Downhome January 2021

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Vol 33 • No 08

$4.99

January 2021

Decadent Recipes for CHEAT DAY

Vote for Submission of the Year

What Makes Stars Twinkle?

A Horse with Heart

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life is better Published monthly in St. John’s by Downhome Publishing Inc. 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 Tel: 709-726-5113 • Fax: 709-726-2135 • Toll Free: 1-888-588-6353 E-mail: mail@downhomelife.com Website: www.downhomelife.com Editorial Editor-in-Chief Janice Stuckless Assistant Editor Nicola Ryan Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Graphic and Web Designer Cory Way Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters Advertising Sales Senior Account Manager Robert Saunders Account Manager Barbara Young Marketing Director Tiffany Brett Finance and Administration Junior Accountant Marlena Grant Accounting Assistant Sandra Gosse

Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney Warehouse Operations Warehouse / Inventory Manger Carol Howell Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins Distribution Sales & Marketing Amanda Ricks Sr. Customer Service Associate Sharon Muise Inventory Control Clerk Darlene Whiteway Retail Operations Retail Floor Manager, St. John’s Jackie Rice Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Crystal Rose, Jonathon Organ, Nicole French, Elizabeth Gleason, Rebecca Ford, Erin McCarthy, Marissa Little, Elizabeth Gauci, Kim Tucker, Heather Stuckless, Katrina Hynes, Lynette Ings, Stef Burt, Ashley Lane, Alicia Evans

Subscriptions Customer Service Associate Cathy Blundon

Founding Editor Ron Young

President & Associate Publisher Todd Goodyear

Chief Executive Officer/Publisher Grant Young

General Manager/Assistant Publisher Tina Bromley

To subscribe, renew or change address use the contact information above.

Subscriptions total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $45.99; ON $45.19; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $41.99. US and International mailing price for a 1-year term is $49.99.

Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #40062919 The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of the servants or otherwise, and there shall be no liability beyond the amount of such advertisement. The Letters to the Editor section is open to all letter writers providing the letters are in good taste, not libelous, and can be verified as true, correct and written by the person signing the letter. Pen names and anonymous letters will not be published. The publisher reserves the right to edit, revise, classify, or reject any advertisement or letter. © Downhome Publishing Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

Printed in Canada

Official onboard magazine of

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96 rich tastes

Contents

JANUARY 2021

34 The Life of Ranger

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saddle stories

His owners share the most interesting stories of a horse with heart and history. Linda Goodyear

52 Rings of Destiny Presented in love and carried in sorrow, only to find love once more, these rings have a never-ending story.

Kim Ploughman

78 A Thirst for Success A Pilley’s Island couple hopes their new craft brewery will help bring attention, and visitors, to their little corner of The Rock. Linda Browne

96 Cheat Well Six sumptuous recipes that will satisfy all your cravings on “cheat days.”

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January 2021

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Contents

JANUARY 2021

homefront 10 I Dare Say A note from the editor 12 Letters From Our Readers 1950s whale research, a new Ode to Newfoundland, and a song for a fairy queen

20 Downhome Tours Downhome readers explore Panama

22 Why is That? What makes stars twinkle, and why does looking at a bright light help when you feel a sneeze coming on? Linda Browne 24 Life’s Funny Sporting Good Humour Doris Hugh

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snow babies

25 Say What A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth 26 Lil Charmers All Bundled Up 28 Pets of the Month Frosty Fashion 30 Reviewed Denise Flint interviews Gerard Collins about his modern gothic novel The Hush Sisters.

32 What Odds Paul Warford dishes up A Matter of Taste 38 Poetic Licence The Night We Burned Uncle Archie’s Boat Carl Smith 40 2020 Submission of the Year Browse the 12 photo finalists and choose your favourite.

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28 ruff life

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meet the locals

features 48 Newfoundland Sheep These wooly animals are a breed of their own. Todd Hollett

58 126 Years of Service Dennis Flynn gets a tour and a lesson in modern-day firefighting at the Central Fire Station in St. John’s.

64 Making Brighter Days Stella Michel’s 12 Months 12 Miracles casts a beam of kindness.

Nicola Ryan

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explore 68 Take It Outside Easy ways to educate and entertain your kids this winter. Todd Hollett January 2021

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Contents

JANUARY 2021

86 fresh start

74 The Moratorium Experience A new, innovative tourism venture in Conche. Connie Boland

84 Travel Diary A trip to Newfoundland tinged with storybook elements Betty Midgley

home and cabin 86 Stuff We Love Waiting out the Storms Nicola Ryan

88 New Year, New Looks Interior designer Marie Bishop’s tips for 2021.

92 Todd’s Table Sunday Pot Roast Todd Goodyear

104 Down to Earth The Good and the Bad of 2020 Kim Thistle 6

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114 old-timey adventure

reminiscing 108 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places

110 Visions & Vignettes Adventures of two young scalawags in an imaginary outport of days gone by Harold N. Walters About the cover This pretty winter bird was photographed by Eldred Allen of Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, NL. For more of his gorgeous nature photography, check out the social media pages of his company, Bird’s Eye Inc.

Cover Index 6 Decadent Recipes for Cheat Day • 96 Tapping Into Tourism • 78 Miracle Workers • 64 The Great Outdoors • 68 Vote for Submission of the Year • 40 What Makes Stars Twinkle? • 22 A Horse With Heart • 34 www.downhomelife.com

114 A Father’s Journey Continues The saga of Sydney Bradbrook Elizabeth Batstone

120 Newfoundlandia Turning on the Lights Chad Bennett 126 Puzzles 138 Marketplace 140 Mail Order 144 Photo Finish January 2021

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Find out how stars get their “twinkle.”

Learn how to make the best Sunday Pot Roast.

p. 22

p. 92

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Puzzles Got You Stumped?

Play our Say What game.

Sneak a peek at the answers at Downhomelife.com/puzzles.

A new challenge every month!

(See p. 25 for this month’s winner)

January 2021

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Submission Guidelines and Prize Rules

You could WIN $100!

Every reader whose PHOTO, STORY, JOKE or POEM appears next to this yellow “from our readers” stamp in a current issue receives $10 and a chance at being drawn for the monthly prize: $100 for one photo submission and $100 for one written submission. Prizes are awarded in Downhome Dollars certificates, which can be spent like cash in our retail stores and online at shopDownhome.com.*

Submit Today!

Send your photo, story, joke or poem to

Downhome 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 or submit online at:

www.downhomelife.com *Only 1 prize per submitter per month. To receive their prize, submitters must provide with their submission COMPLETE contact information: full name, mailing address, phone number and email address (if you have one). Mailed submissions will only be returned to those who include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Downhome Inc. reserves the right to publish submissions in future print and/or electronic media campaigns. Downhome Inc. is not responsible for unsolicited material. www.downhomelife.com

January 2021

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i dare say

I love a new scribbler.

Todd Young photo

All those blank pages not yet smudged or wrinkled, still smelling faintly of the ink used to print the lines, hold such promise. I imagine the neatly written notes, the doodles, the information that will eventually fill it. I’m equal parts hesitant and excited to make the first mark.

It’s like a blanket of freshly fallen snow, the kind that sparkles in the light on the path ahead of you. It’s too pretty to disturb, but at the same time you want to be the first to make a mark on it.

I find a new year is like a new scribbler or that perfectly laid blanket of snow. No one’s yet made an impression on it and what will fill it is not yet known.

Turning over that first page of the calendar gives me the same feeling of newness, and I am excited about the opportunities that lie in the months to come.

The year ahead is like Schrödinger’s cat. You know the experiment? A live cat is sealed inside a box with a flask of poison and until you open the box, two truths – that the cat is alive and the cat is dead – exist. (It was a theoretical experiment in quantum superposition and no cat was actually harmed.) Each day is new, and until it is lived and its outcome known, it has immeasurable possibilities. It has equal chance of being bad and being good, and the only way to find out is to live it.

Happy New Year,

Janice Stuckless, Editor-in-chief janice@downhomelife.com

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My Missing NL Vacation

Every year I have visited Nana, my Grandma. I missed my 2020 vacation, boating and tripping the countryside. I will never forget what we lost this year.

Juan Ivan Pittman-Rojo Ontario

This is a great photo of what was obviously a happy time for you. So many people had to go without their Newfoundland and Labrador fix in 2020. Hopefully we’ll all be roaming the province together again soon.

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1950s Whale Research After reading your article on the tracking of humpback whales at present by means of identifying their tail fluke markings [“Fluke Science,” October 2020], I reflected on my early occupation as a marine mammalogist.

I enrolled at MUN in 1953, as a biology major, and was taken on for the summer of 1954 by the Fisheries Research Board of Canada station on Water Street East (Dr. W. Templeman, director). My first boss that summer was Dr. D.E. Sergeant, who was then studying pilot whales and harp seals, and I became his assistant. After a period of relevant training, he packed me off on my first assignment to Dildo, Trinity Bay, to collect samples of pilot whale canine teeth (that we later ground down for counting their rings for aging the animals). It was quite an eye opening experience. He later sent me on the traditional Newfoundland seal hunt aboard the MV Theron, another eye opener.

I spent about 12 years with the FRB of Canada off and on, before moving on to a landlubber university job. During this period I also received training in whale identifications on the high seas, from factors like the shape of their blow, their physical characteristics and overall general behaviour.

This was a time when whales were still being hunted commercially worldwide and scientists, in order to get their www.downhomelife.com

research data, had to go where it could be readily collected – namely, on these commercial, industrial scale whale and seal hunts. It was quite a different world then, where the top paid men in the business often included the captains of these whaling and sealing vessels, because more than anyone else they knew where to go to catch the most commercially valuable animals.

This activity mostly ended in 1974, with a global ban on whaling introduced by the International Whaling Commission, when all whaling countries save Norway and Japan signed on to the accord. Of course, most commercially important whales had been hunted to extinction by this time.

John P. Christopher Via email

Times have certainly changed, John.

You had a learning experience that simply can’t be had anymore.

January 2021

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find corky sly conner Hidden somewhere in this issue is Corky Sly Conner.

Can you find him?

Look carefully at all the photographs and in the text of the stories. If you spot Corky, send us your name, address and phone number, along with a note telling us where he’s located. Your name will be entered in a draw and the winner will receive a coupon worth 25 Downhome Dollars redeemable at our store, or through our website.

Send your replies to: Corky Contest

Congratulations to Cecil Anderson of Pasadena, NL, who found Corky on page 50 of the November issue.

43 James Lane St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3

mail@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com *No Phone Calls Please One entry per person

Deadline for replies is the end of each month.

Radio Comedy

Hope Springs

During the 1930s, much of our news and entertainment in St. John’s came through the radio. One fun radio program I recall was headlined “Arthur Priestman Cameron, the man from Yorkshire, who sings his own peculiar songs in his own peculiar way.” And they were. One I partially remember was sung to the tune “Funiculi funicula.” The few words I recall – not necessarily entirely correctly: …“they laughed at me, they laughed at Ma, they laughed at Jack, they laughed at Pa, when we went to Topsail in the famous motor car.” I hope someone will respond giving the full lyrics.

Kim Thistle’s “Beautiful Fall Bulbs” article (October 2020) reminds us that the flower already formed in the heart of a bulb will not bloom unless it gets long periods of cold temperatures to produce its underground root system in the darkness of the earth. The fall bulb serves as an analogy for us as humans when we go through dark, cold periods. Though we may not realize it at the time, we are producing a strong root system; hope is a flower deep inside that will bloom into something beautiful for us and those around us.

John Williamson Halifax, NS

Does anyone recall this show or entertainer? Anyone know the lyrics to this song? Get in touch by email at editorial@downhomelife.com or write to us at Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3.

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Nellie P. Strowbridge Pasadena, NL

What a lovely takeaway from that gardening article. Thanks, Nellie.

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Flicka and Little Red by the Sea Star of Lawn is a bit of a celebrity in the Newfoundland Pony world. She lived for 21 years and over her lifetime, gave birth to an incredible 14 foals! Though two of her foals died, her offspring constitutes an impressive line of Newfoundland Ponies that are unique to the Burin Peninsula and that can be traced back to a single pony.

Jim and Melaine Jarvis were the proud owners of Star, and today they have one of her grand daughters, the magnificent Flicka (dam: Star E, aka Stormy), now 14 years old. The Jarvis’ three daughters Megan, Stephanie & Kimberly, grew up around ponies and have a special connection with Flicka. She can be seen in the summer months grazing on a hill perched over the ocean with her foal, ‘Little Red’ by her side. The pastureland is owned by the Jarvis family and is along the Burin Peninsula where the tsunami struck in 1929.

Last year on July 1, Flicka gave birth to Little Red. It was a day the Jarvis family will never forget. They had been monitoring Flicka in the days leading up to the birth, keeping a watchful eye on her. “We were all excited about the foal, no one more so than my Uncle Hubert Edwards who was 73 at the time,” recalls Jim Jarvis. After Flicka gave birth, Jim knew something wasn’t right. “The foal didn’t get up; even hours later she didn’t get up on her legs. She was very weak,” he added. “We were worried she wouldn’t make it.”

Uncle Hubert, wanting to help, decided to go to the store to buy some milk to nurse the foal. He headed off on his ATV and never returned. He suffered a fatal heart attack along the way.

It took weeks of around-the-clock care (including milking Flicka) until the foal turned the corner. The day she was able to stand, they knew she was out of the woods.

“Uncle Hubert died doing what he loved. He was trying to help the foal,” said Jim. Known for his red hair, they named Flicka’s foal after him, ‘Little Red.’ Stephanie Jarvis is proud of her family’s connection to Newfoundland Ponies. “They have been a big part of our lives for as long as we remember and we plan to carry on the tradition with our own children,” she said. Little Red, Flicka’s only foal, holds a special place in the Jarvis family.

Top: Kimberly Jarvis on Flicka.

Middle: Flicka (left) and Little Red in Lawn, Newfoundland.

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Inspired by Trip to NL I was born in Hant’s Harbour, Trinity Bay, in 1937, of Salvation Army officers. My father, Baxter Evans, was a schoolteacher who built the oneroom school and taught the children.

My mother, Lucy Evans (nee Bartlett), was a nurse – one of the first graduates of the School of Nursing at Memorial University, St. John’s. They married in 1932 and began their careers in the Army.

When born, I weighted 3 lbs. 4 oz. and was tongue-tied, a blue baby and not given much chance of survival.

The doctor who delivered me apparently placed me on the bed in my parents’ home and said to my dad, “There is one you won’t have to buy shoes for.” I lived my first month in the oven; my mother used it as an incubator. Thank God she was a nurse.

Move forward 30 years. While working for the federal government in Ottawa, I met and married a wonderful Polish man. We were happily married for 47 years, until I lost him to a brain tumor.

I wanted to introduce him to my Newfoundland relatives, so in 1971, we embarked on a trip home. Enclosed is a poem he wrote when we returned to the mainland. He fell in love with our beautiful province and said that if anything happened to me he was going back to get another Newfie.

I hope you enjoy this story and will include his “Ode to Newfoundland” in one of your editions.

Betty (Evans) Yolkouskie Inverary, ON

We certainly did enjoy your story, Betty. Here is Jack’s poem: 16

January 2021

Ode to Newfoundland Come on my fellow man I’ve got a yarn to spin about a trip I had to make Upon to Newfoundland I’ve heard the Newfies brag of life And great things that ought to be Upon this small Island Afloating in the sea I took a jaunt upon a ship On ice I won’t forget Twelve hours late a Port-aux-Basques My body it was sick Next came the Screech That made me weep And laid me on the street.

I’ve jigged a cod And fished the lakes I’ve met the folks from place to place From every bay I travelled I was greeted like a son They told me tales of sea and gale And treated me to cod tongue I’ve visited lonely harbours And sailed long bays I can’t see how they manage Let alone make it pay.

A healthier lot you will never find Like a silver lining in a cloud When they begin to grow They are going to do us proud.

They may be goofy Newfies The youngest province I confess I’m proud that they accepted us For some day they will be our best.

I’ve met the group from Newfie We mainlanders call insane But if I’m ever born again I pray it will be in Newfoundland.

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Location Correction

A Far Travelled Magazine

We would like to thank you and your staff for another fine issue of Downhome. The heroic service of Adele Jenkins is well written [“High-Flying Heroine,” September 2020]. Her swim in Haverstraw Bay took place off Haverstraw, New York, not New Jersey. Haverstraw is a community located in Rockland County, NY, just north of the New Jersey state line. The bay, at the eastern edge of the community, is the widest portion of the Hudson River system.

Since colonial days, the Hudson River has provided deep water access as a shipping route between New York City and Albany, NY. At the close of the Second World War, hundreds of Liberty and Victory type vessels were “mothballed” in Haverstraw Bay awaiting their final disposition. Most were sold for scrap. A historic plaque commemorating the massing of these vessels is located at a scenic pullout north of Haverstraw.

I came across the Downhome magazine in my doctor’s office three or four years ago. I was told to take it home to enjoy it. After reading it, I subscribed.

Now when I am finished reading the latest edition, I pass it on to my friend in Durham, and she returns it when she has read it. I then give it to a 98year-old in an assisted living facility in Durham who enjoys it and shares it with other residents. One resident is in her 104th year. She really enjoys it.

The magazine is then passed on to my nephew’s father-in-law who is also a senior; after reading it, he shares it with his three children in Priceville. It is then shared with another senior couple to enjoy and they also share it.

I haven’t followed its journey after they receive it. It is a well read, appreciated and travelled magazine. Keep up the good reading.

Hollyce & Marvin Kirkland Sevierville, TN, USA

Boy, we sure do get around! If you found Downhome in an unusual place, or left it somewhere for a stranger to find, tell us about it!

Email editorial@downhomelife.com, or write to Downhome, 43, James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3.

Thank you for correcting that for us.

www.downhomelife.com

Joan O’Neill Durham, ON

January 2021

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Mab the Fairy Queen In response to a letter in the November 2020 issue, I recall the poem “Queen Mab’s Song” that he mentioned. It was written by William Shakespeare, and I found it in Book Four of the Treasury Readers. I still have a copy after approximately 70 years, though it’s pretty dilapidated now.

