August 2006

So, last weekend I had the opportunity to attend the 4th Annual Citizen Science Conference, which was presented by the Society for Amateur Scientists. It was quite interesting to hear these folks discuss their various envelope-pushing adventures. Now, these are not all guys who are doing experiments in their living rooms, either; some of them are responsible for some large-scale innovation. Much enjoyed were the many tales of proving the naysayers (there are always a few) wrong.

Here are some highlights of the conference:

The Citizen Scientist
TCS is an electronic publication featuring news from the amateur scientist community. It’s edited by Forrest Mims, whose own site describes his explorations in optics, sky photographs, and the like.

Extrasolar Planet Transits
The quest for “alien solar systems” continues… presented in affiliation with the American Association of Variable Star Observers (http://www.aavso.org/).

HOBO
These nifty little data loggers were distributed at the conference. They measure temperature and light intensity, and (certain models) are waterproof to boot.

JP Aerospace
“America’s Other Space Program,” JPA launches high-altitude balloon-platforms, which can then serve as launch pads for even-higher altitude rocks. Be sure to check out their PongSat program — science experiments the size of ping-pong balls, which are flown to the edge of space.

Kiteship
Basically super spinnakers, these awesome kites are offered as a supplementary power source for various sorts of boats — from massive container ships, to pleasure craft.

Well, we were up and down the coast today: Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, Bluerocks, and Chester. For all the talk you hear about the east coast drying up (socio-economically speaking), it’s been encouraging to see that these places are far from dead. There are still folks typing up boats at the docks, sailors coming ashore and asking for directions to local restaurants, and craftsmen fashioning masts for sailing vessels. Of course, I’m not sure how much fishing folks actually do out here, but the docks are in use, and the ports are full of boats.

The first two stops were probably the most visited by tourists. Mahone Bay is decidedly quaint and historic, and hosts an annual wooden boat festival (which we sadly missed). It’s old, too, having been “a treasure since 1754.” Lunenburg, of course, is the home port of the Bluenose II, and is one of the major tourist destinations in NS. As it happened, the Bluenose II was elsewhere at the time of our visit. Chester, our last stop, was noticeably upscale. Luxury automobiles lined the streets, while fancy yachts rested at anchor in the harbour.

At the suggestion of a local who we met up with in Lunenburg, we visited the nearby village of Bluerocks. Devoid of ice-cream stands and souvenir shops (well, aside from a kid we passed who was selling lemonade at the end of his driveway), the small vishing village was the antithesis of Lunenburg’s maximum-tourist ethic. You do not have to pay to park your car in Bluewater, NS. Here, a man can breath the sea air, and it will make him tired and hungry. Even at low tide.

Crystal Crescent Beach is just outside of Sambro — roughly a half-hour drive from Halifax. I’m told it’s one of the more popular sand beaches in the area, though the water was a little chilly for swimming. Anyhow, there are some nice trails that run along the coastline. I walked along the edge for a while, with the thought of checking out a neat rock-like object on a distant point. It had the look of a WWII-era pillbox, a bunker, or something like that. When I finally got up close, it’s true nature was revealed: it was just a big, rectangular rock. I was not all that impressed, and neither was another guy there at the same time as me, who was peeing on it. Dang. The next trip will have to be somewhere more isolated, like Baffin Island.

Further along the way, there were a few beat-up old lobster traps. Must’ve washed ashore at some point. I guess most fishermen use steel ones nowadays. Hmm, there may or may not have been whales frolicking in the distance. It was a little hard to tell.

Well, we left early — around 4:00. Driving trips like these (Ontario -> Nova Scotia) seem to work best if you make a day of it, instead of leaving after work or whatever it is you normally do during the day. It’s also nice to be doing the bulk of the driving during daylight hours, because that way you can appreciate the sights along the way — like the otherworldly plains-rock dichotomies east of Montreal, the St. Lawrence river, and the rocky outcroppings (and winding roads) throughout New Brunswick.

Downtown Halifax, though undeniably tourist-ridden, still has its charms. Swashbuckler chique is noticeably en vogue, as evidenced by the piratey souvenirs, pirate boat cruises (involving cannons), etc. Now, if you like looking at boats, you’re certainly in luck — the harbourfront is populated with craft ranging from tugs and water-taxis to multi-million dollar yachts and cruise liners… plus an always changing selection of sailboats. Buskers, too.

From where I’m staying I can see the main shipping yard, and it’s been interesting to watch these massive container-ships load and unload their assorted cargo. Tugboat logistics are also fascinating; it’s neat to see one push around a boat that’s about 100 times its size. They are the nautical equivalent of ants!