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$4.99 May 2022
Vol 34 • No 12
Breakfast in Bed for Mom
DIY Hanging Baskets 21st Century Farmer
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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 Editor Lila Young Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters Advertising Sales Account Manager Barbara Young Account Manager Ashley O’Keefe Marketing Director Tiffany Brett Finance and Administration Accountant Marlena Grant Accountant Sarah Goodwin Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney
Warehouse Operations Warehouse / Inventory Manager Carol Howell Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins Retail Operations Retail Floor Manager, St. John’s Jackie Rice Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Crystal Rose, Jonathon Organ, Elizabeth Gleason, Erin McCarthy, Marissa Little, Kim Tucker, Heather Stuckless, Katrina Hynes, Destinee Rogers, Amy Young, Bobbi Jensen, Emily Snelgrove, Brandy Rideout, Kaitlin Dillon
Subscriptions Customer Service Associate Cathy Blundon
Founding Editor Ron Young Chief Executive Officer/Publisher Grant Young President & Associate Publisher Todd Goodyear 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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the trail less taken
Contents
MAY 2022
46 At Home on the Farm Farming, including the hard work, comes naturally to Three Mile Ridge’s Krista Chatman. Nicola Ryan
58 A Friendly Encounter The Friendly Giant’s harp is still making beautiful music – in Newfoundland and Labrador. Dennis Flynn
62 The May Bush
46 farm life www.downhomelife.com
A springtime tradition Dale Jarvis
72 Trails Less Travelled Ten journeys and destinations you might not know about. Nicola Ryan May 2022
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Contents
MAY 2022
homefront 8 I Dare Say A note from the Editor 12 Letters From Our Readers Air Force Days, Mom’s Hooked Mats, and a note from our president
20 Downhome Tours Downhome readers explore Texas
22 Why is That? Why do bagels have holes? Linda Browne
24 Life’s Funny Purple Truck, Red Face Marlene Chislett
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looking back
25 Say What? A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth
26 Lil Charmers Baking Buddies 28 Pets of the Month Happy Campers
30 Pet of the Year Contest Tell us about the pet that changed your life.
32 Reviewed Denise Flint reviews Land of Many Shores and chats with editor Ainsley Hawthorn.
24 grand theft oh-oh!
34 What Odds Paul Warford finally gets it.
36 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose reviews Korona Brophy’s solo debut, Heart to Heart. 40 Adventures Outdoors May 24th on my Mind Gord Follett
28 livin’ is easy
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78 whale watch
52 downtown icon
44 What’s the Score Kids Today Kevin Lane
features 52 A Rare Find Halliday’s Meat Market is more than a butcher shop, it’s a downtown landmark. Mariah Pardy
68 Mary’s Magical Mug A family heirloom that is cherished for its fairy tale beginnings. Kim Ploughman
explore 78 Whale Watch A deep dive into the lives of whales Todd Hollett
84 Travel Diary Reflections on McCallum G. Tod Slone www.downhomelife.com
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Contents
MAY 2022
98
meals for mom
home and cabin 88 Stuff We Love Birding Basics Nicola Ryan
90 Display Your Style Guide to attractive shelf displays Marie Bishop 94 Todd’s Table Chicken Cacciatore Todd Goodyear
98 Everyday Recipes Breakfast in Bed for Mom
104 Down to Earth The Art of the Hanging Basket Kim Thistle 6
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116 bay du nord memories
reminiscing 110 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places
111 This Month in History The Polaris expedition
112 Visions and Vignettes About the cover This breathtaking view of Salvage was captured by reader Lorraine Winsor during a hike on the Damnable Trail, one of 10 routes highlighted in this issue, beginning on p. 72.
Cover Index Pet of the Year Contest! • 30 Magical Mystery Mug • 68 Childhood Classic • 58 Trails Less Travelled • 72 Breakfast in Bed for Mom • 98 DIY Hanging Baskets • 104 21st Century Farmer • 46 www.downhomelife.com
Adventures of two young scalawags in an imaginary outport of days gone by. Harold N. Walters
116 Esther Eva’s Rose Garden Memories of Bay du Nord in the summer of ’63. Victor A. French, P.Geo
124 Puzzles 136 Colouring Page 138 Classifieds 140 Mail Order 144 Photo Finish May 2022
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i dare say
Funny thing about perspective – it’s all in the way you look at it.
Todd Young photo
“You know, this feels like we’re in one of those small island towns during a cruise ship stop,” my husband says over breakfast. We’re seated by the window in a historic building, looking through the wavy single-pane glass over the white wooden sill at the tiny paved street winding around more historic buildings. A cab pulls up and two people get out with their luggage and enter an inn across the street. More people stroll by; a number of them come inside and fill the tables around us. The room fills with excited chatter. After we’ve paid and thanked our server, we step outside into the morning sunshine. We amble down the paved laneways, admiring the cluster of well-kept homes in this waterside hamlet. We walk down to a wharf to take photos of the idyllic scene. We pass by windows through which we can watch artisans practising their craft. Just beyond that, a path winds up a hill overlooking the village. It’s too early now, but you can tell that there will be berries to pick up there come summer. We decide to make a return trip to this place, to see where that path will take us. After all, it’s not far to go. It’s just Quidi Vidi in St. John’s, the city where we work every day of the week! Yet, on this Sunday morning we feel like visitors to a quaint sea port. This is Come Home Year in Newfoundland and Labrador. Whether you are coming home, or you are here welcoming others back, I challenge you to look around and see your neighbourhood, community or province the way a tourist would. It’s rejeuvenating. Thanks for reading,
Janice Stuckless, Editor-in-chief janice@downhomelife.com
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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.
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 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3
mail@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com Deadline for replies is the end of each month.
What? No Winner? Because March was so delayed, we gave readers more time to find Corky. March and April winners will be announced here next issue!
*No Phone Calls Please. One entry per person
www.downhomelife.com
May 2022
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Some are coming home by sea. Others from the sky.
But everyone is welcome.
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It’s Come Home 2022 in Newfoundland and Labrador. A time for friends and family to come back for a year-long celebration. So consider this your official invitation.
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Air Force Days
On receipt of your January magazine, I can relate to the article “Wing and a Prayer” about 84-year-old Ray Hawco and the crash of a B26 bomber at Argentia, NL. I am now in my 96th year of age, and my memory goes back a long ways. The article takes me back to the four-and-a-half years working on the US base at Fort McAndrew in Argentia. I started as a bartender serving beer to the air force, army and navy members in transit. I worked my way up from bartender to manager of purchasing and supplies for the Post Exchange. Enclosed you will find photographs of the plane crash mentioned in that January article. The photographs were taken by the base photographer, now deceased, who was a close friend of mine. Also I might mention there was a sale lady in the Post Exchange by the name of Bridie Hawco, just wondering if she was any relation to Ray Hawco. Bridie is on the right of the [above] photo of “the three gals” (Mary Power, Bridie Culleton, Bridie Hawco). They were a delight to be in their presence, loyal workers at the Post Exchange, as were the rest of the staff. Ray Stratton St. John’s, NL
Wow, Ray. Thank you for sharing these incredible historic photos. Maybe “the three gals” of the Post Exchange, or someone who knew them, will get a kick out of seeing their younger selves in Downhome. 12
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Memories of the Ocean Ranger Many thanks to Lloyd Major for his February 2022 article, “Memories of the Ocean Ranger.” It is heartwrenching each February when remembering those lost in the Ocean Ranger tragedy. Lloyd’s story gives insight into the struggles of workers and his personal experiences, which he will never forget. I was touched reading this part: “On the lighter side, one morning at about 2 a.m., crane operator Martin Blackmore brought a seagull with a broken leg to the hospital.” It prompted me to contact Lloyd, which resulted in us sharing stories of my late husband, Martin Blackmore, and their time working together on the Ocean Ranger. Martin, like many others, mourned the loss of coworkers with whom he had worked prior to February 15, 1982. My heartfelt
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sympathy goes out to the families and friends of those lost on the Ocean Ranger. RIP Sheila Kelly-Blackmore Eastport, NL
Thank you for your letter, Sheila. There’s hardly a person in Newfoundland and Labrador who doesn’t have a connection to or memory of the Ocean Ranger tragedy. Those lost will never be forgotten.
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Mom’s Hooked Mats My mother, Evelyn Langille, was born and raised on Big Tancook Island, NS. Mat hooking on burlap was one of the traditions passed down for generations. The hemmed burlap, cut to the desired mat size, was laced into a wooden frame, most often set up in the kitchen or back bedroom. Old clothes were saved and cut into strips upon which the hooker filled in the pattern drawn out on the burlap. In my mother’s case, patterns came from the design on the floor covering in her house, a picture in a magazine or the creativeness in her head. Many evenings I sat with Mom in the kitchen while she cut the rags into strips and relayed the background story of each piece: a shirt my father wore, a well-worn blanket, an old skirt, a sweater of mine or my brother’s, or some fancier pieces sent from a well-to-do relative in Halifax. Mom also hooked what they called suttle mats, also on burlap and framed, although sometimes she fashioned round ones. For this type of mat, the material was cut into shorter and thicker pieces, the most popular being crimplene. Two ends pulled up
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through the burlap created a plushlike mat. Dad also got involved. He made the wooden mat frame and crafted the hooks. He hammered a nail into a piece of wood, snipped the head off and bent the end just so, forming a hook. He trimmed the wood, narrow close to the nail and wider at the other end, and smoothed all rough edges so it fit nicely in the palm of a hand. Sadly, at the age of 94, my mother passed on January 16, 2022, but I have a treasure trove of memories to reflect upon for the rest of my life and a home decorated with pieces of her talent and gifted imagination. The photos show regular and suttle mats. The small one Mom made for my cat carrier, designed with a grey cat with a bow around its neck. Donna Langille Amherst, NS
We are sorry for your loss, Donna. Many readers of a certain generation remember well the mat-hooking tradition. Some no doubt have family-made heirlooms in their own homes and others are still making new ones today. It’s a craft that is both functional and beautiful.
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Another Stowaway I must admit when I read the title “Tale of Two Stowaways” on the cover of the February issue, I was intrigued. I was born in Burin Bay Arm, NL, and when I was six my family moved to Ontario. I had heard repeatedly that my great-great-grandfather, or possibly my great-grandfather, had stowed away (along with a buddy) on a fishing ship bound for Newfoundland. He was born in England. Both boys were discovered before the ship docked. What part of Newfoundland it was heading to, I am not sure. Anyway, the boys decided to jump ship rather than face the consequences of being shot. They swam to shore, I am told about three miles, before they reached land. They were both accepted by the small community and my great-greatgrandfather, then 17, was taken in by a young couple who had an infant daughter. He would babysit her so her parents could go to meetings and socials. This is how he earned his keep, along with other chores. Apparently he told this family that were so kind to him that when their daughter grew up he was going to
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marry her! Well, his words came true. When she was 17 and he was 34, they were married. I am still researching my family heritage in Newfoundland and am finding it all so fascinating, and how strong and courageous Newfoundlanders were. I am so grateful for my ancestors and proud to call myself a Newfoundlander. Ida Haesler Via email
Thank you for sharing a bit of your family history and your ancestral connection to Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s hard to imagine the bravery of those young people who stowed away on ships crossing the ocean, destination unknown to them in a foreign land.
May 2022
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Sorry We’re Late
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I’m an avid golfer and I love reading about it, especially in the winter when I can’t play here in Newfoundland and Labrador. Sitting back with a steaming cup of coffee and diving into some good golf news and stories is all it takes for me to forget about the temperature outside and all the courses being closed. This magazine arrives regularly, though I’m not aware of precisely when. All I know is that when it arrives, I read it, I daydream about being back on the tee, and it takes my mind off whatever’s going on around me. Now when it comes to our beloved Downhome magazine members (subscribers), some of whom have been reading the Downhome(r) since day one, they have the arrival day, and pretty well the hour, etched into their monthly routine to the point where they could place bets (if they were betting people) on when it will arrive in their mailbox, post office or on the newsstand at their corner store, pharmacy or supermarket. Downhome has thousands of readers all over God’s farm, as Nan used to say. We have members in every province of Canada, every state in the United States including Alaska and Hawaii – and also my sister’s house in Alabama! These loyal subscribers are the very reason we do what we do year after year, month after month and day after day. Their stories, photos and life experiences are shared with us, and in turn with you. The content that we receive from them (including you, reader) is what truly makes the magazine “yours,” and not a day passes that we do not cherish this unbelievable relationship. It’s something that gets deep inside; it’s personal and it’s the fabric that holds the magazine together. Then came the day when the world shifted and sent us on a bumpy, winding detour of uncertainty. There have been high points, when we all band together to face challenges and find solutions, and low points when all we want is to go back to the life we knew. “It” (I won’t say the word – like you, I’m tired of it) has affected our everyday lives, our families, our healthcare system, our relationships and our access to all sorts of stuff. Yeah, stuff. From toilet tissue to vehicles to furniture to salad dressing, to just about anything that arrives on our shores via container ship. (Should 1-888-588-6353
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I also mention the shortage of the containers that our stuff comes in?) What has been challenging for Downhome in recent months is a global shortage of paper production. That’s tough when we print on paper. I can go on and on with details of exactly what’s happening with the paper supply chain, along with the disruptions of mail service, freedom convoys, mill strikes etc., but that would come across as “blah blah blah.” It’s something that we had little time to prepare for and have no control over the solution. However, our printer assures us that the supply is improving and things are slowly getting back to more normal levels. Meantime, we know these delays have been stressful for faithful members who look to their Downhome at a certain time every month. We know because so many of you have reached out in your frustration with delivery delays. What’s been overwhelmingly frustrating for our staff is that we’ve been unable to resolve these issues for you as we would normally try to do because this is all out of our control. What I want you all to know is that Downhome staff continue to produce your magazine in the same way that we have done for the past 35 years: with passion, with pride, and with www.downhomelife.com
your stories, photos and feedback. We welcome your feedback, and in a strange way we appreciate that you get frustrated when your magazine is late. It just confirms how much you really love it. Longtime members were very used to seeing your monthly magazine in the third or fourth week of the month prior. For example, you’d probably begin reading this May issue in the last week of April. Many times of late, pun intended, the issue is not even printed until the first of the issue month. That is likely to continue at least into the near future. Rest assured, your magazine will continue to be printed and distributed as always, just later in the month. Please do not be discouraged and worry that it’s lost or not coming. It’s simply late, and eager to be read and cherished as always. Thank you for your membership to Downhome, and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding. We are looking forward to slowly getting back to normal schedules. In the meantime, please keep sending us your photos, stories and memories. Todd Goodyear President and Associate Publisher todd@downhomelife.com 709-722-2405 ext 249 May 2022
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Submit your favourite photos of scenery, activities and icons that best illustrate the down-home lifestyle. We’re looking for a variety of colourful subjects – outports, wildlife, laundry lines, historic sites, seascapes, hilltop views, and so much more – and photos from all four seasons. This is your chance to get in on our most popular reader contest and try to woo the judges into choosing your photo for the 2023 Downhome Calendar. These calendars are seen by tens of thousands of subscribers and displayed all year long.
What are you waiting for? Submit today, using one of these ways:
by mail: Downhome Calendar Contest 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL A1E 3H3 online: www.downhomelife.com/calendar Must be original photos or high quality copies. Digital photos must be at least 300 dpi, files sizes of about 1MB. We can’t accept photocopies or photos that are blurry, too dark or washed out. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want your photos returned.
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homefront Downhome tours...
Texas
The Alamo
Richard Bradford of Gander, NL, visited the Alamo in San Antonio.
Remember the Alamo! First founded by Catholic missionaries in 1718 in San Antonio, the Alamo served as a way station between East Texas and Mexico. In 1836, during Texas’ war for independence from Mexico, some 200 Texas defenders held the Alamo from 2,500 Mexican troops. For 13 days, the defenders – including Davy Crockett, “King of the Wild Frontier” – fought against overwhelming odds before finally being defeated. The Alamo is now an enduring symbol of resistance to oppression and the struggle for independence.
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Texas Renaissance Festival Roger and Lois Boyd of St. Anthony, NL pose at the Texas Renaissance Festival in Todd Mission, Texas.
Everything’s bigger in Texas, and the Texas Renaissance Festival is no exception. Every fall, more than 500,000 guests visit the 16th-century themed event held over nine weekends. They take in live music and stage acts; browse more than 400 shops featuring crafts and artisans; watch displays of jousting, archery and feats of strength; and chow down on a feast fit for a king. They might even spot a dragon.
Houston Rodeo Edna Ezekiel of Harbour Main, NL, took her copy of Downhome to the Houston Rodeo.
Saddle up for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and watch the best cowboys and cowgirls in the world wrestle and rope the meanest and most ornery animals in the west. Events include roping, bull riding, barrel racing and steer wrestling, and every night is closed out by a concert featuring a music superstar. Yeehaw!
