Downhome February 2023

Published monthly in St. John’s by Downhome Publishing Inc.

43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3

Tel: 709-726-5113 • Fax: 709-726-2135 • Toll Free: 1-888-588-6353

E-mail: mail@downhomelife.com Website: www.downhomelife.com

Editorial

Editor-in-Chief Janice Stuckless

Assistant Editor Nicola Ryan

Editor Lila Young

Art and Production

Art Director Vince Marsh

Illustrator Mel D’Souza

Illustrator Snowden Walters

Advertising Sales

Account Manager Barbara Young

Account Manager Ashley O’Keefe

Marketing Director Tiffany Brett

Finance and Administration

Accountant Marlena Grant

Accountant Sandra Gosse

Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney

Warehouse Operations

Warehouse / Inventory Manager Carol Howell

Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins

Shipping/Receiving Clerk Jacinta Squires

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, Alexandria Skinner, Emily Power, Ella Coggins, Colleen Giovannini

Subscriptions

Customer Service Associate Cathy Blundon

Customer Service Associate Lisa Tiller

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 Pen names and anonymous letters will not be published.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

Julie

homefront

8 I Dare Say A note from the Editor

10 Letters From Our Readers A snapshot and a story, encouraging words and a wonderful wife.

16 Downhome Tours Downhome readers explore central Europe

18 Why is That? Why do pharmacists stand on raised platforms? And where does the saying “batten down the hatches” come from? Linda Browne

20 Life’s Funny Hospital Humour Joan (Prior) Gilks

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

22 Lil Charmers Snack Pack

24 Pets of the Month Cuddle Buddies

26 Reviewed Denise Flint reviews Quiet Time by Katherine Alexandra Harvey

28 What Odds Paul Warford is back in the dating scene

30 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose reviews Jake Nicoll’s newest release, Pool House

34 Adventures Outdoors Cuttin’ ’er Close Gord Follett

10 a shared moment

20 the cup overfloweth

24 pooped pups

54 wild to mild

70 best days of winter

features

40 Game for a Change Wild game donations bring much needed variety and quality to food bank offerings.

Kim Ploughman

44 Keeping up with Kaetlyn Dillon Collins sits down with Olympian Kaetlyn Osmond.

54 Where do Pets Come From?

Todd Hollett traces the evolution of wild animals to domesticated pets.

explore

70 Happy Trails! Reader photos showcase how the best days on snowmobile are spent.

112 postcards from the past

About the cover

This dreamy winter scene was taken in Burgeo, NL, by Julie Baggs. It sets the perfect mood for our winter getaways (p. 62 ) and snowmobiling (p. 70) stories.

Cover Index

Deliciously Saucy Recipes • 100

Rekindled Romance • 48

Moose on the Menu • 40

Plan Your Escape • 62 & 70

A Chat with Kaetlyn Osmond • 44

Where do Pets Come From? • 54

Tree-Way Calling • 116

reminiscing

112 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places.

114 This Month in Downhome History

116 Tree-Way Calling A Bay

Roberts senior recalls an ingenious phone system rigged up in the woods. Dennis Flynn

120 My Stormy Valentine

Stranded on Oderin Island on Valentine’s Day. Elizabeth Lake

124 Puzzles

136 Colouring Page

138 Classifieds

140 Mail Order

144 Photo Finish

A little heat in our core, a flush to our cheeks, a warm embrace to melt the snow and ice.

I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love the sweetness that is Valentine’s Day. It’s not about the all-consuming, breathlessness of a Harlequin romance –honestly, that’s more the realm of Christmas movies, for some reason. No, it’s the hopefulness and willingness to take a chance on something, someone, that comes through in a cute Valentine card with the saccharine pun. It’s the charm of the pink and red hearts strung here, there and everywhere. It’s the stuffed animals, the heart-shaped chocolate boxes, the sweetheart candies. It’s a time when, commercialized or not, the world is focused on messages of love.

There’s a special, universal message in a certain song on the soundtrack to the 1990s movie My Best Friend’s Wedding (a favourite rom-com of mine), starring Julia Roberts and Dermot Mulroney. The song is “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” first recorded by Jackie DeShannon in 1965. These words get me every time:

What the world needs now is love, sweet love

It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of What the world needs now is love, sweet love No not just for some, but for everyone

True in 1965, true in 1997 when the movie came out, and true today. This Valentine’s Day, spread a little love.

Thanks for reading,

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

I wonder if Cupid knows how much we need a little love come February.

Submission Guidelines and Prize Rules

You could WIN$100!

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

Submit Today!

Send your photo, story, joke or poem to Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 or submit online at: www.downhomelife.com

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.

Congratulations to Jack Budden of Stephenville, NL, who found Corky on page 91, and to Emery Angus Mosher of Mount Hanley, NS, who found Corky on page 92 of the December issue (oops)!

*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. *No

A Snapshot and a Story

I took this photo of a mother and daughter on the MV Atlantic Vision (July 28, 2022, crossing from Argentia to Sydney), enjoying their last Newfoundland sunset of their summer vacation. They were from Calgary or Edmonton, and it was their first time visiting Newfoundland – I had overheard them talking to someone about their trip before I took this photo (and while I was busy taking other sunset shots). Her daughter was so excited talking about Cape Spear and seeing the puffins, and her mom was just beaming listening to her tell the stories to a stranger.

Later I overheard the mother telling another passenger on board in the lounge about how she came to find and adopt her daughter, and how it changed her life so much for the better. The boat isn’t really that big, I guess, and when I saw her chatting I listened. I had an interest in their story by now.

I had all plans and intentions of sharing this photo with her afterwards. I was hoping that she would like it and that I could send it to her so she could have the memory. It seemed like it was a pretty special moment and end to their trip. Regrettably, I never did go over and talk to her. I guess I felt like there were too many people around. But I thought I would definitely have a chance do it in the morning, reasoning with myself that I would see them on the way out. As is usually the case, the opportunity didn’t present itself twice, and now I’m just stuck with a nice looking photo, I guess?

I do wish I could have shared this moment with them and that it would have meant something to them rather than me just having this photo and story of hoping to share it.

Chris Donnelly St. John’s, NL

Recognize this moment on the Gulf ferry crossing this summer? Was it you? If so, email us at editorial@downhomelife.com so we can help Chris gift this photo to the mother and daughter in it.

Thanks for the Review!

Big love to Wendy Rose and Downhome magazine for the awesome article on my upcoming record in this month’s [December] issue! Thanks so much for the interview and the real sweet review!

Chris

Picco Via Facebook

You’re welcome, Chris. Our thanks go out to you and all the hardworking musicians who take time out of their busy schedules to chat with Wendy for her “Fresh Tracks” column in every issue.

My Wonderful Wife

This is a picture of my wife, Leona Mary Andrews, on the crab ground 70 miles from land. She started fishing in 1990, one of the first women to go fishing, and is fishing today. I am very proud of my wife and would love to see her picture in Downhome magazine.

William Kevin Andrews Grand Bank, NL

Here is the photo of the hardworking wife, Leona Mary. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, eh? You’re welcome, buddy.

Enjoyable Reading

I enjoy reading about Newfoundland each month. All the people living there are really very extraordinary and seem to live life to the fullest! Take care, everyone, and stay safe!

Norma Featherstone Dunnville, ON

Thanks, Norma!

Encouraging Words for Fiona Victims

I found the Christmas stories so enjoyable – it sure brought back memories about getting dolls or sets of dishes. All of us kids sure appreciated our gifts. Not like today, the children have too much.

Also, when I read the story on page 42 [“Forever Changed by Fiona” by Pam Pardy], it brought tears to my eyes because of the bad fire in Slave Lake, AB, on May 15, 2011. Our home was destroyed. Now we are all settled in our new place and carry on with our lives. So for the people of Port aux Basques, God bless, your lives will get better. I must admit, on page 48 it goes to show Newfoundlanders can make good of a bad situation. Hope the cans of White Claw tasted good.

Veronica Lunn Grand Prairie, AB

Always nice to hear from you, Veronica.

Continued on p.14

Phase Two Fundraising Campaign Kicks off for Newfoundland Pony Heritage Pasture and Park

The Newfoundland Pony Society has launched the second phase of fundraising for the Newfoundland Pony Heritage Park in Hopeall, Trinity Bay. The goal is to raise $175,000 over the next two years.Phase one of the campaign enabled the NPS to open the Heritage Park to visitors last summer, with over 700 people dropping by to see Singapore and Dream Boy, the two beautiful ponies who took up residence on the seasonal pasture.

The Newfoundland Pony Heritage Park is located on 25 acres of crown land on the Trinity South Highway near Hopeall (between New Harbour and Green’s Harbour). The Phase Two campaign funds will enable the NPS to make further improvements to the Park and its facilities, provide free grazing land for Pony owners, and offer a place for the public, school groups and tourists to learn about our Province’s only official heritage animal. Other plans include the creation of a small breeding program to support more Pony owners to increase the breed’s numbers; a critical priority to ensure the Pony’s future.

“Keeping the ponies and people safe was our priority last summer and we plan to build on our success as we develop the Park,” said Jack Harris, President of NPS. “Our vision is for a larger heritage park with a pony herd and a breeding program for pony owners here. We need to improve the facilities there, increase fencing to host more ponies, and enhance the visitor experience with more events and a display area to showcase the Newfoundland Pony’s history,” added Harris.

For more information about the Newfoundland Pony Heritage Pasture and Park, or to get involved, please contact the NPS at www.newfoundlandpony.com. Donations are tax deductible and can be made via Canada Helps or by cheque. NPS will be hosting fundraising events in 2023 to support the campaign for the park, so please visit our website and follow us on social media for updates and more on how you can help. You can find us on Twitter at @nfld_pony and on Facebook at Newfoundland Pony Society.

Downhome Calendar Win

Honoured once again to be part of the Downhome Calendar. This one for 2023. My photo of Quidi Vidi Gut/ Village is the image for June month. Another beautiful calendar filled with photos from talented photographers. Congratulations to all. Thank you, Downhome magazine!

Sheldon Hicks Via Facebook.com

Found on Facebook

Are they missing anything?

Saltwater Country A Downhome magazine, Purity products, a NL written book, a mummer ornament, knitted vamps, Vienna sausages, pineapple crush, homemade soap from NL and a blueberry scented candle!

Marie Lambe Can of seal meat.

Patricia Thomas Goobie Blueberry and partridgeberry jam.

Megan Skinner As it’s nearly Christmas, snowballs of course! Though I do make these year round.

Weldon Drodge A can of Black Horse.

Debbie Power Savoury!

Congratulations, Sheldon, and thank you to all our winners and hopeful participants for submitting such a beautiful array of vistas from around Newfoundland and Labrador.

Our 2024 Calendar Contest is already in full swing. See who’s entered so far and get your own photos in the running by visiting our website at Downhomelife.com/calendar.

Jamie Beck Most places that NLers accumulate on the mainland you can get all the common stuff, but I like getting a can of Blue Star and an apple flip in mine.

Annette Pye Tatchell Vienna sausages, Humpty Dumpty cheesies and Crush drink.

Peggy Burton Purity syrup, moose jerky, Purity kisses, fruit cake, Peppermint Nobs, Jam-Jams and some bottles of moose and rabbit.

We asked: What would you put in a NL care package for a homesick expat?

Central Europe homefront

Czech Republic

Barbara Tarrant of Newtown, NL, stands in front of the medieval Astronomical Clock in Old Town Prague, Czech Republic.

Charles Bridge is a medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the Vltava River, connecting Prague’s Old Town and Lesser Town. A recent romantic trend has been for couples to declare their true, unbreakable love by carving their names into a padlock, locking it onto the bridge and throwing the key into the canal. Unfortunately, the weight of all the locks began damaging the 15th-century landmark, and the city of Prague has since removed more than 13 tonnes of lovers’ locks from the Charles Bridge.

Slovenia

Sherry Jennings of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL, took this photo atop Mala Osojnica in Slovenia, looking down on picturesque Lake Bled, Bled Castle and Bled Island.

Lake Bled is considered one of the most romantic, picture-perfect places in Slovenia. In the centre of the lake, tiny Bled island – the only naturally occurring island in Slovenia – is topped by the Church of the Assumption. It’s a popular spot for weddings, and tradition dictates that the groom carry his bride up the 99 steps from the boat dock to the church door.

Austria

“During a two-week trip to Austria to visit family we did several hikes,” writes Tracy Walzthoni of Conception Bay South, NL. “We took the August 2021 Downhome on our first hike of the trip in Prutz, Tirol.”

Running 380 km from Salzburg to Vienna, the Romantic Road winds its way through the most enchanting Alpine landscapes of Austria. Highlights along the way include stunning mountain panoramas, the picturesque market towns of St. Wolfgang and St. Gilgen on the shores of the Wolfgangsee Lake, and the scenic 16th-century UNESCO World Heritage village of Hallstatt.

Expert answers to common life questions.

By Linda Browne

Why do pharmacists stand on raised platforms?

Have you ever visited your friendly neighbourhood pharmacist and found yourself coming up a bit short – not financially, but vertically? Why do pharmacists work head and shoulders above everyone else?

Turns out there are quite practical reasons for it. To learn more, we turned to the folks at the Newfoundland & Labrador Pharmacy Museum, located in historic Apothecary Hall on Water Street in downtown St. John’s. The museum is housed in what used to be Peter O’Mara’s Pharmacy from 1922 to 1986.

“During this time, most pharmacies had their dispensaries in a back room, away from the customers. This was most likely due to the fact that most prescriptions had to be compounded and made specifically for each customer,” writes Deanna Walter, the museum’s manager, in an email to Downhome. “This would change as more and more medicines became mass produced and sold wholesale to pharmacies.”

As this change happened, so did the drugstore workspace, says pharmacist Robert Doyle, who operates

Neighbourhood Pharmacy (previously Theatre Pharmacy) in downtown St. John’s and is on the museum’s board of directors. “It seems in the mid to late ’50s some pharmacies started raising the dispensary floor, perhaps in an effort to make the pharmacists more visible and accessible to the public,” he writes, noting the evolution of his own business. “Our pharmacy, which opened in 1947, was renovated in 1961 to raise the dispensary floor. However, in our recent renovations in 2018, we eliminated this raised dispensary floor and are now eye-toeye with our patients and truly more accessible as front-line healthcare professionals.”

