Indian Basket

Sunday, July 21, 2013

It's our 34th wedding anniversary  today.  The dogs woke us in time to see the sunrise.  It's a clear, breezy day.  The wind is blowing out of the South East.  Jordan Bay waters are flowing toward Blue Island and the Atlantic.  The sunshine is lighting up the water with millions of shiny ripples as far as the eye can see.  

The plan for today is to go to town to investigate the final Founder's Day activities.  I hear there is an older gentleman there making and selling wooden splint baskets like the Mic Mac Indians make.  I will check it out and post an update later today.  

We went and met the Basket Man.  He was seated under a tent with tables of baskets in a long row stretched out to one side. He was not in the Loyalist Encampment, favoring the Indian Settlement side of the festival. 

It did not take long to decide on a large market basket with folding handles.  Practical and perfect for the Saturday Farmer's Market.  Large enough to hold fresh fruit vegetables plus a Growler and a bottle of wine.  Perfect! He kindly signed and dated my basket for me. 

The baskets were originally made by the Nova Scotia native Mic Mac's for storage inside their Tepee.  Cyril said when he was a nine year old boy, he knew a Mic Mac who taught him traditional basket making.  He learned to make baskets for fun as his real interest was wood carving.  He carved animal knife handles then lashed the blade in place.  Over the years, he became more and more a basket maker and less and less a carver.  He did show me one knife that he uses to make his baskets. Each basket is a unique one of a kind piece of practical art. 

Monday, July 22, 2013

Woke late today to a crystal clear sky, spiked with a high puffy clouds.  Jordan Bay is flowing in from the Atlantic and appears smooth as glass.  Everything about this morning is refreshing.  Sleeping in, the breeze and  the view. 

Last night was the full moon.  There will be another full moon on August 21, but we will be gone by then.  The tide was low and the moon light reflected onto the water.  As the moon rose, the sun set pink in the western sky.  

We are meeting with our new lawn guy.  After that we hope to get out on the kayaks.  Blueberry picking should happen this week!