The Big Adventure Continues: Charles and Chance Visit Vernon's Antique Toy Shop

This is me, Charles and my newborn baby brother, Chance.

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, Grandpa  James. He's really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark, you know.

Uncle Vernon has lots of pretty cars in his toy shop.

 Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing. He's so newborn he only drinks chocolate owls' milk from his bottle. He climbs up things and gets stuck. I have to say, "My son! Come down from there this instant!" Then I have to help him get down, bless his little cotton socks. I look after Chance all the time. He's a handful!

Grandpa James writes about old cars (l) and Uncle Vernon (r) collects them and shows them to people.

Know where we are? We're in Swift Current, Newfoundland. We're visiting Uncle Vernon. We're visiting him at Vernon's Antique Toy Shop. That's a car museum. UncleVernon has a lot of pretty cars. They're all old cars. Grandpa James says they're antiques. Grandpa James must really be an antique too, 'cuz he's older than most  the cars!

This is one of Vernon's antique toys. It's a 1956 Monarch Richelieu. It's a convertible. You can tell 'cuz the top is down.

Uncle Vernon has lots of convertibles in his toy shop.  Convertible means the top comes down so we can ride in the sunshine. I like Mr. Sun, don't you? Convertibles are really pretty and lots of fun!

Here are some more of Uncle Vernon's antique toys. They're really big and lots of fun to ride in, you know.

Vernon has an important job, you know. He saves the old cars from being smushed up. He gets them all shiny and pretty, so they look like new. Sometimes he takes them places so people can see them. Grandpa James says Vernon is preserving history. I know what history is. It's stories about the Olden Days. We learn about history at the Scruffy Maple Day Care Centre. That's where I go to school.  There are lots of Olden Days stories at Uncle Vernon's!

These cars are called 'woodies' 'cuz they're made out of wood. I hope beavers don't find them 'cuz beavers eat wood, you know.

Oh. Wait! Did you hear that? James is hollering, "Where are my handsome bear cubs? Where are my Sons of Windsor? Where are my Princes of Ontario? That's me! Charles! That's Chance! We're handsome bear cubs. We're Sons of Windsor and Princes of Ontario! We gotta go find James so we can get our ears tickled and our noses kissed.

This convertible has its top up in case it snows, eh.

 This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Be kind to friends and neighbours. Then you can eat Smarties and drink root beer. Oh! Wait! Come over to our house! We can go visit Uncle Vernon and see all of his pretty antique toys! He can take us for a ride! Okay! Over and out!"

The Big Adventure Continues: Charles and Chance Explore Saint-Pierre

Charles and Chance play saute-mouton (leapfrog) on harbourfront in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, Grandpa James. He's really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark, you know.

 Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing. I look after Chance, too. He's a handful!

Grandpa James says Saint-Pierre is 20 kilometres from Newfoundland. We get there on a ship.

Know what? Today we're exploring Saint-Pierre. It's in France, you know. It's the part of France between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Newfoundland and Nova Scotia are in O Canada and Saint-Pierre is in France. 

The food is yummy at Restaurant Le Feu de Braise. I could eat here every day!

Chance and me are having lunch in Saint-Pierre. We're eating at Restaurant Le Feu de Braise. I'm as hungry as a bear. I am eating codfish and chorizo in tomato sauce. It's yummy and that's one of the four food groups in Canada's Food Guide, you know. Saint-Pierre and Miquelon are islands. There is lots of seafood to eat because all the land is surrounded by the ocean. I think that's what makes them islands. I love seafood. It's good for growing bear cubs.

We made new friends in Saint-Pierre. The nice lady on the left has an important job. She's a server. She gives hungry bears their lunch. The nice lady on the right is the owner of Restaurant Le Feu de Braise. I forgot their names but they made us feel right at home.

Chance is too newborn to eat food. He doesn't have any teeth, yet. He just drinks chocolate owls' milk from his bottle. Chance tries to lick my fish, though. He puts everything in his mouth I have to watch him all the time.

After lunch we walk along the harbour and we can climb up high on the canons that used to protect the good citizens from pirates. Oh, wait! The canons protected them from the British. That's us, you know. We used to be British but now we're Canadians. Grandpa James says we don't fight anymore. Grandpa James says Canada and France have been good friends and neighbours for more than 200 years. That''s good, you know. It's not nice to fight. When we fight we have to sit on the Time Out Chair and think about what we did.

Grandpa James, Chance and me are walking along Boulevard General de Gaulle but we didn't see him anywhere.

