Tag Archives: Pleasant Bay

February 11, 2026 · 3:44 pm

The Mourning Tide Update

Merry meet all,

I am so thrilled that Twisted Dreams Press is publishing my novel, The Mourning Tide, in October. October is already my most fave magical month of the year and now I have one more reason to love that magical month of death made beautiful.

I came up with the idea for the novel via a flash of inspiration years ago. I’m so happy it’s being published now. I could not get an agent for the book, but it is still being published and I am over the moon happy. Twisted Dreams Press is an indie publisher. 

Everyone loves a good ghost story. My novel The Mourning Tide rejects all tropes and exhausted expectations and old ideas of ghost stories. Yes ok the idea of a woman all alone in a haunted house has probably been done before. In my story, Rosemary Bell has to heal her own broken, grieving heart while dodging danger and a creepy house that disturbs and unsettles the reader. I created a ghost trapped in his own cursed darkness, and may enslave a hapless soul or two into the ghost’s seaweed mired darkness for eternity. That and a town that tries its very best to reject a dark, cursed secret they will do anything to keep hidden. They ostracize anyone steers from their oppresive sense of normal. That outcast happens to be Rosemary. It’s Jonathan Fraser, the ghost who motivates Rosemary to save him and heal her own heart. 

Haunted Woods in the bog – Pleasant Bay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The small town of Windswept Bay, (town name changed for the story), is a character of the story on its own. The icy ocean waves, creaking trees, haunted woods and the endless misty fog may give an unwary reader the chills. I love my story and I hope new readers will love it too. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The story is based on an actual historical event that happened decades ago yet has left a lasting impact on the residents of the town of Pleasant Bay. Two campers forgot to put out their campfire. Since Pleasant Bay has a milion trees and it was hot summer, the fire spread like crazy. A young woman did drown in her efforts to escape the fire. I researched that in the Nova Scotia Public Archives. Pleasant Bay is the town I used for the story. It’s stunningly beautiful there. My grandfather was born there, Alfred Timmons, and the two room schoolhouse that my mother attended when she was young is still there. The village has never changed, it’s as if time stands still. There is a Buddhist colony there, but I love the wild, untamed beauty of the cliffs, trees and the restless ocean. It’s paradise for sure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope to visit Pleasant Bay soon, maybe in late spring. That will really help me perhaps get inspired to write a new horror story. I haven’t been there in years and I do look forward to visiting there again. Pleasant Bay is 450 kilometres from Halifax. But the long drive is sure worth it. Moose, eagles, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, bears, rabbits, and pheasants roam there freely. The nature and wildlife are sure to capture your imagination. I very much look forward to editing my novel with the team at Twisted Dreams Press! I can’t wait to hold the author copy in my hands. It’s been ten years in the creation of this story. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just wish my grandparents were still alive to see the book and hold it in their hands. Maybe they are watching over me and are proud of me. I certainly hope so. I’m dedicating the book to them. The photos that you see in this post were taken in Pleasant Bay. For me, the most worrisome part of visiting there is not the blind spots on the winding road through the mountains, being swept out to sea, being attacked by a bear or eaten alive by mosquitoes- it’s the moose. They are very imposing and huge and smelly and just … huge… especially the bull moose, who climb over a guardrail as if it is not even there, roam the woods and roads at night and could kill you if they wanted to. 

Blessed Be, Spiderwitch

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March 16, 2015 · 1:53 pm

WInter in Woods

Crow3

Merry meet all,

Winter stubbornly lingers on. Just when i thought spring was coming, we were assaulted with another snowstorm. I never left the house yesterday.  I’ve had enough. 

I can imagine winter in Pleasant Bay right  now. They had a record 59 centimetres of snow fall. While the moose would feast on tree bark, squirrels and other critters might find food scarce. I’m in Halifax right now. But I know the place so well. I feel sorry for the chickadees that visit the feeder. The bird seed is buried under snow right now. They were feeding on the seeds. Winter is a harsh season and I have yet to understand how the wildlife survives. They must find food somehow. 

The ice would be on the ocean surface right now. The pack ice won’t clear till spring. Even in April, it is bitterly cold there. The strong suet winds can knock a car over. I never visit in the winter though April is not bad. 