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Expert answers to common life questions. By Linda Browne
Why do bagels have holes? There’s no better way to start your morning than with a piping hot cup of coffee or tea and a freshly baked bagel. They’re chewy and delicious, and accompanied by a pat of butter or margarine, the “yum” factor rises even higher. If it weren’t for that pesky hole in the middle, you’d have more bagel to enjoy. So why is it there in the first place? We brought our query to the folks at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, where Dr. Ashley Rose Young (historian of the American Food History Project) and Paula J. Johnson (curator of Food History) shared a wealth of resources to help Downhome follow the breadcrumbs. Bagels have quite a storied history, and as it turns out, the hole in the middle serves both a practical and symbolic function. In The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York, Claudia Roden writes that bagels were “the everyday bread of the Jews in Eastern Europe.” Like hallah, which is a braided bread eaten on the Sabbath and major Jewish holidays, “it is of South German origin, but it came into its own and took its definitive form in the Polish shtetl.” (Shtetls were small market towns in Eastern Europe in 22
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the 19th and early 20th centuries that had large Yiddish-speaking Jewish populations.) She adds, “Because of their shape – with no beginning and no end – bagels symbolize the eternal cycle of life.” In her book King Solomon’s Table: A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World, Joan Nathan says even the ancient Egyptians enjoyed a “bagel-like treat.” She adds it’s no surprise that the “basic roll-with-a-hole” concept is centuries old, “as there’s a practical advantage to this design – it’s possible to thread such a roll on a stick or a string, facilitating transport… The evidence suggests that those of ancient Egypt and of the greater Mediterranean came in two types: the soft, sesame-studded variety, called bagela in Israel and other parts of the Middle East today... and a pretzel-like crispy 1-888-588-6353
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Syrian ka’ak flavoured much like the taralli, a hard, round cracker that has been a snack for centuries in southern Italy,” she writes, adding that neither is boiled. In The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, editor Andrew F. Smith notes the word bagel “possibly derives from beigen, German for ‘to bend,’ or the Middle High German bougel or buegel, meaning a twisted or curved ring or bracelet.” He continues, “Eventually, precursors of the bagel made their way to Russia and Poland. The first Jewish community in Poland, established by invitation and charter in the 13th century, probably brought biscochos, a ringshaped cookie or cracker, with them dating from the Roman period.” Some say bagels, as we know them today, came from Poland, Smith says. And while he also acknowledges the symbolism baked in, he serves up another interesting theory to help explain the hole in the middle. Chew on this: “Mentioned as early as 1610 in the community regulations of Krakow, Poland, bagels, symbolic of the endless circle of life, were given as a gift to women in childbirth. There is another theory tracing them to 1683 Vienna,
where bakers created stirrupshaped buns in honor of their deliverance from the Turks by the Polish King John Sobieski; buegel is the Austrian word for stirrup. Yet another theory is that bagels were invented as an economical food for poor people because the hole saved on ingredients.” Echoing Nathan’s earlier sentiment, Smith adds, “Many bagel bakers came to the United States with the mass of eastern European Jewish immigrants at the turn of the 20th century. The hole in the centre of the bagel enabled bakers to sell their wares on the streets of the Lower East Side of New York by threading dozens of bagels on long sticks that they could carry to customers.” These days, you can find bagels all over the place, from supermarkets to donut shops. “Of all Jewish foods, the bagel has become the most mainstream, enjoyed by people not only in the United States but also worldwide,” Smith says. The back of the cereal box may provide some interesting reading material, but when it comes to an interesting origin story, perhaps no other breakfast food rivals the humble bagel.
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
Purple Truck, Red Face In the summer of 2020, I got a COVID-19 travel exemption to fly home to Newfoundland from Ontario. For my 14-day isolation, I arranged to have a vehicle left at Deer Lake Airport for me to drive alone. I was honoured that my brother-in-law entrusted me with the family summer truck, a 1997 Ford Ranger that we affectionately call the “purple truck.” I spotted her as soon as I walked out of the airport. Scratched and dented with use, she stood out amid the shiny SUVs and sedans. I opened her unlocked doors, threw my bags onto the passenger seat and crawled in behind the wheel. As instructed, I found the key in the centre console. The old girl started on the third try. I rummaged through the console and then the glove compartment, looking for the parking pass for exiting the lot. I drove to the parking kiosk and looked again for the pass. A wave of panic swept over me as I pulled out from under the sun visor a photo of a family, none of whom I recognized. It took only a quick scan of the parking lot to confirm my fear. Parked just two rows over was the twin of the purple truck I was sitting in. I backed up into the same spot I had so confidently just left and put the truck in park. I
walked over to the second purple truck and, sure enough, found the doors unlocked and the key and parking pass together inside the centre console. I sheepishly returned to the first truck, put the key back in the console, removed my bags and left the truck unlocked as I’d found it. Imagine if I had found the parking pass in the first truck? I would have been blissfully unaware of having a stolen purple truck parked in the driveway during my 14-day isolation. Marlene Chislett Greely, ON
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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“Daddy, I thought I your little was trout!” – Cara C hubbs
Say WHAT? Downhome recently posted this photo (submitted by Kristie Collins) on our website and social media platforms and asked folks to imagine what this baby might be saying about the trout. Cara Chubbs’ response made us chuckle the most, so we’re awarding her 20 Downhome Dollars!
Here are the runners-up: “I don’t wanna be Screeched in!” – Lillian Patey “You went fishing without me!” – Gord Gushue “But Daddy, I wanted a baby brother!” – Phil Riggs
Play with us online! www.downhomelife.com/saywhat
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homefront lil charmers
baking buddies Recipe for Success Adam’s real proud of his strawberry rhubarb muffins. Andrea (Farrell) Legaarden St. Albert, AB
Stir it Up Levi Gillingham makes pancakes using a recipe from Grandma Cavell’s cookbook. Cavell Bolger Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL
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Kitchen Cutie Sydney Jane is the cutest little helper to great-grandma Carmel Edwards. Margo Bishop Lawn, NL
Dough Boy Five-year-old Easton makes bread with Nanny Donahue. Robyn Donahue Halfway Point, NL
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May 2022
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homefront pets of the month
Happy Campers Kick Back Rocky the goldendoodle looks comfy by the campfire. Colleen Moores Clarenville, NL
Kitty Camper Macy’s all ready for her first May 24th weekend. Denise Palmer Musgravetown, NL
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Lead the Way This pupper is ready to hit the trails. Cathy Cullinan Froude Grand Falls-Windsor, NL
On the Road Bulldog Bana enjoys a Sunday cruise. Ryan Taylor Port aux Basques, NL
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Tell us about the pet that “changed my life.”
We’re looking for heartwarming stories of all kinds: heroic pets that saved a life, emotional support animals, and furry (or not furry, or feathery) friends that make your life better for whatever reason. The pet whose influence impresses us the most will be featured in an upcoming issue of Downhome and declared Pet of the Year. Your beloved buddy will have their life story told and become a magazine star.
How to Enter
Write a story (500 words max.) and include a photo (must be about a current, living pet). Submit one of these ways:
Email: editorial@downhomelife.com (Subject: Pet of the Year) Mail: Downhome Pet of the Year 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3
Deadline is June 30, 2022
www.downhomelife.com
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homefront
reviewed by Denise Flint
Land of Many Shores
Edited by Ainsley Hawthorn Breakwater Books $24.95
What does it mean to grow up brown in a white society? How does it feel to be disabled in a world full of people who aren’t? How do you cope with being gay in a town where everyone else is straight? These are some of the questions addressed in Ainsley Hawthorn’s compilation, Land of Many Shores: Stories from a Diverse Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s a collection of short essays, and every piece is written by someone who doesn’t fit the stereotype of a “typical” Newfoundlander or Labradorian. Hawthorn has managed to compile writing submissions from as diverse a crew as can be conceived. It’s not just people who are not of Irish descent, white or fisherfolk, although they are also represented. It’s also people who are neurodiverse, people who have spent time in prison, people who struggle with mental illness, people whose culture has been almost eradicated. Everyone in the book has a staggeringly different perspective on life. Some relate how very quick others are to judge; how hard their road to acceptance has been; how much they still struggle. Others tell of more positive experiences. Some stories will appeal to the individual reader more than others. Certainly some stories are much better written than others. However, since the book is meant to be normalizing diversity and showing how multifaceted our society is, that seems somehow fitting. We shouldn’t all take away the same experience from reading the book or have the same response to one story as the next. That’s the point. 32
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Q&A with the Author Denise Flint: How did you decide on and/or find the contributors? Ainsley Hawthorn: The contributors were people who were already thinking about these ideas and already writing about it or advocated for their communities. Some have a wide variety of writing experience. Some are very experienced in other areas but have never written at all before. It runs the gamut of writing styles and ways of thinking and approaches...
DF: Why did you decide to produce this book? AH: For a number of years I’ve been frustrated by the way we speak about diversity as if it’s new to the province, only just arriving with immigrants from other parts of the world. But that’s not correct. We’ve had a diverse population for millennia. We’ve had significant settlement from other parts of the world, like France and China, we tend not to incorporate into our collective identity. We leave out other groups, like people with mental illness, people who work in the sex industry, people who are incarcerated. I wanted to give them a chance to talk about their experiences so we can broaden our identity of who we are as a people.
DF: Was there anything about any of the pieces that surprised you when they started coming in? AH: I learned so much from editing this book. These are issues I’ve been thinking about for a long time; they’re issues I’ve read about for a www.downhomelife.com
long time. I was wowed by the variety of the ways they were written and the variety of experiences. For instance, Anne Malone writes about the history of blindness and how we have perceived it, and how blind education developed in Canada. Most blind people in Canada were disabled in other ways and so the accommodations were wide, and so even now blind people are treated as more incapable than they really are. But she did a deep dive into an explanation of why we treat blindness the way we do. I think I learned something in every chapter of the book. It’s about how people experience Newfoundland [and Labrador] in a different way because of the way other people see them.
DF: Are Newfoundlanders fairly unaware of the diversity of people around them? AH: It depends which Newfoundlanders you’re talking about. Irish, English, Catholic, Protestant, straight, cis-gendered, abled – yes. They can have a very narrow view of what it is to be a Newfoundlander or Labradorian. People who have other life experiences are more aware of the others. LGBTQ2 might be more aware of Indigenous people, who are also having a different experience of who we are. It benefits all of us because we have an inaccurate idea of who we are, and if we continue it will limit who we can be in the future. We have so much knowledge to draw on – we have a rich tapestry of experiences and that can make us more adaptable to the future ahead of us. May 2022
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homefront what odds
you make me sick! By Paul Warford
From the Ah, it’s good to see your faces! I starting to forget what everyone looked like, outset, my was but here you are. Come over, cuddle up! Find a No. 1 fear of seat where you can. Get cosy. I feel like we been together in ages. doing my haven’t Although I tend to steer clear of subjects like show was infectious diseases and global pandemics, the mask directive we’ve all been a rampant, mandatory breathing through has just been lifted. And unfettered while I try to avoid talking about the negatives this world – I will not, for example, be disoutbreak. of cussing Russia or gas prices today – this feels like something worth discussing. Dad’s coffin turned out great, by the way. Remember last month, when Dad was making a casket for a comedy show I recently put off to celebrate my 20th anniversary of stand-up? What a casket! Upon seeing it, Dad’s dear friend Harold said, “Mike, there’s lots of fellas in the ground don’t have a box as good as that.” Anyway, when I was preparing and advertising this show, a little sliver of rationality in the back of my brain kept whispering, “Everyone’s gonna get COVID at this thing.” The voice would nag like an itch, and I’ll admit it was hard to ignore. From the outset, my No. 1 fear of doing my show was a rampant, unfettered outbreak. Next thing you know I’m on the evening news and unflattering photos of me are gracing the front pages of all the papers. “Comedian Selfishly Holds Show During Pandemic! Warford Event Deemed ‘New Ground Zero’!” I imagined individuals pelting me with cabbages in the street, yelling about how it’s all my fault we have to keep wearing masks for longer still. I thought the mask mandate lift that occurred three days ago (March 14) would be postponed indefinitely because Paul Warford had a show 34
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in a small venue and everyone got sick. These were the thoughts that would follow on the heels of the ominous voice in the back of my head. My parents wanted to come to the show and, of course, I wanted them there. But in the end we all erred on the side of caution and agreed it might be best if they stayed home and just watched the livestream of the event instead. This proved to be a good call because… everyone at the show got COVID. Okay, well, not everyone. But as the show concluded and the days unfolded, my comedian friends began letting me know they were testing positive, as did a friend who was in the audience. I myself was extremely under the weather at the time, but preparing and doing the show was so mentally exhausting and I was running on such a small amount of sleep, I just assumed I’d given myself a cold. Then my best bud Peter dropped off a rapid test for me to take… My greatest fear manifested itself into a terrifying reality: it’s happening. This was the new thing the voice in my brain was saying by the time I got to Tuesday following the Sunday show. In the end my fears were valid, though not necessarily warranted. See, no one really seemed to care that much. My comedian buds told me they were isolating, and they didn’t have many symptoms. My friend from the audience said the same and just continued working
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over Zoom that week. While I isolated (subsisting on grapefruit juice, cream crackers and video games), no reporters with popping flashbulbs hounded me at my door; no picketers came to my yard brandishing handmade signs; no one threw eggs. As my antibodies and pathogens got to work alongside my vaccination, it dawned on me that the coronavirus and its effects have shifted quite a bit in these past two years. What was once an ominous threat, a dangling Sword of Damacles above the denizens of this world, has become something more akin to a bully with a buzz on. We must continue to be wary and keep our distance, as there are more vulnerable people to protect, but for the majority of us the threat is slowing down, it is bumbling. The conversation now seems to be, “Did you get it yet?” Like chickenpox. As an aside, I’ll add that human conditioning takes little time. Only two years have passed, but walking into a supermarket for the first time without wearing a mask had me feeling irresponsible – even ignorant. But I felt better by the time I was paying for my groceries because I could see my cashier smiling. 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
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fresh tracks
new music talk with Wendy Rose
Heart to Heart Korona Brophy
LIKE MANY NEWFOUNDLANDERS AND LABRADORIANS, Korona Brophy
grew up in a very musical household full of multi-talented multi-instrumentalists. When they weren’t playing the songs themselves, the radio was always on, or a record was spinning on the turntable. These days, folks around the province listening to traditional Newfoundland tunes are probably listening to some of Korona’s own work – she’s the founder of The Celtic Fiddlers, and there’s a pretty high chance you’ve heard her play if you’ve ever tuned into OZFM’s “Jigs and Reels” radio show or K-Rock’s “Homebrew.”
It feels especially fitting to be penning this review the week of St. Patrick’s Day, when our Irish pride is up on bust, much like the sound systems of every Irish bar on George Street. Korona’s solo debut album, Heart to Heart is worth turning up as well. The record kicks off with a classic tune that many will recognize: “Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary’s,” written by Otto Kelland. The added sounds of seagulls calling and crashing waves are enough to make even a Newfoundlander in Newfoundland feel homesick somehow. Slow, sombre and dainty, you could play this version at a wedding or a funeral and 36
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it would somehow be equally beautiful and touching in both scenarios. “[It’s] my favourite Newfoundland piece. It makes a great instrumental piece,” Korona shares. “The text of this piece is reflective of the cod moratorium. It’s a very emotional piece of music. My arrangement won first place at the Kiwanis Music Festival in 1993. This arrangement is like a canon, in that each instrument plays the melody of the piece once through the performance.” The gentle waltzing continues with “If Ever You Were Mine,” made famous in Canada by Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster and penned by Ireland’s Maurice Lennon. Soft piano guides us in with light 1-888-588-6353
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guitar and, later, fiddle. “In My Life” has special meaning for Korona, and that deep emotional connection comes through the music. This song is “a piece that touched my heart when I taught at Brother Rice High School,” Korona explains. “It was sung by one of the teachers, Keith Molloy, and was our signature song for the closing year of 1999. It really reflected our time together and our students at Brother Rice.”
The album’s fourth track is German composer Johann Pachelbel’s “Canon in D,” a highly popular wedding song that Korona has played on many happy and sad occasions. “‘Canon in D’ by Pachelbel has been played by all my groups since 1985,” she says. “I have played this at funerals and weddings – sometimes on the same day. It’s still a powerful piece to me and has great meaning.” Dave Panting’s “The Wedding Gift” also holds special meaning: “I played this for the first dance at my daughter Laura and Robert Hoyles’ wedding.” The covers continue with Israel www.downhomelife.com
Kamakawiwoʻole’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and the traditional English folk song, “What Child is This?/Greensleeves.” The album’s eighth track, “Home and the Heartland,” is from Riverdance, and continues with the beautiful, gentle melodies we hear throughout Heart to Heart. “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” made famous by Elvis Presley, has been covered by innumerable artists, but this rendition proves that it’s a gorgeous piece of music in all genres. We move towards the end of the album with “Sweet Forget Me Not/Now I’m 64,” the former covered by Eddie Coffey in the 1970s, and the latter a famous Ryan’s Fancy song. “Rubber Boots” is a generally fun and fast traditional Newfoundland tune, but Korona slows it down slightly and makes this classic more contemporary. The tempo speeds up on “I’se the B’y/Auntie Mary,” a medley of traditional songs. “I’se the B’y” needs no explanation for many Downhome readers. Auntie Mary is a Scottish children’s song, though many versions feature more obscene lyrics. Korona’s instrumental version is rated E for Everyone. The album finishes with “Twinkle,” with vocals by Korona’s grandchildren – the perfect outro to this legacy album dedicated to her family. If only everyone’s Nan could play such sweet melodies. May 2022
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Q&A with the Artist Wendy Rose: Congratulations on your solo debut! After so many years in the music business, what inspired you to branch out into a solo career? Korona Brophy: I am very proud of this accomplishment! I’ve been an
educator for 44 years. Over these years, I taught in Catholic and public schools and at Memorial University. I’ve conducted string orchestras, full orchestras, concert bands, jazz bands, MUN Lab Band and Orchestra, choirs and fiddle groups, including The Celtic Fiddlers. During our COVID days in the fall of 2020, I was sorting all the music I had collected, written and recorded with other groups. I had all my arrangements of music and thought, “Well, I could record my own album and play all the instruments on it…” Which is what I did! I figured it was time for me to put into a CD what I’ve been teaching all these years. Through my teaching, I played violin/fiddle, cello, bass, piano and tin whistle. So I booked East End Recording Studio with Vaughn Sutton and over the next year I recorded the album, Heart to Heart. It’s a dedication to my four grandchildren: Cohen and Myles Brophy, and twin girls, Billie and Eleanor Hoyles. Heart to Heart is my arrangements and my playing handed down to them and my families. Another reason for the solo CD was that I know several musicians who can’t play or sing anymore due to arthritis, Alzheimer’s and other reasons, so I thought I should do this while I have the ability. I am now 67 years old and feel I have accomplished my goal with this album!
