Setting day in PEI is the day the lobster traps are set in the water for the opening of the Lobster season. Unfortunately due to poor weather and high winds, the opening day was set back from last Thursday to this coming Monday 3 May. This means that restaurants cannot offer Lobster until Monday night. It is a point of honour that though you could import lobsters from Nova Scotia which is just one hour away from us on the mainland, no self-respecting Islander would do that. Clients will automatically ask where did you get that lobster? For one, the taste is different, PEI lobsters come from the Gulf of St-Lawrence on our North Coast, whereas Nova Scotia lobsters come from either the Strait of Northumberland or the Atlantic ocean. Nova Scotia being a peninsula.
Last night Saturday, we did go to the opening night at the Water Prince restaurant, I had their seafood chowder and a pound of mussels, the mussels are fat at this time of the year and very good.
Later end of June we will have Strawberry Season, same story, people wait for PEI strawberries, though we get strawberries from the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia about 3 weeks before PEI strawberries are on the market, people prefer to wait.
Strawberries in PEI are very fragrant and have that beautiful perfume.
Well last week got my shot and never felt nor had any after effect to the Pfizer shot. In a month I should get my next shot, the Health Dept will call to schedule my appointment.
Can’t believe we are already in May, how time flies. However I also know that we have another 6 Months of Pandemic to go, given the set backs in other Canadian Provinces. Our Neighbour Nova Scotia is in a desperate situation with a small population and limited hospital care. The Police is still fining people who have big house parties, how can people be this selfish? Here in PEI we remain quiet and almost normal situation.
Our cleaning lady this week came to help with Spring Cleaning of the house, she told me that as a little girl, she lived on a farm on PEI. She only left the island for the first time when she was 21. Growing up she had no idea that beyond the water there was another world. Her known world was the Island. She is not alone with that experience, many Islanders had a very similar experience and even today despite the fact that travel is much more easy, people tend to cling to the Island and find leaving a daunting proposal.

It’s so hard for me to imagine staying in one place. Once, when we were visiting friends and family, we stopped at a cafe on our drive between Minnesota and South Dakota. The owner of the cafe was in her 40s and had never been to South Dakota — 6 miles away!
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I am the same, I cannot imagine never leaving this island and not travelling. But a lot of people seem to like it.
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Un autre 6 mois de pandémie? Pas si certain. L’ON, au milieu de son marasme covidien, vaccine au plus sacrant. On parle même de devancer la 2e dose pour les gens comme nous. Ce qui est enrageant, c’est de voir tous ces covidiots qui se croient invincibles, qui se foutent des règles sanitaires et organisent des manifs ici et là. Religion, conservatisme, egoïsme et ignorance sont les ingrédients d’un cocktail potentiellement explosif.
La chaudrée et les moules: un pur délice. Bon appétit!
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oui en effet un autre 6 mois au moins.
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I’ve lived in four states, five different cities. Florida has been home for 30 years but has never felt completely comfortable. Moving opened broader perspectives, but I envy those who have found their true place.
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I like ritual, so the notion of setting day appeals to me
Oh to have some PEI lobster again !
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Come and visit as soon as you can
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I do hope you have had your “fix” of fresh PEI lobster since you wrote this.
I love PEI but I love NS (and indeed NB) as well so I shall not enter the debate about who has the better product. All the seafood I had in the Maritimes was stunning
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as a military kid I can’t imagine living in one place like that. Although I have pretty much settled down here in West and love it here, but I could pack up and leave without a backward glance. Done it before. Wish I was there for the lobster..one of my favorite things to eat.
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