And yet, we started our day out late because we were exhausted and we thought it was raining – the Weather Network said it was! Imagine our surprise when we walked out the door and… it wasn’t. What to do today? What to do? We were up early, actually, and I had a rare craving for hotcakes & sausage at McDonald’s so Shawn went out and.. phoned me. It’s closed for renovations. Oops. So he thought he would stop at Wendy’s, maybe they had breakfast? Nope. They only open at 10AM. Ok, then.

I ended up eating two Tim Horton’s donuts and had some tea. Heh. Healthy!

Then we both read as I had the Weather Network on low. I am strangely soothed by their music. I think I’m getting too attached to this station. We need a working remote. Or a TV guide or something. And I read and I checked email and I read and Shawn read and slept and read and slept. Then I suggested we go see some Duck conservation thing, so we though, ok, we could do that. It was indoors and not too far. So I showered, then Shawn showered and I looked up the place in the Visitor’s guide and discovered it was right by the trail we were on last night and it was just a HOUSE and we walked by it twice last night and didn’t think twice about it. So to hell with that. Then I suggested Kings Landing. It’s about 30 mins West of Fredericton and we had passed the exit on the way here. A little after 12:30 we were on our way – via 2 stops.

We needed gas and I needed to buy batteries. I would totally charge the ones I have with me if we had more than TWO electrical outlets in this room! Seriously! One is on a power cord, but I have no place to plug in my charger. It doesn’t fit. You can’t even use the plug in the bathroom if the light is off. Argh! So more batteries I bought.

We got there at almost 2PM and didn’t realize that the place was so huge and there was no way we would be able to see it all before it closed at 5:00. Plus, we needed to eat. And we did – and well! Here:

Fitting, huh? Who knew my darling hubbyHead had his own Inn! With REALLY great Atlantic salmon chowder. OH YUM!

So we had a great time and the sun even came out for a tiny little fraction of a second. It was overcast and looked like it was going to rain most of today, but it wasn’t too warm and it was perfect to walk around in. We’re going back tomorrow morning so we can see the rest of the place. As it was, it took us almost an HOUR to visit the first three buildings. Then it was 3:00! We needed to eat and there would be no way to see the rest in under an hour.

Click here for a map – we saw most of the upper right part of the map and just a fraction of the rest.

We even took a horse and cart back to the front of the settlement from somewhere in the lower left of the map. Yay! Horses and cart!

I know we’ve been to Upper Canada Village, but this place is so much better. The people are all so friendly (which is why it took us an hour to get through three houses!) and it’s just so much nicer. You can see more and touch more and learn more. I want to work in a place like this so bad. Although I don’t think I would do well with the heat and the clothing I would have to wear.

I know we didn’t see everything today, but I think it’s safe to say that THIS is the strangest thing in the entire settlement -

Yes, you are looking at parrots in a jar. Apparently this was common in the Victorian era. Nature brought inside. Taxidermy. And I’m acquainted with taxidermy, but this is the first time we’ve ever seen parrots as the subject, let alone squished into a jar. Hmm. Our reaction amused the ladies who were working in the kitchen and heard us talking about it.

Also, I learned I suck at rug hooking and I shall not apply for that job if I ever work here.

So we go back tomorrow (weather permitting, I suppose) and then we check out the Block Party! in downtown Fredericton and then fireworks (weather permitting!). It should hopefully be a fun-filled Canada Day!

UPDATE: You can see photos, including the rest of our Kings Landing trip today HERE.

First, let me just say that I have never been so happy to have my dog poop than I have been tonight. I don’t think I would ever say something like that in my entire life, but here I am. Jinx, you see, is stubborn and difficult about certain things. He whines like a baby when he sees another dog, or a cat, or a person and even (so we found out tonight) a DUCK. He wants to see them and play with them and love them. He does other stuff too, but mostly, he refuses to potty while on leash. And you know what? This week is chalk full o’ leashy fun! So since Friday, Jinx refused to do anything. It’s very frustrating. He finally started to pee on Saturday evening. He’s even been lifting his leg on trees! My little boy is FINALLY figuring out he’s a BOY! It only took 4 years! I’m so proud. *wipes tear from eye*

But he wasn’t pooping. And you all don’t need to know this, or care, but damnit if we weren’t getting more and more frustrated and irritated with him. Anyhow, he finally went when we went for a walk this evening. It was like a party was happening on that walking trail, I tell you! Shawn and I made it seem like Jinx just won the lottery or something. Thankfully noone else was around because I felt like a dork.

