Last of summer 2010.
By Ron Scott September 3rd, 2010
The final two weeks of the summer’s travels.
Day Fifty: August 14
We spent the first part of the day resting, doing laundry, and spending time with our parents. At about 4:30 we set off again, this time headed towards Jeddore, Nova Scotia. It is located on the Eastern Shore, about half an hour outside of Dartmouth. Our billets are Weldon and Carolyn Hopkins, a retired couple living in East Jeddore.
Day Fifty-One: August 15
Alec and I attended the Sunday morning worship service at Jeddore United Baptist Church, then went to the nearby “Lunch Room” for lunch - a small cafe in a closed-down school in Jeddore. We will be eating lunch there every day this week.
Day Fifty-Two: August 16
The first VBS of the week was a little rough around the edges, but it didn’t go too bad. Afterwards we had lunch and went for a drive east along the coast to our old home in East Ship Harbour. It was good to see the place, but things have changed in the old neighborhood and I didn’t feel very sentimental about it.
Day Fifty-Three: August 17
Tuesday’s VBS went well. In the afternoon we returned to the Hopkins’ place. I went for a walk for a mile or so down the rocky beach. In the evening I went for a drive with Weldon and Carolyn to Middle Musquodoboit and Shubenacadie to see wild deer in the fields. We were able to spot more than two dozen does and their young, but didn’t see any bucks.
Day Fifty-Four: August 18
The VBS was tiring in the morning, but it was the best one so far this week. After a milkshake and donair pizza for lunch, Alec and I drove into Darmouth to do some shopping for school and to visit our grandfather, who has an apartment in the south end of the city. In the evening we returned to our billets and rested. By this point in the summer we are both getting very tired. We’re also counting down the days until we are finished doing VBS and heading off to Crandall University. On a side note, it is twelve days until my 18th birthday.
Day Fifty-Five: August 19
The VBS program in the morning went well. Alec and I relaxed for the rest of the day, as the kids are high-energy and take a lot of effort to control.
Day Fifty-Six: August 20
The final VBS of the week was great! After lunch, the kids and us arranged and executed a fun plan to soak Pastor Aubrey with buckets of water. In the afternoon we left Jeddore and traveled home to Parrsboro for the night.
Day Fifty-Seven: August 21
We spent the first part of Saturday resting up and packing again for the last week. In the evening we drove to 2nd North River Baptist Church, NB, our final church. It is located just outside Salisbury, in the same area as our first church in the summer. About 50 days later, we’re more tired but still glad to be in familiar territory.
Day Fifty-Eight: August 22
We attended church in the morning, then began the first VBS program of the week in the evening. It’s the first week this summer where the VBS begins on Sunday and ends on Thursday.
Day Fifty-Nine: August 23
We drove into Moncton in the morning to pick up some packages at Crandall University, and I bought several pieces of guitar equipment, in preparation for playing on worship teams in the fall. The evening VBS went well.
Day Sixty: August 24
In the morning we went with Pastor Jarvis Lepper to Magic Mountain water park. It was my first time back there in 6 years, and this time I enjoyed myself much more than I did before (considering the 2004 trip resulted in a terrible sunburn). We also went to Jarvis’ and his wife’s house for a barbecue supper. In the evening the VBS went well.
Day Sixty-One: August 25
In the afternoon we drove into Moncton, where Alec visited with his friend Sam while I hung out with my friend Hannah, a person I haven’t seen since last September. The evening VBS went well.
Day Sixty-Two: August 26
We spent the first part of the day packing up and resting, then had our last VBS in the evening. It went really well, and was a good way to finish out the summer. I was hit with a bucket of water at the end.
Day Sixty-Three: August 27
We left in the morning to come home.
Summer goes by fast.
By Ron Scott August 14th, 2010
The lastest from the summer journeys.
