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$4.99 May 2024
Vol 36 • No 12
The Flaming Red Lantern
The Newfoundland Tongue The Captain and the Seals
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life is better Published monthly in St. John’s by Downhome Publishing Inc. 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 Tel: 709-726-5113 • Fax: 709-726-2135 • Toll Free: 1-888-588-6353 E-mail: mail@downhomelife.com Website: www.downhomelife.com Editorial Editor-in-Chief Dillon Collins Assistant Editor Nicola Ryan Editor Lila Young
Warehouse Operations Warehouse / Inventory Manager Carol Howell Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins Shipping/Receiving Clerk Jennifer Kane
Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters
Retail Operations Retail Manager, St. John’s Jackie Rice Retail Floor Manager, St. John’s Crystal Rose Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Jonathon Organ, Kim Tucker,
Advertising Sales Account Manager Barbara Young Account Manager Ashley O’Keefe Marketing Director Tiffany Brett
Heather Stuckless, Destinee Rogers, Amy Young, Emily Snelgrove, Brandy Rideout, Alexandria Skinner, Colleen Giovannini, Rachael Hartery, Julie Gidge, Drew Oliver, Kaitlan Lewis, Emma Luscombe, Rebecca Pevie, Morgan Powless
Finance and Administration Accountant Marlena Grant Accountant Sandra Gosse
Subscriptions Customer Service Associate Lisa Tiller Customer Service Associate Cassia Bard-Cavers
Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney 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 1-Year term total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $49.44; ON $48.58; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $45.14. US $54.99; International $59.99
Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #40062919 The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of the servants or otherwise, and there shall be no liability beyond the amount of such advertisement. The Letters to the Editor section is open to all letter writers providing the letters are in good taste, not libelous, and can be verified as true, correct and written by the person signing the letter. Pen names and anonymous letters will not be published. The publisher reserves the right to edit, revise, classify, or reject any advertisement or letter. © Downhome Publishing Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Printed in Canada Official onboard magazine of
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mongolian style
Contents
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carved from nature
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34 Adventures Outdoors May 24 Solo Adventure Gord Follett
52 Pure Imagination Carver Wilbur Hobbs transforms natural material into wondrous works of art. Nicola Ryan
80 Find Your Yurtopia Port Rexton’s authentic Mongolian yurt. Dillon Collins
114 The Flaming Red Lantern A mysterious story from Little Heart’s Ease. Lester Green
www.downhomelife.com
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Contents
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homefront 8 Between the Lines A note from the Editor
10 Letters From Our Readers Fraser Family Reunion, Charles E. Russell’s linotype machine
14 Downhome Tours Greece 16 Why is That? Why do we have different names for different groups of animals? Linda Browne
18 Life’s Funny Draft vs. Giraffe
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greek to me
Darlene Burton
19 Say What? A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth
20 Lil Charmers May 24 & More 22 Pets of the Month Cabin Companions
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cabin critters
26 Reviewed Denise Flint reviews Away From My Island by Gary Collins
28 What Odds Paul Warford mulls on mood.
30 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose reviews Tapes from Studio J by John Moran 38 It’s the 24th of May Photos from our readers
42 The Labrador Current A new column from Labrador West’s Nathan Freake 4
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get out there
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beauty blooms
features 46 The Newfoundland Tongue Some of Newfoundland’s unique words and expressions. Nellie P. Strowbridge
58 The Captain and the Seals If retired captain Wilfred Bartlett had his way, cod would again rule supreme. Kim Ploughman
62 Beautiful Botanicals The Botanical Art Society of Newfoundland and Labrador Nicola Ryan
explore
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discover treasure www.downhomelife.com
68 Hidden Gems Around Placentia Bay Discovering Placentia Bay and the surrounding area Lee Everts
74 To a New Found Land A funny thing happens when you find yourself where you’re meant to be. A. Osborne May 2024
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Contents
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92 big land inspired
home and cabin 86 Stuff We Love Gifts for Mom Nicola Ryan
88 Ask Marie Anything Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions. 92 Downhome Recipes Labrador Recipes
98 Down to Earth The Goods on Frost Kim Thistle
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104 more mischief
reminiscing 102 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places.
103 This Month In History The Sunday Herald
104 Visions & Vignettes Adventures of two young scallywags in an imaginary outport in days gone by. Harold N. Walters
About the cover May is a period of change across Newfoundland and Labrador, one of new beginnings, vibrant colours and fresh and fragrant bloomings. Our cover highlights mouthwatering meals from the ‘big land’ of Labrador, a perfect representation of the bountiful spring season.
Cover Index Find Your Yurtopia • 80 Hidden Gems of Placentia Bay • 68 Taste of the Big Land • 92 The Flaming Red Lantern • 114 The Newfoundland Tongue • 46 The Captain and the Seals • 58 www.downhomelife.com
108 This Month in Downhome History 112 Friday Night Wrestling Cyril Griffin
118 When Dogs Roamed Free Roy Dwyer
124 Puzzles 136 Colouring Page 138 Classifieds 140 Mail Order 144 Photo Finish May 2024
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between the lines
I won’t lie to you readers, I’ve never been much of a camper. Tenting amidst the elements in our predictably cold, wet and windy Newfoundland Spring has never been my idea of a good time. And while my stance on the former hasn’t changed much as I’ve matured into relative adulthood, my desire to take in some of the underappreciated comforts our island has to offer, has. Newfoundland and Labrador, for me, is best experienced in the quiet moments: a breathless lake in the still early morning, or the dying sun descending below a treeline. There’s magic in those bookends. The May 24th holiday weekend is held in near reverence in our province. Buddy and the b’ys classically quipped that “it’s the 24th of May and we likes to get away, up in the woods or going out the bay…” While you won’t be seeing me occupying short-term residency in your gravel pit of choice this May 2-4 weekend, you can count on the fact that – if the opportunity presents itself – I’ll take the chance for a moment of reflection, away from screens and the everyday rat-race of this hamster wheel we call life. But May is more than a time to kick back fireside or imbibe in one too many imbibable beverages or pops, as folks around the bay tend to say. This is a time of renewal, of growth. Spring and all she brings provides an opportunity for change, maturation, colour and complexity away from the harshness of our ever-long grapple-fest with winter. In this issue, you’ll learn of builders and craftspeople, those who capture life’s beauty and promote the benefits of the natural world. You’ll read of those who respect the immense power of stillness and the unquantifiable value of embracing adventure off the beaten path. You’ll discover the unpredictable and unlikely, of chance encounters and the respect paid to our culture and history. It’s May and it’s a time for experiences and encounters, from your quiet cove to the gravel pit. Dillon Collins, Editor-in-chief
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Submission Guidelines and Prize Rules
You could WIN $100! Every reader whose PHOTO, STORY, JOKE or POEM appears next to this yellow “from our readers” stamp in a current issue receives $10 and a chance at being drawn for the monthly prize: $100 for one photo submission and $100 for one written submission. Prizes are awarded in Downhome Dollars certificates, which can be spent like cash in our retail stores and online at shopDownhome.com.*
Submit Today! Send your photo, story, joke or poem to
Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 or submit online at: www.downhomelife.com *Only 1 prize per submitter per month. To receive their prize, submitters must provide with their submission COMPLETE contact information: full name, mailing address, phone number and email address (if you have one). Mailed submissions will only be returned to those who include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Downhome Inc. reserves the right to publish submissions in future print and/or electronic media campaigns. Downhome Inc. is not responsible for unsolicited material.
Hidden somewhere in this issue is Corky Sly Conner.
Can you find him? Look carefully at all the photographs and in the text of the stories. If you spot Corky, send us your name, address and phone number, along with a note telling us where he’s located. Your name will be entered in a draw and the winner will receive a coupon worth 25 Downhome Dollars redeemable at our store, or through our website.
Send your replies to: Corky Contest 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3
mail@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com Deadline for replies is the 25th of each month.
Congratulations to Annette Quigley of Corner Brook, NL, who found Corky on page 74 of the March issue!
*No Phone Calls Please. One entry per person
www.downhomelife.com
May 2024
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Fraser Family Reunion The Fraser family of Bishop’s Falls last appeared in Downhome magazine in the March 2003 issue as a feature story about genealogy searches. That reunion, in August 2002, took place in Mississauga, ON where all eight siblings were able to attend. Twenty years later, in August 2022 we had another, much larger reunion where all eight brothers and sisters were able to get together with cousins, nieces and nephews, some of whom had never met before. We had originally planned the reunion for August 2020, since two of the brothers have birthdays then, but Covid happened and it was postponed to 2021. Unfortunately, we were still under travel restrictions and had to move it again. It was decided that 2022 would be the definite date, come what may. Well, that turned out to be the summer of the wildfires in Central Newfoundland. As the time neared there was a lot of uncertainty, but it was decided to go ahead as planned. My husband and I live on Vancouver Island in BC and we were unsure whether it was wise to go, in case there would need to be evacuations. I packed our bags a couple of weeks in advance and then we 10
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watched the news each night, trying to make a decision since so much depended on which way the winds blew and in which direction the flames would go. The night before the flight we decided to take a chance. We are both in our eighties and find it harder to travel long distances, so we knew that it would probably be our last chance to see everyone together. The reunion took place in the small, tranquil community of Herring Neck, a fifteen-minute drive from Twillingate, at the home of their youngest sister and her family. She did most of the planning and finding accommodations. Luckily, there were several houses for rent that were close to each other and we were able to visit back and forth. The day that the photo was taken we gathered at the largest house for a salt beef dinner and toutons for everyone.
Of course, there was music, dancing and lots of reminiscing and catching up on past years. As the saying goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun” and the week went by too quickly. There were 38 in attendance, but several people had to leave early and are not in the photo. Thanks to the various forms of communication we can still easily keep in touch, but it’s not the same as being together in person and giving hugs and kisses to those we love. Jan Fraser Comox, BC
Thanks for sharing Jan! We’re always interested in reconnecting with readers or the subjects of articles or features of Downhome’s past and love hearing about family reunions or gatherings years in the making. Share your stories at editorial@downhomelife.com
WHERE WH ERE YYAA TTO? O? Let's Le t's go together. together.
Members save an average of $243/year on rewards, insurance, travel and roadside assistance. Join today at
atlantic.caa.ca/join
55 Kelsey Drive 709.579.4222
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May 2024
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Fit to Print Upon reading the January 2023 issue, I came across – on page 109 – a picture of a linotype machine. My grandfather, Charles E. Russell, at age nine, began selling the Evening Telegram on the streets of St. John’s. The type for the Telegram at that time was composed by hand, and the paper was rolled off the press by handpower. It was the custom in those days for the paperboys, while waiting for their papers, to make themselves generally useful around the office. So it was that Charles began to acquire a general knowledge of the mechanics of the production of a newspaper. It was not long when Charles Russell became a member of the staff of the Telegram, under the watchful eye of the founder, the late William J. Herder, until the age of 17 when, with his mother and other members of the family, he moved to Toronto. With a glowing letter of recommendation from Mr. Herder, Charles found employment at T. Eaton company catalogue department and then with the Methodist Publishing House (later known as the Ryerson Press). While working in Toronto, the linotype machine was invented in New York. By the mid-1890s, a number of the machines began arriving in Toronto newspaper offices. Charles had occasion to see one in action in the Toronto Telegram. On a visit back to St. John’s he called his old employer, Mr. W.J. Herder of the Evening Telegram and explained to him the advantages of having one of the machines. On returning to Toronto, Charles, though not an agent of the company, 12
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nevertheless negotiated the sale of the first two linotype machines to the Evening Telegram – one of which could be that in your picture. Charles Russell was given a substantial rebate on the purchase price of a new linotype he bought for the Bay Roberts Guardian (which he started in 1909 and ran until 1949) in 1923. His son, David, operated a print shop using all the original equipment until his passing in 1990. The shop and machinery were donated and are now on display at the Road to Yesterday Museum of Bay Roberts. The linotype is one of only two that’s still usable. The other is in an Ottawa museum. While growing up in Corner Brook, my father Wilson (Charles E. Russell’s son) worked as a linotype operator for the Western Star. While I was in elementary school there were many days I stopped into the office, waiting for my father to leave work. Back then you were able to hang out helping out with small chores, and in particular, by my father’s machine, fascinated by its workings. In my job in retail, I was responsible for doing ads, processed on these machines. I hope this may be of some interest to some people in your operation. Ed Russell Marystown, NL 1-888-588-6353
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Sponsored Editorial
Ponies at Auk Island Winery in Twillingate If you’re lucky, you got to go to Twillingate last summer. If you were really lucky, you dropped into the Auk Island Winery and met Midnight and Newfie Girl, two Newfoundland Ponies who spent the summer there. We recently caught up with Grant Young of Auk Island Winery to find out how the project went and what he’s planning this summer. Grant has wanted to find a way to have ponies in Twillingate for years. Growing up in Durrell, Twillingate, Grant remembers Tom, a Newfoundland Pony who he says was a fixture in the community and who would sometimes be rented out to plow local vegetable gardens in the spring. “An animal of that size surely stands out in most of our memories,” he recalled. Grant says the reaction of the public to the ponies at the winery was fabulous. “From locals, to seniors from all over North America on bus tours, to visitors to Twillingate from all over the world - the ponies generated lots of attention,” he said. Grant stresses the importance of continuing to raise awareness of the pony and its endangered status. “A large majority of our visitors, even fellow Newfoundlanders, did not know the story of the Newfoundland Pony. Tourists come to Newfoundland for a unique experience and finding out that not only do we have genetically unique dogs in Newfoundland and Labrador, but also a pony – it’s fascinating to tourists. They are also surprised by its plight of near extinction.” When asked if visitors to Auk Island might see Newfoundland Ponies again this summer, Grant is enthusiastic. “Absolutely, we hope to make it an ongoing pony-in-residence program each summer!” Grant added that last year was challenging when building the project from the ground up; sourcing hay, creating a paddock, building a shelter, setting up a pony cam, sourcing a farrier and learning about pony care. He noted generous guidance from Pony owners like Gail Hansford of Dixie H Farms in Goulds. “She is so knowledgeable. I was thankful to have her only a phone call away.” For Grant, his passion for supporting the Newfoundland Pony is a tribute to the contribution the pony made to building the province. “Habitation in Newfoundland would have been close to impossible if not for the Newfoundland Pony; they hauled wood for building boats, houses, wharves and stages - and for heating homes. I pray the story of this beautiful animal continues for decades more,” he added.
