Downhome September 2022

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 Sandra Gosse

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, Erin McCarthy, Marissa Little, Kim Tucker, Heather Stuckless, Katrina Hynes, Destinee Rogers, Amy Young, Emily Snelgrove, Brandy Rideout, Hayley Rogers, Zoey Gidge, Alexandria Skinner

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 Pen names and anonymous letters will not be published.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

66 see the sites

Contents

50 the show goes on

SEPTEMBER 2022

50 Forty Years of Clowning Around

With his Wonderbolt team, Beni Malone has been bringing the joy, whimsy and wonder of the circus to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians for decades.

Linda Browne

58 A Delicious Success

How Port Blandford’s apple trees fed into its annual fall festival.

Janice Stuckless

64 A Grandfondo Time

Dennis Flynn’s experience biking the BonRexton, a 140-km tour of food and scenery.

100 Down to Earth

Raising Gardeners

Kim Thistle

SEPTEMBER 2022 homefront

8 I Dare Say A note from the Editor

10 Letters From Our Readers Beautiful sights, west coast memories and The Sharecroppers

18 Downhome Tours Our readers explore Newfoundland and Labrador

20 Why is That? Why do they say to wait an hour after you eat to go swimming? Linda Browne

22 Life’s Funny Them’s Fightin’ Words Judy Power

23 Say What? A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth

24 Lil Charmers Budding Bookworms

26 Pets of the Month If I fits, I sits

28 Reviewed Denise Flint reviews Urchin, Kate Story’s latest young adult novel.

30 What Odds Paul Warford on the streets of Halifax

32 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose reviews Amanheceu by Brazilian artist Ana Luísa Ramos.

36 Adventures Outdoors My First Big Game Hunt Gord Follett

40 ASwing in Their Step Time in the Hall Square Dancers, kicking up their heels since 2012. Phil Riggs

10 a look back

20 tick tock

36 the hunt is on

76 can you dig it?

features

70

a great escape

46 Pet of the Year Meet the winner, an extraordinary animal friend! explore

70 Escape to the Sea This gorgeous oceanside retreat provides a quiet space to soothe your spirit. Nicola Ryan

76 Hands-On History The Colony of Avalon welcomes you to come dig for a day and help preserve 400-year-old history. Dennis Flynn

112 days gone by

About the cover

This unique angle on the Rising Tide Theatre in Trinity was taken by Dennis Flynn. See his story about touring the Bonavista Peninsula by bicycle, beginning on page 64.

Cover Index

Pet of the Year • 46

A New View • 64

Wonderbolt Circus turns 40 • 50

Archaeologist for a Day • 76

6 Delicious Apple Recipes • 92

reminiscing

104 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places

105 This Month in Downhome History

106 The Saving of Buddy Wasisname Tom Rissesco

108 Visions and Vignettes

Adventures of two young scallywags in an imaginary outport of days gone by. Harold N. Walters

112 Growin Up Railside Memories of living at the Northern Bight train station. Lester Green

118 Dammit, I Won! Cyril Griffin

124 Puzzles

136 Colouring Page

138 Classifieds

140 Mail Order

144 Photo Finish

You learn something new every day.

It’s a cliché, but that doesn’t make it untrue. I only just learned yesterday, from reading about Sir David Kirke in Dennis Flynn’s Colony of Avalon dig story (p. 76), that “the clink” was a real prison! The Clink Prison in London was one of England’s earliest and most brutal penal institutions, dating back to 1144.

Also in this issue, I read about a new way to see the Bonavista Peninsula. The BonRexton Granfondo takes you past familiar sites but from a different vantage point – a bicycle seat (see p. 64). I was inspired to see Colliers through a new lens, by paddle board, in Escape to the Sea (p. 70). I learned that Port Blandford has a lot of apples and scarecrows (see p. 58), and that Rick Mercer was once a clown’s assistant (p. 50). And finally, our Pet of the Year Contest really made me rethink what I knew about chickens (meet Polly on p. 46).

This month, my husband learned that I am the last person you want to help you destroy a wasp nest. I was supposed to be holding the light while he sprayed it after dark. I got scared when a wasp started buzzing around me, dropped the lamp and ran. “Sorry, honey! You’re on your own!” He will not be nominating me for a bravery award. Thanks for reading,

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

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 25th of each month.

Beautiful Francois Photo

Having been flying for a living, for about 25 years, and having seen a lot of beautiful places, I believe the pic in your July issue of Francois, NL, is just beautiful – something out of this world!

Tom Green Via email

Julie Baggs, who submits many beautiful photos to DownhomeLife.com from her hiking adventures in NL, will be very pleased to read your reaction to her photo. Thanks, Tom.

Harvey Family Photo

My name is Marie Ida Barrett Faulkner. I am Jennie Barrett’s daughter from Cape Broyle. I am doing a book on Harvey Heritage and I was wondering if someone had a picture of my grandfather, Thomas Harvey. He was from Admirals Cove. I have searched everywhere and asked everyone, but have had no luck finding one. I’m hoping some distant relative would have one. I was going to put both Grandpa and Grandma’s pictures on the first page of the book and tell a bit about them. I really hope someone can help me because the book wouldn’t be complete without Grandpa’s picture. I thank everyone in advance.

Marie Faulkner Via email

If anyone has a photo of Thomas Harvey, or a lead on who might have one in their possession, please email Marie at mfaulkner648@gmail.com.

Sight for Sore Eyes

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the June edition of Downhome on the Antigonish, NS, magazine stand. I hadn’t seen it for the last two years, and I truly missed it. May it show up on our stands forever.

Francis DeCoste Via email

Thanks for the positive feedback, Francis. Many of our store accounts are handled by a third-party distributor, and their job is to put Downhome in places where they’d be welcome. Nice to be welcome in Antigonish! Here’s a question for readers: Where’s the most surprising place you ever saw a Downhome magazine? Write to editorial@downhomelife.com, or to Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3.

Correction

In the June issue of Downhome magazine, Wilf and Marilyn Lynch of Victoria, BC, locate the Welcome/Farewell ship as being “beside the newly completed TCH just west of Corner Brook.” I lived in Port aux Basques in the late 1960s - early 1970s. We saw this vessel each and every time we either left or entered the town. It was located just outside Port aux Basques.

Burton Janes Bay Roberts, NL

Thank you for that correction, Burton.

West Coast Memories

Betty Hinds’ letter [p. 11, July issue] certainly brought back many wonderful memories of Curling, NL, where I was born and lived until 1956, when I moved to “the mainland.” I was pleased to know that Betty has a copy of Mom’s Mayflowers and Roses. Betty, if you look on page 56, you will see a poem, “My Youngest Scout,” which was written about me. “Graduation 1946,” on page 46, was written about my graduation class at Corner Brook Public School on West Street. Thanks for the memories, Betty.

David Barrett Welland, ON

Thanks for your letter, David. For readers who may have missed Betty’s letter, David’s mother was Ena Constance Barrett, onetime Poet Laureate of Newfoundland. The story of her life, written by her granddaughter, Helena Barrett Maclean, was our 2020 written Submission of the Year. You can still read that article on DownhomeLife.com (search “laureate,” and click on Submission of the Year article).

Swimming Holes

I just read your article in July (“I Dare Say”) about the swimming hole... OMG! Behind Beaver Plaza in Bay Roberts, NL, lies Beaver Pond where we, as children, trekked to swim every chance we got. Your article brought back the smells of juniper, spruce, wild flowers and the muddy path to get there through the woods.

There was a girls’ “hollow” and a boys’ “hollow” surrounded by bushes, where it was the “dressing room” or change closet if you hauled on your shorts before the trek home. Thank you for the memory.

Veronica Kippenhuck Via email

Thanks for your letter, Veronica. We’d love to read more about community swimming holes or other special gathering places from our youth. Readers can share their stories with us anytime at DownhomeLife.com/submit; email editorial@downhomelife.com, or write to Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3.

What Were You Doing in June 1988?

Hi Janice; You were just a youngster when you started with the Downhome magazine 22 years ago [re: “I Dare Say,” June issue]. However, for Ed Humber, Guy Romaine and myself (Mike Madigan), we started The Sharecroppers Trio in June of 1988 – the same year that Ron Young began this great Newfoundland publication!

In May 1988, we three teachers at Pasadena Academy (in the small town of Pasadena between Deer Lake and Corner Brook) first performed as a trio at our “Dessert and Cabaret Evening” that our students put off (meaning, of course, PUT ON!) for the parents and community. The first song Ed, Guy and I ever sang as a trio in public was “Sharecroppers Dream,” by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Because of that night, we started getting calls to perform here and there, at church functions, Legion halls and even a national Girl Guide convention in Lark Harbour. Thus, the name Sharecroppers –

Finding Corky

which is hardly a Newfoundland name – stuck with our students and our community. At one point, we had actually thought of the long name Great Big Sea Hove in Long Beach, but gee, where would a long name like that have gotten us, eh?

Since 1988, we have played for Newfoundland and Labrador in Bristol, England (pre 1997 Cabot celebrations); Seoul, Korea (ISME Conference); Brandon, Manitoba, Jeux du Canada Summer Games; Bonavista Cabot 500 and Queen’s visit; the St.

My wife and I read passed-along copies of the Downhome for many years before becoming subscribers in 2019. We’ve read all the issues cover to cover and have enjoyed every page. Through those many issues, Theresa has never been able to find Corky, and I have never failed to find him – although sometimes it requires a dedicated scan. She maintained it wasn’t possible for her to do, even with careful study and using reading glasses. Last month I set about to prove her wrong and promised to buy her six bottles of wine if she found him. It wasn’t a bet because there was nothing for me to gain other than proving my point. It took eight minutes flat before I heard from the living room those three little words I had always longed to hear: “I found Corky!” And indeed she had. I was pleased to pay up for smugly proving my point.

Brian J Priest Kearney, ON

Sometimes all it takes to get results is the right motivation! Hahahaha!

The Sharecroppers performing at Pasadena Academy in 1988

John’s first Irish Festival, and many coach tours and cruise ships visiting our beautiful Newfoundland. And we always speak fondly of and sing our signature song, “One Room School,” that Guy Romaine wrote for his father (Newman Romaine), who attended a one-roomer in Newman’s Cove, Bonavista Bay. That little school still exists today, though it is now a small United church, where both of Guy’s beautiful parents have had their funerals and burial in the cemetery right next door. Talk about the expression “full circle”!

It’s our 34th year as a Newfoundland folk trio, and we are honoured to share that 34 years with your great publication that keeps all Newfound-

landers and Labradorians around the world attuned to what’s happening in our awesome province.

All the best and keep ’er going, as we will, too, my dear!

Mike Madigan

(with Ed Humber & Guy Romaine) The Sharecroppers

Always great to hear from you, Mike. I recall you writing a story about a oneroom school for Downhome some 20 years ago! Thirty-four years is a long time, but it goes by in a blink, doesn’t it? Happy anniversary to The Sharecroppers, with best wishes for many more to come.

Making Change for The Newfoundland Pony

Just 15 minutes outside of Moncton, in Lakeville, NB, Bird Stables is home to miniature horses, chickens, goats, donkeys, and a growing herd of Newfoundland Ponies. Owners Kurt Bird and David Sparks have taken up the cause to help preserve the Newfoundland Pony. The most recent addition to the herd is their first foal, Bird Stables Screeched In, a beautiful colt born on June 27. Sired by Little Buddy (NPS #792) from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia (owned by Lisa Partridge), and out of Bird Stables’ mare, Osceolas Cadillac Callie (NPS #724), ‘Screech’ represents the first of many planned foals for Kurt and David.

13-year-old Anna Donovan-Harris lives in Moncton with her mom and dad, Beth Donovan and David Harris. Beth has Newfoundland roots, her grandfather hails from Salvage on the Eastport Peninsula. The family recently acquired Hope, one of the Newfoundland Ponies residing at Bird Stables. Every chance Anna and her brother William get, they can be found there caring for the animals and enjoying Anna’s favourite activity, riding ponies. In the summer, the kids can be found there most weekdays and enjoying sleepovers in the barn on weekends. Throughout her childhood, Jake, a Bird Stables resident with suspected Newfoundland Pony lineage, has been her pal and close friend. Anna says of Jake, “he taught me how to ride a horse.”

In 2018, the Donovan-Harris family faced a family crisis when Anna was diagnosed with a 6 cm brain tumor. A day later they found themselves at the IWK Children’s Hospital, where Anna underwent a 20-hour emergency surgery. In November 2020, she underwent another 9-hour surgery. As soon as she was physically able, she was back in the barn with the animals, asking when she could ride again. Beth says that Jake and Bird Stables were a big part of Anna’s recovery and her motivation to overcome these significant health challenges.

A student at Bessborough School, Anna signed up for a leadership class this past school year. Under the program she organized a fundraiser for the Newfoundland Pony Society, via theme days where students, parents and staff made donations. With support from her school community and her principal, Nick Mattatall, $400.00 was raised. When asked what she loves about the Pony, Anna says “I love everything about them. How they’re built, how smart they are, how engaged they are with us.” Anna’s fundraising efforts were recognized by McInnes Cooper with their ‘Make Change’ award.

Beth says, “the bottom line is we need more ponies born. But the goal is diversity. Breeding ponies is like putting together pieces of a genetic puzzle. One of the challenges is there isn’t a giant genetic pool.” Beth adds that pony owners need to work together. “Working together is a big part of it, for the sake of the Pony. Seeing Anna’s passion for the Pony gives Beth great pride. “It’s important to get kids like Anna involved for the future of the ponies.” We at the Pony Society couldn’t agree more! Thanks to Anna, Beth, Kurt and David for their efforts to preserve the little Pony that built Newfoundland.

A happy gang at Bird Stables.

life is better

Sunrise at Spillars Cove, Bonavista, NL

Barry Langdon, Bonavista, NL

Downhome tours... Newfoundland and Labrador

Battle Harbour

Edwina & Norm Scott of Lisle, ON, spent their 40th wedding anniversary with their son, Joshua, exploring Battle Harbour.

John Slade and Company of Poole, England, established their mercantile premises at Battle Harbour in the early 1770s, to serve those seeking to fish in the resource-rich waters off Labrador. By the 1820s, Newfoundland fishing schooners had adopted Battle Harbour as their primary port of call, and the settlement was regarded for generations as the unofficial capital of Labrador.

Elliston

Mandy Fuller of Castor, AB, poses outside the Home From the Ice Floes Craft Shop.

This craft store can be found inside the James Ryan Shop, a 19th-century mercantile building designated as a Registered Heritage Structure. The Ryans were the principal merchants on the Bonavista-Trinity Peninsula from around 1850 onwards, and the shop now serves as a reminder of a time when the fishery dominated everyday activities.

Lumsden

Danette Rowsell of Grand FallsWindsor, NL, enjoys a staycation day on Lumsden Beach.

One of the worst storms in Lumsden’s history was the wicked gale that occurred June 7, 1885, locally called the “Seventh of June Gale.” Several schooners on their way to Labrador for the fishing season – including the Corkum, the Lady Winsor and the Julie B – met their tragic fate on the Cat Harbour sands, wrecked by the raging storm.

Expert answers to common life questions.

By Linda Browne

Why do they say to wait an hour after you eat to go swimming?

Before that first chilly nip and “back to school” feeling hits the air, you might be eager to jump into the pool or pond for one last swim of the season. But as you do, do you still hear your mother’s voice ringing in your head, warning you to wait an hour (or half an hour, depending on your mom) after you’ve scarfed down that sandwich before hitting the water? We’ve all heard the age-old wisdom to wait a certain period of time after you’ve eaten to go swimming. But is there any truth to it?

One of the most prevalent theories around swimming too soon after chowing down is that doing so will cause cramps so severe that you could drown. However, according to the blog of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), “there is no medical evidence to support the myth.”

The blog post states, “The theory behind the myth was that there is an increased blood flow to the stomach and intestines to absorb the nutrients. This means that there is less blood to deliver oxygen and to remove waste products from exercising muscles. In reality, you have more than enough oxygen to supply your stomach and muscles.”

The myth is so prevalent that in 2011, the American Red Cross issued a scientific review in the International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education, looking into the possible dangers of eating before swimming. “There is little recently published scientific literature or even general information on the effects of eating before swimming or swimming after eating. Several studies were conducted in the 1960s that showed no effect on swimming performance and minimal side effects at several different time intervals after a meal,” the review states. Ultimately, the Red Cross found that “no major medical or safety organizations make any current recommendations to wait before swimming after

eating… Currently available information suggests that eating before swimming is not a contributing risk for drowning and can be dismissed as a myth.”