 We walked all over Saint-Pierre all afternoon. We had lots of good food. Know what? They have Smarties in France. That's good. I l-o-v-e Smarties, don't you? We also got to eat blackcurrant ice cream. That's really yummy!

When we were tired we went back to Chez Ines. Miss Ines lives there. She's the boss of the bed and breakfast. It's a full moon, tonight. We say our bedtime prayers and fall asleep real fast. Grandpa James says we sleep like logs--even though we're bear cubs.

In the morning Miss Ines makes us a real nice breakfast with real fresh-from-the-bakery croissant. Know what we get to put on our croissants? We get to put confiture myrtilles sauvages. That's wild blueberry jam. I l-o-v-e wild blueberry jam. Je lui aime, tellement!

We got to eat pain au chocolat, too. That's chocolate croissants. They're very yummy. I could eat them all day. Grandpa James says if I did that I'd be sick as a dog. He's silly. I'm not a dog, I'm a bear cub.

Chance and me get hugs from Miss Ines. When you come to Saint-Pierre and Miquelon be sure to stay with Miss Ines. Tell her 'Charles and Chance sent you!'

After breakfast we have to get ready to go get on the ship and sail back to Newfoundland. It was hard to say good-bye but Miss Ines says, "Oh, Charles. You don't have to say 'good-bye.' You can say, au revoir. That means 'until we see each other again." So we said, "Au revoir."

Oh. Wait! Did you hear that? Grandpa James is hollering, "Where are my handsome bear cubs? Where are my Sons of Windsor? Where are my Princes of Ontario? That's me! Charles! That's Chance! We're handsome bear cubs. We're Sons of Windsor and Princes of Ontario! We gotta go find Grandpa James so we can get our ears tickled and our noses kissed.

Fortune, Newfoundland.

We're gonna board the ship and sail to Fortune. That's in O Canada, our home and native land. Fortune is in Newfoundland. Oh, wait! It's in Labrador, too. 

This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Be on your best behaviour when you visit Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. Then you can visit Miss Ines. Then you can eat Smarties and drink root beer. Oh! Wait! Come over to our house and play with us! We can go to visit Miss Ines and see all of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, too! Okay! Over and out!" Oh, wait! "D'accord, A toi!"

Canada and France are neighbours and friends, you know.

The Big Adventure Continues: Charles & Chance Visit France!

Chance and me ride on the boat to go to France.

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, Grandpa James. He's really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark, you know.

Chance and me love to ride on ships. We could be sailors when we grow up. This is the MS Arethusa. It goes from Fortune, Newfoundland to Saint-Pierre.

 Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing. I look after Chance, too. He's a handful! Oh.

France has a different flag from Canada. Le drapeau de la France est bleu, rouge et blanc. It has a name. It's the Tricolour. People in France call it le tricolore.

Bonjour! That's French for 'hi.' I am saying 'bonjour'  'cuz Chance and me and Grandpa James and Uncle Glen and Auntie Juanita are going to France. We're going to ride on the MS Aratheusa. 

We're going to Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. I know where Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is. It's right next door to Newfoundland. They're next-door neighbours. Grandpa James says it's 20 kilometres away.

This is the flag of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. Chance and me collect flags. We were sad that our little flag got lost but we will get another one.

I'm glad we get to ride in the ship. I'd be tired if I had to swim all that way. I'd be hungry, too. Oh! I hope they have Smarties in France. I'm gonna be as hungry as an ourson. That's French for bear cub, you know.

In France, bear cubs speak French. I speak French, too. We talk in French and watch TV in French at home and we have French classes at the Scruffy Maple Day Care Centre, too.

When we get off the boat in France we have to show our passports to the National Police.

When we get off the boat we go to Customs and Immigration. We show the National Police our passports.

Passports look like this.

 Chance and me got Pawsports, you know. I know what a Pawsport is. It's a passport for bear cubs. It's a  little book with my picture inside so the nice police know who I am. It says I am Charles the Bear Cub from Windsor, Ontario. It says I have brown fur and brown eyes. Oh! Wait! It says I was born on July 1st. That's Canada Day, you know.

The National Policeman says my passport picture makes me look like a criminal. I'm not a criminal. I'm five. I'm a bear cub.

The policeman asked me questions. He asked me if I had ever been in prison. He told me to be on my best  behaviour. He said if any Smarties went missing the National Police would find me and I might get arrested and go to prison! I don't want to go to prison. I bet they don't have Smarties in prison. I'll be very, very good in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. Mais, oui!