Grant Young with Midnight and Newfie Girl
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homefront Downhome tours...
Greece
Athens Jim and Sharon Laverie visit the Acropolis in Athens, the cradle of Western civilization.
The Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis was formerly a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. Athena, believed to have been born fully grown from the forehead of her father Zeus, was regarded as the goddess of wisdom and war and patron and protector of the city of Athens.
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Kastraki Flora Abbott, formerly of Hodge’s Cove, NL, poses in scenic Kastraki in October 2023.
The quaint village of Kastraki is an ideal starting point to visit the Meteora monasteries – Byzantineera monasteries perched on top of the steep rocks of the spectacular landscape. The Great Meteoron Monastery, also known as the Holy Monastery of the Metamorfosis, is the oldest and largest, founded in the 14th century by Saint Athanasios the Meteorite.
Crete Brothers Jeffrey Andrews and Greg Andrews brought Downhome to the island of Crete.
According to Greek mythology, Crete is the birthplace of Zeus – the mythological God of Sky. Its first queen was the beautiful Europa of Phoenicia, and later, Crete became the land of King Minos. It’s also said that Hercules executed all the dangerous animals on the island to honour Zeus, his father and that Crete’s air has miraculous healing powers!
www.downhomelife.com
May 2024
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Expert answers to common life questions. By Linda Browne
Why do we have different names for different groups of animals? A school of fish, a gaggle of geese, a murder of crows, a brood of hens, a parliament of owls – you’re likely familiar with some of these quirky terms used to describe different bunches of animals. And what colourful language it is! But why do we classify particular groups of animals in this way? Why not just call them all “a group” of this or that and be done with it? These “terms of venery” (also known as “nouns of multitude,” “nouns of assemblage,” “collective nouns” and “company terms”) are perhaps a lot older than you might think. And they formed a sort of secret language among English huntsmen. Jess Zafarris, author of the devilishly fun new book Words From Hell (which looks at the history of some of our most naughty, foul and salacious words and phrases) breaks it down in her excellent blog “Useless Etymology” (uselessetymology.com), which we quote from here with her kind permission. Zafarris offers some background on “terms of venery” itself, noting: “where ‘venery’ is a word for the sport of hunting (from the Latin venari meaning ‘to chase or pursue’). Venery is also a word for the pursuit of sexual 16
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pleasure, and it was used with great intention as a double entendre in 15thcentury hunting culture.” These terms, explain James Lipton in his 1968 book An Exaltation of Larks, “received their first official stamp in the so-called Books of Courtesy, medieval and fifteenthcentury social primers,” and any gentlemen worth their salt were expected to be familiar with them. The most important of these was The Book of Saint Albans (also known, Zafarris notes, as The Book of Hawking, Hunting, and Blasing of Arms. Interestingly, she adds, while some believe a nun by the name of Dame Juliana Berners, “who wrote many treatises on hunting and field sports,” authored the book, others doubt this claim). Printed in 1486, The Book of Saint 1-888-588-6353
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Albans includes 164 terms, “including what may be the first recorded instances of phrases like ‘gaggle of geese’ and ‘pride of lions,’ and ‘litters’ of baby animals, terms meant to be imitative of the behaviour of the animals they describe, whether through onomatopoeia, associations, or more literal behaviours,” Zafarris writes. “For instance, ‘murder’ reflects the dark omens with which ravens are associated; ‘litter’ was originally a word for straw bedding, like that which a domesticated animal might lie on while giving birth.” Other whimsical terms included in the book, Zafarris mentions, include “a peep of chicks,” “a leap of leopards,” “a murmuration of starlings,” “a shrewdness of apes,” “a skulk of foxes” and many more. Speaking of the “school of fish,” in his book, Lipton notes that “school was a corruption of shoal, a term still in use for specific fish.” Of the 164 terms included in The Book of Saint Albans, Lipton writes, 70 of them refer not to animals, but to people, such as “a superfluity of nuns,” “a converting of preachers,” “a sentence of judges,” “a drift of fishermen,” “a draught of bottlers,” “a bevy of ladies,” “an impatience of wives” (things that make you go hmmm) and “a worship of writers” (which unfortunately, Lipton explains, is “probably a reference to the reverence of writers for their patrons and not, alas, vice versa”).
Circling back to those animal terms, Zafarris writes, “If these sound funny, it’s because they’re meant to. They were all part of the wordplay and banter of gentlemen’s hunting culture, and it was a mark of your knowledge as an experienced hunter to be able to name all of the collectives.” Lipton laments how many of these fanciful phrases have fallen out of use. But if you want to take a vacation from the mundane and add a bit of whimsy to your life, you can always pepper some poetry among your everyday speech, he advises, noting “The purpose of this book is to try, in an admittedly modest measure, to redress the balance.” “When a group of ravens flaps by, you should, if you want to refer to their presence, say, ‘There goes an unkindness of ravens.’ Anything else would be wrong.”
Do you have a burning life question for Linda to investigate?
Turn to page 9 for ways to contact us. www.downhomelife.com
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homefront life’s funny
Draft vs. Giraffe While visiting my family a few years ago in Alberta, my grandson Chase gave me one of the best laughs ever! It was quite hot there on this particular day and we couldn’t cool the house down at all. Even sitting was overwhelming, so needless to say Nana (me) said to Chase, “oh my Chase, my darling, you’re going to have to open the door to let a DRAFF (draft) in!” Poor Chase looked at me like I had two heads and said, “Nana how in the world is a GIRAFFE going to get in that door?” I laughed all day at myself, mostly because he said it so seriously and I knew that’s exactly what it sounded like to him. I’ve shared this story with many friends who always get a great laugh and I hope you do as well! Darlene Burton downhomelife.com
Do you have any funny or embarrassing true stories? Share them with us. If your story is selected, you’ll win a prize! See page 9 for details.
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“I’m ready to join Alan Doyle on tour!” – Lori Stacey
Say WHAT? Downhome recently posted this photo (submitted by Nikki McKenzie) on our website and social media platforms and asked folks to imagine what the dog might be saying. Lori Stacey’s response made us chuckle the most, so we’re awarding her 20 Downhome Dollars!
Here are the runners-up: It’s been a hard days night, and I’ve been working like a dog! - Edna Walsh Did I win Doggy Idol? - Lisa Grandy Guard dog thee Newfoundland… - Kim Hennebury Thorne
Play with us online! www.downhomelife.com/saywhat
www.downhomelife.com
May 2024
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homefront lil charmers
Park Life Cousins Owen and Sam chomp some bologna in Pippy Park. Debbie Seymour (Picture taken by Caitlin Warren. via Downhomelife.com)
May 24 & More Lil’ Lobstermen Cuties Jack and Hudson are tiny twin trawlers. Lorie Samms Norris Point, NL
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Fishermen’s Friends Seaside siblings Lucy and Logan fish off Grand Bank. Chelsea Warren Grand Bank, NL
Adorable Angler Nyla tries for a trout in St. Lawrence. Cheyanne Doyle St. Lawrence, NL
www.downhomelife.com
May 2024
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homefront pets of the month
Boat Buddy
Handsome Apollo checks out the boats tied up at the floating docks. Jennifer Strang Lawn, NL
Cabin Companions Sailor’s Sidekick Holly strikes a picture perfect pose in Robert’s Arm. Nancy Rideout Robert’s Arm, NL
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Dynamic Duo Gordie and Harold are sweet best friends fur-ever. Daphne Hodder Niagara Falls, ON
Coffee Cat Drifter enjoys a calm morning at the cabin. Kayla Hart Catalina, NL
www.downhomelife.com
May 2024
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We’re wasting no time preparing for the next Downhome Calendar, . . . and neither should you! 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, animals, 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 2025 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, file sizes of about 1MB. We can’t accept photocopies or photos that are blurry, too dark or washed out. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want your photos returned.
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homefront
reviewed by Denise Flint
Away From My Island The True Story of Eliza Gill By Gary Collins Flanker Press $22.00
Eliza Gill was born on a small island off the coast of
Newfoundland in 1914. Her father was away at the fisheries for months at a time and her mother seemed to always be producing more babies. It was a hard life and one that Eliza longed to escape. That looked unlikely when she became pregnant as a young teenager, but she finally managed it years later when she and her husband followed their grown children to Toronto. It was then that she discovered that perhaps leaving her Newfoundland home and way of life wasn’t such a grand thing to do after all. In Away From My Island, The True Story of Eliza Gill, Gary Collins has written with empathy and compassion. The portrayal of her life and that of the people around her is neither overly grim nor unrealistically cheerful. The people are real, not caricatures, and their actions are true to the times in which they lived and the decisions they had to make. The book is written in the first person, which is an interesting choice for a biography, with occasional interjections of the author’s voice to clarify events or situations that Eliza wouldn’t have known. Although the events are all true, it does make the book read more like fiction than non-fiction. That will be a plus for some readers and a minus for others. Away From My Island is set in the twentieth century, but it feels long ago. Read it for the glimpse it gives of a bygone era.
Away From My Island: The True Story of Eliza Gill is available now at shopdownhome.com
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Q&A with the Author Denise Flint: What made you want to write this book? Gary Collins: Two or three years ago I forced myself to go down where the house (where Eliza lived) burned. I found a piece of lustre work sticking out of the ground and it seemed to say to me, ‘Why don’t you tell our story because it’s as if we’ve never lived.’ All this stuff about facing your fears is true, and for my wife too, who handles all my editing. She cried and cried. After we had written the piece, I wasn’t sure I wanted to disclose it to the multitude. We talked at length for weeks. We concluded that to someone on the West Coast, it would be just another story. We went through it and that’s what’s important. We decided to release the manuscript. I still have the lustre jug. It was just the weirdest damned thing sticking up under the grass.
Clementine, is still alive and was the one who told me all the things that happened on the island. She was a major source of information.
DF: What are you working on now? GC: I’m working on a book about the first Newfoundlander who went around Cape Horn and was shipwrecked. It’s about square riggers and the California gold rush. I’m trying to get it all in my head. Rose (Gary’s wife) says, ‘How come you don’t write something more up to date?’ but that’s not me. My son and I were in Greece and Italy and that’s what I like writing about. I’d like to get a plug-in for Rose, my very first editor. A few years ago I said my next book would be called ‘It’s okay, but…’ because that’s what she says after 5000 words or so.
DF: What were your sources? GC: Most of the ‘sources’ I could
DF: Can you recommend some other books for our readers who enjoyed this one? GC: I especially enjoyed Rage the
remember. I was born in 1949. I left school very early because (laughing) my girlfriend got me pregnant. I never asked her (Eliza) more and that’s my regret. I know the history and I know of what I call the desettlement, not resettlement. I helped tow the last house to Hare Bay. I knew how they lived. I knew the fisheries. I knew about Gander in the war years. I have extensive books and I went back and made it as true as I can make it. My sister-in-law,
Night by Donna Morrissey. She called me and asked permission to base some of her work on mine. She emailed me a dozen times and asked me ‘Can you see so and so from Labrador?’ and ‘Did they use dynamite to blow ships out of the ice?’ I really enjoyed The Innocents by Michael Crummey. Another I recommend is Paddy Scott’s War by Paul Conway. It’s historic and I found out a lot of stuff I didn’t know.