However, UAMS states that if you’re swimming for exercise, “it makes sense to wait at least an hour to allow most of the food in your stomach to pass through,” as “the diversion of blood flow to the stomach for digestion may temporarily decrease flow to the muscles and may result in some cramping” – just not cramping so severe that it should cause panic. (Also, doing exercise on a full tummy isn’t the most comfortable feeling in the world.)

But the link between food and exercise is an important one that must be considered, notes Dr. Mojtaba Kaviani, associate professor in the School of Nutrition and Dietetics at Acadia University in Wolfville, NS; powering up before a workout of any kind is advised.

“Foods containing carbs (simple carbs with minimum fibre) digest faster than those with high protein and fat content, which is why we recommend carbs in the last hour leading up to the training,” he writes via email to Downhome. “Providing a readily

available source of energy is highly recommended to ensure that blood glucose remains normal (avoid hypoglycemia, in which blood glucose drops below 3.5 millimoles per litre).”

So what about those potential cramps? Dr. Kaviani cites several reasons why your muscles might cramp up during a workout, including improperly warming up, electrolyte loss, dehydration and energy deficiency.

“The amount of food (volume and energy), type (gel, liquid, smoothies, solid) and macronutrients (carb, fat, protein) should be all taken into consideration for pre-training food. Basically, avoiding high caloric foods rich in fat and protein, staying hydrated, consuming high carb food (fruits, nutrition bars, smoothies, gels etc.) are recommended to avoid cramps and, overall, improve training quality,” he says.

“I would also recommend having sport drinks during exercise to help with water and electrolyte loss,” he adds, especially for those who sweat heavily.

So before you dive in, perhaps snack on an apple or a banana about an hour or two before you do, to ensure a smooth (and comfortable) swim.

Do you have a burning life question for Linda to investigate? Turn to page 9 for ways to contact us.

life’s funny

Them’s Fightin’ Words

My then-teenaged brother, Bill, and some of his university friends were playing a game of Password, where you gave your partner a one-word clue to try and get them to say the Password. During one round, Bill’s girlfriend, Brenda, was trying to get him to say “saddle.” She said “leather,” but he guessed “belt.” Then their opponent said “stirrups,” and his teammate said “saddle” and won the round. Bill was disgusted. He looked at Brenda and said, “Why didn’t you just say ‘horse’?”

“Well,” she replied, “I figured if I said ‘horse,’ you’d probably say ‘sore throat’!”

Judy Power Calgary, AB

Do you have any funny or embarrassing true stories?

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

Say WHAT?

Downhome recently posted this photo (submitted by Barbara Critch) on our website and social media platforms and asked folks to imagine what this dog might be saying. Jeanine Hearn-Blundon’s response made us chuckle the most, so we’re awarding her 20 Downhome Dollars!

Here are the runners-up:

“Doin’ time is ruff!” – Glen Pye

“The cat did it, I swear!” – Janet Locke

“How did I know that plate of bacon was yours?” – Karen Stephen

Play with us online!

www.downhomelife.com/saywhat

“Come on, b’ys… Bail is set at 10 treats.”

– Jeanine Hearn-Blundon

Bedtime Reading

Evelyn gets cosy with a Downhome story with her stuffies before bed.

Meghan Gambin Torbay, NL

Cover Story

Addie Pardy adds a copy of her favourite magazine to her shopping cart.

Elizabeth Pardy Clarenville, NL

KitKat is puzzled. Becky Wiseman Springdale, NL

reviewed by Denise Flint

Urchin

Kate Story

Running the Goat Books & Broadsides

$14.99

Everyone knows the fairies aren’t that taken with iron. But how do they feel about other advances in science and technology? That’s a question crucial to the plot of Urchin, Kate Story’s latest young adult novel. Dor is a young girl growing up in St. John’s, NL, at the very beginning of the 20th century. Dor’s life isn’t particularly easy. She’s unpopular at school and her parents are difficult to deal with. But when she gets the opportunity to don male clothing and infiltrate the exciting world of Marconi and his experiments with telegraphy, a new world opens up to her. Meanwhile her mother has been kidnapped by the fairies, who are being trapped by the new signal waves coursing through the sky, and Dor has to rescue her before it’s too late. So where’s she going to find the time to spend with her beautiful neighbour, who may or may not be willing to take their relationship further?

There’s a lot going on in this tale about what happens when science and the supernatural meet, and it’s a cracking read. But the small details are what really enchant. Not so much that Dor feels a sense of freedom wearing boy’s clothes – any female can relate to that, so you almost shrug it off – but the fact that her feet are more protected against the roughness of the ground in boy’s shoes really strikes an unexpected and evocative chord.

Urchin is aimed at a young adult audience, but even grownups will find something to relate to in this part-historical, part-supernatural yarn.

Q&A with the Author

Denise Flint: Urchin is framed by an international pandemic. Was that influenced by COVID?

Kate Story: Well I had the idea before COVID struck. I was thinking it’s YA [young adult], but I didn’t want to exclusively write from a 13-year-old’s point of view. If I could write her from an adult’s point of view, I thought, she would go to New York City – at that time there were all these artists in New York fleeing the war – and then I thought, wouldn’t it be great if, to add tension, it was during the 1919 flu epidemic and I added this tense dramatic partner you wondered if they died. I also had the thought that younger readers would understand it in a really different way since COVID.

DF: What is it about this particular time period/event that attracted you?

KS: It’s been a while since I came up with the idea. I looked at a bunch of different periods. But that attracted me because I grew up on the Southside Road, seeing Signal Hill across the harbour. I can write about that. And when I started researching it, I thought “What an exciting time that was.” I got this giant book about Marconi and learned about him in a way I never had growing up. When he got older he became a fascist, but I thought, “This is going to be interesting” because Dor was nonbinary. The fascists always have a really strong opinion about gender and need to control it. I thought, “This is going to be great tension; if he’s already leaning towards fascism, he would have trouble with Dor.”

DF: With a name like Story, did you feel writing was your destiny?

KS: I was tortured growing up – my father was George Story, one of the authors of The Dictionary of Newfoundland English. Every teacher I had, had been taught by him – “He taught me, but he gave me a C” – so I knew I was doomed. My mother wrote two novels. I always felt like I didn’t live up to my parents. I loved reading, but I didn’t think I could write. The only thing that changed was I needed to do it. I thought I wasn’t worthy.

DF: Do you have an ideal reader in mind when you write? Who is it?

KS: I almost always do, and it’s always a different person. It really helps me come into focus. It’s usually someone I know; I don’t tell them. I’m working on a new novel [now] and it’s not coming into focus because I’m not seeing the reader. I always want to impress them. It could be someone who’s passed away; both my parents have passed away, but I think of them.

DF: If you could be someone else, who would you be?

KS: I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I don’t want to be anyone else. I would like to do stuff other people have done, like go to the moon or sail on the seven seas (which I can’t because I get seasick), but I’ve gotten into this mind and body and personality, and I’ve become interested in that. That’s currently; maybe I’d give a different answer in the future.

flew in on the breeze

By Paul Warford

I write today feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, like a baby just outta the bath, and I suppose I have Halifax to thank. I’m not long returned from a quick trip to Nova Scotia to do some comedy shows at the Yuk Yuk’s on Argyle Street, shoulder-to-shoulder with eateries and bars stuffed with sweaty twenty-somethings looking for fun. Their jubilance seemed to flow through the downtown streets; the city felt very alive, to use a cliché.

I’d wake each day before noon (but after the continental breakfast), don shorts and flashy socks, and venture outside. There was much to see and do: Halifax Pride was in full swing; Alan Doyle was performing just down the street from the hotel; and the city’s first-ever mural festival saw painters from across Canada manipulating SkyJacks so they could slather second-storey walls.

I had few plans before arriving. I was mostly keen to see old Acadia friends and do lots of walking. As much as I love living in St. John’s, the actual cityscape isn’t cultivated for the walker – or even the busser, if we’re being honest. Halifax is the opposite; I can leave the North end and be standing at the water’s edge of the harbour within 20 minutes or so. So, walk I did, from my hotel’s sliding doors to the enticing cafés of Quinpool Road that have grown from the rubble of businesses ruined by COVID. I’d order a breakfast burrito at Cheeky Neighbour Diner, trying my best to flirt with the smiling waitress. Or I’d head to Dilly Dally Coffee Café and snack on a ham & brie bagel while watching a mural artist hand-paint an intricate and beautiful sign: “The Best is yet to Come.” I sipped my coffee in the sunshine and smiled my agreement.

As much as I love living in St. John’s, the actual cityscape isn’t cultivated for the walker – or even the busser, if we’re being honest. Halifax is the opposite…

Two years of isolation can feel a bit like stagnation, if you let it. Perhaps I’d been guilty of allowing this pandemic to make me feel like a lab rat: always after the same pellets of nourishment, always circling the same corridors, perhaps a tad wary of the other rats.

Sauntering along Spring Garden Road the first Friday after my first show, I found myself rounding Pizza Corner just before 2 a.m. As always, it was rampant with drunkards looking for a quick slice before hailing a cab home. The chaos held a certain charm in my sobriety, and I observed from a slight distance on the lawn of a church, musing how often I’d stumbled around this intersection myself, hammered and desperate for a feed.

A nearby speaker was cranking Fleetwood Mac and I searched for its source. A hotdog vendor was packing up for the evening, counting his cash and placing his tubes of condiments in a small plastic bin. I asked if I was too late for a dog.

“Can you wait five minutes?” the vendor asked, already fishing me a raw chicken dog from a vat of steaming water to place it on his grill with a hiss.

I met Dave-Paul while the dog was doing. Probably 55 years old, with cropped white hair and tanned leathery skin, this guy with a guitar was sitting beside me on the low stone wall where I waited. He explained he worked part-time, but if he wanted a drink or a smoke, his busking was how he paid for it. While I may have otherwise nodded a polite, “Right on,” to him, the excitement of travel left me chatty – even eager to engage with this stranger.

Dave-Paul carried on, explaining how he went to a private school, but at 13, his parents split up. That year, he moved every two months to a new town, a new school, a new life, as his mother drank. He mostly played pinball in those days, racking up free plays that he would then sell to older boys. He told me some of his favourite games, like Matahari and Frontier, as I nodded along, fascinated. After five minutes of conversation, he cleared his throat and said, “Alright, lemme play ya one.”

Then Dave-Paul did just that, emitting a driving, pounding blues song with a bouncing, stylish riff. He sounded so good that I began surreptitiously recording him with my phone. I later did some Internet searching and discovered the song is by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I’m listening to my recording of Dave-Paul now as I write this, and the lyrics he belts ring true:

Well, I dig you Georgia peaches

Make me feel right at home

But I don’t love me no one woman

So I can’t stay in Georgia long

Well now they call me the breeze

I keep blowin’ down the road

I ain’t got me nobody

I don’t carry me no load

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

fresh tracks

new music talk with Wendy Rose

Amanheceu Ana Luísa Ramos

SINCE ARRIVING ON THE SHORES of Newfoundland and Labrador, Ana Luísa Ramos has been making quite the splash in the local music scene.

Born in Ribeirão Preto in the Brazilian Highlands, Ana started performing as a child, first with choirs and later with orchestras, musicals and opera. This skilled vocalist is also a talented multiinstrumentalist. A scroll through her YouTube channel will show you Ana expertly playing piano and acoustic guitar, or singing arias in São Paulo and Rome. You’ll find solos and duets with friends across a multitude of musical genres. During the pandemic, Ana collaborated virtually with other artists to create a series of #QuarantineSessions, featuring NL locals such as Bill Brennan, Florian Hoefner, Maude Blanchett and Darren Browne, and others around the world. With a continuous creative drive fuelled by lifelong passion, Ana has recorded more than 15 albums in numerous genres for multiple projects. Currently, her

ongoing projects include Ana & Eric, a folk/pop duo consisting of Ana and Memorial University School of Music PhD student Eric Taylor Escudero. To say that the pair has great chemistry is an understatement, as they are also husband and wife.

In 2021, Ana & Eric received three MusicNL Award nominations for their group. The musicians were also recognized for their individual talents: Eric was nominated for Global Music Artist of the Year for his solo project, and Ana won the 2021 Music NL Jazz Award for her solo work. With the release of Amanheceu (“Dawn,” in English), I’m excited to see what awards this talented artist will pick up next.

The approximately 35-minute album begins with the title track, with soft, tender acoustic guitar leading us in. A plinky piano is joined by Ana’s lyric, softly delivered in Portuguese. Soon, a violin makes its presence known, then drums, followed by

layered background harmonies. What started off as a quiet cradlesong swells to a cinematic climax in just two minutes, then fades into birdsong – quite the intro.

Bossa nova-style guitar kicks off with “Ce´u Azul” (“Blue Sky” in English). When roughly translated, the intro lyrics will resonate with anyone familiar with NL’s year-round rugged

times singing in a lower pitch on this somewhat slower tempo tune.

The album’s fourth track, “Vento Mar” (“Sea Wind”), has a certain edge to it: the opening notes from guitar and drum immediately draw the listener in. Around the 40-second mark, we crash into the chorus with gusto. I rewound and restarted the chorus three times, just to groove along.

As Portuguese is not among my languages, I found myself creating my own stories for these songs. This particular tune had a somewhat mischievous and haunting vibe, so I imagined Ana singing about a refreshing ocean breeze tricking us into thinking that the Atlantic is warm and inviting.

“Cold Summer” begins with solo piano, as Ana sings in English, “Listening, to the sea, wave by wave, the wind on my face…” Kind of a slow, adult contemporary jazz piece, the violin sometimes pushes this song into classical musical territory, while careful percussion brings a modern pop element.

weather: “Blue sky lied about a summer that didn’t arrive,” Ana sings. “Blue sky left, so the winter hugged me.” Violinist Thais Morais’ contributions makes this a standout number, with light, tinkly piano and violin fading us out. You might catch this song on CBC Music and CBC Newfoundland & Labrador if you keep your ears open.

Ana showcases her vocal range in “Minha Canc a o” (“My Song”), at

Ana continues singing in English in “Untitled.” “The stars, the sky, the sea, and the sun shining, I have all of them inside me,” she repeats. An inspirational song about believing in ourselves and the power we have within, this indie-pop selection feels like it could’ve been recorded for a Hollywood film. Upon first listen, my mind created a storyline in which the main character finds a fresh perspective on their place in the world.

“Wherever I go, whenever I go, my home is in my heart, ’cause we are love and we can be whatever we’d like,” she continues.

“All We Could Have Been” is the third of the three tracks in a row with

English titles. It begins with a very jazzy guitar intro and careful violin plucking, evoking Brazilian bossa nova and modern pop music as we head into the chorus. “Among all we could have been, we could have been anything. Among all we could have known, we could have never known for sure.” In this song, Ana speaks of the importance of enjoying life’s journey, while also knowing you can change your own path at any time –your future is up to you. “But this bloodstained ground is good for growing flowers,” she sings.

More of a slower tune, “A Mais Bela” (“The Most Beautiful”) features predominantly soft acoustic guitar

and Ana’s incredible vocals. The album’s second last track, “A Eternidade” (Eternity) is similar in this way, but boasts a gorgeous instrumental outro.

Amanheceu finishes with “Cancao Para Pedro Perreps” (“Song for Pedro Perreps”), about Ana’s grandfather and his life. An accompanying music video with vintage family photos really helps tell the story visually – an incredible pairing, and an excellent choice for a final track.

From start to finish, Ana Luísa Ramos’ Amanheceu is a gorgeous listening experience – especially on this Cold Summer day, with its deceptive Ce´u Azul and cruel Vento Mar.

Q&A with the Artist

Wendy Rose: This is your second solo album, with 2016’s Urn being the debut. What made you want to put out another solo record after so many years?

Anna Luísa Ramos: I planned to release the album in 2019/2020, but I moved here [to Newfoundland from Brazil] in the meantime, and then the pandemic hit and I had to pause the recordings. But it took longer to start the recordings in 2019 because, for the first time, I was writing my songs, and it was (and still is) a new journey for me.

WR: You started writing Amanheceu in Brazil and finished it in Newfoundland and Labrador, later opting to re-record vocals and guitars in your home studio. Did making such a big move kind of shake up your original idea or concept for this album, changing the finished product from what you had envisioned when you began writing?

