Good Job, Charlotte

Today was the day to re-introduce Ewen to Upper Canada Village. The only other time he'd been there was when he was 3 or 4. He didn't remember it. Charlotte's class visited the village for their end-of-year trip this year and she was more than willing to be our tour guide. She'd been telling him about it all week.

Hmmmm.... I think he's happy to be here.

"Grandma! A garden!" They know what I like.

One of the sawmill workers spent a lot of time with us, telling us all about how the mill works. The village is short of workers, much like a lot of other workplaces this summer. The staff that were there did a good job of carrying the load today. You may be wondering where Charlotte was? She was dancing to the beat of the mill machinery inside. Of course, she was.

At the hotel, the Traveling Tilton's were practising for their 1 p.m. show.

Everyone's gardens were doing well this summer.

To show Ewen an overview of the village, we took the horse-drawn wagon and the horse-drawn bateau for rides. The view from the bateau was lovely. There's some hay being drawn home to the barn just over the fence.

I'd never been to the top of the signal tower before. Charlotte led the way and we all were happy with the views. Can you see the bateau going back on the top right of this picture?

Upper Canada Village really caters to the younger generation. The activity centre is full of fun things to do, like try on 1866-era clothing.

Some fit better than others. Ewen humoured us and dressed for......

... his family photograph. We'll call this Canadian Gothic. And, what is it about brooms that attract so much attention from kids at historic villages?

She looks like Anne of Green Gables.

Pictures taken and it was time for fun! Ewen has a natural ability to make friends. He always has. That is going to be a wonderful asset as he grows older.

We wandered willy-nilly over the village. That's what happens when you are led by a 9 year old. Charlotte had made friends with a cow called Elsie in her previous visit. She even brought her wooden whistle to call Elsie with. The first livestock on the search for Elsie were these healthy looking pigs.

We saw Elsie in a far pasture once in the morning. We never got any closer to her. Charlotte's consolation prize was being able to whistle for Elsie's daughter. Because that's what you do when you are 9.

We remembered this gentleman from last year's visit. It's like visiting old friends. Last year he had offered us some Spilanthes (toothache plant). At that time, Ted was the only one brave enough to try it. This year, we had more takers: even Charlotte, the plain fries, naked noodles, unbuttered bread girl tried it. I guess if you are guiding the family through the village, you need to step up and taste it too. What an interesting sensation! Our mouths were buzzing for the next 10 minutes.

I think that some kids will say their favourite part of visiting Upper Canada Village was to be able to pet pigs. They were like magnets for kids.

This lady looks very proud of her and her quilting buddies' work. She should be!

Look at the detail!

After lunch, we wandered the back streets. There is an overnight camp for kids at the village. These girls are part of that camp. The older camp kids get to help out in various homes and business in the village.

Every time we visit, we learn something new. Like how to make water pipes. This man claimed that if they are buried in an anaerobic environment, they can last for 50 years. Pretty impressive.

At 1 p.m. the Traveling Tiltons entertained the crowd. It was nice to sit down on a bench and enjoy their songs.

Heading back to the gate, another load of hay was on its way to the barn. It was time for us to go home too.

It looks like Ewen was still smiling at the end of our visit. Good job, Charlotte. He liked it!

And, I think he liked his beavertail.

It was a thumbs-up day for all.