Twelve Years and Counting

Twelve years ago today, the most wonderful woman in the world consented, before God and family, to be my wife. It's been a road filled with ups and downs, some fantastic memories and some excruciating ones, and there have been times where we wondered if we would make it through another day. But we have, and we will until death do us part. It's a commitment we've taken seriously, and despite the rough patches, it really hasn't been that difficult to keep it. I am reminded of Jack Benny's words: We've been married this long, and while we have had some terrific arguments, none were ever so bad as to make us contemplate divorce. Murder, yes, but never divorce.

This was our first anniversary in our new home, and we decided to celebrate it in style. There is a place at the other end of the island, near Souris, where a famous TV chef owns an inn. No, it's not that famous chef. This is Chef Michael Smith, formerly of Chef at Home and a few other shows. My wife says she used to watch him back in the day. I'd never heard of him, but then, I was never into cooking shows.

Anyway, we booked this inn back in October of last year; we had to book it early, because it fills up in a hurry. In fact, this year they are booked solid from June to late September. The event we attended was called the Fire Feast, and it was a heck of a time. We arrived just after three o'clock and checked into our room. We were then chauffered to the main part of the inn down the road, where we got a tour of the farm that they have to grow pretty much everything they use.

The Oyster Hour was interesting; we met Chef Michael himself, and tried oysters for the first time. I wasn't a big fan of them, but I made an effort. Dannielle loved them, and we tried a few other goodies before the main event began at seven o'clock.

It was a six-course meal that kept us at the table until ten o'clock. It was all freshly made, using entirely organic ingredients, cooked on a charcoal fire using cast-iron pans. Dear Lord, it was an experience. And I now know what a food coma feels like.

We got chauffered back to the inn we were staying at, and in the morning breakfast was delivered. And it included some of last night's meal, notably the brisket sandwich. Oh, yes. Hot brisket with egg on a bun with an aioli sauce. It was incredible. We brought leftovers home for the boys, and on the way back home we stopped at a really neat place: Orwell Corner Historical Village, about fifteen minutes from Charlottetown. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of it, since my phone was dead. But Dannielle got a bunch. It was, for those who are familiar, a lot like Upper Canada Village or Black Creek Pioneer Village, both in Ontario. It was raining all day, unfortunately, so we didn't get the full experience, but we did see the buildings, including the barn which has a few sets of animals in it: pigs, goats, sheep, and chickens. We got some ideas for our own barn to keep some animals, including a chicken coop that is fox-proof. Sometimes, the old ways are the best ways.

So, it was a great time, and I'm looking forward to going back to the Inn on Bay Fortune with the kids, and maybe family if they come to visit us out here. If not, they're missing out on a spectacular time, and one that every visitor to the island should experience.