The raised floor design, Walter adds, might’ve also helped pharmacists keep an eye on what was happening inside the drugstore (which would’ve been especially useful in a time before security cameras were widespread).

Where does the saying “batten down the hatches” come from?

It’s February here in Newfoundland and Labrador, which means it’s time to pull up your woolly socks, cosy up with your loved one and “batten down the hatches” because there’s bound to be a winter storm on the way soon. It’s a phrase you’ve probably used hundreds of times when talking about preparing for bad weather or, in a more figurative sense, bracing yourself for trouble (e.g., “I forgot to give the missus a Valentine’s Day card – better batten down the hatches!”). Haven’t you ever been curious about where this saying comes from? For this one, we must turn our attention to the sea.

In his book Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red, which looks at the origins of some 400 popular sayings and phrases, Andrew Thompson explains the nautical roots of the term, which dates back to the early 1800s.

“Most sailing ships at the time had cargo holds that opened to the deck via hatches, sometimes called hatchways,” he writes, which were “normally left open or simply covered with a grate that allowed for ventilation.”

With rough seas or bad weather on the horizon, he continues, “the ship’s captain would call to batten down the hatches to protect the cargo and prevent the hold from getting filled with rain or seawater. The hatches would be covered with canvas tarpaulins that would be held down with strips of wood, known as battens, to stop them from blowing off.”

The earliest reference to this phrase appears to come from William Falconer’s An Universal Dictionary of the Marine from 1769, where he refer-

ences “Battens of the hatches,” which are “nailed along the edges of tarpaulings, which are pieces of tarred canvas, of sufficient breadth and length to cover the hatches at sea.”

Patricia O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman of the “Grammarphobia” blog note that the phrase started to be used figuratively in the mid-20th century. They reference an article about hurricane forecasts published in New York in 1955, in the Bulletin of the General Contractors Association, as an early example.

Speaking of the word “hatch,” the duo also mention “that nautical meaning, used figuratively, gave us the 20th-century drinking expression ‘down the hatch’ (that is, down the throat).” A word to the wise: If you ever find yourself having to “batten down the hatches” as you sail on choppy seas, and you’re already prone to turning green, going “down the hatch” in this way is something you might want to avoid.

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

Hospital Humour

When our youngest son, Blake, was a child and got very ill, I took him to the doctor. While waiting, the nurse took us to a room where she gave him a paper cup and said, “Go in the bathroom and fill it for me.” While she and I were chatting, we heard him yell, “What do you want, hot or cold?”

Joan (Prior) Gilks Lower Sackville, NS

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 Jean Hawkins) on our website and social media platforms and asked folks to imagine what this dog might be saying. Heather Harding’s response made us chuckle the most, so we’re awarding her 20 Downhome Dollars!

Here are the runners-up:

“Don’t I make an amazing lamp shade?” – Edna Walsh

“You should see the other guy.” – Nora Fitzgerald

“Does this make me look fat?” – Janet Park Parsons

Play

www.downhomelife.com/saywhat

“How come I can’t get any reception?”– Heather Harding

Full o’ Baloney

Eighteen-month-old Katie is face and eyes into the Maple Leaf. Chrissy Bloom Pasadena, NL

Snack Pack

Smart Cookie

Joey’s delighted to have some good ol’ Jam-Jams. Colleen Tulk

Ladle Cove, NL

Tea Time

Kane enjoys a cuppa tea and a bickie at Nanny’s house in Greenspond.

Shannon Hynes

Greenspond, NL

Totally Sauced

As you can see, spaghetti is Bella’s favourite food.

Tracy Strickland

Dartmouth, NS

Wagz and Louis like to cuddle up together after a day on the river. Deanne Hussey Labrador City, NL

Dream Lover

Hank and Maggie snuggle while they snooze. Tracy Drakes

Lower Sackville, NS

Love Me Do

Ty the cat and Bella Moon the calf can’t help falling for each other.

Sandra Piercey Codroy Valley, NL

Forever Yours

Sixteen-year-old Jack cuddles his puffin stuffie every chance he gets.

Jolene Peters Conception Bay South,

NL

reviewed by Denise Flint

Quiet Time

Katherine Alexandra Harvey Vagrant Press $22.95

Grace is a mess. That is the premise behind Katherine Harvey’s debut novel, Quiet Time. The story follows, in nonchronological order, Grace’s journey from messed-up child to messed-up adult. Her parents were not exactly reliable people. Her mother, in particular, could be both neglectful and cruel. She’d leave her three children on the side of the road and drive off if they’d annoyed her in the car, and she’d sometimes abandon the family home for weeks at a time before deserting them altogether. At times her presence was even worse. Imagine telling your daughter she is responsible for her older sibling’s death?

Not surprisingly, Grace starts her young adult life in rough psychological shape and with a drug habit it would have taken someone else years to achieve. Nonetheless, she’s functioning. Then two bad things happen to send her into a downward spiral. Will she be able to confront her past (and her present) and pull herself back together?

Harvey has a deft hand at showing, not telling. We know, for example, that Grace is not a full-blown drug addict because of the casual mention of several dry months. We know she’s obsessive because of the way she wipes down all the kitchen counters while chatting with her brother.

Grace can be really annoying at times – I often felt sorry for her boyfriend because of what she put him through. But she is also a deeply sympathetic character as she finds her way towards some kind of resolution.

Q&A with the Author

Denise Flint: This is your first novel. How did you choose what to write about?

Katherine Alexandra Harvey: When I started I didn’t really know I was writing a novel. I was going through a breakup at the time and I got this idea, and my first scene I wrote was in the third section of the book when she’s at the therapist. I thought it was funny and I just kept building on it. It became a book, but I didn’t know I was writing a book; I was just working through some things. It took me six years, so it wasn’t like I wrote the book in a couple of weeks. I had to live through it and get to a place where I could come to peace with it and let it out into the world. That was a very difficult process.

DF: Do you have to like your characters to write about them?

KH: I don’t. I think that characters have to be balanced. When I was writing Jack, he was pretty unlikable – but Grace is unlikable at times, too. Characters have to be everything; otherwise they’re not real. People can be kind; they can be mean. I do love my characters. I care about them no matter how horrible they might be. I don’t think that as a writer you have to write good characters because they’re flat that way.

DF: What or who were your greatest influences on your writing?

KH: I love all the great writers, like the Bronte sisters, Sylvia Plath,

Raymond Carver. I went through a period when I was writing Quiet Time and I was only reading women. Without realizing it, I was writing a feminist book – a woman reaching a place of feminism and reaching a place where they confront the patriarchy. I would pick up a book and if it was by a man, I couldn’t read it. I was reading a lot of French literature and memoirs, and tonnes of poetry. I think that’s the best way to write. You read and get ideas. I go to museums when I’m having difficulty writing and I get so many ideas, and I think that’s the best way to enrich things.

DF: How difficult was your path to publication? What were the steps?

KH: I’d been writing it for about five years when I said, ‘OK, it’s time to get serious.’ At around the time the pandemic hit, I got the book into the best shape I could get it into and started cold-calling agencies. I sent letters of support from Lisa Moore and Joel Thomas Hynes, and my agent got back to me in an hour and I sent her the manuscript; and a week later she called me and said she wanted to sign, and that was the first step. They started to pitch it and I got two offers from two different small presses. The note that came from Vagrant said, ‘This really resonated with me.’ I knew immediately that was the editor I needed. We worked on it for about a year before it was released.

40, first dates

By Paul Warford

“The haircut might be overboard,” I think to myself as my barber gestures to the empty seat he’s swiping clean with a fresh white towel. But no, I needed a haircut anyway and this is as good a day as any to get it done. “Don’t read too much into it,” I tell myself as he asks me what style I’d like. I eye my visage in the spotless mirror as he pumps the chair to a comfortable height, never taking his eyes from the World Cup match happening on the screen bolted to the back wall of 1949, my go-to stop for curly-hair trimmings. I do need a cut, that’s true, but deep down I know why I’m getting it done today: I have a date tonight.

Now, I’m not the sort to kiss and tell – particularly in print – but seeing’s how Valentine’s Day is around the corner and I do, in fact, find myself in the throes of “the dating scene,” I thought perhaps I’d speak the language of love this month. Not that love has much to do with dating, mind you. Frankly, there are more appropriate emotions to cite when it comes to the practice, and none of them are ostensibly pleasant. Words like “anxiety” and “doubt” more immediately come to mind, but I’m learning that that’s part of the fun.

And fun is the name of the game, here. When we were all young, jubilant and working parttime jobs whilst attending post-secondary schools, dating was a giddy thrill, and so it should remain. Between work deadlines and making appointments to get your winter tires installed, it can be tricky to find the excitement in the day-to-day (even if you know it’s there). So a little excitement can be a nice thing.

As such, I’m here to tell you that it is indeed fun to be dating again after so much time “off the market,” but I can’t help wondering if the

The first steps of flirtation are often done through the same movements you might make to order a rug to your door from Amazon.

lines astride my eyes betray the age of this roustabout bachelor. I mean, we have to address the elephant in the room: I’m 40 years old. As a matter of fact, I’ll be the big four-one before you all enjoy your romantic candlelit dinners because my birthday is in early February. I suppose my initial apprehensions about returning to the fray were age-related. Is dating still going to be fun, functioning as it does now via smartphones rather than struck conversations in line at the butcher shop? No one’s getting together in line at the butcher’s anymore, I’m sorry to say.

Instead, attraction is communicated via messages plied with twiddling thumbs, sent in an instant to be read, processed and replied to. The first steps of flirtation are often done through the same movements you might make to order a rug to your door from Amazon. Apps are specially designed for this sort of thing, and you browse photos of potential partners before “swiping” your verdict on them as though you’re a Roman emperor. A “match” means you can message one another and this is how it works. The practice is as bizarre as it sounds, but is it such a far cry from a published personal ad in a 1960s newspaper? Perhaps not.

My age definitely makes me feel much like the mangy coonhound yawning contentment on the sunporch, an old dog learning new tricks. Yet, I’m often mistaken for being younger than I am, as much as a

decade less in years than my driver’s licence will tell you. Though I make a point to appreciate this common misconception of my features, it almost works against me in this brave new world. If I meet a charming 29-yearold on some internet avenue, I’m quickly forced to point out that I’ve never watched Pokémon and didn’t have an iPad in Kindergarten. “I’m older than I look” is not necessarily the most alluring thing to say, but honesty is still the best policy. I’m not about to lie a decade off my life for the sake of a sitdown cup of coffee with a stranger. Besides, what if we hit it off, what then? “Oh, before we go bowling, there’s something I should tell you…”

So here I am, a baby of 1982 trying to strike flames among sparks using a rectangle of glass that houses a snake-like maze of gold and copper and zinc, rather than a match or flint. And I can do that: learn, adapt, try. I’d like to think the uncertainty and effort are worth it because the checkered flag is a smiling couple raising wine glasses while smiling, which I hope will be the case for you and your special someone this year. Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody.

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

Pool House

Jake Nicoll

WHILE MY ALBUM reviews usually start with information, stats and news, this one starts with a story – how I became a fan of Jake Nicoll’s music and how, at one point, he was truly a saving grace for my sanity.

During the busy tourism season, us staff members at Fred’s Records lived through what we would jokingly call the “all-trad diet” – a time period, usually all summer long, when we played traditional Newfoundland folk music all day, every day. While this charmed the mainlanders looking for “that song about the grey foggy day,” the endless jigs and reels could get repetitive. When we could, we’d slightly circumvent our instructions to keep it local by playing “local Newfoundland music” of other genres.

Jake Nicoll’s indie/alt-pop release, Two Things/Half of Nothing, was a godsend for us. A double album with 23 songs, it gave us a nice, lengthy break from the fiddles and accordions. If anyone questioned the shift in music, the go-to “excuse” was that we

were promoting the most recent Borealis Music Prize winner.

As we played the album, a browsing customer would inquire about what we were listening to and ask for a copy to bring home. This seemed to happen every time we played Jake’s music. We didn’t have to sell it to anyone; it sold itself because it was truly magnificent.

When I spotted copies of Pool House on the counter at Fred’s Records this past spring, I smirked, thinking of those warm summer nights at the old record store, and how lucky we are to have so much “local Newfoundland music” to choose from, in so many genres. Pool House is another indie/alt-pop gem from Jake, but with more of an acoustic, folk feel – a perfect cheat meal from the “all-trad diet.”

The album begins with “Quiet,” in which Jake sings over acoustic guitar

about reigniting his creative output. “I’m drowning in music, and I think that I’m springing a leak,” he sings. “And I can easily honestly say, that I wouldn’t dream of staying quiet.” And I’m thankful for that.

The song ends with vocal harmonies with Pamela Mackenzie, who also lends her talents on the title track, “Pool House.” As I listen to this poetic piece, I’m reminded of Nick Drake, some early Simon & Garfunkel, Margo Guryan and a personal favourite – 1960s Donovan.

“Mental Block” is a slower acoustic jam, showcasing Jake’s impressive vocal capabilities, singing in falsetto and easily sustaining longer notes. On “Control Me,” a beautiful little melody chugs this song along. The lyrics are presented almost as spoken word until we hit the chorus: “If you could control me, would you unfold me? Can’t do it alone-ly, would you let me know?” he asks.

The vibe shifts slightly with “Sleepwalker,” a kind of mysterious work

that definitely feels like it could be an ancient lost B-side from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan’s earliest works. It’s the longest track on the album, at nearly six minutes, and it’s gorgeous all the way through. “We are all sleepwalkers now, stepping onto frozen ground, but who is there to carry us back to bed before the dream is up?” Jake sings on the song’s final lines.

The Donovan and Nick Drake vibes continue on “Someone Has Been Here Before”; whereas “Open Door” has a bit more of a rock-and-roll feel with light percussion from Pamela. It’s interesting that there is so little percussion on this record, as Jake is well known and respected as a drummer for many bands, including Kelly McMichael and The Burning Hell, but this is a nod to his versatility and abilities as a multi-instrumentalist.

A short (26 seconds) “Interlude” of experimental noise then brings us to “Finitude,” which is also available to watch via YouTube. Jake and Pamela recorded a live performance of this selection alongside a canal in Berlin, Germany, on a sunny afternoon. The setting matches the lovely song, which is complemented by chirping birds and a light breeze.

