What I Did on My Summer Vacation by Liam

We tooks a break from gility and hoophoop classes for da summer. We went on a long camping trip to some place called Prince Edward Island. I don't know what an island is but we gots to go wading and sawed some horses. When we gots back from da camping trip, Mum and me did some hoophoop training and she made some videos of me and her doing hoophoops. Mum sent our videos to be judged and I gots a medal for how good I did! Mum did good too.

Mum went away and left us at home with Aunt Maureen and Uncle Steve. Mum went to some place called France. She'll tell you's all more about dat adventure later. A few days after she got home, we went to Guides Canins for a hoophoop trial. I gots my Beginner Hoop Dog title, that was the last Beginner title I needed for da Beginner Collective title. I'se now in Novice in all da hoophoop games. 

We also joined a bunch of other Shelties in an agility league called the K9 Kup. We only gots to go to two out of the four matches. Our Sheltie team was called da Barky Bunch. We was at the last match just this past weekend. I didn't do so well but our team did. Us Shelties won First Place overall!

Mum and I are back at hoophoop classes; we'll start gility classes later. Mum didn't want to pay for da classes as we was going to  miss some. We has another gility trial dis Saturday and we's going to have some fessional photos done da next weekend.

So dats' what I did on my summer vacation!

Catching Up!

Boy, it's been quite a while since I last posted. I won't go into to all the details but  mostly I've been away camping. This summer's big trip was to Prince Edward Island on Canada's East Coast. The last time I was to PEI was in 2019 for the Arsenault Reunion. That trip, as they say on PEI, was mostly"up West". If you look at how the Island sits in the Northumberland Strait, it's sort of on an east west axis. This trip we were "out East", staying at Brudenell Provincial Park. But I'm getting ahead of myself. 

Our first trip was to Emily Provincial Park here in Ontario. Just a shakeout trip before we took the long drive to the Maritimes. It was a longer drive than I thought but that probably was a good thing as our trip down east would involve some long driving days. While in Emily, we went to a small historical village and a dog friendly brewery in Bobcaygeon. 

Our trip down east involved three one night stops, one in Quebec and two in New Brunswick before we arrived in Shediac where we would stay 4 nights. I said we had long driving days, I'm not sure everyone would agree, we didn't have to leave really early and we arrived well before supper time but for me if the drive is longer than 4 hours, it seems long. After all by the time you include gas stops and rest stops, it makes for six hours or more in the car.

We stayed again at Parlee Beach in Shediac. I booked the tent site next to our RV sites and brought extra camping equipment so my brother could join us. Another of our sisters has a seasonal site in Caissie Cape about half an hour away.  We went up there for lunch one day where we were able to meet our newest great niece and have lunch with cousins that we hadn't seen in a few years. We also went to a dog friendly pub called the Thirsty Whippet.

The next stop was Brudenell Provincial Park on Prince Edward Island. We would stay here for a week. The sister who has the seasonal site, had booked two nights there over Canada Day, so we decided to have a Canada Day Party. We also have a sister who lives on PEI she, two of her children and their children were to join us for a Canada Day BBQ picnic. Little did we know though, that a plan had been made to have our remaining sister fly out from Alberta to PEI to be with us for Canada Day. When we went into Milton Station where the PEI sister lives to have dinner one night and to do laundry; she welcomed us in but kept saying they had company and to come see. So we went out to the back deck and there was our sister from Alberta. That was quite a surprise as I had not expected to see her until our trip to France later this summer. While in PEI, we also took some nice drives, visited some breweries and a cidery. The dogs got to go wading in the Brudenell River and see some horses.

Double Hill Cidery

After a week in Brudenell which passed by rather quickly, it was time to head home. We went for two nights to Kouchibouguac National Park. It was the first time I'd actually camped there, we used to go to the beach there when I was a kid.  The dogs got to go swimming at Callender's Beach as it's the dog friendly beach, where we used to go, Kelly's Beach, isn't dog friendly.

The next stop was back to Mactaquac Provincial Park where we had stayed one night on the way down. We stayed 3 nights this time so I could have a chance to get together with friends in the area. Teddy got to go wading in the Saint John River and we found some painted rocks.

Mactaquac Provincial Park

Our second last stop was at Parc de la Republique for 2 nights, again we had stayed one night here on the way down. We went to another dog friendly brewery that was located on a golf course that wasn't dog friendly, figure that, so we had to check if dogs really were allowed.

Parc de la Republique

The last stop of the trip and where we had started the journey was at Camping des Voltigeurs near Drummondville, Quebec. Both stops were just for the night. My drive home was easier than the drive there as I didn't let the GPS take me through the city of Montreal.

Camping des Voltigeurs

Now, I've been home for a little over a week. The trailer is back at the storage location but I do have another camping trip booked for Sep, just a short one closer to home.

