Fox Hunt 2012 at Smith Farm

     We held the second annual Fox Hunt 9aka drag-hunt) at our farm again this year - here's a photo.  There were no animals harmed in this event - the trail was laid down by towing a scent-rag by all-terain vehicle.

     There was also a photo on the front page of today's Guardian Newspaper of the horses and hounds out on the trail.  See their website: www.theguardian.pe.ca

Am off to Green Gables House today

     I will be working parttime at Green Gables House in Cavendish the next couple of weeks to help with tours doing animations.
     I've been helping with off-season tours of the Green Gables house through Parks and People for the past 25 years and always enjoy telling the story of the house, LM Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables - the reaction of visitors is sometimes overwhelming as you see them enter the house and see them realizing their dream.
     Below is a link to Green Gables House from the Prince Edward Island government website: http://www.gov.pe.ca/greengables/

See also Green Gables Website: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/pe/greengables/visit.aspx

Lavender

     I came across this poem the other day in the GRACE Magazine, Summer 2012 issue (published in ChristChurch, Dorset, England)  www.gracepublishing.net

Lavender, sweet lavender;

Come and buy my lavender,

Hide it in your trousseau, lady fair.

Let its lovely fragrance flow

Over you from head to toe,

Lightening your eyes, your cheek, your hair...

by Cumberland Clark, Flower Song Book 1929

The Above image comes from...

http://www.nishanil-nishanil.blogspot.ca/2012_05_01_archive.html

Update

     It's been a great summer at our Cavendish motel.  A few of the big groups we hosted this summer were: Atlantic Canada Students - 2nd Annual Sears Drama Festival; guests to the Country Music Festival; soccer teams for big soccer tournament in Hunter River; a walking group from Nova Scotia - along with all the wonderful people we had come stay with us from the Maritimes, central and western Canada and folks from all around the world.  Here's the motel below... http://bayvista.ca/

     The motel will soon be closing soon for the season and I'll be going back home to Pleasant Valley and getting back in to my old routines, ie. costuming, getting ready for winter, parttime at Marks, etc., etc.

* * * * * * *  * * * * * * * * * *

     In the summer of 2014 Prince Edward Island will be celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference where the idea of Canada was born.  Check out the website. http://www.pei2014.com/joinus
     Below are photos of me from the 125th Anniversary year of celebrations.  I portrayed the youngest Father of Confederation, Andrew A. MacDonald from Georgetown.  That summer I had a small part at the end of a play about Confederation at the Confederation Center of the Arts - at the end of the performance we rose up from the orchestra pit, the Fathers of Confederation were sitting around a conference table -  it was a wonderful experience.

Cook's Outfit for Beaconsfield House

     We've been working on a couple of Cook's Outfits for one of the vignettes they will be doing at historic Beaconsfield House in Charlottetown this summer.  The outfit includes a blouse, skirt and two aprons.  We will be doing a fitting early next week.

     This white apron would be worn when serving in the Dining Room and at formal occasions.

     The darker, stripped apron would be worn in the Kitchen when the Cook is doing heavier and messier jobs. 

For more information about 1877 Beaconsfield:

http://www.gov.pe.ca/peimhf/index.php3?number=1015691&lang=E

The following photos are from Google Images of Beaconsfield

 For more information about the history of Beaconsfield, see:

http://www.city.charlottetown.pe.ca/searchaproperty.php?propid=1935

Arnold receives Lt. Governor's Award at TIAPEI Awards Gala

     Hey, Carter here, once in a while I help Arnold with his blog! 
     I'd like to tell that Arnold Smith  received the Lieutenant Governor's Award for excellence in Tourism from the Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I. (TIAPEI) last evening at their Annual Awards Gala.  His award was the last to be presented (the best for last) and following a slide show telling of his accolades, he accepted the award from the Lt. Governor Frank Lewis to a standing ovation.
     In true Arnold form, he flew off to Ottawa this afternoon to represent Prince Edward Island along with a few other Islanders at the Annual Tourism Trade Show.  As an Island friend living in Ottawa always says about Arnold at the Trade show, "he's the hardest working man at the trade show."
     Congratulation on your Award Arnold.  On the Guardian's website today is the following article: http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Business/2012-03-08/article-2920250/TIAPEI-Awards-go-to-12-operators/1

TIAPEI Awards go to 12 operators

     Arnold Smith, left, of Bay Vista Motel and Cottages receives the Lt. Gov. award from the Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I. represented by Don Cudmore, executive director and Elaine Thomson, president. The award was presented during the associaiton's annual awards gala dinner at the Delta Prince Edward.

