Welcome To The Home Of The Budster

History Of The Bluenose

The original Bluenose was launched in Lunenburg on March 26, 1921. It was built in the Smith and Rhuland Shipyard to compete for the International Fisherman’s Trophy. In October 1921, the Bluenose beat a ship named Elsie and for the next 17 years, it defeated all contenders. In 1928, the Bluenose defeated the Thebaud in the final race series and was named Queen of the North Atlantic fishing fleet. The Bluenose had become the pride of Nova Scotians, and in 1937, the Canadian dime was changed to include an image of the mighty ship. In 1942, despite the efforts of Bluenose Master, Captain Angus J. Walters and others to keep the ship in Nova Scotia, the vessel was sold to the West Indian Trading Company. For four years it carried freight in the Caribbean. On January 28, 1946, the Bluenose struck a Haitian reef and sank. In 1963, the Bluenose II was built from identical plans as the Bluenose. It was built in the same shipyard of Smith and Rhuland and by some of the same men. Bluenose II is operated by the Lunenburg Marine Museum Society on behalf of the Province of Nova Scotia.

This Article is from a Government web site, check my credits list for the site address.

49th Annual Kingston Steer Barbecue

On Saturday July 12th, 2008 the Village of Kingston held it's annual Steer Barbecue. This fun filled annual event attracts people from all over the valley, and beyond. It started on Friday night with an event called The Battle Of The Bands, where local groups get on stage and battle it out. You can always count on hearing some great music, and this year was no exception. A local fire department also held a fundraiser for the Arthritis Society, starting friday night firefighters took turns sitting high atop the trucks extended ladder. It was fun to see them sitting way up there, or maybe even a little scary, but it was for a good cause. Starting around 10 pm Friday night the huge Steer went on the spit and slow roasted until around 10 am Saturday morning, at which time it was carved up and served for lunch. Hundreds turned out to enjoy this annual meal. 11 am Saturday was the annual Steer barbecue Parade which always gets a large turn out of people, and as usual they wern't disapointed.

See my photo album intitled Steer Barbecue, for pictures of this event.

The Unsinkable Ship And Halifax

Halifax is where the maiden voyage of Titanic really ended, with the most lasting legacy from the sinking located here.

The world was stunned in 1912 by the loss of the liner Titanic on her maiden voyage. Halifax, Nova Scotia, located on the eastern coast of Canada, has one of the most moving and intimate connections with the Titanic disaster, playing a key role during the tragedy's aftermath and becoming the final resting place of many of her unclaimed victims. Three Halifax ships were involved in the grim task of recovering victims, many of whom were layed to rest in three of our cities cemeteries. Rows of black granite headstones, each inscribed with the same date, April 15, 1912 are a stark reminder of the disaster.

Titanic artifacts at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic are a touching reminder of the ships lost luxury, her violent end and the special role our port played as the emormity of the disaster unfolded. These artifacts were all pulled from the water within weeks of the sinking by ships from Halifax searching for Titanic victims.

The exhibit features wooden artifacts collected at the scene of the disaster, including one of the only Titanic deck chairs known to exist. Elsewhere in the city and across Nova Scotia one can experience reminders of Titanic and other courageous stories about our people and their intimate connection with the sea. (I will have more pictures of the Titanic and artifacts soon, check my albums often to see when they arrive.)

This Article is from a Government web site, check my credits list for the site address.  

It's About Time 

Summer is here finally, we can enjoy the nice warm weather, beautiful scenery, and lets not forget the babes at the beach. WooooHooooo "bikini's" gotta love em. I really enjoy the summer, I love to go to the atlantic shore and sit on the rocks, enjoy the scenery, breathe in the fresh air, and sometimes find treasures that wash up on shore from who knows where. And bond fires, nothing better than a bunch of friends gathered around a huge fire on the beach laughing listening to music, sing a longs etc. Have to be careful though, I was at a beach gathering once, we were having so much fun we didn't even realize the tide was coming in until the water started splashing up against the fire. Oops it was time to get out of there lmao. Fortunately for us we had a rope ladder down the side of the cliff we could quickly scurry up. I love waking up early in the mornings in the summer time and enjoying my morning coffee sitting out on the deck, it's so nice and quiet, and you can hear the birds starting to chirp. It is a nice relaxing start to the day.

A Not So Funny Story

I was discussing with a friend today how much fun it is to create web sites. Years ago I used to design sites using nothing but the old html codes, since then I went 10 years without a computer, only reciently getting another. I have forgotten more about html then I ever learned and now have to rely on the kindness of others and searching the web for codes. It's too bad Live Spaces doesn't have a control panel where you can upload pre-designed web pages. I am pretty good at the new wave web design software, you know drop and drag, click point site developement software that a design company would use. I actually want to get my own web design business going, but after hitting all the banks and government agencies for a small business loans failed, I hate to say i have given up for now. Heres a funny story though. I was going to apply for a non-repayable government grant to start my business, everything was going smoothly, the government said they had billions of dollars set aside for the development of small businesses. I was told that I could most likely get one of these non-repayable grants (woohooo free money) but then came the catch, they would send me out all the documentation i needed, along with the application but as they put it "all our documentation is copyrighted, so we have to charge you $2,000 in order to recieve it." Now this blew my mind, the government was willing to give me "free money" but I had to pay them in order to get it! How's that for a kick in the ass! I basically told them well hey errr ummmm if i had that kind of money I wouldn't need a loan from you guys now would I? But that's the government for you, as the saying goes you have to have a ton of money to get money!!