The Old Picnic Box

We are picnic people. We love to take a lunch, a stove and/or barbecue and go for a few hours to a park. If the kids are with us, we visit the playground and since we live in Prince Edward Island, of course we visit the beach.

   Sylvie at the playground

Earlier this week, as usual, we took the old picnic box. Certainly there are beautiful new picnic baskets on the market today. However, this picnic box is very special to us. This box was made and owned by Harold and Dorothy (Dot) Ralph, my next door neighbours when I was growing up in Newfoundland. Rick knew them as well.

                  The old picnic box

The Ralphs were originally from Flat Island, Bonavista Bay. This island was re-settled in 1957 and the residents moved to various parts of Newfoundland, a number of them moving to Mt. Pearl where the Ralphs settled. They were hard working people who took their lifestyle with them to their new home. This picnic box was part of their history.

             Flat Island, Newfoundland  

Picture:   www.paddlenl.ca

Harold owned a fishing boat and when he and Dot travelled by boat to a nearby area to pick berries, for example, they always packed the box to take a lunch with them. The box is heavy and stable (for the boat), with the cutlery box inside. The Ralphs gave the box to my parents when they weren't using it any more, and my parents gave it to us. It made the trip from Newfoundland to Prince Edward Island and we dust it off at this time every year.

                    Old cutlery box

A fancy new picnic basket just wouldn't be the same!