Also from the same reader is “Children, Children Don’t Forget” by Dora Owen: Children, children, don’t forget / There are elves and fairies yet / Where the knotty hawthorn grows / Look for prints of fairy toes…

In that same reader are other longtime favourite poems, such as “John Gilpin,” “The Duel,” “Out to Old Aunt Mary’s,” “The Village Blacksmith” and “The Miller of the Dee.” I’d like to own more of the Treasury Readers, but it’s been so long. I hope you enjoy this and that you will be transported a little in your mind to our “good old days.”

Shirley V. Young

Little Harbour, Twillingate, NL

Thanks, Shirley. Treasury Readers bring back memories! Here is “Queen Mab’s Song” by William Shakespeare, as published in the Treasury Reader. (And thank you to Donald for emailing us this picture of the music sheet.)

Queen Mab’s Song Come, follow, follow me All the fairies that there be.

Skip lightly on the green And follow Mab, your queen.

Hand-in-hand we dance around For this place is fairy ground.

A gnat, the fly, the bee, They are our fiddlers three.

All night we dance and sing Around our fairy ring; And if the moon does hide her head The glow-worm lights us home to bed.

Upon a mushroom’s head Our tablecloth we spread A grain of rye or wheat Is the food that we do eat.

Pearly drops of dew we drink In acorn cups filled to the brink.

On tops of dewy grass So nimbly do we pass.

The young and tender stalk Ne’er bends as we do walk.

Yet in the morning may be seen Where the night before have been.

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life is better Frozen pathways in Twillingate Julian Earle, Twillingate ,NL

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homefront Downhome tours...

Panama

Manmade Marvel

Baxter and Nadine Evans of Springdale, NL, cross the Panama Canal on board the Coral Princess cruise ship in 2019.

The Panama Canal is a constructed waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans across the Isthmus of Panama. A system of narrow locks allows ships to ascend and descend about 26 metres (85 feet) and traverse over 82 kilometres (50 miles) from shoreline to shoreline. More than a million people visit this engineering marvel each year, making it Panama’s most famous landmark.

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Keeping Cool Brenda Conway, Joanne Cougle, David Conway and Mike Pardy of Kingston, ON, in El Valle.

Officially known as El Valle de Antรณn, this picturesque town lies in the crater of an extinct volcano. Hiking trails lead to waterfalls, thermal pools and spectacular panoramic views of the town and surrounding mountains.

Astonishing Animals

Joan Connors of New Liskeard, ON, poses with a fierce (but fake) friend.

Panama is home to the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), which inhabits brackish or saltwater areas. They have an average lifespan of 70 years in the wild and can weigh up to 907 kg (2,000 lbs). You can differentiate an alligator from a crocodile by paying attention to whether the animal sees you later or in a while. www.downhomelife.com

January 2021

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Expert answers to common life questions.

By Linda Browne

What makes stars “twinkle”?

If you’ve ever gazed up at the night sky to wish upon a star, chances are there’s someone somewhere else in the world doing the exact same thing. And with about two trillion galaxies in the observable universe (with our own Milky Way galaxy containing an estimated 400 billion stars), there’s plenty to go around. On a clear night, we can see only a few thousand of them with the naked eye, some of them twinkling. What makes them twinkle, and why don’t planets appear to twinkle the same way?

To find out we asked Leslie Sage, an astronomer who is also the astronomy editor of Nature – the world’s leading multidisciplinary science journal, and a senior visiting research scientist at the University of Maryland. He says while most stars shine steadily, the twinkling we observe is due to turbulence in the air. Turbulence causes the starlight to bend slightly as it travels from the star, through the atmosphere and down to us, giving the stars a “twinkling” effect.

To get a better picture, Sage says, “Imagine you have dusty glasses and are looking at something far away (so it looks small)... the object will look dim if you happen to be looking through a speck of dust, but bright if you’re looking through a clear spot in the glasses. So, as you move your head around, the object’s brightness will fluctuate according to where you 22

January 2021

look,” he writes in a recent email to Downhome.

“One example is a distant highway sign that you’re trying to read... as you get closer to it, the sign fills more of your of ‘field of view’ and it doesn’t matter that some portions of the sign are obscured by the flecks of dust – the totality of the sign is apparent.” Sage says this correlates to what’s going on in the atmosphere. “Stars are tiny (only a few instruments in the world can measure the radius of the star), so it’s like the distant highway sign. How it appears depends upon where the flecks of dust are – the dust is like the turbulence in the atmosphere.”

However, he adds, “if the object (a planet) extends over many flecks of dust and clear spaces, then the brightness will be averaged over both the flecks and the clear spots. Hence, no twinkling.”

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Why does looking at a bright light help when you feel a sneeze coming on?

It’s a phenomenon that’s perplexed people for generations. Even the Greek philosopher Aristotle, or one of his pupils, in his sweeping work Problems pondered: “Why is it that one sneezes more after one has looked at the sun? Is it because the sun engenders heat and so causes movement, just as does tickling the nose with a feather?”

Turns out that heat has nothing to do with it. The “photic sneeze reflex,” as it’s called, is a term first coined by Dr. Henry C. Everett in a 1964 paper published in the journal Neurology.

It’s also aptly known as the ACHOO syndrome, which stands for Autosomal Dominant Compelling HelioOphthalmic Outburst.

Everett mentions another researcher who noted patients sneezing not only in response to sunlight, but also to an ophthalmoscope (a lighted instrument used to examine the inside of the eye), flash photography and ultraviolet light. He also notes that the sneezing only occurred at the start of the patients’ exposure to bright light, “but does not persist with continued exposure or when the exposure is soon repeated.” In other words, it’s the sudden change in light intensity that seems to lead to the sneezing.

According to Dr. Doug Angel, an otolaryngologist with Eastern Health in Newfoundland and Labrador, it’s a bit of a head-scratching phenomenon.

“It is obviously all involuntary and happens as a result of sudden exposure to bright lights... It’s believed to be genetic in nature and the mechanism for why it happens is not entirely understood or known,” he writes via email to Downhome.

One possible explanation is that the

optic nerve somehow gets its wires crossed with the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for detecting irritants in the nose and supplies sensation to the face. “Theories suggest it could be related to stimulation of the optic nerve in response to bright light.

As sneezing and this nerve are related, it could potentially give the sensation of an irritant in the nose; triggering a sneeze,” Angel says.

According to the authors of a 2010 paper published in the journal PLOS ONE, “Exposure to bright light such as sunlight elicits a sneeze or prickling sensation in about one of every four individuals.” It’s a pretty harmless phenomenon, they add, but could pose a risk for certain professions, “such as baseball outfielders, highwire acrobats and airplane pilots, or in commonly experienced situations such as driving out of a tunnel…”

Another group of researchers also noted the risk to combat pilots, which can be remedied with a pair of goggles or sunglasses.

If you’re afflicted with the harmless, yet possibly annoying, ACHOO syndrome, you can blame Mom or Dad. As one researcher states, “if one parent is affected, their child has a 50 per cent chance of inheriting the syndrome.”

Do you have a burning life question for Linda to investigate?

Turn to page 9 for ways to contact us. www.downhomelife.com

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homefront life’s funny

Sporting Good Humour This slightly misleading sign was taken outside a sporting goods store in Calgary. A friend was heard to say, “Wow, I can trade in the kids for skis! That’s a deal I can’t pass up.”

Doris Hugh Calgary, AB

Do you have any funny or embarrassing true stories?

Share them with us. If your story is selected, you’ll win a prize! See page 9 for details.

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“ Back off – t gated commuhis is a nity” – Robin C uff

Say WHAT? Downhome recently posted this photo (submitted by Charlene Roberts) on our website and social media platforms and asked folks to imagine what the cat might be saying to the dog. Robin Cuff’s response made us chuckle the most, so we’re awarding her 20 Downhome Dollars!

Here are the runners-up: “Don’t tell mom I’m sneaking out and I’ll bring you back a treat. Deal?” – Sandie Guest Dort “Dogs drool but cats rule!” – Michelle Power “Come up here and say that.” – Gretta Sisson

Play with us online! www.downhomelife.com/saywhat

www.downhomelife.com

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homefront lil charmers

All Bundled Up Less than Impressed Henry’s not sure what to make of all the snow.

Maria Foley Portugal Cove, NL

Two of a Kind

Shanea and Mason make a cute bundle.

Melissa Making St. John’s, NL 26

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Speed Racers

Carson, Avery and Ryder don’t mind the cold at the cabin.

Ashley King Trouty, NL

Frosty Fishing

It was a cold day on the pond when two-year-old Jake caught his first trout.

Adrienna Osmond Jackson’s Arm, NL

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January 2021

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homefront pets of the month

Frosty Fashion Bright and Bold

No trouble seeing Storm on Fogo Island in his fluorescent vest.

Crystal Peddle Long Beach, NL

Pooch Pack Lukey snoozes in snowshoeing’s must-have accessory.

Sarah Pike St. John’s, NL

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The Outsiders

Ellie Mae, Mac and Harley pose on the path.

Brandon Kenny Point au Gaul, NL

Pretty in Pink

Sparkle struts her stuff on a cat walk.

Chastity Butt Forteau, NL

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homefront

reviewed by Denise Flint

The Hush Sisters Gerard Collins

Breakwater Books $22.95

Sissy has lived in the house at 333 Forest Road in St. John’s all her life, first with her parents, then with her husband and now by herself, but it’s getting to be too much for her. When her sister Ava returns from Toronto and tries to persuade her to sell up and start a new life, can Sissy leave her ghosts behind? That’s the literal question, or at least part of the question, posed in Gerard Collins’ modern gothic novel, The Hush Sisters.

The book is rich in atmosphere. The house, practically a character in its own right, may not be an old New England mansion, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a scary place. Yet it doesn’t seem to constitute a threat. At least Sissy never seems to feel endangered by it. The story’s more complicated than that. Beyond the spooky atmosphere and things that go bump in the night lies the heart of the tale – two women and their difficult relationship. The Hush sisters couldn’t be more different. Ava loves to be the centre of attention; Sissy hides from the world in a small, dark closet. But they also couldn’t have more in common. And before either of them can move on, they must come to grips with that commonality. The time for secrets is over.

Collins has done a really fine job of portraying both sides of the sisters’ shared story, making The Hush Sisters – part suspense novel, part ghost story, part chic lit and all eminently readable – hard to put down.

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Q&A with the Author Denise Flint: What’s the difference between a classic gothic novel and a modern one?

Gerard Collins: The difference generally is the time period. Things that would have been expected in the 19th century you wouldn’t write the same.

This book has elements of classic gothic – there are secrets, a repressed idea where secret shame rises and they have to deal with it. The tropes are the old house that may or may not have spirits, lots of middle of the night scenes, darkness figurative or real – that’s all classic. In postmodern gothic there’s less mystery and less attention paid to whether there’s a ghost. In a classic gothic the ghost is monstrous; nowadays we see them as just something we don’t understand.

They’re not monstrous just because they’re ghosts.

DF: You’ve taught gothic horror literature for a number of years.

Does that make writing this kind of book easier or harder?

GC: I’m not sure if it’s easier or harder; it’s just natural because ghosts are very natural to me. My father told ghost stories around the fire every night. I’m aware of the pitfalls. I know what’s been written. I’m not trying to write a gothic story. I’m writing a story about the relationship between two characters and it happens that one of them is haunted by a ghost. I try to keep it as real and authentic as possible. What was written in the past doesn’t matter.

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DF: With such an emphasis on ‘authentic voices’ these days, did you feel any qualms about writing a book where the two main characters are female?

GC: Not in the beginning. I really was just writing a story about these two characters. I grew up with four older brothers; it was my friendships with women that gave me the voices of women almost without exception. I consulted women readers and several editors were women, and I wanted to make sure I was getting it right. I was getting to know these characters the same way I would get to know a person. I’m not presuming to know what it’s like to be a woman, but showing curiosity about what it means to be a woman. All you can do is your best to get it right.

DF: How is COVID-19 affecting your work? Are you more or less productive?

GC: I’m productive in the sense that right up until late August I was in the editing stage of this book… I’ve been productive, but not writing. When I was editing this book back in March, when the lockdown started, I spent 40 days and 40 nights alone and I immersed myself day and night. It was exactly the claustrophobic feeling I needed. It was a dark, bleak time and, in a way, that’s classic gothic there. It wasn’t a stretch to live in isolation and edit something like The Hush Sisters.

Launching a book during a pandemic has been a real challenge.

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homefront what odds

a matter of taste

By Paul Warford

Here was Linda, If you smell something burning, might be the lining of my pocket. Vagrant trouour fearless itbadours like myself live on “feast or famine” mother duck, wages. Sometimes there are lots of shows on the completing her docket and money in the purse; other times we’re kept alive with egg-fried rice and peanut degree while also butter on crackers. Nutrition can come from the working as a most unlikely places when it’s needed most.

My brothers and I were notoriously picky school teacher eaters.

I didn’t start eating eggs until I was in my and raising us thirties. I know! Shocking! As a child, warily three idiots, and prodding my steaming bowl of goulash, my father would sometimes bark, “If you’re hungry she’d lay out our enough you can eat anything.” Dad grew up with dinners and we’d less wealth than his kids, so this was an easy, dislife lesson he could point out to us. all spit, “I’m not missive Twenty years later, scrambling eggs (again) in eatin’ that!” like Halifax, I realized he was right. world-class brats. I don’t know why the three of us turned our

noses from our plates so frequently. Okay, well, I guess I should mention – and keep in mind, she’ll be reading this along with you – Mom wasn’t necessarily the best cook around. It’s true!

Motherhood must be remarkably taxing at times.

Here was Linda, our fearless mother duck, completing her degree while also working as a school teacher and raising us three idiots, and she’d lay out our dinners and we’d all spit, “I’m not eatin’ that!” like world-class brats. The memories are embarrassing now, looking back. I’m sure she found it hard to enjoy cooking when these were the critiques she received.

There’s a happy consolation prize for Mom, though, because two of her sons developed a love for cooking, and one of her sons married a chef.

Mom’s in the kitchen less than ever before and she loves it.

Maybe it was in our DNA. I wonder sometimes.

For example, my grandmother never had much

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of a sweet tooth, and my oldest brother is much the same. He’s not even interested in cake! As a baby, not only would my oldest brother Colin refuse to eat any mush apart from one specific food (don’t ask me which, I wasn’t born), he also refused to eat the mush unless it was a specific brand.

I’ve never heard of a baby doing that.

Sometimes I wonder if maybe there’s a Warford gene causing certain taste buds to be extra sensitive. Less sensitive? Who knows.

Ironically, Colin used to enjoy the most repulsive concoction I’ve watched anyone eat. You wanna hear what it was? Brace yourselves. Okay, one of Colin’s childhood staples was steamed rice with a liberal dosage of soy sauce. He also loved cheese sandwiches. He’d spread mayonnaise on thick-cut homemade bread, rest slices of hard cheddar on this, then spoon some soy/rice mixture on top of that.

He loved it.

Here’s a fun aside: My grandmother never cared for soft cheesies. Then, when she was 90, she decided she sort of liked them. Suddenly, she had clipped half-bags of soft cheesies near the weathered maroon recliner tucked into the corner of her room at the old folk’s home. By 92, she was sick of them.

My wife has had to adjust to my cautious eating habits. Just the other day she asked when I would try an oyster again. Oysters are my wife’s favourite food, being from PEI and all. Readers, hear me now: I will never eat another raw oyster for as long as I live. When www.downhomelife.com

I dishwashed at a really fancy-pants restaurant in Banff, I’d eat whatever came my way. Think about it: for a couple to eat there (with a wine pairing) cost about $800. Now, you’re in the back, it’s noisy, it’s steamy, suddenly a chef hands you a hot pan to wash with a small circle of meat on it that he must’ve missed. Do you eat it?

Of course, you do! Usually, the meat was bison. One night, my Korean co-worker encouraged me to try an oyster. With the same mindset I applied to the bison, I took it and ate it without pause. After the initial slurp I honestly, genuinely, almost threw it back up on the kitchen floor. It was the most unpleasant culinary experience of my entire life. I might eat eggs, but I’m still not the guy who eats anything you put in front of him.

Oh right, the money! I mentioned it’s burning a hole in my pocket. I meant to write about the release of the Sony PlayStation 5 and my intention to get one. I was going to mention the evolution of video games and what that evolution has meant to me, personally, playing for years in the family rec room while my father watched from his position in front of the stove.

Maybe next month. Until then, I guess it’s food for thought.

Paul Warford began writing for Downhome to impress his mom and her friends. He writes and performs comedy in Eastern Canada.

Follow him on Twitter @paulwarford January 2021

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homefront

His owners share the most interesting stories of a horse with heart and history.

By Linda Goodyear St. John’s, NL

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that could bring people together, it was Ranger – a handsome gelding named after the Ocean Ranger, the drilling rig that went down in a winter storm off Newfoundland in 1982, killing all 84 people on board. The Belgian-Standard bred cross is a remarkable horse for a number of reasons, most notably for nearing the ripe old age of 36, maybe even 37 years old (approximately 105 in human years). Last spring, all his owners past and present gathered on the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland, where he’d lived with us at different times, to commemorate this beloved equine’s wonderful life. We took turns telling our stories of Ranger – and there were some interesting stories told!

His first owner was Aloysius “Wish” Dolton, a former iron worker from Conception Harbour, who purchased Ranger from Bill Young, a Spaniard’s Bay breeder. Apparently, Bill had a registered Belgian stallion and a Standardbred mare from the Goulds racetrack, which were not supposed to be bred, but “accidents” happen. Their offspring, Ranger, was naturally strong and fast. He had a huge chest and hairy feet like

a Belgian, but his back was lean with the sculpted body and rear end of a harness race horse.

Wish explained that Ranger had a hard-to-break feisty nature, which probably save Wish’s life one night.

Galloping home late from a popular bar where Ranger had been Wish’s transportation, horse and rider almost T-boned a car. Ranger leapt over the hood of the vehicle just in time to save them both. However, momentum

Above: Ranger’s owners, from first to last, left to right: Aloysius “Wish” Dolton, Jackie McGrath, Don Whalen, Linda Goodyear, Bill Dawe www.downhomelife.com

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Ranger with owner Bill, in their finery fit for a wedding. landed them both in the ocean. Wish sustained a broken leg and Ranger required emergency veterinary care.

