Wooden Victims

Continuing this weeks theme of destruction-by-fist, here is an additional photo of Instructor John Thorley, 5th dan Taekwondo Master during his 10-minute, thousand-board break-a-thon for United Way.

(Nikon D300, 26mm, f/3.5, 1/60, ISO 200, flash, cropped)

Demolition for Charity

Trying to beat the impressive accomplishment set at his charity event '500 boards in 5 minutes for the United Way' two years ago (which successfully raised $5,000 in donations), Master John Thorley is pictured here Friday night (in the middle of Main Street, Moncton) splintering stacks of donated wood on his way to a stamina-testing personal record of 1,000 boards in 10 minutes (aiming for $10,000 for United Way).

Simply watching the 5th dan Taekwondo Master lay waste to his evil, wooden adversaries is exhaustive and it's easy to see from the coordination and dedication of dozens of students holding, clearing, and resetting boards in the Instructor's destructive wake, that this is a demonstration that they take very seriously and execute with confidence.

There was never any doubt that Master Thorley and his team would be successful in their attempt and I (very excitedly) look forward to the next exhibition I can photograph.

(Nikon D300, 52mm, f/3.5, 1/60, ISO 360, flash, cropped)

Heritage Moments

I've learned a lot about my local area recently so I'll share a few tidbits.

Fort Beauséjour (where this photo was taken) in Aulac, New Brunswick, Canada, is the site of a French fort that was built to oppose the British built Fort Lawrence around 1750. At the time, the borders were unclear and ill-defined, causing a nagging uneasiness and general malaise.

* * *

When the British (under Major Charles Lawrence) sailed into the area and toward an Acadian (french colonial) town named Beaubassin, the local priest, as any man of God would do, burned the town to ashes so the British couldn't have it and rushed the now homeless Acadians to the French for safety.

Major Lawrence thought negatively of this and within months returned with carpenters to build Fort Lawrence (what else could they have called it, really?) which, in turn, annoyed the French who quickly began (but never finished) constructing Fort Beauséjour.

Before the French could finish their fort, the British (under Lt. Col. Robert Monckton) attacked, lay siege, and won. Having gained control of a new fort (unfinished Beauséjour), they razed their old one (Fort Lawrence) to the ground.

When they finally looked around at what they'd conquered, the British found they were surrounded by Acadian prisoners who (when demanded of them) refused to swear allegiance to the Crown (preferring to instead remain "neutral"). So (now Governor) Charles Lawrence decided it best to forcibly relocate not only the prisoners but every Acadian they could find, to places like Spanish-occupied Louisiana and nearby France, and he put the adept Robert Monckton in charge of carrying out those orders. Nearly half of the Acadians relocated would die en route. This undeniably harsh treatment has become known as the Great Upheaval.

A local town, Moncton, New Brunswick, is named for Lt. Col. Monckton.

* * *

Some other local towns also named for men with slightly questionable histories:

• Amherst, Nova Scotia - named for Jeffery Amherst, an officer in the British Army who thought it would be a great idea to end a conflict with Native Americans by giving them blankets infected with smallpox. (I have friends that do this with farts.)
• Sackville, New Brunswick - named for George Sackville, who ended his British military career with a court martial and was ruled "...unfit to serve his Majesty in any military capacity whatsoever".

(Nikon D300, 17mm, f/3.5, 1/1000, ISO 200)

The Highest Tides

Noticing the tide was high while heading for a hike at Fundy National Park, I decided another quick stop at Hopewell Rocks was in order. This stop allowed me to grab a shot from the same perspective as the low-tide one from my visit during the previous week. I think it's a fairly good indicator of when and when not to take a leisurely stroll on the bay floor.

(Nikon D300, using two lenses with disappointingly-obvious quality differences, hopefully this is mostly due to the lack of polarizing filter for the second photo.)

Flower Pots

During low tide in the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape near Moncton, New Brunswick, humans (and myself) are able to walk along the shore partaking in the majesty of Mother Nature's huge formations. Known as the Hopewell Rocks, these fully natural structures resemble flower pots with their tree-covered tops. Here the highest tides in the world flood the area and can rise 12+ meters (40+ feet) nearly the full height of the rocky towers.
Taking photos on beautiful days like the one above can be difficult at a popular destination like this one because of the crowds but I was lucky (after a long, impatient wait) and able to take the shot when people were crowding around the opposite side of the rock or (finally) climbing back up the cliffs to go to the Interpretive Center.
(Nikon D300, 17mm, f/9, 1/160, ISO 200)

View from the Top

Here is a view of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada (north of the Petitcodiac River, top half of the picture) from about 20,000 feet above Riverview, New Brunswick which is south of the river (bottom half of the picture). I was able to take this just before landing at Moncton International Airport (YQM).
Also, it turns out that it is exceedingly difficult for me to take a suitable low-light images travelling 500 mph.

(Nikon D300, f/2.8, 1/25, ISO 3200)

An Unexpected Party

Leaping from the cliffs above to crush me, this crazy monsterling got in the way of a perfectly good landscape shot of the Joggins Fossil Cliffs. I was able to snap this photo of her just before she struck, utterly destroying my will to continue the photo shoot and my legs.

As luck would have it, shortly following the taking of this picture (and after I was taken to the hospital), she disregarded Rule #1 and fearlessly entered the well-known Joggins Cliff Giant cave. This ultimately lead to her being beaned by an unpleasantly-shaped boulder.

She left my life as violently as she entered it, and I have since recovered the use of my legs but I still cry a little each night.

(Nikon D300, 17mm, f/3.5, 1/800, ISO 200, cropped/sharpened)

No Kids Allowed

Sometimes it's better to let a picture tell its own story.

This one was taken in June 2007 at the Magnetic Hill Zoo, in Moncton, New Brunswick.

(Sony DSLR-A100, 230mm, f/5.6, 1/400, ISO 100, cropped)

Welcome to Joggins Fossil Cliffs

Welcome to the Joggins Fossil Cliffs! As of July 7, 2008, we are pleased to announce our new designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site! There are many things to do while you visit us here in Joggins, Nova Scotia. You can: go back in time for a dinosaur safari, accompany our skilled volunteer on an archaeological dig, or rescue womp rats on one of our eco-friendly hover car rides!

In order to keep you safe during your stay we ask that you please follow these modest guidelines:

1. Please do not go into the Cliff Giant cave as they tend to throw boulders at trespassers.
2. Jumping out of space-time rifts to surprise your friends should only be attempted once every 3 hours due to radiation exposure.
3. DO NOT DANCE IN THE HOVER CARS!

By following these three simple rules you'll not only ensure your own safety but the safety of your friends and loved ones. Remember, rule-breakers put the 'joy' in 'killjoy' and the 'fun' in 'funeral'!

Enjoy your stay and have fun with our rocks!