I am planning to start the field trip with a visit to one or two of the historic houses of Sydney called Cossit House and Jost House across the street from it. Here is a link to information on these two historic buildings. The information on the society website contains a number of images I produced for them back in 2017.

I have had a discussion with the Society Director and in a week or so I will be meeting with her in person to discuss access to the two properties on August 12 and hopefully with the volunteers in Period costumes. Also we should have enough time to photograph some of the Sydney downtown points of interest before we do the two historical houses.

We will most likely have lunch in Sydney after which we will depart for Louisbourg where we will do the lighthouse and trail if time permits. Then onto the Town of Louisbourg and the Fort. If we have time we can do the bog and Simon Point Trail. This is a very ambitious itinerary but we have daylight working for us.

Please let me know asap if you are planning to take part in this field trip. Also if you are, I advise you to book your accommodation soon.

To book your accommodation please google “hotels in Sydney NS” to get info on price and availability. In my opinion you can’t go wrong with the Hampton, the Simon Hotel, which used to be the Cambridge Suites, or the Holiday Inn. When you have booked your hotel please email me your choice so I can forward this info onto only those members who have confirmed they are planning to attend the field trip. Some of those members would like to stay in the same hotel as others. It will be prudent to book your hotel now so as not to be disappointed in finding available hotel rooms. Even if you are not sure at this time that you will be able to participate in the field trip, it is always possible to cancel the booked room within the hotel cancellation period.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions or suggestions.

Cheers,
Nick Honig
nick.honig@gmail.com
902-549-0202

Field Trip Update:

Sydney, July 31, 2023
Hello Guild Members,

This is an update on the itinerary for our Guild field trip in Cape Breton on August 12, 2023. I have had confirmation from Claire Roach, who is in charge of the historic properties in Sydney and is the director of Old Sydney Society, that the Cossit House and possibly Jost House, will be open and that the volunteer re-enactors will be available on that day. So, it looks like we should be able to get some interesting shots of the interior of the house as well as the exterior during two or three hours in the morning of August 12. There will be a requirement for a monetary donation, and I offered that some of the members would not mind sharing some of their quality photos with the Sydney Society for use on their website. I hope you all agree with that approach.

To date I have received confirmation of attendance from two members, Joyce Chew and Dean Hirtle. Other Guild members had expressed an interest to attend, but I have not had any confirmation. If Guild members are planning to attend, please let me know in the next two days so I can plan lunch and supper accommodation for us.

We can also have a night photography session of Sydney the night of August 11. That would give us an opportunity to photograph the Fiddle and some of the downtown buildings.

After our photo shoot at Cossit house on August 12, I plan to arrange for lunch at Kijus restaurant in Membertou. After lunch we will make our way to Louisbourg where we can do a number of things.
1. Louisbourg Fortress (we will need to allow about 2 or 3 hours. Admission fee required)
2. Louisbourg lighthouse trail (we will definitely visit the lighthouse even if we don’t do the trail. We can’t get inside the lighthouse since it is not open to the public)
3. Louisbourg bog (bring rubber boots, Tuma will be available to id most if not all plants. this will be macro photography)
4. Simon Point trail (this is a short hike to the bluffs. Possibility of Indian pipes, and Pitcher plants)

I am planning on all of us having supper together in Sydney at a restaurant or maybe even at our house depending on how many members we have.

I hope you all are having a great summer and lots of photo opportunities.

Cheers,
Nick Honig
902 549-0202

This year’s Macro Photography Field Trip is at 3:00 pm on Saturday, 17th June.
Location: the gardens around our home in the Fall River area.

Please send me an e-mail, if you are planning to come. I will send my home address and directions to you upon receiving your e-mail. This field trip will be limited to our PGNS membership only.

I will need the signed Field Trip Waiver e-mailed me the day before the field trip. Here is the link to the waiver:   Digital   Signed
Please do not forget about the waiver – you will not be able to join the group without it. If you feel sick, please do not attend the field trip…

The weather forecast shows it’ll be partially sunny, 20 degrees with some chances of rain. Optimal for macro shooting.

It’ll be an exciting afternoon, you will have an acre of gardens for practicing your macro or close-up photography skills. We have the front yard flower garden, moss garden, rock gardens, woodland. Many of the 62 rhododendron bushes are still flowering. We have lots of flowering plants and in total you have over 450 species of plants to choose from, not to mention all those ants, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, spiders and other insects…

Please bring your camera, macro lens, extension tubes, flash, reflector, and tripod. Do not worry if you don’t have a macro lens – there are plenty of larger subjects to shoot…

Although the start time is set to 3:00 pm, if you want to, you can come as early as 1:00 pm.
We will keep shooting until your time, the darkness or the mosquitoes will chase you away.

