MacDonalds Cove - The Other Side of Marble Mountain

After the last post, we were able to go ashore and spend some time visiting with Bill and Betty Jean. We got more history on the place and got to know some great new people. I hope we can visit again on our way back down.

Today was too much of a rainy day for hiking, but visibility was good enough to move to a new location. Our goal was Blue Cove next to Orangedale. We pulled in and, while we do not mind the shallow 8 to 10 feet, there was not much swing room in that snug cove for Hold Fast. Her weight can be a bit strenuous for the public docks. When the anchor would not set, the decision was easily made to retrace back to a larger cove we passed on the way in. Get this, this cove is also called MacDonalds Cove. I think this MacDonald guy got around.

There is no internet here, but cell reception looks promising. We are keeping our ear to the radio now that we know the Barra Strait Bridge is not operational. It sounded like it was good news about 2 pm today, but then even with generators something was awry. Just as well stay tucked in here until that problem is resolved. The bridge is between us and Baddeck.

We put the motor back on the dinghy and sped over to Blue Cove to chatted for a bit with the convenience store owners. The wife thought we were surely joking when we said we were from Florida. We were told what ice cream they had was what we could find. After a bit of digging through the freezer chest, we came up with a couple of dated Eskimo pie looking products. Close enough.

With chocolate smudges still on our hands (and probably face), we walked over to the Orangedale Railway Museum. It has changed hands in the last year, accompanied by a change of hours. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays now - glad we got here when we did because I enjoyed walking through the old cars as well as chatting with the very young lad assigned to watch shop. He took us into the railway snow plow. It is filled with wood burning stoves and has huge wings on each side that can be extended out to deflect the snow further off the tracks. I know, we are weird, we like that kind of old stuff.

As we came back to Hold Fast, three boats were working into the anchorage. We believe it was some of the crowd that failed to get through the bridge. They are now rafted together on one anchor. It is plenty secure in here for such an arrangement.

I have now seen two loons. No moose yet, but I am hopeful.
Love to all,
Dena

Posted via Ham Radio.
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