Sept 24-  (I'm having more technical difficulties, hopefully I can upload pics tomorrow)

The day started with a beautiful sunrise and no hurry to get anywhere.  I had to catch the ferry at about 11:30, about 1 hour away.  After a leisurely breakfast and packing, I was on the road again.  My stove is not purging fuel properly when I’m done with it- hopefully it does not leak out and make my food smell like Coleman fuel.  Yuck. 

I got to the ferry and was loaded immediately- right to the front of the boat.  A friendly deckhand pointed out the tie downs I was to use.  Heavy duty turnbuckles with chain used to secure heavy loads…..  um, OK.  As I was carrying them to my bike, 2 other deck hands started laughing at me and pointed me towards the webbing tie downs.  Much better!  My riding jacket now has rust stains from schlepping chain- another scar with a story.

The ride was nice and smooth, with no chumming passengers that I know of.   I chatted for a bit with a woman in the Canadian army.  They were on exercises in Gross Morne when the winds hit- 7 days in the bush, bushwhacking & rock climbing to the summit and down into the gorge.  They only covered 4 days worth of ground & had to be brought out by boat.  The weather really messed them up. 

 passing another ferry at sea:

I got back to Nova Scotia and called Steve, the guy who offered to take me fishing.  We met at Timmy’s, and we are off to go fishing tomorrow.  He’ll pick me up at my campground at 10.  That’s pretty cool! 

The campground (Arm of Gold, Bras d’Or)  is close to town- good.  Expensive ($29/nite) not so good.  My site is next to a road so I get cars passing by at 40 mph on the other side of a shrub- not so good.  I’m here for 2 nights- how many chances am I going to get to fish in Nova Scotia?  I’ll take the less than ideal campground!  I pitched my tent under a picnic shelter.  It’s starting to rain.  Time for me to abandon the picnic table.

The campground has internet, but it died about the time I checked in.  I’m starting to feel like an internet pariah.