Thursday, May 20: Anneurism. (How many Anne puns can I have in one summer?)

I learned more about everybody's second favorite Island redhead today. I started the day at the birthplace of Lucy Maud Montgomery. I'm extremely naive and know shockingly little about both the author and the story, so today was a wake up call.

LUCY MAUD MONTGOMERY IS COOLER THAN I HAD EVER IMAGINED.

Today's primary focus for me was to do some background research on the author of Anne of Green Gables. I met Vivian at her birthplace, and she walked me through the site. They still have 4 of Maud's scrapbooks on display! Also, when Maud got married, shoes didn't have a left or a right. For some reason, this fact stuck with me.

After the birthplace, I travelled to the foundation of where Maud was brought up after her mother died when she was 21 months old. It's located very close to Green Gables, and it's not hard to close your eyes and understand exactly where her inspiration came from. All you hear is birds. All you see is trees and fields, even today. The caretakers of the land did a fantastic job bringing it back to life with quote panels and a walking trail. The caretakers are distant cousins of Maud, and really appreciate the history and ancestry behind her.

I then walked to Green Gables yet again to make use of their extensive Lucy Maud Montgomery library. This time, they let me borrow Maud's autobiography, the Alpine path. I drove back to my cubicle in Dalvay and started reading. I'm almost done.

I picked up my very own copy of Anne of Green Gables. After 24 years of avoiding the book, I think I've grown to respect Maud enough to read it. Who knows? Maybe I'll love it.

But I still hate that Anne has red hair.

Photo of the day: A few! Green Gables, the walking path around the foundation, the quote boards, and Maud's houses' cellar.