Prince Edward Distillery (A Rum Story)

Wow!!! what a great day, we started out this morning with our friends Carl and Jan. We headed out of Charlottetown at 10.30am. At Naufrage harbour we stopped for a wonderful lunch at the Shipwreck Point Cafe . I ordered my usual fish & chips plus Rhubarb/strawberry pie to round out the meal. Next it was off to Prince Edward Distillery for a tour and a sampling of their fine products. I have to tell you, it was like going back in time to my Navy days at Tot time (rum issue). You can see in the photos I was enlisted to remove the stopper from the rum barrel. Then with Carl’s help we poured the intoxicating dark liquid into a bucket for bottling. A person could get a buzz just from inhaling the fumes!!. After the tour we sampled the Potato Vodka, Blueberry Vodka and the newly released Gin. Also distilled at the plant are two very fine liquors, Rye and Rum. I highly recommend the rum, but of course I think I’m a somewhat expert in that field (or I used to be). Finally as we left and I thought things couldn’t get any better I received a big hug from the  Master Distiller.  I can’t say enough good things about the distillery or the tour, it is well worth a visit, even if you don’t drink. The distillery is located in an area of rich and beautiful scenery. Its off the usual tourist routes making it even more of an adventure. The two lovely Ladies that run the plant are really nice people who will make you feel right at home. Take a day and go enjoy yourself as we did, and learn a little about what happens on our island besides growing spuds!!!.
The distillery is located in Hermanville on Rte 16,  not too far from Souris. Take a minute to look up their web page at www.princeedwarddistillery.com
Cheers and keep reading.

Submarine Ojibwa Last Voyage

Ojibwa will become the centrepiece of the new Elgin Military Museum of Naval History to be built in Port Burwell, Ontario on the north shore of Lake Erie. “This is going to be a museum of national and international status, bringing Canada’s naval history to the centre of the country and making it easily accessible to a huge audience,” remarked Project Coordinator Dan McNeil, Rear Admiral Retired.

Bravo Zulu, great to see another piece of history saved.
Cheers and keep reading

Racism

Racism a terrible thing right!! but then again we Irish don’t really mind, we have always laughed at ourselves.
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Everyone seems to be in such a hurry to scream ‘racism’ these days.
A customer asked, “In what aisle could I find the Irish sausage?”
The clerk asks, “Are you Irish?”
The guy, clearly offended, says, “Yes I am.. But let me ask you something.
“If I had asked for Italian sausage, would you ask me if I was Italian?
Or if I had asked for German Bratwurst, would you ask me if I was German?
Or if I asked for a kosher hot dog would you ask me if I was Jewish?
Or if I had asked for a Taco, would you ask if I was Mexican?
Or if I asked for Polish sausage, would you ask if I was Polish?”
The clerk says, “No, I probably wouldn’t.”
The guy says, “Well then, because I asked for Irish sausage, why did you ask me if I’m Irish?”
The clerk replied, “Because you’re in Canadian Tire.
.

I recall the famous lines said by Charlie Brown “Why is everybody always picking on me” Racism a terrible thing right!! but then again we Irish don’t really mind, we have always laughed at ourselves.

Cheers and keep reading.

Volunteers for Literacy

I’m just home from my morning at the school, what a wonderful experience it is working with children. I have been a volunteer at Central Queens Elementary school for thirteen years and have yet to grow tried of going. Believe it or not I actually work in a closet, I call it my office and the kids get a Kick out of it. I’m often told, Mr Rodgers its not an office its a closet, I tell them I just allow the school super to keep her equipment there. I read with the grade ones and threes and always marvel at their eager participation.
Anyone looking for something worthwhile to do this is it. Sadly its almost over for this year, and I’ll miss the children as they move on. Next term I will start again with a new batch of kids and so the cycle continues. But truly I thoroughly enjoy my time with them and would not want to give it up.
Cheers and keep reading.