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homefront what odds
weather the storm By Paul Warford
Imagine if your job was to be the first person on the island to learn these horrible things, and then you have to pass them on to another 521,542 people…
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I’m sitting eight inches from a pride flag, draped (proudly) beside me in the Rocket Bakery, nestled into the far corner of Churchill Square. Water drips from the roof’s edge with such regularity you could mistake the droplets for a summer rain – so long as you were to keep your eyes skyward. If you lowered your peepers just a fraction, say eight inches, you’d see the waist-high snow banks that persist some four days after our most recent record-breaking snowfall. “Blame Eddie!” I don’t envy Mr. Sheerr and his meteorological obligations to the fine people of this province (or, at the very least, NTV). They say “Don’t shoot the messenger,” but in this new world of immediate accountability and baseless accusations, most messengers should be wearing Kevlar whilst out on their deliveries. Tough news seems harder and harder to swallow, and Eddie has had to deliver a lot of it this year. We should be thanking Eddie for having the gumption to learn this stuff first. Do you wince and feel that pinched nerve in your back flaring in protest at the sound of “5070 centimetres”? Imagine if your job was to be the first person on the island to learn these horrible things, and then you have to pass them on to another 521,542 people (as of the 2019 census). Eddie’s not even from here! He’s a friggin’ hero in my eyes. I didn’t want to talk about the weather, though! You’ll read this in May and the snow damn well better be gone by the time you have this issue in your hands. Instead, let’s talk about mood. Yesterday was rough for me, dear readers, I’ll be honest. Being an artist isn’t always the easiest way to live. 1-888-588-6353
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Sometimes the money cinches real tight and it feels like the government G-men are going to storm your basement apartment any moment now and haul your arse outta there, demanding you get a job at Booster Juice before they let you back in. On top of that, I had an audition to film that I felt underprepared for, a car bullied into submission by the five-foot stretch of snow behind it, bills to pay, landlords with whom to square the rent, and a near-empty fridge. So yesterday felt hard; it felt like too much. When I was just a young boy, four or five or six years old, sitting on the floor of my grandmother’s front room murmuring to my Ninja Turtles, the TV would fade to Jim Furlong’s kind face and whisky-smooth voice, and he’d give A Little Good News. I couldn’t understand, then, that such days of peace and safety should be cherished. So, after an upsetting yesterday and a sunnier today, I’d rather take a page out of Jim’s script and give a little good news. The audition went well. Will I get the part? Who knows. Ryan Gosling might get the part. What’s important is I managed to shake off whatever negativity was clinging to me and produce some work I could be proud of. If you’re being realistic about the process, this is the best result you can hope for filming a self-taped audition. The most fetching woman to come outta Port aux Basques surprised me over the weekend with a ticket to see Hawksley Workman – a woefully underappreciated Canadian singer – next month, despite our checking and discovering he was all sold out. www.downhomelife.com
(Turns out he added a second show.) The gesture was so unexpected it almost brought tears to my eyes. Made me feel lucky. Today, asking my dear comedian friend Luke Lawrence if he’d (maybe) kindly plow the end of my driveway if he was in my neighbourhood, I realized I’d missed a previous text from him saying that he wants me to attend the American debut of his film, Party Pirate, which I had a role in. Frankly, the chances of everything lining up so that I can make it to Austin, Texas by early April seems extremely unlikely, but what an offer. What a thing to consider, me in Texas. Talk about a cold fish-out-ofwater. Maybe I’ll become the weatherman down there. Finally, I also learned that the dear horror film crew I roll through town with, GRIND MIND, now has its first baby birth to report! Our fearless leader (director, editor, marketing manager, etc.), Shane, has just announced the arrival of his first son, Maddox, alongside his lovely wife, Shalane. Everyone’s healthy and resting right now. While I sit and tell you all of this, those droplets continue to cascade down to the bare concrete we haven’t seen since November. The sun’s shining, so who cares if the snow is up over the patio rail? I promise it’s going to melt. Paul Warford began writing for Downhome to impress his mom and her friends. He writes and performs comedy in Eastern Canada. Follow him on X @paulwarford May 2024
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fresh tracks
new music talk with Wendy Rose
Tapes from Studio J John Moran
IF YOU’VE ATTENDED SHOWS around the capital city in the last five
years, you’ve likely seen John Moran on stage. He started gigging with his then-roommate Lucas Rose and soon joined bands fronted by awardwinning artists like Janet Cull, Kelly McMichael, and Len O’Neill. Most recently, John has stepped into the spotlight with his solo project. Tapes from Studio J was released in August 2023, with the talented vocalist and multiinstrumentalist playing guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, violin, hammer dulcimer, and percussion. The album features several local musicians that John has worked with, but the songs are entirely his own. “I often get inspired for my music by non-musical things – like, I might be riding my skateboard, flowing in between the cracks in the street, and then it makes me want to sit down at the drums and start flowing in a different way, or it might be an old movie that sets me off in a certain mood and makes me want to find an old-timey lick on
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the piano,” he muses. At his album launch at the Peter Easton Pub, John’s stage reflected these unconventional sources of inspiration – by featuring a tiny TV silently playing old movies as the band created the soundtrack with Tapes from Studio J. The record begins with “Good One,” and immediately I start drawing parallels between John and fellow Canadian alt-rockstar Mac DeMarco. It’s fun, catchy alternative/psychedelic rock, with lyrical themes about making your own fun. The song includes an impressive whistle solo – a rare treat! Heavily piano-driven, “Day Dream” is reminiscent of 1970s Beatles hits. “Am I asleep? Am I awake? Or in some other place?” John asks in the opening lyrics. Later trumpet by Mara Pellerin adds depth to this lighthearted song. “Tambourine (My Love)” was the 1-888-588-6353
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first single from the album to drop back in April 2023. Distorted vocals and prominent güiro (an ancient wooden percussion instrument) give a hazy, lazy dreampop feeling. John’s “In Loving Memory Of” is one helluva catchy psychedelic pop song, with jangle pop riffs and a lengthy instrumental break.
The instrumental continues with “Transit Connections,” which oddly gives off a sort of medieval sound, while still not seeming out of place. “Not Dead Yet” features Jack Etchegary, credited as playing the drum machine. The second released single, this selection simultaneously feels like an old ’80s pop tune and a modern radio rock song, perfect for dancing around or blasting on a long drive. On “Chase Me Down The Highway,” the pop record takes a turn. John is joined by Kelly McMichael, who plays plinky old-timey piano, creating more www.downhomelife.com
of a folk/country sound. While it seems like a bit of a departure, it’s still a perfect fit on this album. There are more musical guests on “Sleep Walker,” with former roommate Lucas Rose on pedal steel and Mara Pellerin on French horn. John once again changes up the vibe. It’s a soft, slow jam that again features a whistle solo – perhaps not so rare anymore! Piano leads us into “Parallel.” You can’t help but nod along as other instruments join in on this slow jam, building drama. “No one knows my name, but they know me well, our lives in parallel, behind a candle flame, it is all the same,” John sings. At just over one minute long, “Memory Palace” is an exploration in experimental noise, yet seamlessly transitions into the record’s final song. This piece gives off a dreampop aura yet still has that ever-present alt-rock/psychedelic feel – think King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard slow songs if Australian psych-rock is your jam. It feels like John is saying goodbye with “Bon Voyage,” and in fact, the final lyric of the song is simply “Goodbye.” While he may have bid us adieu, I don’t think this is the last we’ll hear from John Moran – a seriously talented transplant that the Newfoundland music scene will want to keep forever. May 2024
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Q&A with the Artist Wendy Rose: Let’s get started by introducing you! How did you start playing music? John Moran: I started playing music
as a kid in southern Ontario in the ‘90s. My parents and siblings play music, so it was natural for me to pick it up. I didn’t realize it was a skill I was developing, I thought of it as a normal thing that everyone did. When I was about 12 or 13, my brother and I started jamming together, coming up with riffs and little songs – the friendly competition between us helped me get my act together and realize it was something I loved and wanted to take further.
WR: What brought you to Newfoundland and Labrador, and what are your thoughts about the music scene here? JM: My first experience of music
in Newfoundland was randomly walking into The Ship on my first day here and witnessing a trad session – I loved it. Around 2011/2012, I visited my sister for the summer and she introduced me to Andrew Laite and Josh Sandu. Somehow I ended up with a weekly gig at The Republic. Andrew and Josh joined in on it, with Chris Myers of Green & Gold behind the bar… some pretty awesome memories of my early days in St. John’s.
WR: When we met a few years ago, you were performing with your pal Lucas Rose as John and Luke. You have since joined Kelly McMichael both on stage and on the road. Tell us a little about the various projects you’ve worked with since your move. JM: Luke and I fled the mainland and
took up residence here around 2017. For a solid six months, we lived without any furniture, no Internet or TV – just sitting on the floor playing tunes. We played around town together for a year, with weekly gigs at the Rose & Thistle, Nautical Nellies, and the Black Sheep on Water Street. It was a beautiful time, very formative for both of us integrating into the local scene. In 2018/2019, I played in Janet Cull’s band and went on tour to Denmark and Greenland. That was awesome. Between 2019 and now, I spent time trying to form my 32
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band, surrounding myself with the best musicians I can find. I thought that if the rest of the band was great, my mediocre voice or sloppy playing wouldn’t stand out. At a certain point, I thought to hell with that – I love singing and I love writing songs and arranging the music, so why wouldn’t I have my own project? I released a record back in 2016 featuring some of my older songs, but I was unhappy with the record. I had to reassess my identity as a songwriter and artist and start from square one. It’s been a long journey from then until now!
WR: Tapes from Studio J was released at the Peter Easton Pub in August 2023. Tell us a bit about that event! JM: The album release at The Peter E
own band and also joined Kelly McMichael’s band. We’ve done eight or nine tours over the last three years. Kelly and I also have a synth wave project called Tiny Keys which is fun, because we get to explore a quirky side that doesn’t usually come out in either of our solo projects. I’ve also been lucky enough to join Len O’Neil’s band. His songwriting has really had an impact on me and made me want to be a better writer.
WR: What made you want to focus on creating your original music? JM: I’ve always been insecure about my skill level as a musician and a writer, so I’ve tried to hide within a www.downhomelife.com
was an absolute blast. Everyone involved in making the record was with me on stage, so we didn’t have to pare down the arrangements for the live show and were able to perform the songs the way I intended them to be when I wrote them. So many familiar faces were there and I had the pleasure of receiving some touching feedback from some musicians I really look up to. I needed to pinch myself by the end of the night. Headfirst Into The Forest opened the show and played the perfect set. I was enchanted by the songwriting… Rumour has it that I might be joining that band as well, but don’t tell anyone!
WR: What’s your plan for 2024? JM: I’m releasing an EP, starting
another side project, going on tour with Kelly McMichael and working on a new John Moran album! And hopefully much more! May 2024
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homefront
adventures outdoors
May 24 Solo Adventure By Gord Follett
It was one of the few May 24th weekends since my mid-teens that I didn’t have a trip planned with my buddies or as part of my job with Newfoundland Sportsman magazine. To say it felt strange would be an understatement. Here I was, somewhere in the late ‘90s, at home on a Friday night of the long weekend with no troutin’ gear, sleeping bag, tent or backpack on the front porch, ready to be tossed aboard the truck. “Something’s wrong with this picture,” I recall saying to myself around 7 p.m. while sipping a Lambs 34
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and Coke on the back deck of my Torbay home. “No way am I staying home the whole friggin’ weekend!” And nor did I. By 6:30 Saturday morning, I had both fly fishing and spinning gear along with a backpack, hip waders, sleeping bag and a patched-up nylon dip net tossed in the back of the pickup. I’d grab a bite to eat and a tub of worms along the way. If the 1-888-588-6353
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A pan-size Brook trout from a more recent trip to the Port Rexton area Jeff Piercey photo
fishing wasn’t getting good until late evening I figured I’d sleep in the truck and have another crack at it in the morning before heading home. Now I had a plan coming together, but my next question, as I pulled out of the driveway, was where would I go? There had to be dozens of anglers along shorelines and in boats of every half-decent pond around Salmonier Line, and Witless Bay Line probably wouldn’t be much different. How about nearby Paddy’s Pond, just outside St. John’s? Nah, mostly Brown trout there, I reasoned, as I was hoping to catch a feed of Brookies, or “Mud” trout, as they are commonly called in Newfoundland. www.downhomelife.com
I eventually decided to head west over the highway until a familiar spot came to mind, and about 70 minutes later I was turning off the TCH towards Long Harbour. I had hunted partridge in that area on one occasion eight or nine years earlier, and while I didn’t see a single bird during that eight-hour search with my English setter, I did remember a couple of ponds that I thought might hold a few nice Muds. I pulled into a small pit, put on my waders, grabbed the rods, net, bait and flies, then headed southeast, I think, through some woods and over barrens and boggy sections until I reached the larger of the two ponds that I remembered. With a moderate wind at my face, I opted for the spinning gear to get started. I pinched a nightcrawler in two, dropping one half back in the tub and pushing the other piece onto the hook, about three inches below my small red and white double spinner, and gave it a flick. Fifteen minutes after my first cast, I finally hooked up and hauled a nice half-pounder on the bank. Back in the same spot, I hooked and lost another couple before netting a fine May 2024
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brookie almost a foot long and weighing close to a pound. I thought I’d hit the jackpot with those lovely trout and released my next two, but only managed to catch one more over the next couple of hours. In no hurry to get home, I found a relatively comfortable spot for a nap. Within two minutes of resting my head against the backpack, I was in la-la land, where I remained for 45 minutes. By now the wind had gone from moderate to light, so after a sandwich and Coke, I put my two-piece Fenwick fly rod together, secured my J.W. Young reel and tied on a black and red fly that resembled an ant. Not one trout came for my artificial offering until just after 6 p.m. when the pond went flat. Over the next 90 minutes, I hooked more than a dozen fish in the seven-to-nine-inch range and released all but four, which I put in my moss-filled basket with the two I kept earlier. I decided to stay for the night to get a few more hours of fishing in before the wind picked up in the morning. I slid into my sleeping bag across the back seat, with my rolled-up hooded sweater as a pillow. Back to la-la land I quickly drifted.
