Curtains, Chicks and a Fortress

 Our kitchen window facing South lets in a lot of nice sun, but sometimes it's nice to block it and have some privacy.  On our trip to PEI, Sister Johnson found a couple of souvenir dishtowels.  With an expandable curtain rod and some safety pins, we now have custom curtains in our apartment.



We have found Harold's, a great local bakery in Sydney River.  We will often get fresh baked loaves of bread and take them to our friends.  Sister J customizes clothespins with a magic market to let them know how thankful we are for being here to serve Him.



Visiting our friends James and Natalia out in the country, we saw they had some newly hatched chicks.  Pretty cute.


The chick is pretty cute.  Oh, I meant the chickens.  No, I really meant Sister Johnson



At the seacoast about 20 miles south of Sydney, there is the Fortress of Louisbourg.  It was built by the French in the early 1700's, quite a complex of walled fort and homes to support/protect their territory in the New World, settlements, the fur trade, and their brand of global expansion.  The British come along, see that it's a nice fort, surround it with a siege and after about 6 weeks the French are starving inside and surrender.  Then the Brits load all the French people into ships and take them back to France.  You're born in Canada, but of French descent?  No matter, you're going to be forcibly sent to France.  The British have to give it back as part of a treaty in 1758.  But after a few years those darn Brits, who would rather take a fort away from the French rather than build one themselves, siege it again and take it over a 2nd time.  After 1868, they decide they don't want it anymore, so rather than give it back to the French, they completely destroy the entire site.



Starting in 1960, the government of Canada decided to rebuild it as a historical site/park and did a pretty faithful rebuild.  The buildings all look period-authentic, but they are all reproductions.



They have both paid staff and volunteers, who dress in period costumes and speak French.  Though they will speak English to you.  But if they do, you are automatically assumed to be a British Spy.



Some enthusiast built a detailed replica of a French warship of the period.  It's about 5 ft long and took over 3,000 hours (1.5 working years) to build.  Very detailed and high craftsmanship.  I don't think I could undertake a project like this.  I do have an appreciation for quality work though.





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