Queens Jubilee medal

This is an update on my earlier post about politicians receiving the medal ahead of service personnel and veterans. I received a reply from Wayne Easter my local MP, he is very much on the fence!. No word yet from the other three Island MP’s. I did receive a response from the PMO and I will paste it below. I have considered some people might think this is just sour grapes from those of us not getting the award. Its not, its about what is right, it took our previous governments some fifty years to recognize the Korean War Vets, it took even longer to recognize the veterans of the Merchant marine. Yet upon the announcement of the Queens Jubilee Medal, it took very little time to decide all Federal politicians should receive it. Its not about medals,its about doing what is right. Email is a great tool and should be used often, if a couple of hundred thousand people protested on this subject our government might be forced to listen???The response I I have posted on its own will have little effect, but imagine what thousands would do??

(Please be assured that your comments have been carefully reviewed. The responsibility for managing Canadian awards and decorations falls under the purview of the Chancellery of Honours at Government House. Accordingly, I have taken the liberty of forwarding your letter to that office for consideration.)

I seriously doubt my letter will have an impact, I will probably receive a polite reply, but nothing will change.
If politicians are to do our will we need to constantly remind them.
Cheers and keep reading

The Car Show

Sorry about the photo of the bus, I didn’t get any photos at the show, forgot my camera!!! I must have that memory loss thing,can’t remember what they call it!!. Anyway I decided not to post another photo of the Rover, you might be getting tired of seeing it. It was a good show with a surprising number of British cars in attendance. A very nice 1952 MG TD won best in class, there was a nice 1965 Mini Cooper, a beautiful 1960 Hillman Minx convertible, in my opinion it should have won best in class. Also a lovely 1964 Porsche. The organizers got their classes mixed up a bit, in the best antique class,1960-70 a Vauxhall Viva won, it was first described as a Volvo Viva!!!!no wonder it was in the wrong class. Still the show was great, weather perfect and the turn out was huge. Next show in West Point 10th June.
Cheers and keep reading.

The Sun is Shining!!!

Its a beautiful day for a car show, and my Rover is waiting in the driveway all smiles. In the photo the Lambretta is beside the car, but its long gone to Halifax. If I’d still had the scooter I might have talked Linda into riding it in to the show too. Probably just as well its gone, I didn’t really want to put Linda’s life in jeopardy!!! Should be a great show with lots of new vehicles to see. I’ll post a few photos in my next blog. In the meantime keep up the good fight against HST!!!!
Cheers and keep reading.

Car Show

The Rover peeps out from under her cover to see if the weather is suitable for a trip into town. Its cloudy and cold this morning, rain is in the forecast. That’s okay, I don’t mind today just as long as the sun shines tomorrow. Tomorrow is the first antique car show of the year. Its always an interesting show, we get to see the latest restorations on display. Also re-united with fellow car buffs. I find it strange, other than myself and the Rover almost no British cars turn out for this show. There are a lot of British cars on the island,so I wonder if they don’t wish to mix with the big Yank Tanks??? I say, rather odd old chaps!!!!!but I guess bowler hats don’t mix with baseball caps.
The show is at the Charlottetown Mall, noon to four pm, come one come all.
Cheers and keep reading.

First Class Travel

I believe an important issue was missed in this incident of First Class travel via Air India. Its not so much about the waste of tax payers money as about leadership. Robert Ghiz is a healthy young man and very capable of travelling in economy class on a long flight.
This is about his leadership, Alan Roach his Cabinet Minister and colleague and not forgetting a considerably older man, travelled economy while Ghiz sat in luxury. I assume he was travelling with other government staff and they too travelled economy. A good leader would not consider his own comfort over the comfort of his team. Regardless of his excuses, to ignore the members of his team and travel in luxury is extremely arrogant and very poor leadership. That poor leadership is reflected in how he leads his inept government . This young man should seek another career, he is not cut out to be a leader or a politician.
Cheers and keep reading.

Prelude to a Beautiful Day

Ebenezer at 6.15 am. on the 24th May 2012. A prelude to a beautiful day. It is indeed now a beautiful warm and sunny day. If we listen carefully we can almost hear the grass growing. It seems when we cut the grass the dandelions duck under the blades then pop back up after the mower has passed over??? Not a problem for me,I like the pretty little flowers,I don’t consider them weeds. Summertime is a wonderful time.
Cheers and keep reading.