Anne of Black Gables?

    We made it to PEI! Land of red sandy soil and green potatoe fields. It reminds me of England, a typical scene here includes a cozy farm field populated by a couple cows, a couple of farm houses, hedges running up low hills and a lovely blue sky with white fluffy clouds. For the settlers of Canada I think this was as easy as you could have had it. I feel for those pioneers that were sold this vision of Canada and ended up in the Saskatchewan prairie. 

I am a big fan of Anne of Green Gables so we rushed out to the "Anne of Green Gables Museum". We toured the little house and walked by the 'Lake of Shining Waters'. 

Someone who fully thinks they are in Green Gables

The Lake of Shining Waters

    The museum curator was trying to sell books by the family who owned the property. Or, she said, if you bought an LM Montgomery book she said one of the family could sign it for a fee. Give me a break! I might as well have a random passerby sign it. I really don't believe in inherited fame or "greatness", don't get me started on the royals. They should rename the whole Island and all the cities in it.

The twist regarding this visit is that we were at the wrong house! Who knew there are multiple Anne of Green Gables' houses. The house we were at was lived in by Lucy Maud Montgomery's Aunt and Uncle. She didn't base Green Gables on this house. Her whole family is trying to cash in on her fame. 

As we walked around it:

Charlie - "These gables don't even look green."

Me - "Of course they're green! How dare you! You just don't know colours."

Now I'm not even sure if they were green. They may have been black.

    She did base one of her stories on her cousin who I believe lived in the house we were at, Eliza Montgomery. This cousin was all dressed on her wedding day and the groom never showed up. She buried the wedding cake in the front lawn. Is that traditional in the case of a bride jilted at the altar? It should be. She put her dress and other wedding frou-frou in a big trunk and it was closed, to be left unopened for 40 years. The trunk was in the museum and we got to see the remnants of that sad day.

The Lake of Shining Waters is the actual lake that inspired LM Montgomery to use that name. 

So that's something.

We went to Thunder Rock Beach after. Why didn't anyone tell us what the beaches were like on PEI? Magnificent! So much soft sand - practically ankle deep, no barnacles or big rocks even. It was as perfect a beach as you can get. The water is even warmer that the pacific. 

    It was nice to cool off. The air here is so humid - it makes you feel sort of ill. After all the pamphlets we got about ticks in Ontario I worry about Lyme Disease. The symptoms are sore muscles, fatigue and feeling hot. I have all those. It's possible I'm just a typical middle aged woman however. The Weather Network says "26, Feels Like: 30". I half expect it to say "26, Feels like you are being cooked slowly from the inside."

Grumpy Gus has come on this trip and he is not happy. We've seen him smile once - after a long air conditioned car ride. 

Thanks to Jan and Derek for the lovely supper and advice on where to go.

Birds 'n Mammals

Fox - the original Ginger. There are a lot of red headed people here. I elbowed Elsa when I saw a second red headed boy, she said "That's the same kid Mom." Now I just silently note them. There are either a lot of them or there is one red headed kid following us.