Abandoned Satellite Station - February, 2016

The sign near the entrance remains well hidden, 2016

I love abandoned places. They're creepy, of course. But they're also lots of fun to explore and photograph.

One place I find fascinating is the abandoned Teleglobe satellite station near Mill Village, NS. At one time it was an important cog in Canada's telecommunication network. Not only did signals shoot to and from space, the Bermuda-Canada undersea telephone cable terminated here.

The site was shuttered in 1995 and left to the teenagers, vandals and copper hunters of the area. I'd first heard of the place back in 2008 and visited soon after. At that time, all the buildings were standing. But the most unique attraction was a massive 30m (?) satellite dish that had been cut from its mount and allowed to crash into the ground.

One of big dishes, 2008

The crumpled dish rose out of the bramble like a monster climbing from a shallow grave. It was very surreal and very post-apocalyptic. You could almost hear the zombies moving around in the dark buildings. I took a bunch of pictures back then. You can see a few of them HERE.

Much has changed over the past eight years. My visit this past weekend revealed that much of the facility has been reduced to rubble. The dishes were gone as were most of the buildings. This is pretty much all that remains:

Teleglobe Satellite Station, 2016

I created a small photo gallery of the site as it looks today, HERE.

I plan to go back soon and will post some more stuff. Until then, here's an example of the not-so-ugly graffiti that covers most of the remaining walls.

A colourful spot, 2016

Is that a zombie I hear?

THR +19 Months (580 Days)

February 4, 2016 - THR +19 Months (580 Days)

New month. New location.

I'm marking my 19th month with the new hip in Liverpool, Nova Scotia. I'll be here for a spell. The weather isn't cooperating, so I don't have a bunch of photos to post. Yet.

The left hip is as good as ever. I still get some fatigue/strain if I sit in the same spot too long, but other than that, no problems whatsoever.

The right hip still isn't showing any signs of wear. Flying was a bit uncomfortable and I had some pain in the joint. However, that went away once I was finished travelling.

And so it goes!

Cold Air, Clear Skies, Black Ice

Friday, January 8, 2016
Normann's Ruh, Isle of Mull, Scotland

A Cold Morning Breaks on Mull. 1/8/2016.

So... the 'road' on this part of the island is basically single lane tarmac. No plows, no sand, no salt. Not surprising, as it really doesn't get wintery here (yet). However, last night was clear and cold. How cold? Well, the temperature inside the house was 14C when I got up. Brr!

I took the dog for his morning walk/pee/poo and found the road to be covered in black ice. I nearly fell a half dozen times. I can't believe people drive on it, yet they do. And at speed. Crazy given the sheer drops and lack of any guard rails. If you went off the road here, you might not be found for days.

Anyway, the good thing about it being clear is that it means some sun today — which should make for some good photos. The DSLR will be coming along on my adventures today.

And so I goes... 

THR +18 Months (549 Days)

January 4, 2016 - THR +18 Months (549 Days)

Seriously. A year and a half?

I'm gobsmacked that 18 months have passed since I received my new left hip. Why?

Well, I almost forget what living with pain felt like. And I can't believe how fast time flies. It's really quite incredible.

The good news continues: the left hip is fantastic. And the right hip, which will need replacing at some point, is also fantastic. No sign of any trouble. An X-ray might say differently, but in terms of pain: zilch.

Walking and hiking are almost effortless. And would be if I could just drop this excess weight. Gah!

But... I've been cycling in Scotland, too. It's an eBike (with an electric motor assist for steep hills) and I try to get out on it when it's not raining. But that's not often.

Wandering around the Isle of Mull, Scotland

Plans are coming together for the next stop on my journey: back to Nova Scotia for a few months.

And so it goes...

2015: The Year That Was

2015 was filled with mostly ups and just a few downs.

Travel: Guatemala, Mexico, Nova Scotia, Ireland, Scotland.

Health: New hip great. Other hip not showing any signs of trouble. All else good.

Weight: Down a bit.

The important boxes ticked: a roof over my head, food in my tummy, money in the bank and steady income.

Plus a ton of great friends to enjoy life with.

And I started cycling again!

Yup, a damn fine year!

Happy New Year!

Waiting for 2016 in Scotland

December 25, 2015

THR +17 Months (518 Days)

December 4, 2015 (518 Days)

No news is good news. Other than some stiffness, the new hip continues to be great. I'm in Scotland with no car and a dog and that means lots of walking.

The other hip is working like a charm. I'm waiting for signs of arthritis, but so far, so good.

Home Sweet Home

And so I goes...

Mulling

Nov 27, 2015
Normann's Ruh, Isle of Mull
Scotland

The adventure continues. I arrived here a couple of days ago... and I'm settling in. The weather has been wet but warm. The forecast says that's about to change.

More words and pictures soon. If you can't wait, you can see some pictures on Flickr. Link is to the right.

And so I goes...

THR +16 Months and 2 Days (491 Days)

November 6, 2015 (491 Days)

The hip is such a non-issue that I missed my anniversary. As I close in on 500 days, post-replacement, I can say everything is fantastic.

I've cycled more than 800km since mid-July and if you include walking, I've done covered 1000km so far this year. Although that's probably much less than the actual total.

I sometimes get stiffness in the operated hip, and bending over can be slow, but not painful. I wonder if I need to do some special exercises? But I'm getting older, too.

The right (non-operated) hip is still pain free, despite being told that it would have to be replaced at some point. 16 months after that diagnosis, it works just fine. Fingers crossed.

And so it goes...

THR +15 Months (457 Days)

October 4, 2015 (Day 457)

Today marks 15 month since my hip replacement. I continue to walk and cycle a lot -- I would do more but it rains a lot here in Ireland.

In September I rode 220km compared to 167 in August. And that doesn't include walking, of which there was a lot.

My weight isn't dropping as fast as I'd like, but it is down -- about 10 pounds since August 1.

I feel great, other than some occasional stress. My non-operated hip isn't showing any signs of problems. No pain at all.

So everything continues to be very positive.

And that's the latest from Ireland!