Ceilidh

Last night we went to the neighboring town's, Stanley Bridge, Women's Institute Hall for a ceilidh (pronounced kay- lee). A ceilidh is similar to a Kitchen Party. Local people come with their instruments and play music for one another. The music was Celtic Maritime with a song from Newfoundland thrown in. 

This group is a family affair. Mike Pendergast, on the accordion, and his uncle, Tom, had the main speaking and playing parts. Tom would interleave the songs with Irish jokes.

The other two musicians that you can see in this picture include Mike's son Shane, playing guitar behind the step dancer, Veronica, and Nathan, on the fiddle, who was not related. Nathan also played the bass guitar.

This morning was cloudy and very windy but by 1:30 pm we ventured out, first to find a grocery store (not easy), and next to go to the Green Gables Heritage Place operated by Parks Canada. 

On the drive to North Rustico, just down the road, there was this view of the Gulf of St. Lawrence with the waves crashing on the shore because of the wind. 

Lucy Maud Montgomery's  Anne of Green Gables, used this farm as inspiration for the setting of the classic tale. In real life, it was the farm and home of David and his sitter Margaret, cousins of Montgomery's grandfather. Although Montgomery never lived at Green Gables, she came to know her cousin's farm through her explorations of the surrounding woodlands. Places she discovered and named, such as the Haunted Wood and Lover's Lane still exist at Green Gables. The house and grounds have been restored and decorated as Montgomery described in her novel, and depict a typical Prince Edward Island farm of the late 1800's.

This is Charlene who was our tour guide to the Green Gables park. She gave an introduction to the farm and the house that are the center of the park presentation. (She lived in Narragansett, Rhode Island for a period of time.)

To get to the house and the rest of the park you go through the barn where this young woman was playing period music.

The beautiful vegetable garden at the side of the house.

The back of Green Gables house.

The pantry of the kitchen.

Upstairs, Anne's room.  See the slate that Anne broke over Gilbert's head.

Anne's bedroom with the dress with puffy sleeves that Matthew bought for her.

The farmyard - barn on the right, then the chicken coop, granary and the woodshed.

Green Gables Farm.

We took a walk on Lovers' Lane - there's my lover in the Lane.

Gradens at the front of the house.

The front of Green Gables.

We had such a good time last night at the ceilidh that we went back tonight for a performance by Leon Gallant and his group which also contained two of his cousins and Mike Pendergast, from last night. They played a lot of PEI songs and jigs; very lively with lots of foot stomping.

The Stanley Bridge Women's Institute Hall.

Leon Gallant on the left, his two cousins, Nick and Chris, on the right, and Brendan Peters playing snare drum and the spoons. 

There's Mike Pendergast, from last night, on the left.