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WR: Did it feel kind of strange to be working alone, given the usual group dynamic of the Celtic Fiddlers? KB: It was a great experience, as I
could take my time and organize my tracks how I wanted them. I was my own critic, as well, and re-recorded some tracks to make sure I was happy with the end result. In the studio, I was able to decide my recording times, as both Vaughn and I were flexible. Being in a studio with a group takes more time and energy. Each member has a schedule, and trying to juggle studio time around school, work and home life was a job in itself…
WR: What was your method when selecting the music for this album? KB: I have so many arrangements, so
picking these selections was crucial to the meaning of the album. My mother, Anna (Madden) Reardon, was from Maddox Cove. She was also a teacher and played the violin, piano and accordion. Dad, Ronald Reardon, was from Sandy Cove, Fogo Island, and played a mean pizza pan, but also sang many Irish and Newfoundland tunes. There was a lot of music in our house growing up. All my siblings took music lessons and sang always. There was always a radio or record player going somewhere in the house. Each piece has its own meaning to me or my parents, children and students.
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WR: It’s so impressive that you play violin, cello, bass and piano on this album. Is there a particular instrument that you start with when it comes to arranging these pieces? KB: When arranging the pieces, I
usually started with the violin part and built on that with the chords in the key of the piece. It took a lot of writing and arranging and rearranging for some of the pieces. One has to “hear the piece” as they want it and then start writing. On the recording, I started with the piano as my first instrument and then recorded the tracks over it. I felt the piano was the grounding instrument and the rest followed suit. Once that was done, I recorded the violin, cello, bass and then added tin whistle. Vaughn was the accordionist and guitarist on some of the pieces, as I don’t play either of these, sadly. Erin O’Brien of The Celtic Fiddlers played the bodhran on three numbers as well.
WR: What are your plans for Heart to Heart in 2022? KB: The main plan is for my children
and grandchildren to love and cherish this music, and pass it on to the next generation. Also to have as many people listen to this album and enjoy the instrumental selections… The album comes under “easy listening” and can be played in any venue, restaurant, senior’s homes, daycares and so on. These songs are from my heart to yours! Enjoy the music as I have, and keep sharing.
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homefront
adventures outdoors
May 24th on My Mind By Gord Follett
Salmonier Line, Witless Bay Line, Placentia Junction – anywhere during the weeks leading up to May 24th that one of the boys “scouted out” a small, relatively flat area with not too many rocks and near a trout pond was where we’d set up camp.
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Gail Dyke photo
A tent, sleeping bag, plenty of beer and a few good friends. As young men in our late-teens and early-20s, that’s all we required for the makings of a fun-filled May 24th weekend. Oh, and some grub. Can’t forget the grub. Couple of loaves of Mom’s homemade bread for toast in the mornings and a few dozen hot dogs for evening meals should do us three days. And ya never know, we might even catch a few trout to eat. Bonus! My buddies and I headed for the comfort of a provincial park with water stations the first couple of years that we had our own vehicles, but quickly grew tired of all the 11 p.m. “quiet time” warnings from wardens. Eleven at night is bedtime for me nowadays, but back then we were just getting on the go! I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that as a young dad, I rarely viewed May 24th weekends as “family time.” Mind you, typical Newfoundland spring weather was/is not always conducive to tenting or even staying in a camper with toddlers. But while I never second-guessed my belief back then that May 24th was “for the 1-888-588-6353
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Gail Dyke and son Cam with a fine Salmonier trout Brad Dyke photo
Margie Vinnicombe and granddaughter Harper hoping to hook the big one Tony Vinnicombe photo www.downhomelife.com
b’ys,” today in my mid-60s I often regret those lost opportunities with my two daughters. I have six young grandkids now, so perhaps I can make amends before it’s too late. I would so love to have photos with them fishing and camping, much like some of my buddies do with their grandbabies. For now, however, my earliest adventures remain the most memorable, except perhaps for some of our annual midMay Gambo Pond excursions in my 30s and 40s. Salmonier Line, Witless Bay Line, Placentia Junction – anywhere during the weeks leading up to May 24th that one of the boys “scouted out” a small, relatively flat area with not too many rocks and near a trout pond was where we’d set up camp. It wasn’t always the most scenic or comfortable spot, but we were “best kind” with wherever we laid our heads, which was often on a 70-80 degree angle from the rest of our bodies. A few good head shakes first thing in the morning to get rid of kinks in our necks and we were good to go, no worse for wear. (Yesterday morning, however, I aggravated an old groin injury just hauling on my socks!) On most of those three-day adventures, I was usually the first to head for the pond each morning with my spinning rod and reel, along with a tub of night crawlers that I pulled from the crooked neighbour’s garden a couple of nights before. Ahead of one particular “worm-catching night” when I was 16, ol’ Mr. G. had issued a stern warning earlier in the day about going anywhere near his back garden. So that night, whenever a light would come on in his house (which happened three or four times between 10:30 and 11:00), I’d turn off my flashlight and remain still on my hands and knees. As soon May 2022
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as the house went dark again, my light came back on. I didn’t hook many trout on that trip, but I did make $14 by selling my night crawlers for $1 a tub. It was the May 24th weekend in 1976 or ’77 when a few of us teenagers climbed aboard my twodoor, rusty old Mustang and – surprisingly – made it over the highway all the way to Rhodies Pond, I believe it was, at Placentia Junction. I had nine trout on the bank, including two chunky beauties about two pounds apiece, before any of the boys poked their heads out of the soaking wet tent our first morning there. I caught my limit that day and the next, making it the most successful long weekend trip, fishing-wise, of my life until I was in my mid-30s and finally got to fish Indian Bay waters. Then there was the crappiest trip of all, in the early-’80s. It rained for almost 90 per cent of the weekend, I
tore the muffler off my car going over a dirt road that would be a challenge for a 4x4 pickup, and we never caught a single trout. The only thing “memorable” (for lack of a better word) about it was my buddy Terry slicing his hand between the thumb and index finger, continuing up towards his wrist, with a pocket knife while trying to open a can of beans. Boy, did he bleed! That happened on a Saturday afternoon, but he stuck it out the rest of the weekend. When he went to the hospital Monday evening, the cut required 17 stitches! As usual, I was the only one who thought of bringing a roll – one roll – of toilet tissue on that trip, and we used the whole thing to wipe blood from Terry’s gash. That was the year we learned there aren’t a lot of leaves on the trees in mid-May. But would I do that and all the other trips over again if I had my time back? You’d better believe it!
Gord Follett was editor of the Newfoundland Sportsman magazine for more than 30 years and co-hosted the Newfoundland Sportsman TV show for 15 years. Email gordfollett@gordfollettoutdoors.com.
A perfect setup for a May 24th weekend of camping and fishing Brad Dyke photo
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WHER TO STAY
St. Christopher’s Hotel Port aux Basques
Days Inn - Stephenville Stephenville
Cape Anquille Lighthouse Inn Cape Anquille
Hotel Port Aux Basques Port aux Basques
Acadian Hotel Stephenville
1-877-695-2171 • 709-695-2171 hotelpab.com
709-643-5176 acadianhotel.com
Codroy Valley Cottage Country Doyles
Pirate’s Haven ATV Friendly RV Park, Chalets and Adventures Robinsons
Dreamcatcher Lodge Stephenville
TOURS
The Friendly Invasion Festival • July 14 - August 3, 2022 • Stephenville • stephenvilleheritage.ca
Port aux Basques Marine Excursions Port aux Basques
1-800-563-4779 stchrishotel.com
709-649-0601 • 709-645-2169 pirateshavenadventures.com
709-643-6666 daysinnstephenville.com
1-888-373-2668 • 709-643-6655 dreamcatcherlodge.ca
1-877-254-6586 • 709-634-2285 linkumtours.com
1-877-655-2720 • 709-955-2720 codroyvalleycottages.ca
Lightkeeper’s Inn B & B Rose Blanche
709-956-20520 rblighthouse@nf.aibn.com
709-694-0563 portauxbasquesmarineexcursions.com
Pirate’s Haven Scheduled and Customized ATV Tours Robinsons 709-649-0601 • 709-645-2169 pirateshavenadventures.com
For more information contact: markcfelix@outlook.com
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homefront what’s the score
kids today
By Kevin Lane
Growing up in central Newfoundland, I spent most of my childhood outdoors with friends, organizing sport-related games that varied depending on the season. For example, we played minor hockey on winter Saturdays, and the rest of the year we took to the random fields for baseball or we swam in the ponds. But over the years, as I travelled from community to community, what has been of concern to me is the lack of children and young adults playing outside at something besides organized sport. There has always been some element of organization in sport, but it seems today that much of what people do is based on a strict schedule of field, arena or pool time. Organized sports are fraught with rules just to play a game. Creativity and individuality are not a part of that culture. There often seems to be an emphasis on winning in sports. Unstructured play, creativity and spontaneity are not encouraged, and players who may, with time, develop into skilled individuals simply quit the sport. This is partly due to lack of interest or motivation, or that parents simply can’t afford the costs of registration, equipment and travel. But there are other negative influences on sports played by young people, particularly from the spectators, the majority of whom are parents. Favouritism, for example, puts pressure on coaches to give certain players the most minutes of playing time. Sportsmanship, enjoyment and fair play should continue to be the focus of parents and coaches; nepotism has no place in 44
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organized sports. So, what has changed so much over the years? Previously, neighbourhoods were filled with families that knew each other. That’s mostly gone today. Both parents tend to have careers now and are often unable to be home to allow children to have that freedom that they had as kids to roam the neighbourhood. And other external factors have decreased parents’ confidence to allow their children to play outside freely nowadays. Safety certainly has become an increased concern over the years. The increased use of technology is a double-edged sword. While friends can remain close online, some youth seem to spend less time together on the fields or in the playgrounds. Many children are growing up physically unfit and unmotivated to engage in physical activity. Federal and provincial reports continue to highlight the worrisome statistics around obesity and lack of activity in our population – particularly among 1-888-588-6353
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Organized sports are fraught with rules just to play a game. Creativity and individuality are not a part of that culture. the young. Pure, clean athletic fun seems to be going by the wayside, and with it, the desire to be spontaneous and creative within our own lives. This brings me back to the better use of our outdoors and recreational facilities that allow anyone to play ball, hockey, soccer and the like. Organized sports are expensive and should not be the only choice for families to help their children enjoy learning skills, being part of a team and doing physical activity. Sports enable youth to gain much needed skills around communication and resourcefulness that will need to be developed throughout their lives. As students get older, exercise and physical education are not mandatory to their curricula. It is, therefore, even more important to use our great outdoors to encourage activities that can be done outside of school time. We have been blessed with the space and freedom to enjoy so many leisure activities – we need to allow time for this generation to enjoy what past generations experienced. With the rates of health issues increasing annually according to Statistics Canada, we really need to start thinking outside the box and take
action now if we are to reverse this trend. Suggestions for improving participation include: • federal and provincial government grants for assistance, especially for smaller communities with less resources • technical directors for sports should regularly visit communities and give clinics to volunteers, including parents, who are taking on coaching roles • retirees, who are able, should consider passing on their expertise and skills to the community (I have coached during my retirement, and it has been extremely rewarding) • service organizations such as the Kinsmen, Rotary Club and Lions Club could sponsor a community league or division • school boards could make their gyms available for use in the summer months. As we are approaching the first time in history that the new generation may have a shorter lifespan than their parents, action for change relating to lifestyle and health has never been more important.
Kevin Lane is from Buchans, and has lived and worked in several NL communities. A lifelong participant in local sports as a player and coach, with a passion for hockey, he represented his province in fastpitch softball at the 1969 Canada Games. www.downhomelife.com
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features
g the Farming, includin urally to nat hard work, comes ista Chatman. Kr s Three Mile Ridge’
All photos courtesy Krista Chatman
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A farmer’s work is never done, and no one knows it better than Krista Chatman. Krista’s the owner and operator of Three Mile Ridge Farm in Lethbridge, NL. With a blend of traditional intuition and modern savvy, she’s transformed this once dormant farm into a bustling social enterprise. “It’s what I know. I know farming,” she says simply. “The farm I own and operate is where I was born and raised. It’s a family farm. My grandfather, William Reader, was the original owner back in the 1950s. I’ve been falling asleep in the tractor since I was two,” she adds with a laugh. Today, Three Mile Ridge is a bustling 81 acres of gently rolling fields that are filled in the summer months with a bounty of fresh produce. It’s hard to imagine that for some 30 years the farm had been lying dormant – until Krista made up her mind to bring it back to life. “I was taking care of my grandparents and raising my children, and I just looked out back [and thought], I can do this. I can just go do this!” she recalls. “So that’s exactly what I did. “I started off on my own in 2007, with my son on my hip, literally, digging up the ground,” she laughs. “When I grew a successful crop in my third year, when I made actual money, I went and did an online business management course. I did that so it could help me plan better around what it was I was doing. So I got the education for managing the business itself, and the knowledge from farming comes from years of watching it. I brought my husband in with me – I’d say around nine years ago he came on board – and I made him partner and we’ve been at it ever since.” As any farmer will tell you, farming is more than a job; it’s a lifestyle. www.downhomelife.com
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Krista and husband, David, on their farm “In a typical day for us, during our morning coffee, my husband and I will discuss the day’s chores and what we have to accomplish that day. We’ll have planned ahead you know, a week in advance or a month in advance, on what needs to be accomplished. Our coffee is every single morning a business meeting, but it’s our life because we live what we do.” The rest of the hours in the day are full of hard work: planting, weeding, watering in the summer; harvesting, processing and preserving in the fall. “We grow all the normal crops that you get – carrot, turnip, cabbage and potatoes. We also grow large
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varieties of different things. We grow red, yellow and striped beet; spaghetti squash, butternut squash, acorn squash; lots of zucchinis, yellow and green zucchini… We also grow in containers in the greenhouse, and we do the normal peas, beans, tomatoes, all of that stuff,” Krista says. While farming comes naturally to Krista, so does the drive to share her family’s passion with others. The farm hosts Farm to Fork food tours from August to October, where visitors can pick their own fresh vegetables, cook them up in the cookhouse, and enjoy a meal by the private pond.
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Krista’s farm offers a Farm to Fork tour, where visitors can pick their own vegetables, cook them and enjoy a meal by a private pond. “We do a farm culinary tour,” Krista says, sounding excited. “Not a lot of farms around here actually do tours, but we love what we do and we love sharing with people and encouraging them to grow their own food. We can take groups of up to 10 people. I give every person their own reusable bag and we walk around the farm. It’s about an hour’s walk to every field, and we dig up the fresh vegetables that we’re going to eat.” While the COVID pandemic put a temporary damper on the tours, Krista found other ways to keep
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Three Mile Ridge active in their community. They offer their fresh vegetables for sale at farmers markets and their on-site store, and supply produce to local chefs and restaurants. They also participate in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, “which is basically a subscription for vegetables,” Krista explains. “Members pay up front to secure their share, and we then use the money to buy seeds and equipment and get food growing. Then, each week, beginning in mid-August to late October, we provide fresh, local vegetables to our members.”
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In addition to all her hands-on farming duties, Krista knows that running a farm in the 21st century requires an online social media presence to interact with people. “I wanted to expand the business a little bit more, so I joined NLOWE [Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs] and became a member,” she explains. “I started going to meetings and networking events and workshops that they used to host. There were social media workshops, and how to build your brand workshops and things like that, and I took it all in. They were very helpful.” Krista approached growing Three Mile Ridge’s online presence in the same way she tackled the farm – with an independent, hands-on approach. “A lot of business owners don’t have the time to sit down and do [social media], but I can’t afford not to do it,” she says. “If I don’t do social media, then the world won’t know
we exist. That’s the only way right now for us to market things.” Krista built their website herself and posts content to YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. She also offers farm experiences through Air B&B, Atlas Obscura and Workaway Cultural Exchange to encourage visitors. It’s a thoroughly modern way to mix traditional farming with new tools. “My father says ‘What are you doing that for?’ and I’m like, ‘You’ll understand later when we get the bookings!’” she laughs. Three Mile Ridge Farm is proud to grow healthy food that feeds families, and Krista is absolutely in her element – carrying on the family tradition and planting seeds for success for years to come. Take a video tour of the farm and learn more about Krista and her family business by visiting them online at ThreeMileRidge.ca or Facebook.com/ThreeMileRidge.
Krista and David and their sons, William, 16 (left), and Spencer, 19.
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Sponsored Editorial
Dawson’s Star
A Pony’s Legacy Now Written in the Stars When Cathy Coveyduck’s husband Jim
Lewis rang her on his way home to Port Blandford one day and said he was bringing ‘Dawson’ home with him, Cathy wasn’t sure who Dawson was. As she says, “We have a running joke that you never know what we’re going to bring home.” From goats to Shih Tzus and a Newfoundland dog, Cathy and Jim are always on the lookout for new additions to the family. They had talked for years about getting a horse someday. And then, someday came.
Cathy was pleasantly surprised to learn Dawson was a pony. And not just any pony, but Dawson’s Star, a very special Newfoundland Pony. The next thing she knew, there was a pony on the front lawn and an urgent need to build a barn. Jim quickly got to work building that barn and a love affair began. The couple quickly fell in love with Dawson and with the breed. Shortly after, they learned that another Newfoundland Pony was available, Valen’s Fancy (NPS# 859), or ‘Fancy’ as she’s better known. Even better, Fancy was pregnant with one of Dawson’s foals! In 2020 that foal, “Charlie” (Charlie’s Dream, NPS# 906), was born. Originally owned by Liz Chafe, Dawson’s Star (NPS # 651) was born in 2007. A scan of the Pony Society’s Registry illustrates his important role in the preservation of the breed. A stunning black stallion with expressive eyes and a sweet disposition, Dawson sired 8 foals: Cappahayden’s Crystalberry, Cappahayden’s Cara, Hierlihy’s Twinkle Star, Misty Acres Lil’ Beauty, Misty Acres Frankies Silver Lining, Harbour Ace, Charlie’s Dream and Girlie. Sadly, Dawson’s Star left us too soon at the age of 14 in December 2021. His legacy lives on in his foals and in the classic Newfoundland Pony characteristics he carried. As Cathy says, “Newfoundland Ponies are a special breed. When you talk to them they actually listen.
