End of Summer?

Tags

Art Gallery, Charlottetown, Gold Cup, muffins, Parade, PEI, Summer, Water Street

Officially Summer ends on 21 September but schools and Universities re-open next week and so with the Gold cup and Saucer Harness Race, the Season ends here in PEI. Much of the Summer theatre ends this weekend and the restaurants and other venues will be much more quiet, which to me is a blessing.

We had a lovely parade today from 10:00am to Noon time, 50 floats and marching bands. I have discovered that on bagpipes you can play 3 tunes and they are always the same. We have quite a few Islanders whose ancestors came from Old Scotland, so you can imagine bagpipes and tartans are all the rage. We also have the PEI Regiment and the Canadian Royal Navy and many Service Clubs participating and the RCMP were there also. It was a lot of fun, our friend Pico made wonderful muffins and I went to watch the parade from the house of our friend DS who lives just a few doors down from us. The weather was perfect, beautiful sunshine and a lite breeze.

Then I had museum duty and it has been a very busy season for me, on any given day at the Art Gallery I have about 40 to 60 visitors wanting to know about this or that painting or installation. In one gallery is the portraits of Robert Harris (1849-1919) in another I have prints by Landon Mackenzie, her 1975-2015 period, she gave a talk yesterday and I was able to speak with her afterwards and it was very helpful. We then have this installation by Graeme Patterson called the Silent Citadel, a lot of people love it, exploring the theme of friendship and solitude.

Graeme Patterson, Silent Citadel

Robert Harris, Bessie in her wedding gown, 1885. Bessie Putnam was his wife.

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Landon Mackenzie speaking with a group of visitors.

And now for photos of the Gold Cup and Saucer Parade 2016, 155 edition

Muffins made by Pico with blueberries and strawberries from his garden. The flowers are also freshly cut. 

Water street before the parade around 9:30am.

The RCMP on parade, they are the Police force of the Island.

The First Nation Mi’kmaq, they had a powwow in the park next to our place, drums and chanting for 2 days an free lobster dinner for anyone coming. Pretty nice.

Colonel Gray Marching band, named after John Hamilton Gray, Premier of PEI 1864. Pretty good musicians and great costumes.

a hunk in the parade because you need one.

The piping school band, yes you can take courses to learn to play the bagpipes. But as the old saying goes, a gentleman knows how but abstain from playing.

Canadian Sailors

Charlottetown Police and Fire Service our taxes at work.

The Grand Marshall, Anne Shirley, (of Green Gables), who said she was fictional.

In all 50 floats and 5 bands, lots of fun and all the neighbours were out, so we all had a chat.