Pleasant Bay is a great place for a maritime ghost story. I don’t know why people haven’t set a ghost story there yet. I guess I was meant to. The rugged coastlines, rugged mountains, and the howling help create the atmosphere. The isolation creates the appropriate feeling. The natural setting in the country makes it perfect for a ghost story. I like a psychological horror story rather than cheaping out and relying on tons of blood and guts to fill a horror story. I like a story that is suspenseful and quiet. I think it is more tense than blatant gross out. We have a saying here in Nova Scotia: For every wave that washes in, there is a ghost story. It is true. My story is fiction but if you read the past posts, you can read about Nova Scotia’s history. We take our maritime haunted history here for granted. 

The Great Fire of 1947 is a part of history. My grandparents were married then. Pleasant Bay recovered from the fire and is still beautiful. The Cape Breton Highlands National Park casts a spell on your heart when you’re not mindful. That spell lasts all seasons there. I do prefer to visit Pleasant Bay from spring to fall. The serene peaceful town is most beautiful then. 

Blessed Be, Lady Spiderwitch 

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March 8, 2015 · 7:16 pm

Squirrels in the wood pile again

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Merry meet all,

In Pleasant Bay, the pack ice still coats the ocean surface. Everyone would be seated in front of the wood stoves, with knitted shawls warming their shoulders, and sipping hot tea from their mugs. Woodpeckers pecking at the house walls and moose straining to the upper branches to feast on fruit tree bark. It is almost impossible to grow fruit trees there because moose want the bark. I miss the wood stove. 

The rabbits’ fur turns white in the winter there. But somehow the critters and the people there manage to survive the cold winter there. There is no grocery store or gas station or hospital. It is a long drive over the mountain. So you have to be mindful and careful. The snowplow doesn’t come often to Pleasant Bay. We have to be actually tell them where Pleasant Bay is. So if the snow isn’t plowed, you go nowhere- for a few days. 

There are ways to amuse yourself. You can go snowshoeing, skiing, hiking, watch the eagles fly over the ocean, and go on long meditative walks. You can chop wood for fire, learn how to play crib  or just relax and watch the fire burn in the wood stove. I like to be outdoors though. You can shovel snow and maybe collect sap from the trees or watch the wildlife. See? things to do. I can saw wood, stack wood and collect wood. I wonder how many people do that, in our increasingly hectic rat race society. Today people send text messages. Wel I have never sent anyone a text message. But I have survival skills. I can ride horses and grow my own food. I like to think I am ahead of the game. 

You have to conserve your wood supply for the wood stove too. Don’t use it all up at once. You have to let the wet wood dry out, even damp wood. A real big log can take a long time to burn. sometimes two days to burn. So you have to consider that and the size of the wood stove inside it and that it may be better to burn small or medium sized logs. All this plays a part in heating your home and staying alive. 

Don’t freak out if you see sawbugs. They have roamed the earth since the time of the dinosaurs. The ash that burns from the logs should get shifted or stirred in the wood stove. This helps the next log to burn. 

I don’t know how a person could ever be bored. I hope I have shown you that there is lots to do in a tiny community of 300 people. The tiny fishing village is where I grew up. 

It is awesome to get to escape to the country to remember yourselves, hear yourself think and watch the amazing power of nature. 

Blessed Be, Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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January 31, 2015 · 3:52 pm

The Cabot Trail

cbroad

Merry meet all,

There is a Pleasant Bay group on Facebook. In one of the aged black and white photos is a picture of someone wearing a flour sack for clothing. I just bought a small bag of flour from the grocery store yesterday. The bag was made of a type of cardboard. Look how things have changed. We have come so far and we take it fro granted. 

The photo above shows the Cabot Trail back in the early days. The Cabot Trail was an important link to the outside world. The Cabot Trail was developed in the 30s and 40s. People needed to drive slow then to get through the trail. Today the Cabot Trail is done. It is easier to drive through Kelly’s Mountain and French mountain. The road is paved but still risky. You have to dare huge boulders that could crush your car, end up in an accident and fall over the cliff, plunging to your death below or brave a moose on the road. When you see a moose, you stop the car. That is how we do it in Pleasant Bay. I have traveled over that road a million times. The ice on the boulders of the mountain are actually a beautiful sight to behold. I have spotted rabbits and moose. I identify moose at night by their regal stature and red eyes. They step over the guard rail like it is not even there. They truly are a beautiful sight to behold. 

People used to drive Model T Ford cars through the Cabot Trail. The highway has a huge bog and tons of trees on either side. Lots of trees. But for all that the trail is highway and a ton of trees, the beauty there takes some beating. 