“Still in my Mind” is another delicate indie folk track, again with deeply poetic lyrics. “Without you we wouldn’t be living, you gave us all a beginning but ending is living in time. A secret we all get to find, your memory is still in my mind,” he sings, repeating the last line four times before the song fades out.

Jake uses the same kind of repetition in “Return to the Land,” singing the song’s title multiple times throughout and nine times at the end. This track also features a whistle solo, an aural delight – especially in headphones.

Pool House ends with “Wish You Goodnight,” in which Jake mentions his recording location of Pasadena, California. “I wonder where you all are as I’m writing here,” he muses, later more directly addressing the folks at home: “I miss you all, yes I’m always missing you. Hope you’re alright on the other side of the country.”

We’ve missed you, too, Jake. Thanks for the new music.

Q&A with the Artist

Wendy Rose: Congrats on the release of your latest album, Pool House, released in March 2022. This was part of the annual RPM challenge, where artists write and record an album in the 28 days of February. How does this time crunch change or influence your creative process?

Jake Nicoll: Thanks! It was a fun album to make, and I’m quite proud of it. I’d say that the RPM time crunch and the general RPM spirit had a pretty big influence on my approach to making the record. In a way, the whole philosophy of this record was working with some pretty extreme limitations. I actually had less time than the full month to work on it, as I had been booked for the later half of February for another project in PEI. So in total, I had two weeks to record the beds, and a few days in the studio at home to put any overdubs on it and mix it.

It was clear that there wasn’t time to make a record with sprawling productions and layers and sounds – it needed to be simple and to the point. So I collected the quieter acoustic songs from the pile of things I’d written lately and decided I would record them with one microphone on a

1950s Ampex tube reel-to-reel recorder. I’m kind of obsessed with these machines, the way they sound, the way they are built, and the way the machine oil smells when the tubes warm up…

In my home studio, the number of possibilities are endless – unlimited tracks, loads of instruments, many kinds of effects and a million ways to manipulate, edit and alter sounds. But recording with the Ampex means singing and playing guitar into one mic, and committing to full takes as they are. Even Pam [Mackenzie]’s harmonies were sung live right next to me, distancing ourselves from the mic to make the right blend. The emphasis changes from the technical to the performance.

WR: The name of this album comes from the location where it was recorded – a pool house in Pasadena, California. What brought you to California, and inspired you to record this album there?

JN: I went to California to spend time with my now-partner, then-romantic interest, Pamela Mackenzie, who was there doing a research fellowship at the Huntington Library. It was a bit

ridiculous flying to L.A. with a 40pound tape machine as carry-on, but luckily the security officers were more curious than alarmed.

Pam was renting a tiny pool house for her stay there because it was the only thing remotely affordable in the soulless wealthy suburb near the Huntington. It was big enough to have a bed and a bathroom and that was it. (It was so small I had to hide the tape machine in the bathroom while tracking or I’d get the sound of its motor running all over the microphone.)

WR: You released Pool House on CD and via streaming services, but also as a limited run of 35 cassettes – what draws you to this seemingly ancient format?

JN: Since I recorded it on a reel-toreel, it’s only appropriate to do a small tape release. Plus cassettes are cute and colourful, and they have a nice nostalgic sound!

WR: At the time of this interview, you’ve just finished up a tour in Europe, the United Kingdom and mainland Canada with The Burning Hell, also performing sets of your own original music on a “mini release tour.” What was your favourite gig, and why?

JN: Yes, it’s been a lot of travelling and there’s a lot more for me coming up! The mini Pool House release tour was supposed to be seven shows, but got a bit gummed up when we got hit by two transport trucks on the 401 in the middle of a blizzard. The rental car was totalled, but somehow we got out relatively uninjured and even our instruments were still in tune. We had to cancel the two following shows, which was unfortunate but overshadowed by our appreciation of not being dead. I did carry on, though, and played a truly magical show two days later at the Yeti in Kitchener with Claire Maeve and my brother and sister, Billy and Ilia. It was a bit of a reunion show with lots of family and old friends, and really felt like a reminder of why I play shows in the first place.

(Ed. note: This interview has been edited for length.)

We’ve glassed this area, which we call “Big Lookout,” many times during our first couple trips to Northwest Gander, but couldn’t get close to the few animals we spotted.

Cuttin’ ’er Close

By Gord Follett

Season’s end was fast approaching and my 2015 moose tags were still in my backpack. The calendar was actually telling me I still had about five weeks to hunt Area 24, Northwest Gander, but accumulating snow was letting me know that one more storm, be it tomorrow or next week, and I wouldn’t be getting to my buddy’s cabin, not even in the big 4x4 Tundra pickup. The main logging road may be plowed, but side roads and lengthy cabin driveways would be out of the question without a snowmobile, which I didn’t have.

I had already made the five-hour haul to Pete Tucker’s spot on two occasions earlier in the season, and while we did spot seven or eight animals during those trips, my box of 165 grain, Springfield 30-06 bullets remained full each time we packed up to head home.

With Pete and my regular hunting partners, Wilf and Dwight, unable to make another trip anytime soon, I gave some thought in mid-November to going alone. But what if I get stuck in the middle of nowhere? And unless I get an animal close to the road, which wasn’t too likely, how am I gonna get it out myself?

Five minutes of self-doubt, however, were usually followed by 10 minutes of optimism, until I finally said, “Shag it, I’m goin’!” I’d ask Johnny Dyke if I can stay in his old school bus-turned cabin for few days, which was only 26 kilometres along the woods road from Glenwood, while Pete’s was about 45 kilometres in, the last seven or eight or so of which were hard going at the best of times. I was about to call Johnny when Sean Kearsey messaged, just to see what I was “up to.” We were sending short messages back and forth when I told him I was planning on making one more trip for my moose, and that I was gonna check with Johnny to make sure it was okay to stay at his bus. Within a few minutes, this became a three-way conversation, and in short order the three of us had a plan to leave Thursday and head back Sunday, moose or no moose.

were in full agreement when I suggested we spend whatever time we had left of our trip on Southwest Hill. The only question was, do we stay towards the top of the hill or halfway down, just past a turn in the trail? That was decided the first evening when we found fairly fresh tracks about quarter-way down the hill. We’d park a couple hundred metres from the top and quietly walk around, hoping to spot an animal through the birch trees and alders.

truck was parked and

shut off about five

before legal shooting time Saturday. We didn’t even speak inside the vehicle as we waited, then exited slowly and I flung the Browning bolt-action over my shoulder.

With no heavy snowfalls during the days leading up to our departure and none in the immediate forecast, we were able to drive to Southwest Hill. That’s where I’d often seen a fair bit of sign over the years and was hoping we could get to in the truck.

With only two more full days left to hunt after our initial Thursday evening jaunt to that area, the boys

We did see one bull only 30-40 feet off the trail late Friday morning, but he was travelling at a fair clip and heading deeper. Tracks made in the few centimetres of fresh snow farther down the hill showed where that animal – or some animal – had crossed a very short time ago, so we spent the rest of the daylight hours in that area without another sighting. We decided this was the place we’d return to by daybreak.

The truck was parked and engine shut off about five minutes before legal shooting time Saturday. We didn’t even speak inside the vehicle as we waited, then exited slowly. I silently flung the Browning boltaction over my shoulder.

Just one minute later, I was

The

engine

minutes

shocked to see a bull emerging from the alders 175-200 metres down the hill. He stopped at the edge of the trail, facing us.

I don’t think I’ve ever chambered a round as quietly as I somehow managed that morning. I raised the rifle and waited for him to turn broadside. He didn’t.

I remember whispering, “C’mon buddy, c’monnn... turn, turn...”

No sir. He moved his head ever so slightly, but that was it. Because he was still so close to the woods and alders – and a quick turn is all he’d need to get away – I steadied the crosshairs on the side of his head, took a breath and squeezed the trigger. Boom! He hit the ground in a flash.

I was feeling kinda proud of making that shot, when 30 seconds later he tried to get up.

“How’s this possible?” I asked my buddies. “I just hit him in the head and he dropped like a tonne of bricks. What gives?”

As he was struggling to get back on all fours, a second shot ended the hunt. Apparently, I only knocked the animal out when my first shot struck right where his antler came from the skull.

“Last day of your last trip, Gordie boy,” Sean said as he shook my hand. “You were cuttin’ ’er close, buddy.”

Top: On Day 3 of our third trip, this bull stepped out from the alders 175-200 metres away. Bottom: Big feeds and plenty of laughs are always a part of any good moose hunt.

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.

life is better

The view from Marble Mountain Gail Rideout, Corner Brook, NL

Wild

BY KIM PLOUGHMAN

game donations bring much needed variety and quality to food bank offerings.

A legislative change

in late 2022 to the Wildlife Act means that fresh moose meat can finally be distributed through food banks. Patrons who normally wouldn’t get a share of their favourite wild game can now “get me moose, b’y,” or even caribou or rabbit. The groundbreaking policy change in Newfoundland and Labrador follows a hard-fought battle leading to a two-year pilot project distributing raw meat. And with the rapid rise in food bank usage, the timing couldn’t be better.

As with any policy change, the effort evolved from a vision and a desire, and then heaps of advocacy, persistence and even nagging. Barry Fordham has been gaming for this change for over a decade. This passionate hunter has always shared his wild harvest with family and friends, but for a long time it was illegal to gift any wild meat to a third party. He and his daughter Chloe (now 24, but 10 at the time) were inspired by programs in the United States and in Nova Scotia that allowed such gifting of wild game and they both asked, “Why not in Newfoundland and Labrador?”

So began Boyd’s advocacy work, going through a long string of ministers. “They all liked the idea, but no movement took place on their part. They were more worried about liability than food security,” says Boyd, adding he wasn’t easily deterred. “I wouldn’t take no for an answer.” A petition was also launched by a supporting group, Social Justice Co-op, to put pressure on for the change.

A big milestone came in 2020, when Boyd and Debbie Wiseman of Social Justice Co-op kickstarted a group called Sharing the Harvest NL, to boost their moose campaign. Lucas Roberts from The Newfoundland Outdoor Heritage Coalition joined as director.

By then, government flicked the green light by permitting a pilot project. Special permits were granted to registered food banks that allowed them to accept and distribute donations of wild meat. The meat was required to be processed by a government-licensed meat processing

Boyd is proud to share that it was his son, Shane, only 17 at the time, who donated the first moose under the pilot project. Incidentally, that was in part made possible because Boyd had lobbied for lowering the big game hunting age from 18 to 16 (from 16 to 12 for small game), which was made official in 2017.

Sharing the Harvest

One of the food banks benefitting from the new source of protein is Bridges to Hope, which has been helping stem hunger for more than 30 years in St. John’s. For its executive director, Jody Williams, it has been a game changer. To begin with, he points out that it is a nutritious and organic protein source, and “the clients love it!” Fresh protein of any kind is not normally available at food banks, given the cost.

The wild game meat comes in ground form, which makes it easy to turn into a nutritious meal, such as shepherd’s pie or spaghetti. “For many of our seniors, it’s also a comfort food, as it is a traditional meal they remember from years gone by,” Jody adds.

facility, or they could simply donate it to Sharing the Harvest NL. More than 400 packages of moose meat were distributed that first year, despite a late start. Donations of large freezers by the Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association allowed food banks in Gander, Deer Lake and Happy Valley-Goose Bay to participate.

A 2021 report on food insecurity in Newfoundland and Labrador revealed that 17.9 per cent of provincial households (over 90,000 residents) struggle to afford food. Not surprising to Jody is that the data also shows that most people dealing with food insecurity are working adults and their families. He laments that in the six years he has been with the organization, he has seen the demographics change, especially recently with the “insane” price of food and gas, he says. “We have had to open at least one night a week,

Barry Fordham donated almost two quarters of a moose he hunted in Bay d’Espoir to Sharing the Harvest.

Wednesday, just to meet the demand of those getting off work...”

He continues, “There is certainly a public health crisis across the country when it comes to food.”

Over at Connections for Seniors, also in St. John’s, executive director Mohamed Abdallah is also thankful for the sharing of the wild meat.

“It’s something that will provide a big dose of benefit, especially access to good quality, healthy and clean meat,” he says, adding, “It will certainly lift some of the burdens” presented by the high costs of food. “A lot of people appreciate these donations.”

Boyd says it gives him a great feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment knowing the value of the program to charitable organizations and their clients. “Not to mention, when I go to the food banks to make a

delivery, I always get goosebumps to provide this special treat.”

Describing himself as “busier than a feller with three wood stoves going,” Boyd and others have been hustling so food banks can have all kinds of country food, including caribou, rabbits, blueberries, partridgeberries and capelin. “I also like how these foods take time to prepare and, likely, families will all sit at the table, providing precious bonding time.”

The final word goes to Jody at Bridges to Hope, who reminds us that with donations on the decline and usage on the rise in this struggling economy, food banks can use all the help they can get (monetary or wild game). With community support they can continue to assist families struggling with food insecurity and malnutrition, while also affording them hope and dignity.

Barry Fordham (left) stands with Bridges to Hope executive director, Jody Williams, in front of a freezer donated by the Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association. The freezers allow meat to be distributed to locations that normally could not accept such donations.

The hour is late.

Kaetlyn Osmond needlessly apologizes for a timing mix-up, the back and forth between management and media that often goes awry. The Olympic gold medalist is in the thick of exam season, a natural byproduct of student life. Kaetlyn is enrolled in the University of Alberta’s Media Studies program while simultaneously juggling on-ice coaching, seminars and performances like the Stars on Ice showcase that brought the Marystown native back home to Newfoundland and Labrador this past December.

Context is important here. Five years ago this month, Kaetlyn was atop the professional skating world, a newly minted Olympic medalist and reigning World Champion. Yet, seemingly at the peak of her athletic prowess, Kaetlyn walked away from competitive skating in May 2019, at only 23 years old.

“It feels like it’s been a million years since I last competed, but at the same time I can still picture every single second of it and it feels like it was yesterday,” Kaetlyn shares in a late 2022 sit-down with Downhome.

A lifetime on the ice had caught up with one of Canada’s most decorated skaters. Injuries coupled with decades of a highly regimented and fine-tuned lifestyle of a professional athlete had taken its toll.

“It took me pretty much a full year of telling my coach that I was done before both of us fully admitted that I was done,” Kaetlyn reflects. “My coaches were great, they always supported me and so did my parents. But in that last year, I was so exhausted getting ready for the Olympics. It takes a lot emotionally and physically. So when I was done that season I felt ready to be done. And my coach just kept telling me that I was tired and needed a break.

