Blue Rocks in Winter

Winter is hanging on here in Nova Scotia. We get a warm-ish day, of + 8 degrees, followed by a day of snow and freezing conditions. This week we will have a high of 0 and a low of – 12.

I usually take my photos of Blue Rocks in the summer, but thought I’d show you how it looks just now.

The little fish houses sit amongst the blocks of ice.

And the sea moves like a bowl of thick porrage.

 

The lobstermen work when they can, in the open sea,

and in the bays.

This is where we launch our kayak.

From the beach or down the ramps.

I think we’re ready for a melt and some warmer weather. I’m looking forward to another hot, hot summer, like last year.

Lunenburg Fish

One of the sights of Lunenburg is the metal sculptures attached to the electric poles along the streets of the town.

Like this shark.

Or these mussels.

It is very fitting that Lunenburg chose fish, having had a thriving fishing industry for over 200 years.

I particularly like this lobster.

The  Fish Project was commissioned by the Town of Lunenburg in 2002. The plan was to replace the flower baskets decorating the town utility poles with something low maintenance.

This idea developed and the the town now has a very enjoyable public art exhibition.

The tuna fish was a very important fish for Nova Scotia.

I have scanned these photos from  ‘A Pictorial History of the Aspotogan Peninsula’ to show the size and volume of tuna caught off these shores.

These photos were lent by Ned Norwood of Hubbard’s Heritage Society.

And were taken about 1947.

This great book of old photographs was published by Lighthouse publishing and is very enlightening of life in the past.

I think this is a monk fish, which we still love to buy here, when it’s available.

Boats went out off Cape Breton to fish for these swordfish. I met one man who was the cook, at 10 years old, on a fishing boat that went after the swordfish!

The other sculptures are Blue shark,

the deep water Redfish,

the famous cod,

Ling,

Haddock,

Flounder

and Herring

The 44 hand-painted aluminum sculptures were designed and painted by Laura Fisher

Lobster Fishing Season at Lunenburg

Before the lobster season, the lobster traps are stacked on wharfs, in sheds or beside houses,

ready for the next lobster harvest.

Yesterday was the first day of the lobster fishing season here at Lunenburg. The lobster men were off at sunrise, out to claim the best spots for their traps and the wharfs were cleared of lobster pots.

Today, the boats were back out for their  first pull.

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These duck seemed unconcerned, although I think it is still water fowl season season. Perhaps they know that the lobster men have gone out for the day.

This is one of the little fish stores that sit out on the rocks at Blue Rocks.

I love this set of Avery scales. I don’t know if it’s used much now, though.

When the lobsters are landed, they go off to various shops, restaurants and processing plants.

I think we’ll be having fresh lobster soon.

You can learn all about lobster fishing from this You Tube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym_fzUvjl3M