Greetings Everyone

We hope you are beginning to enjoy the Christmas Season with your family and friends. If you are nearby please drop in for a wee drink and maybe even play a game of crib. Many of you are too far away to drop in but I know your hearts are still with us as many of you continue to stay in touch, often sending pictures and kind words. I hope you continue to do so as we enjoy hearing from you.

Unfortunately, time does not allow me to keep in touch with everyone as much I would like. We receive so many kind wishes from around the world and many are very dear friends. I am writing this Murphy’s newsletter as my way of apologizing and to stay in touch.

Not that it is a bad thing but we seem to get busier and busier every year. Even though we hired some students, neighbors and even brought in help from Germany, Gesa & Ika and Luzia & Denise to keep up with the chores we still got a little overwhelmed. Of course Ryan drops in from time to time to help out and play guitar by the campfire. Canada Day was another great success, singing and dancing with Marine Drive and our fireworks display. Thanksgiving was an even bigger event this year, all the delicious food items provided by all the great cooks seems to be attracting more people. Or it could have been because we combined it with our tamed down Trailer Crawl and golfing event. We were fortunate enough to have a couple of German girls, Luzia & Denise help out and seemed to love the whole experience so much they made a video. I would like to share this video on our website and Facebook page and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Along with being very busy tourism wise, we also had several other events take place that in one way or another had a positive effect and even to showcase Murphy’s Camping.

Our Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore seems to be successfully continuing the battle to keep salmon farms out of our bays. As a matter of fact a report that we were quite active in was just made public. This report condemns the practices of these open pen fish farmers and agrees that these operators need massive reform. The report also condemned past Governments for not enforcing regulations.

As a result of this report it seems as though Cooke Aquaculture has just threatened our new government by saying that if they can’t go ahead with expansion then they could not go ahead with plans as promised for a new processing plant in Shelbourne. Premier MacNeil retaliated today, Dec 18th, by requesting millions of dollars in loans be returned to the province. It seems as though our new government understands the situation a little better but we will be watching and ready to keep them on their toes.

Murphy’s Camping hosted several big events on behalf of Nova Scotia Nature Trust’s 100 Wild Island’s Campaign. On one such event Nova Scotia Nature Trust invited CBC, CTV, ATV & Global News along with The Chronicle Herald & Saltscapes Magazine to announce that after several years of studying these islands and finding them Globally significant NSNT have bought about 75% of privately owned islands. On top of that, the Nova Scotia government is currently in the process of transferring the protection of their islands over to NSNT so they too will be saved for ever and for all Nova Scotian’s and visitors to use as they always have. Because we hosted this event and had been taking NSNT and their scientist, etc… out to these islands for a number of years we were quite happy to take part in a few interviews and showcasing our campground. We had two highlights from this, one being we had our 15 minutes of fame and the second being that Marney & I got to go for a helicopter ride over these islands, Wow….they look even better from up there!!!

In October, as I mentioned earlier we hosted a couple of German girls, Luzia & Denise, who not only provided us with some much needed help, they are also writers and submit articles on their camping experience to be published in the near future. While they were here they were interviewed by a German radio show and they gave Murphy’s an outstanding review mentioning how friendly and hospitable all the people are who came here.

But, I saved the best for last………One day last August, a lady from Ontario was enjoying her morning coffee at the Sailor’s Rest with us and mentioned she had heard about us in the news. I said yes we have been in there a bit with the salmon farm protest and the 100 Wild Islands Campaign. But she said no, I heard about you from the Globe and Mail. On June 20, 2014 the Globe and Mail ran an article called, “New to Camping? Here are Canada’s best sites”. They started in BC and made comments on about 20 favorites across Canada. When they got to Nova Scotia, this is what writers for the Lonely Planet Travel Guide said “At Nova Scotia’s Murphy’s Camping on the Ocean, kayaking, guided mussel-collecting and shared seafood feasts add to the appeal” We are quite proud of this, we feel it is because they heard all the great comments made by many of you, thank you!!!

On September 21, family & friends got together to help celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary at the Sailor’s Rest. I had planned another setting but peer pressure got me down on one knee by the campfire as I thanked Marney for putting up with me for the last 40 years, while I slid the diamond she so much deserved on her finger. Marney has been enjoying her time off and is busy making Christmas special for her family. I have the place pretty much closed down and am now working on the honey do list. I have been doing a little duck & deer hunting and we have been visiting family and friends. Marney & I have been winning money from the local legionaries at the crib tournaments. We plan to enjoy Christmas with the whole family at Karen’s new home and have some down time with Ronan.

God bless each and every one of you, may you enjoy time with your families during the Holiday Season. I hope you all have a prosperous New Year and buy that RV you always dreamed of having. Hopefully we will see you all again sometime in the near future.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Brian & Marilyn