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This is the road now. There are no Model T Fords now but the trail does offer some spectacular sightings such as this one:

Blessings, Lady Spiderwitch 
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January 29, 2015 · 3:38 pm

Faery Woods

magicwoods

Merry meet all,

Pleasant Bay is so beautiful and magickal in the woods. The woods there are so ancient and so full of light and so aged, you would think Ents may feel right at home. In the summer, I see sparkling dancing balls of light and I know they are the faeries. It makes sense faeries would dwell there. 

Look hard at the above photo of the trees there and see if you spot any faeries. I love that spot. Don’t be fooled though. The earth there is soft and one wrong step, you could fall 300 feet to your death to the rocks below. But don’t worry. 

The view from the cliffs is stunning. The Gulf of St. Lawrence  opens into the Atlantic Ocean. I have seen blue lightning flash over the ocean, watched whales splash in the ocean, and eagles soar over the ocean- and seen a school of mackerel on the ocean surface. That’s not something you see every day. The fishermen get their catch and donate a bit of their catch to the local hall where we all gather and hold a crab fest. The lobster is awesome too. 

Pleasant Bay is a pristine wilderness. The air hums with buzzing bees and the air smells of spruce trees, sea salt, and wild roses all at the same time. That takes some beating. Hawks circle the skies above my sister’s free range chickens. It is paradise. There are faeries, because once I accompanied my ex-friend Geoffrey to a spot in the woods where he was painting. I felt an invisible tug on my hand. I was led to a clearing where I saw some birds. (I know I have faeries in my garden in Halifax, too.)  So I believe that faeries exist. You are never too old to believe in them. 

Owls, bats, bobcats, moose, foxes, deer and coyotes, bears and eagles roam wild in Pleasant Bay. If you visit, I highly encourage you to respect the wildflife. There is no hunting. Go for the chance to view nature in her glory. 

You can go kayaking, hiking, and stroll by the ocean shore there. There are many lookoffs points and the panoramic view is nothing short of beautiful. Hike the rugged mountains and hunt for seashells. Watch out for the jellyfish! and the poison ivy, and the dreaded mosquitoes and black flies. 

Leave an offering for the faeries. Or your keys may go missing. Unless you decide to stay a little longer. Enjoy the video!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6MhohfiF6k

Blessings, Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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January 26, 2015 · 3:57 pm

Wild Trees

Trees*

Merry meet all,

I see a gorgeous birch tree trunk outside my window. The tree trunk arches gracefully toward the blue sky. The bark is torn in patches and peeling. The tree shelters birds and various insects. This tree weathered many storms. Chickadees and woodpeckers visit the tree and cats climb it. The white and grey bark is beautiful and aged. I love this tree. It is a symbol of endurance, strength and beauty. The bare branches arch above the trunk, shivering in the harsh cold wind. They resemble twigs more than branches. Spring is not far away and soon new growth will crown the tree. The photos are from Pleasant Bay. 

I find something creepy about trees when night casts its cloak over the city. If I walk alone at night, as I walk past the Bengal Lancers horse stables, the new high school and the museum, I pass a row of intimidating trees at night and they look much different than under the harsh sun’s eye.  I feel almost watched by the trees. Their bare appearance gives them an sinister look. I purposely walk fast down that long street past those bare trees. No leaf or bud on the branches. But in the summer. the trees at night look normal. 

In Pleasant Bay, there is an area of trees and in that area, is some seriously creepy energy. Pleasant Bay is an ancient place. For those who are sensitive to energies, you can feel it in your bones. It almost makes me think of the Mirkwood from The Hobbit. 

I have walked there many times and know the trees. The spruce trees grow plentifully there. The branches are like barbs. The scent is heaven. The trees grow thick and are very old. Some tree trunks have fallen and make walking difficult. I actually photographed an orb. Moose visit the trees and eat the bark and leave their dung on the ground. Pinecones and pine needles litter the forest floor. Squirrels chatter, breaking the silence.The air is clear and this is the magic of a pristine forest.

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I feel the energy when I sit there. Birds make the tangled dead brush their home and nest. The ecosystem there is undisturbed and is in holistic balance. Everything helps everything grow in this sacred area. The creepy energy doesn’t scare me but it is present. I feel the age of that place. And for all that it seems odd to some people, I feel right at home too. All right, I wasn’t too happy about the dead headless squirrel but it must have been eaten by a fox, bobcat, hawk or crow. 