Day Twenty-Four: July 19
The first day of VBS at Wicklow and Bath was great. Both are very small churches, with small numbers of volunteers (meaning we have more duties) but the kids are awesome and we have no problems.
Day Twenty-Five: July 20
The second day’s VBS was excellent again. In the evening, Alec and I went to see the movie “Despicable Me” in Woodstock with Caroline. It was an amazing movie! Steve Carell was superb and there were many funny aspects in it.
Day Twenty-Six: July 21
Wednesday’s VBS went well again. It was also Alec’s birthday, and our billet Martha made him a chocolate cake - but we ran out of time with the kids to eat it. In the afternoon our parents visited the Bath church as we finished the program there.
Day Twenty-Seven: July 22
VBS was great again! In the late afternoon we journeyed to Woodstock to have supper with Caroline and her sister Olivia at Pizza Delight. Afterwards we went to (as Alec put it) “wreak havoc” in the Woodstock Wal-mart. Olivia and I sat on some cushions and watched a movie in front of a home theatre display. In the late evening we went to Hartland and walked across the longest covered bridge in the world as the last light of the day disappeared. After the return journey we lit sparklers on the bank of the Saint John River. A fun evening!
Day Twenty-Eight: July 23
The last day of VBS at Bath and Wicklow was good! For supper one of our new teenage friends, Ryan Hall, made hodge-podge for us at the Bath church. For anyone who doesn’t know what it is, hodge-podge is fresh garden vegetables all boiled together and then simmered in milk. After cooling a little and dressed with salt, pepper, and butter, it is surprisingly good!
Day Twenty-Nine: July 24
After sleeping in and packing up, Alec and I left Wicklow and traveled south (and then east) to our next place, Erb’s Cove. It is located in the Kennebecasis river system of southeastern New Brunswick, about halfway between Moncton and Saint John. We met Pastor Ed Shaw and his wife Elaine at their house, then were sent off to our new billets’ places. I am staying with Glen and Lynda, and Alec is with Everett and Carol.
Day Thirty: July 25
We attended church at Erb’s Cove Baptist Church in the morning. Afterwards Everett and Carol took us out to the popular local restaurant Mama George’s for lunch. Alec stayed over at my billets’ house for the afternoon and some supper.
Day Thirty-One: July 26
The VBS program for Monday went really well. Afterwards, Pastor Ed took us to Saint John in the afternoon, and we had supper at his house, too.
Day Thirty-Two: July 27
Tuesday’s VBS was great! Alec and I hung out in the afternoon, and then Everett and Carol took us out for supper in Hampton in the evening. The weather has been superb all week - not too cold, not too hot, and lots of sunshine.
Day Thirty-Three: July 28
The VBS program went well in the morning, then Alec and I went tubing, swimming, and kayaking at a local family’s cottage on Bellisle Bay. I was so sore afterwards, but it was really awesome.
Day Thirty-Four: July 29
VBS was good again, and Alec and I relaxed for the rest of the day/
Day Thirty-Five: July 30
After the closing VBS program in the morning, Alec and I went sailing with my billet Glen on Belleisle Bay! It was really awesome - we were on the water for 4 or 5 hours, and went swimming once we moored it back at his beach. Afterwards we enjoyed a bonfire by the bay.
Day Thirty-Six: July 31
I slept in and had a large brunch at Glen and Linda’s, then left with Alec to make the journey southwest to Mace’s Bay, where the pastor of our next church, Dan Sentner, resides. We immediately felt a huge decrease in the temperature, as this week we are right on the south coast of New Brunswick.
Day Thirty-Seven: August 1
We attended church at Chance Harbour Baptist Church in the morning, then went to a family’s house in Mace’s Bay (two communities farther along the coast) for lunch. We came back to the church later in the evening to set up and decorate for VBS.