They both survived; however, a lifestyle change meant a divorce for Wish and a new home for Ranger.

Ranger’s new owner was construction worker Jackie McGrath of Avondale. She saw Ranger as a powerful wood hauler, and she said he did not disappoint. He “never seemed to tire,” she said, and she was amazed that he learned and always knew exactly where to stop to facilitate the easiest offloading of the wood. Unfortunately, demands of working away from her farm left Jackie with no choice but to sell Ranger. Enter Don Whalen.

Don, a former sea captain primarily with provincial ferries, had a hobby farm with a few cattle and sheep.

Ranger was used more for pleasure riding than anything. One time Don and Ranger were wading across Angle Pond, south of Mahers, when suddenly he and the horse were floating separately. Don realized the girth (or cinch) had completely loosened underneath and now he was swimming 36

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on his own with no horse. After rescuing his saddle, Don made his way safely to shore to discover Ranger patiently waiting for him. If anyone knows horses, they don’t usually stick around. Unlike in the movies, a loose horse will hightail it to the greenest patch of tall grass.

When shift work and animal care turned out to be difficult for Don, I entered the picture. I’d learned how to ride while working in Calgary, AB, as a dentist in the 1990s. Owning a ranch there was too costly, but after I relocated to St. John’s, NL, operating a small ranch on Roach’s Line outside the city became a dream come true.

My story about Ranger involved the St. John’s Santa Claus Parade. I decided to recreate the popular TV show “Mantracker” for my dentistry entry. I would ride Ranger and track two oversized Styrofoam teeth permeating in and around the crowds: “Cavity Tracker”!

Horses generally don’t like parades.

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Ranger. He was what horse types call “bombproof.” The following year, I entered the same parade with another horse and it was a nightmare! The new horse was unruly. I sustained a fractured skull and a broken tail bone.

My time with Ranger included the winter of the most snowfall in Eastern Newfoundland’s recorded history, 2001. Horses are grazing animals and must feed at least every 12 hours, regardless of weather conditions. One day, as I turned the corner of the last intersection before my house, Ranger was standing in the middle of the road. There was so much snow he had walked over the fence and was staring down at me in the car, wondering where his meal was.

It only seemed natural to me that the next owner of this great creature should be Bill Dawe of Port de Grave.

Bill, a former snow plow operator, was the local farrier who’d worked on the hooves of many horses in the province, including Ranger.

Ranger had a more glamorous life with Bill, who often harnessed him to fancy carriages to carry the bride and groom at weddings. On one occasion, however, the receiving line had gone on too long, culminating with a large crowd of guests herding the front of the carriage and camera flashes firing continuously. Forced to retreat, Ranger backed into a guard rail where he brought up solid. Overcome, he bolted through the busy parking lot with Bill barely able to control the reins. The groom hung on for dear life, although the bride later declared that she wasn’t a bit worried, as she knew Bill could handle it. Bill still wonders how the entire crowd survived unscathed.

It was not unusual to see Ranger harnessed to a sleigh on any given www.downhomelife.com

winter Sunday, steadfastly hauling passengers up and down Ship Cove Pond near Hibb’s Cove. Summertime, Ranger grazed with his barn mates on the hilly fields around Port de Grave.

But lately, Ranger was showing signs of age. When we gathered last spring, we all noticed how he was more hollow through the hips, his ribs beginning to show. However, his teeth were still good, which is the biggest indicator of a horse’s longevity. “Ah, he has a few good years left in him yet,” we all agreed.

Eight days later, when Bill let Ranger outside to clean his stall, he went down and could not get up. The vet was called and Ranger was helped to greener pastures.

We are so grateful to have shared the memories when we did and raised a glass to a great horse named Ranger.

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homefront poetic licence

The Night We Burned Uncle Archie’s Boat

By Carl Smith Hant’s Harbour, NL

Uncle Archie had a boat The Queen Mary was her name And every spring to make her float He tarred her every seam

At first the hauling it was good From the slipway to the road But then some said, “We’re going home” And left us with the load

Year after year the planks grew thick With layers of tar applied And this continued year by year Until Uncle Archie died

With fewer hands to haul her out It was an awful skote But we couldn’t leave her in the road Cause ’twas Uncle Archie’s boat

The boat that Uncle Archie owned Which never sprung a leak On Bonfire Night in ’49 Was under Jack Stickley’s flake

So we pulled and pushed and hauled some more Until our hands were sore Then finally dragged her on the bank Behind Jim Loder’s store

Someone who knew about the boat Suggested we take a look When out of the dark the boat appeared As they rowed her in the brook

It seemed to us the ideal place A bonfire for to start But for us to burn the Queen Mary Required a lot of heart

As soon as her keel did touch the slip A crowd did gather round And in the twinkling of an eye We had her on dry ground

We knew that once we got her lit The tar would burn like oil So all the wood that we could find We threw upon the pile

O what a bonfire she would make And most of us agreed To haul her out the high road And burn her in the meade

Some paper and some blasty boughs Is what we had in mind The paper we could easily get The boughs were hard to find

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So we searched around in the dark And did the best we could And for our boughs we cut the tops Off of Sammy Loder’s wood When all was good and ready The boat we gathered round While someone tried to light her We never made a sound At first ’twas just a glimmer And then a flame appeared And soon the smoke from the burning tar Literally filled the air The sparks they flew into the air And bits of tar did float Upon the waters of the meade From Uncle Archie’s boat The heat from the fire was so intense Near the fire we could not stay While the flame lit up the darkness As if it were in the day Some said they heard Uncle Archie’s voice When the flames were shooting high While others claimed they saw an image Of Uncle Archie in the sky The burning of Uncle Archie’s boat On that November morn Brought memories of when he used to fish Out on the Mother Corn While times have changed and Uncle Archie’s gone I would have you note We’ll never forget that night we burned Uncle Archie’s boat

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homefront

For all the undesirable things that 2020 brought, from Snowmageddon to COVID-19, it also brought an avalanche of beautiful, creative, fun and touching submissions from readers. You all have our sincerest gratitude for the wealth that you share, and we’d like to award two of you with $500 each in Downhome coupons to spend in our stores and online at ShopDownhome.com. Downhome staff will choose the best written submission. The best photo submission will be chosen by readers.

Browse the 12 photo finalists on the following pages, then visit www.downhomelife.com/soty from January 8 to 15 and vote for your favourite. The one with the most votes wins.

The Submission of the Year in the photo and written categories will be announced in the March 2021 issue.

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Face and Eyes Into It Terri Peyton Grand Falls-Windsor, NL

The Bake Shop Debbie Hamilton Grand Falls-Windsor, NL www.downhomelife.com

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Trading Cabins Sheldon Goulding Grand Falls-Windsor, NL

Dreaming of Home Candice Earle AB

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Porch Pals Amanda Plowman Eddies Cove West, NL

You Can Take the Girl out of the Bay‌ Leah Willcott High Prairie, AB

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We’re All New at This Nicole Noseworthy Bryant’s Cove, NL

Taste the Rainbow Trina Hillyard Paradise, NL

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Gillard’s Stage Dave Wheeler Grand Falls-Windsor, NL

A Happy Picnic Michael Keat Bude, UK

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January 2021

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Feathered Friend Victoria Squires Jamestown, NL

Some Sea On Joyce Morgan Port de Grave, NL

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features

Robert Carter photo

There was a time

not that long ago when sheep commonly roamed outport villages in Newfoundland. Children were reminded to watch for “sheep buttons” as they played in the meadows where sheep wildly grazed, and often a stray sheep would have to be shooed out of someone’s vegetable garden. This still occurs in some areas, such as the Southern Shore where local farmers let their flocks loose at Cape St. Mary’s in the summer to graze on the lush vegetation.

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Cyril O’Brien photo

Sheep have been in Newfoundland for about as long as European settlers have been here, since the 16th and 17th centuries. Kept as a source of meat and wool, the grazing sheep were set free in the communities to fend for themselves. Newfoundland has few sheep predators, aside from free roaming dogs and coyotes, and community members are generally trusting of one another, which has made this flock management system successful. The only time many of these sheep were hand fed and kept in barns or fenced in was during winter.

Those sheep that have been successful under these conditions, often kept under intense natural selection pressure, adapted to the environmental and climatic conditions. In the 500 years of their living and breeding in Newfoundland, these sheep have developed a distinct genetic base. Though they’ve never been recognized as an official breed, this hardy line has become known as the Newfoundland sheep, or the old-fashioned sheep, mongrel or Newfoundland Local.

Newfoundland sheep are generally small-headed, medium-sized sheep. Very few ewes are horned, and the rams can be either horned or polled (naturally hornless).

They have a narrow chest, small frame and straight back with strong, stout legs, strong pasterns (joints) and black hooves. Colouration varies greatly, though they are generally white with a clean white face and orange mottling. www.downhomelife.com

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A small number, about 10.4 per cent, of Locals are black with brown intermixed. They are very hardy and active sheep that can survive on native forage that provides poor nutrients. Ewes are very easy lambing, producing lambs that are 3-4 kg (6-8 lbs) at birth and experience few complications.

A Royal Commission on Newfoundland Agriculture report published in 1955 is one of the first documents that accurately describes the Newfoundland Local: “A careful study of the general appearance, type of fleece of sheep flocks of Newfoundland would lead to the conclusion in that the Border Cheviot must have been the breed first introduced. Although the admixture blood of other breeds has masked or hidden or changed some of the original characteristics of the Border Cheviot, nevertheless there is unmistakable evidence of Border Cheviot breeding in sheep of scores of flocks examined all the way from Port aux Basques up the west coast to the Bay 50

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of Islands, Flower’s Cove to St. Anthony, White Bay and down the Northeast coast to St. John’s, and the south shore at Trepassey and St. Shott’s. The same evidence was found in other parts as well, particularly in the flocks examined on the Avalon and Burin Peninsulas.”

Besides the physical similarities, Cheviots are a hardy breed capable of surviving under difficult conditions.

Other breeds – Border Leicester, Black-faced Highland, Suffolk, North Country Cheviot and Dorset – have also been imported and possibly mixed with the Local. There was no mention of Black Welsh Mountain or Icelandic sheep in the report, though many breeders strongly feel that these breeds represent the original Newfoundland Local.

There has been a great deal of speculation on the origins of Newfoundland Local sheep in this province. It is known that because of their small size, ease of transportation over land and sea, and little dependency on 1-888-588-6353

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inaccessible grain, they were favoured by settlers as a source of meat and fibre. Because of this, it would be conceivable that they were originally brought to Newfoundland 500 years ago.

Recently, there has been a piqued interest in the protection and preservation of the Newfoundland Local, with calls for the entire breed to be classed as rare. The total population of Newfoundland sheep is very low, at one point dipping below 200 individuals, but there is hope that the numbers are increasing, thanks to the attention they’ve received from rare breed organizations, universities and farmers. The breed is still considered critically endangered.

In order for the Newfoundland Local to be considered an official breed, the breed association is required to develop a set of standards and must maintain a breed registry book. Breeding programs need to be established to guide producers into conserving the sheep. There’s been a fair bit of effort put into collecting data on the Local, which needs to be analyzed by a competent animal geneticist. So far, 37 farms have collected genetic data from 336 animals.

DNA fingerprinting is not required to establish a breed registration, but it would be a great asset.

Despite the introduction of so many breeds into the province, it is often claimed that at least in some flocks no breeding with other breeds has taken place for more than two centuries. These flocks may be the only hope for the Newfoundland sheep to be protected as an endangered breed and registered as a distinct breed of sheep in Canada. www.downhomelife.com

Rare Sheep Jacob Sheep, four-horned sheep from Syria Iceland Sheep, maybe the oldest domestic sheep, unchanged since the 1100s Karakul Sheep, ancient breed from Uzbekistan Scottish Blackface, dates to the Middle Ages in Scotland Shropshire Sheep, once the most popular Canadian breed Border Cheviot, small, very hardy Scottish sheep

Examples of Critically Endangered Sheep • Barbados Blackbelly • Corriedale • Lincoln Longwool • Newfoundland • Navajo-Churro • Soay • St. Croix • Tunis

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For centuries,

rings have endured as symbols of love and bonding that, ideally, should never be broken. So when Annette Marguerite Vardy received an engagement ring from her boyfriend at the age of 21, she, like most young fiancées, was looking towards a happy ending.

The native of Clarenville, NL, did finally receive this blessing – but not in the traditional nor expected way, and it took close to eight decades to arrive. First she would have to endure heartbreak and tragedy, and a redirected purpose that included a lifetime of passionate missionary work in India.

Today Major Annette Vardy resides at Glenbrook Villa in St. John’s, NL, where she lives independently at the grand age of 102.

The dainty, white-haired woman greets visitors at the door by placing her hands together, closing her eyes, bowing and whispering, “Namaste,” a greeting popular in Indian culture. When I visited her, I remarked on how wonderful it is that she still lives alone. She quickly responded with a warm smile, “Why not? I love myself.”

Engagement, war and loss Annette was a little girl when her mother, Emily Stanley, died at the young age of 35, so Annette was raised by her grandmother.

She describes herself as “a very ordinary, shy little girl,” who hid behind her grandmother’s apron. www.downhomelife.com

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Annette holds an early photo of herself at her home in St. John’s.

As a more confident young woman, Annette took a job substitute teaching in the now abandoned community of Port Nelson, Bonavista Bay. There, she met and fell in love with a fellow teacher, Arthur Stanfield.

Her engagement story began in St. John’s in 1939, just as WWII was erupting in Europe. Arthur was joining the war effort, and the day before he shipped out, he bought both an engagement ring and a wedding band, as he wanted his fiancée to marry him before his tour of duty.

“I said, ‘No, Arthur, I don’t want to be left with a child to bring up alone – I am not that brave.’”

In the following years, the two kept in touch with letters, but only

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one phone call. Arthur survived the war unscathed and began his journey home in 1945. On the way, he stopped in Ontario to visit his sister and the siblings took a boat tour of Niagara Falls. That’s where Arthur saw a couple in danger of going over the falls, so he bravely jumped in to save them.

Weeks later, in Clarenville, Annette picked up a newspaper and learned the shocking news that Arthur Strickland, her fiancé, had died of a heart attack after rescuing several people in distress in the Niagara River. “I was broken,” Annette recalls. Her Arthur had died a hero, and she was left with a crushed heart and dreams, and two rings to always remind her of a terrible loss.

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India, adoption and Mother Theresa By the mid-1950s, Annette knew she couldn’t continue mourning. After a move to St. John’s to complete her nursing training at the Grace Hospital, she spent a year in England studying midwifery. Then she was ready for something she’d always dreamed of – mission work in India.

It was something she and Arthur had planned to do together. “I decided to try it on my own, with God’s help,” she says.

In 1958, Annette moved to India to work as a nurse with the Salvation Army children’s hospital. It became her life’s mission for more than 30 years. “Those were busy years; and in my spare time, I did street work.”

A part of her work at the hospital involved working directly with Mother Teresa’s charity organization – though Annette never met the canonized saint. Dying patients at the hospital were sent to Mother Theresa; and the good mother’s charity would send their sick.

Like all missionary workers, Annette bore witness to poverty, starvation and heartbreaking moments. One story stands out for her. An eight-year-old girl came into the hospital crying for milk for her mommy, who had a baby but no money. It was getting toward the end of the month and Annette’s own funds were low. She found her wallet and dumped all her change into the

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child’s hand, knowing she herself would do without dinner the next day. But Annette had faith that life always had a way of providing – and it did. The next day, a postman arrived with a few deliveries for her: one envelope held $100. “I just bowed my head and said thank you, Lord.”

It was getting toward the end of the month and Annette’s own funds were low. She found her wallet and dumped all her change into the child’s hand, knowing she herself would do without dinner the next day.

During her missionary years, Annette saw many orphans pass through, but one in particular touched her heart. This baby was orphaned when her mother died during childbirth and her father was killed in a car accident after leaving the hospital. Fate, it seemed, ensured the right person was there to care and love wee Leela.

“She was a bundle of bones and not very pretty to look at,” Annette recalls fondly, “but if you look, there is always some beauty there, and I saw the beauty spot.” Leela’s first word to Annette was “Mommy.”

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Annette shows a photo of her adopted daughter Leela.

“Of course, I have a heart that’s very weak,” says Annette. “From that day on, she was my girl.” India now held a dual purpose for Annette: her missionary work and ensuring Leela was well cared for like she was her own and, in time, put through school and college. Leela went on to have three children and a lifelong career with the Salvation Army.

In all that time, Annette never quite forgot Arthur. She kept the rings close to her, even wearing them on a chain around her neck for a time, before storing them lovingly in a box.

Rings come full circle Upon her retirement at the age of 65, Annette returned home to Clarenville, where she volunteered in 56

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the community. But the Salvation Army lured her back to India for five more years. During that time, she underwent stomach and bowel surgery that almost killed her.

Eventually, she was back in Newfoundland, where she continued caring for others, including those in palliative care at hospitals.

Around 2015, one of her third cousins, Chris Vardy, was just starting life with a new partner, Mary Crotty. The two visited so Mary could meet Chris’s cherished older “Aunt Nete.”

Mary recalls that first visit and the one soon after, where she and Chris informed Annette that they were getting married. Annette’s eyes brightened as she stood up and declared, “Have I got something for you! A gift, if you take it.” It was the rings that had waited almost 80 years to be re-engaged.

“I immediately wept, I was so touched,” Mary recalls.

Annette then looked at Chris with a smile and said, “Don’t think I don’t have something for you.” Again, she left the room and returned with her father’s (George Vardy’s) wedding band.

Mary and Chris were married in St. John’s in September 2017. Major Annette Vardy herself officiated the ceremony and oversaw the placing of the rings from 1939. According to Mary, this “added another level of love” to her wedding day.

It was the only wedding she presided over, reveals Annette, who was 99 at the time. She says, “I’m glad the Lord gave me strength to do it… I didn’t think I could, but oh boy, I did!”

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Mary now wears Annette’s cherished rings, a gift for her marriage to Annette’s cousin, Chris.