“So we took a break, but I knew the level of training that I had to put in to be the skater that I wanted to be. And after taking time off, I really didn’t think I could put myself in that position anymore.”

Based on timing alone, Kaetlyn’s sudden retirement shocked the Canadian skating landscape. In February 2018, Kaetlyn earned gold in the team event and bronze in the women’s singles competition at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, before going on to capture her first World Championship in Milan, Italy, a month later.

And while few could fault the reigning World Champion for bowing out on top, Kaetlyn admits that looming “what-ifs” remain four years after walking away from competition.

“There’s still what-ifs: if I got to

continue, if I could have kept up on that level of skating, which I do believe I could. I felt like I was actually just getting to understand what my body did and how to best train and how to best perform. It felt like I finally figured things out and then I stopped. So in that retrospective, it

felt like the what-ifs became very loud for a little while.

“I always wonder what it would have been like if I continued competing right afterwards and to see if I would have had that more relaxed confidence. A lot of my confidence when I was skating was a lot of ‘fake it until you make it’ –hold yourself up in that position and eventually

“It took me pretty much a full year of telling my coach that I was done before both of us fully admitted that I was done.”

your body will believe that you feel strong enough. And I wondered that if I went to compete after I had already accomplished everything, if that confidence would have come a lot more naturally.”

Present day, Kaetlyn has found her footing, adjusting to life outside the pro-circuit with a mixture of on-ice activities that keep her rooted in the sport she dedicated her life to, while also keeping an eye centred towards her future. Though she admits the adjustment didn’t come easily.

“I’ve been extremely public about the difficulties of that transition outside of competitive sport. I started skating when I was about two years old, so I grew up in the competitive world,” she shares candidly. “My whole life from the moment I was born has revolved around skating.

“Now, almost four years later, I’m at school and I feel like this is a nice little transition to try to get my feet

back under me. It’s a nice mixture of having a regimented schedule. I still have classes that I have to go to at certain times. I still have assignments and deadlines and a job that I go to in the evenings, but I’m in control of it. So it’s just a nice little transition of being told what to do from my coaches and having that amazing team surrounding me, to now go into school where I do have people supporting me, but it’s my choice if I take it or not.”

From commentating for Skate Canada to offering coaching seminars in small communities across Canada much akin to her hometown, Kaetlyn has turned the page on a chapter that dominated the better part of her life. Admitting that seeing that “lightbulb go off” as she helps the next wave of potential pros on the ice offers a new level of satisfaction, Kaetlyn pauses to take in just what this journey has meant to her, and what the support of her home province continues to mean.

“I’m a big perfectionist, and I’ve had to admit many times in my life that being a perfectionist is just not possible. So throughout my entire career it was always really nice to have that connection with Newfoundland.

“When I first was debating my retirement from skating, and that first year for a show that I went back to Newfoundland for, just feeling their connection to me and knowing that, no matter what, I have their support in everything I did, it truly meant a lot to me. And I feel that every single time I go back. I’ve travelled across Canada multiple times and that connection is really rare, and I’m happy that I have that with Newfoundland.”

Finding true love may take longer for some couples, and that’s perfectly fine for those who’ve discovered it’s worth the wait.

By Pam Pardy

When I first laid eyes on the man I’m now engaged to,

I knew something was different, though meeting the love of my life wasn’t the plan that particular evening. I was doing research for a story I was writing about a new dating company in St. John’s, NL, called Dress Shoes Events.

Dress Shoes takes a unique approach to dating, taking it offline to in-person encounters between like-minded single men and women for dining or dancing at different locations throughout the city. That evening’s event was held at the Gypsy Tea Room, and as I was taking pictures and conducting interviews, one gentleman caught my attention. His voice was deep and soothing, and he was obviously incredibly intelligent. As we chatted, I noted his seafoam coloured shirt, his perfectly tailored suit jacket and the way these wild grey-black curls sprung freely and playfully beneath his jauntily placed leather cap. I was intrigued – but I was working and not out looking for love. Besides, this man was nearing 65 and I was not yet 52. He had grandchildren and I had a 12-year-old at home. We were not destined to be one another’s happily ever after – or so we thought. A random encounter a month later, a lunch that turned into supper that turned into pretty much every meal that followed, totally changed our lives. Falling in love was quick, and though there were challenges to overcome, it’s been worth it.

Violet Browne (right), who started Dress Shoes Events, says she isn’t surprised to hear how happy my partner and I are together. “The older we get, the more we value love and treasure the time we have together. We start making ourselves a priority for once. We trust our decision-making more, too, and we know better what we want as well as what we don’t want,” she explains. That was certainly true for Diane Wiseman and Calvin Byrd. “He was 59. I was 52. We had both lost our partners and were widowed, and when we met online and started

chatting, there was just something there instantly,” Diane shares. “I lived in St. John’s and he lived in English Harbour East, and I got on a taxi and just threw caution to the wind and went with my heart, and I showed up at his door and never left.” That was 13 years ago, and Diane says, “Calvin’s charming. He’s funny. And we’re still so in love. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Sometimes the love we find later in life has long been there, it’s just taken a while to rediscover it. Just ask Ann Marie and Hubert “Buck” Goulding. Ann Marie has been in love with Hubert since she first saw him at a roller skating rink when she was 13 years old. “It was at the old Memorial Stadium and he strolled in through those doors with roller skates in hand, and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to like that guy.’” Anne Marie laughs at the sweet memory. “I fell in love with Buck in Grade 7, and he went to my Grade 9 graduation with me, and then we became a serious couple

Diane Wiseman and Calvin Byrd have been together for 13 years, meeting when they were in their 50s

in Grade 10 and his name was written all over my school books that year.”

As often happens with high school romances, the two drifted apart after that. But in the summer of 2003, they ran into one another and sparks flew. “I feel like I’m that 15-year-old girl again,” Anne Marie confesses. “It’s exciting and fun and romantic and beautiful. We both went on with our lives and grew up, I guess you’d say, but how we always cared about one another never changed.”

Beverley and Michael Barry know the feeling. The two met – and fell in love – on a ferris wheel in Clarenville, NL, back in 1981. “We were at Thomas Amusements and none of my friends would ride with me. And I saw Michael there with his group of buddies and I just out and asked him to ride the ferris wheel with me – and he did,” Beverley recalls with a chuckle.

A year later, Michael unexpectedly left the province to attend school and a then 16-year-old Beverley was devastated. “Our young, innocent love was blossoming; and then the last night we were together, he kissed me goodnight, walked out the door and I never saw him again for years. I was heartbroken.”

They both went on to marry others, but admit they wondered often how the other was doing. Finally, 30some years later, Michael finally

High school sweethearts

Anne Marie and Buck Goulding drifted apart over the years but were reunited in 2003.

picked up the phone and called Beverley to wish her a happy birthday. “He told me that he had made a promise to himself that he was going to reach out to me on my 50th birthday, and I’m so glad he did,” she says. Both had been married twice before and those relationships hadn’t worked out, but they knew this time was different.

“There’s something about your first love. We were both single when he called me

that day [on her birthday] and it was like, ‘Let’s not waste one more precious day.’” Beverley was living in Newfoundland and Labrador, and Michael was in Ontario, but that didn’t stop the two reacquainted love birds. “Michael said, ‘You know we are going to be together for the rest of our lives, so let’s just do this,’ and so we did.”

Beverley shares what many who find love later in life say: “Ours is a love that others can see and feel. It’s the kind of love that makes people say they believe in true love again. Once they see us together and hear our story, they’re invested. It’s special. We know it, and those who meet us know it.”

Diane agrees. “The laughter is sweeter. Love is stronger. The bad times are not as tough. There’s something special about finding that perfect someone at a time in your life when you thought it couldn’t or wouldn’t happen.”

Violet smiles, inspired by the many late-inlife love stories

she’s heard. “Love needs to be appreciated to be truly valued, and as we get older, we know that. Young love can be selfish –what’s in it for us, type thing. Finding love at an age and time when we’ve been through many of life’s ups and downs, then it’s more about giving of ourselves,” she says.

Ann Marie gets the last word. “I was never a romantic, but now I believe in true love. I believe we all have that one someone we are supposed to find, or maybe we found them and just have to find our way back. Hang in there. Don’t give up hope. True love is worth the wait.”

Michael and Beverley Barry rekindled their teenage romance 30 years later.

Todd Hollett traces the evolution of wild animals to domesticated pets

My son, Charlie, asked me a while ago, while admiring his pet bearded dragon, Dudley, when did people start keeping lizards as pets? That got me wondering when we decided to bring any animals into our homes and make them part of the family. Here are the results of my recent dive into the history and evolution of pets.

Dogs

It is thought that dogs were the first animals to be domesticated; however, not as the companions we consider them today. These first canines were wolf pups domesticated for hunting, not cuddling. First attracted to human camps to scavenge, over time some packs started following nomadic people and a sort of natural selection for domestication occurred. Archeological evidence supports that some grey wolves experienced domestication in western Eurasia. There is also evidence suggesting that dogs were domesticated twice: once in Europe about 16,000 years ago, and again in Asia some 14,000 years ago.

While dogs were indeed the first domestic animal, nobody really knows if they were the first animals kept as pets for companionship. The

Pets are an integral part of human life: as companions, hunting partners or pest control. In ancient times, many cultures even viewed them as demigods.

idea of dogs being a man’s best friend is a very old concept, with archaeological evidence from at least 15,000 years ago showing dogs buried alongside their owners.

Romans valued dogs particularly highly, as evidenced by the Nereid Monument – built in 390 BC, it features a dog resting at the feet of a wealthy aristocrat. They also kept small “toy dog” breeds some 2,000 years ago. In Greece, dogs were kept as co-therapists in healing temples; it was believed they warded off death and cured illness, a precursor of our modern therapy dogs. Britain was the centre of dog breeding since early Roman times, holding what is believed to be the first competitive dog show in Newcastle in 1859, for Pointers and Setters. In 13th to 15th century medieval Europe, the keeping of dogs became popular with clergy and aristocrats, lap dogs were fashionable with noble ladies,

Cats

and male nobility sought “useful animals” such as hunting hounds and falcons.

Little was known about the inheritance of various desirable characteristics until Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species in 1859. Though people have used selective breeding on dogs since very early times. The Romans bred their sheep dogs to be white so they were not confused with wolves at night, and their desired guard dogs were black to scare away thieves. Their shapes have also been changed throughout history, and small dogs are not a newer thing: a dog similar to the Pekingese was found in China from the 1st century AD. Dogs have also been bred for desired behaviours and aesthetics. Genetic studies indicate that most modern domestic breeds originated in China, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

It’s often said that nobody “owns” a cat, but cat domestication is thought to have started around 12,000 years ago with the first agricultural societies. When humans settled in place and began to store grain, that attracted mice. The mice provided an endless food supply for cats, who in turn provided pest control for the farmers. Thus began a beautiful, mutually beneficial relationship.

This partnership soon developed into reverence in some cultures, particularly the Egyptians, whose feline fondness is famous and where killing a cat was a crime punishable by death! A cat cemetery at Ben Hassan contains the mummified bodies of 300,000 cats. Few societies today are more obsessed with cats than Japan, though, as

evidenced by the Hello Kitty franchise. It is believed that cats arrived in Japan from China with Buddhism in the 6th century, to guard ancient manuscripts from rodents. This connection to holiness made them status symbols.

Cats have had some rocky relationships with humans, such as during the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries. Possession of an “animal familiar” was considered a symbol of Satan and evidence of guilt. The accused witches were often elderly women who kept cats as companions.

While it has taken quite some time to piece together, the first evidence of domesticated cats was found in Cyprus in 1983, when an 8,000-yearold cat jawbone was discovered.

Fish

Then in 2004, more evidence was unearthed pushing the date back another 1,500 years. In this era, Egyptians often mummified cats and placed them in luxurious chambers within pyramids. They even worshipped three feline goddesses.

Archeologists and biologists alike think that, unlike dogs, cats descended from five different types of wildcats and sort of domesticated themselves, in typical cat fashion, at their own pace. Despite adapting to these new environments and establishing the many cat breeds we see today, they have changed very little from their roots as wildcats. They are just a little less solitary and a little more tolerant of us humans in exchange for room and board.

Fish have been raised in pools and ponds by many cultures for thousands of years, for both functional and decorative purposes. Ancient Sumerians (2500 BC) and Babylonians (500 BC) first kept wild fish in ponds until they landed on the menu. Ancient Egyptian art depicts a sacred African freshwater fish, Oxyrhynchus, being kept in temple pools. The Egyptians considered fish sacred, worshipping the Nile perch. Asian societies have been known to stock rice paddies with freshwater fish suitable for eating.

The Chinese brought goldfish indoors during the Song Dynasty from 960-1279, began breeding goldfish in the 10th century and introduced them to Europe in 1691. This led to Robert Warrington studying the cycling of water in tanks to keep fish alive

longer, and in 1853, the London Zoological Society opened the first public aquarium.

Siamese fighting fish, or Bettas, were first successfully bred in France in 1893.

Up until the 1920s, most fish kept in tanks were wild caught and only the wealthy could afford to take up the hobby of fishkeeping. The first commercial breeding was started in Florida and in the 1950s, breeders used former WWII pilots to transport their much cheaper fish by air. That, and the invention of the goldfish bowl, opened up the hobby to the

Exotics

masses. In the 1960s, the hobby was further improved by sealed glass tanks, then acrylic tanks and better filtration systems. Now many breeders are controversially modifying fish to make them more attractive, and campaigns have sprung up against it. Genetically modified fish, such as Glofish, are popular and are illegal in some places.

The 1960s-80s saw many developments in saltwater aquariums. However, with their specialized needs these have not become so popular. The fish are generally harder to obtain, less diverse and more expensive.

Exotic pets such as reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates are becoming much more popular in today’s world. Arachnids are among the most unique exotics currently on the market, with 1,264 species currently in the pet trade. More than one million emperor scorpions, as well as flat rock, desert hairy and Asian forest scorpions, and more than 600,000 Grammostola tarantula (including the most popular, Chilean Rose and Mexican red-legged tarantula) are imported annually to North America. And then there are the hissing cockroaches, millipedes, centipedes, mantises, and rhinoceros and goliath beetles.

