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Larry Muffin At Home

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Larry Muffin At Home

Monthly Archives: May 2016

We finally arrived

31 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Charlottetown, dachshunds, house, moving, PEI, Travel

Well what a car ride this was, poor us we slept most of the way to PEI on the back seat. What else are you going to do when you are a hound, sleep is the best remedy. As we crossed the Sea bridge over the Straight of Northumberland on the radio played Josef Haydn’s Amen from the Creation. I said to Nora well we must be there, she looked out the window with her big eyes and indeed here we were on PEI. Then we crossed a lot of rural areas and Nora said to me look Nicky the earth is red. I thought I wonder why is the earth red instead of black. Nora has a theory, of course you guested it, it has to do with a great bloody battle between some mythical monsters who ruled a long time ago and the earth is red because the Dachshunds killed all the bad monsters or giants and there was so much blood it stained the earth. Nora has a wild imagination and then she goes on to tell me that  this is a family history. Now she is putting me on since her family are half Italian and half Hungarian and no one as far as I know have ever been to Canada.

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So we got to the house and we go right away for a walk, I do not want to walk, I am tired and not in the mood, but Nora is running, jumping and sniffing like a radar with her big nose at everything around her in the great parks around the house. I suppose this is what happens when you come from a family of hunters.

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View across the Hillsborough river towards Rocky Point and the Sea

The apartment is quite large, much larger than our old home. So both of us ran all around like crazed Dachshunds that we are, that was fun. The windows are quite large and we get a lot of sunshine on the East and West side of the house. So I lounge in the sunshine, that is my specialty. Nora refers to me as a lounger, I do not mind.

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Nicky

 

 

Nicky and Nora

27 Friday May 2016

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 14 Comments

Tags

adventures, dachshunds, moving, Nicky and Nora, Travel

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The World view on travel from two little Wire hair Dachshunds. We were born in Capena near Rome and we travelled, some would say emigrated to Canada, some five years ago. We lived in Ottawa until this morning when without any notice or warning, some people. we do not know who, came into our home and took everything away. There was nothing left but our two kennels and our blankets, some toys and our food. Then our two papas came and bundled everything up, we went to the garage and got in the car. We had no idea where we were going, it was not to the Vet nor the Beauty Salon.  We were sitting on the back seat with our blankets etc. this was all too strange for words. Was this going to be a long trip, again no explanation. Uncle Pervy, who is our Official designated Babysitter, we know people do find his name strange but it is a long story and goes back to another time in Rome before our birth, when our family had a long hair Dachshund by the name of Reesie. He was not related to us, he came from Chicago, an American.

All this to say that the manner of our departure from Ottawa today was so strange we thought a Coup d’Etat had taken place and we had to flee a revolution or something like that where Squirrels take over the World. We felt like the Royal Family of Italy who had to flee the Communists in 1946, Nora did now want to flee, she thought I will kill all the squirrels. Nicky not so sure, it’s messy and they have rights too you know and besides a revolution, if one took place, would interfere with my lifestyle.

Anyway after 7 hours we arrived at this strange place called Rivière du Loup (the wolf’s river) a small town on the great St-Lawrence River and the junction to another place where we heard our gros papa and Uncle Pervy talk about. It is apparently another 7 hours away across a great forest where Moose live. Fearless Nora wants to see the Moose eye to eye, that might not be possible since they weight 3 tons and stand several meters tall whereas Nora weighs only 6 Kg, but no matter Nora assures us that she can hunt them too, no problem. I tried to explain to her that it is out of Season, she does not understand. I think Nora has a one track mind, hunting! It does run in her family you know back in Italy.

As for me my Dad was a Champion Show Dog, so my life is like one big show at Cinecittà. I’m not vain I just know I am good looking.

So what does all this travel mean? We do not like all this travelling and we do not like to be kept in the dark about the agenda. Also our other Papa is not  with us, why is that, when is he coming, so many questions. We do not want to sound like whining Canadians about being transparent etc. but maybe they could explain to us what is going on. At least our luggage has not been lost and we got treats and our regular meals, so we cannot complain too much. Well tomorrow is another day and we shall see what new adventure it brings.

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The beach

22 Sunday May 2016

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 11 Comments

Well here you have it, the beach just a few minutes from the house. Looking out into the Atlantic, I think I can see Europe on the horizon. Lots of sand and quiet, bliss.