Love never-ending Major Vardy will be 103 this January 25, 2021. In February 2019, at the age of 101, she was bestowed the Order of the Founder of the Salvation Army for outstanding service and unwavering passion for mission over the years.

Annette was touched by tragedy early in life, but went on to ease the pain of others for more than 80 years. “I have helped people into the world, dedicated them, married them, comforted them as they are dying and buried them,” Annette says, adding in her characteristic humour, “So, stick me if you can!”

Annette is known for her compassion, devotion, encouraging words, keen sense of good humour, sweet sass and gracious spirit. As she sips on a cup of tea, she reflects on her long life (despite a heart defect that doctors had warned could be fatal at a young age). www.downhomelife.com

“Life has been wonderful, and if I had to live it over again, I would.”

She says people often tell her that she’s done enough. She always questions, “When is enough?” and replies, “The answer is when God calls me home.”

And she still thinks of Arthur, noting that the memories of him are “just as fresh as the days they happened – maybe my thoughts make it so…”

With a twinkle in her eyes, she proclaims, “I’m not looking anymore!”

When the rings are photographed for this article, we notice that a tea stain has left the shape of a heart on the dark table. Annette beams her sweet smile, like she’s been touched from afar.

As Mary relays, “She has gone a lifetime and still held this man in her heart – a sense of loss she carried a lifetime. When she speaks of him, it is with profound love and respect that could not be quenched.”

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Strolling down Parade Street

towards Harvey Road and Fort Townsend in the heart of St. John’s, NL on a damp capelinweather day in June, it’s hard to believe that the surrounding areas have repeatedly been hotbeds of destruction by fires for more than a century.

In fact, it was the Great Fire of 1892 that led to the creation of the St. John’s Fire Department; Central Fire Station opened on Harvey Road on July 8, 1895. The department will mark 126 years of service this summer.

The original fire hall stood for more than 100 years, until a shiny new station was built a few doors west of it and opened in 2004.

The new Central Fire Station also houses the Administration Division, the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and 911 Communication Centre for the Northeast Avalon. In the lobby there is a firefighting museum, featuring some unique and rare pieces of firefighting equipment. Offering to take me on a tour is Deputy Chief Don Byrne, who’s logged more than 40 years as a firefighter.

“I am from the West End of St. John’s, and I joined the department on August 17, 1977,” he says. “In all that time, the firefighting service has changed tremendously. When I came in, firefighting gear consisted of a composite fiberglass and plastic helmet, a long trench-style coat, [and] long hip wader boots, as we called them back in those days. [Nowadays] everyone is custom-fitted www.downhomelife.com

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Deputy Chief Don Byrne displays the flag (above) and the patch (right) of the St. John’s Regional Fire Department, founded in 1895. for their own gear and our Personal Protective Equipment [PPE] is just so far advanced from what I started with that it seems almost light years ahead of where we were to 40 years ago.”

Some of that old-timey gear is on display, along with antique fire extinguishers, an ancient station telephone exchange, call boxes and firefighter awards. My favourite is a collapsible net, the sort you’d see in vintage movies to rescue someone jumping from an upper floor into a circle of waiting firefighters below.

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The other classic item on display, which you surprisingly won’t find in modern fire halls, is the iconic firefighter’s pole.

“When I joined the job in 1977, there were only two stations that did not use a pole, now there are none,” Don says. “Newer stations are designed so the firefighters sleep and work on the same level as the fire trucks, so there is no need for the brass pole anymore.”

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trucks) that the department deploys from various stations in the region.

More than 200 firefighters make up the St. John’s Regional Fire Department, all of whom go through rigorous National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) training, such as the firefighting program offered at the Stephenville campus of College of the North Atlantic.

“It is a very physically demanding profession, and the core you cannot fully take out of firefighting is that it is hard, manual labour – from dragging hoses to utilizing tools in terms of venting on roofs [to allow for the safe escape of smoke and superheated gases],” Don says.

“It is not just about putting out fires anymore, in terms of skills

required. All of our active personnel are trained in what is called Advanced Firefighters First Aid, so that includes a very advanced set of emergency response first responder techniques.”

Firefighters are often called upon to attend workplace accidents, vehicle crashes and other emergency situations where people could need immediate medical attention, or extraction, and they’re often the first to arrive on scene.

“Some of the other services, such as our High Angle Rescue Team, are utilized to rescue fallen hikers on cliffs or workers on industrial sites and the like, and that can be at any time in very difficult locations,” Don adds. “We also can employ rescue

The lobby museum contains rare items, including the net (hanging on the wall) used to catch those who have to jump to escape a fire. www.downhomelife.com

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This firefighter’s pole is for display only. Modern stations don’t use them. services via helicopter, hovercraft, rigid hull inflatable boat [RHIB] and a variety of other techniques as the situation dictates. Various personnel are trained in these specialties. There are also special Hazardous Materials [HAZMAT] teams on shift we can deploy anywhere in the region should an event occur. There is a tremendous amount of special training that can be availed of, and no two career paths are going to look exactly the same for firefighters.”

In a typical year, Don says his department responds to 5,8006,000 calls for assistance covering the entire gambit of services they provide, from fires to medical calls, road traffic accidents, high angle rescue, water rescue and everything in between. It’s a busy place to work.

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keep in good physical shape, so every station has an exercise room. Some firefighters from this province have competed over the years in the national FireFit Championships and ranked highly among their peers in timed challenges based on common firefighting tasks, such as dragging hoses and carrying “victims” down ladders.

After more than 40 years, Don must have some incredible stories.

When pressed to tell one, he offers a philosophical reply. “Every situation is different, but any outcome that provides a positive in terms of a life saved stands out to me. There has, very fortunately, been many of those and they are the good memories that keep us all going. There is a lot of thought and care put into critical incident debriefings, and we try to be very proactive in terms of extensive stress and mental health training and support to all our members.”

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Deputy Chief Don Byrne explains the telephone exchange in the museum.

I ask him if, after all this time, he still enjoys the job. He glances around the facility, surveying it all, and breaks into a genuine smile. “I still love it. I get up every morning ready to go to work. I enjoy it, and if you look at the fire service in general compared to other routine occupations, there are very few places that have the retention rate of employees

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that we have. At one point, a number of years back, I went and looked at 50 years of our history and at that stage we had a retention rate of 98.2 per cent. That’s something to really be proud of,” Don says. “We are one of the oldest professional firefighting services going back to 1895, and have come a long way. It is a great place to work.”

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Stella Michel

has been flat-out since we first met her in 2016. The Corner Brook resident is still at the helm of the 12 Months 12 Miracles project in addition to working full-time and juggling a full college course load.

“It keeps me busy,” she says, “and busy is a good thing.”

Now in its fifth year, 12 Months 12 Miracles started as Stella’s New Year’s resolution to do one simple act of kindness for someone once a month for a year. The idea has since grown, attracting hundreds of supporters and creating waves of positivity in the Corner Brook-Bay of Islands area and beyond. “To be honest with you, when I first started this I didn’t see past the first year,” Stella laughs. “But here we are, and it’s still so strong I don’t see an end to it anywhere in sight.”

She started with small things: volunteering at her children’s school, handing out flowers to patients at Western Memorial Regional Hospital 64

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Top: Donations for the local food bank are piled up in Stella’s living room.

Above: Stella (right) and another group member pose with a cheque for money raised in support of the CNIB. www.downhomelife.com

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on Valentine’s Day, and delivering simple care packages to residents of Xavier House, a personal care home for adults living with mental illness.

Stella’s goal was simply to brighten a day. “Everybody needs a little treat now and then,” she says. “It really is the little things that matter.”

Christmas Toy Drive; and gathered $3,500 worth of school supplies for the Staples Block The Bus Campaign.

“It was the first year that Vine Place Community Centre was able to fill backpacks for every child on their list,” Stella says proudly, “because we stepped up and helped.”

The 12 Months 12 Miracles group donated $3,500 worth of school supplies for the Staples Block the Bus campaign.

Since that first spark of an idea, the initiative’s scope has broadened.

Now 12 Months 12 Miracles has a Facebook page with more than 1,700 active members eager to pitch in.

“No matter what idea I throw out to this group, they’re behind me 110 per cent,” says Stella. Many hands make light work, and the collaboration between members is leading to an expanding list of achievements. “If it wasn’t for these group members stepping up, 12 Months 12 Miracles would flop,” Stella says. “Every little bit counts. Even a five-dollar bill can make miracles happen. This group puts their fives and tens and twenties together, and together we’re pulling off major accomplishments.”

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Stella’s 12 Months 12 Miracles has also been gaining recognition in the community, winning a Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation President’s Award in 2016 and a Corner Brook Achievement in Community Excellence (ACE) Award for NonProfit of the Year in 2017. The awards celebrate those who make their city an active and healthy place to live and are designed to encourage community awareness, engagement and action. “I was actually one of seven that won the NLC President’s Award, and Andrew Furey won at the same time. So that was pretty big, because here he is now, premier.” Stella laughs. “I can say I knew him when.”

It’s not the awards or accolades, though, that motivate Stella. She remains focused instead on the individual connections she’s able to create and share with others. As a result, Stella’s favourite moments from the past five years of Miracles are the 1-888-588-6353

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most personal ones. She recalls a father brought to tears by generosity and senior citizens struggling with loneliness heartened by Christmas carollers.“You’ll get moments that will stay with you forever,” she says.

“And for me, that’s so worth it. To make somebody smile like that and

help navigating life’s rough waters.

“Maybe somebody is going through something and they’ll read this story and see there’s always a way to get better; they’ll understand that brighter days are always ahead.”

This project might also illuminate everyday acts of thoughtfulness that

Stella’s group raised $800 for the YMCA Strong Kids annual fundraiser in 2018.

see you made that happen. You put a skip in their step and made their day brighter by just this little action. It’s a very emotional roller coaster to be on, the 12 Months 12 Miracles.”

Stella’s motivation stems from the challenges she has faced over the years. Her early life was marked by difficult experiences, abuse and family struggles, which now serve as a source of strength and inspiration.

“If you look at my history, I’ve been there. I’ve been at a time where I was the lowest of the low,” she states.

“And when a person comes out of that, you can go one road and deal with addictions to help you get through the day, or you can take that other road and push harder to make the world a better place. And I chose to do that way. I pushed through it all to do 12 Months 12 Miracles and be a shining bright light.”

Stella hopes that her journey can serve as a beacon for others needing www.downhomelife.com

often are overlooked. “It’s easy to think that maybe they’re not happening as often as they should,” Stella says about good deeds. But if you go looking, you can find the generosity of everyday people doing little things. “It doesn’t have to be a big organization.

Anybody can make a difference.”

So what advice does Stella have for others interested in spreading their own miracles? “A person would have to be emotionally ready,” Stella laughs, “because there’s going to be tears, and there’s going to be laughter, and there’s going to be smiles and you’re going to get a little bit of everything. I would suggest start with a Facebook group and just build from there. Just go in, start a group, share what you’re doing, add some friends and it just grows before you know it.”

She adds, “Every bit helps. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing it every day or every month or every year. Every bit helps.”

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Easy ways to educate and entertain your kids this winter By wildlife expert Todd Hollett

My kids love science, and winter is an exciting time to study the wonders of nature. The winter freeze provides extensive hands-on opportunities that hit on many school subjects, including earth and life science, astronomy, biology and botany. With the right ideas, the backyard and the woods beyond can become our very own cost-efficient science lab.

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Winter Zoology Many animals like to snooze the winter away, but certainly not all of them. Animals that can be easily observed in winter are fish such as trout and smelt, muskrats, otters, beavers, weasels, moose, caribou, hares, skunks, porcupines, foxes, coyotes, mice, squirrels and an abundanceof birds.

Travis Durnfurd photo My kids love to take a stroll in the woods making observations about what animals are eating; looking for tracks, tunnels and trails; taking photos of animal activity in the snow; and looking for signs of winter insects such as galls, and leaf miners and rollers.

About 30 species of birds overwinter here and can be attracted to your yard if you provide them with energy rich foods, water and shelter. Just by watching a backyard feeder, kids can learn to identify a variety of birds; see which species stay all winter and which ones are only here in winter; what they eat; how they sound; which species flock together; what they use for shelter. Note any injuries, anomalies or leg bands that might set the birds apart. A bird feeder may also indicate what predatory species are still around, as they might also be lured to the feeder for the possibility of an easy meal. Wing impressions and tracks in the snow can make for interesting photographs, and bird watching in general is a lesson in patience.

Nature Journals Winter nature journals are a fun way to practise writing and observation skills. Many surprising things can happen during this sleepy season, making for some interesting recordings. Citizen science projects such as the Cornell Ornithology Institute’s Project Feeder Watch and the Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count are in full swing during the winter and can be found easily online.

Use nature journals to compile research on the life, behaviour, calls and songs of birds and other wildlife, and observations about changes in species between seasons. Items collected outside (leaves, acorns, flowers etc.) can be sketched in the journals. www.downhomelife.com

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Jim Desautels photo

Stargazing Winter is the best time for stargazing, as the cold air holds less hazy moisture than the balmy warm summer air, making for very clear nights.

Also the earlier evenings provide more time for kids to look skyward before bedtime. Amateur astronomers can learn the circumpolar stars, record nightly activity such as meteor showers and constellations, practise night photography, draw the phases of the moon, record sunrise and sunset time and location, and map the night sky in relation to their house.

The beginning and midpoint (depending on your viewpoint) of the cold winter season is marked by an astrological event known as the winter solstice. It occurs on December 21 or 22, when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky. This is when you will notice the shortest day and the longest night of the year. On December 22, the first of two winter meteor showers, the Ursids, occurs. The second, the Quadrantids shower, occurs 70

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every January 3, and appears as a bright fireball in the sky.

Circumpolar stars are the stars that encircle the Earth’s North and South Poles without rising or setting. Two of the most prominent constellations are Orion, the great hunter, and the Dog Star, Sirius. The Orion group, one of the most conspicuous and recognizable constellations, is visible the world over. Sirius is the brightest star and one of Earth’s nearest neighbours; the Dog Star is gradually moving closer to the solar system, so its brightness will increase over the next 60,000 years.

Did You Know?

Every snowflake has six sides and they form from water vapour, not raindrops.

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Weather Watching For the meteorologically inclined, a weather calendar is a great activity.

Keep track of how much and what kind of precipitation your area receives and compare it to other areas; note the difference year over year; track the date of first snowfall and how much of each type is received in a winter storm. Researching the number of storms from year to year makes for interesting statistics. Many people keep track of the daily and nightly temperatures; seasonal highs and lows are also interesting facts.

Silent Nature Walk Choose an area away from busy roads, homes and businesses for a silent walk. Without the roaring of car engines, the slamming of doors and the murmur of people talking, you’ll

be able to hear a surprising variety of sounds: snow crunching, snow and ice falling, trees creaking, pond ice cracking, birds chirping and echoes.

If you own a cabin deep in the woods, night is a great time to hear other sounds. When everyone else is asleep, great horned owls are out and about. If you open your window, or are brave enough to go for a stroll into the darkness, you’ll probably hear the owls hooting and calling to a mate. Woodpeckers drumming on logs as they look for insect larvae carries a great distance in the frosty air as well.

If you walk in an area familiar to you, a regular route, note the aspects of nature you are missing that you normally see during the warmer months. Use a stormy day inside to research the reasons they aren’t there.

Deborah Head photo

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C. A. Lorenzen photo

Winter Botany Plants go dormant during the winter, but their root systems are still alive and well in the frozen earth. Winter presents the perfect opportunity to learn how to identify plants by their branches and seeds. It is a great time of year to learn about evergreen trees, as most retain their needles all year; how to identify winter grasses and plants; which berries stay on the plants during winter and which ones are eaten by wildlife; which plants stay green or retain leaves or fruit year-round and which ones wilt; how to identify different types of conifer cones; and how to photograph the effects of frost on leaves.

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bings: hold a thin piece of paper against the bark and rub a crayon or pencil across it to get an impression of the bark, and use that to identify the tree type.

Snow and Ice Science Anyone living in Atlantic Canada knows more than one type of snow: back-breaking wet and heavy snow; dry, powdery snow; and the always blinding, wind-driven drifting snow.

Tracking atmospheric conditions can help us determine why we are getting the type of snow we see falling.

Not only are there different types of snow, there are different classes of snowflakes: simple prisms, stellar plates, sectored plates, stellar dendrites, fern-like stellar dendrites, hollow columns, needles and many more. It is great fun to try and catch 1-888-588-6353

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snowflakes on mittens or a black cloth and try to draw the fanciful shapes that they form.

Ever wonder why we measure snow in centimetres and rain in millimetres? Measure the water content in snow by collecting a jar of snow and allowing it to melt. You’ll discover by the water that is left that 10 cm of snow is not the same as 10 cm of rain.

Another experiment with beautiful results is blowing soap bubbles in bone-chilling temperatures. Or take a classic experiment, the erupting volcano, and winterize it by moving it outside and building the volcano out of snow.

Tips for Working in the Cold Use hand and foot warmers for comfort if outside for a long time.

Keep your camera close to your body heat to help preserve battery life.

Use a pocket-sized notebook and a pencil for notes; the ink in pens sometimes stops working in cold temperatures.

Wanda White photo

Those icicles that appear on the eaves of your house? Turn them into science lessons. Record their lengths and how their shapes and colour change from day to day, noting the outdoor temperature and amount of sunlight each day.

One more icy challenge: take several types of containers (e.g. plastic, glass, metal) outside, filled with water, and measure how long it takes each to freeze to solid. For variation, add table salt, sugar and baking soda to some of the containers and see how it changes the freezing pattern. www.downhomelife.com

Dress for the weather to avoid heat loss and hypothermia.

Dress in layers so you can add or take away layers depending on conditions.

Always tell someone where you’re going, how you are getting there and when you plan to be back.

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Toni Kearney

understands the pull between the need to know and the fear of finding out. When she lived in Australia, a world away from her hometown, Conche was on her mind and in her heart. Returning to the small community on Newfoundland and Labrador’s Great Northern Peninsula was never in question.

“Conche is a magical place,” Toni says. “When you go away, there’s a pain in your heart and a feeling that you have to come back. I felt I was returning for something bigger, like I had to do something. I have always been passionate about the province and inspired by those who fought for Newfoundland and Labrador.”