It is thought that the first tarantula to make its way into the pet trade was possibly sometime in the late 1960s. As interest rose in the 1970s, poaching became a problem, so people began legally breeding and trading the spiders. Interest in scorpions later developed because they are easy to care for, live well in recreated habitats and tolerate handling.

Starting in the 1940s, the primary reptiles being sold in pet stores were wild caught red-eared slider turtles and green anole lizards. Then

in the 1950-60s, turtle farming became popular.

During the latter half of the 20th century, imported reptiles from Australia, Africa, South and Central America, and Asia began to appear. An explosion in reptile ownership came in the 1980s and 1990s, much of it over green iguanas, boas and pythons. In 1997 alone, about 566,000 iguanas, 94,000 ball pythons and 29,000 boa constrictors were imported for sale.

These days, the trend is towards the more “designer” reptiles such as corn snakes, leopard geckos, bearded dragons and ball pythons, which have been captive bred and derived from specialized genetic linages.

Birds, especially parrots, may represent the class of exotic pets that have been kept in captivity the longest. Records indicate that the Egyptians – they really like pets, have you noticed? – have been keeping birds since 4000 BC. During the 15th to 18th centuries, sailing made the movement of birds more commonplace and their popularity as pets grew. Many of the pet birds today are canaries,

parakeets, parrots and zebra finches that have been captive bred since the 18th and 19th centuries.

Many other exotic and native species are also being kept as pets today, including ferrets, rabbits, hedgehogs, chinchillas, guinea pigs, hamsters, tegu lizards, caiman, tigers – even the common house pest we call carpenters, sow bugs or boat builders. Perhaps I’ll tell their story another time.

Three Sheets to the Wind Red

Blueberry-Blackberry

This full-bodied dry red wine combines the Newfoundland wild blueberry with the grape-like qualities of the Newfoundland wild blackberry in a delightful table wine that pairs well with cheese, steak, wild game, beef and chocolate.

Medium

Three Sheets to the Wind White Rhubarb

A name that brings to mind a sparkling sea whipped up by fresh, cool breezes. This subtle wine is crafted from locally grown rhubarb, lending it a refreshing, crisp flavour with a hint of tartness. Pairs finely with traditional Newfoundland dishes, poultry and pork. Medium

Moose Joose

Blueberry-Partridgeberry

A blend of blueberry and partridgeberry, two of Newfoundland's most popular berries. Full of antioxidants and flavonoids, this wine could be called a health juice - but it contains alcohol, so we'll just say it's berry good for you!

Medium-Sweet

Dandy

Rhubarb-Dandelion

With its delicious blend of local rhubarb and wild dandelion, this medium white wine is, well, just Dandy, especially when paired with chicken or fish.

Semi-Sweet

Funky Puffin

Blueberry-Rhubarb

A blend of Newfoundland and Labrador blueberries and rhubarb creates a wine that is fun, delightful and well balanced. It is a great sipping wine and goes well with cheese and crackers. Semi-Sweet

Frig-Off

Strawberry-Raspberry

A refreshing strawberryraspberry wine is just what you need. And it makes a delicious way to tell someone else to chill out, or even Frig-Off!

Semi-Sweet

Winter getaways are the ideal way to relax and recharge, and explore new places during the snowy months. This February, whether you’re a solo traveller, part of a loving couple, or a group of friends looking for a weekend break, there are loads of places and activities to check out all across Newfoundland and Labrador. Here are three perfect examples of what makes a really great escape.

Rosedale Manor

Solotravellers

looking for quiet, quality “me time,” might want to book a stay at Rosedale Manor. Located in Placentia, just a quick hour outside St. John’s, Rosedale is a beautiful, historic waterfront home dating back to 1893. Locals Christopher Newhook and Lori Pretty have recently taken over as hosts, creating a getaway perfect for anyone seeking a peaceful haven. Antique furniture, handcrafted quilts and Christopher’s original artwork decorate the bedrooms, and guests are welcome to enjoy morning coffee in the dining room, to nose around in the library of Newfoundland literature, or, in the warmer months, to sit in the flower garden and savour the character of old Placentia.

“What a place to come and get inspired, to relax, to disappear, to unwind,” says Christopher, noting that those of us who live in Newfoundland and Labrador often take our relative isolation and quietness for granted. “People are looking for a place to just find themselves, and also to find purpose and direction.”

A stay at Rosedale Manor will appeal to curious travellers looking for a personal connection – Christopher works with Parks Canada and has a wealth of knowledge about the local area. Let Rosedale serve as your home base while you check out Castle Hill National Historic Site, where the French and the English duked it out with cannons and stone forts in the 1600s. Wander along coastal hikes and birdwatch at Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve, or head over

to the Three Sisters pub for a hot meal or some live music. “I say the pub’s within stumbling distance,” Christopher quips.

Christopher and Lori are now in the early stages of development of weekend packages for various seasons, where you might pick apples or berries and bake them into fresh muffins; stroll around the town’s oldfashioned streets and learn about the Basque, French, English and American cultures that intertwined here, or head out with Christopher for an art experience en plein air. “I’m a trained visual artist,” he explains, “so you take your art kit and we’ll go for a little adventure. We’ll disappear into the forest or down by the ocean, and you just sketch or draw for an hour or two.”

Milton Inn

If your dream winter

weekend includes frosty days on the trails and amazing meals, grab your sweetie and set a course for the Milton Inn. Located just outside Clarenville and not far from White Hills Ski Resort, the inn is a hidden gem with an incredible dining room operated by chef Trevor Adams. Trevor, who grew up in Milton, studied French and Italian cooking at George Brown Culinary School in Toronto, ON. He cooks everything from scratch on-site in a classic style with a uniquely local flair.

GEORGE’S BROOK-MILTON

“We’re very different than your typical restaurant,” he says. “We do classic French and Italian dishes, but we use Newfoundland ingredients like moose and rabbit, caribou… and as much locally foraged or harvested food as possible. Our fish is caught by either me and my son, or a close friend of ours, in the waters just out from Random Island.”

The Milton Inn’s focus is on relaxed fine dining. “We want you to stop,” Trevor says, “We want you to stay.” While the dining room is small, it feels cosy and intimate; the tables are comfortably spaced so you can flirt with your date without being overheard. For added romance, the curated wine cellar is one of the best in the province, with nearly 140 kinds of fine wine to choose from. Be sure to make a reservation though, as the dining room can be booked up months in advance.

George’s Brook-Milton is conveniently located near the White Hills Resort, Terra Nova National Park, Thorburn Lake and Port Blandford. White Hills offers winter fun for everyone – try a downhill skiing lesson, or follow a snowmobile trail into the backcountry. The surrounding White Hills have 40 kilometres of groomed Nordic trails for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, and some are lighted so you can ski under the stars.

Trevor is keen to mention that no trip out this way would be complete without a couple of additional stops: Cabin 6 Pizza for a freshly made stone-baked pie; and the Newfoundland Cider Company, the province’s first craft cidery, for a small-batch craft cider. “It’s like we’re a little three-hub spot to hit, and we really thrive and feed off each other,” he says.

Upper Humber Settlement

If you’re part of a gaggle looking for a winter wonderland on the west coast, head to the Upper Humber Settlement B&B in the tiny historic community of Cormack. Mark and Lauralee Ledrew purchased the six-acre property in 2012, and have been hard at work since creating a sustainable homestead and a new FarmStay Bed and Breakfast. Mark cleared the land and built the rustic, charming B&B himself with locally sourced lumber and repurposed materials. “It’s a cosy and intimate location for a winter destination,” says Lauralee, “with Canadian maple flooring, Newfoundland wood trim and 18-foot ceilings. There’s plenty of room for up to eight guests, so bring along your friends or family and make some memories!”

Cormack is an ideal spot for travellers – just 20 minutes from the Deer Lake airport and about 30 minutes from Gros Morne National Park. “We’re also around 45 minutes outside Corner Brook,” Lauralee says, “making us the ideal halfway point to see some of the west coast’s finest attractions.” Skiers and snowshoers can check out the trails in Gros Morne or at Pasadena’s Ski and Nature Park. Marble Mountain Ski Resort – Atlantic Canada’s biggest peak, with 230 acres of skiable terrain and almost 40 trails – is just 45 minutes away in Steady Brook.

Try out one of the winter experience packages the Upper Humber is offering, such as a Farm and Forage Cultural Snowshoe Cook Up where you can take a trek and have a boil-up using foraged flavours and tastes from the farm. Or head out on a snowmobile excursion on groomed trails, leaving right from the driveway. Snowmobile rentals are available nearby at Rugged Edge in Corner Brook – they have backcountry guides who can take you to Western Brook Gorge and the Lomond Sinkhole. “We’ll make all the arrangements for you and can even include a fully catered meal package for during the day and a hot meal prepared for your return,” Lauralee says. “We use many of the vegetables and meats from our farm to bring the FarmStay experience to your plate.”

Castle Hill • Placentia www.pc.gc.ca/castlehill

The Three Sisters Pub and Restaurant • Placentia

TheThreeSisters.ca

Cabin 6 Pizza • Milton

CabinSixPizza.com

Newfoundland Cider Company• Milton

NewfoundlandCiderCo.com

Terra Nova Resort & Golf Community • Port Blandford

TerraNovaGolfNL.com

White Hills Resort • Clarenville

WhiteHillsResort.com

Rugged Edge Outdoor Lifestyle

Emporium • Corner Brook

RuggedEdge.ca

Gros Morne National Park

Parks.Canada.ca/pn-np/nl/ grosmorne

Pasadena Ski and Nature Park

PasadenaSkiPark.org

Marble Mountain Resort • Steady Brook

SkiMarble.com

life is better

Winter sunrise at Cape Spear

Sheldon Hicks, Bonavista, NL

February is often peak month for snowmobiling in Newfoundland and Labrador. By this time, we generally have as much snow as we’re going to get this winter, lakes and ponds are typically frozen over, and along with well-worn trails to travel, there’s still a chance of a fresh snowfall so you can chart your own path. Practised safely, snowmobiling can provide endless exploration and memorable adventures.

According to the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations, there are 610,000 registered snow machines in Canada and 121,297 km of groomed trails. In Newfoundland and Labrador, we definitely have our share of both. And among Downhome readers, we have our share of snowmobile enthusiasts, too. We compiled the following photos from your submissions over the past number of winters, showcasing how the best days on snowmobile are spent!

CAPTIONS: Eldred Allen photo

Breaking Trail

Nothing says winter wilderness better than a landscape of untouched snow.

Cindy Rideout •Lloydminster, AB

Fresh Tracks

This newly laid track is pretty inviting.

Lillian Warren Marystown, NL

Blustery Fun

Is there any better way to travel in this weather?

Margaret Gale South Branch, NL

Extra Large Day

Chill Out

The Shiver Shack, operated by the Western Sno-Riders snowmobile club, welcomes trail riders for a warmup.

Pansy Snow

Robert’s Arm, NL

The snow and the blue sky seem to go on forever on this perfect February day in Lab West. Harold Clarke • Labrador City, NL

Little Kids in the Big Land

Cameron and Holly Maracle on their kid-sized sled. Michelle

No Going Back

This rider pauses at the water’s edge in resettled Fortune, on the Great Northern Peninsula. Michele Wiest •Quirpon, NL

Maracle • Wabush, NL

Into the Woods

A fresh coat of snow clings to the trees and brings a heaviness to the air. Pansy Snow• Robert’s Arm, NL

Snowmobiling Emergency Kit

Before heading out on your next excursion, be sure your snowmobile is properly equipped. An adventure can become a misadventure without warning, so you should always be prepared.

• First-aid kit

• Cell phone / satellite phone (Garmin Inreach or SPOT GPS messenger), fully charged

• Medication / pain relieving medicine

• Personal ID (including medical information, such as allergies)

• Spare clothes (esp. socks, gloves and hat)

• Map / compass / mirror

• Flashlight and extra batteries

• Signal whistle

• Emergency blanket

• Non-perishable snacks and drinking water

• Metal cup and heavy duty knife

• Duct tape

• Small tool kit (screwdriver, bits etc.)

• Matches and/lighter, and tinder (eg. dryer lint) in a waterproof container

• Shovel

• Extra gas

• Flares

Recommended Extras

• Spare belt/spark plugs for sled

• Nuts and bolts for sled

• Sled manual

• Saw/hatchet

• Tarp and rope

• Extra coolant

• Zip ties/wire/hose clamps

• Garbage bags

Source: NL Snowmobile Federation

Snowy Summit

The view is endless from atop Mealy Mountains in Labrador. Joan Saunders • Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL

Snowmobiling Groups in NL

Looking for a groomed trail, conditions update or warmup shack in your area? Follow these groups on Facebook.

Northern Drifters Snowmobile Club

St. Anthony

North Eastern Trail Riders

Roddickton-Bide Arm

Northwest Trackers

Port Saunders

Tableland Snowriders Inc

Woody Point

Western Sno-Riders

Corner Brook

Bay St. George Snowmobile Association

Stephenville

Bay St. George South River Riders Association

St. George’s

Junction Trail Blazers

Deer Lake

Humber Winterland

Hampden-Sop’s Arm

Dorset Snowmobile & ATV Club

Middle Arm

Green Bay Snowmobile Club

Springdale

Exploits TrailNet

Grand Falls-Windsor

Notre Dame Snowmobile Association

Lewisporte

Gander & Area Snowmobile Association

Gander

Kittiwake Snowmobile Association

Badger’s Quay

Terra Nova Trail Riders

Glovertown

Discovery Trail Snowmobile Association (formerly ECSA)

Clarenville

Source: NL Snowmobile Federation

Change of Scenery

The west coast is often the best coast for snowmobiling, at least it was this day.

Valerie Wiseman

Clarenville, NL

Single File

Witch Hazel Hill is a wintry wonderland in Harbour Breton. Beulah Drake Harbour Breton, NL

what’s in a name?

By Dale Jarvis

In the 1940s, Buzz Neal was a student of geology at Victoria College at the University of Toronto. It was there that friends set him up on a blind date that would forever change the map of Labrador.

The date was with the woman who was to be the love of his life – Carol Oliver. Buzz graduated in 1948 and took his first job, prospecting for iron ore around Knob Lake, Quebec, with the Labrador Mining and Exploration Company, the company that would eventually form the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC). He returned home just long enough to complete his Masters degree and propose to Carol, before popping off north again prospecting for iron.