We stay at Chez Ines. That's Miss Ines right there!

 First we go to our Bed and Breakfast. That's where we sleep. Oh. And eat breakfast, too. We get to stay at Chez Ines with Miss Ines.  I say, "Bonjour Mlle. Ines. Comment allez-vous?" I think she is surprised that Canadian bear cubs can speak French. I will tell you a secret. Miss Ines talks nice. She has a beautiful accent. I think she might be a Princess. We put our suitcases away and then we go for a walk.

Saint-Pierre is a pretty city.

 We are going to eat lunch. We want to buy Euros. That's the money people use in Saint-Pierre but it doesn't look like our money.

These are Euros. The coins are Euros, too.

Wait! Did you hear that? Grandpa James is hollering, "Where are my handsome bear cubs? Where are my Sons of Windsor? Where are my Princes of Ontario? That's me! Charles! That's Chance! We're handsome bear cubs. We're Sons of Windsor and Princes of Ontario! We gotta go find James so we can get our ears tickled and our noses kissed.

I will tell you more about our adventure next time, okay?

 This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Be nice to neighbours and friends. Then you can eat Smarties and drink root beer. Oh! Wait! Come over to our house and play with us! We can go for a boat trip and we can go to France and stay with Miss Ines! Okay! Over and out!"

The Big Adventure Continues: Charles and Chance Ride in an Very Old Buick and Visit Bauline, Newfoundland

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, Grandpa James. He's really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark, you know.

 Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing. I look after Chance, too. He's a handful!

Guess what? We're going for a ride! That's Chance and me and our little cousin Frankie. Uncle Glen and Grandpa James are going to take the Buick for a spin. We're going to drive around the Avalon Peninsula and go to Bauline. That's a village, you know.

Uncle Glen says there are lots of horses under the hood of the Buick but I don't see any, do you?

I'm gonna holler "Boo!" at Chance and Frankie.

 So we have to take some food with us. I can help cook. I'm five, you know. Grandpa James says I'm the Minister of Stirring. Chance is too newborn to really help but Grandpa James says he is the Deputy MINI-stir of Stirring. We're gonna make sandwiches. I want peanut butter and bakeapple sandwiches. I want to take Smarties and root beer, too. Those are all yummy things to eat.

We're at the Government Wharf in Bauline. We could be fishermen when we grow up.

Chance and me are sitting on crab pots. I hope that doesn't make us crabby!

We had fun all day riding in the pretty Buick. Old cars are like old people, you know. They're lots of  fun.

This beautiful 1985 Buick LeSabre belongs to Uncle Glen. He lets us ride in it as long as we don't make it sticky with our peanut butter and bakeapple sandwiches.

 Oh. Wait! Did you hear that? Grandpa James is hollering, "Where are my handsome bear cubs? Where are my Sons of Windsor? Where are my Princes of Ontario? That's me! Charles! That's Chance! We're handsome bear cubs. We're Sons of Windsor and Princes of Ontario! We gotta go find Grandpa James so we can get our ears tickled and our noses kissed.

This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Be kind to friends and neighbours. Then you can eat peanut butter and bakeapple sandwiches. You can eat Smarties and drink root beer. Oh! Wait! Come over to our house and play with us! We can go visit Uncle Glen and ride in the Buick! We can go to Bauline! Okay! Over and out!"

The Big Adventure Continues in Nova Scotia: Piloting the Brady E. Himmelman and Visiting Lunenberg Academy and the Bluenose II

Chance and me visit Lunenburg Academy. If I lived in Nova Scotia I could go to school here.

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, Grandpa James. He's really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark, you know.

This is Lunenburg Academy.  Auntie Margaret went to school here.

Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing. He's so newborn he doesn't have a tail.  He doesn't have any teeth, so he can't chew food. Chance just drinks chocolate owls' milk from his bottle.  I look after Chance, too. He's a handful!

Know what? We lost some of our pictures but Grandpa James found them.We're in Lunenberg today. That's a town in Nova Scotia. It's very pretty here. Look!  Here's Chance and me with Uncle Reid and the Bluenose II!

It's a really big schooner. It has three masts. The Bluenose II goes all over the world to visit and say "Hello" for Canada. Grandpa James says it's an ambassador for our country. The first Bluenose is the dime, you know. It's on a stamp, too. See?

The Bluenose is out of the water 'cuz it's getting fixed. That's a good thing. When it's all fixed it can sail to Windsor and visit us! I love sailing, don't you? I could be a sailor. I could be a captain.