The trout must have been waiting for my fly to return, for as soon as I dropped it on the water’s surface near daybreak, it was snatched by a pan-size Mud. I hooked several more before the action started to slow, including my largest of the trip, a two-pound beauty. I had forgotten to take a frying pan and a few basic ingredients to cook some trout, so to make my adventure complete, I did it when I got back home just after noon; not in the house, but in the garden. “You ok?” my neighbour asked, only half joking. “Best kind, buddy,” I answered with a huge smile. “My May 24th is now complete. Ya want some trout and homemade bread?”
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.
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Camping with the dogs in Milltown, NL Chris Walsh • 2023
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Whether the weather holds for a sunny spring, or winter has the last laugh with a snow dump for the ages, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have long-held May 24th weekend in reverence as a time to heave off, relax and imbibe in life’s pleasures.
This was my first May 24th weekend and I went to my nanny and poppy’s cabin and caught my first fish at 7 months old! Kendra Thorne and baby Carter Everson • Flatrock, 2021
Ya can’t let the weather get you down! Jamie Wiseman • 2013, Gander
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Having beans and wieners and a cup of tea in the woods. Now that’s what I call a great feed. Trouting and a lunch on May 24 is what we love to do in Newfoundland. Angela Tippett • 2012
Luke Janes enjoying his first May 24th weekend at nanny and poppy’s cabin in Thorburn Lake. The beautiful sunny weather knocked him out!! Caroline Janes • 2015
Nine-month-old Morgan O’Neill touching a fish for the first time! Karen O’Neill • 2007
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homefront
the Labrador Current
Our Northern Voice By Nathan Freake
Hello Downhome Readers. My name is Nathan Freake, and I’m excited to be welcomed into the Downhome family as a monthly columnist, focusing on all things Labrador and the people who live here with The Labrador Current. I am a proud Big Lander with familial roots planted deep within Labrador West – as well as Happy Valley-Goose Bay – with a strong passion for our northern voices to be spoken and heard. A little about me: I am a master of none, a teacher, educator, aspiring writer, and occasional writer of poetry (perhaps with a little more practice, a “poet.” Time will tell). I grew up in Labrador West, where I spent countless hours in my youth snapping off the siding of my parent’s house with frozen tennis balls in our Driveway Hockey League. I’ve performed in local band shows, tested iron ore as a lab technician and moved it as a haul truck driver at our local mines (both of them). I’ve been an avid cabin-goer, and I’ve broken the skis off my snowmobile on multiple occasions. Like I said, a master of none— unless breaking things can be mastered. 42
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I currently live in Labrador West with my wife and son where I teach English at the local high school. We are blessed to live in a place with such beauty and opportunity. We’ll take the cold if it means the sky can be so open and blue, and the ground be covered with fresh, sparkling snow. I’ve often heard people who visit us say, “It’s like you live in a snow globe.” They are right. Snowglobes are tranquil moments captured in time, and often, that’s exactly how it feels to live here. Picturesque and dream-like, constant and still. My hope as a columnist with Downhome is to pursue new experiences and share stories of all things “Big Land” with you wonderful readers. Perhaps more importantly, I aim to spotlight the beauty of Labrador and amplify the voices of its people across our vast, breathtaking, and www.downhomelife.com
connected province. I’ll be sharing my personal experiences with you through poetry and prose, and as we go on this journey together, I’d like to hear from you. After all, this column is for those voices! If you’re interested in having your stories heard, or think you might know someone who has something interesting to share, don’t hesitate to reach out. Though the Gulf of St. Lawrence separates us, I am — more than anything — ecstatic to see the ways in which The Labrador Current will carry the voice of Labradorians to readers across the province. I hope you are too! Nathan Freake is a writer and educator from Labrador City. For any inquiries, you can reach Nathan at thelabcurrent@gmail.com May 2024
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Tell us about the pet that “changed my life.”
We’re looking for heartwarming stories of all kinds: heroic pets that saved a life, emotional support animals, and furry (or not furry, or feathery) friends that make your life better for whatever reason. The pet whose influence impresses us the most will be featured in an upcoming issue of Downhome and declared Pet of the Year. Your beloved buddy will have their life story told and become a magazine star.
How to Enter
Write a story (500 words max.) and include a photo (must be about a current, living pet). Submit one of these ways:
Email: editorial@downhomelife.com (Subject: Pet of the Year) Mail: Downhome Pet of the Year 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3
Deadline is June 30, 2024
www.downhomelife.com
May 2024
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features
By Nellie P. Strowbridge
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“Hoist mae a koob, woot?” I said, bending to lift Miya, my four-year-old granddaughter. She looked up and crinkled her nose. Seeing my mischievous look, she threw back her head and giggled. Most children would have the same reaction. Not so in Newfoundland less than a century ago. An old fishing captain, his skin and clothes permeated with seawater, climbed the rails of the wharf from his skiff and hurried up a graveled path to his house. There he lifted a child into the air and his crusty voice rang out: “Hoist mae a koob, woot?” The child knew he meant: “Give me a kiss, would you?” She smacked a kiss on the bristly cheek, likely crinkling her nose at the pungent scent of sea spray caught in the captain’s beard. To pronounce koob, it is necessary to pucker one’s lips, an action an infant can understand. The word for “kiss” is slightly different for an adult. www.downhomelife.com
A few years ago, I was visiting my mother in a seniors’ home when her sister-in-law, just leaving, leaned in to my mother’s bed and said, matterof-factly, “I’ll give you a kooble before I go.” Then she kissed her on the cheek. I moved back to Newfoundland after spending almost 10 years in Ontario. Until then I had not had the distance from the island that would open my ears and eyes to the uniqueness of our culture. The distance had ironically brought it up close. In 2011, I wrote The Newfoundland Tongue, an album of Newfoundland’s picturesque words, expressions, stories and more. By doing so, I reached back to a time when ancestors’ voices rang with these familiar sayings, some still sprinkling the Newfoundland tongue. One’s jaw might drop if he found himself in the May 2024
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woods with a Newfoundland woodsman exclaiming, “Wouldn’t I like to have a cup of tay from a slut right about now!” This tin kettle has a large flat bottom and heats up in a hurry to give a hot cup of tea. Try explaining to someone that you’re having a meal of “cod sounds.” A “come from away” might crinkle their nose and say, “How can you eat sounds; can a cod even make sounds?” Not everyone knows that cod sounds are air bellows around the spine of a codfish. My mother stuffed them with a Newfoundland savoury dressing and stewed them. In the olden days, after a cook removed most of the meat from a skinned rabbit, the skeletal remains were used for “basket soup”. Not all Newfoundlanders are aware of the “old woman” enclosed in a lobster’s sack: the membrane near its head. When the membrane is carefully parted, pulled back, emptied of its black, watery contents and cleaned, a woman can be seen sitting in a high-back chair – that is if one has a good imagination. Certain expressions used when I was growing up would be treated today as verbal threats with a literal intent: Do that and I’ll knock your head off; I’ll shake the living daylights out of you; I’ll skin you alive. Just expressions of frustration. Nothing more! “We live in a flat in England,” one English tourist told an old fisherman. “We keep our flats on the water,” 48
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the fisherman replied. Noticing her quizzical look, he explained: “Here a flat is a small flat bottom boat square in the starn (stern) and pointed in the stem.” After giving directions to a tourist unfamiliar with the area, one fisherman said, “I’ll be off in me punt, now.”
The tourist raised an eyebrow and replied, “In Ireland, a punt is the dimple in the bottom of a wine bottle.” “The bottle will come later, dimple or no dimple,” he said. Often a fisherman could be heard clear across the cove on a dandy, fine morning calling to another fisherman, “Wat bis at der smarnin’?” meaning “What are you doing this morning?” 1-888-588-6353
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If a person went from house to house with no set purpose, she was said to be marming about; if she was dressed up and tailing about like a fish fly, she was cruisin’. Oxymorons like these are priceless: Cold tea! That’s what burns me; I finds me back; it’s gone! The twist in words can bring a larf and a harf (laugh and a half). Warm becomes wharm, paddy keefe is pretty close, upstrapless can be used for obstreperous, rampse for romp, clim for climb and coosie for cosy (sweetheart). In a conversation, by and by can be bime by. Taking off and adding on is the Newfoundland way. Some Newfoundlanders, depending on their region will add an s where it doesn’t belong and drop a g from where it belongs. Past generations pronounced war as whar, far as for, wharm and
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spake for speak. Solomon, my fatherin-law from Trinity Bay, speaking about someone from another bay, might say, “Dey don’t spake like we people, not dat I knows far.” I still remember his voice: “Is yers dun yer dinna?” The word “spell” is versatile. A task might take “some spell” (a long time). To take a spell was to take a rest. A man often spelled (carried) a yaffle (armful) of wood for his fire. I still carry expressions from my childhood that the younger generation finds funny. “I burst my bladder!” I exclaimed while on a walk with my sister and niece. My teenage niece looked at me with alarm not realizing that I meant a blister (bladder) on my finger. One day I told my granddaughter she was tabbity (had a fussy appetite). I grew up with that word
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Newfoundlanders often greet each other and strangers without saying a word. Sometimes, a nod, a head cock (tilt of the head) or a wink will do.