Domingo Dichoson photo

Some six miles to the west of Wabush, a geological survey party under Buzz’s leadership established a camp on what was then an unnamed lake. Buzz decided to name the lake “Carol,” in honour of his fiancée. Along the way, Buzz and his team found and charted the rich iron deposits that were soon to make Carol Lake famous.

The Iron Ore Company of Canada moved quickly, setting up a townsite they called “The Carol Project.” Camp-style housing was eventually replaced with single-family homes as the campsite became a community. In 1961, it was incorporated as the Local Improvement District of Labrador City.

In the end, Carol didn’t get a town named after her. But that unnamed lake where a lovestruck Buzz Neal pitched his tent in 1948 is still Carol Lake.

Do you know a story or local legend explaining your favourite Newfoundland and Labrador place name? Send it to dale@dalejarvis.ca. Dale Jarvis is the author of Place Names of Newfoundland and Labrador, published by Flanker Press.

By Jerry Stewart

day started with the sun shining and light winds, which made for a great boat ride. We got to go back in time and visit Red Island in Placentia Bay, NL, my nan’s home. Nan, Bernardine Synard, left Red Island in 1957, at the age of 17. She went to college and became a teacher. She ended up teaching on Oderin Island, also in Placentia Bay, but would only return home to Red Island for holidays when school was over. In 1968, Nan’s mother and her siblings who were still on the island resettled to Placentia.

I’m 35 years old and I’ve heard so many wonderful stories about Red Island from Nan. She talked about her parents, how wonderful they were, about how strong her mom was, about all the hard work she endured – but said she would do it all over again because it made her the person she is today. She talked about the school, church, the herring factory, Sand Pond, Wild Cove, motorboat rides every Sunday, and makeand-break engines. She talked about their home-grown vegetables, and their cows and

Bernardine Synard on the boat to Red Island

sheep. She talked about stages, fish out to dry, no lights (only kerosene lamps), and shared some funny stories about her siblings. Nan could talk about Red Island for hours, and she would be so descriptive when telling you stories you could almost close your eyes and picture it all. Nan can sit down and tell you from the top of her head everyone’s name and where they lived in Red Island. She always said she would love to return some day.

So, 54 years later, at the ripe age of

81, Nan got to get back to Red Island today. Although it was so different from when she left in 1957, she said, “I’ll never forget where I was born and raised. Red Island will always be home to me.”

To be able to make this trip with Nan is a memory we will cherish close to our hearts. We had a great day. There are no words to explain how much today meant to Nan. I’m

sure you’ll be able to see from our photos! Big thank-you to Tom Whittle and his crew for taking us there. You’ll never be forgotten.

The last words Nan said when she was getting out of the boat were, “If I dies tonight, I’ll die happy.” We hope she has many more years left so we can continue to make beautiful memories. Nan, you truly are a beautiful soul.

Submit your favourite photos of scenery, activities and icons that best illustrate the down-home lifestyle. We’re looking for a variety of colourful subjects – outports, wildlife, laundry lines, historic sites, seascapes, hilltop views, and so much more – and photos from all four seasons.

This is your chance to get in on our most popular reader contest and try to woo the judges into choosing your photo for the 2024 Downhome Calendar. These calendars are seen by tens of thousands of subscribers and displayed all year long.

What are you waiting for?

Submit today, using one of these ways: by mail: Downhome Calendar Contest

43 James Lane St. John’s, NL A1E 3H3 online:

www.downhomelife.com/calendar

Must be original photos or high quality copies. Digital photos must be at least 300 dpi, files sizes of about 1MB.We can’t accept photocopies or photos that are blurry, too dark or washed out. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want your photos returned.

HOME and Cabin

stuff we love by Nicola Ryan

Coffee Break

JUST BREW-TIFUL

Chemex pour-over coffee makers have been icons of modern design for over 70 years. The thick paper filters help extract tons of flavour and filter out some of the polyphenols – the components of brewed coffee responsible for bitterness. With a little patience and practice, anyone with a Chemex can brew a high-quality cup of deep, rich coffee. Can be found in most coffee shops, kitchen stores and at Amazon.ca.

COOL BEANS

Since opening their doors on West Street in Corner Brook in 2007, Brewed Awakening has grown to be NL’s largest small-batch roasting company. Their fresh, handcrafted blends of coffee and espresso are named after local places. Check out Lab City light, Blow Me Down medium, Weeball dark or Milltown espresso for some of the finest coffee around. BrewedAwakening.ca

ALL FROTH

If you love café-style espresso drinks and want to make them at home without shelling out thousands for an extravagant machine, get a handheld milk frother like this one from PowerLix. It can froth milk in about 20 seconds, so you can easily whip up foamy cappuccinos or creamy lattes for a fraction of the cost. CanadianTire.ca

ESPRESSO YOURSELF

Want to improve your coffee game? Take a barista training course, like the ones offered at Battery Café in St. John’s, NL. Learn tips and tricks while using Chemex, Aeropress, French press and other brewing methods. You could even learn how to steam milk and make attractive latte art! The two-hour courses are taught in person at the café by a senior barista. Batterycafe.ca/barista-training

MUG UP

An enjoyable cup of coffee deserves a beautiful mug. We love these inspiring espresso mugs made by artists Mike Gillan and Erin McArthur of Northeastern Folk Art that remind us of cloudy skies and rugged coastlines. You can find a selection of their work at the Craft Council, the Newfoundland Weavery and at shops around the province. NortheasternFolkArt.com

Do you remember your grandmother’s house?

I remember my nanny’s living room in her Southern Shore home – the cluttered china cabinet, the television with the rabbit ears, and the armchair (stuffed with knitting supplies and half-finished slippers) draped with one of those blankets crocheted in a rainbow of colours. You know the ones. They’re as familiar as a loaf of homemade bread, and seeing one today would likely fill you with sentimentality or wistfulness for those days gone by.

Well, they say everything old is new again and the proof is in the pudding for Julie Brocklehurst. As the designer and maker behind Logy Made, she creates granny square blankets and crocheted pieces inspired by traditional styles but perfectly at home in modern spaces.

When I catch up with Julie, she’s at home in Logy Bay where she lives with her husband Andrew and their two children. She tells me the inspiration behind her creations started with her nanny, Olive.

“I remember my grandmother trying to teach me to crochet when I was really little. She crocheted and made granny square blankets and lots of little doilies and tablecloths and that kind of stuff. I think I was interested at the time because I always wanted to be involved in whatever she was

doing,” Julie says. “She died several years ago, but every time I’m working on a blanket, I feel like I can feel her... And I kind of wish she was still here to see what I’m doing because it wasn’t until after she passed away that I took it up again.”

Julie makes her blankets with mindfulness and love, patiently crocheting each colourful square. “I do the squares first,” she explains. “Each square is done separately and then I join them afterwards. That’s the way, I think, that they were always made. I certainly didn’t invent anything, but I’m just so happy to carry on an old tradition.”

While the blankets are made in the traditional style, the beautiful colourways Julie chooses makes them feel modern. We crack up laughing when I recall the traditional blankets being mostly black— “and orange!” Julie says, finishing my

thought. “Whether it was the ’60s or ’70s, maybe that’s just what was in at the time and what was available.”

Julie shops locally for yarn when she can, mentioning she likes to pop into Cast On Cast Off or order from local small-batch yarn dyers. She tries to avoid using 100 per cent wool as it tends to be itchy, and opts instead for soft and comfortable blends of fine wool and nylon or cashmere. Her blankets are incredible combinations of hues inspired by familiar landscapes – the bright burgundy of partridgeberries; the golden yellow of sunrays crowning pine clad hills; the silvery greys and blues of stormy skies.

“Maybe I’m just good at colours,” Julie says, playing down her artistic talent. “Sometimes they’re more carefully

“Honestly, it’s hard to part with them,” Julie says. “I spend so much time on each one and then I have to hand them over. It’s hard to let them go, but that’s just part of it, I guess.”

thought out, but sometimes it’s just pretty random. Sometimes I’m making a square with, say, four different colours and I think ‘oh god, that doesn’t go,’ but it looks so good when it’s finished and they’re all put together and there’s no rhyme and reason to it. They’re my favourite.”

Julie mainly creates custom orders, often from people looking to recreate a memory. “I get lots from people that are from Newfoundland but now live away, and they want something to remind them of home. As I’m making

Julie’s work is displayed at B&Bs and heritage homes around the province, and sold in select boutiques and gift shops. Last summer Julie was invited to showcase at the Festival of Quilts – a celebration of handmade tradition and cultural creativity that toured Bay de Verde, Red Head Cove and Grates Cove. You may have also spotted her works as yarn bombs – pop-up artworks adorning rocks at Middle Cove Beach or Quidi Vidi by the artisan studio.

Through her work, Julie has been able to appreciate the practice of slow living, a calmer and more balanced approach to life. “Being intentional with my time allows me to curate a meaningful and conscious lifestyle that’s in line with what I value most,” she says.“I’m really happy with the way things are going. It does bring me a lot of joy, and since COVID this has become my full-time work. For me, that allows me to be able to stay home with my children, which is the most important thing. Our children have medical issues, so it’s really important to me to have that sense of comfort at home. We spend most of our time at home, and we try to provide a safe and loving space. I think my blankets contribute to that.”

them, it helps to know who they’re for. There’s always a story, and each one is special.” Some of Julie’s favourites include one made from squares that a grandmother had started but didn’t get to finish, and a new blanket made from yarn found in a late mother’s possessions.

“Honestly, it’s hard to part with them,” she says. “I spend so much time on each one and then I have to hand them over. It’s hard to let them go, but that’s just part of it, I guess.”

As for the blankets that now adorn couches all across Newfoundland and Labrador and farther afield, Julie hopes they’ll be cherished as much as those old-time originals. “My hope is that they’ll become almost like an heirloom piece,” she says. “That they’ll be passed down then, through generations in the same way that I’ve got my grandmother’s blanket. I hope that my blankets are around for generations to come. Imagine! It’s a crazy thought, but it’s kind of nice.”

Ask Marie Anything

Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions

Q. What are the best flooring, countertop, appliance, paint and upholstery options for a busy family of sticky hands and everyday stains?

A. Good one! Whether you have little kids, older kids, a small zoo of pets or live alone – we all get messy sometimes. So it’s best to at least attempt to minimize the damage with sensible and informed choices at the beginning.

Flooring

“Will it show scratches?” I get this question a LOT. Unless it is made from Tungsten steel, it will eventually scratch. But clearly, some surfaces are tougher than others and some hide scratches very well; or if they do scratch, they can easily be repaired.

Porcelain tile is one of the most durable, scratch-resistant flooring options out there – but it’s not always the most practical. Unless you have in-floor heating, it can be cold underfoot; it’s very unforgiving if you drop things on it; and like a concrete floor, it’s hard on the legs if you spend any amount of time standing/walking on it. But it is beautiful, long lasting, easy to maintain and water resistant,

and the options for size, colour and design are endless. It’s a great choice in entrances, laundry rooms and bathrooms.

Hardwood and its cousin, engineered hardwood, have been the go-to flooring choices for decades. A wood floor offers so much warmth and comfort to any space, it’s hard to beat. The type of wood, stain colour and finish will determine how easily it scratches and how visible the scratches will be. However, the beauty of wood is that you can usually hide or repair any damage with minimal effort.

The newest and probably most versatile flooring on the market is the Luxury Vinyl Tile or LVT, a man-made material that is durable, water resistant, low maintenance, easily installed and affordable. You have a virtually unlimited choice of colour and texture to fit most budgets, and a few installation options. The product itself is a little deceiving because it can look like tile, hardwood, stone, cork or concrete, but it has the durability and comfort of a vinyl floor. For all these reasons, this flooring option gets my vote for high traffic areas.

Countertops

By far the most cost efficient, family-friendly material for counters is laminate. It’s a nonporous acrylic material that comes in a variety of colours and patterns. Recent versions are made to look more like their stone or granite competitors at a fraction of the cost. I would stay away from solid white or solid black because it will show every crumb and coffee stain. That’s not to say it needs to have a crazy pattern (kitchens are busy enough without added energy), so I recommend something with a subtle pattern or medium colour range to reduce the need to wipe it down every half hour. I also recommend staying away from a highgloss finish for laminate. This material can scratch and a glossy surface will highlight the scratches far more blatantly than a matte finish.

If your budget allows, by all means step up to the next level of counters. Quartz is a mixture of

Although more susceptible to scratch damage than other materials, hardwood floors can often be repaired with minimal effort.

Laminate remains the most cost effective option for countertops, many simulating more expensive granite or quartz varieties. A darker pattern will minimize the appearance of stains and crumbs.

crushed quartz stone mixed with polymers and resin. Granite is a natural stone. Both these materials are very durable in terms of scratches or dents. They are heat resistant and can handle fairly strong household cleaning solutions. The biggest consideration here is cost.

Appliances

The thing to remember when shopping for appliances is to ask questions and assume nothing. Is the freezer frost free? Does the stove have a selfcleaning oven? (Some of the bigger, commercial looking ones do not.) How hard is it to clean the glass top of that stove? Do I need a special cleaning solution? Where do I get that particular solution?

In general, stainless-steel is still the most prominent appliance finish on the market. The good news is that it is much easier to clean and maintain now compared to its introduction about 20 years ago. Manufacturers have experimented with other colours and finishes including black, black stainless, sunflower yellow and cobalt blue. But guess what? The “newest” colour trend for appliances is… wait for it… WHITE!

Bottom line: it’s not so much the colour you choose for your appliance, it’s the finish. As long as you can clean it with a quick wipe from a damp cloth, you’re good to go.

Stainless-steel appliances have become much easier to keep clean in recent years.

Paint

Every paint company has a version of a “washable” paint – a paint that, once it’s on the wall and cured properly, can be lightly washed to remove stains. As with appliances, the finish has a lot to do with the cleanability of a painted wall. A flat finish will hide a lot of imperfections and blemishes, but it will also show the place where you rubbed a cloth over it to remove a stain. A pearl or semigloss finish, on the other hand, is much more washable and wipeable, making it the preferred finish for doors and trims – places where fingerprints and boot marks are more likely to be found. Eggshell is the general purpose finish for most walls. It gives a softer looking finish than gloss, but isn’t as temperamental as flat. Paint manufacturers have been working hard to create the best of both worlds: a rich, luxurious paint finish that can be spot cleaned without showing scrub marks.

