The Inverness Oran

Bobby MacLeod was injured while working in the woods in early June.

-by April MacDonald

                It took 137 donations in just five days (at the time of this article) by those who know Bobby MacLeod – and care about him and his family’s well-being to have raised $18,760 of a $22,000 goal.

                There are so many folks from Inverness County who come from generational families who have spent their lives working in the woods.

                MacLeod can easily be described as, “A woodsman through and through.”

                While working in the woods on June 11^th, Bobby MacLeod was seriously injured and had to be airlifted to Halifax.

                He underwent surgery that night, and treatments and antibiotics continue.

                His family and friends say that he’s tough as nails, but his road to recovery will take time.

                Bobby has spent his life giving to this community. He is a long-standing Chief of the Margaree Volunteer Fire Department and a familiar face at the Inverness Racetrack, who “always has a horse story to tell.”

                He is described as a neighbour you could call for anything, and who would be on his way to you before you hung up the phone.

                Now it’s our turn to show up for him.

                April Murray, on behalf of his wife Brenda MacKinnon, is raising funds to support Bobby, his wife, Brenda, and their daughter, Maria, as they navigate the financial strain that comes with medical travel, time away from work, and the long recovery ahead.

                On June 12^th the family said, “If you know Bobby MacLeod, you know he’s the first one to show up – no matter the hour, no matter the weather, no matter the job.”

                The family provided an update on June 13^th saying that he is still in Halifax, taking things one day at a time.

                “He’s understandably sore, but anyone who knows him won’t be surprised to hear he’s staying positive. He says the care team has been excellent, and he’s focused on the long road of healing ahead. Bobby is moved by the generosity, messages, and support pouring in from near and far.”

                They ask you to please continue to keep Bobby in your thoughts as he works through this next stage of recovery!

                Bobby was pinned by a tree and had to wait hours for rescue workers to get to him.

                The pain, fear, and frustration (especially working in the woods this time of year with the black flies must have been horrific).

                If Bobby has ever helped you, waved to you, hauled something for you, fixed something for you, or simply made you laugh, please consider donating.

                Every bit helps lighten the load for a man that has carried so much for so many.

The winners of the shard contest: Elaine Furda, Alta Walker, Danielle Tobin, Sherry MacKenzie, Mark Debaie and Maureen Kennedy.

-by Beverley Phillips

                Sea glass of all shapes and sizes were on display at the 2^nd annual Sea Glass Festival in Inverness on Saturday, June 13^th.

                Twenty-one vendors and 400 people came through the doors of the Inverness County Centre for the Arts, sharing their love of sea glass.

                Two guest speakers talked about their specialty work with their beach treasures. Meghan Landry, of Sea Glass Serenity, is a sea glass photographer who takes beautiful, creative photos of the colourful glass she finds. She shared her tips and tricks with festival attendees so they could capture images of their own pieces.

                Michael Baran is a sea glass archaeologist. He grew up in Montreal, but now lives in Sydney, and he has countless stories to tell about what he has discovered in his 18 years combing beaches. He has an archaeology background, and when he moved to Cape Breton, he discovered he could use that background when he began finding all kinds of treasures on the beach and in the ground. Some of it he makes into art and jewellery that he sells at his shop near the Big Fiddle in Sydney.

                But not all things he finds on a beach are, needless to say, good for making into jewellery. “One October, a sea lion washed up on the beach,” he said. “It got eaten by a shark. I find this a lot as a professional beachcomber. Sharks take one bite out of something, and then they decide that they don't want to eat it. One year, I found an entire horse on the beach. One year, I found an alligator's skeletal remains. And then the next day it was gone. One year, I found a station wagon on the beach, and then it was gone the next day, as well. So you always got to keep looking.”

                As the day wrapped up, the winners of the shard contest were revealed. Best blue went to Elaine Furda from New Jersey with her one-inch blue cube. She came up to Inverness just to attend the festival. The Ravishing Red award went to Alanna Campbell, a lifelong sea glass hunter. Her red piece was likely once part of a lighthouse. Best Marble award went to Alta Walker from Alder Point, who found a King Kong marble, which is just a reference to its large size, on Indian Beach in North Sydney.

                Best Ceramic went to Danielle Tobin of Sydney Mines and a frozen Charlotte doll head she found on Indian Beach. The Awesome tiny find award went to Sherry MacKenzie and a red button that she found on Dominion Beach. The most unique find went to Mark Debaie, who found a flint rock on Inverness Beach. The Best in Show award went to Maureen Kennedy of Glace Bay with a purple iridescent piece of carnival glass, which likely came from the 1930s.

