Marching bands are, of course, at the mercy of the weather. Nova Scotia summer is usually rather kind to us, with the biggest difficulties being humidity and the sun shining in our eyes. But from mid-October onwards, we will be preparing for chillier performances, not to mention rain, sleet, snow and ice.

SOUTH SHORE - Poet Cynthia French spent years writing and publishing poetry, including a collection of autobiographical poems that would eventually become Barachois.