They look you in the eye and want the companionship you would expect in a dog. Dawson would have conversations with me. He would sleep under our bedroom window. In the morning he would tap on our bedroom window with his nose to wake us up! I often walked our pasture with Dawson and our Newfoundland dog, one on either side of me. There’s something about Newfoundland breeds that makes them so special.” Dawson’s legacy lives on in his progeny, and in the human champions who work hard to care for them. Cathy offers advice for those interested in acquiring a Newfoundland Pony: “Find out as much as you can about the Pony, the breed and your own Pony’s history. Knowing their story can help so much in understanding where they came from and how to best care for them. Newfoundland Ponies are a hardy breed – but they need proper feed, shelter and companionship. It’s important to understand where they’ve been and what they need.” Having acquired 25 additional acres next to their property in Port Blandford where they live and operate Terra Nova Cottages, RV Park and Conference Centre, Cathy says “we are committed to doing our part to ensure the future of the breed. We’d love to have 100 of them. Dawson’s legacy lives on in Charlie and all the Ponies that will come after them.”
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features
Halliday’s Meat Market is more than a butcher shop, it’s a downtown landmark. By Mariah Pardy
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Cliff Halliday Sr. and wife Marie
The definition of a
family business
is one in which two or more family members are involved and the majority of ownership or control lies within a family. In literal standards, sure, we can stand by that definition. But what that doesn’t mention are the family values, bonds and community that are the biggest determinants to a successful establishment. What is the definition of success? The accomplishment of an aim or purpose. And behind the counter of Halliday’s Meat Market in St. John’s, NL, stands the legacy of a continued purpose run by a third generation: Cliff “Kip” Halliday Jr. The purpose is to feed the families of the neighbourhood, of the city, of the province and even beyond. The iconic shop at the corner of Gower Street and Kings Road – its home since 1967 – turns 108 this year. The business was founded in 1914, when it opened at 1 Duckworth Street. Later it made its way to the bottom of Signal Hill before moving to its current landmark site.
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along by his daughter, his siblings I was lucky enough to catch a few and their children. minutes to chat with Kip recently. “My father and his siblings ran the Even though it was over the phone, it shop before us, and now it’s me and felt like I was in the shop with him. my brother and sisters,” says Kip. “What are you looking for, love?” Kip “My brother, Chris, works with me, suddenly says to someone else, pausalong with his two boys; and my ing our interview to serve a cusdaughter works here, too. It’s not full tomer. It’s no trouble to tell that the time – they all have lives of their own family business is his first priority. – but they help fill in the shifts to He finishes up the sale and returns keep it going. You gotta do what you to our phone call. It’s about 7 o’clock gotta do, and we all show up.” in the evening. “A family business is no nine-to-five job, I’ll tell ya that,” he says. “I work close to 80 hours a week. You have to be dedicated to run a family business. This isn’t the type of job where you leave work at five o’clock and not look back until the next time you’re working.” Kip may sail the ship, but he knows it’s the contribution of the rest of his family that keeps Halliday’s going. “It is a family business; everyone works at it. It’s not just one person. We Brothers and sisters with their father: have a team here and (L-r) Joyce Penney, Chris Halliday, Cliff when things are going Halliday Sr., Cliff “Kip” Halliday Jr., and good, there’s no probMary Sue Adams at Halliday’s Meat Market. lems. But when there’s a Speaking of showing up, Kip’s concern and there’s only one person father, Cliff Halliday Sr., still makes at the shop, then someone calls me his way into the shop every morning. and says ‘How come this is like He sets up his chair and speaks to this?’” says Kip. He follows that senall the customers who walk through tence with a contagious laugh. I can’t the door. Some are old friends; some help but laugh with him. are new faces. When I ask Kip what Passed down from Kip’s grandfahis father hopes to see of the family ther to his father and now to Kip, the business, he says simply, “To keep shop has been filled with generations it going.” of the family. In fact, it doesn’t stop With the pandemic, it’s no surprise at the third generation. Kip is helped 54
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that these past couple of years have been challenging for Halliday’s, as it has been for many businesses. Kip is pragmatic about it and offers encouraging words. “You’ve got to work at it, that’s all. Never mind what everyone else is doing and wondering if you’re going to make it. Just work at it, make it work. As my father says, ‘I did it my way.’”
Erik Mclean photo
Kip says patronage from the community has been outstanding since the pandemic, and more than he could’ve asked for. He stands by no paid advertising for the shop – it’s all word of mouth. “The support from the community has been perfect. Especially from the neighbourhood,” says Kip, adding that it goes well beyond downtown St. John’s. “I’ll tell you now, I had a lady phone me yesterday from New Brunswick. Her husband is here www.downhomelife.com
working, and she gave me a meat order for $350 for her husband to pick up when he comes in, and he came in this afternoon and picked it up. So, it’s not only Newfoundland based: people know of us far and wide. Someone phoned me from down in New York for her father’s birthday. She said, ‘Cut me off two prime ribs; I’ll pay for it over the phone, and I’ll tell him to go into Halliday’s and pick up a parcel.’ So he came down and said, ‘There’s a parcel here? What is it?’ And I said. ‘Well, you gotta go home and open it up – happy birthday!’ This is what keeps us going, and it’s nice to see people happy.” Kip truly is keeping the place running well; that speaks for itself. He works hard and he says his favourite part about it is that, well, he can do what he wants. But that doesn’t mean the business doesn’t require a lot of dedication and time. “I’ll tell you this, this business does take a lot of work, but tomorrow night my brother Chris is going to be working, so I don’t gotta worry about this place then,” he says with a laugh. “But if something comes up, he knows he can call me.” Our call ends with the two of us sharing stories of our families. Kip is an easygoing and humble character; I understand why customers continue to return after all these years. “I’ll get another 100 years out of this place,” says Kip on his longstanding family business. Halliday’s Meats has been a family tradition for over 100 years, why not 100 more? May 2022
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life is better Waves at Cape Spear, NL Lorraine Winsor, Paradise, NL
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The Friendly Giant’s harp is still making beautiful music – in Newfoundland and Labrador. By Dennis Flynn
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You know how in life one thing often leads to another? Well, a fat tire bike ride with friends earlier this year led to my introduction to a very interesting classical musician and her connection to, arguably, the most famous harps in all of Canadian television history. Breaking out from the former Branch Railway line running through Conception Bay North onto a cabin-lined, snow-covered road in Marysvale on a moonlit night, I joked, “This looks like a scene out of a Hallmark movie, maybe call it ‘Moonlight over Marysvale,’ and all we have to do is get maybe a romantic harp for the opening number.” That prompted a member of the group to say, “You remember ‘The Friendly Giant’ children’s TV show? Well, apparently they played that piece [theme music] live every show. It was never pre-recorded, and two of the actual harps used by John Duncan, who used to play the intro theme song for the show, are in Newfoundland and are still in use today. I know one of the harpists. if you would be interested in talking with them.” Of course I would. And that’s how I wound up chatting recently with the very talented Sarah Veber, 26, of St. John’s, NL (right). She’s the principal harpist for the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra (NSO). Additionally, Sarah has performed with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Orchestre Symphonique de Longueuil, and Ottawa Chamber Orchestra. She was a finalist in the Canadian Music Competition and the National Arts Centre Bursary Competition, and has a Master of Music degree from University of Cincinnati, a Bachelor of Music degree from University of Ottawa and an ARCT performance diploma from The Royal Conservatory of Music. Currently she’s a medical student at Memorial University of www.downhomelife.com
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Newfoundland and Labrador. “I started music playing the piano at age two and switched to the harp at age seven. I didn’t really know what I was getting into at the time, but it has been a very interesting journey ever since,” Sarah says. “I would agree harp is considered difficult to play, but I did have a musical background and a lot of the theory for piano is the same, so that was an advantage. There is a technical adjustment, of course, and
Giant.” But that’s not her only connection to him and the show. “I was very fortunate to have as my early harp instructor Carla Emerson Furlong of St. John’s, who is a legend in the harp community. She was educated at the famous Juilliard School. She is a wonderful concert musician and former harpist of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra who has been teaching music over 70 years,” says Sarah. “At one point, Carla lived and performed in Toronto for a while.
Sarah Veber says she’s not sure how John Duncan’s harps wound up in Newfoundland and Labrador, but there are, in fact, two of them here.
it can be a bit confusing for beginners keeping track of all the strings, but I really love it. Most people in this province who play use the smaller style Celtic harp. I use a much larger classical harp which, at around six feet tall, is bigger than I am, and it is what you would more often see at an orchestra concert, for instance.” One of the harps she performs with once belonged to John Duncan – harp builder, composer and musician – and he used it to perform the opening song to “The Friendly 60
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She knew John Duncan, who did the music for many CBC shows including ‘The Friendly Giant.’ Carla, as I understand it, actually sometimes played the theme song for the show, I believe, before Duncan started. Carla was kind enough to teach me the piece, ‘Early One Morning,’ and she wrote it out for me, so I treasure my handwritten copy of the music by her.” Sarah says she’s not sure how Duncan’s harps wound up in Newfoundland and Labrador, but there are, in 1-888-588-6353
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fact, two of them here. “I use the Concert Grand harp, which was Duncan’s performance harp. That one is a beautiful Wurlitzer. The other harp was his studio harp, and that is still here in the province, is my understanding, as well.” (As far as I know, Carla Emerson Furlong is in her late 90s and still living in the province, though I was unable to connect with her for this story. Hopefully, that will be another story for another time.)
“The Friendly Giant” was a beloved TV show for a generation of Canadian kids. It starred Robert (Bob) Homme as the titular character. It actually started as a radio show in 1953 and then a TV show, both aired in Madison, Wisconsin. Enduring
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success came when the show moved north and joined the CBC children’s show lineup. It aired from 1958 to 1985, always beginning with the gentle notes of “Early One Morning,” played live by harpist John Duncan. Homme was awarded the Order of Canada in 1988 for his lifetime achievements. “The Friendly Giant” has never been revived as a TV show. Simply put, it left boots too big to fill. Any kids of “The Friendly Giant” era today will immediately smile upon hearing the first notes of “Early One Morning” and reflexively look up. Waaaay up. Asked if she minds getting asked to play the children’s show tune, Sarah replies, “No, I don’t mind at all. Once folks hear about the harp connection to Duncan, everyone loves it and they all want to tell me a favourite story about ‘The Friendly Giant.’ There is something nice and familiar about the music and it makes people happy. That’s a good thing.” To watch Sarah play “Early One Morning” on Duncan’s harp, visit DownhomeLife.com.
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Philip Hiscock photo
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Lara Maynard photo
, sometime around 1955, Iris Power of St. John’s went to visit Mr. Pat Roche, an Irish-Newfoundland gentleman in his 80s. When she arrived at his Middle Cove home, she was greeted by a curious sight: a long sapling that had been stripped of all its boughs except for a plume that had been left on top. The sapling was tied, standing upright, to the front of the gate-post. “Mr. Roche explained when I asked that this was his May pole, which he put there the first of May and left for the whole month because it brought luck,” Iris would later write out for Memorial University’s Department of Folklore. “He said he and his family had always done it, and his parents before him.” Left: Gertie Power and Jenny Nash of Flatrock, NL, pose with Gertie’s May pole in 2006. Above: Mr. O’Rourke with a May bush on his property in Middle Cove, NL, May 2012 www.downhomelife.com
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ribbons, blended with the tradition What Mr. Roche called a May pole of using blue ribbons to represent the went by other names, depending Virgin Mary. When Irish settlers upon which Newfoundland commumoved to the Avalon Peninsula of nity you grew up in. In the Paradise Newfoundland, they brought their farming area in the 1940s, they were blend of agricultural and Christian called May trees, and were decorated traditions with them. by ribbons and bits of paper. In ParDecorated maypoles are part of a adise, May trees brought good luck complex set of traditions found all for spring planting – an important across Northern Europe, and were thing to know if you were a farmer. often the focal point for festivities In other communities, these trees were decorated with blue ribbons and were known as May bushes. My introduction to the world of May bushes came from folklorist Lara Maynard of Torbay, NL, who has a longstanding interest in the custom. “When I was a primary or elementary school kid at a Catholic school, each May students wore blue ribbons pinned to their clothes in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” says Lara. “Blue ribbons showed up around our neighbourhoods, too, on May bushes – saplings with most of their branches cut off, except for the few left around A May bush attached to a garbage the top with the ribbons box in Torbay, NL, May 2012. Lara Maynard photo on them.” and dancing. During the 16th and In Irish folk tradition, the first of 17th centuries, May Day was an May was the final date for the sowing important holiday. Beautifully fesof crops. Numerous folk customs tooned poles were erected, flowers evolved to celebrate the start of the were gathered, a May Queen was month and to hope for a good chosen and dancers wove ribbons crop, including decorating poles and around the pole. bushes. Over time, the Christian Some found the idea of dancing Church adopted May as a month for around an upright fertility symbol the devotion of Mary. The May bush, scandalous. Oliver Cromwell was not bedecked with its multi-coloured 64
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Decorating and dancing around maypoles are tradition across Northern Europe, such as seen here during a festival in England.
a big fan of maypole dances. He had them banned by the British Parliament in 1644, calling them “a heathenish vanity, generally abused to superstition and wickedness.” Nobody ever claimed that Oliver Cromwell was much fun at parties. Thankfully, Newfoundlanders did not get Cromwell’s memo; May dances were a popular form of local entertainment in the early 1900s. On Bell Island, the Power family held an
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annual children’s May Day party in the upper floor of their large barn, with singing and circling around the maypole. In 1922, the Evening Telegram advertised a concert hosted by the Junior Department of the Presbyterian College given at the Presbyterian Hall. The concert included a “programme of songs, choruses, recitations and the May Pole Dance.” Admission to the soirée would have set you back 25 cents.
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Labradorians weren’t about to miss out on the festivities. Miss Ida M. Downer spent the winter of 1929 teaching on the coast of Labrador, and described the crowning of a Labrador May Queen for the Newfoundland Teachers’ Association journal of that year: “Her attendants were two pages dressed in red pants, blue jackets and white ties. Four ladies in waiting were dressed in white muslin with wreaths and bouquets of sweet peas. The May Queen was presented with a sceptre, garland and a crown, the presenters each in turn making a very pretty speech and bow both to Queen and Audience after the Crowning.”
The Lynch family had a piece of farmland on Marine Drive in Torbay. When the last man who lived on it died in the 1990s, his nephew Gus Lynch carried on the tradition. Here Gus is just getting ready to take his May bush down in early June 1999.
Philip Hiscock photo
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Miss Downer reported that the Queen and students then took part in a maypole dance, “which was indeed very skilfully done.” Corner Brook’s Western Star gives us a pretty clear idea of what the Labradorians and townie Presbyterians might have witnessed. In May of 1936, the newspaper printed the following poem, entitled “The May Pole,” in their Young People’s Section: This is the May-time of the year The time that girls and boys hold dear. Bring out the Pole with ribbons gay And we can dance the time away. Now under one, now over go, Tripping lightly – heel and toe. The ribbons gay float in the air, The children skip now here – now there. Around the Pole – out on the lawn, Come join the dance, the fun is on. Such fun you hardly ever find As round the Pole your ribbons wind, Now in, now out, keep going round. So fast, you scarcely touch the ground. Pull tight, pull hard, now dance again, And wind your fancy-ribboned chain, The Pole with ribbons tightly wound Is such a sight – hard to be found. A pretty thing to meet your glance Come then and join the May Pole dance. Today, maypole dances are a thing of the past, and ribbon-festooned May bushes are increasingly hard to find. The last remaining pockets of the custom are found on the northeast Avalon, with the occasional stripped tree popping up the first day of May somewhere in the Torbay or Flatrock area. “The people I know who still put up May bushes in recent years seem to do it out of a combination of religion and tradition,” Lara says. www.downhomelife.com
In 2019, Irish husband and wife folklore duo Michael Fortune and Aileen Lambert started the Wexford May Bush Festival in a bid to revive the tradition in the communities that long ago gave birth to our Newfoundland version. Wexford locals decorated their bushes with painted eggshells, ribbons and seasonal flowers. If anyone is interested in a similar revival on this side of the Atlantic, I’ve got my eye on a scrawny spruce that just might do the trick. May 2022
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features
A family heirloom that is cherished for its fairy tale beginnings
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Stories
abound across the centuries about mystical folks called fairies. Some fairy tales involve children being lugged away by these little imps, never to return; others go missing for a period of time and are never quite the same afterwards. Years ago in Newfoundland, no one went into the woods without bread or hard tack in their pockets, or without first turning a piece of their clothing inside out. These were traditional charms of protection against the fairies and their mischief.
Mary Hodder of Marystown, NL, has her own captivating fairy tale to share and it involves her mother, who was nine at the time. Mary memorialized it in a poem. A story as true as one can be For I have proof as you can see Why I truly believe it so That fairies lived here long ago! The story began on a winter day “once upon a time,” when Mary’s grandfather, Johnny Drake, took his young daughter, Lizzie, for an excursion in the woods on their horse-driven sled. On a winter’s evening bright and clear / With magic floating on frosty air, Mary wrote. Mary’s lyrical verse about her mother’s encounter with the fairies tells of how once, deep in the woods, her mom heard chattering, singing and laughter above the din of a babbling brook in the shadow of a nearby hill. “Oh dad!” she cried, “there’s children here Singing about a land so fair Of candy trees and lights aglow If only you will let me go, To join them in their tea party I promise to be back by three!” www.downhomelife.com
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Mary’s mother, Lizzie (left), would often tell the tale of when she and her father, Johnny (right), encountered the fairies in the forest.
Johnny’s face grew pale “as winter’s white,” writes Mary, as he knew exactly what was happening – his daughter was being “fairy struck” (entranced) by the “little people” who long dwelled in these woods. “He knew that no children would come this far into the woods to play,” Mary explains to me during a recent conversation. Johnny then quickly took a slide rope and tied it securely around his precious child and himself, and made a dash for home. The story passed along in the family is that Johnny returned alone the next day to the same spot in the woods – and, in fact, he “saw fairies scampering away,” Mary says. In the area where they had been, he found a mug they must have left behind as they skedaddled. The magical cup had two small elves painted on it – 70
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how appropriate! For many years after the event, that curious little mug sat on Johnny’s shelf.
