Bus Bingo Prize Mail!

 Hullo, we received some mail today!!

Except... um... uh-oh...

Um... Houston... we have a problem. A BIG problem!!

"Cocoa? Do you see what I see??"
Yes, I do Navy... yes I DO.""

Seriously Beanie Mouse... what were you thinking???

Now, now, let's not get our noses out of joint... it could be a simple innocent mistake?

Innocent mistake, my tail!!! 

Look at this!! Look at it!!!

Who is the SOLE addressee??? It is Sandy Bear! Not a mention of a Mouse!!

From our COUSIN no less! What are we?? Minced cheese curds? Hmph!!!!

"If that's the way Beanie wants to be... then FINE!!!"

Oh dear... Maybe it's just a sekrebeary typo (write-o) on the front...

Let's open it up and see...

But first let me get a pair of scissors to get into this Fort Knox of an envelope...

There's a lot of stuff in there! But I think I have it all!

Right, let's take a look...

It's a card... Resistance is ...utile... Eh?

I know my Star Trek: TNG and I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be "Futile"! Good image of a Borg by the way!

Oh, it's a lovely card and it is addressed to...

Moi...

And only moi... hmmmm....

There's a nice pin badge from The National Gallery...

And another one that adds a line to the Beatitudes... "Blessed are the cracked for they let the light in"...

That seems like a good addition!

And a post card of an astronomical clock at Hampton Court Palace - cool!

And a magnetic book mark! Those are much better than turning over a couple of page corners!

Oh, and a little corner note... hmmmm... it's supposed to missing an F... "Resistance is Utile"?? Apparently "utile" means "useful"... and it was used before "useful" came on the scene! Cool... That'll be a good one to keep in your backpocket for Scrabble... Somebody puts "tile" down and you can score big with that "u"!

Thanks Beanie Mouse!!!

"Yeah... Thannnnkkkkkssss for nothing Beanie Mouse!"

Ooops.. we have a peanut gallery!

Who you calling peanuts???? We are NOT peanuts, even if we are small... we may be be small but we are mighty!!  I think we should make up our VERY OWN bus bingo cards... so we can get our VERY OWN prizes. Hmph (x2).

Ummm... so yeah... Beanie... any thoughts??

A French Fortress

 Hullo! Today we are visiting Castle Hill in Placentia, it's a National Historic Site!

It was built by the French!

Cause they had staked a claim to this part of Newfoundland and needed to protect their fishing rights.

There were actually several forts - this one up on the hill, and then another one at the entrance to the harbour.

Let's take a look around!

It was built in the late 1600s by the French and called Fort Royal.

The walls have been rebuilt over the years, many times.

Because in 1713, the fortress (and town) were transferred to Britain at the Treaty of Utrecht.

So, technically, this fortress never fell in battle. It does have a great view though!

The gunners would have to have their distance well-measured though... otherwise they might have hit some houses!

There's the lift bridge and the harbour in behind it.

After the British took over, they kind of let it fall into disrepair a few times, before refortifying it.

You know... I visited Fort Rodd over on the West Coast last year. It too was a National Historic Site.

So really, I've got it covered - fortresses in the east and fortresses in the west!

 

It's pretty cool, but not as extensive as the one on the West Coast. This one wasn't used during the Second World War.

But it's still cool!

 

Fire away!!!

When we were checking out this place, we looked at Google satellite view and couldn't see a visitor's centre anywhere! But reviews said there was one... that's because it is basically underground!

I met some more puffins!

And learned a bit about the fishing industry here...

They dried their filleted codfish on the rocks... interesting.

That's what the fortress would have looked like back in the day.

And some of the soldiers... hmmm... kind of scruffy looking!

Not anyone you would want to meet in a dark alley!