Toni drove into Conche in March 2020, determined to make her dream – running a tourism business back home – a reality. “With Moratorium Children I want to create an unforgettable experience for someone who is looking to get away. I want people to come here and feel a change,” she explains. Two days later, the global pandemic and www.downhomelife.com

resulting shutdown of businesses was announced in Newfoundland and Labrador. “It was two months of snowshoeing, spending time in the woods, and redefining what my experience would have been like if I’d stayed in Conche.”

The closure of the cod fishery in 1992 ended almost five centuries of cod fishing. In the more than 25 years since, communities like Conche have faced outmigration, and economic, social and cultural issues.

“It’s the story I grew up in,” Toni says. “We were constantly moving, constantly saying goodbye, constantly making new friends, coming back and then having to leave again. It was a rough way to grow up.”

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It’s the story she now tells through Moratorium Children, an experience that helps participants understand a historical event that shook rural communities to their core. Toni opens a door to the past through guided coastline hikes, storytelling, food and music. Meditation provides a sense of peace that remains with visitors long after they leave Conche.

Fine dining nourishes the body; forest therapy soothes the soul.

“I tell people what it was like for me and my best friends growing up, what we saw and felt, the highs and lows, joys and sadness,” Toni says. “I try to paint the whole picture.”

Moratorium Children welcomed its first guests in July 2020, and operated under COVID-19 restrictions until closing in early September. Dawn Gaulin heard about Moratorium Children while travelling to St. Anthony during a province-wide microbrewery tour.

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something entirely different. The hike, talking to people and learning through their eyes what happened and how it affected them was amazing. What really stood out for me was the tapestry [that] women in the community created depicting the history of the French Shore. Some of the women who helped create the tapestry had never held a needle prior to starting the project. In the finished product you can see the learning, and how the artisans worked together. I think it’s indicative of a small outport, coming together with their stories, teaching, learning and creating something really special.”

Fleur de Lys resident Millie Walsh, a retired teacher who runs Samantha’s Saltwater Joys Museum and Café, saw firsthand the negative impacts of the cod moratorium. Men who spent their lives earning a living from the sea found themselves suddenly bound to the shore. Fish plant workers, predominantly women, lost their jobs.

Boats were hauled out of the water.

Families who lived apart while fathers and husbands fished offshore were suddenly thrown together.

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“I remember the social impact on small communities,” says Millie. “It was devastating. The social fabric that held families together was taken away. It was a sad time in the history of our province.”

Moratorium Children transported Millie back to that time. “I was really impressed with the experience,” she says. “I felt a great sense of hope that someone so young had a calling to come back to her community, reconnect, and look at the opportunity of making something great out of something negative.” Millie believes

tourists are looking for experiences that are different from what operators have been providing for the last 20 years. “Toni is a visionary,” she adds. “I felt it when she talked about mind, body and spirit. You must look globally at the tourists you are going to bring into your community. She did that through her travels and lived experiences.”

Moratorium Children is accepting bookings for 2021, from June to the end of September, and will operate www.downhomelife.com

within COVID-19 protocols. The daylong experience includes a candlelight meal, the menu for which is based on fresh, local seafood and locally sourced vegetables. Supper is served at The Stairs, a restored early 1900s fishing premises. A private performance by talented local musicians skilled in storytelling and folklore rounds out the event.

“Most people here either sing or play an instrument,” Toni says.

“Music is another important part of our culture, and there has always been music in our community.”

Toni says response from Conche residents inspires future ideas. “It’s extremely rewarding, and it gives me motivation for the other plans I have. It was beautiful to see and feel the energy in our community this past summer.

It created a sense of happiness in Conche, and a sense of excitement.”

Passion, hard work and determination are key to making a venture like this one successful. “It’s looking at who is coming here and what they want. If I hadn’t left Newfoundland, I would never know I wanted to come back,” Toni explains.

“I look at Newfoundland with love and empathy for what has happened,” she says. “Our people are as resilient as the tiny trees we see on our hikes. Conche is not dying, it’s changing. It’s about embracing that change, and not feeling we have lost hope. All the resources we have are still here. We have already come through so much; it’s time to move forward.”

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Newfoundland and Labrador

is known for many things – wild weather, welcoming ways, colourful language and delectable seafood being among them. In recent years, the local craft brewery scene has been gaining some well-deserved recognition as well, with locals and tourists alike hopping around the province to sample some of the brews on tap. From the Baccalieu Trail Brewing Company in Bay Roberts and Port Rexton Brewing Co. to Split Rock Brewing Co. in Twillingate, Secret Cove Brewing Co. in Port au Port, RagnaRöck Northern Brewing Company Ltd. in St. Anthony and Iron Rock Brewing Co. in Labrador City, just to name a few, there’s no shortage of stops to quench your thirst.

Now, craft beer enthusiasts can add Pilley’s Island in the heart of Green Bay South to their ever-growing itinerary.

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Down Memory Lane Located about 30 kilometres off the Trans-Canada Highway, on the main street in Pilley’s Island, it’s not hard to find Bumblebee Bight Inn and Brewery (named after one of the area’s former communities). The

Born in Springdale, Deno lived in nearby Robert’s Arm before moving with his family to Manitoba, where he grew up. He lived and worked around Canada and it was in British Columbia where he met his wife-tobe, a West Coast girl with an affinity for the ocean. Eventually the pair moved to Alberta and in 2006, started coming to Newfoundland with their three children to spend their summers in Green Bay South.

Starting a brewery, Natalie says, was initially Deno’s dream. It started to take shape in 2019 ,when they purchased a 150-year-old derelict building on Pilley’s Island (formerly a

Bumblebee Bight Inn and Brewery owners Deno and Natalie Colbourne bakeapple-coloured building proudly stands with the words “est. 2020” stamped on the sign out front, almost in defiance of what most business owners would consider the year from hell. But come hell or high water, Deno and Natalie Colbourne are determined to make it work in their little corner of paradise.

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mercantile store) and began top-tobottom renovations. But then the pandemic hit and threw a wrench into the couple’s plans. However, showing some good old-fashioned Newfoundland resiliency, they pressed on.

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had to just keep going. And we find now that people are like, ‘Oh, it’s so nice to hear that this thing is coming and we’re going to support this because it’s hope for people...’ So, a lot of people have given us, sort of, really deep compliments, not just ‘Congratulations on your building,’” Natalie says.

She hopes the brewery will help put the former mining town (pop. almost 300) on the map, while also helping keep some of its history alive.

“We’ve tried to take old, and preserve some of the old, and then bring it up into the 21st century… We’ve got a really big old door that we use to separate the general store from the rest of the building. We have an old [pharmacy] cabinet, an old post office box and we were able to preserve the old safe, too,” she says.

“We had a lovely lady, her very first job in 1954 was to work for this gentleman who renovated the building into a mercantile store, and she came in… it was really nice. She just lives around the corner, too, and she was having so many memories.” www.downhomelife.com

Bunks, Brews & Bites While the couple had planned on a soft opening this past June, with a grand opening slated for August during Pilley’s Island Come Home Year (to mark 150 years of settlement in the area), the pandemic pushed their plans back by a couple of months.

Between transportation troubles, difficulty getting the necessary construction materials, waiting on inspectors, and a delay in getting their brew system, it seemed the stumbling blocks were never ending.

But in August, they were finally able to open their doors as a restaurant, with their Italian wood-fired pizza oven playing a starring role. In September, they opened their tap room.

The next phase is the opening of their accommodations, which will consist of five deluxe rooms. (When Downhome spoke with Natalie in early November, the hope was to have the rooms ready by the end of the month.) Even through all the ups and downs, Natalie vows to stay positive.

“The nice thing about opening in phases like that is it gives people an January 2021

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excuse to come back,” she says. “I said to Deno the other day, for all the crap that COVID has shoved at us, I think it’s made us a stronger business because we just keep finding a way to get over the hump.”

For instance, Natalie says, they’ve included a slide-up window for curbside orders and have expanded their back deck so that patrons can enjoy the food and beers in a safe, socially distanced manner should COVID continue. They’ve also been thinking about canning their product sooner to ensure they can get it into cus-

Island and Triton, and it’s a gorgeous little island and we go there all the time on the boat,” Natalie says. “We want to take couples over to Pretty Island and we’ll have a couple beers there and maybe something off of the menu. And then we’ll go over to Long Island and have a Long Island sour and something else off our menu.

And then maybe over to Halls Bay and we’ll have a drink there. And then by the time they’re done, we’ve introduced all six beers, we’ve introduced something off our menu, and then they can stay at our place and

With names like Pretty Island Lager, Flat Rock Amber Ale, West Bottom Pilsner and Halls Bay Pale Ale, Bumblebee Bight’s brews pay homage to and celebrate the beauty of Green Bay. tomers’ hands. “And of course, our cans have been delayed now almost three months,” Natalie laughs.

With names like Pretty Island Lager, Flat Rock Amber Ale, West Bottom Pilsner and Halls Bay Pale Ale, Bumblebee Bight’s brews pay homage to the beauty of Green Bay. The Colbournes hope that those who come for the food and drinks will stick around to explore the area. In fact, next summer, they hope to introduce a beers boat tour, taking visitors to see some of the namesake locations for themselves.

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tell tall tales. But to give people [the] experience of being in the bays on the water is what we want to do, and promote the area... and maybe, if we see somebody cod fishing and they’re going to go out the next day, well, we could introduce them to those people. And there’s another couple of people in the area that are going to open boat tours in the summer, so that’s good, too.”

She adds, “We have this whole idea of promoting the area because we don’t have the ‘us and them,’ we have the ‘we’ mentality. ‘We’ are all in this.

So let’s promote ‘us.’”

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life is better Aurora watching over Little Wabush Lake Timothy Collins, Labrador City, NL

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explore

Characters,

Beasts and Beauty A trip to Newfoundland tinged with storybook elements

By Betty Midgley • Oshawa, ON

Gather round the fire, kids, while I tell you a tale about my solo journey to a faraway land plunked in the Atlantic, where mythical beasts lurk just below the water’s surface, where I stepped back in time 100 years, back when folks could travel to Newfoundland without restrictions…

That’s my impression of an old-timey storyteller spinning yarns in the dark. Add a glass of whiskey and a corncob pipe and the image is complete. Mind you, that image loses its effect when the audience consists of distracted friends and adult children skimming through their phones under fluorescent lighting. But I digress. Back to the Newfoundland story...

Suzanne Burden photo

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What you folks on The Rock see and experience is everyday stuff. Ho hum, there’s another iceberg. Yawn, another sign warning of moose collisions. Regional accents and cheeky town names are commonplace for Newfoundlanders – but for a lifelong mainlander such as myself, all these things are fantastic and unique. In fact, most of the memories I have from my trip to your province three years ago seem to have been culled from a storybook or a good piece of fiction, especially in this pandemic age.

I invite you to see the picturesque settings, fantastic beasts and colourful characters as they’re seen for the first time...

I’ve got to start with those wonderfully whimsical houses that line the streets of St. John’s. Bright red and blue and yellow, and every crayon in the box. It’s like a setting for a Dr. Seuss book: Up, down, all around, it’s a visual treat to wander those streets on our feet, feet, feet.

Meanwhile, some of the wildlife of your province seems to be from a fable... or a warped mind. I’m thinking of those beyond-cute puffins. The design of those birds is so quirky and playful, it’s the stuff of fairy tales.

When you see masses of them clustered and squawking along the cliffs, it’s endearing and funny and bizarre.

I saw puffins the same day that I saw whales for the first time. Literally tons of ’em, their massive tails flapping out of the water, then gliding back into their unseen world. It’s amazing to see these colossal beasts frolicking – or chillin’ – in the limitless ocean.

Over at Cape St. Mary’s, the cawing of thousands of gannets drew me in.

I could hear them well before I could see them; the fog was so thick it was www.downhomelife.com

like walking right into a cloud, adding to the dreamlike experience.

Breathlessly perching close to the edge of a cliff amidst the turbulent swirl of birds was scary and exciting and surreal. And no doubt this gannet party has been going on for hundreds of years.

It wasn’t just nature that took me to another time and place. In Trinity, actors dressed from another era led a historic walking tour that was at times funny, engaging and touching.

The mock funeral held for the men and boys who perished over 100 years ago offshore in their quest for seals was poignant and realistic, yet had a storybook feel to it.

On another evening, on another coast, I played a rowdy game of cards with a cast of local characters in a red house by the sea. We drank and told tales and sprinkled conversation with a generous dose of trash-talkin’.

I can hold my own pretty well in Ontario, but I was definitely a lightweight amongst Newfoundlanders.

Of course, I’ve got to include my culinary dabblings. I ate moose! Not the whole thing, just a deliciously marinated cut. And another day I had a take-out lunch that was kept cold with a chunk of iceberg. How cool is that?

Sit a spell longer and I might tell you a wee bit about Toronto. For those experiencing it for the first time, you could have just as many tales to tell about seemingly fictitious and fabled things: like a castle and a crazy-tall tower downtown, or raccoons that prowl for pizza crusts, or glitzy shrines for sports teams that once housed thousands of fans.

But ho hum, that’s everyday stuff round here.

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HOME and Cabin

stuff we love by Nicola Ryan

Waiting out the storms JUST BREW IT Strong and reliable Stanley brand bottles have been keeping coffee hot around the clock since 1913. Featuring stainless-steel, vacuum insulation and a rustproof finish, a Stanley thermos will keep your drink hot while you dig out the driveway. All Stanley products are backed by a lifetime guarantee, but the company’s main goal is to make products so durable you’ll never need to use it. Available at Mercer’s Marine in Clarenville. Mercersmarine.com

CUDDLE UP Wrap yourself in the warmth of a handmade quilt. Quilter Janet Maynard of Jandy Quilts in Corner Brook uses high quality fabrics and materials to create one-of-a-kind quilts, bed runners and pillow cases. Home is the inspiration behind each pattern and design. Jandy Quilts are featured at The Tides Inn in Norris Point. Check out Jandycreative.ca

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JOKER’S WILD Pass the time until the power is restored with a game of Euchre.

These playing cards, designed by Carolina Söderholm with illustrator Dan Perrella for the Fogo Island Inn, use local iconography as inspiration.

Traditional activities such as fishing, baking, woodcutting and berry picking are used for the court cards, and the aces feature animals and fish.

Jokers are mummers, naturally.

Woodshopfogoisland.ca

LIGHT THE WAY Illuminate the next DarkNL with a handy lantern from Black Diamond. We like the Remoji Lantern’s compact size and bright, ambient light. No more searching for matches or candle stubs, the lithium ion battery can be easily recharged via USB. You can find a selection at Outfitters Adventure Gear in St. John’s.

LIFT YOUR SPIRITS Mix a strong hot toddy to keep out the chill. Try using Gunpowder and Rose Rum from the Newfoundland Distillery Co. Made in Clark’s Beach with gunpowder flavours, hints of vanilla and aromatic scents of wild Newfoundland roses, this rum won a bronze medal at the San Francisco World Spirit Awards in 2019. thenewfoundlanddistillery.com

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HOME and Cabin The trends are towards blue: green-blue, ocean blue, soft robin’s egg blue, deep teal blue.

New Year New Looks Interior designer Marie Bishop offers some tips to give your home a fresh look in 2021

A New Year, a fresh start.

Let’s take a minute to breathe, give ourselves credit for surviving 2020 and take a peek at some ideas to brighten up the wintery days ahead.

Pandemic or not, we generally spend more time indoors in the winter, so it’s essential to create a space that nurtures our wellbeing. When our surroundings comfort us, we are better equipped to handle everyday challenges. And, realistically, a few small changes can make a huge difference.

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Go green

Start simple with a few choice plants.

There’s nothing better to calm the soul than plants. I’d recommend as many as you can manage. By varying the foliage colour, plant size and shape, and adding a few flowering plants to the mix, you add a threedimensional layer of interest and a sense of summer warmth to your space.

Be sure to allow for your specific light and heat conditions when you invest in plants, for their best chance of flourishing with minimal work on your part. A little homework will save you in the long run. You’ll discover there are plants available to suit just about every interior situation.

However, if real plants really aren’t an option, invest in some quality artificial ones. Place them in interesting pots. A beautiful, textured clay pot can add interest and joy to your space. Choose a colour and finish that complements your furnishings.

Refresh an old favourite

BEFORE www.downhomelife.com

How about a DIY project? Have an old piece of furniture you can’t bear to get rid of, but it really doesn’t serve its purpose anymore? It’s not hard to give it a new life and allow it to bring you new joy. Take this lovely old cabinet, dated from 1910. It was used as a china cabinet in its day, but not many of us use or collect china any more. And the dark polished wood gives it an air of formality that doesn’t reflect our lifestyle. So, by removing the fretwork in the glass door, giving it a few coats of paint (Benjamin Moore Advance for furniture), adding battery-operated lights with remote and jazzing it up with some subtle wallpaper on the back wall – it’s now have a beautiful display cabinet with extra storage for books, board games, chargers etc. If you take on a project like this, be sure to give your piece a prime coat of Styx; it will make the finish coat cover better and look amazing.

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BEFORE

Or what about this thrifty Kijiji find? This 42" table fits a small dining space perfectly; however, oak was not the preferred material. To better fit its new home, the top was painted to match the chair seats in a soft taupe/grey, while the base was painted like the chairs in a warm white. The result is an inviting bistro-style setting.

Blue is the New Hue

Another way to inject a little joy into your space is by adding a punch of colour. We’ve been living with neutrals for a while now, but the trend moving forward is colour. So, if you want to stay current, but you’re not quite ready to repaint the entire house – why not do one wall? An accent wall of paint or wallpaper introduces colour and impact without a huge investment.

A google search of any brand name paint will give you their 2021 “Colour of the Year.” Sherwin Williams is going with a deep earthy mineral colour called Urbane Bronze. But for the most part, the trends are towards blue: green-blue, ocean blue, soft robin’s egg blue, deep teal blue.

However, if blue is definitely not your colour, go with what feeds your soul and reflects your style.

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The navy blue accent wall in this home office allows the white floating shelves and farmhouse table/desk to stand out.