Along Came Mary
Lizzie never forgot her fairy encounter and was still telling the story for the umpteenth time into her nineties. But what became of the mug? “Grandfather had six children when he found this mug,” notes Mary. “Each of them wanted to be the owner of the mug; and his response would be, ‘I can’t give it to all of you, but I will find an owner for my mug one day.’” When Mary was only six weeks old, Lizzie took her to visit Johnny, who lived nearby. “When she was leaving with me, he took the mug and wrapped it in my blanket.” Many 1-888-588-6353
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decades later, Mary still cherishes that century-old family heirloom linked to another world. This mug found 100 plus years ago And my grandchildren can tell you so It’s still my very favourite dish Just taken down to make a wish, Still luring children to its shelf Come by sometime, see for yourself! Mary also recalls visits to her grandparents’ house, where the fairies were not far from their minds. “Should dusk be approaching, Granddad would bless us with holy water and put a small piece of bread in our pockets so the fairies wouldn’t take us on the way home.” Now 76, Mary fears the oral fairy folklore, which was a rich part of her childhood, is being forgotten. She hopes to help preserve this lore so that Newfoundlanders can connect to their history, to each other and to nature. She uses her poem and her mug to keep the stories alive. A few years ago, she recited her poem and displayed the magical cup at a children’s PJ night in her town. “The children were fascinated with the story, as were the adults,” says Mary. “Each child took a turn holding the mug and making a silent wish. It certainly had a magic effect, captivating all by the story and the evidence – probably one of the last, if not the last mug, in existence that was actually owned by the fairies.” Interestingly, Mary discloses that the mug cannot be traced to any company “that existed on earth,” she says. “It has absolutely no markings.” Also intriguing is the fact that this mug, linked to the magical world, has www.downhomelife.com
been sitting on a shelf for more than a 100 years and absorbing sunlight, yet “the colours are just as bright as the day it was dropped by the fairies,” she enthuses. Who will own the mug next? Mary already has plans. “I hope to have it to my final day, and then it will go to my niece and godchild Shantha, who has always expressed an interest in the fairy mug.”
Mary hopes her poetry and the mug will help preserve the lore of fairies for the next generation.
As for the fairies her mother heard and the treasure her Pop Drake found on fairy grounds, Mary muses, “I like to believe these were good fairies, with good intentions. To this day, my mug has brought me nothing but good luck! Perhaps my grandfather still has something to do with that, too!” May 2022
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By Nicola Ryan
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Newfoundland and Labrador is well known for having world-class hiking trails and spectacular scenery. Here are a few journeys and destinations you might not know about.
GRAND BAY WEST TRAILWAY Stroll on the water’s edge and enjoy some of the best sandy beaches in the province on the Grand Bay West Beach Trailway near Channel-Port aux Basques. The roughly 6-km trail is considered moderately challenging. An elevated boardwalk starting at the end of Kyle Lane in Grand Bay West winds through a wetland area of ponds and marshes where you might spot nesting endangered piping plovers. Continue on towards the second beach, where interpretive panels tell of local flora and fauna, shipwrecks and history, and unique rock formations along the trail route. Becky Wiseman photo www.downhomelife.com
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BLOW-ME-DOWN MOUNTAIN TRAIL The Blow-Me-Down Mountain Trail west of Corner Brook is a 16-km backcountry trail extending from the Bay of Islands to Serpentine Valley. Follow it to one of the most remote canyons on the island – Simms Gulch, a spectacular destination for the diehard adventurer. Wind your way over the lower foothills and the banks of Simms Brook to Serpentine Lake. The magnificent Serpentine Valley is exceptionally picturesque, but keep your eyes peeled for the moose and black bears that flourish in the area. Connie Boland photo
CROW HEAD WALKING TRAIL Breathe in fresh sea air on the Crow Head Walking Trail in Port Saunders. Generally considered an easy route, the 2.9-km coastal loop offers beautiful views of the ocean and Keppel Island. Binoculars located along the trail will help you see the lighthouse, fishing boats and scenery. Keep an eye out for interesting rock formations, like the balancing rock or the sleeping dragon. To get there, take the Port Saunders and Port au Choix route off the Viking Trail (Route 430), and drive to the end of Main Street. Amy Scanlon photo 74
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UNDERGROUND SALMON POOL TRAILS This is the only known place in the world where Atlantic salmon migrate through an underground river cave to reach their spawning grounds upstream. To get there, follow the 2.5-km access road from Route 433 near Roddickton-Bide Arm and look for the parking area. Take the sturdy boardwalk through a luscious oldgrowth forest, admire the fiddlehead ferns and check out the interpretive signs. Don’t forget the bug spray! Tracey Randell photo
SUMMERFORD WALKING TRAIL For a family friendly hike, head for the walking trail loop in the town of Summerford, not too far from Twillingate. The trail around the pond is well groomed with wooden walkways dotted with cute fairy doors, handpainted signs and play areas. Take the 308 steps up to a viewpoint that looks out over the many islands in the surrounding bay. Julian Earle/Town of Summerford photo
EDGAR BAIRD LAKESIDE TRAIL Wear your waterproof boots to hike the Edgar Baird Lakeside Trail, the longest and most challenging trail within the Thomas Howe Demonstration Forest. Turn off from the TCH just 1 km east of Gander and park near the Silent Witness Memorial to the 1985 Arrow Air crash. The lakeside trail actually treks through a forested area before taking you alongside Gander Lake. Vardy Gidge photo
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THE LABRADOR PIONEER FOOTPATH
Aaron White photo
Follow the traditional walking route along the coast of the Labrador Straits that once was the only connection between the communities from L’Anse au Clair to Pinware. It’s 75-kilometres of panoramic views and windswept coastline with a variety of points of interest to check out, including the Point Amour lighthouse, the wreck of HMS Raleigh, and the L’Anse Amour Maritime Archaic Burial Mound National Historic Site.
SMOKEY MOUNTAIN TRAILS For the adventurer, the hiking trails around Smokey Mountain in western Labrador provide breathtaking views and pristine wilderness to explore. The Smokey Mountain Lookout can be accessed off Route 389 just before the College of the North Atlantic. It offers a bird’s-eye view of Labrador West, including Labrador City and the alpine ski trails of the Nordic Ski Club. It’s also a great place to view the northern lights. Domingo Dichoson photo 76
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COOK’S LOOKOUT TRAIL Pack your spyglass and head out to the Cook’s Lookout trail near Burin Bay Arm. Beginning at the top of Paddy’s Pond, a round trip up to the lookout is about 6 km. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, this site was used by Capt. James Cook to watch for privateers and smugglers while he charted the coast in the 1760s. Cheryl Power photo
Meghan Anderson photo
DAMNABLE TRAIL, SANDY COVE The Damnable Trail is another network of trails developed from the remnants of old coastal walking trails between communities. The Coastal Ridge Trail runs between Sandy Cove Beach and Salvage and is recommended for the experienced, long-distance hiker. Explore more than 14 km of rugged terrain – moss covered forests, rocky crevasses and spectacular ocean views. Look for evidence of now resettled places, including Barrow Harbour and Smokey Hole. www.downhomelife.com
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Wildlife technician Todd Hollett takes us on a deeper dive into the lives of the rarer whales that surface around Newfoundland and Labrador.
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EVERY YEAR crowds of people look to the coastal
waters of Newfoundland and Labrador hoping to catch a glimpse of a majestic whale as it breaks the surface to take a breath before diving back down into the deep. Cape Bonavista, Cape St. Mary’s, St. Vincent’s and Signal Hill are excellent vantage points to see a whale easily from shore. Around the Witless Bay and Twillingate areas, boat tour operators give people unforgettable personal experiences with these giants. Like whale-seeking tourists, most whale species in Newfoundland and Labrador are seasonal visitors. They travel to our rich feeding grounds in spring and summer in search of dense schools of capelin, herring and mackerel, then return to warmer southern waters as winter approaches. Our knowledge of many species is sparse and is gained through rather ironic means. For example, the only information we’ve gathered in NL about the Sowerby’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens) is from beached individuals, mostly because it inhabits remote ocean regions. A lot of biological data was collected on whaling ship decks and whaling station wharves by scientists who worked alongside whalers, when whaling was still prevalent in our waters. Whales belong to the order Cetacea and are divided into two sub-orders: Mysticeti, baleen whales; and Odontoceti, toothed whales. Seven species of baleen whales and 12 toothed whales reside in this province. Here are some of the rarely seen species. You’ll be truly lucky if you see any of these on your whale-watching tours this summer.
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NOAA Fisheries
NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE
NOAA Fisheries
BOWHEAD WHALE Balaena mysticetus
Eubalaena glacialis
Size 15 metres
Size 17 metres
Features It has a strongly curved
Features Black with white patches on
the belly, its mouth is greatly arched and its head has patches of creamcoloured callosities. Individuals can be identified by the size, number, placement and shape of the callosities. It’s noticeable by its V-shaped blow.
Diet Copepods (zooplankton), especially Calanus finmarchicus
Historically, whalers considered the right whale the “right” whale to hunt, hence the name, as they were slow and yielded large volumes of highly valuable blubber and baleen. As a result, this once abundant whale was almost wiped out by 1880. There are thought to be fewer than 350 surviving today. They used to be found throughout the temperate waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; however, due to intense hunting, only small numbers remain in the North Atlantic from Florida to Newfoundland. Right whales are susceptible to ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear, due to their habit of spending time close to the surface. They are listed as endangered.
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mouth, and the four-metre baleen is the longest of any whale. It is blueblack with a creamy to bright white chin patch, and makes a tall, V-shaped blow.
Diet Copepods and euphausiids
Europeans dubbed these the Greenland right whale, while American whalers called them bowheads because the mouth resembles an archer’s bow. The only recorded stranding of bowheads in Newfoundland occurred in 1998, at Rattling Brook in Green Bay, and in 2005 at Witless Bay. Bowheads have a circumpolar distribution and there are two Canadian populations: one is in Hudson Bay-Fox Basin; the other is in Baffin Bay and the Davis Strait, and winter in small numbers off the Labrador Coast. The estimated population is 3,000-4,000 animals, and they can live up to 100 years.
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NOAA Fisheries
NOAA Fisheries
SPERM WHALE
PYGMY SPERM WHALE
Size 17 metres, 50 tons
Size 2-3.5 metres
Features It has a huge, square head;
Features It has a low, curved dorsal fin;
Diet Squid (including giant squid),
Diet Squid, octopi, deep sea fish and shrimp
Physeter macrocephalus
grey, black or brownish wrinkly skin; a long, low dorsal fin with bumpy top edge; and 18-25 peg-like teeth that fit into sockets in the upper jaw. Its blow is tilted at a 45-degree angle.
Kogia breviceps
shark-like appearance; steel-grey colouration; conical head; tiny underslung jaw, and sometimes floats motionless at the surface.
octopi and fish.
Sperm whales hold many records, including heaviest brain, biggest nose and largest teeth in the animal kingdom. The largest of the toothed whales, they inhabit offshore waters around shelf edges and deep-water canyons in all the world’s oceans. Summer sightings occur on the Grand Banks and around Funk Island Banks. They’re more common in the deep waters off Trinity Bay. Beginning in 1712, sperm whales were hunted for blubber, spermaceti, ambergris and ivory. Spermaceti is a wax-like substance found in the head of the whale, used to make high quality oil. Ambergris, a brownish lump that can weigh more than 100 kg, is found in the gut, believed to be formed in the gut tissue around squid beaks (beaks are the only part of the squid that are undigestible). Ambergris was used as an aphrodisiac and a fixative in perfume. With an estimated population of around 100,000, the sperm whale is listed as vulnerable. www.downhomelife.com
On August 7, 2002, a pygmy sperm whale was seen swimming around the harbour in Little St. Lawrence on the Burin Peninsula. This was only the second recorded sighting of this species around NL; the first was at Miquelon in 1989. Both were the most nor-therly sightings of this rare whale. Its known northwest Atlantic range is from the Gulf of Mexico to southern Newfoundland, but it may inhabit offshore waters as far north as southern Labrador. A peculiar feature of the pygmy sperm whale is its ability to release a large dark cloud of oily liquid, produced in the lower intestine, just before fleeing – perhaps to distract predators. They are among the least understood whales worldwide and so rarely seen that no population estimate can be made.
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NOAA Fisheries
NOAA Fisheries
NARWHAL
BELUGA
Size 5 metres, 1,600 kilograms
Size 5 metres, 600 kilograms
Features This is the only whale with a
Features Belugas are all white and
Monodon monoceros
tusk. Its mottled, grey-brown colour whitens with age. It has a small round head, no dorsal fin and a fan-shaped tail, and it frequently raises its head out of the water while swimming.
Diet Varied, includes Arctic cod, Green-
land halibut (turbot), squid, shrimp and mollusks.
From the Middle Ages to the 17th century, narwhal tusks were sold as unicorn horns. This non-functional tooth erupts through the upper lip of the male. Theories of its purpose include sexual competition, spearfishing, ice drilling and hierarchy determination. The most plausible theory so far is that it’s embedded with a nerve ending and used for monitoring temperature, pressure, salinity and other variables that help determine optimal breeding and feeding grounds and hazards. Narwhals are not often seen below the Arctic Circle. The southern extent of their range is the northern tip of Labrador. In 2003, though, a narwhal was observed in Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula. Once hunted for tusks, skins and meat, narwhals are currently listed as near threatened, with a worldwide population of 70,000-80,000 individuals – 86 per cent of them live in Canada’s High Arctic. 82
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Delphinapterus leucus
have no dorsal fin, a bulbous head, a short beak with flexible lips and a distinct neck – it’s the only whale that can turn its head.
Diet Many species of invertebrates and vertebrates including capelin, cod, turbot, salmon, herring, tubeworms, crab, shrimp, octopi and squid.
Whalers once called beluga sea canaries, and for good reason. The most vocal of all whales, they’re capable of a range of whistles, squeals, chirps and groans. These primarily Arctic whales inhabit estuaries, continental shelfs and slopes, open water, loose ice and heavy pack ice, and may travel hundreds of kilometres upriver. The eastern Arctic population, about 25,000, lives in Baffin Bay, the Davis Strait and off the west coast of Greenland. Belugas are seen off northern Labrador and sometimes in Newfoundland bays (most often juvenile belugas). A small population of about 1,221 whales are found in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Belugas are highly sensitive to overexploitation, contaminants (especially oil spills), viral outbreaks and climate change. The global population is estimated at over 150,000 and they are listed as near threatened.
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NOAA Fisheries
NOAA Fisheries
NORTHERN BOTTLENOSE WHALE
SOWERBY’S BEAKED WHALE
Size 7-9 metres
Size 5 metres
Features It has a round, brownish or
Features It has a small dorsal fin, two
Hyperoodon ampullatus
dark grey body with a lighter underside; a prominent bulbous head, a long bottle-like beak and a sickle shaped dorsal fin. The male may have two visible teeth at the tip of the lower jaw.
Diet Primarily squid. plus a variety of fish including turbot, skate, redfish and herring.
This is the largest beaked whale in the North Atlantic. Known for their curiosity, they often approach boats and other manmade objects. Bottlenose whales are deep divers (1,500 m or more) living near the continental shelf, typically near submarine canyons, trenches and gullies at 500-1,500 m. They are sometimes reported inshore in shallower waters around Newfoundland and along the Labrador Shelf. They’ve been sighted from New York to Greenland, and they are known from The Gully (an area north of Sable Island, NS, on the Flemish Cap on the Grand Banks) and the Davis Strait. They are rarely observed because they live primarily in remote regions of the ocean. The population is thought to be stable, with no significant gain or loss in 15 years. It is currently listed as “data deficient,” as not enough is known to determine a population estimate. www.downhomelife.com
Mesoplodon bidens
teeth in the lower jaw of males, slategrey colour and a long, thin beak.
Diet Primarily squid and Atlantic cod.
Also known as the North Sea beaked whale, the first specimen ever discovered was in Scotland in 1800 by James Sowerby. It is one of six beaked whale species in the North Atlantic, but this one is the most northerly. It’s the most commonly stranded beaked whale, yet least seen at sea. Little is known of their distribution. It is thought to prefer the deep waters, 550-1,500 m, of continental shelf edge. Its range is thought to be from the mid-US to mid-Labrador. Sightings and strandings are rare, though the most strandings in North America happen on the east coast of Newfoundland. Recorded sightings at sea have occurred off Newfoundland and in The Gully off Sable Island, NS. The main risk to these whales is entanglement in fishing gear, and sonar and seismic exploration – but to what degree is unknown. The current population is unknown and they are listed as “data deficient.”
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Story & photos by G. Tod Slone
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exists in isolation… the absence of human racket: weedwhacking, lawnmowers and loud-blasting mufflers. I’ve found that beauty in remote Newfoundland and Labrador, in Francois, Petites, Gaultois, Great Caribou Island and Indian Burying Place. More recently, I found it in McCallum.
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Above: McCallum is a rugged town, tucked in against the hillside. Right: Reverend Robin was the only other passenger travelling on the ferry to McCallum that day.