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     Andrews Hockey Growth Programs received the 2012 Premier’s Award for Tourism in recognition of its long-standing contribution to the industry by attracting thousands of hockey players to the province each year.  Andrews Hockey Growth accepted the award at the 31st annual Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I. Conference and Awards gala Wednesday night in Charlottetown.

     The evening saw 12 awards presented as the tourism industry celebrated the achievements of its members.

     The Premier’s Award is presented annually to an operator or business that has moved the industry forward and inspired others to do the same.

      Previous award winners include the Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival, Cows Ice Cream and the New Glasgow Lobster Suppers.

       “The tourism industry on Prince Edward Island encompasses a huge variety of businesses that work to build a stronger Island economy and create jobs for Islanders,” said Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Henderson.

      “Andrews Hockey is a respected institution across North America and has experienced incredible growth over the past 33 years.”

       Parks Canada presented the 2012 Sustainable Tourism Award to David and Michelle Thompson, operators of Dalvay-by-the-Sea Hotel from 1976 to 2010.

      The Thompsons were leaders in the tourism industry and won several awards for the high-end resort hotel and dining facilities.  The Thompsons encouraged appreciation and respect for the heritage of Dalvay-by-the-Sea National Historic Site by sharing its story with visitors through personal guided tours that described all aspects of the workmanship of the building and its colourful past.

      The final presentation of the evening was the Lieutenant Governor’s Award to Arnold Smith, Bay Vista Motel & Cottages.

 Below are a few photos I took last evening.

 Above: Arnold receiving award from Hon. Frank Lewis.

Above: Arnold with his sister Vivian and her husband Fulton Younker (co-owers of the Bay Vista Motel & Cottage www.bayvista.ca )

 

 Above:  The end of the slide show about Arnold - I supplied the photo.
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Photo below: Donna Williams (potato fudge maker) and Arnold at 2011 Tourism Trade Show in Ottawa.

Flat irons

     Below is a photo of my kitchen stove where I have two flat irons - they're for decoration and not for daily use.  I often marvel at the strength the house wife in the old days as she had to lift heavy cast iron pots, kettles and irons.

Below is a small Hand Iron. 

Below is a 20-pound Taylor's Iron with a twisted iron handle - heavy weight!!

Below is more information about IRONS from:
http://www.oldandinteresting.com/antique-irons-smoothers-mangles.aspx

Flat irons, sad irons

     Black smiths started forging simple flat irons in the late Middle Ages. Plain metal irons were heated by a fire or on a stove.  Earthenware and terracotta were also used, from the Middle East to France and the Netherlands.
     Flat irons were also called sad irons or smoothing irons.  Metal handles had to be gripped in a pad or thick rag.  Some irons had cool wooden handles and in 1870 a detachable handle was patented in the US.  This stayed cool while the metal bases were heated and the idea was widely imitated.  Cool handles stayed even cooler in "asbestos sad irons".   The sad is sad iron (or sadiron) is an old word for solid, and in some contexts this name suggests something bigger and heavier than a flat iron.  Goose or tailor"s goose was another iron name, and this came from the goose-neck curve in some handles.  In Scotland people spoke or gusing (goosing) irons.
     You'd need at least two irons on the go together for an effective system: one in use, and one re-heating.  Large households with servants had a special ironing-stove for this purpose.  Some were fitted with slots for several irons, and a water-jug on top.
     At home, ironing traditional fabrics without the benefit of electricity was a hot, arduous job.  Irons had to be kept immaculately clean, sand-papered and polished.  They must be kept away from burning fuel, and he regularly but lightly greased to avoid rusting.  Beeswax prevented irons sticking to starched cloth.  Constant care was needed over temperature.  Experience would help decide when the iron was hot enough, but not so hot that it would scorch the cloth.  A well-known test was spitting on the hot metal, but Charles Dickens described someone with a more genteel technique in The Old Curiosity Shop.  She held "the iron at an alarmingly short distance from her cheek, to test its temperature...."