Upholstery

I would narrow it down to two options: microfiber or leather. Microfiber is one of the most durable, cleanable, colourfast, fade and stain resistant materials on the market. It’s soft to the touch, like velvet or suede, and very comfortable to sit on. Spills and stains are easily removed with a mild soap and water solution. I recommend going with a medium colour – not too light and not too dark. The only drawback with the light colour family is dye transfer, where dye (e.g. from denim jeans) will transfer to the upholstery fabric it comes in contact with, usually over an extended period of time. The drawback for the very dark colours is that you’ll see every speck of lint.

Leather is tough, durable, cleanable, long lasting and comfortable. It generally carries a higher price tag and is not scratch resistant – whether from kids’ toys or cats’ claws – but most times the scratches can be repaired.

We all strive to keep our homes in the best possible shape we can manage. We live busy lives, so if the surfaces we use and the furniture we live with require minimal maintenance to still look good at the end of the day – mission accomplished. It’s just one more way to love your space!

Ask Marie Anything!

Got a design question for Marie? Email editorial@downhomelife.com, and watch for your question and her answer to appear here!

Leather is tough, durable and easily cleaned, making it a stylish option for your home.

the everyday gourmet

By Andrea Maunder

Can you imagine how excited I was to learn the theme of this issue’s Everyday Recipes is Some Saucy?! My preserve business is called Saucy & Sweet by Andrea Maunder, so it feels like a pretty natural connection. But even more, I sincerely believe that the balance and depth of flavour of a sauce can make a dish. It can elevate something that is already exquisitely cooked, or turn what would be a quick, potentially boring, weeknight meal into something that makes you pause and savour the moment as you raise the fork.

Culinary students learn about the five “mother sauces” that form the basis of French cuisine (tomato, hollandaise etc.), but it comes as a surprise that mayonnaise is not considered one of them – despite having become perhaps the most widely used in the world. It’s become habit for most people to pick up a jar of commercially prepared mayonnaise. But nothing beats the satisfaction – and flavour – of homemade.

Many home cooks have heard about a sauce “breaking.” That is to say, instead of the oil and liquids emulsifying, they separate like an oldfashioned oil and vinegar dressing, rather than the creamy, luscious result we are after. It sounds intimidating, but a few tips will make you a master of mayonnaise.

Oil and water (or vinegar or lemon juice etc.) don’t want to mix – kind of like strangers at a party. So we need something to help them be friends. In this case, the lecithin found in egg yolks (also found in mustard) is a natural binder and, like a good host at a party, introduces them to each other. The other secret is to bring the ingredients together slowly – like starting with small talk, so they have time to bind.

You should make it by hand the first time you try this. The process really helps you understand how the ingredients come together, and it’s truly fascinating to see. It’s kinda magical. Once you get the process down, it’s much quicker in a food processor – but depending on the size of your machine, you will need to do a larger batch. (Otherwise, the blade will just chuck the ingredients around the bowl and your mayo will break.)

Andrea Maunder is the owner and creative force behind Saucy & Sweet – Homemade Specialty Foods & Catering.

If your machine is smaller, or has a smaller workbowl attachment, you can make the single batch below. I don’t recommend using a blender.

Here’s the method that will yield success. Use a medium-sized mixing bowl and a good whisk. Create a little nest with a tea towel to keep your bowl steady, so you can use both hands – one to dribble in the oil and one to whisk. Begin with the yolks in the bowl and add the mustard. (It can help, but is not necessary, to have the yolks at room temperature before starting.) Don’t add salt or other flavourings yet. Add a tiny bit of lemon juice or vinegar, 1/2 tsp or so, barely enough to loosen the egg yolks. Begin dribbling in the oil, practically drop by drop, as you whisk fairly vigorously. Almost immediately, you’ll see the colour start to change, becoming creamy and lighter. Continue dribbling in the oil until the mixture looks more stable (it’s emulsifying!) and looks like thick salad dressing. Season with salt and pepper (and other flavourings, if you like), and add a little more lemon juice or vinegar – be sure to keep whisking as you do. (Adding salt at the same time as vinegar or lemon juice allows it to dissolve; salt does not dissolve in oil.) Then go back to dribbling in the oil. As the mixture becomes more stable, you can go a little more quickly with the oil. Keep going until you have the thickness and lightness you like. A good vigorous whisking at the end will lighten it a lot. It will thicken more in the fridge. Taste and adjust seasonings. Now comes the creative part: you can flavour your mayonnaise however you like. A pinch of sugar to balance the acidity. Garlic and lemon are the additions that turn mayonnaise into aioli. Add a little anchovy and a drop of Worcestershire (and more lemon juice) to that and it’s Caesar dressing. Malt vinegar instead of lemon makes a deadly dip for fries. Steeping a little saffron in the lemon juice creates a delicious sauce – really gorgeous with fish. You can add chopped herbs or capers, or a little minced sun-dried tomato. You get the idea. The important part is the balance of acidity

and getting to the stable point before gettin’ jiggy with flavours.

Turn mayo into salad dressing. Some sour cream and herbs make it Green Goddess dressing. Crumble in some blue cheese, and add a little sour cream (or cream) and red wine vinegar for Blue Cheese dressing.

Lemon zest and juice, plus honey and poppy seeds. Add some Saucy & Sweet Partridgeberry Chutney for a chicken or turkey sandwich or a burger. Add some of my Better than Sriracha hot sauce for wing dip. Get right saucy and you’ll never have a boring meal again.

Mayonnaise

2 egg yolks

1 tsp Dijon mustard (you can omit mustard, but proceed extra slowly at first)

1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar or lemon juice

1 cup vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Use the hand-method above or the following food processor method: If you have a large food processor, use the smaller bowl attachment. If you do not have the smaller bowl attachment, double the recipe to make a larger batch. Add egg yolks to the small bowl of a food processor and process for 20 seconds. Add the mustard and half the vinegar (or lemon juice). Process for another 20 seconds. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, turn the food processor on, then begin to slowly dribble in the oil in tiny drops until about a quarter of the oil has been added (this is critical for proper emulsification). When you notice the mixture beginning to thicken and emulsify, you can be a little less strict. With the processor on, continue to add oil slowly in a very thin stream. When all the oil has been added, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and process for an extra 10 seconds. Taste mayonnaise for seasoning, then add salt, pepper, lemon juice or extra vinegar to taste. Note, if the mayo seems too thin, slowly stream in more oil with the processor running until thick. If too thick but you are happy with the flavour, you can add a little cold water. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Some Saucy

If you’re looking to get a little saucy this Valentine’s Day, you’ll fall right in love with these delicious recipes.

Cod in Tomato Sauce

4 (6 oz) cod fillets

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Pat fish dry with paper towels. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add cod fillets; cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, until flesh begins to colour a little. Remove from pan and set aside. In same skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook and stir until tender (3-4 minutes). Stir in tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Lay cod fillets in sauce and spoon sauce over top. Reduce heat and simmer until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork, 5-7 minutes. Serve with potatoes and/or non-starchy vegetables like broccoli and carrots. Makes 4 servings.

Pork in Mushroom Sauce

2 pork tenderloins (about 1 1/2- 2 lbs total)

2 tbsp oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 cup white wine (or vegetable stock)

1 tsp grainy Dijon mustard

1 cup 35% cream

salt and pepper to taste

Use a very sharp knife to peel the skin from the tenderloin, then slice it into 1 ½-2-inch medallions. Season both sides with salt and pepper. In a large frypan over medium-high heat, add oil. When hot, add pork in single layer (you may need to do several batches), and cook for about 2 minutes per side until seared. Remove from pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-low and add onion. Add a little more oil if needed. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion softens (3-4 minutes). Add mushrooms, garlic and thyme. Stir and cook for 5-7 minutes, until mushrooms are soft. Stir in white wine (or stock) and Dijon mustard. Raise heat to medium and simmer for a couple of minutes; sauce should reduce a little. Stir in cream. Return pork to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or just until pork is no longer pink in the centre (or meat thermometer reads 145°F). Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or pasta. Makes 6 servings.

Salmon Tagliatelle

3 cups (300 g) tagliatelle (or fettucine)

2/3 lb (300 g) fresh salmon

1 tbsp butter

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

8 cups fresh spinach, washed, dried and chopped

1 lemon (juice and zest)

Salt & pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese, grated, for garnish

Remove skin from salmon and cut into bite-sized pieces. In a large skillet, melt butter and sauté garlic over medium heat until fragrant. Lower heat and stir in cream; simmer until cream has reduced. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Reduce heat to low and let sauce simmer while making pasta. Cook tagliatelle (or fettucine) in salted water until al dente, then drain. Add pasta, salmon and lemon zest to the skillet. Cook for 3-4 min., until salmon is translucent and flakes easily. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Divide among 4 plates and top with Parmesan. Makes 4 servings.

Butter Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 tbsp olive oil

2 cups onion, diced

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp fresh garlic, minced

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 bay leaf

2 tsp garam masala

3/4 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup cold water

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until translucent. Melt butter in pan, then add lemon juice, garlic, ginger, chili powder, cumin, bay leaf and half the garam masala. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and water. Stir to combine and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in cream, milk and yogurt. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside. Place remaining oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and cook in oil until lightly browned on both sides. Reduce heat, and season with remaining garam masala, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Add half the sauce and simmer until liquid has reduced and chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F). Add remaining sauce and cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until thickened sufficiently. Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.

Crockpot Chili Cheese Dip

2 (14 oz) cans chili

4 oz (1/2 pkg) cream cheese, cubed

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or TexMex)

1/4 cup salsa

Tortilla chips, crackers, crunchy vegetables etc. for dipping

Spray the bottom of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place cream cheese cubes in the slow cooker. Cover with chili, then salsa, then cheddar cheese. Cook on low for 1-3 hours. Stir and serve. Great for dipping crunchy things, but also poured over french fries! Makes enough for a small crowd.

Chocolate Sauce

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tbsp flour

1 1/4 cups milk (whole milk is best, but low fat works too)

2 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch salt

In a bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa and flour. In a saucepan on the stove, combine butter, milk and vanilla over medium heat; stir until butter melts. Gradually whisk dry ingredients into the pot. Raise heat to medium high and bring mixture to a simmer. Stir constantly while cooking for six minutes, then remove from heat and whisk in salt. Sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve warm over ice cream, pancakes, waffles or cheesecake, or use as a fondue for fruit, marshmallows, pretzels or chips. Store in lidded jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

BY KIM THISTLE

towns.

This “look” is not as easy to create as one might think. Consumers often choose what they feel is the best route and pick up a few packs of wildflower seeds thinking that this will do the trick. For anyone who has ever grown a plant from seed, you will know that this is not as effortless as it seems. Seeds take optimal conditions for germination and each seed has to come in contact with bare soil. If you are lucky enough to prevent the birds and squirrels from pilfering said seed, you still have to ensure that the soil is habitable and that there is adequate moisture to get those seeds started. If you are lucky enough to get them this far, then you have to protect your seedlings from insect pests.

Wildflowers in underutilized spaces are appealing to everyone, whether you are a gardener or not. We all want that wispy look at our cottage or in undeveloped areas of our cities and

There is an easier way. Do some research and choose the plants that you think will work. Be sure to choose:

a) plants that will grow in your zone;

b) hardy plants that can take abuse;

c) a mixture of annuals, biennials and perennials. The annuals have a quick turnaround time and will bloom the year they are planted. If left to die back naturally, they will often reseed. The biennials will reseed and grow back each year. The perennials will take a few years, but once established they will be your dependable long timers.

Once you have a list, you have two options. You can purchase seed and start the plants yourself, or you can buy the plants already started and plant them in your waste area. Buying the seed is definitely the less expensive option, as long as you already have soil, pots, grow lights and a greenhouse or an area in your house where you can set up a growing station. In case you missed the

sarcasm, this can turn into a very expensive project. Also, good quality wildflower seed is quite expensive. It might be easier to buy the plants already started and let them spread over time. I’ve compiled a list of what I would recommend in most areas of Newfoundland and Labrador (see sidebar opposite).

Before planting your wildflowers, there are a few things you have to consider:

Choose a well-drained area with 6-8 hours of sun per day.

Plant a wide variety of flowers so that you have blooms throughout the season. If, for example, you decide to plant a field full of lupins, it will look magnificent for a couple of weeks at the end of June and first part of July. After that, you will be gazing upon a field of stalks covered in seed pods (and aphids). Choose plants that bloom at different times of the summer and fall.

Recommended Wildflowers

–Annuals –Cosmos

Bachelor Buttons

Calendula

Sunflowers (shorter varieties)

Marigolds

Nigella

–Biennials–

Sweet Williams

Foxglove

Forget Me Nots

Lunaria

Mullein

California Poppies

Canterbury Bells

Teasel

–Perennials –Lupins

Columbine

Achillea (Yarrow)

Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susan)

Fillipendula (Queen of the Meadow)

Echinacea (Purple Coneflower)

Liatrus (Gayfeather)

Shasta Daisy

Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)

New England Aster

Do not plant invasive species. Purple loosestrife is one that comes to mind; it escaped domestic gardens in the early 1900s and began encroaching on our wetlands and roadsides. Now it’s crowding out native plants, degrading habitat for birds, insects and other species. Goutweed is another pretty pest that keeps on giving.

Embrace weeds in your wildflower garden. Those dandelions and coltsfoot provide pollen for bees early in the season, before your flowers begin to bloom. Do clear out an area of bare soil, though, to give your new plants a fighting chance. They can be easily overcrowded.

Do not fertilize. Fertilizer will just encourage grasses and weeds. Expect bees. If you don’t like insects, this type of garden is not for you.

Please don’t dig up wildflowers to move to your space. If you’d rather harvest from the wild, harvest the ripened seeds and plant those for greater success.

Most of all, be patient. Rome was not built in a day. Wildflowers are not a simple solution, so get your head around that before you start. They are, however, well worth the effort.

Kim is a horticultural consultant, a retired garden centre owner and a dedicated garden enthusiast!

life is better

Tranquil day at George Coomb’s Steady

Myers, Bird Cove, NL

Vintage NL

There is no publication date on this postcard, but the submitter did a rudimentary internet search that indicates it may have been circulated around the 1940s. Any readers have more knowledge about this postcard?