ALR: Yes and no. We re-recorded all vocals and guitars in Newfoundland and Labrador, but the other instruments were recorded in Brazil. The album’s concept changed during this time, and we added more songs to it! My first idea for the album was to be with very simple arrangements and few instruments, but during the process, we added more and more instruments, which changed the final product considerably.

WR: While Brazil certainly experiences the four seasons, I can imagine that our bitterly cold winters, mountains of snow and endless fog could be quite inspiring to a songwriter. Can you tell me a little about what track 7, “Cold Summer” is about?

ALR: Oh, definitely! The weather here is very different. Everything is more intense. “Cold Summer” was written, actually, in Scotland, during the summer of 2017. It was written during a creative writing workshop on a beautiful small island, and it was actually the first song that I ever wrote. Being from Brazil, I was expecting that the Scottish summer was going to be colder than the Brazilian one, but it was way colder... I was wearing my winter clothes there and was still freezing!

WR: In June 2022, you had a vinyl album release at the Wesley United Church, joined by Darren Browne (bass and mandolin), Jacob Slous (drums) and Mark Parselelo (piano). While I’m sure you’re accustomed to playing with your husband, Eric Taylor Escudero – the other half of your musical duo Ana & Eric, what was it like to perform your solo album as a group of five?

ALR: It was pretty great, and I felt great! I missed playing with a band a lot, so I was very happy to have this amazing group with me. Back in Brazil I often played with bands, so I felt quite at home. The atmosphere of the church was great, as well as the acoustics. The crowd was great, loved the songs, and we loved playing for them!

WR: At the time of this interview, you’re currently on tour as Ana & Eric, a project that has taken you around the world – Denmark, Austria, Scotland, Sweden, and all over Brazil, of course. After performing in all of these places, do you have a favourite?

ALR: I had a great time playing in all of those places. Denmark and Scotland were quite special. The audience there was amazing, and we had a great time!

WR: What’s in store for the rest of 2022 for Ana Luísa Ramos?

ALR: I am currently in the middle of the Ana & Eric Summer Tour, which has been so much fun. We are also finishing the recordings from our next album. Later this year, we are heading to Brazil to play and start the recordings of my next solo album!

My First Big Game Hunt

By Gord Follett

Unlike the majority of big game hunters in Newfoundland, the first animal I harvested was a stag caribou; my first successful moose hunt would come two years later. I specify Newfoundland here because while I usually refer to our province by its official name – Newfoundland Labrador –caribou, not moose, was the most abundant and the most hunted animal throughout the North.

It’s been sad to see such a drastic decrease in the caribou population in Labrador in recent years, from more than 750,000 animals down to a few thousand. Although not everybody is abiding by the law, a hunting ban has been in place in recent years. There has been much discussion, scientific analysis and guessing as to what

A healthylooking stag caribou on Newfoundland’s Southern Shore

Cliff Doran photo

happened and why their rebound has been slower than many had hoped, but that’s a column for another time.

This was in the mid-1980s. After receiving my first big game application in the mail, I had no intentions of not entering the draw and waiting another two or three years for a moose licence, which took longer for approval unless I wanted to hunt “where no man has gone before,” as I used to joke. The pool system was different back then, but it was still easier to obtain a licence to hunt woodland caribou than it was for Alces alces, the largest member of the deer family and the most popular big game hunt in this province by a country mile.

But while moose are indeed the talk of the Newfoundland big game hunting season – and perhaps deservedly so – I sometimes feel our stately caribou, as comedian Rodney Dangerfield used to say, “gets no respect.” In my eyes, a prime stag caribou with an elegant branched crown of trophy antlers is more impressive than a bull moose sporting a 24-point rack with a 50inch spread.

My St. John’s neighbours at the time, Vernon and Marina Simms, were from the Bay d’Espoir area, and one evening during a casual chat, he suggested I apply for a licence down his way. Then we could stay at their summer home in Milltown or his parents’ place in Gaultois.

As it turned out, Vernon was called to work on short notice shortly after our arrival for the hunt, so he lined up his brother-in-law, Joe Walsh, to be my guide. I had met Joe during an

earlier visit to Milltown, so I knew I was in good hands.

My memory is usually spot-on when it comes to recalling past hunting and fishing trips, but for some reason, much of the details surrounding our planning and early morning departure continue to escape me after all these years. I do recall parking the truck near the top of a gravel road and heading down through bush and over rocks and brooks – no trail – for quite some time before finally spotting a respectable stag with a small harem on the barrens 90-100 metres to our right.

in our direction.

We were just a few steps from a huge rock about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, so I crept over and rested my arms and 30-06 rifle across the top of it. I chambered a round and had the crosshairs on the stag for at least a minute, waiting for him to turn broadside, but he just stood there staring in our direction. Then I noticed his snout twitching and head moving slightly, straight up and down.

“Joe, I think he’s getting our scent,” I whispered. “They could just bolt any second. I’m going for a head shot...”

I released the safety, steadied the crosshairs between the animal’s eyes

I chambered a round and had the crosshairs on the stag for at least a minute, waiting for him to turn broadside, but he just stood there staring

and gently squeezed the trigger. Boom!

No staggering or stumbling; that fella hit the ground in a flash. As we approached, we could see blood pumping out from a pencil-sized hole right between its eyes.

We paunched the animal and cut it in half for the mainly uphill lug back to the truck. Despite a couple of slips and falls in a brook along the way, we had the meat laying on the tailgate in just over an hour, a feat which today would take me at least five hours, if I managed it at all.

I was extremely proud of my first big game animal... at least until I brought it to the local butcher and hung it up next to several massive moose quarters. I remember thinking, “Mine look like friggin’ rabbit quarters next to the moose.”

To this day, that was the only caribou I’ve ever harvested. Though I did

help my father take his first and only caribou about 18 years ago. He had an either-sex licence and we were quite happy to see him knock down what we initially thought was a young stag. When we made our way to the expired animal, we counted 14 points; but when it was turned on its back for paunching, we discovered it was a doe.

Newfoundland’s caribou population – which also witnessed dramatic decreases several years back, to the point where some areas were closed to hunting altogether and the number of licences in others were cut considerably – now appears to be stabilizing, at least in some areas. If this is so and the trend continues, I’ll seriously consider applying for a woodland caribou tag on my next big game application. Besides, it’ll be nice to offer family and friends a roast of caribou for a change.

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 trophy central Newfoundland stag for Justin Whiteway of Lewisporte Stephen Woolfrey photo

Ifirst

learned about this square dance group three years ago, when my wife, Lyla, and I went to a dinner in the Society of United Fishermen (SUF) Hall during the annual Accordion Festival in Eastport, NL. Our friends, Jeff and Barb Penney, had invited us to go to the fundraiser with them because they said we might get to do a bit of square dancing after the meal. That event would launch a dancing love affair with the Time in the Hall Square Dancers.

The first performers that evening were youth square dancers from Holy Cross School Complex. Kelly Russell played while his wife, Tonya, called the dance. Their teacher, Jill Penney, coordinated the dancers.

Next, Mabel Hunter, leader of the adult Time in the Hall Square Dancers, asked if anyone in the audience would like to join them in the Virginia Reel. The four of us eager beavers were soon out on the dance floor. We didn’t understand all the moves, but it never took away from the fun we were having. It was my first time square dancing since doing the Lancers in the community hall in North West River back in the mid1960s. After the dance, Mabel asked us to join their group.

The Time in the Hall Square Dancers have been together since July 2012. Kelly and Tonya Russell

were giving lessons at the Shriner’s Park near Sandringham. Mabel and some of her friends were invited to come along and, shortly after that, they started a square dancing club. Gord Handcock and Gord Bull helped them learn the first couple of dances. Of course, one has to be properly attired when performing in front of audiences. So, everyone got

fitted out: the women with white blouses, black shoes and skirts that flared out when having a good swing; and the men with black shoes, pants, bowtie and a white short-sleeved, starched shirt.

Originally, members were only from the Eastport Peninsula. Now they come from Glovertown, Traytown and Culls Harbour to the SUF Hall every Tuesday and Thursday night for a few dances. Roger Bradley, our accordionist, keeps the music lively. Sometimes Gord Kelly accompanies him on guitar.

Keeping one’s mind sharp is a positive feature of these dances – it’s necessary in order to remember all the different series of moves. Running the Goat, Time in the Hall Dance and The Centreville Dance were the first ones we learned. Then Sandra Handcock taught us the Fogo Island Dance. Eugene and Emily Papail, and Sadie and Robert Parsons, from the Burin Peninsula taught us the Lancers. They also showed us how to dance The Texas Waltz.

We happily take requests to perform at different venues. We’ve been invited to seniors homes around the province, where appreciative audiences like to reminisce after each performance about how they loved to do the same dances in their youth. Our dancing has also taken us to Royal Canadian Legions, a 50-plus club and an annual nurses convention. We have even made the trek to Clarenville to perform at a Farmer’s Market.

On one hot day in August we

performed at Lakeside Homes in Gander. When there was a lull in our square dancing, Gord sang a couple of old-fashioned waltzes and many of us asked residents out for a dance. As each person took our hands, their smiles became a little wider and a lightheartedness overtook their whole demeanor. Their thoughts were likely travelling back to a much younger time when they would trip the light fantastic in some distant dance hall.

And of course, we’ve performed at the Eastport Peninsula Accordion Festival. At the 2018 event, we were filmed for an episode of CBC’s “Land and Sea.”

Our dancing had to be put on hold when COVID-19 hit in 2020. Several times in the past couple of years it looked like we would be able to go back to dancing, when COVID cases in the province were minimal. But just as we got our hopes up, there was always another wave that dashed them again. At one point we thought, instead of swings and close contact we could try more imaginative ways to dance.

Elbow touching could replace times when we had to swing, and we could add more step dancing. But nothing worked out.

Sadly, during that time we lost two important members of our group. Linda Foote passed away from cancer. Dancing was her greatest pleasure, and we all loved to see her radiant smile when she twirled around the dance floor. Her lovable character is missed every time we assemble to dance. And one of the four Marystown dance members who taught us the Lancers, Eugene Papail, passed away

during our COVID break.

This spring, we were finally given permission to reassemble at the SUF Hall and resume square dancing. Once word got out, it wasn’t long before performance requests started flowing in from all over the province, from St. John’s to Corner Brook. Fittingly, our first public performance was at the annual Eastport Peninsula Accordion Festival.

While we are sad to be missing two of our beloved dancers, we are happy to be back on the dance floor and having a Time in the Hall.

Some members of the Time in the Hall Square Dancers

In the spring of

2022,

Downhome launched our first Pet of the Year Contest, asking for stories of current pets who’ve changed the lives of their owners. We received a wide range of entries and read inspiring stories of cats, dogs, horses, even a cow and a dove! These beautiful animals offered emotional support, taught lessons and brought comfort, and all their stories were heartwarming (read some of our favourites on DownhomeLife.com). However, this is a contest and we had to choose a winner. For her patience, her exceptional friendship and the remarkable influence she’s had on a young boy’s life, we chose Polly. Here is the extraordinary story of Polly the Chicken and her best friend, Fox.

Polly the chicken lives on a farm in Erickson, Manitoba. She is part of a flock of threeyear-old Leghorn chickens with fluffy white feathers and red combs. Her best friend is six-year-old Fox, a boy who lives on the farm with his mom, dad, brother and sister. Fox and Polly do everything together, and even though they’re very different, the friendship they share is a joy to witness.

Fox has always been fascinated by chickens. “When he was really young, when he was only a baby, we would bring him over to the family farm,” explains Fox’s mom, Jillian Winstone. “He would lose his mind over them! The chickens, and their movements, were really funny. Fox always laughed; he always thought it was so funny.”

Fox has a unique way of looking at the world. “We always kind of knew he was a little bit of a different kid, since he was probably six months old. The way his mind worked was pretty amazing,” Jillian says. Fox

It may seem pretty strange for a fox to be welcome in a henhouse, but this is the story of an exceptional case.

Fox and Polly the chicken

eventually was diagnosed with autism in 2020, when he was in kindergarten. He had a hard time in social situations, he would sometimes get overstimulated and he struggled to regulate his emotions.

Fox was about three or four years old when Polly and the rest of the chickens arrived on the farm, bringing Fox a sense of calm in a world that often felt overwhelming. “We got him his own flock and it helped him immensely. It was worth the stress of taking care of chickens and all that because of how happy they made him,” Jillian says.

“He comes up with these names,” she continues. “All the Leghorns, that’s the breed of chicken Polly is, they’re all ‘Pollys.’ We have other breeds of chickens, but the Pollys are the white ones.” Fox’s particular Polly is distinguishable by her unique red comb, and, Jillian says, she’s more sociable than the others.

Fox loves spending time with Polly

and his other feathered friends. “He’ll sit outside all day with them, just sit with them and talk to them,” Jillian says.“When he’s with the chickens, it’s like everything’s just chill. It’s such a positive thing with my son.”

Jillian says Polly and the chickens brought Fox a sense of acceptance that he sometimes found difficult with other kids his age. “They’re really therapeutic. I think it’s the fact that they would just sit and listen to

him, and listen to whatever he wanted to talk about.”

The relationship that blossomed has had a noticeable, beneficial effect on Fox. “Since Polly came into his life, he has learned so much about himself,” Jillian says. “He’s a very outspoken kid now. You would never know a couple of years ago, but now he’s outspoken and so smart, such a smart little boy.”

Fox has also learned a lot about caring for chickens and loves to share his knowledge. “He incubates his own eggs and hatches his own chicks. He knows the life cycle of a chicken. He’s almost seven, but you’d think he’s 15.”

Fox would bring Polly everywhere if he could, or if Mom and Dad allowed it. He loves to tuck Polly under his arm and always makes sure she feels included. They make a super cute and comical pair. In his kindergarten graduation photo, Fox is beaming and holding Polly, who wears a matching graduation cap crocheted by Jillian. In another, Fox and Polly sport matching Christmas sweaters. “I made a chicken Christmas sweater!”

Jillian recounts, laughing. “He’s holding the chicken for his Christmas picture!”

Fox brings Polly to school for show and tell, tucks her into his warm jacket for ice fishing in the winter, and even sets sail with her out on the pond. “Chickens don’t swim!” Jillian laughs. “Polly just sat on the edge of the boat.”

Polly is docile, patient and trusting, and Jillian says chickens are underrated animals. “They are a lot smarter than people give them credit for, that’s kind of what I’ve

noticed over the last few years with them. I think she tolerates Fox, and I think they learned a lot from each other. I mean, the chickens are so good with people. They’re free range here on our farm; sometimes they’re up on the deck or on the step. Anytime anybody walks out of the house, they come running.”

The sweet relationship between Fox and Polly is difficult to describe. “I don’t know how to explain it; you’d have to see it for your own eyes almost,” says Jillian. “You know, I get it. You see dogs, cats being therapeutic. But for Fox, it’s the chickens. He loves them.”

She continues, “Polly is perfect for Pet of the Year. These birds don’t get enough credit for how amazing they

Previous page: Top left:Beni Malone and Carol Wherry as their clown duo Kosmo & Fanny (1979). Top right: Anahareo Dölle performs on the aerial hoop (2021). Bottom right: James Burke (left), David Mercer (centre), and Beni Malone spinning plates in Wonderbolt’s show Tricksters (2009). This page: Beni juggles fire during the seventh annual Kamataukatshit festival in Labrador (2011).

that captures the imagination and wide-eyed wonder of a child (and child at heart) like the circus. From comedic clowns and pretzel-bending contortionists, to amazing feats of acrobatics and dazzling displays of strength, the circus arts – and the talented, well-trained and nimble folks who perform them – make the impossible seem possible, bringing magic into the real world for a brief moment in time.

As the founder and artistic/executive director of Wonderbolt Productions, Beni Malone (part clown, ringmaster and magic maker) has been helping inspire that sense of whimsy and wonder throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, including some of its most isolated places, over the past four decades.

Performing is perhaps in Beni’s blood; his older brother is Greg Malone (of the legendary Newfoundland comedy troupe Codco, for starters). Beni kicked off his career with the Newfoundland Travelling Theatre Company in 1974, when the province’s cultural renaissance was in full swing.

“I was on tour with them and some guy had a juggling book. And so we all learned how to juggle during this tour that we did back in the ’70s. And that really kind of got me going,” Beni recalls.

