New Year's Eve

December 31st, on the Magdalen Islands is normally a place where party's happen. Tonight may be different. It has been snowing, storming all day and here at &21 pm the storm has not abates at all. The weather forecast for the day has been correct and tonight it says the

Temperature is -2C and there is light snow.

• Feels Like: -10
• Wind: NE 41km/h
• Wind gusts: 52km/h
• Sunrise: 7:54
• Sunset: 16:25

• Relative Humidity: 100%
• Pressure: 99.39 kPa
• Visibility: 2.8 km
• Ceiling: 600 ft

In truth it must be heavier than light snow because the horses are covered with about six inches on their backs and the plow is on the road full time. Still the parties will go on and everyone will have a good time. Red Nose Operation (Operation Nez Rouge) will once again be busy making certain that everyone gets home safely after the partying. Islanders are so lucky to have this non-profit organization in our midst. Island volunteer participants drive inebriated party goers and their vehicles home safely after the party is over.

An Explanation: Opération Nez rouge (literally, "Operation Red Nose"), founded in 1984, is an escorting service offered in Quebec and several francophone countries under several names as well as in the English-speaking parts of Canada under the name Operation Red Nose during the Christmas holiday season, although the name sounds somewhat odd to English-speakers' ears.

Operation Nez Rouge was started in Quebec City by Jean-Marie De Koninck, who had two goals. He wanted to finance the Laval University's swim team and he wanted to do something to fight driving under the influence. He knew that drivers leaving bars refused taxis to bring them home when intoxicated, not because of the cost, but because they wanted to have their own cars the next day. Thus came the idea to simply offer an escorting service.

The service was used millions of times between 1984 and 2007.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!

On this day in Our Islands History

In 1762, the war between England and France had come to an end. Canada and Acadia were passed into authority of the English. An English Colonel, Richard Gridley requested the concession of the Magdalen Islands from the Lords of Trade. He was granted a temporary exploitation permit and in 1763, he organized the hunt and fisheries of the islands.

- From the chronicle's of historian Father Frédéric Landry
Événements Historiques Agenda (Septembre 1993 à Septembre 1994)

Richard Gridley was born January 3, 1710, in Boston, Massachusetts, Richard Gridley was the outstanding American military engineer during the French and Indian wars from the Siege of Louisburg in 1745 to the fall of Quebec. For his services he was awarded a commission in the British Army, a grant of the Magdalen Islands, 3,000 acres of land in New Hampshire, and a life annuity. When the break with the mother country came, he stood with the colonies and was made Chief Engineer in the New England Provincial Army. He laid out the defenses on Breed's Hill and was wounded at the Battle of Bunker Hill. He was appointed Chief Engineer of the Continental Army after Washington took command in July 1775. He directed the construction of the fortifications which forced the British to evacuate Boston in March 1776. When Washington moved his Army south, Gridley remained as Chief Engineer of the New England Department. He retired in 1781 at age 70. He died June 21, 1796, in Stoughton, Massachusetts.

If anyone has any ideas on the subject, please feel free to make suggestions in the comment section of this posting!

Islands Preparing For Christmas 2007

Old Man Winter Arrives on the Islands

On December 4th, winter hit the Islands with a vengeance. The snow, even after the storm passed, didn’t stop. It continued until the next week when a winter storm coming in from the west where it had dumped three feet of the white fluffy flakes, hit the islands a second time. The hydro power, flickered off many times during the day and night, only to come back on in surges, destroying many pieces of electrical equipment in the homes of many islanders.

Despite the difficult twenty-four hours with gale winds, all remained calm and serene. The roads were treacherous and many vehicles went out of control but there were no accidents on the east end of the islands. Ephriam Chevarie, the federal plow driver, kept the snow at bay by continuously driving from one end of his route to other and back. However, even for all his work, the snow still hugged the pavement in a thin, icy glaze, that made motorists drive with extreme caution.