and had not thought of it as vintage Newfoundland. My granddaughter is older now and she is learning words from my treasure chest of culture pearls. She’ll be digging around in it for a long time, rooting out words like shalandi (dragonfly). A Newfoundlander’s meaning can be misconstrued. A young fellow, not wanting to follow in his fisherman father’s footsteps, left the island for work in Toronto. He struck up a conversation with an up-alonger who asked, “What did you work at in Newfoundland?” Without hesitation he answered, “I cut throats.” “You cut throats?” the stranger lifted an eyebrow, drew down his lip and backed away. “Yes, plenty,” the Newfoundlander answered jovially, not bothering to explain that he had helped his father clean and salt-cure fresh codfish. Newfoundlanders often greet each 50
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other and strangers without saying a word. Sometimes, a nod, a head cock (tilt of the head) or a wink will do. Since my return to the province, I’ve been amused by the many terms of endearments heaped on me in the run of a day. At my chiropractor’s office I get “Okay, me doll”; in the grocery stores, it’s “Thanks, sweetie”; in other places it’s “All right, me darlin’.” Depending on how long I am on my rounds these “terms of endearment” will be repeated. If someone addresses me as “me ole cock” or “me ole trout”, as the old fellars used to call young boys years ago, I’ll have to slier (looks sideways) at them. Until then, “me darling”, “me doll”, “sweetie” are sweet expressions without the calories. It’s some good to hear any of these endearments on a mausy (misty) old day. Nellie P. Strowbridge is the author of The Newfoundland Tongue, Catherine Snow, and The Hanged Woman’s Daughter 1-888-588-6353
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features
Carver Wilbur Hobbs transforms natural material into wondrous works of art. By Nicola Ryan 52
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“No plan is the plan,” Wilbur Hobbs chuckles, describing his approach to carving. Inspiration seems to naturally find the Bonavista native, and Wilbur goes with the flow, coaxing curious puffins, inscrutable owls and roaming polar bears from moose antler and bone. A change in course is what originally led Wilbur, who formerly worked in the fishery, to discover his artistic talent. “I was always good with my hands, always creative,” he recounts. “From cutting out cod tongues as a child right on up to the present. Back when the moratorium came out, it was notified that there would be no more harvesting the cod until further notice. So, I was just walking across the beach this particular day and picked up a set of moose antlers that had washed up on the beach. I brought it home and threw it down in the shed. About a month later I just went out with some hacksaws, files, and that was it and never looked back.” With the moratorium in effect, Wilbur had time to develop his skills and soothe his soul. “I just took it as is,” he recalls. “There was no set agenda, no set time, it just evolved day in day out. I wasn’t looking at it from any other level www.downhomelife.com
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than trying to explore what you could do with imagination, what could imagination create from a renewable resource. With the help of the Creator, as a team effort, it all came out, one day at a time. “My objective when I started was that I just wanted to see where this would go based on if I could cut 50,000 units,” he adds. “What 50,000 units would be, I had no idea. That could be cutting a button, a keychain, an ornament.” Today, Wilbur estimates that he has the largest collection of carvings of bone and antler in the province. “I love carving puffins, whales, octopus, polar bears, eagles, owls,” he continues. “It’s such a rewarding experience. I just show up, pick up a Dremel and it goes from there. It’s a lot from my memory now. Say for example, if you carved say a moose. You got antlers; you got a head the body and legs. You get that figured out for a long time and your memory will tell you where to go and how to make it because you did it that many times. So you’re being inspired from your memory now. You practice doing the eye that many times and you’ll get good at making the eye. You practice enough to make a puffin, say, and its feathers. When you do it enough times you’ll get good at it.” Each piece he makes is unique, though he takes no credit for how the figures emerge from the pieces of antler and bone. “It’s nothing but pure imagination. It just happens,” he says. “I could 50
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look at something and I could look at it for a year until it comes to me. I go out to the workshop, there’s Dremels everywhere, there’s pieces everywhere, lots finished, unfinished, and there’s no plan. I just show up and pick up a Dremel and I go from there. Just imagination and a Dremel. When I’m down in my shop I’m there cooking lobsters, carving, not a soul
around late into the night, I’m just in the zone of a zone. I always summed it up this way: I’m vertically gifted bringing it to a horizontal level. So you’re seeing horizontally, but I receive it through my spirit, vertically.” For Wilbur, spiritual insight enhances his artistry, and he chats about how he considers the interconnectedness of all things in the world as he works. 1-888-588-6353
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Wilbur’s carvings and other creations can be seen and purchased in his shop, the Home From the Ice Floes Craft Shop in Elliston.
“The experience [of carving] gives me a sense of being creative with God,” he says. “First, there’s God, secondly it’s me, and then thirdly it’s all the tools that I use – whoever manufactured those tools from a Dremel down to a bit. When that team comes together, collectively, the unknown becomes known. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s not about just me, it’s the team. Without the power, without the Dremel, without the bits, without myself, it just won’t happen. You can have all the bits and the tools in the world and no power, and it’s no good. You can have all God and no means to channel it. I always look at it as a team play.” Wilbur operates the Home From the Ice Floes gift shop in Elliston. www.downhomelife.com
And though he enjoys meeting with visitors and patrons, making money is not what his carving’s about. “I will keep carving no matter if I didn’t sell one item,” he chuckles, “if anybody does any kind of art craft or painting, they know, if you chase money, you run all your life. The fun part in all of it is just to be humble and kind. Everyone who comes to the shop, when I got the time to do it, I give away so much stuff – because that is the nature of God. God gives us everything, always give back.” For those interested in developing their own artistic gifts, Wilbur closes with this advice: “If you can imagine it, you can do it. Imagination has no limit. It’s only when you limit yourself that imagination’s got limits. If you can imagine it, you’re halfway there. The other half is doing it.” May 2024
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Prolific fishery spokesperson Captain Wilfred Bartlett never misses an opportunity to kick into action. by Kim Ploughman
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If retired fishing Captain Wilfred Bartlett had his way there would be fewer seals in the ocean, and cod would again rule supreme. Born in Lush’s Bight, Notre Dame Bay, Bartlett, a founding member of the Canadian Sealers Association, would no doubt be relieved spending less time raising the rafters to protect coastal communities. His letters and commentaries, based on his experiences and astute opinions, remain consistent in the province’s media, as he tries to safeguard a culture fading before his eyes. “The idea was to ‘get the industry back,’ following Greenpeace’s destructive intrusion into the province’s sealing culture,” Wilfred reflects on the early days of the association, which came together at a Sealer’s Conference in Baie Verte. “The bleeding hearts and movie stars decided to make a name for themselves by interfering in the seal harvest which sustained rural regions. With their big names and access to the news media, the hunt was brought to a standstill in the early 1980s.” In the end, the association wasn’t able to curb the onslaught of the animal rights group’s fierce activism. He describes cultural violence which endured for decades, including death threats, intimidation, lies and even attacks on the ice. “We had high hopes, but the biggest problem is we never got the support we needed from the federal government.” www.downhomelife.com
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Fast forward past the 1992 cod moratorium, Wilfred points out the seal population exploded from about 2.2 million before 1990 to present day, with the herd surpassing 8.5 million. What riles him is DFO maintaining that seal numbers have fallen due to declining food supply, which he calls “inaccurate, as no one truly knows how many seals are out there …you can only count them on the ice.”
concerns was not raised at this crucial gathering. “Nobody is doing nothing…where are our six MPs in Ottawa?” he laments. “We’re in a position to do something, but it comes down to a lack of seal guts, even though the EU has inflicted cultural violence on our sealers.”
Wilfred with a giant codfish in 1988. Wilfred is adamant that only “a full-fledged seal hunt will keep the seals in check so that the ocean can reach its potential.” When Wilfred received word that a Canada-EU summit was coming to the capital city, he could not remain quiet, writing yet another letter to the editor. The way Wilfred figured it, as espoused in his commentary, this was the “first time in our life that we had any bargaining power on the seal hunt.” He says that since EU countries are highly interested in the province’s natural resources, the Prime Minister and Premier should issue a joint ultimatum. “If you want the damn minerals, then buy our seals!” he mused, explaining that it was an opportune time for the PM to show support to Newfoundland and Labrador. As far as he could determine, the EU’s 2009 ban on seal product imports due to animal welfare 60
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Merv Wiseman – another outspoken fish advocate – fully supports Wilfred’s stance. “Our federal government is just as guilty as the EU cowboys,” Merv shares. In his estimation Wilfred says the basic issue is the alteration in the Atlantic Ocean’s balance over the past 40 years. The solution, he offers, is to work together to right that balance. The captain concedes that while he carries a few breadcrumbs of optimism in his pocket, he’s not hopeful of progress, despite cod stocks no longer resting in the critical zone. “Seals are one of the main reasons why cod will never fully 1-888-588-6353
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come back,” he admits. “There are too many of them with no predators, thanks to the anti-sealing groups as well as the weak and uncaring politicians in the EU who destroyed the seal markets.” As for the cod, he figures that if it took nearly 35 years to get them this far, “they likely will never fully recover.” He’s adamant that only “a fullfledged seal hunt will keep the seals in check so that the ocean can reach its potential.” For Merv, the significant cultural value of the seal hunt is often overlooked, including by the government. He recalls a time, in the transition from teenage to adulthood where sealing was a right of passage. “When you harvested your first seal, it meant your status immediately went up among your peers as you were a contributor to your community and family.” As for optimism and frustration, Merv and Wilfred are drifting in the same boat. “I would like to think that governments at all levels will find a way to revitalize the seal industry, but we are all tainted by the countless failures to give it any kind
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of priority,” he says, adding “Unfortunately, the political will is not there to significantly turn the tide for sealers, despite a 2022 seal summit in St. John’s that seemed promising. How can anyone not be skeptical and cynical of the government in the face of those kinds of exercises, which never seem to come to fruition.” In his letter to the editor on the summit, Wilfred points out that if Greenpeace did to the moose what it did to the seals, half the province’s forests would be destroyed. Ideally, Wilfred states, the ocean needs to be managed for the food it can supply to a hungry world, and not for the job factor. “We came into Confederation with the greatest food basket in the world and passed it over to Ottawa to manage and we all know how that turned out … We do not treat our oceans with respect.” Now 88, the persistent captain who harvested and consumed seals for over 70 years, isn’t going down without a fuss and a fight. “We owe it to our grandchildren and greatgrandchildren to do the right thing,” he says with conviction.
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features
The Botanical Art Society of Newfoundland and Labrador By Nicola Ryan
Two Blossoms by Sharon Goodyear
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Mysterious by Julie Duff
When spring’s sunrays
slowly return each year, the forests, hills, bogs and meadows around us burst into a flourish of plants and wildflowers. Bright irises appear in marshes, tiny heathers bloom on rocky hillsides, and the wild diversity of Newfoundland and Labrador’s plant life is on display. Showy or small, colourful or subdued, each has its special grace and beauty.
Art photography by Marie Bishop
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Clematis by Sharon Smith
Botanical art finds a way to capture the beauty of a plant in a style that contains its essence – in other words, combining artistic expression with scientific accuracy. The Botanical Art Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, established at the MUN Botanical Gardens in 2016, is a local non-profit focused on creating accurate studies of the beautiful and diverse plant life in our province. “It began with a small group of artists painting weekly at MUN Botanical Garden, led by Margaret Walsh Best,” explains Glynn Bishop, who has recently taken over the role of president. Margaret’s love of plants was nurtured by her many childhood hours spent with her Irish-born grandmother in the family garden in Kingman’s Cove, Fermeuse. While tending to the garden, she was captivated by her grandmother’s 64
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stories about where the various plants had come from and what they were used for. As a passionate artist and art educator, Margaret strove to create the Botanical Art Society to grow a sustainable, vibrant, and interactive community of artists who share an interest in botanical art, and the group is blooming with activity. “We host painting workshops from renowned international botanical artists, and also informative talks and presentations related to nature and art at our monthly meetings,” Glynn says. “We also offer a biweekly paint and chat time, via Zoom, where members can converse about art topics and view an interactive painting demonstration 1-888-588-6353
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Work by members on display at The Wilds Resort on screen. All levels of skill are welcome. It’s a great place to learn more about plants, improve your art skills, and meet new friends.” The art created by the members of the Society is as wild and diverse as the province’s prolific plant life. “The members are mostly using watercolour on paper, but some use different media on different substrates. Each artist has their own style even though the botanical art process is basically the same. Botanical art shows a plant that is true to its nature. How an artist accomplishes that will always vary from one artist to another,” says Glynn. “Learning to look closely and
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observe what the plant’s details are, and wandering through nature looking for a subject, are all part of the process.” The Society has had artwork exhibitions at the MUN Botanical Garden and the Grounds Café at Murray’s Garden Centre in Portugal Cove. Recently they’ve launched a new collaboration with the Wilds Resort at Salmonier. “Artists are always looking for great places to hang their art where there’s public exposure, and The Wilds is one of those places,” says Glynn, noting that his wife, interior designer Marie Bishop helped bring the partnership about.
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Dahlia Pinnata by Julie Duff
“I’ve been working with Kelly Finlay, the General Manager at The Wilds Resort, since 2018,” Marie recounts. “The long-term plan was to update and expand the thirty-yearold facility to improve and enhance the experience for their guests. By the beginning of 2020, we updated all the hotel rooms, replaced flooring, installed new light fixtures, added new rugs and lounge furniture and painted all the walls of the main floor. The question then arose, what to put on all the bare walls that had previously been filled with dated prints and faded tourism posters? Kelly suggested local artwork and cheekily wondered if I knew anyone who could provide some. Well of course!” Part of the mandate of the Botanical Society is to raise ecological awareness and appreciation of botanical art through outreach in 66
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the community, so this presented a wonderful opportunity for members to showcase their work at a popular venue that gets hundreds of visitors annually “By the time the resort was open for business after lockdown in the fall of 2020, the walls were filled with beautiful, colourful, local art,” says Marie. “It’s a wonderfully diverse collection with a wide range of styles, sizes, mediums and price points, hence the name the Wild Art Collective.” Most pieces on display are original works from members including Glynn, Margaret Walsh Best, Michelle Whitten LaCour, Sharon Smith and Dave Collins, with some prints added to the mix. There are currently over 65 works of art on display, and each piece is tagged with the artist’s name, the type of medium used and the price. So far 1-888-588-6353
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they’ve had great success. “The staff at The Wilds are fabulous and have been a wonderful support in keeping it all going,” says Marie, who has taken on the role of curator. “Over the past three summers, we have sold dozens of beautiful pieces to guests from all over. “This idea is such a win/win/win,” she continues. “The artists are able to show their work in a public space for an unlimited time. Guests at the Wilds are able to take in the culture of a local art gallery without leaving the premises, and The Wilds looks fabulous while being gracious hosts in their effort to support local artists. The other bonus is the that artists receive 100% of the sale of their work.” Back at the MUN Botanical Garden, the Botanical Art Society holds regular meetings scheduled for the third Monday of each month,
and they have more events and exhibitions on the horizon. “Next year we’re participating in the Botanical Art Year of Crop Diversity,” notes Glynn. “Each artist will choose a food, medicine, or textile crop as their painting subject and we’ll exhibit them in the fall of 2025.” Through its dedication to celebrating Newfoundland’s rich botanical heritage, the Botanical Art Society fosters creativity and promotes an appreciation for this place we call home. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just starting, they offer a welcoming space to explore, create, and connect with nature in a whole new way. Here’s to more brushstrokes, shared moments, and vibrant blooms on our canvases and in our lives. botanicalartsocietynl.com
Newfoundland Blueberries by Eileen Gear Bragg
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by Lee Everts
At times waves
may hurtle headlong against the cliffs, rimming its edge with unceasing swells heaving up and down along the shore. But Placentia Bay, in all its moody allure, resonates and subtly mesmerizes. The sights and sounds welcome us deep into its depths, embedded in the experiences and encounters of the lives with which it’s intertwined. For each of the structures, places or organizations below, the spirit of Placentia Bay silently emboldens their strength and identity.