Day Thirty-Eight: August 2
The first day of VBS was great! There are about 20 kids coming this week, and plenty of volunteers make mine and Alec’s job a lot easier. In the afternoon we went to Pastor Dan’s house and played XBox with his son. In the evening we ate supper at a local fisherman and his wife’s house in Mace’s Bay. It is noteworthy to add that all of these communities are extremely close to the Point Lepreau nuclear power station. Many local people are employed there.
Day Thirty-Nine: August 3
Tuesday’s VBS was excellent again. For supper we were back at Pastor Dan’s house and then played XBox.
Day Forty: August 4
Wednesday’s VBS went well. Afterwards we were taken to a local couple’s house for lunch, and then Alec left to visit his friend in Rothesay, on the other side of Saint John. For supper I was taken to a local family’s house.
Day Forty-One: August 5
The VBS was good in the morning, then Alec and I returned to our billets’ house in the afternoon. I should mention that our billets, Rolly and Ann, have two cats and a large dog - but the most prominent is Angel the cat. She is the ugliest feline ever, but the name of Angel creates a hilarious irony. Anyways, a lot of free time was devoted to getting away from her, because I am allergic to cats. Today was a sad day though, as I learned over the internet about the tragic death of one of my schoolmates, which happened very early this morning.
Day Forty-Two: August 6
After the closing VBS in the morning, Alec and I were pied in the face by the kids. In the early afternoon we left Chance Harbour and traveled to Moncton, where I registered for university courses and Alec picked up an Indiana Jones hat, which he had ordered before the summer began. We left Moncton and headed back to Parrsboro for the night.
Day Forty-Three: August 7
For most of the day we stayed around home, doing laundry and resting. I was able to see a few friends from home and go to the funeral wake for my friend, and then Alec and I hit the road again, this time in the direction of PEI. We crossed the Confederation Bridge to Borden, then drove to Crapaud and Tryon, where we are doing a VBS program for the week.
Day Forty-Four: August 8
We attended church in the morning at Tryon Baptist, then spent the rest of the day resting and enjoying the great weather at our cottage on the beach in Victoria, just a few minutes’ drive outside of Crapaud.
Day Forty-Five: August 9
The first VBS program of the week went really well. In the afternoon we traveled to Summerside and did some necessary shopping. It was rainy for most of the day, but cleared up and was windy in the evening.
Day Forty-Six: August 10
Tuesday’s VBS went well once again, and after a quick lunch at the church, Alec and I, along with one of the teen helpers, drove to the nearby Bonshaw 500 and spent most of the afternoon racing on the go-kart track. I remember being there over a decade ago to do mini-golf, so it was very interesting to be back.
Day Forty-Seven: August 11
Wednesday’s VBS was good. In the afternoon Alec and I traveled through Charlottetown to the town of Stratford, to help a couple move out of their house. We ate supper at the Silver Streams Chinese buffet in Charlottetown.
Day Forty-Eight: August 12
Thursday’s VBS went well. It turned out to be a beautiful day. In the afternoon Alec stayed at the cottage and rested, while I drove to nearby Cornwall to visit my friend Brittany. The visit was filled with irony, as we only live 45 minutes’ drive away from each other in Nova Scotia. We ate supper with Connie and Joe who had a camper just a few feet away from our cottage.
Day Forty-Nine: August 13
The last VBS in Tryon was great! Afterwards Alec and I packed our things at the cottage, and drove home to Parrsboro, taking the Confederation Bridge again.
This is summer, 4th edition
By Ron Scott July 19th, 2010
Keswick, Meductic, and Bath are graced with our presence.
Day Ten: July 5
Another very warm day. I was feeling pretty bad because of the cold still in my body, but hopefully recovery isn’t too far away. The VBS program began in the evening, and went very well. Afterwards we went swimming in a nearby pool.
Day Eleven: July 6
Again, it was a hot day. In the afternoon we went with some new friends (who are helping out at the VBS), Miranda and Alanna, to Fredericton to see Toy Story 3 in 3D. It was really good, and the indoor air conditioning was relieving too. The VBS program went very well in the evening.