The Brady E. Himmelman is a car ferry that crosses the LeHave River.

Look! We're riding on the Brady E. Himmelman. It's a ferry. Captain Paul is in charge. He says the boat carries 14 cars at a time and it crosses the river four times an hour! That's a lot! I look for pirate ships but I don't see any. Captain Paul tells me to watch for sea lions. The river is full of sea lions this summer. That's 'cuz they found yummy food to eat. Sea lions eat a lot of food, you know.

Chance and me get to ride with Captain Paul.

 I could be captain of a ship. I'd have to go to a special school to learn that job. Captain Paul did. Know what?  I go to school. I go to the Scruffy Maple Day Care Centre on Sandwich Street. That's in Windsor. Don't forget, Windsor is in O Canada.

I'm helping Captain Paul to bring the ship to shore.  Chance thinks he's helping but he's not. He's too newborn to know what to do.

 Oh. Wait! Did you hear that? Grandpa James is hollering, "Where are my handsome bear cubs? Where are my Sons of Windsor? Where are my Princes of Ontario? That's me! Charles! That's Chance! We're handsome bear cubs. We're Sons of Windsor and Princes of Ontario! We gotta go find Grandpa James so we can get our ears tickled and our noses kissed.

This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Be kind to friends and neighbours. Then you can eat Smarties and drink root beer. Oh! Wait! Come over and play with us! We can ride on the Brady E. Himmelman and visit Captain Paul! Okay! Over and out!"

Uncle Reid and Chance and me are busy with this cannon. It's our job to look for pirate ships and stand on guard for thee.

The Big Adventure Backtracks to Nova Scotia

We visited the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia. Can you see us? I'm waving at you.

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, Grandpa James. He's really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark, you know.

Peggys Cove is a pretty place. Lots of people catch fish for a living. I could be a fisherman when I grow up.

Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing. He's so newborn he doesn't have a tail. Chance doesn't even have teeth! He drinks chocolate owls' milk out of a bottle. I look after Chance, too. He's a handful!

Chance and me row a dory to shore. We didn't find any pirates or terrorists on the sea and that's good.

Guess what? Some of our pictures got lost but we found them! Now we can show you what we did in Farewell Nova Scotia.  When we got off the train in Halifax we visited Uncle Reid and Auntie Margaret. We went to Peggy's Cove. That's a village on St. Margaret's Bay, you know. It's a very pretty place but we didn't see Peggy. Maybe she wasn't home.

Chance gets stuck in a lobster trap.

Oh, no! Look at Chance! He's stuck! He tried to climb into a lobster trap. I said, "My son! Come out of there this instant! You're not a lobster!" Chance made little squeaky noises 'cuz he was stuck. I had to help him get out! Bear cubs don't belong in lobster traps. Honestly, Chance is a handful!

We helped Uncle Reid cut wood. Wood comes from trees and trees grow in the forest. When I was a wee little cub I used to think that wood came from Home Hardware. That's a store.

Now, I'm five. I go to the Scruffy Maple Day Care Centre. I learn lots of stuff like a tree really does grow in the forests. When it's all grown up it gets cut up into wood and then it goes to Home Hardware so people can buy it. I'm not sure how it gets there. Maybe the wood rides on the bus.

Wood is good for heating the house in the wintertime, you know. Wood keeps the house toasty warm when there's snow and it's cold outside. I could be a woodsman. That's a coureur des bois in French. It's a very good job, you know. I could chop down trees. I'd holler, "Timber!" so no one got hurt. Look! We chopped a lot of wood!

Chance thinks he's helping me but he's not. He climbed right up on the chopping block. The axe is very sharp. Chance could get hurt. Uncle Reid had to take him off the block. I might accidentally cut him in two. Grandpa James says if that happened, Chance would be my half brother. That would be awful!

Oh. Wait! Did you hear that? Grandpa James is hollering, "Where are my handsome bear cubs? Where are my Sons of Windsor? Where are my Princes of Ontario? That's me! Charles! That's Chance! We're handsome bear cubs. We're Sons of Windsor and Princes of Ontario! We gotta go find Grandpa James so we can get our ears tickled and our noses kissed.

This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Be kind to friends and neighbours. Then you can eat Smarties and drink root beer. Oh! Wait! Come over to our house and play with us! We can go over to Uncle Reid and Auntie Margaret's house and they can play with us! Okay! Over and out!"