We will be without internet access for a few days but all should be reconnected by 1 June. Our male dachshund Nicky can’t take the stress and he has been sick, his routine is perturbed poor dear. Can’t lie in the sunshine as he likes, he is sort of a beach boy. He was assured that yes there will be sunshine in PEI. No we have not been singing the score of Little Orphan Annie to him. As for Nora well she is happy has long as there is a cooking in the deal. She is more like Annie get your gun type, think Ethel Merman.

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Nicky snoozing on the Ottoman, yes he is a hound and that is what they do. Nora is in the background 

 

Moving day almost upon us

20 Friday May 2016

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

moving, packing, PEI

We are mere days away from the final packing and moving. This long Victoria Day Weekend in Canada will be devoted in our household in finalizing the preparations.

The number of people who asked me if I was all packed yet. We have movers to pack, why would I pack? What a strange concept unless of course you are of the school where you throw everything in green garbage bags and rent a U-Haul. I am sure my faithful readers have understood a long time ago that this would not be my philosophy of life.

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Packing works of art and fine Porcelaine

On Wednesday morning the packers will come and spend the day carefully making boxes, Thursday they will load the container and off they go for PEI also known as the Mykonos of Canada.

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Nicky and Nora morning snooze on a carpet imported from Iran.

I will take the road with the Hounds from Hell, Nicky and Nora, the movers said they could not bubble wrap them, strange. We will stop at Rivière du Loup on the Saint Lawrence river over night before turning towards New Brunswick and PEI. This way the trip in the car for them will be more manageable. But I will have their toys, blankets and lots of biscuits, hopefully they will sleep on the way and Uncle Pervy (the Official Babysitter) will look after them, entertaining them if need be.

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Rivière du Loup, Province of Québec

The next day the trip from Rivière du Loup to Charlottetown will take about 7 hours. But I will have to stop more frequently perhaps for Nicky and Nora. However the TransCanada Highway is truly beautiful in the Kamouraska, Témiscouata, Madawaska region with its large forests and lakes.

So we are almost on our way, the weather is finely beautiful and Summer like.

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The road trip

17 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Acadians, Edmundston, Fredericton, Highway 20, Lévis, New Brunswick, PEI, Quebec, Temiscouata

I do not do road trips, since I do not enjoy driving that much outside the City. In the city we live near shops, so we can walk. In this case with the move I had to drive to Charlottetown from Ottawa, crossing several Canadian Provinces to get there. The road all along is the Trans-Canada Highway and is an easy drive with beautiful scenery. The highway from Rivière du Loup on the Saint Lawrence river which at that point is so broad that you cannot see the other side, to Edmundston in New Brunswick is really glorious passing by Lake Temiscouata. The highway which is only a few years old passes high on the ridge so you can admire the panorama. There is also a fence all along to prevent herds of Moose from  crossing  the road, special tunnels under the road allows them to move across in safety, warnings all along to watch out at night when this is likely to occur. You should dial 511 if you see a moose who has cross the fence or is on the road. These animals weight upwards of 3 tons, you do not want to hit one. This is an area sparsely populated and with few service stations, so fuel up and keep your tank full the next gas station could be 70 Km away. I never let the tank to go pass half full and was doing 6.5 Km per litre of gas.

Lake Temiscouata with Flagpole-L.jpg

We stopped in Edmundston on the way to Charlottetown. Ottawa-Edmundston is about 8 hours of driving, I was very tired but had a second driver with me, an old friend who also took the wheel. I discovered while stopping at a gas station to fuel up in New Brunswick that you can buy hard liquor, beer and wine, the last time I saw that was in Texas. In Quebec you can buy beer and wine, in Ontario it is simply not allowed to sell any alcoholic drinks.

Edmundston is on the border with Maine, the border is just across the river St-John. The area is called the Republic of Madawaska, the story is about complicated negotiations between the USA Government and the British Government about the exact border between the two countries which were established in the latter part of the 19th century. In the end the population led by an American by the name of Baker established in name this Republic.

Edmundston is a small town of 16,000 people with pulp and paper mill and lots of cross-border trade with the USA. We found a good pub and had a nice meal.  Edmundston is named after Governor General Edmund Walker Head who was the Head of the Royal Government in Canada prior to Confederation in 1867. The population is 95% French speaking Acadians.

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The ride to Charlottetown the next day to PEI is 5 hours, easy ride by-passing  Fredericton, the Capital of New Brunswick and then Moncton to the sea bridge to PEI. Once the bridge is crossed you are minutes away from Charlottetown.

I always have to remember once in Charlottetown to slow down to 30Km or less, you cannot drive fast because you will overshoot your destination easily, also pedestrians have priority always.