Burton Janes Bay Roberts, NL

Humber River

Sportsmen guide a canoe down the Humber Riverin this card, part of a series originally created in the 1930s to appeal to adventurers. Herb Noseworthy Christina Lake, BC

St. John’s

The skyline of the City of St. John’s is shown in this undated postcard. Sure looks different than it does today.

Gloria Young Botwood, NL

Portugal Cove

Tooton’s Photography shot this traditional scene of Portugal Cove with Bell Island in background. Rosemary Pestrue via DownhomeLife.com

1-888-588-6353

The Downhomer • February 1989 Skiing Marble

“Just

Fantastic”

by Ron Young

Winnie Pye of Corner Brook learned to ski on Marble Mountain. That was back in 1962, when the first ski slope opened above the scenic Humber River. “We used to have to walk all the way up, but coming back down was worth it all,” Winnie said in a recent interview. Winnie left Newfoundland in 1964 and moved to Ontario. “They just had a tow rope then,” she said. Ski lifts were added some time later, and just recently a new quad-lift was installed.

Winnie has gone back to Marble Mountain for the last three winters in a row on skiing expeditions. When asked why she goes back to ski there, Winnie replied, “Because the skiing on Marble Mountain is just fantastic. The slopes are longer, steeper and better than anything I’ve seen in Ontario. I’ve skied Blue Mountain, Barrie, Peterborough and Camp Fortune in Ottawa, but none can compare to skiing Marble. As you go up the lift you can see Corner Brook all the way to BlowMe-Down. The view is breathtaking, and the trip back down is an exhilarating experience.” The former native says that each slope has its own name. One is simply OMJ (Oh My Jesus) and tells well the feeling you get as you stand poised at the top looking all the way down at the Humber River.

Winnie, who now makes her home in Pickering, Ontario, says that more and more people from all over the world are finding this unique part of Newfoundland. Michael Lavasseur, owner of Mitour, an agency that books skiing tours for the mountain, as well

as helicopter and hiking tours for skiers to other parts of the west coast of Newfoundland, says that the number of people from outside the province using his services is growing yearly. Michael sees Newfoundland as one day becoming the place to ski in Canada.

Winnie will be there for the Winter Carnival this year. Winnie has never been back at Carnival time before, although she took part in the “Torchlight Parade” down the mountain back in 1962. This run down the slopes by a group of people carrying lighted torches was the forerunner of today’s Winter Carnival, according to Winnie. The Carnival, although not as big as the Quebec Carnival yet, is similar except that it has a Newfoundland flavour. In 1971, “Lief the Lucky,” the happy Viking, was revived as king of winter revelry at Marble Mountain. The Carnival features parties, parades, dancing, costume races, fireworks, freestyle skiing, the torchlight parade, snow sculptures and, of course, Newfoundland music and food.

The welcoming aromas of bacon, fresh coffee, sweet syrup, molasses and pancake batter dancing on a griddle waft through the door of the cosy Madrock Café, ensconced near the start of the beautiful Shoreline Walking Trail in Bay Roberts, NL. Leaving the brisk air of a February Shrove Tuesday behind me, I shed my jacket, hat and gloves, and take a table closest to the kitchen. Naturally, I get chatting with the proprietor, Graham Badcock, during a rare break on this busy day in 2017.

This being Pancake Day, as we know it, Graham says with a smile, “I’ve made enough pancakes today, if I laid them side by each I could shingle the roof of a house.”

Playing along, I gesture to the early 1900s-style wall-mounted phone and say, “I’d better place a call to the mainland to have more flour and milk and other supplies air-dropped into you by the military to keep up with the demand.”

And this is where our conversation gets interesting.

Graham laughs at the suggestion. “Well, that’s only a modern knockoff of an older style phone, but I wish now I’d kept a few of the ancient phones we had rigged up in the woods when we were boys. My brother and I had them everywhere: in the barns, the sheds, the vegetable cellar, down in the gardens, tucked away in groves. We must have had dozens of them between the ones that were good enough to work

and the ones that were broke, which we scrapped to get the fine cooper wire [that] we unwound and ran along the fences and trees in order to make the connection. They worked perfect, but we just never had enough battery power to operate more than any two of them at a time.”

The power came from a nine-volt battery salvaged from his father’s old boat. “I often remember if we were down playing on the back fields, Mother could go out in the shed and give us a call direct to the phone hung up in the trees closest to us, to tell us supper or lunch was ready. It was really something, looking back on it now, for a few boys in the 1950s using a bunch of old junk we found in the beach. We didn’t think much of it at the time, but we were all handy and had access to basic tools and allowed to play outside and explore –as long as we didn’t get up to anything really dangerous. Funny the

Graham and Betty Badcock run the Madrock Café in Bay Roberts.

things kids can come up with if they get the chance.”

So where did they get all these “ancient” phones? That goes right back to the days of the “party line” telephone system.

“I grew up just next door of where the café now is, and down in this area there were 14 families on our party line. If we wanted to call someone elsewhere in the town, we all had to go through the phone operator at

now and then being picked up and put down as silently as possible. But there was no real harm to it, and everybody was very good friends in those days and were aware that nothing you said was really absolutely private on the party line, so you judged yourself accordingly. Not really bad advice for cellphones either in modern times,” he adds.

Around the mid-1950s, the entire telephone system underwent a major

Central Phone Exchange [in Bay Roberts, near the present day War Memorial on Water Street]. If we just wanted to talk to someone on our own party line, then we just dialed and everyone had their own certain ring. Our family ring, for instance, was two long rings and one short ring. When folks heard that, they knew the phone call was for us…

“So in theory, people were only supposed to pick up the phone when they recognized their own unique ring. But we always joked that sometimes we suspected some folks might pick up the phone by accident, perhaps, and keep listening a little longer than they should to conversations not meant for them, as you’d hear a few extra clicks of receivers

modernization and the older style wall-mounted phones with wooden cabinets, external bells, hand crank, ear piece and receiver were instantly obsolete. So boys like Graham salvaged the dumped phones and put them back in service, of sorts.

“If we’d had enough batteries to power them, we could have run phones all over Bay Roberts to almost every stick and stump. When we got older and grew into young men and moved away for work and so on, we just left them in the woods and I guess they rotted away or rusted out. I went back one time years ago looking, but there was nothing left of them to be found. That’s all I remember, but it was a wonderful time to recall.”

was Valentine’s Day 1982, and myself and Charlie were stranded on Oderin Island in Placentia Bay, NL, during a terrible winter storm. I was 19 years old and he was 26. Our boat had broken down and we had very little food (just flour for toutons etc.), and it was bitter cold!

We dug many holes in the snow to find some well water. Hot chocolate was our salvation from the cold. We moved the table close to the wood stove and warmed our feet in the oven while we warmed up bricks to put in the bed to keep us warm. To make matters worse, the door had blown open during the night and the cabin was half full of snow! How cold was it? IT WAS COLD. Too cold to leave the door open to shovel the snow out, so we shovelled it into the wood box until the cabin warmed up enough to open the door.

While roaming the island, Charlie found an old valentine in Bill Manning’s cabin that he erased the names on and added ours. When he returned I was waiting to surprise him with my own handmade valentine, which I had made out of a folded paper towel from Fishery Products.

There were no cellphones to call for help. Our CB radio wasn’t picking anything up and that’s when I started to get worried and hoped someone was going to come look for us soon. Not that I was scared, but I knew our families would be anxious. When the weather finally improved, and after working like a dog, Charlie got the boat engine started up again. We were on our last cup of hot chocolate when our heroes, the Keating men from Baine Harbour, came looking for us. They were relieved to see us safe and sound!

I knew I was in good hands with Mr. Charlie, as I still am today, after 30 years of marriage! That’s our love story.

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: Harbour le Cou

Pansy Snow 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: Gaultois

Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador

by Mel D’Souza

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

• Located on the Irish Loop

• Popular for whale and iceberg watching

• Connected to the East Coast Trail

• Site of a hydroelectric dam

• Home of The Cribbies

Last Month’s Answer: Fair Haven

Dave Armstrong photo

In Other Words

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

Last Month’s Clue: Akin to a youngling in a sweet shoppe

In Other Words: Like a kid in a candy store

This Month’s Clue: Obliviousness is ecstasy

In Other Words: _________ __ _____

A Way With Words

Last Month’s Answer: Broken pencil

This Month’s Clue

Rhyme Time

A rhyming word game by Ron Young

1. To fight with a fruit is to _______ with an _____

2. To make a dessert you _____ a ____

Answer: ___ ____

3. A calm youngster is a _____ _____

Last Month’s Answers 1. Book nook, 2. Not hot, 3. Hags’ bags

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: The pride people take in their work transcends to their homes, their education, families and communities.

Rhymes 5 Times

Each answer rhymes with the other four

1. shoreline____________

2. maximum____________

3. brown____________

4. brag____________

5. cook____________

Last Month’s Answers: 1. may, 2. stay,

3. decay, 4. foray, 5. today

Don’t get your knickers in a knot!

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

Tangled Towns

by Lolene Young Condon and Ron Young

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

For best results sound the clue words out loud!

Nope Arrive Us He __ _______

Hole Kitten Cup Poodle _____ ___ ___ ________

Last Month’s 1st Clue: Pine This Guy. Answer: Pie in the sky. Last Month’s 2nd Clue: Thin Hey Muff Thick Aim. Answer: The name of the game.

A

nalogical A nagrams

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

1. BLAREMOLE

2. NITAS QUASCEJ

3. SMOCOB VOCE

4. PLEACH SNAILD

5. LOPOS VCOE

Last Month’s Answers:

1. Paradise, 2. Bell Island,

3. Conception Bay South,

4. Portugal Cove, 5. Mount Pearl

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

1. NICE ARTICLE ~ Clue: his poor performance is shocking

2. EMU COST ~ Clue: the look is meant to be deceiving

3. YARN WART ~ Clue: if it’s broke, this will fix it

4. SOG SIP ~ Clue: if you don’t hear it, it’s about you

5. SHORT RACE ~ Clue: together they have to face the music

Last Month’s Answers: 1. infection, 2. stowaway, 3. healthy, 4. dictionary, 5. lumberjack

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.

1-10: inattentive

1-91: offspring

1-61: go down

4-8: pamphlet

4-54: fear

5-35: file

6-10: performed

6-96: mediator

7-37: freezing

10-60: leave

10-100: section

11-14: border

13-16: cogged wheel

16-19: flower

18-20: look at

21-24: hang glide

22-25: paddles

26-6: underwear

26-30: Hindenburg

26-46: piece

27-30: hobble

37-39: arid

37-57: female deer

41-46: endeavour

41-61: finish

42-12: meals

42-62: surcharge

43-13: banner

away

steeple

tiff

76-46: small pie

77-80: lasso

79-76: larboard

82-62: Robert E.

85-88: loam

86-88: lube

91-96: bid

91-100: greenhorn

93-63: birdie bed

93-91: seine 96-76: decompose 97-77: balsam tree

100-98: also

The Bayman’s Crossword Puzzle

by Ron Young

ACROSS

1. the “fish” in fish & brewis

3. mafia

4. “Whiskey in the ___”

5. kids

13. Goose Arm (abbrev)

15. Confederation Bridge connects it to PEI (abbrev)

16. particle

18. receive

20. hungered

24. hatchet

25. strays

27. ___ __ meeting – church service held outdoors (2 words)

29. street

30. “He had me __ the knots” –laughing

31. recorded

33. type of record

35. “now we’re bound for old __ John’s”

36. common seaweed

38. short for Florence

39. ocean

40. constituency

43. buddy

45. Eastern Tickle (abbrev)

47. thing

48. premonition

50. flake pole (colloq)

51. crosscurrent

DOWN

1. what’s-his-name (colloq)

2. mountain ash (colloq)

6. “Lonesome as a gull __ a rock”

7. university student centre (abbrev)

8. small anchor

9. adolescent

10. Roberts Arm (abbrev)

11. begins

12. revise

14. bubbly chocolate bar

17. beast of burden

19. long line of fish hooks

21. return on investment (abbrev)

22. Victory in Europe (abbrev)

23. peril

26. flash memory card

28. ionium (abbrev)

32. engraved

34. Darrell _____ – founding member of Great Big Sea

36. ship’s backbone

37. postscript (abbrev)

38. ____ Haven

41. St. Pierre friend

42. short for Dorothy

44. compass pt

46. “Three sheets __ the wind”

49. Merasheen Island (abbrev)

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD

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: Everybody wants to go to heaven; but nobody wants to die.

CRACK THE CODE

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

X S

b

b k X S

i i X S

X S i

Z Z h b

A X S Q

7 7

3

l r _ x

A

O O

A Z

A

; l

Q K ;

i 0 O

O

3 3 B B i

O 7

Last Month’s Answer: We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.

1-888-588-6353

© 2023 Ron Young

©2023 Ron Young

© 2023 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: Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.

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 ENJOY A TIME

Last

Month’s Answers:

HIDE & SEEK A-Z

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

A R K B T W U O T C

E J C H D C K T Y I H U X E H Z E M S E I A J X M

M E A N I N G W N O W Q E B L O T T U V Z O Y A L

X N U Y C X R J A N A K R A E B C S B Z N X N T L

C G F O R G E T M Q Y E O H E K A L S Y D K Q O G

L Q E L C Y C I R T E U X P H B R M T B R M G H Z

B J S F N I G H T F A L L L W J A S I A E B J S V

A O A L L E R B M U B L G A X U H X T A A Z W R Z

E K A F R L A M E N T T K Z T F C A U U S F S A H

W E O N L O S D H K N R C T A B J L T R O X K E G

P R I T U U T B A V L A S R K C T

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.”

Real Estate Rates

Differences by the Dozen - Mel D’Souza #49315 | $8.95

The Newfoundland and Labrador Cocktail BookPeter Wilkins #83286 | $29.95

No One Knows About Us - Bridget Canning #83285 | $22.95

Skipper Ches: As Tough as it Gets - Fred Dyke #83301 | $22.00

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

TautukKonik: Looking Back #83361 | $49.95

Dictionary of Newfoundland & Labrador

- Ron Young #34047 | $19.95

The Rest of We

- Wade G. Parsons #83331 | $22.95

Four for Fogo IslandKevin Major #83345 | $22.95

Birds of a Feather

Bohemian waxwings feast on dogberries in Labrador City. Tim Collins Labrador City, NL

Do you have an amazing or funny photo to share?

Turn to page 9 to find out how to submit.