Day Twelve: July 7
The summer heat continued. In the afternoon we went to swim in Miranda’s pool to cool off. The VBS program went well in the evening! There are only two more nights to go in Keswick, and we will miss it a lot. The kids are great and the people are, too!
Day Thirteen: July 8
The weather forecast’s UV index was 10 today (the highest possible value). With fair skin, we were timid about going outside under the hot sun, but I went swimming with Miranda and Alanna again. In the evening, the VBS program went very well, and afterwards Alec and I took a quick drive to see the nearby location of our ancestors’ homestead in Douglas. It was really awesome to find out that our billets Ethel and Freddie knew some of our relatives from 50 and 60 years ago. They even have a photo of our great-great grandfather!
Day Fourteen: July 9
Our last day in Keswick. We spent the first part of the day resting up. In the evening we had the final VBS program at Keswick Baptist, and it was great. Afterwards, I went swimming to cool off in the Mactaquac Dam headpond with Miranda and Alanna.
Day Fifteen: July 10
We packed up and headed to Fredericton for the afternoon. It was originally thought that we could meet up with our cousins who live in the city, but Alec had lost his voice and it didn’t work out. We ate at Swiss Chalet and drove north-west to Meductic, where we met Pastor Charles Yerxa, and his wife Shirley. They are the main organizers of the VBS at Meductic, and they showed us to our billets’ house once we arrived, around mid-evening.
Day Sixteen: July 11
It was sunny in the morning, then turned warm and rainy. We attended church at Meductic Baptist Church in the morning, then went to the Yerxas for lunch. In the evening we traveled with Pastor Charles to the nearby village of Canterbury, where we ate supper and set up for VBS at the Canterbury community center.
Day Seventeen: July 12
We began the VBS at Meductic in the morning. Alec’s voice continued to worsen until it was completely gone. We did Canterbury’s first VBS in the evening as well.
Day Eighteen: July 13
It was favorable weather again. The struggle with Alec’s voice continued, but seeing how the routine was improved, the VBS programs at Meductic and Canterbury went well. I went for a long drive to Keswick in the afternoon.
Day Nineteen: July 14
Alec’s voice finally began to improve today, which was an encouragement because I was finding it a little difficult to be emcee-ing every assembly and teaching the bible lesson as well. We rested in the afternoon, ate a delicious supper at a church member’s house, then went to do the Canterbury VBS in the evening.
Day Twenty: July 15
The Thursday’s VBS went well at both Meductic and Canterbury. In the afternoon Alec and I traveled to Woodstock to put an item in the mail and do some necessary shopping. It was very hot in the river valley.
Day Twenty-One: July 16
The last VBS at Meductic was fun! A large amount of parents came to see their children in the last assembly, and the girls poured a freezing-cold garbage can full of water over me as a reward for raising money for Bolivia. All together the amount was nearly $375! In the evening the Canterbury kids did the same to me again. In the late evening Alec and I drove north to my grandmother’s old homestead near Grand Falls, NB, where our parents were staying on vacation.
Day Twenty-Two: July 17
We spent the day with our parents, doing laundry, and traveling to the nearby town of Perth to see our grandmother in the hospital. We had cake to celebrate Alec’s 20th birthday at supper. In the evening, our cousin Caroline Mclaughlin dropped in for a visit.
Day Twenty-Three: July 18
In the early morning Alec and I left to travel down to our next churches in Bath and Wicklow. Caroline accompanied us for the morning, as well. Both churches had morning services (one at 9:15 and another at 11:15) so by the time they were over and we had lunch, we were tired. We rested at our billets’ (Bert and Martha) house, then went to decorate the churches for VBS.
