church in the village of Salem, also on the Sunrise Trail.

A special grave - enclosed with a hand crafted wrought iron fence

A little further, River John, another rural community with quite a number of small churches and church cemeteries. Here a retired lobster trap serves a planter stand in an old cemetery.