I was sad to leave the area around Ingonish, but that’s life. After a short stop there, we continued on our path along the glorious Cabot Trail. At the edge of Cape Breton Highlands National Park we stopped because I noticed a lovely islet as we passed. As I have said, I love those little islets which I think are symbols of Canada. Small rocky islands in a lake or stream. It turned out this was an exceptional example of exactly that.

From here on the extreme east coast of Cape Breton Island we realized that we were heading back home. From here on in we would be travelling west. We also decided we would not make as many stops. Less meandering. More getting home. When we left the Cabot Trail, we realized we were on the way home. Sad, but we were ready for it. We had spent nearly 5 weeks on the run. It was time to go home.

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. North America, I believe has the greatest autumn colours for foliage in the world.  I consider the forests of eastern North America in autumn to be one of the wonders of the world. I have not seen anything as spectacular in Europe. The fall leaves there to me seem dull. Not as brilliant and varied as they are in Canada any way.   I really don’t know about other countries.  In Canada, particularly in eastern Canada, we are blessed with an outstanding array of fall colours. This I believe is the result of a great variety of trees coupled with the cold climate.  Some thinkers have suggested that there is no spiritual insight without suffering.  That’s why if you go too far south, the colours are no longer as spectacular. So too, I think there is no great autumn colour without suffering. As you need to suffer to become enlightened, so the trees need to supper in the cold to evoke great colours.  Without the suffering, the rewards are thin and shallow gruel.