Top five things to love about New Brunswick

(I wrote the following a few days ago. The next day, we woke to about two feet of snow. Much shovelling ensued. Today, a day or two later, it’s snowing again. So I was sorely tempted to reconsider number 4. But I won’t revise. I’d still have it on the list, though I believe some moderation is in order. I hope the weather gods read this. Guys, the key word here is moderation.)

Having written previously about the popularity of lists, and having suggested “Best of” lists at least had some value, whereas “worst of” lists were valueless griping, I decided to make a brief “Best of” list about New Brunswick. It’s off the top of my head, but here goes:

5. Lobster!
How can you not like lobster? Messy? Yes. Manual dexterity required? Of course. But whatever downside there may be is trumped by the fact that it’s lobster!

4. Snow
Moan and complain as we do (a requirement of Canadian citizenship), there really aren’t that many people who would have it any other way. Yes, I hate shovelling. But there are few things as beautiful as a snow-laden landscape, or looking out on a world with big flakes floating down.

3. Landscape
You could probably say this about any part of Canada, but I find the New Brunswick landscape to be breathtaking – and in every season! When nature left the world’s cities, it came to New Brunswick.

2. Saint John River
It’s big. It’s wet. Beautiful, historic and given to giving river dwellers the willies in the spring when it rises, “Members of the Maliseet Nation, whose lands and culture have been and still are centered on the Saint John River, have historically called the river ‘Wolastoq’, translating to ‘good and beautiful river’.” (From the Wikipedia entry for the Saint John River, New Brunswick.)

1. The people
As with all of Atlantic Canada, this is a very friendly place. And, as I posted about sometime ago, it’s a place with relatively contented people. (My post was titled, “If you’re happy and you know it – you’re in New Brunswick.”) Thinking about the people of New Brunswick, I can’t help recalling the Kurt Vonnegut line from his novel Slapstick, “Lonesome no more!” (Perhaps New Brunswick is one large extended family?)

(btw … Feel free to coment and add to the list, or make your own list.)