A few years later, the Mummers Troupe was producing a play about sealing, incorporating the circus-like atmosphere that sometimes surrounds the industry, and was seeking someone to fill a pair of clown shoes. Beni stepped right up, took a clowning workshop and was hooked.

“I said, this is it… it combined great costumes and makeup and physicality along with theatre. So I said this is for me,” Beni says. “That’s the type of performing art I want to do.”

Joining forces with another workshop attendee, Beni formed a small company called Clownburst and held performances around St. John’s, NL. Then he auditioned for and got accepted into the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College in Florida in 1979.

Eventually, he found his way back home and, in 1982, officially formed

Beni breathes fire during a Wonderbolt Circus Show performance in 1998.

There’s nothing

The early days. Beni Malone (left and right below) with fellow artist Cathy Ferri in 1982, when the troupe travelled around the province, including communities only accessible by coastal boat.

Wonderbolt Circus and hit the road, doing up to 40 shows a month over the span of four or five years. The small crew included his wife, Marian Frances White, and their young daughter, Anahareo (“She was about three or four years old, and she used to get up in the beginning of the show and ‘produce’ the Wonderbolt Circus,” Beni laughs). Together they “toured all the places of Newfoundland that you couldn’t get to by road,” he says, sailing from community to community via coastal boats, bringing the circus to those who had never been exposed before.

“It was great. It was magical… At one place, a small little community, in McCallum, we did the show, and then someone came back after who was on the door… He said, ‘Well, this is a list of everyone who came to the show tonight. Everyone’s here but

the lighthouse keeper,’” Beni laughs.

“We became a little part of each community’s story, you know: ‘Remember? That was the year the circus came.’ And they could all have that little shared experience... I didn’t realize how powerful it was ’til later in my life, like now, where I meet adults, bank managers and all kinds of people, who say, ‘Oh yeah, I saw you when I was in kindergarten.’”

The experience, Beni adds, also helped him to see his home province in a whole new light. “To get to all the communities, we had to kind of crisscross back and forth between the three boats... It was amazing to be in communities that never had any cars, ever; and communities where we’d

talk to an 80-year-old woman who had never been outside the community... It really gave me a great appreciation of Newfoundland.”

Beni and Co. also toured the coast of Labrador, a time that he describes as “super amazing” and filled with “endlessly great memories.” He remembers, “We saw seals, we did shows on the wharf. We did shows with no power, with just the lights from ATVs and stuff. We did a show in Nain at 1:30 in the morning, because of the way the boat came in and out of the community, and 300 people showed up.”

A One-Man Show

Before he became famous for talking to Americans (and Canadians),

Above: Marian White (left) and Beni Malone during their first Wonderbolt Circus Show at the LSPU Hall (1982).

Right: Beni Malone performs at an elementary school in 1981 as part of Clownburst - his circus’s name before Wonderbolt was created in 1982.

beloved NL comedian/political satirist Rick Mercer (who hails from Middle Cove, outside the capital city) “ran away and joined the circus,” he says. When he was in Grade 12 he worked backstage as a vital part of Beni’s small crew.

“Beni, he was a complete one-man show. He was a one-man circus. So Beni would be juggling, and then Beni would be doing unicycles, and then Beni would be breathing fire, and then Beni would be doing the balloons... and then he would be walking on his hands, and he was an acrobat. He did it all. And of course,

coast of Labrador, or going out of his way to small communities where there might only be 60 kids in the school… and that was obviously very impressive to me. That was a real commitment,” Rick says.

“He had a real missionary zeal to make sure that kids in small communities got to have that experience.”

From their humble beginnings, Wonderbolt has grown into a bonafide circus company with a staff of 10 and a board of directors. They operate The SPACE in downtown St. John’s (a theatre, training/ rehearsal space and circus school where they

“He’s an incredible hard worker, and he toured incessantly… but then Beni, on his own dime, would get on a coastal boat and start touring the coast of Labrador, or going out of his way to small communities where there might only be 60 kids in the school… and that was obviously very impressive to me. That was a real commitment.”

Rick Mercer

we’d have this little portable set, and I’d hide behind it and I’d hand out the juggling sticks, and I’d light the devil sticks on fire, and I’d prepare the elixir that he would blow fire with. And that was my job,” he recalls.

Besides crediting him as a mentor and a “good, good fellow to give me a chance, because I didn’t have very much experience,” Rick says Beni was also a teacher who helped open his eyes to the work ethic that’s required for making a living in the arts.

“He’s an incredible hard worker, and he toured incessantly… but then Beni, on his own dime, would get on a coastal boat and start touring the

offer programs for people of all ages). And they produce full-scale circus shows and engage youth in remote communities. Part of that includes work in Labrador over the past 20 years, including a festival held with the Innu Nation in Sheshatshiu and Natuashish.

“We’d bring down Indigenous artists and circus artists, and we’d all work together. We’d do workshops with the kids and then we’d put off a show at the end of it all. So that was really a great experience,” Beni says.

Big Shoes to Fill

And that little girl who used to “produce” Wonderbolt’s shows all those

Wonderbolt has evolved to include a wide variety of spectacles. Above: Terrance Littletent performs hoop dance during St. John’s International CircusFest’s Family Circus Day (2021). Right: Aerialist Olivia Goodridge

years ago? Anahareo Dölle is now a married woman with three children of her own, who happily works alongside her father to this day. (Her own kids also have a keen interest in the physical arts, including aerials, dance and gymnastics.)

After graduating from the National Circus School in Montreal, Anahareo spent 13 years performing all over the map, including Switzerland, Germany – where she had her first child (“I still went on tour in Finland and Germany with a little baby backstage,” she recalls) – Japan and Norway.

In 2011, Anahareo moved back home to St. John’s with her family. A year or two later, she opened her own aerial school – iFLY Aerial Arts – at

The SPACE, which has 11 instructors and more than 100 students.

“My youngest is five years old, and I have an amazing client who’s 75 years old and she does trapeze, and she’s just incredible,” she says.

Anahareo is also co-founder, coproducer and artistic director of the St. John’s International CircusFest, run in partnership with Wonderbolt. Now in its fifth year, the festival takes place September 21-25 and brings together world-class circus artists for performances, panels, workshops and more. This year’s event will feature a show by Quebec company FLIP Fabrique the Edge of the World Cabaret with music by Newfoundland/Ukrainian band the Kubasonics and hosted by Cirque du

performs at the Royal St. John’s Regatta (2016).

Soleil clown “Mooky,” a free Family Circus Day with performances and face painting, and more.

“We’re doing one of our shows in The Rooms. So we take over The Rooms and do this immersive experience and then highlight a few companies. We’re going to have sway poles this year and vertical dance on the windows. So that’s going to be pretty cool,” says Anahareo.

“What we really want to see happen this year is, like, circus kind of takes over the city a little bit. So people should look out for clowns in storefront windows, and jugglers. We’re going to have different things around the city as well.”

Seeing her father’s passion for performing, teaching and sharing the joy of the circus arts over the years, Anahareo says, reminds her of just how much she loves it, too. “We definitely don’t take for granted how lucky we are to get to work together and create stuff together.

“I think everyone around him goes like, ‘How can I be a little bit more like Beni?’” she adds with a laugh.

“‘How can I have that energy? How can I have that passion?’”

Now at 67 years young, Beni’s an “old dog still learning new tricks,” he says. And in their 40th year, he adds, Wonderbolt’s “just hitting our stride.” It’s a place he never would’ve reached, he says, without the support of his family, staff, board, community and all the incredible circus artists he’s worked with over the years. And while he may not be ready to hand over the baton just yet, when that time comes, Wonderbolt will be in good hands, ready to continue making magic for years to come.

“I never looked at ‘We’re gonna be a company in 40 years’ time.’ My thing was just to survive as a clown from year to year... So the fact that it got to 40, you know, it happened because we took it day-by-day really. And the legacy, too, it’ll happen because they show up every day and do the work every day, and keep dreaming and keep making those dreams come true,” Beni says.

“I see how it’s going to go on beyond me now, which is amazing.”

Pauliina Räsänen performs during the St. John’s International CircusFest’s Edge of the World Cabaret (2019).

How Port Blandford’s apple trees fed into its annual fall festival

as just a seed of an idea a decade ago has blossomed into a much anticipated fall event. This month, September 23-25, Port Blandford, NL, welcomes one and all to its fourth annual AppleFest.

“It’s really funny how it came to be,” says former mayor Chad Holloway. “I was part of a visitors experience group, and this was probably 10 years ago.” Participants were challenged to find assets in their community that could be used to build a festival around. “I was thinking at the time, we’ve got lots of apple trees, over 100 of them in the community, what a cool thing to do. But fall festivals are really hard to kind of do. Are you going to get people to come?”

A few years later, Holloway and town councillor Calvin Efford, chair of the tourism committee, were attending a regional economic development session where the talk was all about ways to extend the tourist season into the fall. “I looked at him, and he looked at me—” Chad laughs. They pitched the apple festival idea to Port Blandford area businesses and organizations, and pretty soon everyone was on board.

Photos courtesy Chad Holloway

Port Blandford is a popular summer and winter destination. In the summer months, hospitality businesses are on bust. Crowds come for the golfing, sports fishing, ATV riding, camping, hiking, water sports and more. In winter, they return for snowmobiling and skiing. The shoulder seasons, spring and fall, still had room to grow.

“When you move into the shoulder season, it’s a great opportunity for the bed and breakfasts, and the cabin units and the hotel – a few extra nights for them is great,” Holloway says. Plus the influx of visitors has spinoff benefits for other businesses and community organizations.

When they developed AppleFest, the primary focus was on promoting the local area, which Holloway says extends to the Eastport and Bonavista Peninsulas. So when they chose their dates, they strategically chose to follow the Roots, Rants and Roars Festival on the Bonavista Peninsula. Vacationers taking in that foodie festival could opt to extend their time in the region by up to 10 days and take in both events, plus do sightseeing in between. “It was a great thing that we could package,” Holloway explains.

The first AppleFest, held in September 2019, went over well. It featured apple-themed meals, a concert, an art exhibit, a car show, a dinner

The festival kicks off each year with local Girl Guides planting a new apple tree during the opening ceremonies.

theatre and more – all local vendors and performers. Then came 2020 and pandemic shutdowns. The committee really did not want to lose the momentum after a positive first year. Fortunately, COVID-19 cases were low in Newfoundland and Labrador at the time and with some adjustments to the events, and with the approval of Public Health, AppleFest 2020 was a go.

They moved their events outdoors and limited their concert night to 100 people who sat with their own “bubbles.” To promote safety and to “have fun with it,” they named the bubble tables “MacIntosh,” “Golden Delicious,” etc. and even put a mask on their mascot, Apple Dumpling.

“We had Sullivan’s Songhouse come out from down the Southern Shore,” Holloway says. “I can remember when Sullivan’s Songhouse finished up, they said, ‘Here’s to Port Blandford, the only town with a festival this year!’”

Some of the changes they made for the pandemic were so well-received that they became permanent. The Apple Orchard Market from 2020 is now one of the most popular events.

“All local products, homemade jams, baked goods, any kind of crafts – we have, like, 30 or 40 tables, and that was a big thing the last couple of years. We probably had 1,000 people attend that,” says Mayor Darlene Coulter.

The community ball field is transformed into the Apple Orchard Market, with “storefront” stalls. Between them, the local quilters’ guild string their handmade quilts.

“It looks really nice, beautiful,” the mayor says.

This year’s event will see that return, plus much more. AppleFest kicks off on Friday evening at the gathering field. Opening ceremonies include a special tradition, one that could serve AppleFests for generations to come. “Every year we plant an apple tree, [done] by the Girl

Food is a big part of the festival, and apples are a star ingredient in every meal.

The committee hopes to recreate the success of last year’s car show, which featured more than 100 classic autos and about 1,000 spectators.

an entire painting while breakfast guests

Guides,” Mayor Coulter says. Saturday morning starts off on a delicious note with a community breakfast. “When we have our meals, we always want to have apples in it. Even at the breakfasts, we like to have some kind of apple jam, apple muffins, apple pies, apple pastries –even one of the food trucks last year, they had an apple crisp sundae. That was really good,” she adds.

The Apple Orchard Market opens on Saturday, and so do a list of other activities. There are games of pickleball, basketball and horseshoes; a walking tour led by the Port Blandford Heritage Society; food truck concessions; and the evening concert

Plus, there’s a new event that kids of all ages will enjoy. “This year, a local person has farm animals, and they’re going to bring them along, like a petting zoo,” Mayor Coulter says.

On Sunday the fun continues with a fantastic car show. Last year’s event drew more than 100 classic and cool cars, and several motorcycles, and about 1,000 spectators. “We have brunch at the Legion, and an art exhibit… and a horseshoe tournament, some Essentrics [Fitness], and a kids’ dance at the cookhouse from four to five… a drive-in Bingo and

featuring The Relics, Shanneyganock and Atomic Blonde.

Right: Local artist Clifford George completed

watched.

then a drive-in movie in the night to end it off,” says Coulter. “Three full days. We’re good and tired by Monday,” she adds with a laugh.

But it’s a good tired. The festival is an excellent fundraiser for local organizations, such as the Legion, church groups and the recreation committee. Funds raised from their ticket sales go back into the community through the services these groups provide. While the festival has a tireless committee, both Coulter and Holloway give a lot of credit to the great number of volunteers who enthusiastically sign up. Together they’ve made this fledgling festival a repeat success.

“Some people plan their coming home trip around the festival now, which is great,” Mayor Coulter says. “They’re always wanting to know when for sure it’s going ahead, and they’ll come home, and then they get to meet a lot of people, old friends, at the festival. It’s a good chance to talk to your old friends who are coming home, too.”

Even after the food trucks leave and the Apple Orchard Market closes shop for another year, one event carries on through the fall and continues to draw in visitors right up to Halloween. It’s a quirky, fun, creative show of community support like no other. Residents and businesses create amazing scarecrow displays for AppleFest and leave them out until October 31. They’re the perfect fall harvest decoration, very on brand for the festival, and participants go all out to entertain passersby. Past scarecrows have included a hockey goalie mid-save; a Scot in his kilt; a ghoulish groom and bride; a bicyclist; fishermen out in boat; an ATV rider and more. Who knows what they’ll come up with this year.

Yes, summer festivals are great. But Port Blandford really shines in the fall. Surrounded by deciduous trees, the autumn landscape explodes with reds, oranges and golds. “It’s absolutely gorgeous,” says Holloway. “And honestly, it’s when the apples are ripe!”

how are your legs now?” Richard Churchill asked me with a grin.

I laughed and said, “Actually not too bad. I probably won’t be winning any tap dance contests this evening, but that is mostly because I can’t dance more than anything else.”

The sun was beginning to set on this September day in 2021, as we stood outside the Port Rexton Brewing Company, one of the sponsors of the BonRexton Granfondo 140-kilometre cycling tour of the Bonavista Peninsula. “Gran Fondo” is an Italian term used to describe a long-distance mass ride that welcomes recreational and pro cyclists alike. The BonRexton takes riders past beautiful scenery and this year’s Biennale art installations, and includes stops for food and drinks that highlight local operators.

This was Richard’s third BonRexton experience. He rode the first two, in 2018 and 2019, and this year he’s among the volunteers. “This year we had 70 participants, which was pretty good. Only a few could not attend due to Hurricane Larry yesterday. It is a testament to organizer Ryan Butt and his team of volunteers that they were able to pivot and reschedule for today, which turned out to be a gorgeous day,” Richard told me. “I live in the town of Clarenville, and this entire peninsula is one of the most scenic regions in the province to cycle, with lots of attractions and amazing things to see and do.”

“So

photo courtesy Facebook.com/BonRextonFondo

Dennis In Bonavista

The Gran Fondo is a popular event all over the world. Ryan Butt launched Newfoundland and Labrador’s first, the BonRexton Granfondo, in 2018. Now there are three such annual events in the province, with one running on the Port au Port Peninsula and another near Deer Lake.

I’d previously cycled the entire Bonavista Peninsula back in 2007 –a very slow, solo excursion over a few days, camping along the way. But this was my first-ever Gran Fondo, so I had no idea what to expect. Plus this event took place during the COVID-19 pandemic and the day after Hurricane Larry had battered parts of the island with heavy rains and winds up to 185 kilometres per hour. Fortunately, September 12, 2021, arrived as a spectacular autumn day with warm temperatures and sunshine. Other than mildly harassing headwinds

and challenging hills (which are both unavoidable facts of life for all cyclists anywhere in this province), it was as close to a perfect day as could be wished for. Organizers opted to cancel the mass start due to an abundance of caution around COVID-19; instead, “bubble” groups and masked individuals set off according to their own pace and personal pursuits.

