We started today with the next album in line from Joni’s discography. Clouds, from 1969. This album was her first with a self-portrait on the cover. Her paintings and album art are an under-appreciated component of her art, and this is one of my favorite covers.
Clouds seemed a perfect album for todays drive. We were headed down the Cabot Trail again, on our way to North Sydney to catch tomorrow's ferry to Newfoundland. I've already mentioned how cool the Cabot Trail is, its one of those places that actually matches the photos you see in the tourist information. In these coastal areas, clouds are everywhere, always. They’re spectacular-huge, ever-changing colors, rolling, majestic. They’re like a cap to the rocky coasts and surrounding mountains. It was a gorgeous drive, but we were sad to say goodbye to Cape Breton Highlands NP.
Our podcast today was a Bulwark interview with Ben Wittes, the editor of Lawfare and a scholar at the Brookings Institution. It’s a really good weekly (Thursday) roundup of the legal peril facing Don. Needless to say there is plenty to cover, and Wittes has a clear and easy to understand way of summarizing.
We spent a little time checking out Baddeck, Nova Scotia, our home for the evening. We even met Captain Jack Sparrow. It wasn’t quite like our Harrison Ford sighting last year.
Dinner was at an old time Baddeck establishment, a joint called Baddeck Lobster Suppers. It was like so many other places we’ve been. Local, old school, old people, simple menu, great seafood.
We bunked at another Harvest Host joint, Big Spruce Brewing. It’s the coolest one we’ve stayed in so far. It was a big operation and was spread out over a hilltop that had a great view of the ocean below.
We managed to suffer through their terrible singer. I’m pretty charitable in these situations, but this woman really WAS terrible. After she mangled Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer”, then launched into Don McClean’s “Vincent”, I knew it was time to go. I mean, Vincent? Who sings Vincent?
Oh yeah, here’s a photo of the two Shirleys and Kari. Surely one can never have enough Shirleys… This Shirley may have actually been shorter than my mama Shirley. Love my mama…
I love my papa too, he was an amazing guy. He loved birch trees, and one of my favorite gifts to him was a birch tree we gave him for fathers day one year. He loved it, it grew strong and tall, and now I love birch trees too. I’ve seen some of the best birch trees I’ve ever seen up here. It’s good.
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