Morss & Whyte 1881 Cast Iron Dress Form Umbrella Mannequin

     I bought this vintage dress form in Charlottetown a few weeks ago.  It's suppose to have come from a general merchant's store in Georgetown, Prince Edward Island.

At the base on the leg has the following information -

Morss & Whyte 75 Cornhill Boston Pat. Oct. 12 1880

Here's about the only thing I could find out about my dress form:

http://www.shabbytownusa.com/cart/BigPicture.asp?catalogid=4195

OMG OLD 1880 STORE WIRE SKIRT DISPLAY DRESS FORM~STAND

     WHAT AN INCREDIBLE FIND THIS IS. THIS IS AN OLD DATED 1880 AND 1881 STORE OR DRESSMAKERS ANTIQUE WIRE DRESS FORM OR HOOP FORM ON STAND THAT IS METAL AND WIRE. This is such a rare find and only the second one that I have ever seen in person. This is an old store or dressmakers skirt form or skirt hoop display form. This is older and of very good quality. The skirt form is wire or metal and adjustable at the waist and hips and also in height. At the waist and hips is a measuring tape that was used for the sizes. There are parts of this tape, as I show, but there are some missing pieces of the measuring tape and some tears and discoloration. I've taken a few pictures to show you a little of how it adjusts, but I'm not exactly sure how it was suppose to go. At a dressmakers shop, the tailor or seamstress would pin the fabric to the form while making the skirt. In a General store, it was used to display a skirt or hoop.The metal stand or base has three legs or feet which are cast iron and come apart, as I show, for easy shipping to you. All three of the feet have writting on both sides which say MFD BY MORSS & WHYTE, PAT. OCT. 12, 1880, PAT. JULY 5, 1881, 75 CORNHILL, BOSTON, USA. It is all the original paint, which now has rusty, worn paint and chippy. This has an incredible look and would make such a unique statement in any home or shop. Perfect in any shabby chic, romantic cottage, Romantic Country, Primitive or Garden Room decor. Measures up to about 47" tall The base is about 17" by 17". The top of the waist opens to about 15" wide and the middle to about 17" wide. This is the side to side measurements.



Mill Ads - The Islander newspaper, Sept. 16, 1864

     My friend Carter posted this information on his Blog (www.peiheritagebuildings.blogspot.com) and offered it to me to publish in this Blog - here it is...
     When reading through the newspaper pages there's interesting information which tell a lot about the importance of the local mill and who their agents were. Here are the details of the newspaper, etc...

THE ISLANDER, Or Prince Edward Island Weekly Intelligence and Advertiser,

Vol. XXII, Charlottetown, Friday, September 16, 1864. No. 1126

 Carter transcribed the ads for easier reading...

     Below is an image from page 129 of Meacham's 1880 Atlas of Prince Edward Island. The world famous Stanfield's Underwear had it's beginnings here on Prince Edward Island at this mill in Tryon.

     For more information about Stanfields go to: http://www.stanfields.com/ . The following is from their website:

     Charles E. Stanfield had no idea when he immigrated to Canada in 1855 that he would found the firm that is a leader in its field today. Charles, along with his brother-in-law, Samuel E. Dawson, founded the Tryon Woolen Mills in Tryon, P.E.I. in 1856. Ten years later he sold his interests to Samuel and moved to Nova Scotia where he founded the Truro Woolen Mills in 1870. It was believed to be the first factory of its kind in Canada.

Portrayal of Alexander McDonald, Dalvay-by-the-Sea 100th Anniversary - 1999

     In the fall of 1999 I portrayed Alexander McDonald, builder of Dalvay-by-the-Sea, at a special event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the building of this magnificent summer home on Prince Edward Island's north shore. 
     Below:  here I am in costume beside one of the grand fireplaces in the large sitting room off the main entrance.

Photo by Carter Jeffery

Fore more information about Dalvay-by-the-Sea refer to their website:

http://www.dalvaybythesea.com/history-of-dalvay

Above/Below: photos at Dalvay - note the clothing (cf. website above)

Below image from: http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=1859

     We were fortunate to be at a special event at Dalvay-by-the-Sea when Prince William and Kate visited in July 2011.  Below are photos taken by Carter Jeffery at at Dalvay.