Settling in............

Out of the blue this picture appeared when I went into Facebook - the small sign I was talking about when you enter Quebec.

This is me as I entered Quebec via the small ferry last year. 

That small sign is a far cry from the big monstrosities at the major highways.

The Quebec sign on the left!!!

Anyway - I am happy to report that things are settling down.  For a bit on both of the first two days, I thought I might have to abandon my plans and head for home. The girls were NOT happy.  Well they were happy, but not jumping up and down happy.   Nope they paced and paced and paced and about drove me to madness.

Now I get the fact that they are not in their familiar territory although their favourite beds are here with them and of course ME!  But when we arrived there was a HUGE wind.  I am not talking gale force, but it was strong enough that you could not sit out in it and walking into the wind was a challenge.  Even worse - the houses have no basements - just sitting on posts and the house was rocking with the wind.  Oh yes - we could feel the gusts CONSTANTLY.    Sparky who is absolutely paranoid about that kind of thing was a basket case.


She has worn her Thundershirt almost none stop since we got here.

Sparky in her Thundershirt

The first night I could NOT get Sparky settled. I was trying to read and she was pacing pacing pacing. Then I wanted to sleep and she was pacing pacing pacing.  I tried everything - covered her with her blankets (and the Thundershirt), lay on the floor with her, locked them in the bedroom with me so they couldn't pace the house. NOTHING worked and I am about to lose it at this point because I am exhausted.  Then I remembered the Gravol that I bought for the trip. I never ended up giving her any on the trip - she didn't need it.

Gravol for Sparky

So there I am in the middle of the night trying to get Sparky to down two Gravol (they are childrens). Of course I bought ORANGE flavour for some reason and she didn't like that. Hmmmmm - what do I have to put on it so she will eat them?????   Ah - ranch dressing!!!!   Of course - the bottle was brand new, so had to remove all the wrapping stuff and at last she gobbled those Gravol down.   It seemed to work almost instantly and we got a couple hours of sleep.

But yesterday the winds continued.  I mean the house is shaking!!!!!   We walked to the beach and the sand was BITING into my skin the winds were so powerful.  Finally around dinner time last night, I realized that all was quiet. OH MY GOD - the wind is gone.  And now we have a gentle breeze.  The girls have gone for their walk this morning, they had breakfast and then lay down calmly and peacefully and are now happily asleep.  THANK GOD!!!!!

For a small very isolated area, we have lots of excitement going on!

There are all kinds of fishing boats in the water in the morning.

Must get down to the beach early one morning to get some better photos.  I didn't bring a telephoto lens.


I heard some rumbling yesterday - like a big truck and then forgot about it. But later when we went out for a walk, we saw that a space for a new house was being dug out????   I'm not sure what exactly they were excavating since these places don't have basements, but the equipment was here all day.  Of course with the wind - we heard NOTHING.  Except when the equipment was being moved in and moved out.

Excavator being moved out. 

Just wait until you see the road!!!!   My camera battery finally died as I was out on that walk so those pictures will have to wait one more day.


Heard more rumblings later in the day and  oh my - the big garbage truck was passing through.

Garbage truck

I think there are only three houses occupied at this time. Many are still boarded up. I love it!!!!!


And to top it off  - I had a visitor yesterday. Actually three.  One of the cyclists I rode with last year lives in Nova Scotia. His aunts live in PEI.  He was coming to PEI to visit his aunts, saw my Facebook note and decided to come visit me as well.

Me and David

Was nice to catch up on his cycle plans for the summer. I had met David's wife (Barb) last year, but she didn't come over on this trip and one of David's aunts (Rita) provided us with an amazing seafood dinner last year that was to die for. So it was nice to see her again as well.

Yesterday I was so tired from the drive and lack of sleep that I couldn't get to sleep. I wanted to nap and yet I didn't.  It was a bit of a weird day. However I finally got the sewing machine going and spent a bit of time having some fun.   I'll share with you tomorrow what I did.

Here are some pictures of the beach - well the dogs and the beach.  I wanted to take more, but the darn battery died and the spare was at the house.  I need a BEACH BAG!!!!

Sparky who met up with two other dogs on the first trip to the beach

 So nice to see her up and running around again. She is trying to play even though she isn't 100% herself still. But very close!!!

Sammy - can you see how windy it is - her ears are pinned back because the wind is so strong

A LOT of red sand

Cousin's Beach

 I have a feeling that it won't be long before this area is much more developed that it currently is.  There was NOTHING on the top of that cliff a couple of years ago and now - there are buildings up there.  We will be exploring more - just had not time and didn't want to be out in that crushing wind for too long.

Racing through the ocean!  OK - they were walking along the edge

Little Sammy learned that not all water is good to drink. Ocean water tastes ICKY!!!!!

Sparky

Sammy and Sparky - a day at the beach!!!!

And this is poor Sparky - she has her Thundershirt on and I had to gently force her to the floor - then covered her up. This was after David and his aunts left.  She paced the ENTIRE time they were here.  About drove me nuts. But once I got her settled down (which didn't take long) - she seemed a bit better.

Sparky - chilling

And I am happy to report that the dogs had a good night. I had a pretty decent sleep. The sun is out, the wind is gone and well - who knows what we will do today.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!