Several years ago, I’d made the attempt to reach McCallum from Francois, but the ferry was cancelled due to rough seas. This time I was in Hermitage, on the eastern end of the ferry run, but hurricane winds cancelled the ferry. So, I had a few days to kill in the Bay d’Espoir region, in the hope the next ferry might go. I explored Furby’s Cove, a small resettled community, and talked with a former constable there who’d worked on the South Coast. I told him of my plans and he didn’t think there was a B&B in McCallum. I picked a lot of blackberries, which were covering over the cemetery. Then I spent some time at Harbour Breton and walked up to the Gun Hill Lookout. Wonderful views! I drove 86
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down to Seal Cove, thinking maybe I could drive the dirt road to where you could see resettled Pass Island, but a guy on an ATV there told me I’d never make it. Two days later, the MV Terra Nova left at 12:15 p.m. I paid $3.75 for my passage and took a seat inside next to the only other person there, Reverend Robin. She was a travelling minister who went to McCallum once a month to present a sermon. She kindly made a phone call and got me a room in what they called the “Apartments.” An hour and a half later we arrived in McCallum. Robin noted that all the houses on the left side of town were empty and only about 25 people lived in McCallum today. 1-888-588-6353
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At the Apartments, which had two bedrooms, a woman took my $100 bill, said there was some instant coffee and potable water in the fridge, then off she went. I laid down a spell, then headed out with my camera in hand. I walked for quite a while up and down the boardwalks – no roads here, of course. Down by the incinerator end, I talked to a handful of people sitting outside on a porch. One lady was from Germany and had been living in McCallum for 11 years. A man there told me I could pick blueberries on top of a hill, the trail to which was just a couple of houses down. “Nice view up there,” he said. At the other end of McCallum,
where the houses were uninhabited, I eventually traipsed to the top of a high hill. The outport is in a mountainous area and quite a bit smaller than Gaultois and Francois. On the way back, I talked to a friendly couple on the boardwalk. They said they left now and then, went to St. John’s or elsewhere just to get out for a spell. The guy was a fisherman. Back in my room, I opened a can of herring, toasted some bread and www.downhomelife.com
made a sandwich. Then I boiled some water, opened a can of Carnation milk and had a cup of coffee. No internet. Robin had mentioned that. I borrowed a few old magazines from a guy several houses down the boardwalk. Later, Bill Newbury, the guy who’d told me about the blueberries, knocked on my door and invited me over for a barbecued burger. He was living with his wife and two little daughters in the teacher’s apartment, in the same building as the Apartments. We talked about Newfoundland and Labrador and its outports. His wife was from Alberta and was the new teacher/principal. She said there were only three students at the school, one of whom was older and basically studied online. Later, alone again, I stepped out into the blackness of night and walked around taking photos. Next day, I walked again all over. Then at 5:00 p.m., I packed up and made my way down to the government wharf. While waiting for the ferry I walked to the end of the boardwalk and found some blackberries, so I picked and ate. The ferry arrived at 5:45 and I boarded as its only passenger. This time I sat out on the deck for the ride. It was windy and got cooler as the ferry headed out over the ocean. A vastness of uninhabited land and granite cliffs passed by, as big waves broke and the water rolled right on to the deck. I watched the outport slowly disappear. Left behind, but certainly never to be forgotten. May 2022
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HOME and Cabin
stuff we love by Nicola Ryan
Birding Basics FLYING START As the sweet sounds of songbirds return to your neighbourhood, identify the birds you hear and see with the free Merlin Bird ID app for Apple or Android devices. Merlin uses simple steps to help you identify bird calls and includes photos, maps, sounds and specific lists of the birds you’re likely to see in your area. Merlin.allaboutbirds.org
IN FOCUS Binoculars are essential for good birding. We love the Prime 8x42 binoculars, which provide sharp images and have a wide field of view, making it easier to spot birds and follow them in flight. They’re designed for outdoor use, carry a lifetime warranty, and feature built-in lens caps that won’t get lost. Bushnell.com
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BY THE BOOK Compact and durable, the Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America is indispensable for fast identification in the field. Packed with info, maps, photos, illustrations and a helpful index at the back, it’s extremely handy for beginner birdwatchers just learning about common feathered friends. Amazon.ca
ANSWER THE CALL Create realistic songbird sounds with the original Audubon pocket bird call. Simply twist the metal piece to recreate the sounds of the birds around you. At just over 2.5 inches long, it’s easy to tuck into a pocket or attach to a key ring. If you keep it dry and occasionally add a bit of resin (included), it will last for years. UrbanNatureStore.ca
GAME ON Wingspan is a relaxing strategy card game for up to five players. Draw from 170 beautifully illustrated cards to discover and attract birds to your nature preserve – different combinations will generate points each turn. This game was named winner of the prestigious Kennerspiel des Jahres award in 2019. Canada.StonemaierGames.com
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HOME and Cabin
DISPLAY YOUR STYLE Interior designer Marie Bishop’s guide to attractive shelf displays
Funny how we love to collect things,
purchase things, accumulate things over time, then wonder... what am I going to do with all these things? Well, because I’m a firm believer in letting our space tell our story, I think it’s a great idea to display those things. Now that doesn’t mean every single thing, and it doesn’t mean you just lay them out randomly. There is a method to the madness of putting those things on shelves for all to see.
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Floating shelves appear to have no visible supports and are among the latest trends in the design world.
In an age when most of us are trying to declutter our spaces and live a more calm existence in a cleaner house, the thought of shelving units, bookcases or floating shelves may send shivers down your spine. But here’s the thing: if you pick out the things that really mean something to you and incorporate them into a tasteful display, they become pieces of art, chapters of your story, a decorative element of your everyday space. Let’s start with floating shelves, the newest trend in the display world. As the term suggests, they appear to be floating on the wall with hidden supports. Some support systems are stronger than others, so the strength of the supports will determine how much weight you should put on the shelves. Floating shelves have become very popular in kitchens, especially where upper cabinets have been eliminated or reduced. Here their use is often as functional as it is decorative. But even functional items can be arranged tastefully. www.downhomelife.com
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The shelves on either side of this dual fuel range hold cooking condiments and a few plants (ideally fresh herbs), a cookbook, small dishes, cooking wine and a small piece of art. It’s practical and looks great.
When setting up your display, the key is to vary the height and shape of the objects, create softness with florals and greenery, and group items under an interesting theme. Bookcases are a little more challenging, clearly intended for books, and in a library or reading room that’s probably all you’d want to fill them with. However, in a main living space, you may want to display collectibles, framed family photos and small works of art along with your favourite books. Think of the whole setup as a storyboard. Dedicate one shelf or section to a family holiday: vacation photos in creative frames, a decorative bowl for shells or rocks collected, souvenirs, even the books you read while on holiday or books about that destination. 92
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Over this wine/storage cabinet, the floating shelves hold glasses for wine and cocktails, as well as liquor, florals and an interesting piece of art. Because this small dining area couldn’t accommodate a sideboard or even a sofa table, the floating shelves add horizontal surfaces to display treasured items (including seasonal decorations).
You can lay the books flat and display items on top of them; let the items tell the story. Let each member of your family have a section of the bookcase to display items of their particular interest – their favourite books, photos, smaller items and collectibles. There is a limit, of course: you want to create visual appeal, not mayhem. The addition of florals and greenery, artificial or real, will enhance the overall display as long as you don’t overdo it. A small mirror, even a mirrored tile from the dollar store, propped up behind a vase or treasured item adds light to the display. The variety of items displayed should create interest with their textures, colours, shapes, even their sense of history or humour. Keep in mind that the negative space on the shelves creates as much interest as the space you fill, giving your items room to breathe. A good rule of thumb is to divide your display space into four equal parts: 1⁄4 books, 1⁄4 frames or artwork, 1⁄4 treasured items/florals and 1⁄4 empty space. Play around with it until you’re happy with the look. Have fun, tell your story. It’s a great way to show who you are and how much you love your space. www.downhomelife.com
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HOME and Cabin
Todd’s table
Chicken Cacciatore
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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
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I am well aware that my family
roots are English. Nonetheless I was born on an Irish holiday, and here I am cooking another Italian-themed dish. Maybe I am going to have to dig a little deeper into the family tree and see where it brings me. I just love Italian cuisine, and this dish is one of my favourites. My family enjoys this meal so much that I have cooked it many times over the years. I believe it will remain on the repeat list for sure in the future. Cacciatore, pronounced “catch a tory,” means “hunter” in Italian. In cuisine, alla cacciatora refers to a meal prepared “hunter-style” with onions, herbs, usually tomatoes, often bell peppers and sometimes wine. I use mushrooms as well. Reading the history on this dish, I found that rabbit, quail and pheasant were also used long before chicken. This dish is a nourishing bowl of comfort, containing simple ingredients that are inexpensive and readily attainable. Although the time spent cooking an authentic dish might be lengthy, it’s an easy dish to prepare; even a novice cook can make chicken cacciatore. Like I often say: if I can do it, so can you. I like to use different parts of the chicken, even a whole chicken cut into parts. Use a combination of legs, thighs, breast and even wings. Keep the skin on even if you remove the skin before you eat it. The skin will help build flavour and make the dish delicious. This recipe makes four servings. Make the cooking easier by gathering all your ingredients and cooking utensils at the start. Then turn on some great tunes and, most importantly, cook with confidence!
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Chicken Cacciatore 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 lbs chicken parts 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 cup flour 3 tbsp olive oil 1 cup chopped onions 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 tsp dried sage, crumbled 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup dry red or white wine 8 oz can whole, skinless tomatoes, chopped with juice 3/4 cup chicken broth 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
Add the salt and pepper to the flour on a plate; roll each piece of chicken in the flour and shake off the excess. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet or deep pan over medium high heat and add the chicken parts in batches, browning on all sides. Remove the chicken to a platter and set aside for later. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat, reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, bay leaf, rosemary and sage. Cook for 5 minutes or so, until the onions start to brown – don’t let them burn. Then add the minced garlic and cook it for no more than 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the garlic. At this point, add the chicken parts back to the pan and add the wine. Turn the heat back to medium high and boil until the wine has evaporated. The alcohol burns off very quickly, but the wine itself adds a really nice flavour to the chicken. I do understand, though, that some people do not use alcoholic beverages for cooking, and if you absolutely do not want to use wine, use a little chicken stock to deglaze the pan. A very important step here is using a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan while also turning the chicken over in the process. Add tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for approximately 25-35 minutes. Then add the mushrooms, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the cover, turn heat to high and boil until the juices have reduced and slightly thickened. At this point you should, like in most recipes, season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Todd’s Tips Try adding along with the mushrooms 1/2 cup of oil-cured black olives, pitted and sliced. Always be careful not to brown or burn garlic; it will totally change the whole dish, and not in a good way. Don’t feel obliged to use wine, though the alcohol does burn off almost immediately when you cook with it.
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life is better Francois from The Friar Connie Boland, Corner Brook, NL
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HOME and Cabin
everyday recipes
Breakfast in Bed for Mom Get Mother’s Day off to a delightful start by making her breakfast. These recipes are fairly simple and kids can make them, with some adult help and supervision.
Strawberry French Toast 12 slices day-old bread, cubed 2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, diced 1 cup strawberries, sliced
12 eggs 1/3 cup maple syrup 2 cups milk
Place half the bread cubes into a lightly greased 9"x13" baking pan. Scatter cream cheese over bread; sprinkle with strawberries. Cover with remaining bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, maple syrup and milk. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes. Cover pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Next morning, preheat oven to 375°F. Bake, covered, for 25 min. Uncover and bake an additional 15-20 min., or until casserole is puffed and golden brown. Serve warm. Yield: 8 servings.
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Bacon Pancakes 1 cup flour 2 tbsp sugar 1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda 3/4 cup milk 1 egg
3 tbsp butter, melted 3 strips bacon, cut in half Maple syrup
Sift together dry ingredients in a bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine milk, egg and melted butter. Add the wet to the dry; mix until just combined (do not over mix, lumps are OK). Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add two of the bacon halves. Fry lightly on both sides, until they just start to crisp. Using an ice-cream scoop to portion, pour a scoop of batter over each bacon strip, keeping pancakes about 1-inch apart. When you see bubbles start to form on the surface of the batter and the edges start to dry out a little, flip the pancakes. Cook until pancakes are puffed up and spring back when lightly poked. Remove from pan, and keep pancakes warm while making two more batches. Drizzle with maple syrup, or serve it in a dish on the side. Yield: 6 pancakes
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Breakfast Tacos 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/4 each of red and green peppers, chopped 2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup cooked, chopped bacon or sausage salt pepper to taste 2 taco shells (hard or soft) 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Beat eggs and milk together. Add peppers, onions and bacon. Pour mixture into a greased frying pan, season with salt & pepper, and scramble until eggs are cooked. Warm taco shells for 20-30 seconds in the microwave or for 2-3 minutes in a 400°F oven. (Wrap soft tacos in aluminum foil for the oven. Watch carefully so they don’t burn!) Divide mixture among warm taco shells, top with cheese and serve. Yield: 1 serving
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Quiche 1 premade pie crust 5 eggs, lightly beaten 1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese 1 cup cooked ham salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375°F. Press pie crust into a pie pan (or use the foil pan it came in). Bake crust in preheated oven until lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes. In a large bowl, stir together beaten eggs, milk, cheese, ham, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over baked crust. Bake at 375°F until centre is set, about 20 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the quiche is lightly browned on top and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Yield: 6 servings
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Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole 1 6 6 2
cup shredded cheddar cheese eggs, whisked slices cooked bacon, diced slices bread, cubed
1/3 bell pepper (red or orange), diced 2 green onions, chopped 3 tbsp milk salt and pepper to taste
Grease a 9"x13" dish. In a bowl, stir together all ingredients until well combined; pour into prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove from fridge and lest stand on the counter about 30 minutes (to take the chill out of the dish). Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake casserole, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, until eggs are set. Yield: 4 servings
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Chocolate Lovers Overnight Oats 1/2 cup rolled oats, uncooked 1/2 cup low-fat milk 1/2 tbsp cocoa 1/4 cup plain yogurt 1 tbsp peanut butter 1/2 banana, sliced 1 tbsp mini dark chocolate chips
1 tbsp shredded coconut 1 tsp chia seeds 1 tbsp honey 1 pinch sea salt (optional) Chocolate or peanut butter chips, for garnish (optional)
Add oats to a cereal bowl, mason jar or other single serve container and pour in milk. Add a layer of cocoa, then yogurt, then peanut butter, then banana. Top with chocolate chips, coconut, chia seeds and honey. Do not stir, leave in layers. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Before serving, give it a quick stir and sprinkle the top with chocolate or peanut butter chips. Yield: 1 serving
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HOME and Cabin
down to earth
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Theof theArt
Hanging Basket BY KIM THISTLE
Just as in other areas of life, DIY (do it yourself) has become a buzzword for gardeners. More and more people are wanting to create their own rather than buy off the shelf. It is certainly rewarding to construct something and watch it grow into a beautiful creation. At The Greenhouse, we have seen a large trend toward people wanting to create their own hanging baskets and containers. It seems like a fairly simple process. but there is a lot to take into consideration before you start. In this article I have put together a few pointers to help you out. If you follow some of these simple steps it will help to avoid the disappointment that may come after a summer of nursing your basket along, only to find that it does not live up to your expectations.
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The Container
The Fertilizer
The larger the container, the bigger and healthier your plants. A small basket, such as the common 10" basket, will only hold a small volume of soil. The roots of the plants grow quickly and fill out the basket. Hence, you have to water and fertilize more frequently. We get the best results from a 14" or 16" basket.
When using the peat-based Pro Mix or Sungro, supplemental fertilizers are essential. There is a phosphorus boost in these mixes to help out with rooting, but it is quickly used up and the plants cannot access nutrients the same way they can when they are in the garden. A slowrelease, pelleted fertilizer may be added to the soil at time of planting, but don’t depend on this to feed your plants all summer. A biweekly application of a water-soluble flowering plant food should be applied to keep your plants looking their best. There are synthetic fertilizers as well as organic to choose from. We like the organic. Fish and seaweed emulsions have a bit of an odour for a day or so, but they sure do the trick! There are a few options that are manufactured in Newfoundland and Labrador, so remember to help out your own economy when shopping. When using the organic “living soils,” you can avoid the nuisance of having to fertilize quite so often. An addition
The Soil Soil choice will make or break your basket. Avoid using “topsoil.” Choose a lightweight mix such as Pro Mix or Sungro; these soils contain perlite, a naturally occurring mineral that improves water retention and drainage. A great alternative for the holistic gardener is Gaia Green Living Soil or Ocean Forest’s Foxfarm. These soils contain a blend of forest products, earthworm castings, bat guano, fish emulsion, crab meal and other organic ingredients. They have a lot of biological activity going on, which ensures high nutrient availability to your plants. 106
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of a few tablespoons of an organic, granular food at planting time and a midsummer dose of that great watersoluble fish fertilizer will keep your flowers looking spectacular. Organics increase the soil microbial activity that help your plants in the uptake of nutrients.
The Flowers Choose your plants carefully. When a basket is hung, depending on the height that you hang it, if it contains plants that tend to grow upright the basket will not be as showy as plants that hang down over the edges. That being said, if the plants you pick are all hanging, your basket will appear flat on top. You need a mixture of plants that are higher and some that will hang. A flower such as a geranium will give you both height and punch with its huge, colourful blooms. Surround this with hanging petunias, hanging lobelia (not the upright types) and calibrachoa, and you will have a display to rival any that you might purchase pre-made.
The Water The essential ingredient for life. Your baskets will need to be watered on a regular basis. The question we are most often asked is “How often should I water my basket?” My answer to that is “When they are dry.” There is really no prescriptive method. If it’s hot and windy, baskets dry out quickly. If it’s cool and cloudy, they take longer to dry out and don’t need to be watered as often. Never depend on the rain to look after them for you; Mother www.downhomelife.com
Nature is fickle and rain will often just run off the leaves of the plants. We water our baskets according to weight. When they are heavy, that means they have plenty of water in them. When they are lightweight it means they have dried out and need a heavy dose of water. If they have dried out too much, you may need to water heavily and then do it again after about 10 or 15 minutes, as much of the initial water may have just run straight through and leaked out through the bottom of the basket. Always irrigate deeply, as you want the water to get to the roots at the bottom of the basket.
