Hershey the Hedgehog goes to Canada

Toothbrush? Check.
Pajamas? Check.
Traveling companion? Check.
Canada’s National Anthem soundtrack? Check.

That’s right. This weekend, Hershey and I are on our way to grand old Canada. Yes, I still have to resist the urge to say “eh” at the end of every sentence, complete with a question mark.

So here are a few fun facts about Canada to entertain you while we get some great touristy pictures where we’ll be in good old Canadia. Hershey wants to include thirteen, which reflects how many provinces and territories there are in Canada.

1. Canada is the largest producer of natural uranium in the world. So if you’re putting together some serious science projects, don’t insult the Canadians...eh?

2. Canada also contains what might be, in regards to footprint, the largest mountain in the world. Located a mere few miles outside of Alaska in the Yukon Territory, Mt. Logan is 19,551 ft high and still growing! It’s the largest non-volcanic mountain in the world—it’s height is due to tectonics.

3. Canada boasts seventeen Nobel Prize winners. The US has three hundred and twelve.

4. The name Canada came from “Kanata,” which is Iroquois and Huron for “village.” Well, that’s original.

5. Alberta, Canada, is probably one of the only places in the world that is completely rat-free.

6. Canada’s national animal is the beaver (TREES! *nom nom nom*).

7. Canadians eat more macaroni and cheese than anyone else on earth. So if all my college friends decide to get healthy, Kraft will still be in business.

8. Canada’s education was heavily influenced by (guess who? No, not the French, silly) Great Britain. Hence, it’s “z” is pronounced “zed,” and they maintain their honour and colours by throwing a “u” in.

9. Canada claims a lot of our Hollywood actors, directors, and musicians. To name a few? Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, who starred in the Notebook. Jim Carrey, known for his comedic expressions. Celine Dion? Yup. Canadian. Not to mention Michael Buble and Justin Bieber. I still chuckle over his “German? We don’t say that here,” comment.

10. Want some space? Canada’s population density is 3 people per square kilometer. Not only that, but according to the United Nations Human Development Index, Canadians have the highest quality of life.

11. Ontario, which is where Hershey and I are headed, hosts the Niagara Falls, the largest city (Toronto), and the nation’s capital (Ottawa).

12. Every winter, Quebec builds their Ice Hotel (Hotel de Glace) out of 400 tons of ice and 12,000 tons of snow. Every summer, they let it melt, then rebuild it. Personally, I feel like someone ought to mention how inefficient that is.

13. Maybe Bieber isn't the best example, but Canadians are smart! They invented the baseball glove, basketball, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, the telephone, cable TV, CPR dummies, and the electron microscope.

And in case those thirteen facts aren’t enough, I’m providing two lovely renditions of O Canada, Canada’s national anthem, by Canada’s own Celine Dion and Classified, the band.





Hershey and I hope you enjoyed learning about Our Great Neighbor, good old Canada!

Until next Thursday!

-Hershey the Hedgehog & Co.

Hershey thanks his sources for all information on Canada, videos, and others:

http://www.canadafacts.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest_mountains

http://www.jinfo.org/US_Nobel_Prizes.html

http://www.altiusdirectory.com/Society/nobel-prize-winners-canada.html

http://members.tripod.com/~justin_slade/justin/useless.html

http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/kids/fun-facts/default.asp

http://columbustotoronto.blogspot.com/2007/01/random-facts-about-canada-ive-learned.html

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/canada-fun-facts-interesting-facts-about-canada.html

http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/facts-about-ontario-3088.html

Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0kWTOGZ53I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjiwBwBL4Qo&feature=player_embedded

Thanks to John for allowing us to feature him driving with Hershey.

Photo taken somewhere near Houston, Texas.

Hershey the Hedgehog takes Touristy Pictures

As I mentioned before, Hershey is my traveling companion. One thing, however, that we are required to do while we are out of town is take touristy photos. That's right—so get out your bunny ears and start clicking away, because nothing is more classic than a silly photo in front of some big world monument or a unique cultural spot.

In the photo to your left, you see a photograph of Hershey in a car during a road trip to Austin, Texas. Those are Fiona’s own two fingers giving him bunny ears, an aforementioned friend who we can never thank enough. Hershey is making a statement with this photo. Hershey wants you to know that it’s okay to be a little silly in your photos. The point is to record good memories, not to look like a movie star. In fact, it’s always a little better to look more natural in your photos, else no one thinks you really enjoyed the trip.

Have fun! Relax! While these aren’t Hershey’s mottos, they are something to remember when on vacation. If you have a camera, take as many pictures as you can—you won’t regret it. Hershey knows this. Which is why we can have a photo blog today—because Hershey takes as many pictures as possible. Hershey knows it’s always nice to look back at where you’ve been and reminisce.

So don’t be afraid to pose awkwardly in front of the Ponce de Leon or the Eifel Tower. No one cares what you look like compared to the Big Ben—all they really care about is that you’ve been there and have the evidence to prove it. Enjoy your vacation, Hershey says.

Next week, we will explore the beginnings of a trip to good ol’ Canada! Hershey the Hedgehog will inform you of some fun facts about Canada and more specifically, Ontario. Until next Thursday!

-Hershey the Hedgehog & Co.

Photo taken somewhere near Houston, Texas.

Hershey the Hedgehog likes Art

Ever been to an art museum? Hershey has. Here, Hershey has had the opportunity to see things through a different set of eyes, with a different perspective. Hershey didn’t like everything he saw here at this art museum in Austin, Texas, but it didn’t take him long to realize that art wasn’t about being liked or disliked. It was about opening the mind up to something from someone else’s heart.

There are dozens and dozens of ways to describe art. It really isn’t quite that easy to pin down. When it comes to the essence, art is about expression. It’s about showing people something. Sometimes, it’s something they’ve seen before. Sometimes it’s something easy to make. Sometimes, it’s complex and hard to understand. Sometimes it has a point to make. But always, and I mean always, there is something to see. There is something.

Hershey loves art. This little hedgehog knows that art isn’t all about being photographed—it’s about doing your own thing.

So Hershey wants to inspire you today. This is his little work of art, this blog, and it’s time for you to make yours. Write a story. Take a photo. Paint something. Draw something. Make up a dance. Sing something. Because no matter what you do, whether you make something good or bad, simple or complex, ugly or beautiful, it is always something that you have done.

And that’s how Hershey sees art.


Photos taken in the Austin Museum of Art in Austin, Texas.

Hershey the Hedgehog

This is Hershey. He is a hedgehog. He is not to be confused with Harry the Hippo, or Hubert the Hilarious, or Harrison Ford. Especially not with Harrison Ford, though their hair sometimes looks alike.

Hershey, true to his name, is a very sweet hedgehog with an itch for traveling. For our sake, he will try new things, eat new foods, and go new places. He is the essence of amiability, the most courageous of Leos, and encompasses compassion.

Through his lifetime, we have been attempting to record his extraordinary progress through human society, examining the things he does and with whom.

Speaking of whom, there are others of us who need to be introduced.

I, the author, am Hershey's closest companion and traveling buddy. Hershey goes where I go and encourages me to go even farther than I have ever been. Other members of our Hershey fanclub include Susan, whose equipment has allowed us to take careful records of our travels, Fiona, whose help and support has been invaluable, and all of you who read this blog of Hershey's adventures. We appreciate it. And Hershey will hear of it and bless you.

Until next Thursday!

-Hershey the Hedgehog & Co.

Photo taken at Lakeway Resort and Spa, Austin, Texas.