Anyhow, it’s been raining up a storm. But the last couple of nights, things cleared up around 6-7pm and so we could walk. Last night we had a BBQ over at my cousin Sheryl’s house and it only rained once we were all inside eating at about 7:30. When we got back to the room to let the dogs out it let up a little and though it was rain and rain this morning, by supper it cleared and the sun even peaked through the clouds.

Sadly it’s been very overcast and the view from our side of the Saint John river (North side) to the South side has been foggy and hard to capture on camera. The few times I have tried to capture the sunset, it didn’t turn out like I was seeing it in real life.

Today we went into downtown Fredericton and had a late lunch at The Snooty Fox pub and I had the best fried clams. Yum! Shawn had an entire rack of ribs and the meat just fell off the bone. Even I sampled the meat and I don’t even like ribs and I thought it  was good. Shawn also had sweet potato fries with his meal. After, we wandered around and wanted to head to a used bookstore that my cousin mentioned. And…

Oh MY God. I died and went to used bookstore heaven! I loved it. It was crammed with books, I mean crammed, you couldn’t breath without tripping over a book. And it just went on and on and on and on. I loved it. I headed straight for the kids’ section. It was like I was 13 again and in the used bookstore in Plattsburgh. I was looking for specific books this time though and although I didn’t find them (of course I didn’t spend a long time there our parking meter was running out and there was just SO much to look at) I did find 9 books for $31. Not bad. I have to go back because now I need to hit the fiction section and find a couple of books I am looking for used for my collection.

It’s called the Owl’s Nest. And I loooooooove it. This is what I miss living where I do. I hate it there. Also, the library is, like, right here. I love it here. Oh, and apparently the book store is 2 storeys high. I didn’t even notice that. I was all about the back of the store (and it’s waaaaaaaaay back) and the kid books. Yum.

I still need to eat lobster and shrimp somewhere. And we still want to go somewhere, we just don’t want to do it in a rain storm.

Oh! Also? We saw Transformers 2 yesterday and it sucked big time. How disappointing.

I am writing you all from Edmunston, New Brunswick, where we arrived at about 10:15PM Montreal time (and 11:15 pm NB time!). Although we left the house at 2:00 PM yesterday, we really didn’t hit the travling road until 2:30 after all our stops (gas, dog food and people food). And yet, it still took us over 8 hours to get here. Part of the problem? CONSTRUCTION! Oh my god is there construction EVERYWHERE on the Trans Canada. We got stuck just outside of Montreal and then kept getting stuck between there and almost to Rivere-du-Loup. Argh and a half!

We stopped when we needed too, not too often, but all totalled it likely added up to over an hour of stoppage, and add in the construction slow downs, I guess that’s why. We didn’t think we’d make it as far as we did, though only the last hour was driven in the dark (where you can’t see the road past your headlights, dark).

We actually had great driving weather. It was supposed to rain and storm in both places and it didn’t. We only got hit by rain once and it was for a few seconds. And I think it’s my fault. You see the sunset was glorious in my side mirror. So I snapped this shot:

The second I snapped this photo it was like I’d burst a water balloon or something. We closed up all the windows and put the wipers on the fastest speed and you STILL couldn’t see in front of you! But there was sun both ahead and behind and to the sides of us! I yelled “I’m sorry! I broke it! How did I break it?!” And we drove like that for a couple of minutes, seriously contemplating pulling over and then… it stopped. So Shawn turned off the wipers. And… it started again! Ack! *wipewipewipewipe*!! And then.. it stopped. And it was all glorious sunsets and scenerific!

And I got this shot:

I have one without the stupid street signs in it, but this one is better centered. Both can be clicked on for a slightly larger image. I do love the clarity of the raindrops in that second one. AND the rain was so hard it totally cleaned off our windshield for us which was pretty dirty from bugs and road dust! Nice!

That rainstorm was around Saint-Anne-de-la-Poctatiere (on the road map we have there’s a little ship’s wheel and it says it’s something, but the map is in the car… a lookout point or something? It’s GORGEOUS there) which is about 30 mins from Rivere-du-loup.

And so we made it to Edmunston, where I had to pee, the dogs were TIRED and getting restless and it was dark and we couldn’t find any hotels the way we turned, so we turned around, went the other way and found a Comfort Inn (which we couldn’t figure out how to get to) and a Best Western, where we are now. In the LAST room they had! And dogs were free! But it’s not cheap. But it’s swanky!

I took a ton of photos. But this is the teaser!

We’re about to check out and head to our final destination! Don’t know when I’ll have a chance to post again, so toodles!