The ride back was uneventful, we drove to Lévis which is across the Saint-Lawrence from Quebec City. My ancestors settled there around 1662 in the St-Romuald area. Had not been there in many decades and was surprised to see how affluent and developed it has become, no longer a farming community.

The driving portion of the Trans-Canada Highway 20 between Drummondville and Montreal is unpleasant on week days because of all the big transport trucks, dozens of them in the right lane, you have to be vigilant. Lots of police patrol also to check on speeding.

All in all a good trip to open up the apartment and organize things. Oh, did I mention I manage to get invited to two cocktail parties while in Charlottetown, loads of fun.

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At the Art Gallery of the Confederation Centre of the Arts, late night party

 

 

 

 

 

The bridge

06 Friday May 2016

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

Canada., Confederation bridge, Jean M. Muller, PEI

The header photo is of the Confederation Bridge built in 1997 to connect the mainland of Canada to the Province of Prince Edward Island. It takes 10 minutes at a speed of no more than 60Km to cross over the sea Straits of Northumberland a distance of 12.5 Km. A marvel of 20th century engineering, designed by Jean M. Muller a French engineer. In this photo the view is of PEI as you drive from the mainland.

I will be crossing it on Wednesday 11 May.

Lights, Camera, Action: Oyster Fishing (1949)

06 Friday May 2016

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Seafood fishing off PEI in 1949. The narrator of those old Pathé films was Cyril Frederick (Bob) Danvers-Walker  from 1940-1970.  Prince Edward Island’s Malpeque Bay is one of the last remaining areas in the world where oysters continue to be harvested from wild beds by oyster gatherers, who are still called fishermen instead of farmers. Utilizing a long-standing technique that developed over a hundred years ago involving a small boat called a dory and giant wooden pincers called tongs, these oysters and the industry around them have survived great adversity to become some of the most popular in the world.

The oysters that live in Malpeque Bay have been important to the people of Prince Edward Island for thousands of years. From Mi’kmaq tribes and British settlers in need of food to the expansion of transportation that eventually transformed oyster fishing throughout the world into a multi-million dollar industry, the oysters of Malpeque have always been vital to the many different kinds of people who have made their homes there.

Professional fisherman on Malpeque Bay harvest oysters from 15-foot dories. The water is so clear, that through ten fee of water you can look straight down into nothing but piles of oysters. Fourteen-foot wooden tongs are used to fish a handful of oysters up out of the water at a time. No dredges are ever used, and no hand-collecting is done, either. Malpeque oysters are taken out of wild beds with giant wooden tongs. It’s been that way for over a hundred years, and it’s illegal to harvest them in any other way.

This post is brought to you by the famous PEI History guy, Isaac Stewart.

Isaac L. Stewart

G’day there!

Well, it’s been another busy week here in Broadford – so much so, in fact, that Friday has come out of nowhere and I’m coming to you entirely lacking in written material for this week’s offering. But it dawned on me this morning that if a picture is worth about a thousand words, what about a video? Does that equate to a hundred thousand? I think so, which is why this week I’m putting out a “sequel” to a post I made back in January (Lights, Camera, Action: The Cradle of Confederation (1925)).

Because really, who doesn’t like sequels?

So let’s all just sit back and put our feet up, pour some whiskey (if you have it), and enjoy this little 1949 gem from British Pathe which depicts the Island’s time-honoured tradition of oyster fishing.

See you next week!

Cheers,

PEI History Guy

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Sunday photos

01 Sunday May 2016

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Beach, Canada., Fish, fishing, PEI, Sun and Surf, Television

Well tomorrow the first cruise ship arrives in Charlottetown, Holland American has that honour, the fishing Season opened this week, the lobster fleet sailed out yesterday and the Striped Bass Season is also open but it is a catch and release exercise with only a few days when you can keep one fish. The trails have re-opened in the National Park in PEI and May is PEI National Bar-B-Q month, that I did not know but given that we celebrate Queen Victoria’s Birthday around 24 May no wonder, that is what you do no that day and fireworks too.

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Lobster boats in port

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Striped Bass, it’s a pretty big fish I am told. it is an endangered and vulnerable specie, Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, pimpfish, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous Perciforme fish of the Moronidae family found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America.

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My Summer at the Beach and I am looking forward to it

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A typical weather forecast in PEI’ism, this was this Winter, the expression dirt coming means either rain or snow fall.

Here is a line up of Television programming catering to Island taste, you may know some of these.

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Quality television.

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Another quality show, known to all.

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A classic!

Of course everyone of our visitors will get a special gift to wear as a souvenir of their visit to wonderful PEI.

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The total look!  Yes I know you all want one and we have one for each visitor. 

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