Trailer Park Girls (and one boy)

We played hookie last week.  After a busy weekend, we ditched school, loaded up our car, tent trailer, two dogs, and kids and headed East to Quebec.  I had visions of camping in the beautiful provincial parks of Quebec from Montreal to La Malbaie.  But alas, my dreams were dashed as Quebec does not allow dogs in their provincial parks.  So we got stuck in trailer parks surrounded by large RV’s, cookie cutter mobile homes, and the occasional sketchy neighbour.

Luckily there is a trailer park by every tourist destination.  Provincial parks are not always as accommodating as their inbred cousin.  We explored Montreal, Quebec City, Trois Rivieres, and La Malbaie before heading back home.  We ate fabulous cheese, learned some forgotten history, saw numerous waterfalls, and were generally freezing cold every night.  Our last night in Quebec, the temperature dipped down to -3 degrees Celsius.  Turns out there is a reason the trailer parks are empty in September.  I hope we will remember that next year.

I spoke French with abandon every day, and loved it.  I lived in Montreal for 7 years in my twenties and barely spoke French.  I spent 12 years of my youth in French Immersion at school.  I was too shy and self conscious about making a mistake back then.  There is no accessible French Immersion here for my kids and it breaks my heart every day.  I know there are worst tragedies in the world, but this is my educational tragedy.  I’m trying to convince the school board to start a extended French program in the County, but I have been told it’ll be a long and perhaps useless fight.  I’m happy to continue to fight for it, but in the meantime we have Quebec.  It is only a 3 hour drive and I plan to go often with my kids.

We had some very exciting news tonight.  We reached capacity!  We got our first 12 eggs from our chickens.  For weeks we have been getting only 10 eggs a day.  My kids were convinced we had two roosters.  Now what the heck am I going to do with a dozen eggs a day?  In the spring, we are going to raise meat chickens as they are tasty little fellows.  That way I can eat chicken quiche every day for the rest of my life, until I happily turn into the Chicken Lady.

Let us not forget our super duper Doug Paisley show tomorrow night at 7pm!  We can’t wait.  If you are around town, come on over!

Saturday Morning

Well we woke up to a whole lot of hubbub this morning as it was the day of the Milford Fair.   The Milford Fair began in 1946 and the parade has always started at our property.  So this morning our field was filled with horses, clowns, floats,  fire trucks, horse and carriages, tractors, musicians, air cadets, bagpipers, antique cars and general good times.

The downside was the rain, but that didn’t stop the fair.  Some of the good times simply spilled into our house.  I found these guys in our gym, and this tomfoolery  in our hallway.  We keep getting thanked for hosting the parade but we genuinely love it.

Jess and the girls rode our very own float to the fair in the parade.  We entered both our dogs in the dog show convinced  one of them would win this year.  I only got Little Elsa to kick some dog butt in the dog show.  But alas, the show was cancelled due to the rain.  We filled our time at the petting zoo, drinking milkshakes, socializing with neighbours and friends, and perusing the giant vegetables.  I won second place in the frying pan tossing contest, and received a prize of $5 which I promptly invested in more milkshakes.  If you have not had a freshly made milkshake from the 4-H club trailer in Prince Edward County, I am not sure you have truly lived your life to the fullest.  We also won first place in the family float contest.  I’m not going to let the fact that we were the only entry in that category to take away from our win.

We still have the Sandbanks New Wave Festival to attend this evening, so it will be a fun filled day.  The sun is starting to peak out so it may be the right time to head for the beach and listen to some tunes.

Doug Paisley is Coming!

We are so excited that Doug Paisley is coming to play at our house on Wednesday September 24th at 7pm.  If you are unfamiliar with Doug Paisley’s music you can check out his interview on Q with Jian Ghomeshi right here.

The show is starting a wee bit earlier this month since it’s colder and my little ones and maybe your little ones have school the next day.  So come for a 7pm showtime, and have a fabulous time with me, and Doug, and the rest of the gang!

See you here or be square!  Well, that line almost works.  Be here, or eat some deer.  Be here, and drink a kir.  Be here, or hug a queer.  Either way, just come to the show and have a great time.

Goings On

I had the privilege of working in my friend Sas’ flower farm for a few hours yesterday.  She runs a business called Floralora.  She makes beautiful floral arrangements, and has impeccable taste.  I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed with my ongoing projects as of late so it was simply lovely to put every thing aside and immerse myself in the beauty and bounty of so many flowers.  I love what Sas is doing and I hope to help out more often in the last few weeks of the season.  If you need a little flower love in your life you can find Floralora at the Dufferin Grove Market every Thursday and at the Toronto Flower Market once a month, or order a flower subscription at Floralora.

Although I had seen Sas around town, I was initially drawn to her after I read her first post on her blog.  I feel an instant connection to people who have lost their mothers, especially when it is due to cancer.  There is a pain that only someone who has experienced it can understand.

In canning news, I have to add a serious shout out to Vickie and Tim from Vickies Veggies.  They have generously given me an enormous amount of heirloom tomatoes.  I have been canning my little heart out, and am currently out of space on my canning shelf.  I do realize that space should not be a complaint in my current abode.  To be more precise, it is a organizational issue.  Turns out I am a slob at heart.

In non canning news, Reya and I had a real treat on Tuesday night.  We were invited to the new Drake Devonshire for a complimentary dinner and over night stay.  Let me tell you, it was fabulous!  All this week they are having a dry run to get all the kinks out before their grand opening on September 15th.  I took a million photos of our mom and daughter night out but have been sworn to secrecy until after the 15th.  We are going back again tonight for their community pig roast.  Nothing like eating some pig on the shores of Lake Ontario.  There is some good living in Prince Edward County.

Look, We Are Famous!

We had a local reporter come to our Hootenanny show back in August.  She returned with her husband to do an article for their paper, The Wellington Times, about Jesse and me, and why we bought our school and moved to Milford.

Now that we are famous, I won’t think less of you if you’d like my autograph.