Final Thoughts The steps that I have listed in this article are essential. Don’t skimp on things like soil; such a simple thing can make or break your end product. If you are a traveller and cannot be home to look after the maintenance of a hanging plant, there are inexpensive gadgets you can purchase to automatically water your plants at prescribed times. Most garden centres carry these and can give advice on how to set them up. You CAN have the nicest basket on the block. This year has been designated as Canada’s Year of the Garden. Help make it a blast. 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. May 2022
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Three Sheets to the Wind Red Blueberry-Blackberry This full-bodied dry red wine combines the Newfoundland wild blueberry with the grape-like qualities of the Newfoundland wild blackberry in a delightful table wine that pairs well with cheese, steak, wild game, beef and chocolate. Medium
Three Sheets to the Wind White Rhubarb
Dandy Rhubarb-Dandelion With its delicious blend of local rhubarb and wild dandelion, this medium white wine is, well, just Dandy, especially when paired with chicken or fish. Semi-Sweet
Funky Puffin Blueberry-Rhubarb
A name that brings to mind a sparkling sea whipped up by fresh, cool breezes. This subtle wine is crafted from locally grown rhubarb, lending it a refreshing, crisp flavour with a hint of tartness. Pairs finely with traditional Newfoundland dishes, poultry and pork. Medium
Moose Joose Blueberry-Partridgeberry A blend of blueberry and partridgeberry, two of Newfoundland's most popular berries. Full of antioxidants and flavonoids, this wine could be called a health juice - but it contains alcohol, so we'll just say it's berry good for you! Medium-Sweet
A blend of Newfoundland and Labrador blueberries and rhubarb creates a wine that is fun, delightful and well balanced. It is a great sipping wine and goes well with cheese and crackers. Semi-Sweet
Frig-Off Strawberry-Raspberry A refreshing strawberryraspberry wine is just what you need. And it makes a delicious way to tell someone else to chill out, or even Frig-Off! Semi-Sweet
www.aukislandwinery.com 1-877-639-4637 AUK Shipping not available to Newfoundland and Labrador and Nunavut. Please visit your local NLC location.
ISLAND
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reminiscing flashbacks
Family Memories
Sarah (Wells) Perry and Jacob “Captain Jake” Perry of Gooseberry Islands, NL, stand with their children – Robert, Pearl, Leah and Freeman – in this photo taken around 1927, just after they moved to Vancouver, BC. Harry J. Perry Greenwood, BC
Sweet Siblings
Daphne Jackson poses with children Sandra, Howard, Jerry, Carl and baby Brenda in this photo from 1959. Jerry R. Sooley Cambridge, ON
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Thoughtful Mom
“During WWII, Kae (Power) Boucher, a native of Halifax [NS], offered to her Torbay women friends an invitation to shop the Eaton’s catalogue,” writes the submitter. “Kae was a Canadian citizen and didn’t have to pay the hefty duties. She put in a weekly order to help out the young mothers like herself.” Kae is seen here with husband Butch Boucher and their young son, Nicky. Cathy Enright Ottawa, ON
This Month in History The Polaris expedition of 1871-73 was an attempt to reach the North Pole. Under the command of Arctic explorer Charles Francis Hall, the refitted steam schooner Polaris departed New York City in June 1871. Barely underway, the expedition was hampered by insubordination, illness and ice. Hall died suddenly in November, after accusing members of the crew, including chief scientist Emil Bessels, of orchestrating his murder. The crew abandoned the mission and had turned south for home when the Polaris ran aground and was wrecked in Smith Sound in October 1872. Nineteen members of the crew became separated from the ship and drifted nearly 2,900 km on an ice floe for the next 197 days. They were eventually rescued by the whaler Tigress and arrived in Newfoundland on May 12, 1873. 1-888-588-6353
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reminiscing visions & vignettes
Gnat, do you mind…
Cats & Crows By Harold N. Walters
LaRue, Harry’s tame crow, swooped down on the orange tomcat sunning himself on a rock in Pop’s garden. A split second before LaRue reached the bottom of his dive, the cat flipped over, hissed and raked his extended talons at the crow. LaRue’s brakes failed. He drove headlong into the cat’s slashing claws. Feathers and fur flew from the caterwauling knot of cat and crow that tumbled off the rock and rolled in the grass. The pair burst apart. The tomcat bolted for cover. LaRue flapped into flight. “I thinks I can tame that cat,” said Harry from where he and Gnat stood and watched with their arms hitched over the top of a fence rail. “P’raps,” said Gnat. The orange tomcat, who Granny had named Marmalade because of his colour, was feral. He had lived for years with a clowder of his kin in the woods behind Pop’s barn. For reasons known only to cat and crow, the two were archenemies. Given the 112
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chance, LaRue attacked and tore tufts of fur from the cat’s noggin. Given the chance, the cat pounced on LaRue aiming to pluck pinfeathers. “Before you knows it,” continued Harry, “I’ll have Marmalade purring in my arms in Granny’s rocking chair.” “P’raps,” said Gnat. To begin his mission, Harry arrived at Pop’s grass garden with a tin of sardines he had snitched from 1-888-588-6353
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through the grass to the rock and, Mammy’s kitchen cupboards. Gnat heedless of the boys, crouched to watched Harry peel open the tin with jump up to his fragrant snack. the attached metal key and lodge the “Caaaaaaawwwww!” sardines on the rock that Marmalade “Bugger,” said Harry at the familiar had snoozed on the day before. sound. “I couldn’t find LaRue this “He’ll love them, eh b’y?” said morning and now look.” Gnat. LaRue flew from the tree he had “Here puss, puss,” said Harry. been hiding in, climbed high above Like Frank Buck of Bring ’em Back the scene in the grass and then, like Alive fame waiting in savanna grass Tennyson’s thunderbolt eagle, he fell for a tiger, Harry and Gnat concealed onto the fishy buffet, snatched the themselves in the tall Timothy grass sardines in his claws and winged and watched for Marmalade’s back to the treetop for a stolen lunch. appearance. Soon, lured by the enticing smell of wee fishies packed in oil, Marmalade Licking his chops after swallowing slunk from the woods, the last sardine, Marmalade lifted hopped up on the rock and commenced gobbling up his head and sneered at the sound of LaRue screeching from the stathe sardines. There was no sign of ble. He jumped off the rock and LaRue… because Harry had barred him in the stable. So ambled back into the woods, his there was loads of time to belly swaying like a hammock. observe the hungry cat. “Hissssssssssss!” Marmalade spit “He’s some size,” said Gnat. at the pilfering crow. The scent of “Handy the size of a lynx,” said sardine juice lingered on the rock, Harry, stretching the truth by only a however, so Marmalade leapt to lap pound or two. it up. Rock licked clean, Marmalade Licking his chops after swallowing turned his nose to more of the the last sardine, Marmalade lifted his scrumptious smell wafting from head and sneered at the sound of nearby. It was coming from the LaRue screeching from the stable. He remaining half-tin of sardines Harry jumped off the rock and ambled back offered on his palm. into the woods, his belly swaying like “Here puss, puss,” coaxed Harry. a hammock. Cautiously, Marmalade approached “Tomorrow, I’ll have him eating the tantalizing tin. Harry stayed out of my hand,” said Harry. stump-still, whispering, “Puss, puss.” “I ’low,” said Gnat, admitting that Tail as stiff as a motorboat’s tiller, Harry just might coax Marmalade to Marmalade hoisted his head and eat from his hand. dabbed his tongue in the fish oil. Next day, Harry emptied half a secHarry lodged the tin on the ground, ond tin of sardines on the rock and waited until Marmalade was relaxed squat down beside Gnat six feet or so and nose deep in the treat, then from the aromatic chow. Marmalade scratched the cat’s blocky skull. ventured out from the woods, wove 1-888-588-6353
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“Puss, puss,” said Harry, continuing to scratch Marmalade’s skull and tattered ears. “You done it,” said Gnat. “One step closer to the rocking chair,” said Harry. For a week and a half, Harry enticed Marmalade from the woods to the rock, and from the rock to a horse cart turned bottom-up midway between the woods and Granny’s porch door. Tinned sardines mysteriously vanished from Mammy’s cupboards, from Gnat’s mother’s pantry shelf, even from Granny’s underthe-stairs larder. Tins of potted meat followed the same puzzling disappearance as the sardines. Eventually, Marmalade jauntily approached the horse cart and chaffed Harry’s shins. Small payment for tinned yummies. More than once, on days when Harry failed to bar him in or tie his leg to a roost with a length of bank line, LaRue ambushed Marmalade either en route to his snack, or while his whiskers twitched above the rims of the goodies tins. “Frig off!” said Harry whenever LaRue appeared, seemingly from a dark cloud, and made a grab for Marmalade’s ropy tail. “Serves you right,” said Gnat, when Marmalade leapt, intercepted LaRue’s dive and reaped a bouquet of inky feathers. A couple of times, when the brawling critters rolled together in yowling combat, Harry or Gnat poked them apart with a forkeyed stick. The day Marmalade dared to hunker down to a plate of fish bones – nary a sardine nor a tin of potted meat to be found in Brookwater – on the bottom step of Granny’s porch, Harry had LaRue locked inside Pop’s 114
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workhouse. The angry crow hammered his beak on the windowpane demanding release. His flapping wings swept a windrow of dead flies off the sill. “He’s some savage at you,” Gnat said, considering LaRue’s antics and nodding at Harry. “Idden he,” said Harry, grinning. “If he broke out I ’low he’d attack me before he did Marmalade.” “I ’low,” said Gnat. Meanwhile, Marmalade – as Jack Spratt and his Missus had done in nursery rhyme – had licked the platter clean. His tummy stuffed, he sat at Harry’s side as aloof as an Egyptian pussycat idol. If Marmalade were a saucy, gloating youngster he might have stuck out his tongue to further vex LaRue. “Tomorrow, the rocking chair,” said Harry, stroking the tomcat’s back. Harry arrived at the edge of the woods the next day with a handful of raw baloney cut into chunks. Marmalade glutched the first chunk tossed to him and licked his whiskers and snout as only a cat can. He trotted across the garden following Harry’s trail of dropped baloney bits. No sign of LaRue. Despite an early cursory search, Harry had not seen him that morning. At the bottom step of Granny’s porch, Marmalade stopped and waited patiently for the baloney jackpot still cupped in Harry’s hand. “Not today, Puss,” said Harry. “If you wants any more you got to come in the house.” Marmalade dared to place a paw on the second step as Harry backed into the porch. A piece of baloney dropped on the floor near the woodbox towed Marmalade inside. He 1-888-588-6353
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padded across the kitchen canvas, jaws working in anticipation of his next mouthful. Harry signaled for Gnat to shut the door. Outside, LaRue appeared and pitched on a fence post. Harry sat in the rocking chair and patted his knees for Marmalade to hop into his lap and claim his prize. Marmalade jumped aboard, nibbled a baloney nugget and curled up on Harry’s legs. “See, tame as a kitten,” said Harry. Granny entered the kitchen just then, carrying a bowl of flour she’d fetched from the flour barrel in the pantry. “What’s you at with that wild cat?” she demanded. “Don’t worry, Granny,” said Harry. “I got him made as tame as—” At that fateful second, as if kin to a raven cousin from an age-old poem, LaRue came rapping, albeit not at a chamber door, but at the window opposite the rocking chair. To challenge his rival, he beat his beak on the glass and tore the sill with his talons. He beat his ebony wings on the window and outside wall. Quicker than Granny caught the 1-888-588-6353
whizzle, Marmalade humped up and arched his back like medieval architecture. His tail fur swoll up twice the size of a fox’s. He snarled like… well, like a wildcat… and launched himself from Harry’s lap towards the windowpane and his jet-black nemesis. Marmalade’s battering-ram head shattered the glass. He hooked his front claws into LaRue’s ruffled feathers. Cat and crow crashed to the ground in a hissing, squawking jumble of feathers and fur that rolled down Granny’s lane like, Harry thought afterwards, a comic book tumbleweed. “I don’t ’low he’s so tame after all,” said Gnat, his crow-wing topknot a flag above his tickled smirk. Mind that friggin’ tomcat, Gnat? Although he never again entered a house, he lived on for years in the woods behind Pop’s stable. Harold Walters, who lives in Dunville, NL, doing his damnedest to live Happily Ever After. Reach him at ghwalters663@gmail.com May 2022
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reminiscing
f ’63 e summer o th in rd o N f Bay du . Memories o French P.Geo A. By Victor
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Canada Day weekend 1963
saw us break camp at Isle aux Morts to set up our new campsite at scenic Bay du Nord, La Poile Bay, NL. From there we would map the eastern part of our work area. I was a 19-year-old student majoring in geology at Memorial University, and I had secured a summer job assisting a field party of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC). It was a beautiful day typical of that summer on the southwest coast as we loaded our equipment and supplies aboard the CN coastal boat MV Tavenor for the day’s steam along the scenic coastline. Our destination, La Poile, was one of the larger outports on this section of the coast. The arrival of a coastal boat was a significant event for outport Newfoundland, attracting crowds to the public wharf. This certainly was the case in La Poile, and this particular docking was of great curiosity as our cargo canoe and Zodiac rubber boat were being offloaded. For many this 1-888-588-6353
was the first time they saw such vessels: not your typical dory or skiff! As we walked down the gang plank carrying our large packsacks on our backs, we felt like explorers. And I guess we were, as we were mapping the geology of this area of the island for the Canadian government. Upon the Tavenor departing, we loaded our equipment and supplies onto a longliner owned by a local fisherman. With the cargo canoe in tow, we left for our final destination, the small community of Bay du Nord at the head of the fjord forming La Poile Bay. As we steamed up the bay May 2022
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to our destination 10 miles from the headlands, the beautiful scenery coupled with the warm July breeze nurtured excitement and anticipation for the adventure the next few weeks would bring. As we neared our destination, we got our first look at the secluded and peaceful community of Bay du Nord. It was nestled along the west side of the bay, on the west bank of the La Poile River, with the exception of one
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two-storey house at the base of a high hill across the bay on the east side. The owner of the longliner assured us the older couple living there would be very willing to have us set up camp on their property and would welcome newcomers. As we edged into the shore, we were met by George and Esther Eva Strickland, who insisted we camp there and proceeded to help us offload our supplies.
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The geological survey team at work in Bay du Nord
Between their house and the shoreline was an enticing garden of rose bushes and other flowering shrubs, all cared for while growing free. It was here that Esther Eva insisted we set up our canvas tents. Esther Eva’s Rose Garden became our home for the next few weeks. The fragrance of the roses, the solitude and quietness, the storytelling and outport hospitality generously shared by George and Esther Eva, and the mingling of aromas from Ira Bartlett’s cook tent and Esther Eva’s kitchen created lifelong memories and a beautiful picture of the “way it used to be” in Bay du Nord. Within a few days of settling in, we boated across the bay to get 1-888-588-6353
acquainted with the residents. The Farrells, Stricklands and others were a highly industrious group. They were loggers, sawmill operators and boat builders who, for generations, were forging a rewarding and productive life. No idle time for them to stand aside and let the world slip by. Contentment, accomplishment and the simple pleasures of life were the order of the day. The La Poile River valley and the river itself were their lifelines. They used their energies and what nature offered to sustain themselves and their families. The wide valley boasted a mature growth of softwood – a spruce and fir forest – which they logged to provide timber for the May 2022
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The residents of La Poile used oxen to pull timber. The survey team used George Strickland’s oxen to carry their gear.
sawmills (there were four large mills shared between the 12 families making up the community). There they milled timber for building small boats. They had a thriving industry; I recall hearing they had customers as far away as Boston. There was a oneroom school with a teacher brought in to educate their children. Weekly runs to La Poile for mail, groceries and all, including seeing the doctor, were the norm. Everybody was happy and they were self-sufficient. (Some years later, political whims forced them out from a life of productivity and self-sufficiency that had endured for generations!) Bay du Nord was not unique, as the practice in outport Newfound120
May 2022
land was to be self-sufficient as best as possible, but this community had oxen! It was my first introduction to this stalwart animal. The oxen were used to tow the timber down the slopes to the La Poile River for floating the logs to the rivermouth, where a chain of logs corralled the timber in the bay. The river has a network of tributaries, such as Morg Keeping’s and Fox Hill brooks, which were also used in floating the logs downstream. Our way of mapping the region was by foot, traversing away from the coast, and by canoe or Zodiac along the coast. Our map region extended inland for about 25 miles. To assist our foot travel, we availed of George 1-888-588-6353
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Strickland’s ox and sled to tow our gear up the river valley from where we traversed to the north boundary of our map sheet. Three-to-four day traverses were not uncommon and were completed with the large packsacks on our back lightly packed with bare essentials – on the return trip our packs would be laden down with rock samples. We had the lightest of tents and sleeping bags, and no extras such as sugar or milk (I haven’t had these in my tea or coffee since). The tent was just large enough to fit into with your feet just inside the fly screen door. One night a caribou visited and sniffed at my feet – he didn’t stay very long! As with our work from Isle aux Morts earlier in the summer, we boated extensively along the coast to map the excellent exposure of the rocks along the rugged, picturesque coastline. This took us to many remote spots, including Bay du East, Cinq Cerf, Grand Bruit and Petites.
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Not only did we have the pleasure of viewing the scenery, but also of meeting the residents of these outport communities so vital to the fabric our province. There are many pleasant and lasting memories, one of which includes a couple of nights in Petites availing of the hospitality of a fisherman, a Mr. Courtney, who allowed us to overnight in his fish stage. A unique and memorable experience enhanced by the cosiness of the small and protected Petites harbour, the enduring smells of tarred nets and salt water, and the sounds of water lapping at the stage. Petites is also the site of a historical quarry operation. Petites granite was used in the building of the St. John’s courthouse and in the foundations of many of the railway trestles along the old Newfoundland Railway. Yes, the summer of ’63 is recalled with fond memories of the lifestyle and traditions along the southwest coast, and the way “it used to be.”
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puzzles
The Beaten Path 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, when unscrambled, will spell out the name of the above community.
K
M
M
H
T p N
B
E
B
E
S
B
H V
L J
x
P
B
J L R
U
x
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L S E H A V N K J S Q N
N E
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L B
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T G
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M N
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S A T p H N
Last Month’s Community: Grand Bruit 124
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Sudoku
from websudoku.com
Last month’s answers
?
Need Help
Puzzle answers can be found online at DownhomeLife.com/puzzles
www.downhomelife.com
May 2022
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Theresa Earle photo
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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: • Was burned by French invaders in 1697 • Home of Capt. Robert A. Bartlett • The Tunnel is a main attraction • Hosts a popular Blueberry Festival • Base for “Rock Solid Builds” show on HGTV
Last Month’s Answer: Rocky Harbour
Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador
by Mel D’Souza Last Month’s Answer: Hare Bay 126
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In Other Words Guess the well-known expression written here in other words.
