We awoke this morning with plans that were sketchy at the best. We know we are going back into Niagara Falls for the day and will spend the night with our friends Clint and Robb. However, we also want to do a couple of other thing activities, like visit Fort Erie and the Picard Peanuts. So many options right? So why the issue of when and how?
Picard Peanuts is a company that started to grow a crop of peanuts in the area. What a surprise for me to learn that we can grow peanuts in Canada. Ken was so excited about the quality of the peanuts and the variety of ways Picard prepared them for sale, that we decided we needed to see for ourselves – and sample of course. This peanut outlet may not look like much on the outside, but inside there are rows of different peanuts, bar nuts and candies. They apparently sell so much that they can not grow enough peanuts themselves so they do import peanuts, but do all the roasting and flavouring themselves. We could not believe the selection.
We continued on to Niagara Falls to search out Fort Erie. This is an historical fort that was very much involved in the 1812-1814 “war” with the USA. The location of the Fort, at the mouth of the Niagara River and across from Buffalo, was a natural defence location.
We learned again a lot of the history of the area and discovered that it is considered one of the bloodiest battles on Canadian soil (well not yet Canadian – British colony soil really) involving a foreign country. I think that the USA owes us a thank you for helping them develop their army skills. Let me explain that, in 1812 the newly formed USA’s army was still developing their fighting strategies and armed forces.
They felt the need to attack the British forces in Fort Erie but even with superior numbers faced defeat. However, by 1814 they had matured as a armed force to find success. This maybe a bit of a simplification to the historians reading this, but my thinking is that we gave them a training ground for developing their army but USA is now a world leader in armed combat – was that because we gave them the chance to develop?
Another interesting historical fact that we learned was about the life of the British soldiers.
To sign up with the British army at that time was a term of 21 years – most if not all served away from home. With no phones, internet or other means of communication this resulted in domestic bliss – no fighting at home when never there. However, it may have also resulted in many marriage breakdowns since 21 years without seeing each other might be considered cruelty. Living quarters and conditions are re-created and discussed on the tour.
Other highlights of the tour of Fort Erie was to learn about the history of the area in development, the use of Fort Erie as a key in the underground railway for slaves and some key historical people. We were able to watch a musket demonstration completed with drill explanations. Finally the firing of the 3 # cannon (noisy I might add) was the finale for us at Fort Erie.
From here we went over to meet Clint and Robb at their house. The run a bed and breakfast house and we wanted to spend one night with them. I met both in 2001 when I drove across Canada through Rick and became good friends. Just a point of noted interest: 2001 was a very good year for relationships: Clint and Robb got together as life partners, Rick and Cleve met and are married now, Wes and I met and are married now.
Clint drove from Toronto back to Vancouver with me (he was Thelma and I was Louise) and we had so much fun that the experience is part of the “best every memories”. I am sure you have friends that you do not see as often as you wish and communicate with seldom but as soon as you get together you immediately are talking like you have visited each other daily? Well that is exactly how it was for me with Clint and Robb. Wes was meeting them for the first time and immediately warmed to their hospitality and personalities.
Well visiting Clint and Robb, as I have now experience 2 times, involves lots of talking, laughing and of course drinking. Last time we went to Buffalo to experience authentic buffalo wings and I got soooooo drunk I actually only wanted to sleep (not pass out but hard to know the difference I am sure). This time we stayed at home and tested out wine and margaritas. Well again I finally had to quietly slip away to have a nap leaving Wes and the guys finishing up. As far as I can remember, this is the only two times in my life where this has happened. I am thinking it is the humid air in Ontario.
A couple of points of note is that we were able to walk over and visit Bob’s house (a friend of Clint and Robb’s), visit a local micro brewery/pub, meet a house guest from Philadelphia (Don), and call Rick and Cleve for a group chat (although Rick was not on the phone).
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