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Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve Located on the most southern shore of the Southwest Avalon, Cape St. Mary’s is undeniably a hidden treasure. While quiet and peaceful – despite the periodic gale force winds that sometimes lash the region – around St. Paddy’s Day something usually starts to happen. Gradually, birds such as the iconic Northern Gannet begin to return home. Similarly, the Common Murre and blacklegged kittiwakes appear on the jagged cliffs surrounding bird rock, a sea stack where countless gannets eventually make their home for the season. They are joined by other distinctive birds such as the Double-Crested Cormorants, ravens and herring gulls. And soon, Cape St. Mary’s is a feast for the eye, ear and soul.
Todd Hollett photo
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Castle Hill Historical Site Striations It’s a step back in time to a place when no human had yet touched the area, a time when glaciers, towering megalith-like structures of ice, traversed the land. Castle Hill National Historical Site is well known as the stage for the daring manoeuvres that defined the 17th through to the 19th century when the French and then English held the fort. However, about 30,000 years ago, during the last glaciation of the Wisconsin glacial period, ice flowed over the area later occupied by Castle Hill. Behind the Visitor’s Centre, it left striations and grooves in the granite over which it moved. It’s an indication of the beautiful dance of nature on the landscape.
Placentia Area Theatre D’Heritage (PATH) Since 1993, the Placentia Area Theatre D’Heritage (PATH) has been shedding light on the history that defines the Placentia area. Recent plays such as “The Battle for Terre Neuve,” which is shown every summer, and “Uprooted: The Argentia Story” are examples of the richness PATH unveils. You’ll hear the proclamations of warriors and saints or the honest appeals of ordinary men and women. Every year, PATH relies primarily on local talent to evoke laughter and tragedy, sentiments that symbolize the region’s heritage. 70
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Domingo de Luca • O’Reilly House Museum It was in the spring of 1563 when the Basque ship La María del Juncal set out on its annual journey to the island of Newfoundland where they would fish for cod. Arriving in Placentia, everything proceeded as usual until the ship’s storekeeper, Domingo de Luca, took ill. They soon realized he was going from bad to worse and ushered in the ship’s notary, allowing Domingo to dictate his last will and testament. He did and included a clause that would ripple through history. He asked, “That if the will of God Our Lord were served to take me by this illness from the present life, that my body be buried in this port of Plazençia in the place where those who die here are usually buried.” Such words would help identify Placentia as a place to be, where people didn’t mind remaining for all eternity. A copy of Domingo de Luca’s Will is exhibited at the O’Reilly House Museum in Placentia.
Echoes of Valour “Echoes of Valour” by Luben Boykov is a sculpture in St. Lawrence, NL, commemorating the moving account of the USS Truxtun and USS Pollux disaster during the Second World War. Taking place off the shores of St. Lawrence at Chambers Cove and Lawn Head, the USS Truxtun and USS Pollux crashed into the unforgiving rocky coastline during a winter storm on February 18, 1942. The men from the mines and the people of St. Lawrence risked their lives and, against the odds, managed to save 183 of the 400 aboard. It’ll go down in history as a selfless demonstration of humanity, compassion and kindness. www.downhomelife.com
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St. Luke’s Cultural Heritage Centre The St. Luke’s Cultural Heritage Centre is the heir to an unsurpassable rich heritage. In the 16th century, it was the site of a Roman Catholic place of worship for the Basque. Later, the parish of “Our Lady of Angels” was established in 1689 by the French when they occupied the area. However, following the Treaty of Utrecht, which awarded Newfoundland to England following the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), the church became Anglican, a place of worship for the English. It was rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century, serving as a church until 2020. It was reborn as St. Luke’s Cultural Heritage Centre.
Patrick’s Cove Roman Catholic Church The oldest church on the Cape Shore, it replaced a previous church in 1926 and was enlarged in 1961. Patrick’s Cove was always a unique place, with many residents being descendants of Bartholomew (Bartley) McGrath who settled there around 1804. However, the church’s most recent evolution is tied to more modern events. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Roman Catholic archdiocese was liable for sexual abuse at Mount Cashel in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s. The resulting lawsuits led to the selling off of the churches. This meant churchgoers, like those in Patrick’s Cove, would be forced to buy back their church. Call it Divine 72
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Intervention or perhaps evidence of a tightly knit community, for Patrick’s Cove, in stepped a relative of Bartley McGrath. He had the means and most importantly the will, to buy the church and gift it back to the community.
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Atlantic Charter Monument During the Second World War, two unexpected visitors brought the world to our doorstep. It was in August of 1941 when Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Britain met U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Placentia Bay, near Ship Harbour. The objective was to discuss the general course of the war, U.S. aid to Britain and matters of common interest. One of the important results of their meeting was the Atlantic Charter, a document outlining principles to which all countries in the world must abide to forge a better future. When the Second World War drew to a close, some of its clauses would serve as a blueprint for the creation of the United Nations.
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explore
by A. Osborne
Jim Desautels photo
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A funny thing happens when you find yourself where you’re meant to be. It’s not something that hits you until after it occurs. Sometimes – more often than not – it takes a quiet moment for you to finally breathe. It may sound like a cliché, a realisation about fate or a past life, but I promise that it isn’t.
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I grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the only child of a Navy officer and an operating room nurse. I spent a lot of time on my own devices. Being a shy kid meant reading books that might not have been age-appropriate would be on the high end of scandalous activities. There was plenty of time for exercising my imagination. As a premature reader of J. R. R. Tolkien, I imagined mountains, creatures and magic. My memories of Halifax, though, have very little magic. It was often grey, the water frigid, and while industry was booming, my days were foggy and muddled with invisible adventures in faraway places. Imagine my delight when I first saw pictures of stark cliffs, crashing seas, brightly coloured houses precariously perched on rocks, and giant fluffy black dogs. My grey coastal world suddenly bloomed with the primary colours, teasing the landscape of a place I had no idea 76
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existed. I had encountered a guidebook on Newfoundland. When I was a child, I believed Newfoundland was a magical faraway land where people spoke with funny accents, where animals like dogs and ponies roamed the land, helping the townsfolk when it suited them, a place where quaint adventures were constantly had, at least on weekends. As I grew older, I discovered that, geographically, it wasn’t far away, but it still felt foreign and unobtainable. I considered my options to get there, including attending Memorial University. Most teenagers dream of backpacking through Europe. All I wanted was to get to the Red Cliff. Honestly, with places like Red Cliff, Tickle Cove and Change Islands, how could I not have considered it a destination for adventure? Once I finally arrived, I realised it was the realest place I’d ever been. At Christmas, 2023, I finally had 1-888-588-6353
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the opportunity to go to Newfoundland. My Mum has been with a Newfoundlander for some years now, and it was finally time to meet his family. I had a decent idea of what I might be in for if they were anything like him: loud, dry humour and endlessly kind. For me, meeting new people is always nerve-wracking. I’m still that same shy, bookish girl who, not only would be amongst new company, but in new territory. They say you should never meet your heroes, but what about visiting your childhood dreamland? There aren’t any anecdotes about that.
impactful in person than it had ever been in images. I’m gobsmacked by the fact that people live there every day and still manage to be productive. The scale of the place and the natural geography are gigantic. Not over our initial shock, we set out to meet the folks we had come to see. For a second time, I was startled by my environment. You’d expect those who live in such a place to have an air of superiority given they’ve built a flourishing community on the edge of the world. And yet, each person we met – family or not – was more welcoming than the last.
It’s a land that dares you to encounter it, proud and tall, uncompromising in its jarring shifts from tundra to cliff to ocean. Chilly, damp, and overwhelming, it’s a place for adventure, but not one for the faint of heart. Arriving by plane after midnight, our first glimpse of the area consisted of dimly lit streets and quiet houses as we made our way, groggily, to our Airbnb. When the sun rose in the morning, it wasn’t the light coming through the windows that woke us, but the sound of the waves breaking on the coastline, a sound we’d heard but not been able to place in the dark. As we made our way to the covered porch with fresh coffee, it was all we could do not to drop our mugs. On that Christmas Eve morning, I was hit with the realization that the stark landscape is significantly more intimidating, impressive, and www.downhomelife.com
My brother-in-law, an Ontarian, commented that “Driving around it definitely feels smaller than Ottawa,” which could account for the smalltown feeling. What I found most intriguing was the unabashed “areyou-new-here?” and “I’ve-beenstaring-at-you-for-five-minutes-andcan’t-place-you-who-are-you?” looks which somehow weren’t off-putting. “There’s a baseline niceness that we don’t really have in Ontario,” quips the brother-in-law. The undeniable cosiness of the people played a large part in setting me, and all of us come from aways, at ease. The more vistas we saw and the more folks we met, the more the May 2024
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juxtaposition of place and people became clear. It’s a land that dares you to encounter it, proud and tall, uncompromising in its jarring shifts from tundra to cliff to ocean. Chilly, damp, and overwhelming, it’s a place for adventure, but not one for the faint of heart. They’re people who implore you to come closer, who welcome you as one of their own and make no qualms about keeping you fed and ensuring your comfort. The people we met that we now call family would have given us the shirts off their backs and the duff off their turkey if the occasion called for it, no questions asked. I did not meet them for long, but of this I am confident.
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That feeling of contentment and welcoming was felt more profoundly by my Mum. For me, it was a wonderful experience and one that drew back the curtain on the unattainability that had defined Newfoundland for so many years. For my Mum, it was a little more than that. I’ve had a sense that she found a bit of herself there. She’s always been a Maritimer, but something about the place and the people agrees with her. She loves it, and she loves them. For her, Newfoundland and its people felt familiar. Once she started breathing in the ocean air and let herself relax, she felt a profound sense of home.
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explore
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What’s your ideal getaway?
Do you seek solace off the beaten path? Away from the hustle and bustle of city living? Do you strive for peace, tranquillity and quiet comforts without having to outright rough it? Yurtopia could be your hidden haven. Conceived by the husband and wife team of Jeff and Jane Sears, Yurtopia is the only authentic Mongolian yurt in Newfoundland and Labrador, which has rapidly become a must-stay attraction in the now booming tourist hub of Port Rexton. The couple, who fell in love with the scenic community after purchasing a residence in Port Rexton 16 years ago, originally acquired an authentic Kyrgyzstan yurt as a pop-up shop for their then business, Port Rexton Hiking & Clothing. www.downhomelife.com
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“The initial design was to have it as a retail store and to use it as a drawing card because this is something that most people, never mind Newfoundland or Canada, will never see, an authentic, handmade, hand-carved Kyrgyzstan yurt,” Jeff shared during a sit-down with Downhome. “We felt that it would be a nice way to grab people and get their interest. And it did. I had grown men come in, take pictures, and cry because they recognized the historical significance behind it.” Drawing interest from patrons with the idea of converting the yurt into a rental dwelling, Jane and Jeff sought to find the optimal yurt experience best suited for our wild Newfoundland weather, something cozy and comfortable, while well insulated and suited to our unpredictable elements. 82
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“I said if we’re going to do this, we need to do the real thing. A real true Mongolian yurt, not from eBay or Amazon,” Jeff recalls, explaining that, with the help of yurt go-to’s Groovy Yurts, the couple purchased an authentic Mongolian yurt, which has been Canadian-ized for optimal weather protection. “You have a frame, then you have, basically, a big cotton liner that goes over the frame, then sheep’s wool on top of it and a layer of tie back, and one big, solid piece of heavy canvas that covers the whole yurt,” Jeff explains. “It’s four layers of protection.” Setting to work on the structure and all it entailed, Yurtopia was launched into being in the summer of 2021. The feedback and demand from day one, the proprietors share, was incredible.
