Well, I must say it's been a busy month. In fact, I almost didn't get this column written on time.
The fall is always a busy time of year for me but this year was busy in a very good way. I had both of my sisters home from Alberta at the same time.
It was the first time in a while that we were able to get together to share some laughs, drinks with pizza and garlic fingers, a Thanksgiving dinner atop a cliff overlooking the New Waterford coastline and even a lovely hike to the Uisge Ban waterfalls in Baddeck.
The other great thing about this visit was they brought some friends with them and if there's anything I love almost as much as having the family all together, it's getting to show off my hometown and beautiful island to newcomers.
And it happened at a good time too because these lucky guests were able to experience a taste of real Cape Breton culture when they attended a few events during the Celtic Colours International Festival.
Most of us who live here already know how wonderful it is. Seeing a visitor watch in awe as huge cruise ships pass by my father's Victoria Mines home, express content at moving freely in the wide-open spaces and look so relaxed away from the traffic and noise of the city, makes me realize how lucky I really have it here.
My sisters and I have lived away in several other provinces — Newfoundland, Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia. With all this moving around, we've met so many people from all over the place and new friends express interest in visiting this little island they have only heard a little about. In some cases, they've never heard about it all.
Sometimes, they'll tag along on Christmas visits, Thanksgiving long weekends or summer vacations. They all have one thing in common at the end of their trip — they don't want to leave.
I never get tired of guests' reactions when they hear the 8:30 whistle for the first time and look like they are about to duck under the table for cover or when they see how fierce the ocean becomes during high winds.
I love how their faces light up at the fascinating stories that Dad, our in-house historian and storyteller, recounts to them. They arrive here like a fish out of water and quickly warm up to the friendly hospitality and laid-back way of life.
Even my sister's little dog looks forward to his trips Down East where he can trade in the city life for walks on the beach, long country drives and hikes through the forest.
The only complaint from this year's guests is that they didn't get to see a deer or a moose. I found this strange since I nearly hit a deer right in front of my father's house while driving there to have supper with them. They must not have been looking hard enough because there are deer everywhere in this area lately. As for moose in the highlands, I don't see them either like I used to.
So now things are back to normal and I'm left to prepare for my least favourite time of year — winter. If you read last month's column, you know that I have a fond attachment to the warmer months.
It wasn't easy putting my beach and camping gear in storage and it'll be just as hard to store my bike away, change my summer tires for those loud, annoying studded ones and see the sun go down before I even have supper made.
I do enjoy seeing my snowshoes though. That's one thing that helps me get through those bleak, cold months.
Andrea MacEachern was born and raised on the beautiful bay of Lingan. After a decade-long hiatus from the island, she returned to her roots and settled in downtown New Waterford where she enjoys blogging, writing, taking pictures, travelling, walking The Loop and spending much of her time outdoors exploring Cape Breton. If you have a story or event you would like to share, she can be reached at [email protected].