I must add at this point that we firmly believe that in order to have the best traveling experience in this part of the province, you have to take the old Trans-Canada highway instead of the new four-lane wherever possible. The views you get from the older road are much more interesting because it’s closer to the river. The speed limit on the old route is usually still 100 km/h, and the road is straight, extra-wide, and has very little traffic. The perfect combination! I highly recomment the route through Nackawic and up as far as Grand Falls. You will pass by old rest stops, motels, and restaurants from a by-gone era of slower, scenic travel - a journey worth photographing at every chance.
The Summer continues in part II
By Ron Scott July 4th, 2010
The continuing saga of our adventures around the Maritimes.
Day Five: June 30
Third day of VBS was awesome! The kids are really getting the hang of the songs. In the afternoon we rested, and in the evening we traveled into Moncton so Alec could play floor hockey in the gymnasium of Hillside Wesleyan Church with his college friends.
Day Six: July 1
Day four of VBS was excellent, however in the afternoon I began to feel sick with a head cold. A local family took us to the Hopewell Rocks, where one of them worked as a guide. I would have enjoyed them more if I wasn’t feeling so bad, but they were still really nice. In the evening we spent some time at the Salisbury Big Stop to catch up on email and Facebook, then we went to Petitcodiac with some teens from the church to see the Canada Day fireworks.
Day Seven: July 2
Alec was sick as well today. However, It was the last day for the Lewis Mountain VBS program so we still had to “go to work”. It went very well! Stephanie (a teen volunteer) and I were soaked with water and covered in whipped cream afterwards, as a reward for the kids who raised over $150 for missions. In the afternoon we took down all the decorations and made an attempt to put the church back to normal, then rested at the house.
Day Eight: July 3
We woke up feeling somewhat better, but still full of cold. We spent the morning packing up, doing laundry, and making necessary phone calls. After lunch we said goodbye to the Burgess’s and left for Keswick. We met Pastor Jon and his wife in Fredericton and went to their house for the night - it was definitely a highlight to be playing XBox with them.
Day Nine: July 4
We attended church in the morning at Keswick Baptist, then went to our next billet’s house, on a farm just a mile or two from the church. Our hosts, Freddie and Ethel, are pretty cool people. I got put in a room with a bunch of awesome stuffed animals, including Fozzie from the Muppets. Very cool beans. The temperature was in the 30’s celsius today, which wasn’t fun, but thankfully there’s a pool next door. Awesomesauce.
Summer diary of a traveling teenager, part I
By Ron Scott June 30th, 2010
The first part of a continuing story of epic proportions.
Day One: June 26
We left Parrsboro at approximately 4PM. It was fairly warm and humid outside, but the breeze in the car windows kept it comfortable.
We arrived in Moncton and headed to Champlain Place for supper and essential shopping. I had the brilliant idea to buy seafood, apples, and cinnamon rolls. This is way too much information, but that combination of food had a remarkable aftertaste.
After three quarters of an hour’s worth of figuring out how to kill 45 minutes, we headed to our billets’ house in Lewis Mountain. Vince and Rosie Burgess are great people. By the time we were settled in, it was 11:30PM.
Day Two: June 27
Today being Sunday, we got up fairly early and attended church at Lewis Mountain Baptist Church. Afterwards, we were taken to the Salisbury Big Stop (just a few miles away) for lunch. There we discovered an older couple in the church had lived in Southampton, the community where our home church is located. Small world!
At 2 o’clock we gathered at the church again to set up for the VBS. Afterwards, we were taken to a local backyard pool, where most of the neighborhood’s children and teens were swimming. I felt completely exhausted from the effort of swimming, but was revitalized by a great spaghetti supper from Rosie. In the evening I was occupied with making t-shirts and trying to memorize the songs to teach the kids. As the evening wound down I was filled with a great sense of nervousness. It’s been over 10 months since I have done this with campers.
Day Three: June 28
Monday morning. The first VBS session of the year began with a few technical difficulties at the church. The music, video, and powerpoint were originally going to be from one laptop, but we had to employ both of our computers to get the job done. However, it still went pretty good, and the kids were great! As soon as we had lunch afterwards, Alec and I took off for Parrsboro. For the entire 2 hour journey, the rain poured down so hard that I had to use the fastest windshield wiper setting for most of the trip.