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Choose a wall or corner that will have the greatest impact. For example, this master bedroom looked nice enough with neutral white walls. But by adding a dark, rich charcoal colour to the wall behind the headboard – there’s the WOW factor!

So, be bold, make a few changes that will enhance your space, then sit back, enjoy the comfort of your home and look out at the lovely, long winter.

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HOME and Cabin

Todd’s table

Sunday Pot Roast

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Todd’s Table

By Todd Goodyear

When he’s not dreaming up or cooking up great food, Todd Goodyear is president and associate publisher of Downhome. todd@downhomelife.com

It was a convenient way to cook a great meal – cooking the meat and vegetables all at once in the same pot while attending church on Sunday, when meat and dairy products were traditionally allowed. The fact that the meal was cooking for a long time, throughout the morning, yielded very tender meat and rich flavour throughout the vegetables. Here is how I prepare pot roast.

1 (3-5 lb) beef roast (top or bottom round or boneless blade) 2-3 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp Kosher salt 2 tsp fresh ground pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1-2 cups beef broth 2 whole onions, peeled and quartered 6-8 whole carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 1 small turnip, peeled and cut into 2-inch square chunks 4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved 1 cup red wine (or beef broth)

Preheat oven to 275°F. Heat olive oil in a skillet or large frying pan.

Add the quartered onions, browning them on both sides. Remove to a plate and add the carrot and turnip to the pan. Lightly brown the vegetables while tossing for a few minutes, then remove to a plate.

Pat dry the roast with paper towel and season well with salt and pepper. Add extra oil if necessary. When the oil is hot, carefully place the roast in the pan and sear for 2-3 minutes on every side. Using tongs or a couple of large forks, continue turning the roast to brown all sides, being careful not to burn. Remove the roast and place in the middle of a roasting pan or dutch oven.

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Deglaze the fry pan with the wine or a little beef broth, scraping up all the brown bits. This step is very important as those brown bits contain the amazing flavour. Pour the contents of the pan over the roast and surround the roast with the onions, carrots and turnip. Add the 1-2 cups of beef broth so that the level is about halfway up the side of the roast.

Cover and place the roaster in the oven. Set your timer for 90 minutes.

At that time, add the potatoes and cook for another 90 minutes for a 3 lb roast; for a 5 lb roast cook for an extra hour.

This low heat, slow cook will make this cheaper cut of beef become so tender you may not even need a knife to eat it. In fact you may not even need a knife to cut up the roast, as it will likely just fall apart.

When the roast is done, remove the meat and vegetables; set aside covered to keep warm. Place the roaster on the stovetop and thicken up the beef juice with a slurry of equal parts water and corn starch. A couple of tablespoons of each should work just fine. This step is optional depending on if you like the au jus as is, or if you like it to be thicker like gravy. It’s totally a personal taste choice – either way will be very delicious.

Taste and season to your liking with salt and pepper.

Plate the beef and veggies with onion pieces, smother with the gravy and enjoy.

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Tips I’d like to share This is a meal that has to be cooked when you have lots of time. You cannot rush this dish.

Turning up the heat and shortening the time will not work. The beef will be tough and the meal will not turn out the way you promised.

Don’t be shy in using all the salt and pepper suggested before searing. Some will say it will be too salty, but the seasoning heightens the flavour and after 3 to 4 hours in the oven I can assure you it will not be too salty.

The most important step, for sure, is the searing of the beef and browning of the onions and vegetables. You will be amazed at lack of flavour should the searing and browning not be done. Trust me.

Remember, I am not a chef or a cook. I have learned on my own over the years by trying other people’s recipes and methods of cooking. The most important thing to remember is “cook with confidence.”

Enjoy your Sunday Pot Roast!

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life is better Winter sunrise at Cape Spear Nicole Emberley, Mount Pearl, NL

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HOME and Cabin

everyday recipes

cheat well!

New year, new you, right? While eating healthy and working out are excellent habits, everyone deserves a “cheat” day. Here, for your absolute pleasure, are six cheat meals you can work into your balanced lifestyle.

Cinnamon Bun Pie

(Vegan)

Dough

7 tbsp flour 1 tbsp cinnamon 1 cup pecans, chopped roughly

1 cup cashew milk 1/3 cup coconut oil 1/4 cup yellow sugar 1 1/4 tsp instant yeast 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup flour 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda

Filling

Mini Bun Filling (combine) 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Icing 2 cups icing sugar, sifted 1 tsp vanilla Cold water

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted 1 cup dark brown sugar

For the icing Mix sugar, vanilla and 1 tbsp cold water together.

Add more water as necessary to make the icing thin and able to be drizzled. Set aside.

For the dough Warm the milk, oil and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved. Cool to lukewarm and add yeast. Whisk together and set aside in a warm place, until it starts to get foamy. Sift together 2 cups flour, Chinese five spice and salt. Stir it into the yeast mixture and knead together until a dough forms. Set aside, covered, to rise for 1 hour. Sift the 1/4 cup flour with baking powder and baking soda; add it to the risen dough. Knead together until fully incorporated; divide dough in half. Roll out one half just large enough to fit comfortably in a pie pan, with a very slight overhang. Preheat oven to 350°F. 96

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For the Filling

Mix all ingredients together and spread evenly in

your pie base.

For Top Crust Roll out the second half of the dough into a rectangle that is 1/4" thick, sprinkle with mini bun filling, and roll up along the long side of the rectangle. Cut very thin slices (1/4" thick or less) and arrange them over the filling, nestling them together. Bake pie for about 30 minutes. The top will be a deep golden brown. Remove from oven, allow to rest 10 minutes, then drizzle with icing. Yield: 1 pie

All of our recipes are brought to you by the fantastic foodies in Academy Canada’s Culinary Arts program, led by instructor Bernie-Ann Ezekiel.

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Nacho Bombs 1 lb ground beef 1 can refried beans 3/4 cup pico de gallo 1 1/2 cups cornmeal 1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp turmeric 1 tsp fresh garlic, minced 1 tsp smoked paprika

150 g extra old cheddar cheese, cubed into 20 pieces 1 1/2 cups tortilla chips, crushed

Dip 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Mix first 9 ingredients together until smooth. Divide into 20 equal portions and roll each into a ball. Fill each ball with a cheese cube and be sure to seal the meat all the way around. Roll each ball in crushed chips, pressing them in as you go. Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reads 165°F. Serve with dip. Yield: 4-5 servings

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Spiced Funnel Cakes 1 egg 3/4 cup whole milk 1/2 cup water 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 cups flour

4 tbsp dark brown sugar 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice

Sift dry ingredients together. Set aside. Whisk all wet ingredients together. Add dry to wet and whisk until smooth. Add more milk if necessary to make the consistency like pancake batter. Pour the batter into a squirt bottle and heat the oil in your deep fryer to 375°F. Once the oil is hot, drizzle the batter into the oil, slowly circling it around and zigzagging back and forth to create a disc about 3"-4" in diameter. Cook until golden on one side, flip it over and do the same for the other side. Remove from the fryer and allow to drain on brown paper. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately. Yield: 12 funnel cakes

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Bacon Cheese Fries 4 large potatoes, washed & cut into fries 8 slices bacon 4 tbsp bacon grease (reserved from cooking bacon) 2 tbsp flour 1 1/4 cup milk 3/4 cup extra old cheddar, grated

Spice Blend 1 tsp kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp table/sea salt) 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp mustard powder 1 tsp smoked paprika 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/8 tsp celery salt Sour cream and green onions for garnish

Mix the spice blend ingredients together and set aside. Deep fry the french fries at 300°F for 5 minutes and set aside to cool.

Slice the bacon very thin and place in a dry frying pan. SautĂŠ over medium-high heat until it becomes crispy and all the fat has been rendered out. Set aside the bacon on a paper towel and reserve the fat. If necessary, add enough vegetable oil to the bacon fat to give you 1/4 cup total.

Add the flour to the fat and cook for 1-2 minutes on low-medium heat. Add the milk slowly, whisking the entire time. Once milk has been fully incorporated, turn heat to medium-high and allow to come to a boil while stirring. Add cheese and stir until melted. Set aside and keep warm.

Deep fry the french fries again, at 350°F this time, until golden brown and hot throughout.

Drain and toss them in the spice blend.

Plate the fries, top with cheese sauce, sprinkle with bacon bits, and add dollops of sour cream and plenty of green onion. Yield: 2-4 servings

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Buffalo Chicken Bread 2 lbs bread dough 3 chicken breasts, cooked 1/2 cup green onion, sliced thinly 1/2 cup buffalo sauce 1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1 tbsp dill weed, dried 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 cup extra old cheddar cheese, grated

Spray a pie pan with non-stick coating. Roll out the bread dough to 1/4" thick, and cut into squares approximately 3" big.

Mix sauce, parsley, dill weed, onion powder and garlic powder together. Shred chicken and mix into buffalo sauce. Place a spoonful of chicken mixture in the centre of each piece of dough, sprinkle with green onion and fold in half like a taco; place in the pan. Repeat with each piece of dough, nestling them against each other, until pan is full. Preheat oven to 350°F, and while it’s heating up, set aside the pan in a warm place to allow the bread to proof to nearly double in size.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the bread and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is brown and the bottom of the bread sounds hollow when knocked upon. Pull apart while warm and serve with your favourite dip (eg. ranch dressing).

Yield: 6-8 servings

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Sweet with Heat Wings 2 lbs chicken wings 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp dark brown sugar 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp ancho chili powder 1/2 tsp cayenne 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp onion powder

Dip 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 1 tsp dill weed, dry 1/2 tsp parsley, dry 1/2 tsp chives, fresh/dry 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all dip ingredients together and set aside in the fridge. Mix all remaining ingredients (except wings) together in a bowl to form a loose paste. Massage the mixture onto the wings and ensure they are thoroughly coated. Spread wings out on a parchment-lined pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Serve immediately with dip.

Yield: 2-4 servings

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HOME and Cabin

down to earth

The Good and the Bad of 2020

by Kim Thistle

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Well, what a year

it has been. It has certainly not been without its challenges, and at our garden centre, we had our share. That being said, we were one of the lucky ones. People who ordinarily travel were staying at home.

Suddenly they had time on their hands, and instead of travelling, they were home and spending more of their income locally. Food insecurity became the buzzword, and there was a renewed interest in “growing your own.” Houses that had been sadly lacking in landscaping were beautified with trees, shrubs and flowers. People were in their gardens, and garden centres everywhere benefitted from this.

Mid-March was the start of the influx of calls, emails and messaging to us from people looking for information on how to grow food. It was overwhelming! It is pretty difficult to give someone the info they need in a five-minute call.

Becoming a gardener is filled with trials and errors, and sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and give it a try with very little information.

Luckily, it was a great year to have a garden. The weather was on our side. We had weeks and weeks of warm, sunny days with very little wind. The only thing lacking was rain and that is something we could all control with a dependable water source. The flowers and trees were the loveliest I have ever seen. Fruits and vegetables grew in abundance. I think it was Mother Nature’s consolation prize for all of the angst going on in the world.

Now that we are into the new year and have some downtime, we should all be reassessing and planning for the upcoming year.

Don’t despair if you had some failures. Start googling now. In this age of technology everything you could ever ask is at your fingertips. Concentrate your research in these following areas and it will improve your 2021 season two-fold.

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Irrigation

Seeding Times

Did you have “poor germination of carrots”? Again, type those words into your search bar. You will come up with dozens of sites telling you it was probably inconsistent moisture. Now make a note in your Google calendar (can you tell that Google is my friend?) with a reminder every day for 10 days after you plant your seed to check for moisture and get the hose out.

Don’t rely on Mother Nature. She blessed you with sunshine and warmth. She is not going to hold your hand every step of the way.

What about start dates for seeds and plants? I will bet my next pay cheque that many newbies planted their tomatoes in their kitchens in March and ended up with spindly seedlings, 6” long with two desperate little leaves at the top before they toppled over. An internet search for “when to plant tomato seeds indoors” will provide you with sites giving you the weeks before the last frost date for seed starting. These sites will also give you clear instructions on how to plant. Again, start making notes in your journal and on your calendar with planting dates for both inside seed starting and outdoor planting. I put it on “annual repeat” in my Google calendar. God help me when the box in the sky explodes and everything in the “cloud” disappears.

Pests Did you have “holes in your cabbage and kale”? Put that phrase in your search bar. You will find you had cabbage looper, a caterpillar that attacks all Brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts etc.). You will learn the life cycle of the insect, along with organic and chemical remedies. Remember that gardening journal I mentioned in one of my first articles? Time to get it out and start making notes.

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Soil Then there is the eternal problem of where to get good soil. Rome was not built in a day and neither is loam.

Good soil is an ongoing process that needs to be built. Every year you will have to add organic matter such as

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seaweed, compost, grass clippings and well-rotted manure. When purchasing soil, you get what you pay for. You will need soil with organic matter, not sifted “fill” from a work site. Buyer beware. Start researching what makes good soil and how to amend what you have now, and be ready to go when the snow melts.

This past season, soil became the toilet paper of COVID: it was almost impossible to find.

Structures How about infrastructure? Were you planning on building or recovering a small greenhouse? Now is the time to start looking for UV-treated plastic rather than waiting until May when everyone is after the same thing and garden centres are sold out. Row cover and frost blankets fall into the same category. If you are wondering what they are, google them. You need to know about these products that www.downhomelife.com

are essential to the home gardener for both insect and frost protection.

When gardening, winter months are your reprieve. You have time to think, record, research and prepare.

If you had some success this year, stick with it. Be grateful for your successes and learn from your mistakes.

Put in a garden again, and do it armed with the knowledge you took from this past year. Teach your children and grandchildren what you know. Become more self-sufficient.

Therapy is as close as your backyard.

From garden centres everywhere, thanks for your support. We can’t “be” without you.

Kim Thistle owns a garden centre and landscaping business on the west coast of the island. She has also been a recurring guest gardener on CBC’s “Crosstalk” for almost three decades.

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reminiscing flashbacks

Gliding Gals

Sisters Ernestine, Marie and Irene Shute pose on skis behind their home on Hamilton Avenue in St. John’s, in 1946.

John Cornick Halifax, NS

Sleigh Ride Ready

Gerald Noseworthy poses in a horse-drawn sled, St. John’s, 1945.

Herb Noseworthy, BC

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Giddyup!

Leon, Doreen, Carolann and Cecilia ride their snow horses in Lewisporte, in 1964.

Doreen James, Lewisporte, NL

This Month in History Captain Henry Thomey was born every inch a sailor. His father, Arthur Thomey, was a celebrated sealing skipper, one of many adventurous mariners of Harbour Grace, and Henry seemed destined to join this bold tradition. At just 18 years old, Thomey commanded his first trip to the Labrador fishery, returning with a full load of seals.

He would return to the ice the next year and the next, completing more than 40 trips over his long career. There was always rejoicing in the spring when Captain Thomey sailed into Harbour Grace, fully loaded with seals and flying the red-and-white checkered flag of Ridley and Sons from the mast of the Isabella Ridley – at that point considered to be the most successful ship that ever sailed out of Newfoundland. Thomey made his final trip to the ice in 1889 on the Greenland and was proud to retire from the dangerous missions having never lost a man. He died on January 9, 1911, at the great age of 91 years.

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Gnat, do you mind…

Neon Signs?

By Harold N. Walters

Old Man Farley

owned the only muzzleloader in Brookwater, an ancient gun his grandfather had used in the seal hunt. Uncle Pell, who’d recently installed a lighting plant to generate electricity for his house and shop, owned the only neon signs in Brookwater. Old Man Farley’s muzzleloader was a relic, an heirloom. Uncle Pell’s signs were brand-new, “free” with the purchase of the lighting plant.

Along with half of Brookwater, Harry and Gnat were there on the memorable early December evening when Uncle Pell powered up his lighting plant, threw the switch and generated the first rush of electrical current to one of the spanking new neon signs. After a few sputters, the sign glowed steadily in … well, neon blue above Uncle Pell’s shop door: “Pell’s Place.”

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nized the fateful triumvirate on stage in Brookwater: a grumpy old man’s inherited sealing gun; a proud shopkeeper’s neon signs; and a pair of scallywags with a history of mischief the length of the government wharf.

The fanfare of Christmas was over.

Carols had been sung; Santa was back at the North Pole with his frozen tootsies warming on the oven door; Christmas toys were mostly broken, and the pointed tips of Christmas crayons were scrubbed to nubs. It was 1-888-588-6353

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coming on New Year’s. Harry and Gnat dodged along the path shovelled through the snow to the steps of Pell’s Place. Frost crackled beneath their logans and the second of Uncle Pell’s neon signs – arched on mounting brackets above Pell’s Place – shivered brightly in the duckish dimness.

“Merry Christmas,” it proclaimed.

Inside, Wince Cody was holding court. Since he’d helped with the installation, Wince – for the umpteenth tiresome time – explained how the magic of Uncle Pell’s signs worked. “And finally, you attaches the wire to the plug-in on the sign. If you wants to replace one sign – the Merry Christmas, say – with another you only haves to unplug one and plug in the other.”

“On New Year’s Eve, I’ll replace the Christmas sign with the one to welcome in the new year,” Uncle Pell said, just as Harry and Gnat stepped inside and stamped the snow off their logans.

Sot on the edge of the woodbox, Old Man Farley worked on the dottle in his pipe with his pocketknife.

“Think I’ll fire off me musket for New Year’s,” he said. “That and Uncle Pell’s sign will welcome the new year with a dandy big bang, I ’low.”

“Let’s hope for a crowd,” said Uncle Pell.

“We’ll sing a few songs,” said Wince Cody. “And have a tot, if anyone got ar drop of Christmas cheer left.”

Harry and Gnat roosted on a Carnation milk case and listened to the chatter as people dropped in, bought a few items – a box of Tip-Tops, potted meat, lemon crystals – and left again for home. They sat and listened until Uncle Pell turned off his signs and locked up for the night.

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While walking home in the quiet darkness, except for the crackling (Harry was certain) of twinkling stars, Harry said, “You ever hear Old Man Farley fire off that gun?”

“No,” said Gnat. “I ’low this’ll be the first time ’tis fired in a hundred years.”

“Well,” said Harry, “I got an idea.”

