Photo Pause: Village Historique Acadien

Note: Photography is a path to mindfulness for me, a meditative and grounding practice that prompts me to slow down and notice the world around me. May these images offer you a space to pause, a respite in your perhaps busy day, and a reminder to take a moment now & then and notice what's going on in the world around you.

~~~

D. and I just got back from a visit to my beloved Acadie on the East coast of Canada, a return to my roots for a fulfilling five days. While we were there we visited the Village Historique Acadien in Caraquet, New Brunswick. From the Village's Website:

"Originating from 17th century France, the Acadians were the first French settlers in North America. Le Grand Dérangement (the deportation) deprived them of their lands and scattered them throughout the world. The Village Historique Acadien (VHA) portrays the ingenuity and determination of the Acadians starting anew.

...

One of the most authentic historical sites in North America (Phoenix Award Winner), the Village Historique Acadien strives to portray the lives of Acadians between 1770 and 1949. More than 40 historical buildings are staffed with interpreters who will make you relive the ancestral customs and traditional trades during these years.

Each one has a story to tell."  

It was a beautiful and moving day spent exploring the lives of my ancestors. I offer you a few images...

Scenes from the East Coast - Part I (Blueberries!)

I am tired today, full from last week's road trip to my beloved east coast. This week's Productivity Prompt will be posted within the next few days, pinky swear.

In the meantime I leave you with a few snapshots from a favourite outing: a morning blueberry picking expedition with Mom & Dad that quickly became a highlight of my trip...

Off a pickin' we go!

The flowers were pretty...

... and so were the fields.

But oh the berries. Mom said she'd never seen so many - and she's been picking wild blueberries for as long as I can remember!

They were big too, big clusters of gorgeous blue berries.

Our final haul after about an hour and fifteen minutes at work.

That big container on the bottom left alone held four litres.

I'm still gushing at the abundance and grateful that Dad's buddy allowed us to descend on his field by the river. I'm not sure he knows exactly how much of a treat he gave this urbanite visitor from Ontario.

Sometimes the simplest things bring the greatest pleasure.