“It’s amazing the number of people who, even though they’ve seen pictures and they’ve seen it online, they walk in and it’s amazing watching people’s expression once they enter,” Jane says of the initial response from patrons. “People always say, ‘Wow, it’s way bigger in here than it looks on the outside!’ And it is.” Yurtopia has quickly attracted both locals and come-from-aways looking for a different sort of getaway. “We started quickly realizing that our customers were a lot of retired professionals from Canada coming here to look at icebergs, look at whales, and just wanted something other than a hotel room to stay in and I think we kind of ticked that one off,” adds Jeff, doubling down on the uniqueness of the yurt experience. “You’re staying in the same type of
There’s
off the beaten path. And then
there’s this place.
Overnight accommodations accommodation ns in the wonder of a National Historic Histo oric Site. battleharbour.com 709.921.6325 www.downhomelife.com
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structure that Genghis Khan stayed in. 62 percent of Mongolians still live in yurts. It’s still their home. So you’re actually staying in something today that dates back 3000 years and is still utilized.” Aptly located within walking distance to the Skerwink Trail, Port Rexton Brewery, Two Whales Cafe and Fisher’s Loft, Yurtopia is the optimal Bonavista Peninsula jumping-off point for tourists and islanders alike looking to indulge in hiking trails, boat tours, puffin viewing and a general take-in of the region’s breathtaking scenery. Though of course, the yurt itself is as big a draw as any. “We’ve had people stay with us and cancel their dinner reservations that didn’t want to leave the yurt. They say they just want to sit here tonight, have a glass of wine and put on some music,” Jeff chuckles. “You’ve got a 84
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hot tub literally two feet outside your door. And now we’re working on putting a sauna in for the late spring. So we’re trying to create a little oasis where you can come to relax. After a long day you can have a sauna, have a soak in the hot tub, just sit on the deck, have a fire and relax.” Firmly devoted to promoting the no longer hidden gem that is Port Rexton that swept them up over 15 years ago, Jeff and Jane are committed to providing world-class accommodations under the backdrop of one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most picturesque regions. The couple plans on launching a second yurt just in time for the 2024 tourist season, with all the trappings,
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commitment to service, and memorable stay outside of the norm, remaining intact. “We wanted something different that would make us stand out. And if you don’t stand out you’re just like everybody else,” Jeff said, reaffirming the pair’s desire to bring business to the Peninsula. “We just fell in love with the place. So this is kind of our way of encouraging people to come and stay. The more people we could have come stay with us, it’s good for all business and good for everybody.” Interested in booking a stay in Yurtopia? Visit the accomodations page through Airbnb at Yurtopia in Port Rexton!
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HOME and Cabin
stuff we love by Nicola Ryan
Gifts for Mom MIX IT UP For the kitchen queen, a set of charming Mason Cash mixing bowls will help mom bake up edible goodies that are just as gorgeous. The ‘In the Forest’ series includes bread bowls embossed with foxes, hedgehogs and owls in forest scenes inspired by folk tales of the mid-19th century. We spotted these at Hillhead House in St. John’s. hillhead-house.com
WILD WOOLIES Foggy Rock Fibres, based out of Cupids, NL, specialises in custom-dyed yarns. Their versatile, medium-weight yarns are perfect for knitting, rug hooking and crocheting and come in a dazzling array of colour combinations like Sunset, Salt Grass Meadow, and Three Sisters. You can find a selection at the Some Good Market in Brigus, Herbie’s Olde Shoppe in Petty Harbour, and Wool Trends in St. John’s. www.wooltrends.ca
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PUZZLE PERFECTION A puzzle table organizer is like a dream come true for puzzle lovers. This one from Beyond Innoventions has a sturdy surface and a clever lazy Susan swivel system so Mom can tackle her favourite puzzles in total comfort. Plus, it’s got four handy drawers and a handy removable cover to keep pesky puzzle pieces from getting misplaced. www.amazon.ca
CUTE AND CASUAL Some mudders do have ‘em. Help her make a stylish statement on the joys of motherhood with a printed hoodie like this one from Saltwater Designs. The clothing company based out of St. John’s also offers crewnecks, t-shirts, hats and mugs with real character. saltwaterdesignsnl.com
EDIBLE ARRANGEMENT Express your love for mom with a charming spin on classic flowers and check out this adorable creation from the Newfoundland Chocolate Company. Five handcrafted, extra smooth milk chocolate daisy lollies come nestled in a cute flowerpot! Pick one up at a retail location. newfoundlandchocolatecompany.com
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HOME and Cabin
Ask Marie Anything Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions
Finding Beauty in Art
Over the past few months, we’ve had questions that center around the use of art in home decor. Rather fitting, considering this year has been proclaimed by the provincial government as the Year of The Arts. First, I would like to say that art is a broad and subjective topic. Choosing art for your home, whether original art, prints, photographs or threedimensional pieces, can be challenging. I’m reminded of the quote by William Morris, a British craftsman from the mid-1800s who said “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” This reminds us that it doesn’t matter what someone else thinks, if you see the beauty in it and it brings you joy, then, by all means, have it in your space. My philosophy is that we can choose to view everything as art. If you tap into your creative juices you can easily personalize your space with collections from your life. I’ve picked a few questions that seem to address the most common concerns around decorating with art. 88
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Q. How do I choose wall art for my new space, how big and what colour? First, the size of the pieces will be determined by the space you have. For instance, if you’re looking for something for the sofa wall you will want a fairly large piece or two pieces that work together. If you have high ceilings you could go with two vertical pieces to emphasize the height and make a statement, otherwise horizontal pieces will likely work better. In terms of colour, that’s a very personal decision. Given the scale of this piece, it will become somewhat of a focal point, your eye will automatically be drawn to it and chances are you will be living with it for a while. Choose the subject matter that appeals to you, whether that’s hyperrealism or a colourful abstract. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t www.downhomelife.com
have to ‘match’ your furniture. If you want to create a serene space, then by all means, let it blend into the surroundings. But if that’s not your goal, choose a piece that you love and let it speak for itself. I had a client once who always asked “Will I like it or will I love it?” You need to love it For other spaces in your home that need some love, take pictures of the bare walls and measure the space. A painting or print needs to fit the space without looking like it’s squeezed into it. This is also true for a shadow box or collage you’ve created. Leave enough space around the piece to give it some breathing room and have it look aesthetically pleasing.
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Q. How can I create a gallery wall? It seems like a daunting task. Gallery walls are a great way to display not just photos, but any collection of pieces. It could be a combination of family photos, travel memories, artwork and three-dimensional pieces. And yes, it can appear a little overwhelming but let’s break it down. First, collect all the items you want to group into this arrangement. Some people like to do a “Family Tree” with photos of children, parents, and grandparents, all the same size with a similar background and frame. This is a lovely idea but more formal than a mixedsubject arrangement. Remember there are no rules, just gather whatever you’d like, then decide where you’re going to show these pieces. The wall behind the sofa is a great space or if you have a bare wall at the end of your family room that would be ideal. A very popular space is the wall on the stairs. The size of
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the space will determine how many pieces will fit. Let’s assume you’re doing a stairway wall, which realistically is probably the most challenging. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind. Having a loose theme is not a necessity but helpful.
For instance, family photos, favourite vacations, framed keepsakes or mementos of the trip tell your story, especially if you’ve created a blended family. Keeping the frames somewhat similar is helpful as opposed to
having one or two that are larger and more ornate and tend to steal the show. Next, plan your layout. As tedious as that sounds and as good as you may be at eyeballing the setup, you will benefit from the extra time. Once you’ve collected your favourite pieces, find a large patch of floor space or a large table where you can lay them out. Some will be vertical and some horizontal, this adds visual interest. Start at the bottom and leave approximately 2.5"-3" on all sides between the pieces. This will create a more cohesive wall and avoid confusion for the eye. Move up as you go in the direction of the stairs and try to avoid leaving large bare spaces at the top. The aim is to fill the space evenly even though the pieces are different sizes. This shouldn’t be too difficult as you’ll be using vertical and horizontal frames to cover the space. If you’re using artwork, focus on different sizes, mediums and styles of art. Combine textured oil paintings with pen and ink drawings alongside watercolour prints. You can also add decorative tiles, plates or bowls to create a diverse artistic mix. Gallery walls are a wonderful way to bring colour and interest to your home. They’re an excellent way to tell your story and the best way to show how much you love your space.
Ask Marie Anything! Got a design question for Marie? Email editorial@downhomelife.com. www.downhomelife.com
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HOME and Cabin
downhome recipes
Labrador Recipes Rich, hearty and homegrown, the tastes of Labrador are as warm and vibrant as the people that inhabit the land itself. Downhome combed through our recipe wheel for some tried-and-true favourites that utilize some of the best the Big Land has to offer.
Slow Cooker Caribou Stew 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour 2 1/2 pounds of caribou meat, cut into cubes 1 tbs vegetable oil, or as needed 4 cups beef stock 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 4 carrots, cut into 1" pieces 4 stalks celery, cut into 1" pieces
1 large onion, chopped 1 can diced tomatoes, with juice 2 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp minced garlic 2 bay leaves
Place flour in a shallow bowl; press meat into the flour to coat and shake off the excess flour. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium; cook and stir meat until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer meat to a large slow cooker. Pour beef stock over meat in slow cooker; add potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, diced tomatoes with juice, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic, and bay leaves. Gently stir mixture. Cook on Low for 8 hours. The stew can also be cooked on the stove in a Dutch oven.
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Smoked Salmon Pasta 4 cups uncooked rotini 1 tbsp olive oil 3/4 cup white onion, diced small 3/4 cup carrot, diced small 3/4 cup green peas 1 1/2 cups smoked salmon, loosely chopped
Sauce 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp flour 2 cups milk 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh dill 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Cook pasta according to instructions on package to “al dente.” Strain, but set aside 1/2 the pasta water. Heat oil in a frying pan; fry onion and carrot until onion is soft and carrots are tender. Add peas and smoked salmon, and continue to cook until salmon is opaque. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, add flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes. Reduce heat and add 1/2 cup milk, stirring continuously until the butter and flour mixture are completely dissolved. Add rest of milk in 1/4 cup increments, stirring continuously until all the milk is added. Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, dill and Parmigiano; stir until dissolved and sauce thickens. Add vegetable mixture to the pasta; pouring the sauce over top, stir gently. If sauce has become too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to make sauce thin enough to coat the pasta with sauce.
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Arctic Char 1 10 oz fillet arctic char, rinsed and patted dry Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste 1 lime, zested and juiced 1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sherry wine 3 sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped 2 cloves garlic 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. Season arctic char with sea salt, place in the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with lime zest. Combine lime juice, olive oil, sherry, rosemary, and garlic in a food processor; pulse until garlic is finely chopped. Spread mixture over fish; season with cayenne pepper and black pepper. Bake in the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes, basting with pan juices about halfway through. When fish is close to being fully cooked, switch the oven to broil. Cook until the top is browned, about 2 minutes. Serves two. 94
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Bakeapple Gastrique 1/4 cup honey 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar 1/2 cup bakeapples (if using thawed berries, no need to drain)
1/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Simmer honey and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. It will begin to thicken. Add the bakeapples and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the sauce becomes syrupy (it should be a little thinner than real maple syrup). Remove from heat and add salt and pepper. Serve warm over roast chicken, as we have done in the photo, or over fish, pork, or vegetables such as sweet potatoes or squash. It’s also delicious when allowed to cool and then drizzled over cheese such as Brie, Camembert, blue or ricotta. Another lovely idea is to serve it over freshly baked, cheese-filled phyllo hors d’oeuvres. Gastrique will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Let it cool to room temperature, or gently reheat, before serving.
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Black Currant Bread Pudding 3 large eggs 1/2 cup melted butter 1/2 cup apple flavored syrup 1/2 cup raw sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup half-and-half cream 1 1/2 cups milk 1 (16 ounce) loaf day-old French bread, cut into 1/4-inch cubes 1/2 cup dried currants
Mix eggs, butter, apple syrup, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in half and half and milk. Place cubed bread and currants into a large baking dish. Stir in the egg mixture until bread is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Uncover the baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Yields one loaf.