My day on the bike started near dawn at the Two Whales Coffee Shop in Port Rexton, where riders received individually packaged, freshly baked muffins and coffee or tea, plus the normal sports fare of water, juice and granola bars. At the beginning I also met Bob Fisher, a bicycle mechanic who volunteered to follow the route and assist any riders with minor adjustments or repairs. It was another small, but essential detail that made the entire day roll along smoothly for participants.

Port Rexton

Heading up Route 230, the first rest stop (at the 25 km mark) was for more delicious snacks at Union House Arts in the National Historic District of Port Union, near the beautifully restored Factory Museum. Port Union is famously the home of the Fisherman’s Protective Union (FPU) and the only “union-built town in North America.” The ride even took us past FPU founder Sir William Coaker’s home, “The Bungalow.”

Detouring into scenic Elliston, the self-proclaimed “Root Cellar Capital of the World,” we rolled past the 1872 Gothic Revival style St. Mary’s Anglican Church. We also cruised past the modern John C. Crosbie Sealers Interpretation Centre, which opened in 2014 and honours the sealing history of this region and the province.

Coasting through the backroads and scenic lanes of Bonavista, riders looped towards another excellent

Port Union

food and rest stop (at the 45-km mark), Bonavista Bicycle Picnics and Café. Nextdoor is the Mockbeggar Plantation Provincial Historic Site, a 1700s-era fishery plantation. The main house was built in the 1870s and has been painstakingly restored to c. 1939, when famous statesman and pro-Confederation promoter F. Gordon Bradley resided here.

Rolling down Route 235 on the other side of the Bonavista Peninsula, numerous charming communities passed beneath our wheels. At the 95-km mark, we rolled up to our last main aid stop outside Round Da Bay Inn at Plate Cove West. There they served us a lovely packed lunch. Then it was the final push past Princeton, Southern Bay, and back up Route 230 to close the loop and finish the 140 kilometres at the Port Rexton Brewery, where yet another prepacked meal from Round Da Bay Inn and a customized “Headwind”

craft beer in a souvenir can awaited. Just before press time for this issue, the 2022 BonRexton Granfondo was announced. Registration is open for the September 10 event. Like past years, there is a full Granfondo ride of 140 km and an optional shorter 50 km route. From my experience, it’s a well-organized and fun day, with friendly folks, delicious food and endless scenery. And just think of the story you’ll get to tell.

Get the latest updates on the BonRexton Granfondo at Facebook.com/BonRextonFondo/.

Mockbeggar Plantation in Bonavista

Dennis takes a break at the Bonavista Bicycle Picnics and Café.

By

This gorgeous oceanside retreat provides a quiet space to soothe your spirit.

Nicola Ryan

The 55-minute drive from St. John’s estimated by Google Maps had stretched out to almost 90 minutes because any sense of direction I may have ends at the overpass, and I am feeling pretty frazzled when I finally pull up near a green house at the edge of Colliers Bay. My destination is A Little Cup of Sea, an Instagram-worthy seaside beach hut. And when, half an hour late, I finally throw open the French door and find the owner, Lacey Pike, beaming at me, all my cares float away. I have barely sunk into an armchair draped in a crocheted blanket before spotting a whale swimming in the water outside – Heaven

It had already been a long week and it was only Wednesday.

Photos courtesy Lacey Pike

Lacey created the beach hut from scratch as a daytime getaway for those looking to relax, recharge or reconnect. It’s a charming place to think, dream or spend quality time with family or friends, the perfect place to slow down and enjoy some simple pleasures.

Lacey and her husband, Chris, slowed down their own fast-paced life when they moved to Colliers, NL, from Calgary, AB. “We rat-raced hard for 15 years!” Lacey laughs, detailing how she worked her way up through different jobs to be project manager for large, custom-made fabrications and installations of public art works. At the same time, she enjoyed her side hustle – a DIY design gig named Feathering My Nest – doing segments on breakfast television, speaking at

home shows, and connecting with other artists and makers.

When baby Finley arrived in 2017, Lacey and Chris got to thinking. “I always thought you just go back to work after you have a baby, but I was like, nope! Can’t do it!” Lacey says. “So we thought, what do we want? We have Finley now, family’s all back East. What do we want for life? We wanted to slow down. So we came here. And then we slowed down.”

The idea for a beach hut came about after they bought an old house on a few acres in Colliers, right on the small rocky shoreline that leads out into the bay. It’s the perfect place for paddling: the clear waters reveal fish, crabs and sea urchins, while at times bald eagles pass overhead and minke whales glide by. “You’re out on the

water and you’re just paddling slow, you’re gliding, and like, you can breathe and slow down,” she enthuses. “And I remember after doing kayak training how nice it was – like, you’re cold, it was cold, we did training in May and you’re in a pond and you’re frozen – to get out and you put on your nice, dry, cosy clothes, how good that feels. The biggest fuzzy socks with your Birkenstocks, right, or soft UGG boots – that feeling.”

Lacey and Chris set out to capture that cosy feeling in the beach hut. “Me and my husband built it together; my dad and brother came in and helped with the frame,” Lacey says. “Then I

did the inside and shingled the outside, and my husband was up on the roof. It kind of all came together.” The hut is available to rent for daytime retreats for up to four people in fourhour or 12-hour blocks, and people have really loved it.

Inside, the hut is beautifully decorated in a seaside theme. “I remember when I was little, we would go to my grandparents’ in St. Lawrence; I loved to play in the landwash. I’ve always loved the ocean and the beach, and my son’s the same way now,” Lacey says.

Lacey’s artistic talents and her collaborative nature are on full

display inside the gorgeous hut. A collection of antique photos hang alongside crafts and works by local artists: a knitted lobster by Karla Courtney; woven wall hangings by Knots by April and Little Knotty Farmhouse; a brightly coloured hooked rug by Kevin Barry Martin; a traditional handmade blanket by Julie Brocklehurst at Logy Made. “It’s a collaboration, all bits and pieces,” Lacey says, “all these connections, you never know what you’re going to find.”

A cabinet holds activities and games like Jenga, dominoes, cards and Scrabble. “One time a mom came with her kids, and she messaged me later and she said, ‘You know, we have Jenga and all this stuff at home, but we never play it at home. We just sat and played and enjoyed.’ You can just come here and disconnect from all the busy things.”

Light refreshments, such as chamomile lavender tea served in pearly cups and tasty waffletons, are available to snack on. What are waffletons? They’re fluffy Newfoundland-bread style toutons toasted in a waffle maker, filled with jam, and they’re amazing.

The hut has been booked solid with people seeking out its comforts for all sorts of reasons. “It’s been a big mix,” says Lacey. “It’s couples celebrating anniversaries, friends celebrating birthdays, surprise engagements.” She chokes up as she describes other visitors who came for solo getaways, or those who gathered to celebrate a loved one who’d passed away. “Every now and then I get these notes about why people had come. I never expected it, and it’s so beautiful! I was just creating a thing – an UGG

boot! – it’s been super, super cool.”

Talking with Lacey is like talking to an old friend, and we laugh and dab at our tears as we appreciate things and eat our waffletons.

The hut’s also the ideal spot to warm up next to a cosy woodstove after a paddle on the bay. “I’ve got two tandem kayaks and four paddleboards, and I’ll release bookings like five days at a time,” explains Lacey. “I watch the wind forecast, so a few days in advance I’ll share it on Facebook and Instagram [and say] ‘Hey, bookings are open, these are the days [that] look safe and good.’ It’s a little fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants.”

Lacey credits her entrepreneurial advisor at NLOWE for reminding her to work some downtime into the busy schedule – time she can use the way she’d imagined: having fun with Finley and Chris, and enjoying the beauty of nature at a slower pace.

“She was right. I don’t want to fill

up all my time. Even on days when I have three bookings in the hut, say, we get it ready in the morning, then me and my son have three and a half hours. We can go down to the riverhead at the beach and swim, we can go for a quad ride, we can go up to Cupids and hike. If I have a full-day booking, we set up the person in the morning and we can go to Northern Bay Sands, or Salmon Cove Sands, or Lester’s Farm. We left the hustle and bustle to come back to the island, for that more quiet, connected-to-nature type life. Something for Finley – not a tiny postage stamp-sized backyard, we have the whole island. This island is a playground. It truly is.”

And with that, Lacey is off to pick strawberries with Finley, and I’m left with the sound of the wind blowing through the open French door and a cup of chamomile lavender tea; ready for the drive back to town with a happy sense of calm.

Lacey, Finley and Chris

The Colony of Avalon welcomes you to come dig for a day and help preserve 400-year-old history.

in beautiful and historic Ferryland, NL, and I find myself doing what every child and child at heart loves to do. I am playing in the dirt.

Well, I am not really playing, but I am enjoying myself so much that I might as well be. Kneeling in a carefully laid out and well-marked grid in a shallow beachside trench near the protected inner harbour known as The Pool, I am time travelling back nearly 400 years through the wonders that my hand trowel and small brushes are revealing, layer by layer, inch by inch. Within the first three hours of my adventure (supervised by very friendly and helpful professionals who provide all the tools, instruct me on proper technique, answer all my questions, and assess all finds to make sure nothing is missed or accidentally damaged), I have uncovered and retrieved many artifacts. My discoveries include several pieces of clay tobacco pipes dating to the 1700s, and numerous bits and types of pottery, some of which I am told go back to the 1640s. There are also iron nails and slag, pieces of brick, charcoal, and many other types of historical and esoteric artifacts that I would learn more about in the conservation lab later in the day.

So what exactly am I up to here? I am taking part in a unique “Dig for a Day” program at the 1621 Colony of Avalon Site. This hands-on experience allows participants to work with professional archaeologists uncovering, documenting and conserving artifacts in what has gained the reputation as arguably the best preserved early English colonial site in North America.

The original proprietor of the colony was Sir George Calvert (15801632) – later known as the First Lord Baltimore – whose impressive Mansion House was constructed between

1621 and 1625 by Captain Edward Wynne. The colony later passed into the hands of Sir David Kirke (c. 15971654), who had this location as his seat of Newfoundland government between 1637 and 1650. After David Kirke’s death in London, England, at the famous Clink Prison, his wife, Lady Sara Kirke, ran a very successful business managing fishing plantations with the aid of her sons. The colony was attacked and burnt several times, most notably by the Dutch in 1673 and the French in 1696, and artifacts from the earliest days and many cultures are still being found.

More than two million artifacts have been unearthed so far.

While there had been a number of earlier test digs over the years, the major archaeological excavations were started by Dr. James Tuck and his team in 1992. The dig is now under the direction of Memorial University’s Dr. Barry Gaulton. He came over several times during the day to see how I was doing with the dig, and to explain some of the features of the site and the items being uncovered.

meticulous work by archaeologists, it is estimated that they have uncovered only about 35 per cent of Calvert’s original four-acre site. So the number of potential amazing discoveries remaining beneath the sod and soil for future generations to find is remarkable.

“The area you were in was near the coastline,” explains Fraser Griffith of British Columbia, one the archeologists who spent some time showing me the ropes earlier in the day. “The

At the Visitor Centre, l learn from the guides that excavation efforts have found the locations and layouts of many original structures, including the Mansion House, the forge, the brewery and bakehouse, stores, a well, seawalls and even a sea-flushed privy (an early toilet that the high tides naturally “flushed” twice a day). They have even uncovered a lovely section of cobblestone road that you travel over today as part of the tour. What makes this all the more astounding is the fact that, despite more than 30 years of dedicated and

richness and diversity of finds is unusual, and it really highlights that this was a very significant place for commerce and trade, with many people visiting and living here. It is quite fascinating because when we think of this period of history, we naturally think of places in the United States like Plymouth Rock and sites in Virginia, but we have a site right here in Ferryland that might have been just as big, only an hour drive south of St. John’s. It is something special you may only get to see once in a lifetime.”

Ferryland site director Dr. Barry Gaulton chats with some visitors.

As glad as I was to find a fairly large number of artifacts during such a short period of time, it was only in the conservation lab on the second floor of the Visitor Centre that I truly begin to appreciate the expertise and incredible depth of knowledge required to identify, categorize, clean, conserve and properly catalogue the tremendous number of finds arriving daily during dig season.

At the heart of the operation this day is Mercedes Johnson, who says to me with a smile, “You know, this is the building I went to school in as a child from Grade 6 to Grade 8, and back then I couldn’t wait to get out. It is ironic I have been working here at the Colony for over 30 years now,

many of them in this same spot. But it is such a beautiful place to live, the people are great, and the work is always interesting. You never know from one day to the next what is going to come in the door or be turned up in the next stroke of a trowel.”

Mercedes kindly spends a few minutes with me. From each fragment, she gleans clues to the larger object to which it once belonged. “Okay, you got some clay pipes that probably date into the 1700s.” The size of the bowl and the bore hole in the stem, as well as any maker’s marks, are often used in dating pipes.

“You also have some Whiteware (pottery), which is a refined earthen-

Above: Dennis holds an artifact he discovered at the Ferryland site.

ware, and some Pearlware from England [my piece had a nice bluish colour], and some Creamware. Some of these items may date 1740s-1750s, it all depends, and we would know more after it is properly cleaned and examined more closely. You also

have some Redware from the 1700s, and Bristol Slipware. It all dates differently, but some of the Bristol Slipware goes back to 1620 and 1630. You have a lot of glass, a lot of nails, some South Somerset pottery, some slate [roofing material] and some flint. You did pretty well for a few hours,” Mercedes says.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Dig for a Day. It was “worth the price of admission,” as they say. I recommend anyone who’s interested in helping preserve history and trying their hand at archaeology to dig deeper at ColonyofAvalon.ca.

Mercedes Johnson holds an artifact in the lab on the second floor of the Colony of Avalon Visitor Centre

HOME and Cabin

stuff we love by Nicola Ryan

Blowin’ in the Wind

WIND IN YOUR SAILS

Put some power in your paddle with a portable, foldable, pop-up sail for your kayak, canoe or paddleboard. This one from Aoile is made from highstrength, wear-resistant material and features a transparent window so you can see what’s behind the sails. Amazon.ca

EASY BREEZY

Single-line kites are easy to fly and great for the whole family. We love the sunset colours and long fabric tail of this classic diamond design from the Canadian Kite Company. CanadianKiteCompany.com

SHOOT THE BREEZE

Auk Island Winery’s Three Sheets to the Wind white wine is crafted from locally grown rhubarb, and brings fresh sea breezes and full sails to mind. The refreshing, crisp flavour pairs well with poultry or pork dishes and is perfect for sipping with friends.

AukIslandWinery.com

CHIME IN

Fox Brae Wind Chime Company is a family owned and operated business in Centreville, NS. For more than 25 years, they’ve been designing and handcrafting quality wind chimes. The Kensington style has a lovely melodic sound, and the wind sail can be engraved with a custom message. FoxBraeWindChimes.com

TWIST IN THE WIND

Know which way the wind is blowing with a handy weathervane. We love this coppercoloured one from SWEN Products, a family business in the USA. Made of durable steel, it features wind-cups that spin in the breeze and a pivoting Newfoundland dog on top.

SWENProducts.com

Living & Learning

How to create an inviting, inspiring study space

By interior designer Marie Bishop

September is my favourite month. Not just because it’s my birthday month and time for my traditional sunrise ceremony on Signal Hill, but also because I think of it as a time of new beginnings. Yes, the garden is fading and the days are shortening, but we’re heading into a new season. It’s a time to make preserves, get creative and prepare for a new year of learning.

It doesn’t matter what level of learning you find yourself at, or whether you’re involved in any formal educational system at all, this time of year seems to call us to broaden our outlook on the world. That could mean learning a musical instrument, picking up a new hobby, giving ourselves a reading challenge or heading back to the classroom. And there’s nothing like an inviting space to strengthen our learning experience.

It doesn’t have to be a huge space, but it should be big enough to fill your needs and fit your requirements. Students usually set up shop in their bedrooms. This makes sense – a space away from the busyness of the house, a quiet space to read and absorb, even a space to veg or nap if studying becomes overwhelming.

