Important!
Check before you dig! Make sure the area where you plan to harvest shellfish is open. When an area is officially “closed,” it is both illegal and unsafe to harvest shellfish from that area.
Check for shellfish harvesting closures.
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There are many places along the coast of Nova Scotia to pick your very own mussels.
Growing up along the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, picking mussels was one of my favourite pastimes. Some like to keep their mussel patches secret. One wouldn’t want to give away too good of a good thing right? So I’ll explain the “how to”, for now.
Blue mussels can be found in cold and warm waters all over the world, however many of them are found along the coast of Nova Scotia. They are a member of the clam family and are somewhat similar in appearance-except for the blue-black coloring.
Mussels can be picked at low tide. Unlike clams, they grow above the sand amongst seaweed around rocks. One can tell that mussels are in the area by noticing how many empty mussel sheets are lying around. If there are lots of empty shells, then walk to the waters edge, move aside the seaweed around the rocks, and have a look. There is no need to remove the seaweed, it generally stays where you want it to stay. Rocks can be slippery so be careful. If you notice a cluster of mussels, grab one and tug (they can attached themselves firmly to a rock).
In summer-time, mussels’ capacity to filter small particles makes them accumulators of the deadly red tide organism, Gonyaulax. Please check with the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture before mussel picking to make sure your area is safe: aquaculture@gov.ns.ca. Don’t plan on pickin’ until you get the thumbs up!
Once picked, take your bounty home. Wash them well in the sink with cold water and gently tap two together at a time. If they stay tightly closed, they are good to eat. Discard the ones that don’t close and stay open. Now, try this fabulous recipe.
The difference in colour of the meat has nothing to do with a difference in taste. I’m told that the orange meat is a mature female mussel, whilst the pale cream meat mussels are males (or immature females). Yummy.
Blue mussell photo is Courtesy of Sean MacNeill.
Here’s a yummy Curry Cream Mussel recipe
There is a trail behind our house and recently I discovered various patches of Lady’s Slippers. Actually, it was a woman taking a picture of these flowers that first caught my eye.
– growth is slow, and it may take several years to flower
I love my bike. Last summer I even did a tribute to 
There are all kinds of interesting things planned. Like ride your bike to participating small businesses and receive discounts or board any Metro Transit Harbour Ferry or MetroLink bus (certain routes apply) with your bicycle and travel for free during Bike Week. There’s even a Family Picnic on the Commons that’s free from 12:00noon – 2:00pm for people and kids who enjoy cycling in Halifax and those interested in cycling as a family. 
The last girls weekend was no different. We checked into a 
While some of us had 
Following our swim and soak, a couple of us stayed behind to read a book or make an earnest attempt at the Saturday crossword. One couldn’t help but look up from the lounge chair and out at the gorgeous view. Later, we moved to the large fireplace off the main lobby where we read the newspaper and munched on a plate of sweet potatoe fries. Before sunset, one sole adventurer couldn’t resist a walk along the shore and brought back beautiful pictures to our cozy chalet. 
Legend has it that there is treasure on Oak Island. The Oak Island Money Pit, “the worlds greatest treasure hunt”, is privately owned. For 200 years, men have attempted to dig through the booby traps and unscramble a secret code that leads to the treasure. Some say it’s a hoax but others are adamant that there is gold to be found. There is a lot of debate as to how the treasure got there to begin with, yet alone who buried it. Maybe pirates? The islands investors work closely with the Oak Island Tourism Society (OITS), and promote the Oak Island Money Pit as a fascinating heritage site with the aim of ‘securing the rights to operate guided tours on Oak Island’. 
Yes, at this time of year we curse the ice and snow but before you reach for that shovel and ice pick, discover the beauty in the white stuff. Take a picture of it. Get close-up, and zoom in on an icicle.
January and February are the best months for viewing eagles and the 
I’m usually corrected when I say “coasting” but I grew up saying it on the Eastern Shore. Must be a Maritime saying. Whatever you call it, it really gets the heart rate up. It’s self-explanatory, find a hill, get on something that slides and go. While it’s not wise to wear suede, it sure is fun. 
On a chilly afternoon, we decided to go for a walk around 
At many locations along the trails you’ll come across feeders filled with seeds or oatmeal. Critters such as chickadees and squirrels find some sustenance in these feeders as well as from park visitors. Next time you go, fill your pockets with sunflower seeds. Look for a wooded area, stand really still, 
Because of its location, the park is exposed to the harsh elements. Just a week before we visited, there was a bad winter storm. These storms wash up sea urchins, mussels, sea weed etc. It’s here where adults and children alike can crunch along as they stomp on shells. Seagulls and crows feast at low tide. It’s amazing to watch them put a mussel in their beak, then fly into the air and let the mussel drop onto the ground. Natures fast food.
In September, 2003, Point Pleasant Park was devastated by 
The Right Coast Nova Scotia 