Day 8, Sept 19

I had a great nite’s sleep, up at dawn, and did some exploring of the area. 

I took far, far too many pictures- thank you digital. 

People here are into lawn art.  Some if it is amazing:

The lighthouse is about 30 inches tall!

I got to the Viking site about 10 am, there were 10 cars in the parking lot.  It looks like a very desolate place.  Apparently 1000 years ago it was more lush.  

I took the tour, then talked with the “costumed interpreters” for more than an hour.  We talked about how their buildings were built- 6’ thick sod walls, with a layer of gravel running down the center.  The roof rests on the gravel layer, and the gravel allows for drainage. 

They have a set of Viking tool reproductions, accurate to the period.  Many of them look exactly like what I use to make kayaks…   

They are building a small boat- me thinks without the help of a boat builder.  The shape of the wood pcs is correct, but grain orientation is not, at least to my eye.  They are using pith wood in the stem & stern, etc.

One of the interpreters is very interested in building a kayak, so I gave him the site for Yostwerks.com.  

That's a gull ax- probably too much for building a kayak.  Perfect for a Viking ship tho- it's a replacement for both an adz and plane.

Reconstructed building:

 Ruins of the original building.  They were excavated in the 1960's and 70's, then recovered with dirt to protect and preserve the site.

 Another is playing traditional NF music at a restaurant tonite.

Saw a pair of moose (bull & cow) from the visitor’s center, then it was off to a hike recommended by the park staff- Camel’s Back.  The sign said something like trail, 1140 meters- awfully precise! 

After hiking it, I’m sure that’s the GPS distance between the start and turn around point.  Maybe twice that on foot.  It was a beatufull hike out to one of the big promontories of the shore. 

Lots of moose track- at least one set all along the trail.  Ii sections, there was moose poop every 100’ (some very fresh).

I explored around a bit more, found a cemetery overlooking the ocean.  Nice spot. 

There was one small grave away from the graveyard;  little boy, only 2 days old.  My only thought why he is not in the cemetery is he was not baptized & thus no eligible for consecrated ground(?)  :-(

I did get to the NorseMan restaurant for dinner good, pricey.  Wade was a good performer and looks very Viking. I bought a CD.  Of the 4 groups of people at dinner, 3 were from MI.  One woman grew up in New Baltimore and visits her parents there.  She is another musician, has lived in Bend, OR, and is now in Calgary.  Her website is here:  http://colleencole.net/

I camped out in the cooking shelter at Pistolet Bay Park.  Again, only 2 of us here.  Monday is the last day for the park this season.  I guess I’m closing the place.

I uploaded many, many more pictures to my photobucket account.