“I ’low,” said Gnat.

“But we got to watch en load it, though,” said Harry. “And also hope he leaves it bide for a spell.”

“Bang! Eh b’y?” said Gnat, shoulder-checking Harry.

Harry grinned. His teeth sparkled like the stars.

The minute they glutched down the last yomps of breakfast baloney on New Year’s Eve, Harry and Gnat tanned ’er across the cove, crept into Old Man Farley’s yard and burrowed down behind a snowdrift to spy on their target. Before the cold went right up through them, Harry and Gnat silently cheered to see Old Man Farley step out of his porch carrying his muzzleloader. He crossed the yard unaware that he was being watched, entered his shed and latched the door.

The half-frozen spies unknotted their legs and scravelled to the shed’s single window. Despite the fly spits staining the windowpane, they managed to find a couple of peepholes.

Inside the shed, Old Man Farley leaned his muzzleloader against the workbench – leaned it there like a piece of scantling lodged against a rail fence, Harry thought. After rooting through the litter on the bench, Old Man Farley unearthed an antiquated powder horn – older than the one Davy Crockett carried to the Alamo, Harry reckoned.

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Toes tingling, Harry and Gnat studied Old Man Farley as he loaded the long-barrelled gun – a gun as tall as Old Man Farley himself. Using a ramrod, Old Man Farley stogged in gunpowder and wadding – no buckshot, since he wasn’t aiming to kill anything. He gave the load a solid tamping down before laying the ramrod aside. Satisfied, Old Man Farley stood the gun behind the door and

British ramparts as French infantry advanced at a trot. Their covert mission completed, the boys stuck the muzzleloader back behind the workhouse door on their way out.

“Where do you ’low he’ll point that when he fires it off?” Harry said.

“At the sky, I s’pose,” said Gnat.

“Yes, but how high?” said Harry.

During the remaining hours of daylight, the heavily loaded muzzle-

Seizing opportunity on the first knock, Harry and Gnat scooted from window to door and slipped inside Old Man Farley’s shed. left his shed. He paused for a moment outside and then nodded as if he’d made a decision. He walked across the road to Pell’s Place, hoping for a yarn, no doubt.

Seizing opportunity on the first knock, Harry and Gnat scooted from window to door and slipped inside Old Man Farley’s shed. Awed only for a second, Harry lifted the muzzleloader, clunked it butt down, and stood it between himself and Gnat.

Gnat balanced the gun on its butt as Harry stood on a box and dropped buckshot into the long barrel. Yes, buckshot he’d found in a tin among the same rubble from which Old Man Farley had fetched the powder horn.

In addition to the buckshot, he poured extra gunpowder, nearly emptying the powder horn. After stuffing in more wadding, Harry realized the gun would have to be tilted for him to use the ramrod.

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loader – an insensate object incapable of knowing a predestined midnight rendezvous awaited – remained in Old Man Farley’s shed.

As daylight faded, Wince Cody climbed a ladder and replaced Uncle Pell’s Merry Christmas neon with a yet-to-be-lit New Year’s greeting.

Well before midnight, folks who wanted to hail the new year with gunfire and neon gathered at Pell’s Place. Some of them waited inside the shop; some milled about outside in the frosty night beneath the crackling stars. Many of them sipped tea from thermos bottles – their hot drinks perhaps sweetened with the dregs of Christmas cheer.

As the new year approached and midnight was minutes away, Wince Cody stood with Uncle Pell beside the switch that would light up the neon sign. Old Man Farley stood with his muzzleloader erect as if he were a palace guard. Perhaps his several sips of Christmas cheer made him oblivious to the pound or so of lead added to the musket’s weight.

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Harry and Gnat distanced themselves from Old Man Farley and his overloaded gun.

“Get ready,” Uncle Pell said to cue the final countdown. The crowd hushed, thermos bottles empty.

Old Man Farley tucked the muzzleloader against his shoulder and pointed it towards the sky above the roof of Pell’s Place, or so it seemed from where Harry and Gnat waited.

“Five,” said Uncle Pell. “Four … three … two … one.”

Great Big Bang!

A tongue of fire belched from the barrel of Old Man Farley’s muzzleloader, propelling a galaxy of buckshot skyward, albeit at a frightfully low angle. Uncle Pell flipped the

switch allowing juice from his lighting plant to race along the electrical circuit to his New Year’s sign. The assembled crowd gasped, sensing the hurtling buckshot would strike the sign and blow it to smithereens. Time – as ’tis said – hung suspended.

Snickering, Fickle Fate fooled all hands.

Mind that New Year’s Eve, Gnat?

Bet everyone (including you, Dear Reader?) thought Old Man Farley’s muzzleloader was going to blast Uncle Pell’s sign to Kingdom Come.

But – ha-ha! – it didn’t, eh b’y? Time twitched and every single buckshot pellet blew past the sign into the New Year’s sky. Light rushed through the neon in Uncle Pell’s sign and rapidly scribbled a bright green message above the roof of Pell’s Place: “Happy New Year!

Harold Walters lives in Dunville, Newfoundland, doing his damnedest to live Happily Ever After.

Reach him at ghwalters663@gmail.com

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When Sydney Bradbrook,

the London landlubber, arrived in Daniel’s Harbour, NL, in June 1932, he was immediately drawn to the sea, the landscape and, most of all, the people. He learned to fish, from catching it to cleaning, salting and drying it. Milking cows, churning butter, tending gardens, helping build and repair things, all became second nature to him. He bought himself a rifle and learned to hunt for food. It is hard to imagine a way of life more different from the city environment in England where he had been raised; yet it is clear from his diary that he loved it.

By August, his adventurous spirit had him yearning to explore the hills and mountains he could see in the distance. Thus, a plan was made for him, along with Bert Burridge (commonly referred to as Mr. B.), John Moss and his brother Charley to spend three days in the wilderness. They all carried nunny bags on their backs, loaded with a prospector’s tent, food, supplies and their guns. Sydney also took his camera.

I’ll let Dad tell you the story in his own words:

Tuesday, August 30 Up early this morning, and after having had breakfast we were soon on our way. Charley carried his shotgun, and Bert and I carried our guns. We went across to Portland Creek Lake, and soon we had launched John’s boat and were speeding up the lake. It took us about an hour and a half to cross the first lake.

We passed through into the inner pond and passed along the foot of a mountain called Blow-midown. The lake has been sounded here, and they have not touched bottom at 600 ft.

The flies were thick, but we managed to get some dinner.

Then off we started up the steep slope of the mountain, which was covered with forest. The travelling was hard and we had to rest several times. Finally, we left the woods, and began to

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cross the marsh. The flies were pestiferous and they got worse and worse. The bakeapples were abundant on the marsh.

Climbing to the top of Round Hill, Mr. B spotted some partridges amongst the rocks, and we crept forward. Charley fired and brought down two. My first shot missed. Charley fired again, and then I brought down a bird. At the end, our “bag” was six birds.

We then continued on our way. The flies were terrible and the next few miles were absolutely miserable. I was very badly bitten. At last we reached a wooden camp, which Charley said was called Eastern Brook camp. After a rest we cooked a partridge each ...A jolly good supper.

After a talk we turned in.

Wednesday, August 31 Spent a rather rough night. Neck and ears swollen with bites. About eleven o’clock we started off. After about twenty minutes walking we began to ascend a rocky cleft [sic]. The flies were tormenting and hummed around us in clouds. Hardly a breath of wind stirred, and we were panting and sweating when we reached the top of Stag Hill. It was impossible to travel further because of the flies. It was equally impossible to stay out in the open, so we opened out the cotton camp and we crawled beneath it. Although we were in the shade of a rock it was extremely hot. Nevertheless, Charley and I managed to go to sleep, while the other two suffered.

This cotton prospector’s tent was their shelter during their three-day excursion in the wilds of the Great Northern Peninsula.

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At this time the light began to fail, and although a thin cloud covered the sun it was much darker than it ought to have been. A sort of grey darkness. It reminded me of an eclipse.

Every now and then a small breeze (puffs!! he called them) eased the flies a bit, but despite using fly oil, and with handkerchiefs fixed to the back of their caps to cover their necks, the swarms continued unabated. The only relief came when they were walking through tall bushes. It made for slow progress, but at least the branches whipping around their faces kept most of the flies at bay.

Later that afternoon they arrived at a spot near a stream where they’d camp for the night. They pitched the tent, lined the inside with fir boughs, and got a fire going to boil the kettle for tea. After they ate, they sat around chatting. It was then they noticed a rather strange darkening of the daylight. Dad wrote:

At this time the light began to fail, and although a thin cloud covered the sun it was much darker than it ought to have been. A sort of grey darkness. It reminded me of an eclipse.

As it turns out, that’s exactly what it was. A total solar eclipse took place 1-888-588-6353

over northeastern USA on August 31, 1932. The full eclipse occurred in a narrow corridor stretching from the North West Territories down through Quebec, and into northern Maine, but it was experienced as a partial eclipse for thousands of kilometres beyond that, including western Newfoundland.

Shortly after, Bert and Charley set off to shoot something for supper. It was almost dark when they returned to camp announcing their success. In his diary, Dad records they’d shot a “deer,” but it must have been a small caribou, as there are no deer in Newfoundland. The men brought back the heart, liver and tongue for the evening meal. The remainder of the animal would be retrieved in the morning.

Here’s how Dad describes it:

Soon we had a blazing fire going and a baking dish full of liver and heart sizzling away. It seemed like a long time cooking, but at last we were able to begin. Shall I ever forget that meal, I wonder? We ate by the light of a candle, the dish in January 2021

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John and Charley Moss around the campfire, August 1932. front of us. We ate without forks or plates. Charley had a big carving knife, I had a small sheath knife, John used his fingers, as did Bert. A slice of bread did as a plate and a serviette. It didn’t take long to clear the dish, and then we finished up with tea and buns. How good!

After breakfast the next morning they headed out to retrieve the rest of their “deer.” Within a mile they located the carcass, a young stag. They skinned and cut it up, discarded the head and largest bones, then put as much meat as possible in the nunny bags. Later, back at the camp, they repacked their things and started on the long trek back to the boat. It was harder going back carrying all they’d brought in plus the meat they were 118

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bringing out. Puffing and sweating, they reached Round Hill and started the ascent. Dad noted:

The ascent was long and slow.

One blessing, however, was that the cool breeze kept the flies clear. Several times I thought I would have to give up, but each time managed to find some more strength to carry on. At last we finished our climb, and Charley called a halt for refreshments. Directly we stopped, the flies again gathered around in clouds.

As hard as the ascent was, coming down the other side of Round Hill toward Portland Creek Lake was even harder. The slope was steep and the obstacles included fallen trees, roots and swampy spots. Just after 1-888-588-6353

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Practising their hunting skills.

In the background is the home of nurse Myra Bennett, a local hero in early medicine on the Northern Peninsula. one of their few rest stops, Dad discovered he had left his gun behind and had to go back and get it:

The slope had so fatigued and fumbled my brain, that I hadn’t wit enough to take my heavy nunny bag off my shoulders when I started back up the slope, till a shout from the others brought it off my shoulders quickly.

He describes the descent as “a nightmare,” but eventually they reached Portland Creek Lake, loaded everything into their boat and motored away. Two hours later they grounded on the shore where they had departed two days earlier.

It was dark now and after dragging up the boat and fixing everything away snugly, under Charley’s guidance we started once more across the marsh, full loads on our back. It was pretty bad in the dark, and several times I sank to my knees.

However, we reached dry ground safely and, passing through the woods, struck the road for home.

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They arrived at the Moss house in Daniel’s Harbour late that night.

After having a good wash and a bite to eat, Dad collapsed into bed. On that final day they had walked for 11 hours through pathless underbrush, over marshes, up and down huge hills, tortured by flies and laden with heavy loads. You might think this would have cured him of his wilderness wanderlust. It didn’t. Instead, it turned him into a dedicated woodsman for the rest of his life.

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Turning on the Lights

by Chad Bennett

The doors – thick, heavy,

wooden and complaining – were pushed open. They made the most wonderful groans, rich in timber and laced with disgust, that were punctuated by the jangle of iron chains as the doors came to a sudden halt. Thomas S. Pooke, manager of the Terra Nova Bakery, escorted his guests inside: Walter B. Grieve, Alexander M. Mackay and the director of the bakery, Moses Monroe. Greeting them were dim shafts of light leaking in from third-storey windows, dust motes dancing through the encapsulate air, and a floor so elaborately festooned with the discards of angry beavers that they nearly missed seeing George, shirtless and snacking on some of the more questionable discarded biscuits. “Hello, Mr. Pooke,” said George, perched atop a slightly leaning barrel.

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“Oh. Hello, George. You’re doing well I see.” Hoping they’d pay no heed to George, Pooke led his guests further inside the old Flavin’s Lane warehouse, which was available for rent. “We will, of course, have the premises cleaned and put to rights, should you decide that it would suit your purposes,” Pooke continued.

“And what are your purposes, gentlemen?”

“Electricity,” they replied, savouring the word.

“That’s the, ah, Tesla stuff right?”

“Well, yes,” began Mackay, “unless you ask Edison, then it’s the Edison stuff.”

Monroe took in the space – the watered light, the macroscopic chewy air, the beaver leavings and George. “This is great. We’ll take it.

Right, gentlemen?” Grieve and Mackay nodded a demurred acceptance, though their eyes never left George.

“I just have two questions,” said Grieve. “Who’s that?” pointing at George, who nodded back with a grin. To Pooke, he added, “And when can you start?”

“Ah, well, that is...” Pooke sputtered. “That’s George. Not rightly sure what his last name is, not really sure if he has one. He, ah, sort of lives here, always has done as far as I know. Years ago there was an effort made to move him on, but no one 1-888-588-6353

could quite work out how he was getting in, and, well, he sort of became an unpaid night watchman.”

At this George gave a small salute, nod and surprisingly graceful bow before scratching his belly.

“Anything to report, George?” asked Pooke.

“A nice new couple of pigeons moved into the southeast wing, Sir. Young love, some sweet.” Grins all around.

“Thank you, George,” said Pooke, turning his attention back to Grieve, “As for your second question, when can I start? I don’t quite follow.”

Monroe closed the gap and clapped Pooke by the shoulders. “You can keep your current position at the bakery, not to worry. But this venture needs a constant hand. We need someone to organize efforts; look after equipment; set up, install, manage people, time, resources; take care of the day to day. We need a manager, and we think that’s you. So when can you start?”

“Today, definitely today,” said Pooke, hoping he didn’t sound too eager. “What are you hoping to do with this electricity?”

Mackay smiled a winning smile.

“Light first, and then everything.”

“Competition for the gas works. I see.” Pooke knew that the city’s powerful controlled the gas works; competition was an understatement.

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The St. John’s Electric Light Company was established in May 1885. On June 1, shares in the company were made available and within days $32,000 was in hand, the entire startup financing required and all from within the community itself.

A complete Thomson Houston system was purchased from the Royal Electric Company of Montreal.

Monroe, the take-no-prisoners entrepreneur, took Pooke by the hand. “We’re going to crush them.

Welcome aboard. Now to the work, equipment is en route. We need these premises ready to generate electrical energy, and we need it ready yesterday.”

“Absolutely, leave it with me,” Pooke said.

The St. John’s Electric Light Company was established in May 1885.

On June 1, shares in the company were made available and within days $32,000 was in hand, the entire startup financing required and all from within the community itself. A complete Thomson Houston system was purchased from the Royal Electric Company of Montreal.

It turned out that the resourceful Pooke could teach a bear ballet. He 122

January 2021

hired tradespeople of all kinds, linesmen from the Anglo-American Telegraph Company to run the wires, experts such as John Starr (light bulb pioneer) to oversee plans, and Hugh Gammell of St. John’s to design and build the new boiler. Even George helped transform the biscuit warehouse into an electrical factory by thoughtfully relocating the pigeons to safer climes.

On September 5, the electrical plant equipment steamed into St. John’s Harbour on board the SS Miranda. On Saturday, October 17, the boiler was ready, the electrical equipment was installed and lights were in place along the entire length of Prescott Street. In the small hours of that morning, the boiler was lit and tested for the first time; pressure held. This marriage of a coal-fired 1-888-588-6353

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steam engine boiler and an electrical dynamo was one era’s technology giving life to the next. That afternoon, the dynamo was engaged; electric light lit the biscuit warehouse-turned electrical facility. Great jagged plumes of blue licking the sides of the dynamo as it spun faster, the old Flavin’s Lane warehouse lit as bright as a summer’s day. They need only flip the switch now and power would flow down the lines lighting the world outside, but they would wait until nightfall, for the Saturday evening crowds and the spectacle.

In the soft of night, the order was given to turn on the lights. From Flavin’s Lane all the way down Prescott Street to Water Street, Newfoundland was aglow with electric light for the first time. The store fronts of J.J. and L. Furlong, John Steer, Edwin Duder, Gearond Company, J. Mackay, M. Monroe, Simon and Pippy, R. O’Dwyer, C. McPherson, Ayre and Sons (East End branch) and H. M. Gibbs were brilliantly lit to the astonishment of all.

Unfortunately, the magic wouldn’t last long; a short circuit ended the show. Some lengths of electrical wire were installed slightly too close to the existing telegraph wires. Electrical energy jumped from one to the other, sending high-voltage current surging throughout the telegraph network and shocking telegraph operators as far away as Holyrood.

The damage was quickly repaired, the wires adjusted and a second test 1-888-588-6353

on Monday evening went flawlessly.

The lights were on for good. The Evening Telegram reported, “The lighting of the shops and of the streets by electricity was put into operation for the first time in our city on Monday night last and was universally voted a success. Like the gradual introduction here of other progressive agencies it marks another stop in advancement... On Monday evening thousands saw the electric light for the first time and crowds in front of the business places where it shone stopped to gaze and admire the new wonder. In colour it resembled somewhat the soft, subdued light of the dawn or the brilliance of a full moon. It was soothing to the eyesight, showing the hues of fabrics in their natural tints and beside it the gaslight looked red and smoky.”

Government officials were as enthralled by the demonstration as the general public and almost immediately commissioned a contract for 25 of the electric lamps to replace 35 gas lamps. On November 22 a street dance took place under specially installed electric lights all over Flavin’s Lane to celebrate the newly signed contract.

