Spring

It has been a strange few weeks, not least because of the lockdown, but also because spring seems to have kept us waiting.  It isn’t much more than a week since we were having sleet yet again, so the opportunity to get out for some fresh air last week was very welcome.

There are some new additions to the bird house collection down on the boardwalk.

It was a very windy day and the white caps of breakers could be seen a long way offshore.  The wave action stirred up the PEI red mud, making the water look a strange colour.

We saw a few birds, but most of them were too fast for me to get a photo.  This Blue Jay came down for peanuts, which had been left for them.

A red squirrel was perched up there, but wouldn’t come down for nuts, as it already had more than a mouth full.  

Jelly Roll

I’ve had this fabric for quite a while, but haven’t yet found the time to start the project I have in mind.  For some reason (I’m not exactly sure why), this is known as a jelly roll.

There is a PEI connection, as the fabric designs are on the theme of Anne of Green Gables.

One of the reasons for the delay in starting my project was because I didn’t have the necessary tools.  I now have a cutting mat and rotary cutter, so I’m planning a little Christmas project, which I hope to share with you soon.

A Taste of Green Gables

For those of you who are familiar the 1908 story of Anne of Green Gables, you may remember that Anne loved raspberry cordial.

When I came across raspberry cordial earlier in the summer, I had to try some.

Though it was a bit sweet for my liking, it certainly tasted of raspberries, and it made quite a refreshing drink when diluted with soda water: a real taste of Prince Edward Island.

After The Storm

I can’t quite believe that it is almost two months since I last posted, but I’ve had various issues with my home computer, as well as with Blogger.  If anyone knows of a good (preferably free) photo editing app, I would be happy to hear about it.  I used to use Picasa, but it is no longer supported by Google, which has led to all sorts of issues in trying to upload photos and add watermarks.

Anyway, last Saturday saw the arrival of Hurricane Dorian, although it was downgraded to a tropical cyclone by the time it hit Prince Edward Island, we still had hurricane-force winds of 120 km/hr or 75 mph/hr.  We had been out and arrived home just as the rain was starting.  During the course of the afternoon, threatening clouds rolled in and the rain came down in sheets - mostly horizontally.  We watched as the sky darkened and the winds increased dramatically.

As darkness fell, the power went off and we sat in candlelight - in other circumstances, it might have been romantic, but it sounded like the roof was being ripped off our house and we ended up with water coming under the back door, so were piling towels against it to stem the flow.  

Looking out into the darkness, there was no light to be seen and everyone must have been sheltering indoors.  The maple tree in our front garden was bending and swaying to such an extent that I thought it wouldn’t survive the night.

The night was noisy and the storm raged on around us.  It was impossible to sleep until the early hours, when the winds finally died down a bit.

Next morning, we looked out onto a scene of devastation, but little realised the extent of it from the safety of home.  Our vegetable garden had been destroyed, but our maple tree was still standing.  Other trees in our neighbourhood had suffered extensive damage.

Late in the afternoon, we drove into town and were shocked by the extent of the damage.  Huge trees had been uprooted and laid across cars and houses.  Craters had opened up in gardens where the trees had once stood.  Mr Candytuft talked to someone who had lost seven mature trees from their garden in one night.

A week later, there are still about 6,000 homes without power.  We were lucky that ours was restored quickly, but others have been less fortunate.  We heard of some dramatic rescues from along the shore, but fortunately, no fatalities, unlike the Bahamas, where this storm originated.

Even today, I look around at the extent of the destruction and I feel humbled by the power of nature.  I read a news story of the devastation in the National Park at Cavendish, where 80% of the trees have been destroyed.  The clean-up continues and everywhere we look, there are piles of branches and trees being cleared.  It will be many weeks before life returns to a semblance of normality.  We are just thankful that everyone is alive to share their stories of the night that the storm hit and its aftermath.

Victoria-by-the-Sea

Towards the end of August, we headed out to explore the fishing village of Victoria-by-the-Sea, which is better known today for the artisans who have made it their home.

It was a hot afternoon, so we were glad to spend some time closer to the water, where there was a slight breeze to cool the afternoon.

It is a sweet little place, but I didn't manage to get that many photos because it was busy with tourists and the narrow streets were rather crowded.

Mr Candytuft captured this view of one of the many brightly painted homes when there was a lull in the traffic (yes, I'm the one in the hat in the distance).

We enjoyed our time there and will likely visit again, now that the summer season is officially over and life is getting back to normal.