Planning Ahead!

Well, it's that time of year, while the weather certainly doesn't look like Summer, or even Spring for that matter, we are planning ahead. Ontario provincial parks are open for reservations, although you can only book 5 months in advance, so you can't book for the whole summer yet. Quebec and New Brunswick Provincial park reservation systems are open too. This year we decided to travel down east to Prince Edward Island but the reservation system for the provincial parks there doesn't open until 15 Apr. That's unusual as the National park is open for reservations and so are the commercial campgrounds.

We went ahead and booked a shake out trip here in Ontario for early June. We would have gone the first week but I have a doctor's appointment and there's an agility trial I'd like to do with Liam. Then we decided on the dates in Shediac, NB so we could get the two sites we had last time. They're shaded and near the bathrooms and then we worked our way backwards to select sites at the other campgrounds.  We now have booked three one-night stands in Quebec and NB before a four night stay in Shediac, NB. Our brother lives close to there so we might have him out to camp with us, the site next to ours is a tent site and I could bring extra equipment with me if he wants to come out. Now we just have to wait for the reservations to open for the Prince Edward Island parks and hope that's it's first come, first served. We have two provincial parks picked out and a number of sites in each park so hopefully we'll get something. If not, we have another sister who lives on PEI, her driveway could become our camping location; that's what I did when I went over for the Arsenault family reunion. 

But if that's not planning ahead, another sister and I, who are going on a river cruise in France this summer with a pre and post cruise stay in Paris, put a deposit on a trip to Portugal and Spain for Sep 2027. That's so far in advance that all the company can guarantee for the type of room is double or single. We prefer a twin. But by putting the deposit down now it does fix the price. We had planned on Egypt but with what is going on in the Middle East right now it might be better to wait. I guess we could look ahead to 2028!

Canada Day Eh!

We had a Canada Day Potluck dinner on our crescent yesterday.  We have a number of events during the year on our crescent; it's a great little street.  This is the longest I've lived anywhere in my life. There's a new crop of kids on the street now. The people who were children or young teens when I moved in are now grown adults, married and moving into their own homes. Even the little ones in this picture have grown up so fast, seems like they were all babies just last year.

We had a wonderful potluck. Some of my neighbours are great cooks, we had ribs, wings, pulled pork, burgers, hot dogs and all the fixings. Me, I'm not so much of a chef so I made a dill potato salad and brought potato chips. The socializing started around 5pm although my neighbour started smoking the ribs around 1pm; they sure smelled good. We ate at about 6pm. 

It had been threatening to rain all day but it was supposed to clear in the afternoon so we all thought the weather had missed us; we were wrong! Luckily it happened after we had finished eating and had put most of the food away. I had just got Liam out so he could meet a neighbour's dog, then this happened...

The kids certainly enjoyed it. Most everyone got soaked and had to go home to change but the party wasn't over. 

Most everyone on the crescent, at least on our half, chips into buy fireworks and around 9:30 pm we head to the end of the street. The guys set up for the fireworks display in the park across the road. One of my neighbours said when they started doing fireworks, they were the only group that did them in Barrington Park. Last night, there were three groups in the park setting fireworks off and another group probably at the next park as we could see their fireworks over the library roof. This was actually the first year, I've gone down to see the fireworks; in past years I've just watched from my bedroom window or tried to keep the dogs calm. 

Video of the

Smithers Crescent Fireworks

The fireworks display went on for about an hour. The guys didn't rush it but tried alternating with the other groups setting them off in the park.

When I got home, Teddy and Liam both seemed to be quite relaxed. Maybe without me there to try and calm them they just settled down somewhere to wait out the noise.  

Teddy and Liam want to wish everyone a very Happy Canada Day eh! But they're really happy those fireworks only happen a few times a year.

East Coast RPod Adventure

This summer's big camping trip was a month-long journey to Nova Scotia and back. We started out on 10 Jun and arrived back home on 12 Jul, staying at 4 commercial campgrounds and nine provincial parks.  We added a one-night stop at one of the St Lawrence parks to make the drive to Levis, Qc just a bit shorter. I arrived at Glengarry before my sister and brother-in-law, so I tried to back in my trailer onto the site. Do you think I could get it straight? No, I couldn't so I decided to park it across the site which lined it up better for the electrical outlet anyway.  

Glengarry Campground

We were off to Levis, Qc the next day for a two night stay so we could go over to Old Quebec City. We camped at a campground called Camping Transit.  From Levis, you can take a ferry over to Old Quebec and the ferry is dog friendly.

Camping Transit

Old Quebec

We spent a nice afternoon walking around the lower part of Old Quebec having a few drinks and snacks. There is a funiculaire up to the top that is dog friendly but we decided that it costed to much to make it worthwhile going up.