And as for the gas company who had held a monopoly over the city since 1844, they would not be pushed aside without a fight. Their fight raged into the next century, when the Petty Harbour hydroelectricity facility was constructed – but that is a tale for another day.

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OVER $20s in saving ! by joining

Now more than ever a Downhome membership is a great value. Not only do you save over $20 off the cover price, you receive: 1 Year (12 issues) OF DOWNHOME

Free WALL CALENDAR Free EXPLORE TRAVEL GUIDE 2 Issues INSIDE LABRADOR †

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* Valid in Canada on a 1-year term. Total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $45.99; ON $45.19; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $41.99. US/International $49.99. ** Valid in Canada on a 3-year term. Total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $114.99; ON $112.99; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $104.99; US/International $140.99.

Send to Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 or call 1-888-588-6353

ORDER ONLINE TODAY! www.joindownhome.com

2101_Puzzles_1701-puzzles 11/25/20 5:05 PM Page 126

puzzles The Beaten Path

Edwina Williams photo

By Ron Young

Block out all the letters that are like other letters in every way, including shape and size. The letters that are left over will spell out the name of the above community in letters that get smaller in size.

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Last Month’s Community: Rose Blanche 126

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Sudoku

from websudoku.com

Skill level: Medium Last month’s answers

?

Need Help

Visit DownhomeLife.com/puzzles for step-by-step logic for solving this puzzle

www.downhomelife.com

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Downhomer Detective Needs You After more than two decades on the Urban City Police Force, Downhomer Detective has come home to rid Newfoundland and Labrador of a new threat – cunning thief Ragged Rick. A real braggart, the slimy criminal sends DD a blurry photo of his surroundings plus clues to his whereabouts just to prove he’s always a step ahead. DD needs your help to identify where in Newfoundland and Labrador Ragged Rick is hiding out this month.

Use these 5 clues to identify where Ragged Rick is now: • Founded on the shores of Red Indian Lake • Historically tied to metal mining • First ore discovery was made by Indigenous prospector Matty Mitchell • The Lucky Strike is a landmark • The Mudhole is a summer hot spot

Last Month’s Answer: Pouch Cove

Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador

by Mel D’Souza Last Month’s Answer: Bluff Head Cove 128

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In Other Words Guess the well-known expression written here in other words.

Last Month’s Clue: Pitch prudence into the gale In Other Words: Throw Caution to the Wind This Month’s Clue: On occasion you are required to masticate the ammunition In Other Words: _________ ___ ____ __ ____ ___ ______

A Way With Words PE AS

Last Month’s Answer: Split Peas

This Month’s Clue

WAY WAY TRAFFIC

Rhyme Time A rhyming word game

by Ron Young

1. To ring Barbie is to ____ a ____ 2. A seafood platter is a ____ ___ 3. A stage for a musical group is a ____ ____ Last Month’s Answers

Answer: ___ - ___ _______

Scrambled Sayings

1. shocking stocking, 2. best rest, 3. red sled

by Ron Young

Place each of the letters in the rectangular box below into one of the white square boxes above them to discover a quotation. Incomplete words that begin on the right side of the diagram continue one line down on the left. The letters may or may not go in the box in the same order that they are in the column. Once a letter is used, cross it off and do not use it again.

;

. ’

E G E G R M S R T T

A A L I P D E A L T S S E E E T W S I O Y W P S

C C H I C A I G A A D H I S I C N M E E E O M S S O N P N M T T N

E K N S

E R S T

I I O R

O O O U

N E D S S P U S U

Last month’s answer: He who devotes sixteen hours a day to hard study may become at sixty as wise as he thought himself at twenty. www.downhomelife.com

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Rhymes 5 Times Each answer rhymes with the other four

1. sweets 2. groovy 3. helpful 4. alcohol 5. gritty

____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

STUCK? Don’t get your knickers in a knot!

Puzzle answers can be found online at DownhomeLife.com/puzzles

Last Month’s Answers: 1. sock, 2. rock, 3. dock, 4. mock, 5. lock

Tangled Towns

by Lolene Young Condon and Ron Young

Sound out the groups of words below to get a familiar expression.

For best results sound the clue words out loud!

Eight Roost Oar He _ ____ _____ Up Act Douse _ ______ _____ Last Month’s 1st Clue: Abe Ax Tree Tally Answer: A backstreet alley Last Month’s 2nd Clue: Account Hurt Hop Answer: A countertop

Unscramble each of the five groups of letters below to get 5 Newfoundland and Labrador place names.

1. ELBU VCOE 2. TS RBBEA 3. CHARNO NOPIT 4. GBI RKBOO 5. RECTURN SDINLA Last Month’s Answers: 1. Colinet, 2. Mitchells Brook, 3. Admirals Beach, 4. Riverhead, 5. Gaskiers

A nalogical A nagrams Unscramble the capitalized words to get one word that matches the subtle clue.

1. DAIRY TONIC ~ Clue: where words have meaning 2. ENDING TIRE ~ Clue: if one is missing it’s a recipe for disaster 3. CHORAL COOLING ~ Clue: all in good time 4. ANT PIECE ~ Clue: it comes to those who wait… and wait…

5. CENT ACID ~ Clue: never done on purpose Last Month’s Answers: 1. thesaurus, 2. selfie, 3. monogram, 4. ladder, 5. desserts 130

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Four-Way Crossword F o re Wo rd s • B a c k Wo rd s • U p Wo rd s • D o w n Wo rd s

By Ron Young

Unlike regular crosswords, in Four-Way Crossword each letter is not necessarily related to the letter in the adjacent row or column, but is part of one or more words in some direction.

1-4: walkway 1-31: sole 1-91: desolation 3-6: Nautilus captain 9-7: chicken 9-29: she 10-1: fantastic 10-100: beat rapidly 12-16: outfit 12-42: blood 14-34: beret 16-14: place 18-20: supper 18-48: long 21-25: vagabond 23-25: crazy 25-55: finished 26-46: male feline 27-29: distant 29-26: flotation 32-34: male sheep 33-3: so let it be 34-31: female horse 37-40: turn over 38-8: tardy 38-40: backtalk 40-60: ditch 41-43: lease 45-43: louse egg 49-46: fruit 52-22: Rome burner 52-54: profit 54-60: storm 56-54: faced 57-7: colourful bird 57-27: pant 57-60: annoying person 57-87: yearn 61-31: longest river 61-91: G-Man Eliot www.downhomelife.com

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63-61: Sol 63-66: fine fabric 63-93: only 66-69: smooch 66-86: youngster 68-38: vend 70-68: donkey 72-77: head 75-45: meadow 75-95: lass 77-97: new 80-60: knit 81-84: bargain 83-86: heavy metal 88-58: combine 88-86: gave food to 89-59: fewer

91-95: enchantment 91-100: mesmerized 94-4: legal Last Month’s Answer

A T T R A C T I O N

F T E RWA AWE T A B S I RA I G TNE S T E REGN I L ATUOL A P AL U F T EUANT N ANT AOU O T E WO R

RD S L E E AL P AL A I AR RDA CA T E WE NN L THY

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The Bayman’s

Crossword Puzzle 1

3

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by Ron Young

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ACROSS 1. negative vote 3. Public Broadcasting System (abbrev) 5. Ma’s mate 6. recede, as in tide 8. whiskey 9. baby kangaroo 11. third NL premier 14. “How’s ye gettin’ __?”

15. black 17. Between Mexico and Canada 19. for example (abbrev) 20. Woodstock singer Joan 23. relating to outer space 25. makeshift shelter 27. the devil 28. earthen mound 30. bar credit 33. Newfoundland Teacher’s Association (abbrev) 35. Clouston, NL humour collector 36. the blue planet 38. rec room 40. that thing 42. chocolate plant 45. beverage 46. seine 48. Jellybean ___ – St. John’s icon 49. “I don’t want your maggoty fish, they’re __ good for winter” 50. “God guard thee, ____________” DOWN 1. mosquito (colloq) 2. affirmative 4. Canada child benefit 7. “Where __ that blackbird to?”

9. Short for Josephine 10. “Now ‘twas twenty-five or thirty _____ since Jack first saw the light” 11. The Raven poet www.downhomelife.com

12. The Queen’s home 13. Premier Moores 16. NL’s first premier 18. __ John’s 20. Bide Arm (abbrev) 21. Sicilian volcano 22. animal exhibit 24. Hippocratic is one 26. welcome sign on door 29. Point __ Haye 30. after ninth 31. battery size 32. Premier Tobin 34. indefinite article 37. singer Turner’s initials 39. West of AB 41. referee (abbrev) 42. “fish” in NL 43. leather-working tool 44. girl’s name 46. opposite of SE 47. “Stay where you’re __ till I comes where you’re at” 48. registered nurse (abbrev)

H

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ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD

M U

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2101_Puzzles_1701-puzzles 11/26/20 1:38 PM Page 134

DIAL-A-SMILE © 2021 Ron Young

Pick the right letters from the old style phone to match the numbers grouped below and uncover a quote which will bring a smile to your face.

__ 43

_ 4

____ 5337

_ ___ _____ 2 883 68466

’

__ 23

__ 46

’

_____ _ 72946 4

__ 46

____ _ 4646 4

__ 86

__ __ 33 28

Last Month’s Answer: Tact is the ability to describe others as they see themselves.

©2021 Ron Young

CRACK THE CODE N

Each symbol represents a letter of the alphabet, for instance =R Try to guess the smaller, more obvious words to come up with the letters for the longer ones. The code changes each month.

_ _ _’ _

x ZkJ _ _ _ R

_ _ _ _

LfHJ _ _ _ R _,

_ _ _ _ _

n ZfkJ _ _ _ _

K Zf N

KO i N H

bilO

_ _ _ R

_ _ _ R _

_ _ _ _ _

K Zf N

KO i N H

n ZfkJ

Last Month’s Answer: The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values.

134

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Food For Thought

© 2021 Ron Young

Each food symbol represents a letter of the alphabet. Find the meanings to the words then match the letters with the food symbols below to get a little “food for thought.”

how come = should = pools =

artist =

_ _ _

oef

relish =

_ _ _ _

k i Vd

xvzlV

_ _

_ _ _

_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ ’ d lv z owVdt

_ _

d skt _

_

sV

_

y[wvv i t

[vvt

fv i

_ _ _ _

_ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

fluctuates =

_ _ _ _ _

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vwt stV

_ _

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yvt _ _

oewd [sy t

_ _ _ _

kwlt

_ _

ix

_ _

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Last Month’s Answer: If the grass is greener on the other side, you can bet the water bill is higher. www.downhomelife.com

January 2021

135

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Different Strokes

Our artist’s pen made the two seemingly identical pictures below different in 12 places. See if you can find all 12.

ERN AND COAL BIN BRING IN THE NEW YEAR

Last Month’s Answers: 1. Magazine; 2. Tree, 3. Reins, 4. Skis, 5. Church, 6. Roof, 7. Ern's arm, 8. Cap, 9. Glove, 10. Antler, 11. Reindeer's leg, 12. Snowflakes “Differences by the Dozen”- A compilation of Different Strokes from 2002 to 2014 (autographed by Mel) can be ordered by sending $9.95 (postage incl.; $13.98 for U.S. mailing) to Mel D’Souza, 21 Brentwood Dr., Brampton, ON, L6T 1P8.

136

January 2021

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HIDE & SEEK COOKING TERMS

The words can be across, up, down, backward or at an angle, but always in a line.

BAKE BEAT BROIL CHOP CREAM CRUMBLE CUP DASH DICE FOLD FRY GALLON GRILL JULIENNE KNEAD P P T N E R U R A O F M J C Z O R L

B R G C O U I X S D S C P R X G E O

S T E A M O G A I T V A I U B E M F

E G S H R P P F D V A G J M P N R A

LITRE MASH PEEL PINCH POUR PREHEAT B I D N Y P M F U V T I O M J S N D

Last Month’s Answers

Y Z W R E F E S A N N E D B C Y L Y

T W L O H A L Q E K T Z B L T I A Q

S O O D N I T F A L N Y A E T O N O

www.downhomelife.com

V A A Y O E T U U F B Q A R C S S K

R S U R M S U H C C K A E U F K K C

H I B T A X J K J J F H T D R L I L

M G T P E M A S H Z M P S I F Q O I

H R Z S R Y R Y J J F P F R O Y A T

P I Q R Z D M U D H H C A W E R A R

E W W M C O A N P C A S T S M P T J

SAUTE STEAM STIR TABLESPOON TEASPOON WHISK U B S C A D I D I X R U J D T E N P

D X E C L T O G Z Q F U E L R G Z O

R O O P U C W O I E P A D H Y J X Z

D Y K A O N S E T M J Z U B U N O F

I W A Y U T U U M X R Q R E H I Q S

Z Q G P B L Q L N E N N E I L U J Z

N Z C T E V T D C G B E Q A Z F A W

G O P C B L P I S B G V V D Y Y E B

B S A O F E L T C F Z E K N P O H I

W Y U B P R A A S N S Z F N O D E E

B O C F A W N J I D H E T U F A O V

D A E N K S E I H T S K C D D P U E

K K L L Z I H G X Q O S L S C L D X

F H I L F E T I I L R S S F J L I W

N O S P H A N L R K M A O F V Y O Y

N N E F A T Z N R W T U O M I H J F

V H M X S J X O S G J B O J Z W E D

E E U K T M E B P X B L Z U J R I P

C M M Q W J H R G C R Y X C F L T G

T I A F R A P S H Z E P J D O F X G

X V O P U E J I U Y P O H C M A Q V

F L A N R T W O R L A Y B N U P L A

F C O H O A H A I B D J T T Q T N A

A R B V H N C X H A D Z N L M S J E

M A C A R O O N Y R M A S U W C Z I

O O E X F W D R J B I D H K A F I Z

Q T E D L F H H P G C R U V G Y R X

A I O A L G E L A T O Q U J H X S Y

N G A L L O N H S G C J F V N E F V

P N T R E M A M E V Y D N A C J X E

W E L I T C Q L F U Q O R W R U P O

M X D U F L L M B M E K A D O V U U

January 2021

S H N H I E L C P L S H E H Q F D J

E K A C E S E E H C D U I X C O M K

X A K A B M N D Y J L R J S R H Q H 137

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Hawke’s Bay, NL

Toll Free: 1-866-586-2341 www.downhomemovers.com

(collect calls accepted) downeastconnection@yahoo.ca

Contact: Gary or Sharon King

1-888-588-6353

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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!

Some Good: Sweet Treats - Jessica Milton

#79586 | $21.95

Bonita's Kitchen:

From Codfish to Kippers:

#79592 | $24.95

#79591 | $29.95

A Little Taste of Home Bonita Hussey

Creative Recipes for Fresh, Smoked, and Salted Fish Roger Pickavance

Sale!

Cooking up a Scoff:

Traditional Recipes of Newfoundland and Labrador

#79297 | $14.95

Downhome Gallery Cookbook #38455 | $19.50 Sale $9.88

Hikes of Newfoundland

Lost in Newfoundland -

#79409 | $29.95

#79410 | $29.95

- Broadhurst, Fortin, Smyth, Hollingshurst

Photographer Michael Winsor

Newfoundland Recipes:

Recipes From the Kitchens of Newfoundland

#2495 | $4.95

Tales Through Time:

A Collection of Short Stories Patrick J. Collins

#79604 | $18.95

Prices listed do not inculde tax and shipping

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MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com

The Little Red Shed Adam & Jennifer Young #79408 | $14.95

A Newfoundland Maple Samantha & Dawn Baker

#79566 | $14.95

Flossy's Fairy Adventure:

Teach Coping Skills to Kids Florence Strang

#79516 | $12.95

Our Heroes of Covid-19: Story by Phil Riggs Illustrated by Corey Majeau

#79502 | $16.95

M is for Murals:

Wild Pond Hockey -

#79476 | $14.95

#79640 | $12.95

7" Puffin w/Sou Wester #64669 | $14.99

Plush NL Dog w/Bandanna #43618 | $19.99

An Alphabet Storybook Trudy Stuckless

Jeffrey C. Domm

Sale!

Plush - Moose with attached Baby - 14" #59174| $19.99 Sale $9.99

TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-588-6353

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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!

Salt n' Pepper Cap

Infant's Salt n' Pepper Cap

Adult Medium #23904 | $31.99 Adult Large #23903 | $31.99 Kids #39480 | $27.99

Grey #28067 Pink #49655

$24.99 each

Sale!

Cap - Newfoundland Camo #63811 | $19.99 Now $9.99

Newfoundland Toque Faux Fur Trapper Hat Kids #79288 | $24.99 Adults #79287 | $27.99

Newfoundland w Moose Canada - Red Plaid Cap #75546 | $19.99

Cap - Since 1497 Newfoundland, Canada - Polytonal Patch #79390 | $19.99

Toque Set Toque, Scarf and Mittens

#79289 | $32.99

Prices listed do not inculde tax and shipping

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MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com Sale!

Sherpa Blanket - Newfoundland Sayings 50" x 60" #77814 | $39.99 Now $24.88

Purity Goodie Box

#79290 | $49.99

Sale!

Sherpa Blanket Newfoundland Tartan 50" x 60" #75517 | $39.99 Now $24.88

Purity Gift Box (3.2kg)

Jam Jams, Peppermint Nobs, Strawberry Syrup, Assorted Kisses

#78550 | $19.99

Newfoundland Seasonings Ragin' Bayman 100g #79465 | NL Moose 100g #77375 Steak & Burger 100g #77377 | Cod 65g #77379

$7.99 each

TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-588-6353

Purity Kisses

Peanut Butter #4010 Assorted #3997

$4.50 each

Purity Candy

Peppermint Nobs #4238 Candy Barrels #49556

$4.50 each

Purity Syrup Pineapple #77660 Raspberry #15358

$5.99 each

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photo finish

Letting

Off Steam

It was a bone-chilling -51°C, but at least one animal – a fox, it seems by the tracks – was out here with the photographer.

Timothy Collins, Labrador City, NL

Do you have an amazing or funny photo to share?

Turn to page 9 to find out how to submit.

144

January 2021

1-888-588-6353

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