While most learning and reading is done on a laptop these days, it’s still a good idea to sit at a desk while doing so. It keeps your body, and consequently your brain, more alert than lying on the bed. It gives you room to spread out your reading and visual material for reference, or allows space for two screens if necessary, as well as a notebook if you’re inclined to make (old school) notes – which, by the way, increases the brain’s ability to remember stuff. The best way to maximize the space is to incorporate a desk, bookcase and storage area all in the one footprint, if possible.

Bonus points if your space has some natural light because good lighting reduces eye strain and keeps the brain alert longer. But even with

While most learning and reading is done on a laptop these days, it’s still a good idea to sit at a desk while doing so.

natural light, make sure there is adequate task lighting. Choose a desk lamp that takes up little surface space but can light a large area. A wall mount light is another option and takes up no desk space at all.

Next, no matter if you’re buckled down for another university term, just starting high school or settling in to write your memoir – comfort is key. You won’t be sitting long if your chair doesn’t fit you properly. A desk chair is a very personal thing, like a good pair of boots. It’s one area where

you should spend the time and the money to get the right fit. A good chair will give you years of comfortable learning (unfortunately, no guarantee on the grades – furniture can only do so much!).

There are things we don’t see that also lend themselves to a better learning environment, such as noise control. Sometimes no noise is as bad as too much noise, and this is true for sleeping as well as learning. It’s been proven that “white noise” can greatly improve sleep patterns, but the jury is

Bonus points if your space has some natural light because good lighting reduces eye strain and keeps the brain alert longer. But even with natural light, make sure there is adequate task lighting.

out on how beneficial it is for learning. It has been found that white noise seems to have a greater positive impact on people who generally have a hard time paying attention, and less so on people who have no trouble staying focused. Some of us find that low volume music is a great backdrop for learning. But again, it’s a very personal thing and may benefit some more than others.

The other unseen factor for your study space is scent. Natural scents work best and are less likely to cause allergic reactions. We have become very hyper aware of the smells in our environment. And most perfumes, deodorants and air fresheners can be offensive to anyone with allergies or a sensitive nose. But the natural scent of lavender, rosemary or mint has a cleansing effect and can actually help us breathe easier, therefore clearing our brain for fresh information. These are available in essential oil form and used in an atomizer, or you can just add a few drops to a small bowl of water.

Finally, personalize your study space. While distractions are not what you need when trying to focus, a few soft touches, a little greenery, some photos or inspirational quotes all help create a warm, comfortable learning environment.

So, this fall, take the time to create a learning corner that invites you to invest in your future, that calls out to you to get at those assignments, or to chase that thing you’ve been thinking about, or to write down your stories for your kids to read. Settle into the fall in a corner where you will love your learning space!

While distractions are not what you need when trying to focus, a few soft touches, a little greenery, some photos or inspirational quotes all help create a warm, comfortable learning environment.

Poached Cod

Todd’s Table

By Todd Goodyear

According to Webster’s dictionary, “poach” means “to take fish or game illegally, especially by trespassing on another’s property.” I’m not quite sure what the trespassing part means exactly. Are they suggesting that one would enter a neighbour’s or friend’s house, or maybe shed, and help themselves to some cod or moose meat? I’d call that borrowing a feed with all good intentions to repay it with the same amount or more! This sort of thing happens, without a doubt, around the bay. And in my neighbourhood here in Paradise, it’s a common thing to have a neighbour drop by my shed (cookhouse) with some fresh cod, trout or a feed of moose. It’s one of the many reasons why we love living here.

The other dictionary meaning of “poach,” more in line with this column, is “to cook in boiling or simmering liquid.” So when I say “poached,” I am referring to the latter. Now should you choose to poach the fish that you’re going to poach, please keep those details to yourself, okay?

I am trusting that if you took part in the food fishery somewhere in the country this season that it was done safely and that success was found each time you were on the water. Ever since that dreadful day when the Atlantic cod moratorium was announced in 1992 – yes, 30 years ago now – a meal of cod tastes better every time. Fresh cod has to be one of the top favourite meals in our house. Maybe we appreciate it more now, too, although I can’t remember a time when there was absolutely no cod to get. I certainly hope it stays that way.

Many Canadians, especially Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, continue to enjoy catching their own cod, be it enough for a meal or as many as they are legally allowed for winter keeping. Living off the land and water is no doubt still very relevant in our province, as well as other areas of the country.

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

I have to say, pan-fried remains my number one favourite way to prepare the almighty Atlantic cod fish. However, poached is a method I recently experimented with and truly enjoyed – so much so that I wanted to share this recipe.

Poached Cod

1 small turnip, peeled, cut into strips

12 baby carrots

1/2 cup butter

4 (6 oz) thick cod fillets, skinned, as fresh as possible

1/2 cup coarse kosher salt, divided

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, cut into slices or wedges

4-6 medium potatoes, boiled (optional)

Salt & pepper to taste

Place carrots and turnip in a medium pot. Cover vegetables with cold water, add half the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer vegetables until fork tender. In another pot, add cod fillets and enough cold water to cover the fish by at least a couple of inches. Add remaining salt and bring the fish to a boil. Once it starts to boil, immediately remove the pot from the heat, cover and let stand for 10-12 minutes. In a small saucepan, melt the butter for drizzling over the fish and vegetables. Once the fish has rested and the veggies are cooked, remove the fish with a slotted spoon and place on some paper towel before plating. This will soak up extra water in the fish, so the plate doesn’t get too wet and dilute the melted butter. Place the fish, carrot and turnip (and potatoes if desired) on the plate. Drizzle all with the melted butter and season with salt & pepper. Squeeze some lemon juice over the top of the fish and add another slice for garnish.

This meal is delicious! Light, tasty and a great alternative to other traditional methods of preparing cod. It is also very easy and quick to make. In this recipe, I used turnip and

Todd’s Tips

carrot. Feel free to make some boiled or baked potato, or serve it with a salad of your choice. All will go well with poached cod.

Use the freshest cod possible for this meal. It will be worth it.

Salt amount used is strictly personal desired taste; adjust for your liking.

Boiled potatoes mashed with butter and milk would also make a great side.

Always, always, cook with confidence.

life is better

Sadie takes a trip to Ferryland, NL

Chelsey Broderick, Gander, NL

Apple a Day!

Come September, trees are laden down with juicy apples that are literally ripe for the picking. Here are six delicious ways to enjoy those apples and “keep the doctor away.”

Dried Apple Rings

5 apples

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 L water

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Combine lemon juice and water in a large bowl. Wash, peel (or not!) and core apples. Use a sharp knife or a mandolin to cut apples into 1/4" slices. Dip slices in lemon juice solution, to minimize browning of the apple flesh. Pat slice dry with a tea towel or paper towel. Lay slices in a single layer on clean wire baking or cooling racks. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon; flip the slices and sprinkle the other side. Place apples in the oven set to the lowest temperature (likely 150-165°F). Prop the door open with a wooden spoon, for the moisture to escape as the apples dry out. Bake for at least 5 hours, up to 8 hours. Check apples periodically for doneness: when torn apart, they should be dry and spongy inside, leathery outside. Let them cool completely for several hours before transferring to an airtight container or resealable bag for storage between snacks. Makes about 5 cups of apple rings.

Baked Apples

4 large apples (eg. Gala, Honeycrisp or Fuji)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts or almonds)

1/4 cup granola

1 tbsp butter, divided

3/4 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse and dry the apples. Slice across the top an inch or so below the stem to make a “cap” for your apple. Without cutting through the bottom half-inch of the apple, remove the core using a corer or sharp knife. Make the centre hole an inch or so wide for the stuffing. Do this for all four apples. Place apples in an 8" x 8" baking dish. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts and granola. Stuff each apple with equal amounts of filling and dot the top of each with 1/4 tbsp of butter. Put their “caps” on. Pour boiling water into the bottom of the dish around the apples (not over them). Bake for 30-45 minutes, until apples are cooked through and tender, but not mushy. Remove from oven, remove caps and baste apples with pan juices. Serve each apple with a side of vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt or whipped topping. Sprinkle with extra granola or nuts (or drizzle with caramel sauce!), if desired.

Microwave Instructions: Core and stuff the apples, leave off the caps. Place apples in a deep, microwavable dish, pour in the water and cover the dish. Cook for 4 minutes, then check for doneness. If needed, keep cooking and checking a minute at a time until tender, but not mushy. Makes 4 servings.

Pull-apart Apple Bread

For the bread

3/4 cup warm milk

1 pkg active dry yeast (NOT quick rise)

1 egg

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp butter, melted

3 cups flour, divided

1 tsp salt

For the filling

3 tbsp butter, melted

1 large apple, diced

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

For the glaze

1 cup icing sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp milk

Make the bread dough: In a small bowl, stir together milk and yeast; cover and leave at room temperature for 10 minutes, until foamy. In large bowl, use an electric mixer (or stand mixer) to beat egg and sugar. Add 3 tbsp melted butter. Add yeast mixture; beat to combine. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt; beat for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and beat 3 minutes more. Use floured hands to mix in remaining flour and knead dough into a ball. Move dough to a greased bowl. Cover it with plastic cling wrap and let it rise at room temperature until it almost doubles in size (takes about an hour). Once dough has risen, grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan. Roll out dough on a floured surface to a 20" x 12" rectangle. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon, set aside. Brush the dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar and spread diced apple over top. Cut dough into six 20" x 2" pieces, then stack pieces directly on top of each other. Cut the stacks every 5”, making four stacks. Loosely place the stacks cutside-up in the pans, gently folding them and turning them so that the stacks aren’t all in the same direction. Cover the pan with plastic cling wrap and let bread rise again at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove cling wrap and bake bread for 25 minutes, then cover the top loosely with aluminium foil and bake for 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let bread cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack to finish cooling. Make the glaze: In a bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon and milk. Add more milk or more sugar to get the consistency you like. Drizzle over cooled bread. Serve by pulling apart the pieces by hand. Makes 1 loaf.

Spinach Apple Salad

2 cups fresh baby spinach

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and sliced

2 small apples, cored, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp honey

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 small garlic clove, peeled and minced

Make the vinaigrette by whisking all ingredients together; set aside. Add spinach, chicken, apples, walnuts and dried cranberries to a large bowl; toss lightly. Just before serving, drizzle with the vinaigrette. Makes 4-6 servings.

Apple Dumplings

2 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, apples that won’t go mushy when cooked)

2 containers refrigerated Pillsbury™ Original Crescent Rolls (8 crescents each)

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup apple juice

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13" x 9" pan with cooking spray. Peel and core apples; cut into 16 slices. Unroll dough; separate into 16 triangles. Place 1 apple slice on shortest side of each dough triangle. Starting with shortest side of triangle, roll to opposite point, wrapping dough around apple slice; arrange in pan. In medium bowl, stir together melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and apple juice; stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture evenly over and around dumplings. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes. Nice served with ice cream or whipped cream. Makes 8 servings.

Apple Cheddar Cheese Pie

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cold butter, cubed

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1/4 cup ice water

1/4 cup white vinegar

7 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced (Granny Smith, Gala etc.)

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp butter

1 egg, beaten

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in cold butter with pastry cutter, two forks or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese. Combine water and vinegar, and gradually add to flour mixture until a ball forms. Divide dough in half and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

When dough is ready, preheat oven to 450°F. Roll one ball out to make a bottom crust to fit inside a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out top crust with the other ball, with an inch or so extra to hang over, and set aside. In a large bowl, toss apples in lemon juice. Drain and discard excess juice. Stir in 1 1/2 cups sugar and cinnamon. Arrange apple slices on bottom crust in overlapping rows, working from outer edge in. Dot apples with 1 tbsp butter. Cover with top pie crust. Seal and press edges together, then trim excess dough. Cut a few slashes in top crust to allow steam to escape.

Place pie pan on a cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake about another 30 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Remove from oven, brush lightly with beaten egg, and sprinkle liberally with 1 tbsp sugar. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more, until sugar forms a crisp glaze. Remove from oven and let cool before cutting. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or canned table cream (eg. Fussell’s). Makes 1 pie.

Raising Gardeners

Tips for encouraging the younger generation to embrace gardening for life

BY KIM THISTLE

Any gardener who has young children knows the challenge of trying to keep their attention long enough to get a few things done in the garden. With my own children, I would try to get them to help me sow seeds and small plants in the vegetable patch – to no avail. Their attention span lasted approximately 30 seconds. Most of my gardening was done with a headlamp after they were gone to bed. The slugs and I would spend time getting acquainted after dark.

If the Time Fairy were to let me relive those years, there are a few things I would do differently. Maybe approaching gardening with children the following ways would have reaped more success for me and the kids.

Have the garden prepared beforehand so that they don’t have to take part in the tedious weeding and soil turning.

Introduce them to worms and help them to understand the importance of these invertebrates. They could build a worm farm while you are getting the carrot seed in the ground. To learn how, google “How to make a worm farm?” by Penguin books and read the resulting www.Penguin.co.uk article.

Let them help with the large seed. Peas are a good choice. Plant the edible pod type, but also make sure you grow the types with a zipper – the ones that open up with peas inside. What child could resist eating something that they can “unbox”?

Grow pumpkins. They take up a large area, but are worth the reward. Try carving a face or a child’s name into the skin when it is small and watch it grow with the fruit! How cool is that? After harvesting, make a pie with the flesh and roast the seeds to show the kids how many good uses a pumpkin can have.

Ya gotta have sunflowers. Try a variety of sizes and colours.

Grow cherry tomatoes. Try the bumble bee types and grow the three different colours: pink, sunrise and purple.

Strawberries are a must. It is interesting to show how the seeds grow on the outside of the fruit.

Give your child a small plot of their own, but don’t judge them on how they manage it. No nagging. Keep it small and underwhelming.

Let them have real tools. Toy tools are ineffective and will only discourage a budding gardener.

Teach them that not all bugs are bad; in fact, most are good guys, like Spiderman. If you don’t like bugs, take a deep breath and try to hide it; it’s best to avoid instilling your own fears in your child.

Choose a location in full sun with good soil, to help avoid failure.

Carrots, of course. A child’s garden is not complete without carrots. Try the rainbow type: it is neat for them to learn that carrots do not HAVE to be orange.

Provide a watering can versus a hose. A watering can has a finite amount of water and you can talk about conservation and the value of every drop. You will find that watering will be their favourite part of gardening.

Make a teepee out of branches for peas and beans to climb on. These also provide great play houses for little ones. Find inspiration for this at www.GardeningKnowHow.com (search the site for “children’s bean teepee.”)

Take photos to document the gardening progress from start to finish. Share them with the grandparents so that they can make a fuss. It’s good reinforcement for the children’s efforts.

Harvest time is the culmination of all the hard work. Help the children with a simple recipe that uses some of the foods they’ve grown.

Push their imagination into fantasy with fairy legends. Build a fairy garden in the middle of the patch. Try handmaking houses, doors, chairs, swings and so forth with popsicle sticks. (The kids will love eating the popsicles for you!) Integrating tiny flowers will make a big impression.

Be sure to have some flowers that attract pollinators; use them to teach your child about the importance of having insects to pollinate your plants. Without them, plants would need to be pollinated by hand. Fruit farmers in China are forced to pollinate by hand due to the heavy use of pesticides, and often children have to climb to the tops of trees to get to the hard parts. Educate yourself on this topic and teach your children so that they will understand the importance of trying organic methods first. (www.MyBeeline.co has a story about this.)

If we can get young children interested at this stage of their lives, we help build a culture of sustainability for our families, communities and regions. Encourage daycares to embrace an outdoor program and integrate painting and crafts with gardening. Encourage and volunteer for your school’s green thumb program and spice up their education experience.

Lastly, make our food have value from the seed to the plate. It’s a tragic outcome when young children cannot recognize a fruit or vegetable in its raw form and believe that food comes from supermarkets versus farms and gardens.

Plan your children’s gardening introduction now, and work your plan by evolving their experience year after year. Oh… and have fun. It’s contagious!

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.

Class of 1950

“Joyce Humby, front row, second from left, would like help with naming folks in this class photo of student teachers,” writes the submitter of this photo, taken in front of Prince of Wales Collegiate in St. John’s, NL. Sandra Colbourne Grand Falls-Windsor, NL

Making Nets

“I am 96 years old and was born in Cards Harbour, but moved to Canada in 1949,” writes the submitter. “This picture is of my grandfather’s and my dad’s fishing nets. They would knit the nets in their store in winter. They would pick buds from spruce trees, boil them in a large pot and then hang them to dry. My grandfather was George Roberts; my father, Fred Roberts.”

Ivy (Roberts) Edgecombe Peterborough, ON

Familiar Faces?