Last Month’s Clue: I declare thee companion and spouse In Other Words: I pronounce you husband and wife
This Month’s Clue: Imbeciles haste to enter the place that cherubs are apprehensive to plod In Other Words: _____ ____ __ _____ ______ ____ __ _____
n
g
r
ou
oi
G
dA
A Way With Words Last Month’s Answer: Going Around in Circles
n
This Month’s Clue
HANDED Answer: ____ - ______
Scrambled Sayings
Rhyme Time A rhyming word game by Ron Young
1. If you touched a fur coat, you ____ a ____ 2. One who gives goosebumps _______ _______ 3. Boots that reach your upper legs are _____ ____ Last Month’s Answers 1. glad lad, 2. stitch glitch, 3. humble grumble
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 E F J B A C K E A D A B I E A E H I A G N G O O K O E R E N H E E D I R G L L I M E I S H S Y N W O Y O T T H N L Y T T O T T H Y T L R Y U Z N
Last month’s answer: The opinions expressed by the husband in this house are not necessarily those of the management. www.downhomelife.com
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Rhymes 5 Times Each answer rhymes with the other four
1. grassland
____________
2. suspicious
____________
3. milk
____________
4. furry
____________
5. imp
____________
STUCK? Don’t get your knickers in a knot! Puzzle answers can be found online at DownhomeLife.com/puzzles
Last Month’s Answers: 1. gander, 2. pander, 3. dander, 4. meander, 5. philander
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! These If Hill Wore ___ _____ ___
Unscramble each of the five groups of letters below to get 5 Newfoundland and Labrador place names.
1. IOTASLUG 2. TRIAGEHEM 3. SEJYER BORRHUA 4. SAPS LASIND
Lay Bird Hey We Kin ______ ___ _______ Last Month’s 1st Clue: Ready Host Asian Answer: Radio station. Last Month’s 2nd Clue: Hits Spin Could Form He. Answer: It’s been good for me
5. BRUHARO TREBON Last Month’s Answers: 1. Blaketown, 2. South Dildo, 3. Broad Cove, 4. Old Shop, 5. Hopeall
A nalogical A nagrams Unscramble the capitalized words to get one word that matches the subtle clue. 1. TO SLUR TRIAL ~ Clue: want me to draw you a picture? 2. A TORQUE ~ Clue: a line that’s crossed every day 3. CAY GEL ~ Clue: always being left behind 4. ONE RUIN ~ Clue: a class act 5. CANOE WALL ~ Clue: the price of being dependent Last Month’s Answers: 1. tongue, 2. nutshell, 3. punishment, 4. glacier, 5. fingers 128
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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 2 3 4 5 1-4: crazy 1-10: train engine 3-6: singer Perry 11 12 13 14 15 3-53: milk product 5-10: reason 21 22 23 24 25 7-5: male cat 9-39: huge 31 32 33 34 35 10-100: horserider 12-16: run after 41 42 43 44 45 15-18: dispatch 15-35: knight’s title 51 52 53 54 55 18-48: condemn 20-60: endeavour 21-24: leg ends 61 62 63 64 65 26-24: illuminated 29-26: earth 71 72 73 74 75 31-35: belongs to them 32-62: injure 81 82 83 84 85 35-65: Nevada city 37-57: likely 91 92 93 94 95 39-36: amphibian 41-44: quiet! 43-45: her 64-66: decompose 43-73: bench 68-98: monarch 44-24: strike 70-67: garden tool 44-47: assist 71-31: should 44-74: cow group 74-77: accomplishes 46-76: tardy 86-66: matched group 46-96: newest 86-83: box 47-7: varnish 86-89: melody 47-17: ache 89-59: cogwheel 48-28: cow sound 90-70: broadcast 48-98: creating 91-1: considerate 50-45: taste 91-61: you 51-55: grass colour 92-62: lease 55-53: born 95-5: play on words 57-60: small pie 95-55: tea stirrer 59-29: rodents 62-66: fortune tellers’ 95-91: garment 97-67: stockings cards
www.downhomelife.com
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100-91: pyjamas 100-96: dark time Last Month’s Answer
I L MA MN AD T R E U R E I D AD L A
L I E V A R G A E C
I Z V E N T A B L E
T E RA E T E A R E S A R S EG A T NR I E TO N AMU UME N B I ND RA T I May 2022
T R E A T P S A G O
E X T R A C T I O N
129
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The Bayman’s
Crossword Puzzle 1
2
3
by Ron Young
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
17
18 20
25
12
13
14
21
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22
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36
M
46
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50
May 2022
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48 51
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ACROSS 1. word (fr.) 4. instrument flight rules (abbrev) 5. total 7. “___ yer partner, Sally Brown” 8. ace 10. convention 12. dwarf raspberry 17. single 18. auricle 19. witch 20. Uncle __ Clouston 21. largest continent 23. Society of United Fishermen (abbrev) 25. “And in the bright _________ we walked by the sea” 28. baby cow 29. switch 30. NL bus line 31. “___ no odds to me” 33. sorrow 34. bunk 36. see 37. Screech 40. seabird trap 42. “How’s ye gettin’ __?” 43. travellers 46. fight 48. donkey 49. “Let Me Fish Off Cape __ Mary’s” 50. “So fill to me the _______ glass, goodnight and joy be with you all” 51. crew DOWN 1. boat storage area 2. “Star __ Logy Bay” 3. stage hatch for dumping offal (colloq) 6. Unemployment Insurance (abbrev) 9. “There were roses, and the tears of people ___ together” www.downhomelife.com
11. “I’m longing for the country and that big ol’ ______ moon” 12. trawlers 13. The pink ____ and green 14. sheep call 15. for example (abbrev) 16. armful (colloq) 20. emmet 22. Senior Hockey League (abbrev) 23. _____ Island, off Red Bay 24. ultra-light rail (abbrev) 26. seaside community (colloq) 27. inter-governmental organization (abbrev) 31. island (abbrev) 32. tune 35. roe 38. south of CA 39. average 41. year (abbrev) 43. “one split ___ in a ten-pound tub” 44. National Security Group (abbrev) 45. The Twillingate ___ - defunct newspaper 46. Stunned __ me arse 47. “When I’m __ I can’t get down” L O W ANSWERS I I K E G TO LAST E W MONTH’S A T A CROSSWORD B U M I E R A R S E F O R E M O S O U M O C A N A R Y M H N B E A R W I G B E N D S P A M N U N R A Y E A C T P I L O U T A D I K E Y M S E O U P O L A A H M A R R Y A A M F I E A R M A I N M M O G E T Y E A R N O M Y May 2022
T H E D E V I L I S
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DIAL-A-SMILE © 2022 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. _ 2
_ ___ _ _ 3 454 6 4 _ 2
_ ____ 7 5223 ___ 226
____ ___ 2224 638 ____ _ 9437 3
___ _ 567 3
__ 47
___ 968
______ 844647
_____ _____ __ _ _ 79783 62842 25 5 9 Last Month’s Answer: To err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows management potential.
©2022 Ron Young
CRACK THE CODE L
Each symbol represents a letter of the alphabet, for instance =T Try to guess the smaller, more obvious words to come up with the letters for the longer ones. The code changes each month.
_ _ T _ _ _ T _ _ _
nO
h O LC 3 LC x
_ _ _ _ _ T
3 A nO ;
_ _ _ T
f\ 3 L
L
_ _ _ _
bC A A
_ _ _ _ _ _
3 Ab 3
_ _ _ _
n \7 \
Z;
T _ _ _ _ T
L 3 A \ xL
Last Month’s Answer: Love is not about possession, it’s all about appreciation. 132
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Food For Thought
© 2022 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.”
friend =
fog =
traded =
_ _ _
wV]
flat fish =
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
_ _
_ _ _ _ _ _
skylight =
_
Iqfyo
Yt
_ _ _ _
_
nV]Y d y t
aYlt
rascal =
_ _ _ _
d VItoIov
_ _
_ _ _ _ _
_
eY cv q e
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Yl Yawqll Yd]o
_ _
_
_ _ _ _ _ _
_
tq woIl yVvo _ _ _
aV c
_ _ _
enq
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
vY l V f Ioo’
_ _ _ _
vqo l _ _ _
d yt
_
V
_ _ _
cq t
_ _ _ _ _ _
laY]o l
Last Month’s Answer: Few have been taught to any purpose who have not been their own teachers. www.downhomelife.com
May 2022
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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 OUT THE QUAD
Last Month’s Answers: 1. Moose, 2. Rear wheel, 3. Licence plate, 4. Arm, 5. Trees, 6. Hood ornament, 7. Side view mirror, 8. Canopy light, 9. Transport truck, 10. Ern’s trousers, 11. Gas pump, 12. Coal Bin “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.
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HIDE & SEEK MOTHERS
The words can be across, up, down, backward or at an angle, but always in a line.
RESOURCEFUL SMART STRONG SWEET
BUSY CLEANER COMFORTING COOK CREATIVE EMPATHETIC ENCOURAGING EXPECTANT FIXER FORGIVING FUNNY HEALER LEADER LOVING PROTECTIVE
G F K M L A W P I D X K M L D S K F
K M S Y G K Y R Y D Y M C B T O P Q
N F U N N Y G H Z H S D H E A L E R
U B F Y M O I H B L V X X V O A C I
C C S J C T F E P I F P X I E B T X
F B W E Z Y D A G K T J B T E Q C Y
Q Z C X T T I F S S O R C P R V Q S
Last Month’s Answers
I P E P G N I V I G R O F C R W V H
www.downhomelife.com
X I E N C O U R A G I N G E F Y E I
E P T Q E O N T I H X Z H T V J R H
R X F E I I U U Z K A C H O K H C O
F O P A Q P N B A V A C J R M C F R
F U M L E A D E R E G L U P Y U A O
X U I Z L G A E I V G G T A F P O Z
R T E D P G E X T U E V I T A E R C
B M J U O N K K T L S H E A Z C D H
B B C S Z I H W K U T N Z E I G T G
E D T R O N R Q N K X L J G A Z P L
I A R C O W C U W S M K F J N N S W
TEACHER UNDERSTANDING WATCHFUL WORKING Y C M P U O L H J A T N Z I M I K J
S G Y E R I S Z T N P Z H O G L R Z
D P E S F R I S Q W I A K N E K A A
Y E Q W Q M M B E O U L C C S I T B
O X G N V T T P R G N I K R O W E R
I M K N O I B S Z S A P N N L B I B
D V N E W G I F J W T A N C D G N B
U H N A O R A E C W Q A I W K B V U
M G I S W D N X L Q D R G D B C G T
O N P W J M G I X S B O E J A O O I
R R I E L O N E X B P S I B Q Z Q P
I I S A A N Z O T Y D W E T B O J J
H D L E I Z V Y D F F J C B C L N B
C H V L A F D E M P A T H E T I C P
Y L S C T J B Z Z Y I Y I D N H G Z
D I Y X K A X Z P X O L Y M A N E L
E V O C E M I V D R E U C Y F K Z N
W U S O N Z L L N S O G R J C C I S
F Q L M F O N L U F H C T A W B N Q
F B F A N Z Q I F U K N A E P O V V
V Y Q E E E R X P D T I R B W Z B M
U C O N T C G B X E M U T B B O Z L
G D P R Y R Q Z T E M X P T O O X D
U O Z O Z C R O I C B O L P P T P F
L O T Y U Y S U B U Q J X A Y S N X
U B W B L I L O C S E B A Q I D P M
X X F I W S O E K P R U N N I N G H
C O U H T R A M S Y A V W Q N F X O
May 2022
W N A C B E I A X E W W F H O P G P
E F Z S N S Z E V L Z O V K K B W G
F K O B S T R O N G P C T M B T N G 135
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Colourful Culture
The drawing on the opposite page
is the work of Newfoundland Mi’kmaq artist Marcus Gosse, a member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band. His grandmother, Alice Maude Gosse (nee Benoit) is a Mi’kmaq Elder from Red Brook (Welbooktoojech) on the Port au Port Peninsula. Marcus’ work has been exhibited in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax; The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery in St. John’s, NL; and the Canada 150 Art Show at the Macaya Gallery in Miami, FL; and his work is in private collections around the world. He has generously offered a series of colouring pages that will run monthly in Downhome. Each image depicts a NL nature scene and teaches us a little about Mi’kmaq culture and language. Each colouring page includes the Mi’kmaq word for the subject, the phonetic pronunciation of the word, and the English translation. And you’ll notice a design that Marcus incorporates into most of his pieces – the eight-point Mi’kmaq Star. This symbol dates back hundreds of years and is very important in Mi’kmaq culture. Marcus’ Mi’kmaq Stars are often seen painted with four colours: red, black, white and yellow, which together represent unity and harmony between all peoples. Many Mi’kmaq artists use the star, and various Mi’kmaq double curve designs, to decorate their blankets, baskets, drums, clothing and paintings. To download and print this colouring page at home, visit DownhomeLife.com. To learn more about Marcus and find more of his colouring pages, look him up on Facebook at “Mi’kmaq Art by Marcus Gosse.” 136
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May 2022
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%$#"! $% $# $ %! $
Not intended to solicit properties currently under contract
FOR SALE • CONCEPTION BAY NORTH, NL
$278,000
3 bedroom,1.5 bath home with attached 1 bedroom apartment. Approx. 4 km from beautiful Salmon Cove sands beach. 20' × 36' wired workshop & greenhouse. Email: marilynlhomer@gmail.com Tel: 709-596-2474
709-726-5113 1-888-588-6353 advertising@downhomelife.com
Real Estate Rates Prices start at $50 for a 1 column x 1 inch colour advertisement. This size fits approx. 20 words.
BUSINESS FOR SALE • CLARENVILLE, NL
Fine Things Inc. est. 1998 Jewellery, Giftware & Engraving • Off site Jewellery Repairs Happy to work with new owners • Facebook video “The Big Reveal”
709-466-7936 • finethings@nf.aibn.com 138
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Movers & Shippers Moving you from Ontario and Newfoundland... or any STOP along the way!
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Toll Free: 1-866-586-2341 www.downhomemovers.com
(collect calls accepted) downeastconnection@yahoo.ca
Contact: Gary or Sharon King
Rates start at $175 for a 1 col. x 2" ad.
advertising@downhomelife.com
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Call Today! 709-726-5113 Toll Free: 1-888-588-6353 Email:
Covering all Eastern & Western Provinces and Returning Based from Toronto, Ontario Discount Prices Out of NL, NS & NB Newfoundland Owned & Operated
Return Loads from NL, NS, NB, QC, ON at a Discounted Price Fully Insured
8' x 20' unheated storage units
905-424-1735
St. John's, NL
Ontario to Newfoundland and All Points in Between
arent58@hotmail.com www.ar-moving.ca
709-726-6800
May 2022
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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
Leaning into the Wind: A Memoir by Ray Hawco
Lies My Father Told Me Erica Watts
#80274 | $19.95
#80935 | $19.95
Sweater
Baccalieu Trail Colouring Book - Shana Brown #80773 | $12.95
- Emily Hepditch
#80943 | $16.95
Between the Boulevard and The Bay - Ron Young #51175 | $17.95 $2.50
Downhome 25 Years - The Highlights of our Journey So Far Softcover
#48748 | $19.95 $9.97
Redjack
- Gary Collins
#80845 | $28.95
Irish Loop Colouring Book - Shana Brown #80772 | $12.95
Downhome Reflections Pictorial - Hard Cover
#36228 | $27.95 $10.48
ORDER ONLINE: www.shopdownhome.com
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
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MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com
Purity Kisses Peanut Butter #4010 • Assorted #3997 • Rum and Butter #16805
$4.99 each
Purity Candy Barrels #49556 | $4.99
Purity Gift Box #78550 | $21.99
Purity Peppermint Nobs #4238 | $4.99
Purity Spearmint Nobs #26990 | $4.99
Purity Jam Jams #18709 | $6.99
Purity Lemon Creams #55624 | $5.99
Purity Assorted Goodie Box #79290 | $52.99
Purity Hard Bread #78947 | $8.50
TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-588-6353
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
Technicolour Retro Moose Unisex T-shirt
Moose on Lettering Camo Unisex T-Shirt
Timberline Moose Unisex T-Shirt
S-2XL | #80890 | $23.99
S-2XL | #80903 | $24.99
S-2XL | #80883 | $23.99
Distressed NL Flag Unisex T-Shirt
Yes B’y Says it All Unisex T-Shirt
NL Sayings Drop Out Unisex T-Shirt
S-2XL | #80195 | $19.99
S-2XL | #80202 | $19.99
S-2XL | #63026 | $19.99
Unisex Hoodie with Plaid Moose
Unisex Hoodie - NL Est. 1497 - 4 Icons - Navy
Plaid Fleece with Newfoundland Map
S-2XL | #77793 | $49.99
S-2XL | #58878 | $49.99
S-2XL | #80897 | $64.99
ORDER ONLINE: www.shopdownhome.com
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
2205_Mailorder_Mail order.qxd 3/30/22 2:55 PM Page 143
MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com
Tea Towels • Waffle Cotton • $7.99 each Mummers #77316
Lighthouse #48612
Moose #65083
NL Kitchen Sayings #65130
Puffin #65131
Downhome Candy • $2.99 each Puffin Poop (Yogurt Raisins) #46793 • Caribou Poo (Chocolate Peanuts) #46794 Moose Droppings (Chocolate Almonds) #46795 • Cod Tongues (Peach Slices) #78020 Bunny Buttons (Chocolate Raisins) #46796
Newfoundland Seasonings Ragin' Bayman Spicy BBQ #79465 | $7.99 • Moose Spice #77375 | $7.99 • Steak & Burger #77377 | $7.99 Cod Spice #77379 | $8.99 • Taste of Home #77378 | $8.99
TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-588-6353
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
2205_photo Finish_0609 Photo Finish 3/30/22 2:56 PM Page 144
photo finish
Passing Through
An iceberg, not the first to pass by this aged building in all the years it has seen, heralds spring in Harry’s Harbour, NL. Dave Wheeler Grand Falls-Windsor, NL
Do you have an amazing or funny photo to share? Turn to page 9 to find out how to submit. 144
May 2022
1-888-588-6353
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