Soon the children were out with their toboggans and sleds and adults had their ski-doos and all terrain vehicles on the hills and roads, having fun, searching for that perfect Christmas tree. In the days to follow it wasn’t unexpected to see, trees tied to the tops of cars while hauling a trailer loaded down with an ATV.

Welk Souvenir

A cousin of mine, Tim Clark for TLC Creations, who owns a house here in Old Harry, makes these charms that are anywhere from one to three inches in size. He strings them on chains for pendants, hooks for Christmas tree ornaments and loops for pierced earrings. They are so beautiful and unique gifts to give at Christmas.

It takes many hours to make one, I would imagine. I've never tried making any but I understand it is difficult because the welk (conque, sucker,) shell is very hard and if cut with a band saw it will break into a million pieces. No, the only way to make these is by painstakingly and lovingly working the shell away until all that is left is a cross cut of the center of the shell. They have the most amazing pastel colours to them also.

Celtic Overlooking Grosse Ile

This cross stands on the top of the hill called Cape Dauphin, on Grosse Isle North. It has many ropes attaching it to the hill because the winds must be fierce this time of the year high up above Grosse Isle. I put it in PhotoShop and removed the ropes because I really like the picture. The background is Grosse Isle Point Bridge, the cove and the salt mine in the distance. I'll put more information in here like the history of the cross and why it was built as a Celtic cross at a later date. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the picture as much as I do.

The Common Sand Dollar (Echinarachnius parma)

The beaches of the Magdalen Islands are littered with shell of all types. One of the most treasured shells found is the sand dollar. The fragile disk is the skeleton or "test" of a marine animal. By the time the test washes up on the beach, it is missing its velvety covering of minute spines and appears somewhat bleached from the sun.

Sand dollars are from the class of marine animals known as Echinoids, spiny skinned creatures. Their relations include the sea lily, the sea cucumber, the star fish and the sea urchin. When alive, the sand dollar is outfitted in a maroon-colored suit of movable spines that encompass the entire shell. Like its close relative the sea urchin, the sand dollar has five sets of pores arranged petal pattern. The pores are used to move sea water into its internal water-vascular system which allows for movement.

Sand dollars live beyond mean low water on top of or just beneath the surface of sandy or muddy areas. The spines on the somewhat flattened underside of the animal allow it to burrow or to slowly creep through the sand. Fine, hair-like cilia cover the tiny spines. These cilia, in combination with a mucous coating, move food to the mouth opening which is in the center of the star shaped grooves on the underside of the animal. Its food consists of plankters and organic particles that end up in the sandy bottom.

Because of their small size and relatively hard skeleton, few animals bother sand dollars. One animal found to enjoy them on occasion is the thick-lipped, eel-like ocean pout, snails, sea stars (starfish) and skates (rays).

On the ocean floor, sand dollars are frequently found together. This is due in part to their preference of soft bottom areas, as well as convenience for reproduction. The sexes are separate and gametes are released into the water column as in most echinoids. The free-swimming larvae metamorphose through several stages before the test begins to form and they become bottom dwellers.

Since the sand dollar lives in sandy locations, anyone who would like to collect their shells should comb beaches as the tide recedes. The very best time for collecting is after a heavy storm, as many of the shells that have died are dredged up by the increased wave action. Some say that sand dollars are pressed sand that has been dried or even the money of mermaids washed-up from the deep.

The Sand Dollar

About the life of Jesus and the wondrous tale of old.
The center marking plainly shows,
The well known guiding star
That led to tiny "Bethlehem"
The wise men from afar.

The Christmas flower poinsettia,
For his nativity, the resurrection
Too is marked, The Easter Lily, see.

Five wounds were suffered by our Lord,
From nails and roman spears
When he died for us upon the cross,
The wounds show plainly here.

Within the shell should it be broke,
Five doves of peace are found
To emphasize this legend
So may peace and love abound.