Hurrah for Vicki!
So! Vicki Emlaw (of Vicki’s Veggies) was one of the first characters that I did back in 2016. When I learned a couple of years ago that she was shutting down her stand (it was such sad news!), I removed the illustration from my site. Thankfully her leave was temporary! It just hit me that I didn’t have her added back to my character page, a huge oversight on my part.
We learned SO much about heirloom vegetables through one of her earlier “Heirloom Hurrah” events - an unbelievable event...
There's No Business like Poo Business
One of the fun things about doing these illustrations is that I really get to dig in and learn more about people here in PEC. Today I’m shouting out Frank Eldridge + Angie Capone of ANGIE’S POOPER PUMPING SEPTIC SERVICE. I have always LOVED the name of the business -it makes me laugh every time I see one of their trucks driving around the area and we have hired them on a few occasions now, and they offer fantastic service. Also - they are celebrating their 10th year in business this year AND they...
A Renaissance Woman like no other
So! Today I am paying tribute to a true Renaissance woman, none other than Jo Barnes of The Renaissance Farm in Prince Edward County, Ontario.
It is just IMPOSSIBLE to tout all of her talents here in this space, but here is what I can tell you: Jo is an artisanal jam producer - her jams are affectionately known as “Jo Jams” and her Jumbleberry Jam is to die for (check out her site for stores that carry it). She has many other special flavours in collaboration with other businesses...
Home (Hardware) is Where The Heart Is
So! Today I want to pay a special tribute to Wellington’s Evan Nash. Most everyone in Prince Edward County knows who Evan is – if you’re not a resident and are not familiar – Evan owns the Home Hardware in Wellington. This store has been serving the community since 1905 and it has been owned and operated in the same location by the Nash family since day one.
From what I understand, Evan was born and raised in The County, and although he left for a while and lived in Sweden, he returned...
Maggie's Magic
So! A while back I did a post in honour of one of my favourite spots here in PEC - The Miller House, part of the Lake-on-the-Mountain resort. Today, I am paying a special tribute to someone who has worked there for the last 10 years (since it opened!) – none other than Maggie MacDonald.
Maggie is one of those people whose light shines SO brightly, and whose energy vibrates on such a positive frequency that you cannot help but feel better for simply crossing her path. And if you are...
Prince Edward County's Biglake Music Festival
Back in the spring of 2018, I was introduced to PEC-loving Johannes Debus (Internationally renowned Music Director of the COC, and Artistic Director of Biglake Arts) and his wife, Elissa Lee (Juno award-winning artist and Executive Director of Biglake Arts ) by mutual friends, Anthony Lemke and Maria Gacesa. During that first encounter, they expressed interest in pairing their passion for PEC with their passion for music. Turns out, that passion was contagious (!) so I agreed to help them launch...
A Radio Legend in Prince Edward County
Today I am paying tribute to the one and only, Lynn Pickering - currently the supervising producer of The County Grapevine on 99.3 County FM and The County Writes…The County Reads which airs Sundays at noon. For those who don’t know, County FM is a volunteer run community station that services PEC, it was launched in 2014 and with the support of Lynn and 85 volunteers who keep the station running, the station is now one of the top five community stations in Canada.
I first met Lynn...
La Condesa
Before discovering La Condesa in 2019, I had never been a huge fan of Mexican food - it always seemed so heavy and overrated to me. Through experiences at restaurants in Toronto and a resort in Cancun, the appeal of it was lost on me (maybe the resort was catering to American tastes by serving more Tex-Mex style – who knows).
Enter La Condesa. In 2019, this lovely restaurant opened here in Wellington and I finally understood. Chef Samantha Valdivia (in the centre of my illustration!)...
The Alchemist
We first experienced the culinary magic of Leah Marshall Hannon a few years ago when Sand and Pearl restaurant opened here in PEC. I remember being floored the first time we ate there - she took seafood to an entirely new level for me and we were beyond thrilled when she opened her own place, Stella’s in Picton, much closer to home! She has since closed that location and settled into a much larger space in Waupoos – one of the prettiest corners of The County.
Leah’s style nods to her...
Bark Woodshop
After a fairly exhaustive search for a basic house number made of wood last year, I almost gave up trying. I wanted something very clean and simple for next to our front door that would suit the style of our house – just black numbers against a cream-coloured backdrop with a black frame around it. You think that would be easy to find, alas, it was not! Then one day, Bark Woodshop, a newish business based here in PEC posted an image of THE cutest lemonade stand that Mike had built, with the word...