I sat on  a dead fallen log and just sat there for a long time. I heard the boughs creak and sounds of very much alive squirrels. They are very competitive with birds for seeds. I love nature when it is unsettling and peaceful, cruel and loving. A person is at the mercy of nature’s elements there. You have to work with the land, not against it. I’ve seen the Northern Lights, whales up close when I was on a whale cruise, when the ice on the road forces us indoors and off the roads, been ten feet from a full grown moose, and gone on a four-hour mountain hike with friends at Fishing Cove. Bears roam freely, as do moose, and bobcats and coyotes. I have lived  among them and never been hurt. I keep a distance but stilll. When you are very very very far from a hospital, it makes sense to Respect the Wildlife. 

Since Imbolc is near, I hope you take the time to appreciate the wildness of nature while we still have it. 

Blessed be, Lady Spiderwitch )O(

 

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January 23, 2015 · 4:18 pm

Memories of winter visits

shire

Merry meet all,

Winter is upon us. It must be freezing in Pleasant Bay. I recall a time I visited it and my family stayed in a chalet. Well you want to talk cold weather? Let me tell you about it. 

It was so cold when we arrived at night that we had to put sheets on the large windows to contain the heat. We wore mitts as we unpacked. After turning on the lights and the kettle, we settled down  for a well-earned rest. It is 450 km s to the beautiful small fishing village. We started a fire in the wood stove. The room slowly warmed up. When I stayed in the other house, my lips were blue in the morning and that was in April! 

But if you have a hardy spirit and breeding, you should do just fine. Imagine being in the Shire and that sums up Pleasant Bay. There are fun things to do there in the winter such as skiing, snowshoeing ( I tried it once and was in too much snow and panicked), hiking, watching the wildlife, painting, or just meditating and observing the beauteous bounty of nature. You can catch up on sleep and for once be able to hear yourself think. How precious is that? 

The rabbits grow in their white fur to camouflage from predators in the snow. The seals give birth on the pack ice. The moose feast on wood bark in the woods. The spruce trees are home to hibernating squirrels and eagles swoop over the ocean, hunting for fish. The wild brush looks more gorgeous in the winter and animal tracks are everywhere. I often see more moose dung than I do of the moose. They are elusive beasts. 

People become scarce in the winter. The locals hide in their hobbit holes as smoke drifts from the chimneys and lights glow in the windows. That is the only sign that anyone is home. Winter is harsh in Pleasant Bay. It is the heart of the wild wood. If you can’t take the isolation, don’t visit. It is where I grew up. You are at the mercy of nature’s elements. The snowplow doesn’t come often to the town to rescue people from mountains of snow. Isolation is a reality in the winter. 

For all that, it is still a magnificent place. My grandfather ran a farm without electricity in the 1920s. See how much we take for granted these days? It does get cold. It does get lonely. But it is so amazing. Pleasant Bay can take your  heart without you being aware of it. 

I miss the smell of wood smoke from the woodstove. The sound of the kettle rattling on the wood stove, and woodpeckers pecking on the house outside. I hope to be back there soon. Till then, be well. 

Blessed Be, Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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December 16, 2014 · 5:07 pm

The Wild Life

Crow3

Merry meet all,

Today I’m going to talk about the different types of wild life out there. The range in the wildlife is one of the chief reasons why I visit.

 

Moose

Moose

This photo is courtesy of http://www.aspybay.ca. Moose happily inhabit the woods. They graze peacefully, on the trees’ bark and grass. I have seen lots of moose, young and old, in herds or alone, and during the day and at night. They are beautiful, majestic, and peaceful. I have never been harmed by a moose. I have seen them a lot in the woods. Their young are cute and the adult moose are a wonder to behold.

Foxes

Foxy

I have seen a few foxes in the woods. They are small, with red fur and bright eyes. They hunt rabbits and one of them even befriended my grandfather. I am not kidding. Foxes are small, cute but please do respect wildlife.

Rabbits

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I have seen rabbits during different times of the year. They change their fur colour according to the season. They are so cute and likely quite happy to be living in their element. They come close to the main house like the other animals that live in the forest.

Bobcats

Bobcat

I have seen a bobcat once. The bobcat posed for then disappeared into the trees’ shelter The bobcat was beautiful and blended in well with the natural hues and shades of the wild brush. You almost wouldn’t have known it was there. The bobcats hunt rabbits, mice, voles and birds.

Coyotes

coyote

I have not seen a coyote mercifully. These critters are not as friendly. A coyote ate a woman who was currently at that time well, you know, at that time of month. They do small blood and that alerts them to prey. It is best to keep a healthy distance from coyotes. Whatever you do, stand your ground.

Squirrels

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Nova Scotia itself is overrun with squirrels and cute birds too that happily and greedily compete for seed in the feeder. They do it here in Halifax in my garden and at the feeders in Pleasant Bay. Out there, there is no shortage of food for them. The squirrels even plant seeds in the ground, a storage system that my sister often benefits from, amused by their antics.

