Monday October 23, 2023
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Meet the people of Prince Edward Island
We crossed Confederation Bridge, the world’s longest bridge over ice-covered waters, which would require a toll of $50 to cross back to the mainland. Prince Edward Island beckoned. “And remember, you only pay the toll when you leave!” I took that as an invitation to stay.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and set them free.
 In Summerside, such a beautifully named city in the northwest corner of the island, we happened upon a motel whose swimming facilities included a hot tub, sauna and steam room, as well as water slide and three different pools. In 2006 a new civic center was built, including all these pools. The motel adjoins the activity center, the hockey rink, a museum and the pools. I guess they pay the city to use the pools. Then in the morning I even found orange marmalade and butter for my toast, beside the hot sausages.
We swam and steamed and dunked in the hot tub etc., evening and again next morning. A stunning sun set over the sea, and we found a seaside oyster and lobster bar. Those oysters were gathered from the sea a few feet away from our table that afternoon.
The mountains of Cape Breton gave way to the flat potato and corn fields of Prince Edward Island. We drove up the island’s north coast to the site of Anne of Green Gables. We had been listening to Elon by Walter Isaacson, but Anne’s story replaced Musk’s fascinating up and down life for a couple of days.
At the museum we met an enthusiastic Japanese woman, who told us the female culture in Japan had been transformed when Anne was translated into Japanese and then included in the middle school curriculum. Anne’s straightforward way of speaking her mind honestly to everyone, even older men and women, gradually liberated the silent, submissive culture of Japanese women, giving them permission to speak up themselves.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Our plan to spend a half day fishing off the northern coast failed. The end of tourist season came two weeks before we arrived. Fishing boats were settled into their harbors, safe and sound until next year. Instead we found a Cayleigh in Charlottetown on Friday night, sponsored by the Benevolent Irish Society and led by the Irish Scots – two guitars and a fiddle, a kilt and two teenage step dancers – music from the sea, from the land, music full of joyous fiddle playing or wistful sadness. Not much in between.
In fact the Irish Scots had come just then from playing at a wake for one of their friends. Of course they sang the song for us, inviting us to mourn along with them. We mourned, but then Marc (who never wins anything) won their 50-50 drawing, $65. Which paid, he said, for his tab at the bar plus our entry tickets.
Halfway through the evening the elderly Benevolent Scot ladies fed us a fine lunch – cucumber, tuna salad, and egg salad sandwiches so nicely sliced, biscuits and cookies and jam, coffee and tea and good conversation.
A local marathon Saturday morning brought out whole families, and hundreds of kids ran round and round a circle in the park to get a t-shirt and a prize. We watched. We laughed. We congratulated several kids. As always, a marathon is serious business, but so was the running of the kids.
We were watching the sky when we stopped at Matos Winery & Distillery, still open for another week or two before closing for the winter. Tastes of three liqueurs and two wines, along with the vintner’s tales of history and opinions about the island, about Anne of Green Gables, about the government, it just filled us up. Marc and I listened much more than we talked.
As we recrossed the Confederation Bridge back to New Brunswick, the winds blew up a bit of a storm. We stopped before the bridge for ice cream and burgers. We could barely open our car doors. The sky turned ice cold steely gray. As we crossed that endless bridge, we held onto our hats. In spite of the threatening weather, I felt sad to leave.
And it wasn’t just the $50.
One’s life has never, and never will, consist of possessions. Do not store up treasures for yourself, but become rich in what matters to God.
 (Romans 4, Luke 1, Matthew 5, Luke 12)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
#