                Festival organizer Beth Ryan said that even though it was a bad day weather-wise, it was a successful event, and there will be a third festival next year – lots of time to find that prize-winning piece for next year.

The season’s fastest mile to date at Inverness Raceway was put up by Sea Laird in Sunday’s $2,000 feature, going gate-to-wire in 1:57.2 for driver-trainer Zach Mullins who co-owns the 10-year-old Custard The Dragon gelding with Doug Lowthers.

-by Bill Dunphy

                It was a busy afternoon at Inverness Raceway on Sunday in a seven-dash card that was reduced to six following an accident that caused the sixth race to be ruled “no contest.”

                In that race, leader Believe It Sea It (Rodney Gillis) broke stride and hooked wheels with the advancing Kraken Seelster (Ardon Mofford), causing a logjam behind them. Mofford was unseated in the collision and Kraken Seelster ran loose, resulting in the officials calling a no contest.

                Kraken Seelster eventually ran out of steam after making several trips around the track and quietly returned to the paddock. Mofford did manage to walk off the track but was later taken to hospital for evaluation.

                The $2,000 winners-over feature followed, with Sea Laird ruling his subjects in a gate-to-wire open-length victory.

                Driven by Zach Mullins, the 10-year-old leveraged his inside positioning to take command entering the first turn and produced early panels of :30.2 and 1:00.3. He dispatched the first-up Windemere Best Man (Danny Gillis) with a burst to three-quarters in 1:29.3 and closed out the mile with a :27.4 kicker to win by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:57.2. Whats Up Doc (Redmond Doucet) was second over Jims Big Thrill (Andrew MacLean, catch driving for Mofford.)

                A recent import to Atlantic Canada, Sea Laird is two-for-three at Inverness for Mullins, who trains the gelding and co-owns him with Doug Lowthers.

                The son of Custard The Dragon-Devil Likes It Hot is now 38-for-216 lifetime and has earned $303,361.

                And prior to race six, three generations of Port Hood MacLeans had a big reason to celebrate.

                Ethan MacLean scored his first lifetime training win as Stay Pumped won a hotly contested fifth race.

                After engaging in a four-horse battle royale for the front early, Ethan’s dad Travis MacLean slid Stay Pumped back to third until the dust cleared, then sent her first-over heading towards the stands. The mare lost ground turning for the backstretch but recovered to fly past the leader McLand (Mofford) on the homeward bend and win by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:59.1.

                Owned by Ethan’s grandfather Gussie MacLean, Stay Pumped was making her third start for Ethan, who has trained the five-year-old daughter of Stay Hungry-Pump My Ride since Michael Gillis, of Windsor, Ont., brought her to Nova Scotia following her April 27 start. MacLean, who kicked off his training career on March 31, now has a record of 8-1-2-1.

                But wait, there’s more!

                Drink Up Mouchacho opened the card with Redmond Doucet driving the three-year-old Shadow Play gelding to a maiden mark of 2:00.4. Owned by Johnny (Snag) MacDonald, the colt was winless in 10 starts as a two-year-old and the first win came in his third try this season after coming up second in two starts against Captain Tate.

                Speaking of the Captain, the three-year-old colt was moved up a class on Sunday but wasn’t fazed as Walter Walker drove to a new mark of 2:01 to win the second race. Walker, with four straight driving wins to start the season (three with Captain Tate) also does the training for owner James MacInnis.

                Another three-year-old, Galway Bay, also raced to a new mark on Sunday. Owner-trainer-driver Monica Sutherland came back from down four lengths at the start to pace the next two stations parked outside and still with enough gas in the tank to overtake Jgsjumanji (Danny Gillis) by a neck at the finish for a time of 2:00.3.

                The one race left to report was the third, where Doucet logged a driving double with Dirty Bobby, a six-year-old Pang Shui gelding he co-owns with Andy Stewart. Trained by Lennan MacIsaac, Dirty Bobby went three-wide on the stretch to beat five-year-old mare Lory Marchandise (Ambrose Gillis) at the wire in 2:02.2.

                Lory Marchandise’s season debut helped key a 1-6-All triactor that paid $624.90.

                Racing resumes this Sunday, Father’s Day, at 1 p.m. Treat dad to a fun day at the track that will include free sundaes and a visit by the Six Little Farmers and some of their animals.