Next stop was a one night stop in Edmundston, NB at the Republique Provincial Park. If you ever go here, there's botanical garden next door that is really quite nice. The next stop was Mactaquac Provincial Park, near Fredericton, NB. We stayed here three nights so we could replenish our groceries and so I could have a chance to visit some friends. Mactaquac PP has a golf course with a restaurant, as it was calling for rain the night we arrived we took advantage of the restaurant.

Republique Provincial Park

Mactaquac Provincial Park

Ribs for dinner

Our next and last stop in New Brunswick on the journey to Nova Scotia was at New River Beach. While the rest of the province was in a heat wave, we were in a misty cold area but subject to the provincial fire ban.

New River Beach

While at New River Beach, we went to St Andrews By the Sea. We walked around the town a bit, went to a dog friendly brewery and restaurant. We also walked one of the trails in the park. And the fire ban did get lifted while we were there so we did have a campfire at least some of the time.

The next stop was one night at Five Islands Provincial Park in Nova Scotia, then it was on to Valleyview Provincial Park. 

Sunset at Five Islands

Five Islands Provincial Park

Five Islands Campsite

In Valleyview, our nephew joined us and we visited Fort Anne and a cousin who is posted to the military base in Greenwood.

Valleyview Provincial Park

In Valleyview, we again had a fire ban but were able to use the fire bowl I had purchased just before the trip. We found another very dog friendly brewery in Annapolis Royal. Dogs weren't just allowed on the patio but inside the brewery too. 

Fort Anne National Historic Site

Annapolis Brewing Company

The next stop was Digby, Nova Scotia, our principal destination. We wanted to see the sites , of course, but the main reason for going here was to visit with our mother's youngest brother and his family. We stayed at the Digby Campground, a commercial campground right in town and very close to where our uncle lives. He surprised us by walking down after he saw our posts on FaceBook. While in Digby we enjoyed fresh seafood meals including a great scallop supper with our aunt and uncle, walked around Digby, went to the Admiral Digby Museum, drove out Bear River, NS, took a drive out to the Point Prim lighthouse and the various locations celebrating Maude Lewis.

Communal campfire pit

Maud Lewis grave

Bear River Winery

Lazy Bear Brewery

Admiral Digby Museum

Digby Harbour

Haddock, Scallops and chips

Point Prim Lighthouse

Maud Lewis Replica House

After Digby, we were off to Elm River campground then to Amherst Shore Provincial Park. We had a nice evening at Elm River but had rain most of the next morning so we opted to go to the Masstown Market for breakfast. While we were there we ran into our sister and her husband from PEI, who were just heading home from a trip to Halifax, NS. 

Elm River Campsite

Elm River

While at Amherst Shore, we visited Pugwash and the Thinker's Lodge. The Thinker's Lodge wasn't open so we were only able to view it from the outside. I also got to take the dogs to the beach. Not the beach in our park as it was a one kilometer walk to get there but one just down the highway.  

Amherst Shores

Jost Winery

Thinker's Lodge

Then it was back to New Brunswick and Parlee Beach Provincial Park in Shediac.  Another sister and her husband were camping fairly close by in Caisse Cape so we were able to see them and their grandsons while we were in Shediac as well we visited with our brother who lives in Moncton.

Parlee Beach Provincial Park

The Big Lobster, Shediac, NB

Visiting my parents grave site

Pumphouse Brewery

Pioneer Museum

Caisse Cape

Point du chene wharf

The last leg of the journey had three stops, a three night stay in Sugarloaf Provincial Park in Campbelltown, NB and two one night stops in Quebec, at Rayon Soleil in Riviere de Loup and in Drummondville. In Campbelltown, we went to the Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site and walked the esplanade in town.

Sugarloaf Provincial Park

The Restigouche National Historic Site

Sugarloaf Mountain

Range Light Campbelltown

Restigouche Sam

Dalhousie Big Chair

Then it was on to our last two stops before heading home.  Luckily at Rayon Soleil we were towards the back and we were there during the week not a weekend or I think that campground would have been Teddy's worst nightmare. It seemed like every other seasonal trailer had a golf cart parked out front. Teddy hates those things. Camping des Voltigeurs was a nice provincial park in Drumondville. If you wanted to explore Drummondville it would be a good base. There's even a paved multiuse trail right beside the campground.

Rayon Soleil

Seasonal camper's site

Another seasonal site

Camping des Voltigeurs

Last Campfire

It was a good trip but it was nice to get home. Podrick is back at his winter home so that I have the driveway to park in and so he can get some work done.  There were issues with the converter on this trip but luckily with a little fist bump now and again , the refrigerator and lights kept working. I hope to take him back out for a short trip in Sep.