14 August 2013 More of the Points East Coastal Drive

Today we woke to fog and drizzle but the weatherman promised a better day later. So off we went to explore more of the Points East Coastal Drive to the south of our campground. Our found the Souris Lighthouse located about 8 kilometers south on Highway 2. Souris is the name of the nearby city--souris means "mouse" in French. The wooden lighthouse was constructed in 1890 at a cost of $630. A fourth order (focal length = 250 mm, height = 0.722 m), Fresnel lens that produced two flashes per revolution was used in this lighthouse. Augustin Jean Fresnel, a French physicist was the designer of these lenses that used many prismatic elements to focus the lighthouse light so that it could be seen up to 20 miles distant. These lenses were used in many lighthouses worldwide, including several on the west coast of the U.S.

Many of the old PEI lighthouses have been deactivated and sold to private or public interests. Many of them have been converted into tourist attractions (tourists just love lighthouses) complete with  craft and souvenir shops and tours for a fee. We try to avoid the interiors of these lighthouses, feeling that the provinces would be better served by opening these lighthouses to the public free of charge, and including complete documentation on their historic construction and operation at the sites. Some of them have been rescued from disrepair and deterioration, and have a hard time keeping them open. As you can see, we still take pictures of them.

Patrice at Souris Lighthouse

 Red Sandstone sculpture (historic keeper?) at Souris Lighthouse
Looks like a sandbox creation, but it is solid

We spied these blue daisy-like wild flowers and white wild roses when leaving the lighthouse area. Patrice had to do some artsy shots of them.

We drove on south to visit Grannie's Alpacas and yarn products shop at Roseneath and near the Brudenell River Provincial Park. This is one of several artisans fibres (that's how it's spelled in PEI) and yarns shops highlighted on the PEI Fibre Trail. Grannie was on the porch of her shop knitting when we arrived. She spent several minute introducing us to her alpacas (by name) in the adjacent field. Her shop displayed alpaca yarns and and many wonderful quilts for sale, as well as hats, scarves, sox, and other sewed items. She does her own machine quilting but does not use the computer that can be attached.  We bought some 100 percent alpaca yarn (from her "boys" Jazz and Cricket), and a hat knit in tan and brown yarn. The brown yarn was 100 percent alpaca, and the tan yarn was made from yarn that is 50 percent alpaca, 25 percent mohair, and 25 percent golden retriever dog. I had never heard of using dog hair for a yarn!

    

 Grannie's Alpacas

 Grannie's shop (Jerry looking at goods)

I had to take this photo of a wheat field adjacent to Grannie's shop. The wheat looks ready to harvest. 

We moved on south to visit the "Artisans on Main" shops in Montague. Two artists in the main shop worked on weaving and sea glass jewelry. Both shops displayed paintings, rug hooking, ceramics, wood turning, jewelry, hand made cards, and photography. Artisan co-ops, whose items are sold on consignment, do not have to charge tax on their sales. The tax can be as high as 15 percent, we noticed, making purchases at these shops even more attractive.

Next we drove south and east along the coast on Highway 17 to Pembroke Farm, another shop on the PEI Fibre Trail. The owners of this farm have 20 acres of land on which they raise sheep and have a couple acres into garden vegetables. The little shop offered wool sox and hats and all, yarns, wool art, and sheep and lamb meat and a few vegetables. The lady owner said that everything in the shop has been produced by her. We were greeted by their 5-month old wiggling and wagging border collie Janie. The owner bought the dog from Missouri, and said that she has an instinct for herding, and he is training her to herd sheep. She was having fun harassing her pal, a young black-and-white cat--they looked like a matched pair.

I talked farming with the male owner of the farm and learned that, by law, potatoes cannot be grown on a field more than one year and then that field must be planted with other crops in rotation. The reason he gave was that potatoes take too many nutrients out of the soil and that too many fertilizers, including herbicides, have been used in growing the potatoes. That is why more corn, soy beans, and wheat have been planted in the PEI during the last five years.

Our final stop on this day's trip was at the Panmure Island Lighthouse near Gaspereaux and the Panmure Island Provincial Park. The construction of this lighthouse looked identical to that of the Souris Lighthouse only this one was taller, and it was shabbier. The same situation as to a souvenir shop (fewer items for sale and on the first floor of the building) and tours for fee (cheaper, and no guide except the cashier in sight) existed at this lighthouse. There was no city nearby, and not a lot of nearby tourism to draw from. This one needed some TLC and resource infusion. 

On our way home Patrice and I indulged in the famous Lobster Supper at Cardigan. We each ate a large bowl of seafood chowder, a salad, a large bowl of steamed mussels (!), a 1.5 pound lobster (I had to help Patrice with hers), potatoes, rolls,  desert, and coffee and tea. Too much, but oh, so good.

Tomorrow we head to north-central PEI.