“The woman in the middle with the cake is my great-grandmother, Elizabeth Chaulk Haynes Clarke. The man to her right is my greatgrandfather, Richard Clarke. They lived on Carters Hill [in St. John’s],” the submitter writes. “Any information on any of the people in this picture would be wonderful. I would love to let my father know.”

Seana Clarke Gander, NL

Here’s an interesting fact: our deep dive into the archives showed there was no issue for September 1988! An editorial in the August issue gives us some insight into why:

Your Downhomer is now four months old and, like an infant, it has grown much in that short period, nurtured by its parents and immediate family.

The Downhomer started out in June as a 12-page tabloid with a run of 5,000 copies for the Southern Ontario market. We increased the next issue to 20 pages. We had so much material and such a demand that we went to 24 pages and a run of 10,000 copies in August.

Your October issue will contain 24 pages in a run of 15,000 copies! We have grown so much in such a short time, thanks to your response.

The Saving of Buddy Wasisname

By Tom Rissesco, ATC

I found Air Traffic Control (ATC) to be a very interesting and exciting job. It also had its moments of stress! A few years ago, I was remembering three exceedingly stressful emergencies I had in the Gander Tower back in the day, including the greatest human interest emergency I had ever experienced on the job.

We learned early in the afternoon shift on this October day in 1955 that an aircraft had filed Visual Flight Rules (VFR) from Seven Islands, Quebec, to Gander, NL. The aircraft was an older Anson two-engine former bomber.

The weather in Gander was dull and somewhat foggy, and we feared for the safety of this aircraft. Our concern was quickly raised to a much higher level when, less than 90 minutes after the plane took off from Seven Islands, a great deal of Newfoundland was almost totally fogged in. When it reached Stephenville, NL,

conditions were so bad the aircraft could not land. We wondered why they didn’t turn around and head back to Seven Islands. The answer was that the pilot had already completed about 650 nautical miles, and the distance to Gander was only 180200 nautical miles farther.

There was no mention of any passengers, nor a reason given for the flight. We thought maybe the pilot had some people with him. If so, it was certainly more practical to continue eastward. The pilot found conditions the same or worse at Buchans’ landing strip.

The situation was no better when Gander Centre passed control over to us at Gander Tower. The fog was very thick and the plane in question had very little equipment. All the pilot really had was an old VHF radio with two-way communication – and he was lucky to have had that. In the tower at the time of the emergency, there were three controllers. John Scammell was the shift supervisor, I was on the mic, and the newest controller was Clifford Powell.

After one totally unsuccessful pass, we suggested “Blue Jay” – a new ground control approach, not owned by Canada at the time, but owned by Pan American Airline and operated by a former American serviceman –and there was normally a cost. John Scammell told Blue Jay he was asking for a special emergency-situation exemption. It was our last chance! Meanwhile, Clifford Powell went out onto the nearby connected hangar roof and shot off a number of green flares to help the pilot pinpoint our location.

With the help of Blue Jay ground control approach, the grace of God, and Brian O’Rourke’s sharp eyes, we got the plane down safely. Brian was an AT controller who had previously worked in Gander and was now working at Seven Islands and was on the approaching plane.

What tension! Then, what a relief! Ten minutes before, conditions looked hopeless and we imagined tragedy. But the Anson two-engine aircraft landed safely and continued taxiing to the foot of Gander Tower – and then ran completely

out of fuel. What a close call!

The first two off the airplane were Brian O’Rourke, who’d sat with the pilot and spotted a landmark during a break in the fog, and Red Gavin, a Seven Island weather observer originally from Parrsboro, NS, who’d come to pay me a surprise visit. Then a lady, Isabelle Blackmore, with a baby in her arms, came down the steps. The one-year-old was Kevin Blackmore, who later became the frontman of the famous Newfoundland and Labrador folk music and comedy group, Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers.

Four years ago, Kevin and his sister, Monica, came to our home in Dartmouth, NS, to thank me and the others in the tower for saving the lives of the occupants of the Anson aircraft. He also invited me and my wife to the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax to watch his show!

Kevin Blackmore (centre) and his fellow performers in Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers, Wayne Chaulk (left) and Ray Johnson (right)

Gnat, do you mind… Guitars

By Harold N. Walters

Beasley Bob, Harry’s infamous imp, shifted in his hot seat near the hobs of hell where, like a wanton boy, he idly plucked the wings off blue-arsed flies. He sensed mischief afoot in Brookwater.

“Children,” said Miss Britt, “it is Friday and, as promised, instead of having regular lessons all afternoon, we will have our first Poetry and Song session.”

Most of Miss Britt’s students clapped. Not Harry though. He sulked and unconsciously scratched a familiar itch on his left shoulder. He hadn’t memorized a poem to recite, and, as every soul in Brookwater knew, he didn’t have a musical note in his noggin.

He brightened a little when Sally and Ugly Maude stood on the school’s small stage and sang “Let

the Sunshine In” almost as well as Kitty Wells. He hunched in his desk and smirked when Gnat faced Miss Britt and, sporting a disarmingly charming smile, boldly recited his rhyme:

The higher up the mountain,

The greener grows the grass.

Down comes a billy goat

Sliding on his…

Overcoat!

The whole school laughed. Miss Britt let it slide.

After several more songs and recitations, it was Harry’s turn to shine. He scuffed to the stage,

stammered and stalled, and eventually blurted out the only scrap of poetry he could recall:

Forward the Light Brigade.

Into the Valley of Death Rode the six hundred.

Harry didn’t shine. He didn’t even smolder. Blank as the pages of a brand-new scribbler, he glutched a couple of times, said, “Miss, that’s all I knows,” and clumped off the stage. Sally’s look chided Harry as he passed her on his way back to his desk, where he flopped down with a face on him like a broody hen’s.

Meanwhile, back at the hobs of hell, only the strewn carcasses of wingless flies remained. Beasley Bob was en route to Brookwater.

When Olsen Tetford stood at centre stage, guitar in hand, Harry’s blood boiled. Vapour billowed from his ears like steam from a tea kettle. “Friggin’ guitar,” he thought.

Olsen’s guitar, one he’d had come in the mail from Eaton’s catalogue, was robin’s egg blue and had a pair of palm trees painted on its sound board. He strung the guitar strap around his neck, strummed a chord or two and then burst into song. He sounded just like Johnny Cash as he belted out “Ballad of a Teenage Queen.”

Out of sight beneath his desktop, Harry’s hands fisted and slammed together in fury.

“Prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.” Olsen changed Johnny’s line a tad to make it more personal, looking straight at Sally as he squeezed the refrain into the song wherever it would fit.

Harry fumed… until a talon nipped his left ear and a voice hissing like hell’s flames said, “Hold your horses. You’ll get your chance.” Beasley Bob

clung to Harry’s shoulder and, mimicking Harry, let his own ears smoke a little.

A week passed. Beasley Bob stuck with Harry, fanning the flames of wrath Harry directed at Olsen Tetford. Beasley Bob gloated, his face swollen from soaking up Harry’s bile-green jealousy.

Another Friday rolled round. Olsen arrived at school and, after getting a nod from Miss Britt, carefully lodged his guitar on a table in the map room. Beasley Bob yanked Harry’s head towards the map room, ensuring Harry knew the whereabouts of Olsen’s guitar. Friggin’ blue guitar with friggin’ palm trees!

As Miss Britt’s students settled into their seats, Harry heard Sally say, “What are you going to sing today, Olsen?”

He didn’t hear Olsen’s answer because Beasley Bob howled something nasty in his left ear. His right ear tingled and tissed like spit on a red-hot damper.

Harry seethed until recess time when Gnat, whom Harry’s torment had entertained all morning, said, “What are you going to do about Olsen?”

“I got a plan,” said Harry, failing to realize that the plan wasn’t entirely his own.

“I ’low,” said Gnat.

“I have so,” said Harry. “I got this.” He patted his arse pocket to indicate it contained something he would use against Olsen. Again, Harry failed to realize that slipping a weapon into his pocket wasn’t totally his idea.

Beasley Bob did a handstand on Harry’s shoulder, then flipped to his cloven-hoof feet with a Ta-da! gesture.

Gnat noticed a brief look of confusion scud across Harry’s chops like a shadow cast by a dark cloud. “Harry?” he said.

Without responding to his buddy, Harry abruptly slewed away. Gnat blinked. Double blinked. He thought he’d seen Harry’s left ear lobe stretch as Harry dashed off across the schoolyard and sat under a lightening-scorched black spruce.

To avoid Harry’s pickle puss, Gnat milled among the youngsters whiling away their recess time. He drifted past a knot of… well, mostly girls, hovering around Olsen Tetford.

who slouched in his seat as crooked as a twisty ol’ juniper – enjoyed the recitations and songs. Two other girls joined Sally and Ugly Maude, and as a quartet they sang “How Far Is Heaven,” another Kitty Wells hit.

Pushing his luck for sure, Gnat rhymed off a second, somewhat illogical verse:

I asked my mother for fifty cents

To watch the elephant sweep the floor.

He swept so fast he broke the glass, And all the splinters blew up in his… Face!

“I have a perfect song picked out for this afternoon,” he heard Olsen say to them.

“Oh, that don’t bode well,” Gnat thought.

Morning passed. Afternoon arrived. Nobody noticed Harry slip away from the crowd moments before Miss Britt rang the afternoon bell, calling her students to the second Poetry and Song session. Nobody noticed him, his companion imp riding his shoulder, enter the school with one hand fishing out tiny pliers from his pocket. Nobody noticed Harry sidle into the map room and quietly close the door on himself, Beasley Bob and Olsen’s robin’s egg blue guitar with the pair of palm trees painted on its sound board.

In the school day’s final hour, all the youngsters – except for Harry,

“Next week, Gnat, something sensible,” Miss Britt scolded.

“Yes Miss,” said Gnat, grinning inwardly, already thinking of next week’s offering:

The boy stood on the burning deck,

His feet were full of blisters…

His turn approaching, Olsen went to fetch his guitar. “Oh no!” bawled Olsen from the map room.

Harry skewed his eyes from beneath a furrowed brow that closely resembled Beasley Bob’s fiendish forehead.

Olsen emerged from the map room holding his guitar like a crippled pet. “Look Miss,” he said. The guitar’s severed strings dangled in a snarl from its neck.

All hands looked at Harry, who twitched uncomfortably in his seat. The pliers in his arse pocket made a painful, punishing lump.

When Olsen Tetford stood at centre stage, guitar in hand, Harry’s blood boiled. Vapour billowed from his ears like steam from a tea kettle. “Friggin’ guitar,” he thought.

“Miss, what will I do?” said Olsen. “I have a dandy song learned.”

“Come with me, Olsen.” Miss Britt lodged an arm around Olsen’s shoulder and guided him up onto the stage. She leaned down and spoke softly to the crestfallen balladeer.

Olsen nodded emphatically. “Yes, Miss, I can do that,” he said.

Miss Britt signalled for Spud Spurvey to lend a hand shuffing the school’s battered piano to the middle of the stage. Satisfied with its position, Miss Britt flipped open the keyboard and gestured to the circular stool. “Take it away,” she said.

Serious as a Reverend Bottle sermon, Olsen spun the screw-top stool to a comfortable height, sat down and… well, tinkled the ivories for a couple of practice runs before commencing to play some very recognizable opening bars.

Every girl – and half the boys – in the school cheered so loudly they almost drowned out Olsen’s voice when he gazed directly at Sally and crooned, “Love me tender, love me long…”

Screeching like his banshee cousins, Beasley Bob fled back to the hobs of hell where, poisoned that his scheme had failed, he waited for hapless flies to buzz into reach. Harry muttered words that even a stiff brush and Sunlight soap wouldn’t scrub from his gob, and slid deep in his desk until his chin hooked the edge and prevented him from skidding onto the floor.

Mind Olsen’s blue guitar, Gnat? Mind how, without being told, Harry spent three weeks’ allowance on six guitar strings in Uncle Pell’s shop and secretly left them in Olsen Tetford’s desk?

Harold Walters lives in Dunville, NL, doing his damnedest to live Happily Ever After. Reach him at ghwalters663@gmail.com

In my retirement years, I have been extremely fortunate to have opportunities to yarn with seniors about life growing up in my Southwest Arm area. When I recently visited with Leonie (Stoyles) Hollett, who will turn 100 years old on October 5, we yarned about her childhood at the Northern Bight Train Station. The following is what she told me as we sat together at Oram’s Bethesda Manor in Gander, NL.

My name is Leonie

Mabel (Stoyles) Hollett, and I was born on October 5, 1922, at Hillview. I was the second oldest child of Jim and Blanche (Vey) Stoyles. There were six of us in the family The oldest was my brother, Lester. Then there was me and my sister Marguerite. Alfred, Lilly and Ray were the three youngest. My brother, Lester, was born in Hillview on February 10, 1921, but spent a short time as a baby in an old shack at Northern Bight that served as the station. The old shed was tiny and cold during the winter.

My dad had just gotten a job as a station agent, and my mom, a skilled telegrapher, helped Dad run the station. After I was born, the Newfoundland Railway built a new station house. It contained a ticket office, a freight shed and living quarters for our family. Yes, this was my home, Northern Bight Station, where Dad and Mom raised six children. You know, two of my brothers, Alfred and Ray, worked with the railway. The Newfoundland Railway built

two other houses at the station, where Samuel Warren’s and Newman Branton’s families lived. Samuel and his station crew took care of the railway to the east. Newman’s crew maintained the western section. Later, Samuel’s son, Nathaniel, built a house because he was employed as a crew member who repaired the rails. Now that was the size of the small village of Northern Bight Station.

Dad was on call 24 hours of the

Left top: Leonie’s neices in 1950 in front of the Northern Bight Train Station, where Leonie’s family lived and worked.

day, and when orders were received that an eastbound train would be arriving, he would communicate that to the westbound train. He did not want the two trains meeting and having an accident. Sometimes the train would come during the day and sometimes at night. People from the Southwest Arm region would arrive by boat, take a horse and cart to the station from Queen’s Cove, Northwest Brook or Hillview, and buy their tickets from Dad to their destination.

Mom was skilled in operating the telegraph key, which was used to send Morse Code. That was the main work that my mom did at the station, which kept her busy. Mom could not keep up with the housework, so we had a housekeeper, or what people used to call a servant. Her name was Jessie Price and she lived with us. She was from Loreburn, a small fishing community below St. Jones Within, but that community is now gone. Nobody lives there anymore.

Dad and Mom were also responsible for all other types of business done by the railway, including Newfoundland Railway Express money orders. Ross Vivian preserved one of these money orders sent by his dad, John Vivian, who worked at the station as a fireman.

The front of the new house at the railway station had all windows downstairs and upstairs facing the railway tracks. Dad had an office with a waiting room just off his

office. There was an attached freight shed for the arrival and departure of local freight. The train would often be late, and the delayed passengers would sit in the waiting room. Sometimes they fell off to sleep next to the warm potbelly stove that burned coal. That stove was always going, especially in the winter. A door led from the office into the kitchen and the living room, where we prepared our meals and sometimes food for waiting passengers. Mom and Dad would shut that door when people were buying tickets or in the waiting room. The house was two storeys, and a staircase led to the bedrooms.

While growing up at the station, all children attended school at Northwest Brook or Hillview. Lester and I got our early schooling at Hillview. The road was only a horse-and-cart path that was very rough. When we went to Hillview, we had to stay with our grandparents. It was so hard spending time away from home. My fondest memories were returning

Leonie’s neices at Northern Bight station in 1950

home for the holidays and the excitement that would bring to everyone.

Later we started attending school at Northwest Brook, and the government gave money to improve the road between the station and Northwest Brook. Dad bought a Model T Ford in Clarenville. The gravel roads were still bumpy, but for us kids standing on the runners and hanging onto various parts of the car, it was exciting to be travelling between the station and Northwest Brook. I always remember the boys starting that car engine by turning the crank in the front of the car until you heard the engine sputtering and its final roar. Lester began driving that old car on the station road when he was around 12. When we would leave the station, Lester would always stop and park it at the top of the steep hill going down into Northwest Brook because it was too dangerous going down that steep hill.

