Local News and Petitioners

I have been considering a new online persona via a new blog for some time. The new venture would be personal, local, and probably political. Not necessarily in a partisan sense, but in a "common sense" fashion.

There is no blog yet (I'm waiting on a name) but a recent turn of events in local news might be a catalyst to get me started. However, one has to be careful as my province is like the Deep South: it is best to keep your mouth/pixels shut when it comes to politics.

For now, here's the scoop: 200 doctors signed a petition to the premier about climate change. That strikes me as being absurdly outside their expertise, but let's set that aside for now.

I'm curious if they will weigh in on (a) an 1880s-style sewage problem in the capital city or especially (b) serious fish kills in local rivers (possibly due to pesticide run-off).

I don't expect the physicians to have answers (these are thorny problems), nor do I endorse their wading into political waters. But the more I think about the hypocrisy of their silence on these issues, the more it drives me crazy.

CC

Gannets

Over the vacation, some family and my guest went deep-sea fishing. These birds, gannets, were diving around the boat, pretty much just as in this video. I had never even heard of them before.

It was crazy! They hit the water like missiles, at about 40-60 mph. They are very aggressive as well, trying to take fish off the hook when someone is reeling in. Other birds, like seagulls, have no chance when these birds are around: gannets are twice their size both in body and beak.

NOTE: the last 10 seconds of this video may be disturbing to true animal lovers

Mid-July Visit

With barely a day in between, another dear, inner-circle friend came to visit from the USA. This was a longer trip. Though again, it may not read well, this will serve as a diary. The past 8-9 days have been a whirlwind tour of PEI that left no stone unturned.

The weather was pretty much perfect, with the key exception of a music festival, when we needed it most. It seems as though Mother Nature cut a deal with me: great weather for 90% of my guests' stay, except for a key afternoon/evening, which was one for the ages (see below).

Day 1

• brunch at Cora's (one of the few overlaps)
• visit to Anne of Green Gables, including a ponderous drive through Cavendish, whereupon we discovered a lovely Gelato stand
  
• beach tour at Cavendish beach (where I nearly broke a toe)
• harness racing at Red Shores (aka the CDP), with buffet

Day 2

• deep-sea fishing in North Rustico (with family). Gorgeous weather. Crazy birds (another post).
  
• lobster dinner at Water Prince Corner Shop
• Cows ice cream (of course)

Day 3

• Tim Horton's
  
• stop at the Cheese Lady in Winsloe
• visit at my parents (with happy run-in with my sister)
• MerchantMan Pub for lunch
• a 6-hour, soaking-wet adventure at the Cavendish Beach Music Festival. This will be another post, one day.
  

Day 4

• Rufus and Rory's for breakfast
• Harbour Hippo with immediate family (gorgeous day)
• Poffertjes, a Dutch treat on Victoria Row
• dinner at Peakes Quay with my sister and bro-in-law
  

Day 5

• guest went horseback riding near Morell
• lunch at Fishbones, then shopping
  
• Cows ice cream (again!)
• dinner at Claddagh House (my guest's first oysters)
• Cows ice cream (is this possible?)

Early July Visit

My first visitor from the USA, a dear friend, was here over the past few days! It was a wonderful time that coincided with the Royal Tour of William and Kate.

We had mostly gorgeous weather with the unfortunate exception of the day where Will & Kate were here. That said, I couldn't really ask for better.

This is a summary of events. This may not read well for others but serves as a bit of a diary for me:

Day One

• brunch at Cora's
  
• visit with my parents
  
• Harbour Hippo tour!
• Cows ice cream
• dinner at Fishbones (with my sister and bro-in-law). Oysters, mussels, lobster. Cramming for finals regarding the Anne & Gilbert musical.

Day Two

• fantastic live-stream of Will & Kate thanks to CityTV
• lunch at Maple Grille
• dinner at V and C's (where dinner reviews surpassed many of the other fine-dining establishments)

Day Three

• lunch at Landmark Cafe in Victoria
• Toy Factory near Hunter River
• beaches at Cavendish (water was way too cold for some)
  
• dinner at the Shipwright Inn
• Anne & Gilbert at the Harbourfront Theatre

All visits with friends and family were really great. Most restaurants were outstanding, with a couple of lessons learned.

One fun tale: my guest wanted to buy some Island-made toys at the Toy Factory (sidebar: the original operation was close to my grandparents' home).

My guest liked some wooden, animal-shaped crayon holders but was surprised to see they weren't marked as PEI in any way. At the cash register, she asked about this and the staff offered to sear the wood not only with the location but also the names of the children. They do this regularly, for free. Perfect.

CC

ps. No sleep for me... another dear friend arrives soon! It is hectic to have visitors so close, but on PEI there are only 8-10 weeks of prime visiting time, so things get busy.