Last Sunday I decided to go on a ride around on the Quebec side, I hopped on the 20 (TCH) and headed over. Once on the other side of the river I picked a Boulevard at random and drove down to explore! It was St. Louis. I drove along that one for a while, deeking in and out of sidestreets, generally having a look around. Eventually I opted to get on Boulevard St. Anne (seeing a 'holy' trend going here?) and proceeded East. This turned into the shore road up to Saint-Anne-de-Beaupre. I went as far as the bridge over to Isles d' Orleans and decided to do the loop around. Once taking the bridge I got out and took a shot upriver towards Quebec.

Today, this Sunday, after work I headed east down the South shore towards Riverire du Loup[ but did not go all the way there. I stopped at the termination of route 132 about 120km from Levis. Along the way I stopped at a roadside lookout and took a couple of pics of the North Shore. The lookout was closed but I walked out over the icy snow.

This one is looking west and shows that there's been a lot of ice breakup recently. It's all really dirty (with Montreal's sewer outpour perhaps?!)

this lookout is about an hour's drive east of Levis and you can really notice the river widening here as it approaches the mouth of the St. Lawrence...and also the dirty ice again. There's a ski hill on the other side but I'm not sure which one. Mont St. Anne is further west. All in all, the drives have been interesting, lots of tiny villages, farms, and stone churches. Also, the speed limit is 90kph through most everywhere! It feels like a road rally along narrow winding highways!

As you can see the weather has been good lately! Cold is still hanging on though. Below zero, but showing signs of improvement.

the Album has been moved into the NFLD section...perhaps because it's a Newfoundland & Labrador album!? I've been receiving lots of good reviews from people. Thanks so very much!

the view from my seat on the bombardier dash 8-100 this morning...about to touchdown at Jean Lesage in Quebec City. I'm back for another hitch on this shipbuilding gig. Working quite a bit but hoping to get some writing/recording in as well, in the evenings...the weather here is worse than the Avalon Peninsula! I didn't think that was possible anywhere!

One hundred years ago this year, the Newoundland Regiment earned the designate 'Royal', following their display of bravery and discipline during the Battle of the Somme.  Every year on the first of July, while the rest of Canada is celebrating Canada Day, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador remembers  with sadness the sacrifice at Beaumont Hamel where so many young people lost their lives.

A few years back I started writing a song from out the blue that eventually became a story of a young Newfoundland soldier who goes off to war. I broadened the tale to include our present day men and women in uniform because sadly, world conditions still require that we send them into the fray in the most dangerous of places. All of us who enjoy our freedoms and indulge in our guilty pleasures (whatever they may be!) owe an immeasurable debt to these people. We are wise to remember.

 This song was the last cut on my 'Migration Song' cd recorded last fall with David Fitzpatrick doing a great job producing and musically enlivening. Please give this song a listen, feel free to share and play. Comment, critique, and sing, but most importantly, think.
​
Snowden Walters
​Outer Cove.