Maybe that’s why Mom got a

teacher to come to the station, by the name of Priscilla Cooper. She stayed with us, and she got free board and lodging. She had just finished school and had gone to summer school. She was about 17 or 18 at the time. The three families agreed to pay $5 for a total salary of $15 a month. The families repaired the old sexton shack that was not being used, and it became our one-room schoolhouse. All the children could be schooled at home. Mom and Dad made sure that we all got an education. I did my last year of schooling, Grade 11, at Glovertown, where mom’s friend lived. So I finished in Glovertown, but my sister, Marguerite, completed her education in Hillview. She taught for a couple of years in Northwest Brook.

I enjoyed my life at Northern Bight Station because that’s what I knew. I liked the freedom of catching small trout in the brook with my friends after school, sometimes being late

Leonie’s father in 1928, with his 1924 Model T Ford

getting home. I remember Mom walking out the station road looking for us, and when she found us in the brook she told us it was time to be getting home. I enjoyed the late summer and the fall, which brought berrypicking time near the station. Sometimes we would go with Mom and use the train scooter or the pump trolley along the tracks to find berries. In the winter, we would use barrel staves to go siding down the snow piled up near the rails by the snowplough, or piled up even higher when the rotary snowplough would go by the station because the snowplough could not push the snow any higher. I enjoyed going to the United church at Northwest Brook on Sundays with my family.

In my later years at the station, the Newfoundland Railway put on a train during the summer that would run on Sundays known as the “Flyer.” This train would leave St. John’s and arrive at the Northern Bight Station at 20 minutes to three in the afternoon. Our family would always have a cooked dinner, and Mom would expect us to have all the dishes washed and the old cast iron stove cleaned and shiny before the arrival of the Train Flyer. We would

have to be dressed and have our hair curled using the curling iron before the people would start gathering at the station from nearby communities. The Flyer would stop to let people off and be gone in less than 10 minutes. Sometimes, the train would go on through because no one was on board to get off.

The train was often late, and Mom would say to us, “You will have to get a lunch for those people.” We would prepare the table, put on a white cloth embroidered around the edges, and set the table with the best dishes and cutlery. Then we prepared sandwiches, biscuits and tea for the hungry people. Mom would only allow us to charge 25 cents for the food and service.

At 17, I graduated and went to St. John’s to become a nurse. That is where I got TB. But that is another story for another day.

My parents are gone now. There are only three of us still living: my younger sister Ruth, 94 years old; Ray, the youngest at 91; and me. I will be 100 years old in October.

Happy Birthday, Leonie, from the Southwest Arm Historical Society and me.

A view of Hillview today from where the train station once stood.

BACK WHEN I WAS IN GRADE 6

(approximately two weeks after Noah’s ark slipped away from its moorings; in fact, I remember helping his son Lot load the boat and, being young and innocent at the time, I kept wondering to myself, “Isn’t one each of these animals enough?”), my school was presented with this old lady’s “bazaar book” because she was unable to go door-to-door selling tickets. It was expected that each student would purchase a ticket at 10 cents each.

A bazaar book was basically a little black notebook with lined pages and a handwritten number assigned to each line. These books were given out to older members of the parish, mostly women, who would then go door-to-door selling chances on a prize they had either bought or most likely made, like a pair of mitts or socks. This was done to raise money for the church. When a person bought a ticket, their name was written on a numbered line – some sellers would let you choose which line if you felt a certain number was lucky. When all the tickets were sold and the lines filled out, the parish priest would pick a random number to win.

They were called “bazaar” books because the funds they raised were used to put off the annual bazaar – the biggest fundraiser of the year. Therefore, you were raising money to raise more money. We Catholics think of everything – it’s the Irish in us.

All the children in the school were encouraged to buy a ticket. (You should be advised that this use of “encouraged” would not meet the dictionary definition of the word.) There were some 250 children from Grade 1 to 6 in the school at the time. Some families had to buy more than others

because they had several children in the school. Eventually, nearly all the tickets were sold. There was just one child in the whole school who had not yet bought a ticket. Now, guess who that was. I should mention here that the prize was a big walking doll, which was almost three feet tall. It was on display in the store window of the lady who owned the bazaar book. There was just no way I was going to buy a ticket on some doll.

My teacher, the only male teacher on staff, tried everything to get me to buy a ticket. My mother was told that I was the only child who hadn’t bought a ticket –even my older brother, who was also in Grade 6, had bought a ticket. Eventually, between my teacher and my mom, I was “encouraged” to buy a ticket. Truthfully, I was glad that was over –the pressure was getting to me.

I forgot about the whole thing until one Monday night a couple of weeks later when my mother came home from the parish bingo, which was another weekly fundraiser. I was in bed asleep, and she woke me up to tell me I had won the doll. Being halfasleep and thinking it was just a bad dream, imagine my horror at breakfast when I realized it was true. It

wasn’t a bad dream – it was a real nightmare.

At school, I hoped word hadn’t gotten around that I’d won a doll. Some chance of that. Almost every woman in the parish was at the bingo the night before. My teacher told me I would have to go down Water Street to the old lady’s store and pick up the doll. That didn’t sound too bad; after all, her store was on the water side of Water Street. I could easily weigh the doll down with beach rocks and throw it in the harbour. The tide would do the rest. But then my teacher told me I would have to bring

had other plans and I would have to come up with a plan of my own. I would hide somewhere until enough time had passed that I could go back to my class and tell my teacher I had visited all the other classrooms and everyone saw the doll.

I hid in a closet outside the Grade 5 classroom, directly across from my own. In Catholic schools back then, after each period everyone stood and said a prayer before starting the next period. I could hear the noise from my closet hideaway, and when the last period was about to start I exited the closet. I returned to my class, told my teacher I had visited all the classrooms and everyone had seen the doll. Thank God that was over!

the doll back to the school because many of the children who had bought a ticket never got to see it. Does the pain never end?

So I brought the stupid three-foottall walking doll back to the school, hoping they might place it in the hallway somewhere so everyone could see it on their way in or out. Nope. My teacher told me I had to visit each classroom individually with the doll.

Imagine. I’m a 12-year-old boy, parading around school with this huge doll under my arm. I felt I had died and gone to the other place the nuns warned us about. When I walked out of the Grade 2 classroom I looked up to Heaven and said a silent prayer that God would strike me dead before I had to make another step. But God

But I still had to walk home with that stupid doll under my arm and meet up with the Protestant kids who were returning home from their schools. My very own journey of tears. After getting home and whispering a silent prayer of thanks the ordeal was finally over, my mother said I should show the doll, which was expensive, to my grandparents who lived across the road and my other relatives who lived up and down the road nearby...

My father, for reasons I cannot explain, decided to build a display case for the doll and mount it on the dining room wall. It hung there for more than 60 years before the house was torn down. My youngest daughter had expressed a desire to have the doll, so now it stands – face to the wall because my son-in-law thinks it’s scary – in my granddaughter’s bedroom on the mainland.

Imagine. I’m a 12-yearold boy, parading around school with this huge doll under my arm.

Tony McGrath photo

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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.

Last Month’s Community: Cow Head

Larry Samms photo

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.

Last Month’s Answer: Cupids

Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador

by Mel D’Souza

Use these 5 clues to identify where Ragged Rick is now:

• Located in Canada Bay

• Fishing outport since the 1880s

• Once part of the French Shore

• Site of NL’s worst sealing disaster is viewable from here

• Harbour is sheltered by Barr’d Island

Last Month’s Answer: Herring Neck

Gene Greene

photo

In Other Words

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

Last Month’s Clue: The canine periods of the hot season

In Other Words: The dog days of summer

This Month’s Clue: Glimmer, glimmer miniscule celebrity

In Other Words: _______, _______ _____ ____

A Way With Words

Last Month’s

Answer:

Colouring Outside the Lines

This Month’s Clue UP DOWN UP DOWN UP DOWN UP DOWN

Answer:

Rhyme Time

A rhyming word game by Ron Young

1. A crimson outbuilding is a ___ ____

2. To guess someone’s years is to _____ ____

3. To stare at a bird of prey is to ____ at a ____

Last Month’s Answers 1. fish wish, 2. trout pout, 3. took the hook

Scrambled Sayings 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.

Last month’s answer: In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.

Rhymes 5 Times

Each answer rhymes with the other four

1. episode____________

2. incitement____________

3. ritual____________

4. meaning____________

5. contest____________

Last Month’s Answers: 1. funny, 2. honey,

3. money, 4. bunny, 5. sunny

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!

Historian Knits Elf _ _____ __ ______

Ace Lip Per Erode _ _________ ____

Last Month’s 1st Clue: Low Hissed Pry Scissor Hound. Answer: Lowest prices around. Last Month’s 2nd Clue: Ask Wick Cuss Awful Ash. Answer: As quick as a flash.

A

nalogical A nagrams

Don’t get your knickers in a knot!

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

Tangled Towns

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

1. THORN BROHRUA

2. CLAKB VIRER

3. DOWOY SANDIL

4. SMEARNEHE

5. SKNOMWONT

Last Month’s Answers:

1. Cape Broyle, 2. Calvert,

3. Aquaforte, 4. Fermeuse,

5. Ferryland

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

1. NO LESS ~ Clue: it shows you’re dumb to make you smarter

2. SKI TEAMS ~ Clue: there’s no recipe, but everyone makes them

3. IRE FUN RUT ~ Clue: it has legs but will never walk out on you

4. LIONS OUT ~ Clue: it always leads back to a problem

5. WAR LYE ~ Clue: his suits take others to the cleaners

Last Month’s Answers: 1. correspondence, 2. cemetery, 3. barnyard, 4. shoreline, 5. logical

Four-Way Crossword

ForeWords • BackWords • UpWords • DownWords

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.

2-42: educate

4-1: tardy

4-64: type of eel

9-99: exploit

10-1: amass

10-60: on a ship

11-15: aspiration

12-15: countersink

12-42: shower

15-45: man

18-15: space

18-58: give back

20-18: ban

20-50: big pig

21-1: fruit drink

24-26: carpet

26-23: docile

29-26: confined

30-27: unenclosed

31-36: small wave

33-13: urinate

38-35: pare

41-1: incline

44-41: phone

49-29: gratuity

49-41: meddling

52-72: fish eggs

53-93: hobo

56-53: low-cal

56-58: arid

58-38: chatter

60-58: 24 hours

61-64: conservative

63-83: male sheep

65-45: fib

69-64: probable

69-89: Ms. Taylor

70-66: similar

71-74: close by

73-53: craft

74-76: uncooked

74-94: stool pigeon

76-56: married

76-78: victory

78-98: profit

81-83: tree

82-62: lion

83-87: mansion

86-88: mine output

87-85: Pres. Reagan 89-86: nil 90-60: learn 91-1: celsius 91-61: penny 91-93: hat 91-100: beguiled 96-56: pledged 96-98: big tub

100-60: fear Last Month’s

98-100: Sen. Kennedy

Answer

The Bayman’s Crossword Puzzle

by Ron Young

ACROSS

1. ___ Cleary –Stanley Cup champion from Riverhead-Harbour Grace

3. young devil

5. very important person (abbrev)

6. not one (colloq)

7. periwinkle (colloq)

11. big, dumb, lumbering person (colloq)

16. “A fisherman __ ___ rogue, a merchant is many” (2 words)

18. whiskey

19. shower

21. very angry (colloq)

22. ____ Ridge (WWI battlefield)

24. mountains (abbrev)

25. steam-powered coastal boat

28. cord

30. “with the wind in the ______’ a-singin’ this song”

32. motorhome

34. clasp (colloq)

37. Robert’s Arm (abbrev)

39. “___ no man nothing and don’t reach too high”

40. foolish __ odd socks

42. frame for hanging nets to dry (colloq)

45. made of glass (colloq)

47. Newfoundland Overseas Forestry

48. steamship (abbrev)

49. boot patch (colloq)

DOWN

1. horseplay (colloq, 2 words)

2. mosquito (colloq)

4. Merasheen Island (abbrev)

8. Newfoundland Outport Nursing and Industrial Association (colloq)

9. outport resident, historically (colloq)

10. opposite of WNW

11. “__ split pea in a ten-pound tub”

12. NL university

13. boat’s hitching post (colloq)

14. pearl-making shellfish

15. opposite of SW

17. “How’s ye gettin’ __?”

20. “___ travelled far by the northern star”

23. Mount Moriah (abbrev)

26. long lines of fish hooks

27. offshore oil driller

29. “Some day __ clothes”

31. Port de _____

33. sweater

34. large pigs

35. ___ soup fog

36. Rencontre ____

38. junior

41. “He was so skinny you could ___ the sins on his soul”

43. sheltered side (colloq)

44. “As we strolled home together, I just wondered if whether I could ___ you forever if I tried”

46. opposite of SW

© 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.

Last Month’s Answer: Why do people say “no offence” right before they’re about to offend you?

CRACK THE CODE

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.

Last Month’s Answer: Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall.

©2022 Ron Young

© 2022 Ron Young

Food For Thought

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.”

Last Month’s Answer: We relish news of our heroes, forgetting that we are extraordinary to somebody too.

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 WITH KIDS CATCHING CONNERS

Last Month’s Answers: 1. Cap, 2. Entrance to harbour, 3. Ern’s legs, 4. Coal Bin, 5. Grump, 6. Paddle, 7. Boat moved, 8. Reflection, 9. Hillside, 10. Life jacket, 11. House, 12. Kayak shorter

“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.

HIDE & SEEK BACK TO SCHOOL

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

P Q L P G T I D D W H R J S K O O B G T M

Z N E R T K T B I N H V E U L Q H P R Y Y D U T S

C H A K I R E W B T I M X A T K S E D R R J J T S

R R V T Z N A N J I E L E J P S L N N J G R C K A

B A C K P A C K X P R R L T C B W C S Z B E V U L

X W J T U T H I B Y V C Z E I C K I S H J K M N C

L R U J F S E F P F D N S E P C R L J B U S I M C

R Z F A M X R A W A S E O H J S V K U H O F X U A

X H Y H J S V Q R F L D B E L M U S I C X B H X D

B H C N U L T C F F H I G H L I G H T E R S M Z F

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 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.”

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W Rig Wives Stories - Kelly Earle #81668 | $19.95

Down to Bishop Feild: And Other Boyhood MemoriesJames Douglas (Doug) Cook #81625 | $21.95

W Haunted Waters: More True Ghost Stories of Newfoundland and Labrador - Dale Jarvis #42097 | $19.95

Gardening for Acidic Soils: Working with Nature to Create a Beautiful LandscapeTodd Boland and Jamie Ellison #81741 | $34.95

Happy Belly: The Cake Book - Aaron McInnis #81624 | $29.95

Dictionary of Newfoundland and Labrador - Ron Young #34047 | $19.95

Medicinal Herbs of Eastern Canada: A Pictorial Manual - Brenda Jones #81680 | $22.95

Downhome Four-Way Crosswords - Ron Young #54058 | $6.99

Downhome Household Almanac & Cookbook 2 #13433 | $19.95

A Very Silly (Wet and Woolly) Beach Rock Band

- Written By Susan Pynn Taylor & Illustrated By Ashley Quirke #80314 | $9.95

The Lonely Little Lighthouse - Lana Shupe #81753 | $19.95

Capelin Weather - Lori Doody #80033 | $11.95

Saltwater Joys - Wayne Chaulk #47477 | $12.95

Finn’s First Song: A Whaley Big Adventure - Gerry Daly #80315 | $9.95

Moose Cookie Cutter #49563 | $10.99

Whale Cookie Cutter #49566 | $10.99

Moose Head Cookie Cutter #49564 | $10.99

NL Island Cookie Cutter #75942 | $11.99

Anchor Cookie Cutter #56911 | $10.99

Puffin Cookie Cutter #49565 | $10.99

Lighthouse Cookie Cutter #49560 | $10.99

Chocolate Moose Cookie Cutter #52241 | $10.99

Lobster Cookie Cutter #49561 | $10.99

Tilting Quilts Canvas 11" x 14" #49805 | $42.99

Oars Canvas 10" x 16" #49757 | $42.99

Victoria Street Canvas 11" x 14" #49807 | $42.99

Lobster Pots in Witless Bay Canvas 11" x 14" #49806 | $42.99

Chunks of Ice Canvas 11" x 14" #49799 | $42.99

Mittens For Sale 11" x 14" #49801 | $42.99

Emma’s Clothesline Canvas 11" x 14" #51297 | $42.99

Sea Symphony Canvas 11" x 14" #51290 | $42.99

Tranquility Canvas 11" x 14" #49810 | $42.99

Cat Walk

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This pretty kitty knows Francois is the cat’s meow. Julie Baggs Burgeo, NL