I've not been blogging lately because I've been unwell with the worst virus that I've had in years.  It started like a dose of flu with fever and chills, body aches and pains and generally feeling ill, but it has dragged on for two weeks and I'm still coughing.

Needless to say, I'm behind with everything and I have a list a mile long of all the things that I should have done, but haven't.  Added to which, I'm still dragging myself into work, which isn't exactly aiding my recovery (employers are not very sympathetic when it comes to illness).

I wish you all a pleasant weekend.  I'm off to tackle some of those jobs on what is supposed to be my day off, before I have to work tomorrow.

Lake of Shining Waters

Back in June, we visited Anne of Green Gables’ house and we stopped at the Green Gables’ Museum on the way home.  

The main reason for stopping here was to see the Lake of Shining Waters.  

We didn’t actually go into the museum because it was packed with tourists and it was a hot day.  We chose to sit in the shade on the veranda and watch the world go by for a few quiet minutes.

I know it is late publishing this post, but I thought that I would share it, as I know that I have some readers who are fans of Anne of Green Gables.  

Spring Drive

Our recent day out took us to Cavendish and then back along the shore from Green Gables.  The view above is taken just down the road from our stop in New London, at the birthplace of Lucy Maud Montgomery.

The weather was perfect for taking photos, as the sky was clear enough to see into the distance.

We stopped further along the road to admire the tranquility of the light reflecting the trees in the water.

We found a secret place which is likely missed by the thousands of tourists who flock to Green Gables in the summer. Mr Candytuft is  always keen to go down mystery tracks and see where we end up.  This is what we found at the end of one - it is called the Swimming Rock.

There is a little sand beach - likely a bit bigger when the tide is out.  The red sandstone rock is typical of Prince Edward Island.

The land was purchased by the Sterling Women’s Institute in 1963 and is now a picnic place, with benches and a little shelter.

Continuing on our journey, we stopped to take a photo of St Thomas’s Anglican Church.

The gravestones closest to the road appeared to be fishermen’s, as they had boats carved on them.  The fishing industry is big in Prince Edward Island and not without danger.  Two fishermen tragically died only a week ago.

One of the most painted panoramas of Prince Edward Island is of the tiny community of French River with its painted buildings, overlooking New London Bay.

 

This is the view looking to the right.  It wasn’t possible to get a good shot of the whole bay, as there was a tour bus of Japanese tourists all clicking away with their cameras.  The Japanese are huge fans of Anne of Green Gables. 

 

 

Spring at Green Gables

My last visit to Green Gables was at the end of December, when it was snow-covered and peaceful.  I enjoyed the solitude and the beauty of the the scenery.  

This time, it was busy with tourists, though nowhere near as crowded as it will be in the height of summer.  Entrance to the farmyard is through the barn.  I took this photo from beside the house (and without my glasses), so I didn't see the Mennonite couple entering: I would never intentionally take a photograph of them, but I hope that my readers understand that this was the only photo of this view, which I wanted to share with you.  (I took care to ensure that they did not appear in any of the internal photographs of the house, although they were walking in front of me.)  The house is approached from the rear (this is now the exit). 

 

This tree was just starting to come into blossom.  We have had a very poor spring and the trees and plants are at least a month behind.

Coming round the front of the house to the front door.  There were a few tourists on the lawn and a school group enjoying lunch under one of the trees.

Entering through the front hall, we turned left into the living room.  The rooms have been restored in keeping with the Green Gables story.

The tour continues through the living room and into the dining room. 

The rooms were quite dark, even with some of the lamps lit (and it was sunny outdoors), but I imagine that it would have been even darker when it was inhabited as a family farm, with dark decor and poor lighting.  

 

Matthew’s room was on the ground floor of Green Gables and I recall from the story that he rarely went upstairs.

Other rooms on the ground floor include the scullery, larder and kitchen. 

 

 

 The old-fashioned Waterloo stove was used for cooking and heating and had pride of place in the kitchen.

Upstairs is the room that everyone want to see - yes, it is Anne’s room and it looks like she just stepped out of it.  I could just imagine her running up the stairs from the garden with her red pigtails flying behind her.

The other bedrooms on the upper floor include a guest bedroom.

As well as Marilla’s bedroom.

And, of course, her sewing room.

 As I was descending, I paused at the window to look at the view across the garden to the farmyard beyond.

It was interesting to see the interior of the house and I was fortunate that it wasn’t too crowded during my visit, as one of the guides told me that it is absolutely packed during the summer.  She said that, between April and October 2017, they had 250,000 visitors!

This post is dedicated to my dear friend, Tracy, my kindred spirit.