Pyros Take Lunenburg

We toured. We tie-dyed. We walked and hiked. We painted shoes. We bought art. We sailed on the Bluenose II. We ate sooo much lobster!

From June 26 to 29, eleven Pyros and three VIHs (Very Important Husbands) enjoyed all that Lunenburg had to offer, thanks to the excellent organizing and hospitality of Susan Otto-Bain and Rick Bain. Participating Pyros were: Alicia Champ, Carol Routh, Cathy Beaumont, Diane Kermode, Ikuyo Yamanaka, Ken McIntosh, Silvia McIntosh, Susan Otto-Bain, Tammy Mercier, Theresa Magee, and Trudy Nichol.

We kicked off on Wednesday June 25 with dinner and Trivia Night at Lightship Brewing, a stone’s throw from Susan and Rick’s house. On Thursday we had breakfast at the Farmer’s Market, and later enjoyed a walking tour of the town with local guide Liz. After that we gathered at Susan and Rick’s house for a tie-dye adventure, where we carefully applied dye and rubber bands to our t-shirts under Rick’s watchful eye. Susan led the crew with white canvas shoes to paint, and we kept going almost until sundown.

On Friday we road-tripped to some of the communities surrounding Lunenburg, led by our guide Nancy. Highlights included taking a cable ferry across the Lahave River, Gallery-hopping in Lahave, a stop at the Maritime Painted Saltbox Gallery, and a studio tour at Sattler’s Stained Glass. Our final stop was Hirtles Beach, where we searched for “wishing stones” and the bravest among us dipped a toe in the chilly Atlantic.

On Saturday the weather went south on us, and a planned fishing trip had to be cancelled. Kayakers Alicia and Tammy were undaunted though, and they enjoyed a shoreline tour. Other Pyros toured the Lunenburg art galleries. That evening Susan and Rick hosted a Down Home Lobster Boil, with everyone learning how to use all the tools necessary for extricating the meat from the shells. It was definitely messy, but it was also delicious!

We woke up to rain on Sunday, and since many of us were booked to sail on the Bluenose II in the afternoon we consulted the weather forecast every few minutes. Although the forecast was for the rain to stop by noon, we all boarded the Bluenose at 1:00 wearing blue plastic ponchos over many layers of clothing. The fog and rain meant we had no idea where we were on the ocean, but it was still a thrill to be at sea on board this national treasure.

After a group dinner on Sunday, we reconvened at Susan and Rick’s to see our finished t-shirts, each one unique and all screen-printed with Rick and Susan’s unique design: Beads, Love and Lobster.

And just like that it was Monday and time to go home. Thanks again to Susan and Rick for their hospitality, flexibility and unfailing positivity!