Penguin Summer: Montreal

I was in Montreal for a journalists’ convention in September 2009, still summer for a few more days. The conference hotel was just a few blocks from Noël Eternel where I found a few more penguin ornaments, including the beautiful Ne’Qwa ornament painted on the inside. I also bought a duplicate of an ornament that I had bought in Hershey, Pa., on the summer RV journey.

Roly-poly glass penguin with red Santa hat and red snowflakes on its belly

Acquired: September 11, 2009, Noël Eternel, Montreal, PQ

Number: 0706

Size: 5 inches tall

Price: 8.99 $CAN

RAZ Holiday Imports molded glass parent and child with fuzzy backs

Acquired: September 11, 2009, Noël Eternel, Montreal, PQ

Number: 0707

Size: 4.5 inches tall

Price: 12.99 $CAN

Acquired: July 24, 2009, Incredible Christmas, Hershey Park, Pa.

Number: 0669

Price: $9.95

Penguin Summer: Chincoteague

We were falling a little behind schedule again, partly because of my penguin ornament shopping, but we made sure to stop at Kitty Hawk where the Wright brothers made their historic flights. We were supposed to make it to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware that night, but it was clear we wouldn’t make it. Our plan B was to get to Chincoteague. The RV campground directory I had bought came in handy for us to find a place and call ahead. That gave us time to stop for dinner at a homey diner a few hours away. During our meal, the waitress asked us where we were from, where we were heading, etc. When we said we were going to stop in Chincoteague, she said, “You’re lucky, tomorrow is the pony swim.” Without even planning it, we were going to be in Chincoteague for the annual wild pony roundup and swim across the channel from Assateague Island. We even found out our campground had a front row view of the swim and the parade to the fairgrounds where the ponies would be auctioned. I even found a penguin ornament, one that matched a pair that I had bought a few days before in Hershey, Pa.

Small felt penguin with red ear muffs

Acquired: July 29, 2009, The Brant, Chincoteague, Va.

Number: 0684

Size: 4.75 inches tall

Two small felt penguins with flat orange beaks and green hats

Acquired: July 24, 2009, Incredible Christmas, Hershey Park, Pa.

Number: 0674 0675

Size: 5 inches tall

Price: $3.99 each

Penguin Summer: All mixed up

With so many penguin ornaments piling up in the RV, it’s surprising that I didn’t get confused about which ones I had bought already. There were instances throughout the summer where I bought duplicates and also a few times when I bought penguins that belong together at different places. Here was a case where I bought the same ornaments just days apart. I could have checked the bag from Hershey Park to see if I had already bought the two penguins shown today, but for some reason I didn’t. I only photographed one of the two sets.

RAZ Holiday Imports roly-poly pair with fuzzy backs wearing green scarf and red scarf

Acquired: July 24, 2009, Incredible Christmas, Hershey Park, Pa.

Number: 0670 0671

Size: 3.5 and 4 inches tall

Price: $8.99 each

Duplicates of above

Acquired: July 28, 2009, Christmas Mouse, Nags Head, N.C.

Number: 0676 0677

Price: $8.50 each

Penguin Summer: Hershey Park

By the time we left Cooperstown, N.Y. and the Baseball Hall of Fame, we were a day or two behind our planned schedule. Our next night was supposed to be near Hershey, Pa., with a visit to the amusement park the next day. Instead we headed for my home in northeastern Pennsylvania where we regrouped and modified our itinerary for the rest of trip. We got up early the next day, drove to Hershey and spent a fun day at the park. There wasn’t time for the chocolate factory tour, but there was time for a stop at the Christmas shop on the way out of the park. We found a number of penguins.

The big ornament at the top was one of a bagful of penguins we found. It reminds of the film “March of the Penguins,” especially the part where the male emperors huddled together and slowly shifted positions to keep each other warm in the middle of Antarctica’s winter. The penguins go all the way around the bulb, which is covered all over with a frosty glaze.

Large glass ball with all-around penguin scene and covered in frosty glaze

Acquired: July 24, 2009, Incredible Christmas, Hershey Park, Pa.

Number: 0667

Size: 4 inches diameter

Price: $4.99

Seasons of Cannon Falls big red cutaway ball with changing light penguin inside

Acquired: July 24, 2009, Incredible Christmas, Hershey Park, Pa.

Number: 0668

Size: 4.5 diameter

Price: $14.95

Two chubby ceramic penguins with dangling screwed-in feet wearing red hat with blue trim with plaid scarf and blue hat with stripes and plaid trim with striped scarf

Acquired: July 24, 2009, Incredible Christmas, Hershey Park, Pa.

Number: 0672 0673

Size: 4.25 inches tall

Price: $2 each