Eagles and Hawks- and Owls

Eagle

The eagles soar over the ocean for fish. The hawks circle above my sister’s chicken coop, plotting to catch an unwary hen. Hawks are smaller than eagles. Like moose, eagles are majestic and strong. I have never seen their nests but the nests are probably up somewhere high. Eagles are easy to identify by their remarkable wings. They too are a sight to behold. Pleasant Bay has also been visited by rare birds. I will try to get the photo to show you.

Whales and Seals

Whales frolic in the waves and show off for the tourists during the whale tours. I have had the chance to witness these beautiful creatures when I have been out on the tours. They play, splash, dive, leap and soak up the sun. This was my experience when I was on the whale tour:

I was out on a whale-watching cruise years ago. I stood on the boat and looked out around me. The sky was clear, the day was warm, and the calm ocean waves lapped the boat. I surveyed the looming mountains above the shore. The mountains stretched three thousand meters into the sea. Cows grazed in the field. Gannets dove over the ocean surface. The deep cool ocean water surrounded us. I was suddenly gripped with a feeling. I felt small, tiny even, in the midst of the ocean and the mountains. I did not want to know how deep the ocean water was. If whales swam its waters, then I assumed the ocean was extremely deep.

The seals give birth on the ice. The ocean is always covered with ice in the winter. If it is quiet at the beach, you can hear the ice packs bang into each other.

Bears frequent the woods out there. My sister also keeps chickens and raises some of them for meat and some for their eggs. They are free range and will let you pet them.

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There are horses, dogs and cats too. Here are some photos:

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Cows, too:

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I saw a salamander in the basement. We rescued him.

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I fully acknowledge the copyright of these photos. Not all of them are mine. 

I hope this encourages you to visit the strange and beautiful fishing village of Pleasant Bay. Blessed Be

Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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December 15, 2014 · 3:09 pm

Nature Rest

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Merry Meet All,

My sister and her husband, Niki + Jeremy Pike, run a cabin-rental business in Pleasant Bay. If you are so inclined for a week’s stay in such a magickal, imaginative, and natural restful place, you’ve come to the right place. The link below tells you more about it. 

I hope you tale the opportunity to review the link and consider staying there for a vacation. It is far but it is worth it!! Of course, the best time to visit is in the summer. Right now, it’s nearing Yule. But save up and take a well-earned vacation in the heart of the Highlands!!

 

Blessed Be, Lady Spiderwitch )O(

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/VacationRentalReview-g1523026-d2062083-Cliff_Waters_Vacation_Properties_Nova_Scotia-Pleasant_Bay_Cape_Breton_Island_Nova_Sco.html

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December 11, 2014 · 4:31 pm

Pleasant Bay

The house I used as inspiration for the story

The house I used as inspiration for the story

Merry meet all,

Pleasant Bay is a rural community located past Cheticamp, Cape Breton. The people there have lived here for generations. My family has had that land for six generations. Little has changed about the place. The two-room schoolhouse that my Mother attended is still there. My  niece attends the school. The boats bob in the harbour and people still use wood stoves to heat their homes. The place has a rural, rustic majestic charm to it. I love it there. 

You need a car and wood to survive there. You need a car to be able to get to places and you need a good wood pile to heat your home. You have to worry more about heating your home in the fall, winter and spring. A cord of wood costs $200. Then you rally your friends and family to help you stack the wood. Shown here:

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The wildlife offers entertainment. Moose, foxes, coyotes, bears and rabbits frolic in the woods. There is hiking to do and relaxing at the beach. In the summer, the mosquitoes and black flies feast on your blood like seriously rabid tiny vampires. Whales splash in the ocean. 

a sea side scene

In our crazy, hectic society in the urban areas, it can be a relief to get away to the countryside for quiet and serenity. You may not have the best internet connection but you don’t need it there. Pleasant Bay will snare your heart and your imagination. 

The best time for visiting this place really is in the summer. Collect seashells, herbs and pebble stones at the beach.Learn more about gathering berries such as elderberry and blueberry. They grow plentiful and wild. Explore the nature trails. Reconnect with yourself. See? – lots to do. 

The key is to be open to a new experience and to be willing to be 450 kms away from an urban environment. Pleasant Bay is at the end of the road of the island. You get out and explore. That’s the fun of it. So where will you be spending your vacation time?

Blessings, Lady Spiderwitch )O(

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