I hate to even say this, as we heard Fort St. John had snow on May 18th, but we are in Prince Edward Island, enjoying the 25 degree sun and red sand beaches all around us. PEI is as beautiful as Lucy Maud Montgomery so eloquently and gallantly makes it out to be. Her birthplace is as quaint and picturesque as the farm from which she portrays Anne of Green Gables to be from. LM Montgomery went to live with her grandparents at the age of 21 months after her mother's death. It is easy to see how the eccentric Anne flourished, knowing just a little bit more about her author. It's a magical story on a magical island and I can picture it all as though it were true.

But there is more to Prince Edward Island than Anne! The locals are ever so friendly, and really into mowing grass... they have the largest lawns I've ever seen. Everywhere is lush and green the row crops are sprouting 5 inches already and the deep red soil that it all grows in makes a beautiful contrast. (Montgomery describes her island, the earth, farmland, and sea as that of "ruby, emerald, and sapphire.") There's village after village over rolling hills and little vales and all along the ocean's edge.

We even drove past the highest point on the island today! It was all of 142 meters (not quite 500 ft). It takes only half an hour to cross the island from north to south, and possibly three whole hours from east to west, so as long as you don't get voted off the island, nothing is really very far away. Tim is loving the rich country atmosphere and little farms everywhere. In fact, in honor of the PEI potato farmer, we have decided to celebrate as many meals as possible with some form of potato product. Unfortunately, (depending on how you look at the situation), we have discovered chocolate covered potato chips! Seriously, these guys know potatoes! It's such a clever way to market vegetables.

We have also discovered Cows Ice Cream... thanks to Viki. That too is a marketing marvel (the homemade double chocolate cheesecake was the best). We have also enjoyed the local seafood and although I have not yet tasted for myself, the Prince Edward Distillery produces Canada's first and only vodka distilled from potatoes...

"There is so much in the world for us all if we only have the eyes to see it, and the heart to love it, and the hand to gather it to ourselves--so much in men and women, so much in art and literature, so much everywhere in which to delight, and for which to be thankful."
L.M. Montgomery