Enjoying the East Coast

Photos

By Ruth Gordon

After two months on the road, living out of our less than first class wheels, Klaas and I have finally found a base for the next few weeks. Today we sit only a stone’s throw from the Atlantic Ocean; just south of Halifax. The Ocean is beautiful and the weather has been unseasonably warm. This weekend was an outdoor enthusiasts paradise!

Late last week I was stunned by my first coastal storm. Sitting at my computer by the window I couldn’t believe my eyes: massive trees were blowing in the wind and the rain was horizontal. Later that day a huge tree fell in front of our house, yikes! Heading outside wasn’t on my list of things to do – literally the weather station was calling for 120km hour winds. But as you may have heard Klaas and I now have a puppy (thanks to Mrs. Kristine Jackson herself). Well there is one thing about puppies – they NEED to go outside. So out we went for a little walk in the storm. Neighbors shook their heads as we braced ourselves into the wind. Albeit soaked as I returned home I couldn’t help but smile; anyone who lives near the ocean or follows the surf knows that storms usually equal surf and for this storm that was definitely the case.

There is so much to do by the Ocean – but without the help of locals we’d be lost in the sea of opportunity. Thanks to Dustin of www.atlantickayaker.com and Mark Richard who lead us to a great surf spot. As the storm settled the sun shone and the waves were big – huge in some spots. The first day we kayaked and the second day Klaas showed me his stuff on a board.

As kayakers do we went out to poke around in the surf. The beauty of being in your boat is that you can move here and there and literally pick and choose your waves. But the one sketchy thing about this day was that we were far out and once your buddy caught a wave you couldn’t see him until the set had fully disappeared. My fingers were crossed all day. Everyone had some great surfs – even with our senses on high alert: the off-shore wind was blinding and changed surfing from spotting your landing to feeling your surroundings – what a fun thing to learn. The sun was SO warm that dressed in all my winter gear I was HOT. You’ll notice from the photos that pulling out your camera in the middle of the surf is a bit risky.

The following day was an opportunity for Klaas to show me his stuff on a board. Since last year he has only been out once! But with a background is in board surfing it was like riding a bike. Check him out.

Along with the on-water sports we were able to hike along the beach, meet lots of people with dogs, watch a para-glider take off and talk with a few kiters. Phew, there is a lot of play by the ocean. Tomorrow we’ll meet some more paddlers and head to a river. Stay tuned.