There will be refreshments, treats during and after the field trip.

Darryl will need one or two of your images for our website gallery.

Hope to see you here!

Laszlo

Good day to you all…

I have been busy reconstructing the field trip that should have taken place last year and had to be cancelled. I hope you will consider joining us for all or part of the line-up.

It looks like the tide will be low at 8:43 am and will be high 2:35 pm…With this in mind, I have the day planned as follows.

Travel to Bridgewater (1 hour from Halifax) and take the route along old mainstreet, Hwy 331 that leads along the West Lahave River toward the ocean. Use bakery address in GPS.

Along the way you will see the Ferry crossing…(shortcut to Lunenburg). Don’t blink…next up is the famous Lahave Bakery. 2102 Highway 331 West LaHave NS B0R 1G0. If you want to stop – plan ahead….the lineups on Saturday mornings can be intimidating. Opens at 9am. Their products are fabulous…and if you forgot lunch you might want to grab a sandwich to bring along.

We will begin the day by meeting at the Fort Point Museum. 10:00am. YouTube
Address: 100 Fort Point RdLaHave NS B0R 1C0 Canada

The grounds and the quaint little museum/lighthouse will be open. A small lighthouse sits there with a lot of history. Also a cemetery. They don’t get a lot of guests, especially at one time, so we can take turns going inside.

Between 11:00 and 11:30 we will go directly to Risser’s beach while the tide is still low.
Civic Address: 5366 Hwy 331, Crescent Beach, NS B4V 6P2

The main parking lot is to the right (in the woods) and then we cross under the main road by tunnel to the main beach area. There are picnic tables, food truck and washrooms located here. We will have lunch and then venture onto the beach. To the left at the far end of the beach is a wonderful ‘fallout’ boulder if anyone wants to investigate it. We will plan to go right, all the way to the end of the beach, and take the Salt Marsh boardwalk back to where we started from. Across the way, is a little beach called ‘Sperry’s Beach’ and in the summer on a fine day it is buzzing with activity. Depending on the moisture, there is a path through the woods that sometimes is alive with mushrooms, but that is only by chance.

We will leave the beach 2:00-ish and backtrack a kilometre to take the Crescent Beach Road to the Lahave Islands.
Civic Address: 100 LaHave Island Road LaHave NS

Along the back of the beach, the area to the left is well known for its bird population and for its place in the migration points of small shore birds. Ahead there is a bridge, with a couple of scenes left and right, so you can stop here to take photos if you want. You might see kayakers coming or going on a morning run around the islands. Then a quick stop on the Government Wharf. (You’ll see the sign). The lobster season will be closed, but there might be boats and traps, ropes and gear to photograph. Don’t block the entrance to the slipway.

Next we will cross a single lane bridge to visit the Lahave Islands Marine Museum.
The eager young voice on the phone will be happy to see us! I mentioned we might ask a lot of questions… There are picnic tables available here on site, but I am unsure about a washroom! It is a great spot to take in some salt air and think about the way things used to be, way back when! From one of the picnic tables you can see across a little inlet to the wharf on the other side…and there should be boats tied up for photo ops. That’s what I have ordered!!!

3-ish- When we leave the Islands, we will go to to my house, 5526 Highway 331 Petite Riviere.
Lots of room for parking. We are all invited to see my neighbours gardens. He breeds unique hybrid day lilies. Face book page There will be some for sale, but our main purpose for going is that once the gardens start blooming a bit later, you will be welcome to come back to take photos. There will be a few little things blooming, (check out the yellow poppies in the greenhouse), but the true beauty comes later.

There will be some lady slippers in the woods surrounding our property and in the park, but I must remind you that you need to spray for ticks and mosquitoes. There are two osprey nests in the community. At the time of this email nothing is happening in either of the nests, but maybe another week will make a difference. One is on the corner across from the General Store and the other is in the school yard on Wentzell Road. (Available to see on the weekend only!)

Sometime after 4:00 (depending on how long it takes us to get gathered up) – Gary and I will offer you a bowl of chilli. There will be rolls, and apple crisp, tea (hot and iced) and coffee.

Some of us may sign in to the CAPA meeting to vote, and others, such as myself will have already voted via proxy.

Then….From my address in Petite Riviere it is approximately 1 1/2 hours back to the city. We will give you the ‘shortcut’ back the the highway.

Note: Field Trip Waivers (from our website) are required for participants.

That’s what I have in the works so far…Hope to see you! And if you’d be so kind…please let me know if you plan to attend…thanks ????

Viki