In the evening I graduated high school.
We left at 10PM to come back to the Burgess’s house.
Day Four: June 29
The second day of VBS went very well. Afterwards, we settled in and rested for the afternoon - Monday was very tiring.
Is it possible to be too connected?
By Ron Scott June 19th, 2010
Disclaimer: nothing about this post is definite. It is simply a rambling jumble of questions.
I don’t own a phone. I don’t own an iPad. I don’t even own an iPod touch. My means of communication are the old fashioned land line in my house, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, or MSN. Lately, I’ve been under a lot of pressure from friends to get a phone so I can be more connected with them. But I don’t know if I will. Coming from a person whose family has only owned a cell phone for emergency use, I think cell phones are awfully expensive to keep. I wonder if it is possible to be too connected. I mean, with the new iPad (which you can pretty much velcro anywhere), you have a new level of connectivity not seen before. I just don’t know if the world needs to be “in touch” that much. It seems like our relationship skills and social interactions suffer as we move to the online world of communication.
Just a thought.
T-Minus 2 weeks, 2 days.
By Ron Scott June 12th, 2010
On Monday, June 28th, I will be graduating high school.
The sheer weight of that statement is yet to be realized by myself and most of my classmates. I begin writing exams next Thursday.
This summer will be one of the most engaging I’ve ever had. For the past three years I spent July and August working at bible camp. This summer, I will be doing something slightly different. My brother and I have been hired to travel to 9 different churches around Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI as Vacation Bible School (VBS) leaders. It’s a job that I expect will challenge me to do things I’ve never done before - and it’s exciting. I absolutely love working with kids, and am looking forward to meeting a new “batch” of them each week, in a new place. Throughout the summer I hope to update this blog as much as possible - a habit I’ve struggled with in the last year, as you can see from the frequency of my posts.
I think the biggest challenge with regard to my online activity this summer will be the upkeep of my Project 365. This past Monday I logged out of my Facebook account until after my exams are over, which means on June 22 I will be uploading around 15 photos to make up for the days of the 365 which were “skipped”. I really hope I can get on at least once a week in the summer to upload the daily photos. I’m quickly approaching the halfway mark (July 7), which is very exciting.
June 28th, here I come.
An Old Acquaintance Appears Again
By Ron Scott February 25th, 2010
David Wilkinson, one of the most famous young bloggers in the UK, has returned to the interwebs in the form of his new website, wilki.me.
I am a huge fan of teenagers stepping out on their own, like David Wilkinson is doing. It helps that his site has got a killer design and some great content on it, too. I remember this guy when he hit it big as a 13 year-old tech blogger, a few years ago. Is he really 16? Jeepers. Time flies.
Project 365: a New Years Resolution I’m actually keeping.
By Ron Scott January 28th, 2010
From January 1st, 2010 to January 1st, 2011, I am doing a Project 365, in which I take (and try to upload) a photo each day.
Below are a few of the better ones I’ve taken so far.
Keep in mind you can always visit my flickr photostream for an ever-expanding portfolio.
Happy Christmas, World
By Ron Scott December 26th, 2009
It was a quiet December 25th around here, and I doubt I will get in on the mad rush of Boxing Day shopping. Here’s hoping your Christmas was lovely as well.
In other news, I have no news… yet. I’m considering a redesign of this site when I get a new workstation in late winter or early Spring. I’m also in early preparations to go to Crandall University, where I’ve been accepted into a BA Communications program.
Allow me to share some music I’ve been listening to recently.
Paramore (their new album, Brand New Eyes), Switchfoot (also their new album, Hello Hurricane), Tegan and Sara, A Rotterdam November, The Rocket Summer, Nick Drake, Newsboys, U2, The Raconteurs, needtoBreathe.
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