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Classic Blueberry Pie 3/4 cup white sugar 3 tbsp cornstarch 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt
4 cups fresh blueberries 1 (14.1 ounce) package double-crust pie pastry, thawed 1 tbsp butter
Gather all ingredients. Set an oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl; sprinkle over blueberries. Line a pie dish with one pie crust. Pour berry mixture into the crust and dot with butter. Cut remaining pastry into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-wide strips. Use the strips to weave a lattice top. Crimp and flute the edges. Bake pie on the lowest oven rack until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown, about 50 minutes. Cut into slices and enjoy! Yields one pie.
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down to earth
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The Goods on Frost BY KIM THISTLE
As a garden centre owner, the question that’s made me hold my breath and count to ten was ‘When is the last frost?’ Oh my, if I knew that I would be rich. That’s a bit like asking when the fox is going to get your chickens. You know it’s going to happen, but you sure as heck don’t know when. Some websites give you average last frost dates. Plantmaps.com is an excellent source of information and you can find just about any community in Newfoundland and Labrador listed on their page. That said, climate change seems to be mixing things up a bit for us. The last spring frost may be in early May or mid-July. I think the question gardeners should be asking is ‘How can I protect my plants from frost?’ That’s a question I can work with.
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Plantmaps.com provides approximate last frost dates for the different regions across the province Lesson #1
Lesson #3
When purchasing plants ask if they have been ‘hardened off’. This refers to the process of gradually acclimatizing plants to the conditions they will be growing in out of doors. Be careful not to purchase plants directly from a greenhouse without asking if they have been acclimatized. When buying locally grown plants you will find that most growers are very conscientious about turning the heat off in their greenhouses for a month or so before selling to prevent shock once their products are planted in the garden.
Cold does not kill most plants. Frost does. There’s a difference in the two. Frost damage includes blackened or limp growth which becomes slimy. Oftentimes frost will only damage the top leaves of plants, but once they are trimmed back the undamaged undergrowth will leaf out and plants will be hardier from the experience.
Lesson #2 Know what plants will withstand the cold and leave the tender babies for late spring or early summer.
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Lesson #4 Become a weather witch. Watch for those cold clear nights when you can feel the chill in your bones. That’s usually an indicator to cover your plants. Frost is unlikely if there’s cloud cover, rain or a steady wind and the temperature is above zero. If the temperature is going to drop to just a few degrees above zero, take precautions or you will be tempting fate.
Lesson #5 Frost happens overnight, not during the day.
Lesson #6 Depending on what you are growing there are different methods of providing protection: If you have plants in containers, the easiest way to protect them is to move them to a sheltered area. Put them in a garage or shed, under a porch or deck, into a greenhouse or coldframe or just bring them into your home. Be sure to move them back outside the next morning. If you have planted into your garden already, be aware that dry soil has air pockets which are inefficient for insulation. Be sure your soil is sufficiently moist so that these pockets will help to keep the soil warm. Also, wet soil is darker which will help to absorb heat. Overhead irrigation at sunrise is an option, but it’s tricky. Do your research before experimenting with this option.
A frost blanket is a wise purchase when living in our climate. This is a lightweight polypropylene fabric that allows good airflow as well as permitting sunlight to pass through while providing crops with up to 8 degrees of frost protection. These blankets can be left on during cold days but if the sun comes out, beware! They can warm up quickly. These blankets do work, but the trick is to have them on hand. Be proactive and buy now. Note: A frost blanket is not the same thing as a row cover.
We have such a short growing season, so don’t limit your opportunities. Get out there and work with what you have been given. Kim is a horticultural consultant, a retired garden centre owner and a dedicated garden enthusiast!
Got a question for Kim?
downtoearth@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com
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reminiscing flashbacks
Classic Couple The submitters parents, Mildred (Dean) Adams and Meric Adams of Botwood, NL, pose in this photo from 1937. Gloria Young Botwood, NL
Beach Babes Joan Herdman and her daughter Susan play at the beach in the summer of 1959 in Deer Lake, NL. Susan Herdman Lincolnton, GA, USA 102
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Mom and Meow Submitter Pat Day shared this photo of her mother, Jean Collins King, with her kitty on Indian Islands around 1945. Pat Day Corner Brook, NL
This Month in History In the spring of 1946, ambitious 24-year-old Geoff Stirling had $1,000 stashed away from working at his father’s restaurant. It was enough for him to found and produce four issues of The Sunday Herald – a twentypage weekly tabloid. The first issue rolled off the presses on May 12, 1946. Stirling wrote the paper, sold all the advertising, and oversaw the printing himself after purchasing 60 tons of newsprint from Joey Smallwood, telling him, “Joe, you’ve got nothing but politics. I’m going to have ghost stories and comics and all kinds of stuff.” Copies were sold door-to-door for the affordable price of five cents. Later renamed The Newfoundland Herald, the magazine would go on to bring news and entertainment stories to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians each Monday for more than 75 years. The final print edition was in 2022. 1-888-588-6353
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reminiscing visions & vignettes
Gnat, do you mind…
Bubble Pipes By Harold N. Walters
“That’s a bit sooky.” Harry was kneeling beside Sonny Mann’s desk when Olsen Tetford spoke. “No, it’s not.” Harry continued explaining to Sonny how to blow gem-dandy soap bubbles. “Seems sooky to me. I’m sure Sonny can blow bubbles without you showing him.” “Frig off, Olsen.” “Boys.” Even though it was recess time, Miss Britt lodged a restraining hand on Harry’s shoulder. “What is the fuss?” “Nothing, Miss,” Olsen and Harry said in unison. “Harry tormenting you, Sonny?” Miss Britt looked at the crock of soapy water and the mushed cardboard tube on Sonny’s desk. Sonny picked up the tube and 104
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dabbed its soggy end on the water. “No, Miss. Harry is showing me how to blow big bubbles. Watch.” Lifting the tube to his lips, Sonny blew an easy breath into its dry end. A bubble formed at the soggy end. Although it dribbled soapy water, the bubble swelled to the size of a crabapple before it popped. “Good one,” said Harry. “Sooky,” said Olsen. “Boys,” said Miss Britt. After recess the students settled in their seats and Miss Britt addressed the class. She pointed to Harry, Olsen, and Sonny Mann. “These boys gave me an idea.” The students looked at the boys and waited for an explanation. “I have a special science project for 1-888-588-6353
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you.” Before any groans drowned her out, Miss Britt continued. “It will be fun. You will pair up and design bubble pipes. Whoever makes the best pipe and blows the best bubbles will win a prize.” Gnat’s hand shot into the air. “What prize, Miss?” “Pocketknives if boys win. Anne of Green Gables books if girls win,” said Miss Britt before continuing. “Next Friday each pair will demonstrate its bubble pipe and we will see which one is best.” After school, Harry tanned ’er to Granny’s house. Granny stood at the kitchen sink up to her elbows in dishwater. Harry slipped into Granny’s weaving room and squat down beside the loom. Like Old Puss burying whoopsie, he rooted through spools of weaving thread. Finding two with only a little thread left, he hid them inside his jacket and returned to the kitchen. As innocent as a lamb in May, he chatted with Granny before saying, “See ya, Granny,” and leaving. Gnat met Harry strolling down Granny’s Lane. “What’s you at?” Harry showed Gnat the cardboard spools. “Here, take one and unwind the thread.” Harry jitted his chin at the stripped spools. “See, two bubble pipes.” The spools were cousins to the one Sonny Mann had been blowing bubbles with at recess. Me buck-os dodged along the road. Gnat examined the spool he held as if he were Sherlock Holmes studying a clue. “Not much of a project,” Gnat stressed pro-ject. Taken aback, Harry didn’t speak 1-888-588-6353
until they neared Uncle Pell’s shop. Then he said, “I got an idea.” “I ’low,” said Gnat. “We’ll need Wince to give us a hand though.” “It’ll have to be on the sly. Miss Britt wouldn’t want us cheating.” “First we need supplies,” Harry said. “Like what?” “For one thing, a washtub.” Harry lifted his cap and scratched his head. “And a small motor.” Harry remembered two washtubs hanging on an outside wall of Old Man Farley’s shed. Instead of going into Uncle Pell’s shop, he veered towards Old Man Farley’s yard. Asking to borrow one of Old Man Farley’s washtubs was too easy, so Harry and Gnat took the Tom Sawyer approach. They crept from the bushes behind the shed and flattened their backs against the clapboard. Like cartoon weasels, they inched along the wall to the tubs. Together, they lifted the larger tub off its nail. Then, like pirates lugging a treasure chest, they scuttled back inside the bushes. Later that day, a discarded motor that had belonged to Aunt Hood’s sewing machine, disappeared from a shelf in Uncle Pell’s storehouse. “This still works, or else Uncle Pell wouldn’t have sove it,” said the trickster who’d caused the motor to vanish. “I ’low,” said his henchman. Midafternoon, if Harve Hinker had checked, he would have discovered that a six-foot length of hose he used to siphon grain from a storage bin in his stable loft had gone missing. Before dark — and after dark for May 2024
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that matter — assorted items around Brookwater departed their dwelling places. When Aunt Chook went to wash her supper dishes, she couldn’t find her economy-size box of soap powder. Aunt Sissy Hatt, the Brookwater witch, could have used magic to stir up her fire. But she didn’t. Aunt Sissy always used a small bellows. It dematerialized. Eggbeaters disappeared from two households. Once again carrying Old Man Farley’s washtub as if it contained pieces of eight, a pair of devil-skins shouldered open Wince Cody’s gate and toted the tub to his doorstep. Wince stepped outside to look at the stars. “Can you give us a hand?” said a pirate’s voice. Shadowy activities occurred in Wince Cody’s shed that evening. There was a racket of drumming on tin. And a sound like the snarl of a buzzsaw. The distinct odour of washday Mondays seeped out through cracks in the walls. Following a mechanical wail, bubbles burst against the windowpanes and left sudsy drools draining down the glass. If an imaginative noggin had passed by, it might have fancied an apothecary and his apprentices practicing covert crafts. For days, Brookwater youngsters worked on their bubble pipe projects. At school, Harry and Gnat strutted among the desks, their chops buttered with smugness. On Competition Friday, Harry and Gnat arrived at school before anyone else. They lugged their project inside 106
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and tucked it out of sight behind the storeroom door. Then, haloes like Saturn’s rings circling their skulls, they sat at their desks and waited for their competitors to arrive. “Let us begin.” Miss Britt spoke moments before the pairs of students collapsed from anticipation. Sonny Mann and Young Ed Penny, a new boy from across the bay, brought their bubble pipe to the teacher’s desk. It was a spiral not unlike a coiled spring. Bent Coke bottle straws curled in a continuous link. A forked mouthpiece allowed both boys to blow into the pipe together. Beaming like a brace of cock-robins, they blew a perfect sphere that detached from the pipe and floated to the ceiling. All hands clapped. Constructed from hollowed-out pieces of a bamboo trouting pole, Sally and Ugly Maude’s bubble pipe looked like a boxy birdcage festooned with chimneys. Sally soaped the chimney tops, and Ugly Maude blew into an off-set reed. Bubbles ballooned from every chimney. All hands clapped. Spud Spurvey and Olsen Tetford had inserted quarter-inch tubing into a model motorboat to produce bubbles that puffed like smoke from the funnel of the boat’s engine. All hands clapped. Although Harry and Gnat champed at the bit, Miss Britt showed restraint and held them to last. Every neck in the class turned its head to watch Harry and Gnat scoat a washtub from behind the storeroom door. Heaped inside the washtub was what appeared to be an assembly of rubbish. They carted it to the front and planked it down on 1-888-588-6353
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Miss Britt’s desk. Sudsy water sloshed over its rim. “Start ’er up,” said Harry. Necks craned forward and all eyes watched the spectacle starting at the teacher’s desk. Gnat fiddled with wires and a battery, and the sewing machine motor coughed to life. Its pitch increased, and the motor whined after engaging with the eggbeaters. The eggbeaters churned water and soap suds into a frenzy and propelled the mix into Harve Hinker’s siphon hose. The hose itself climbed a structure resembling an Oklahoma oil rig. A spinning shaft connected to Aunt Sissy’s bellows forced it to pump like an accordion. “Turn ’er up,” said Harry. Necks stretched like elastic. Gnat adjusted the motor’s throttle. Bubbles gushed from the oil rig’s tower. 1-888-588-6353
Harry’s and Gnat’s heads swoll to the size of puncheons. All hands poised to clap. But something happened. Gouts of smoke rose from the motor. The gouts formed thunderclouds. The thunderclouds spawned a tornado. Necks recoiled. The eggbeaters lost their minds and whirled like double dervishes. Harve’s hose broke from its gantry and lashed like an anaconda in the fits. The washtub rocked like a storm-tossed ship. And then… Perhaps wires and battery shortcircuited. Or perhaps Beasley Bob, Harry’s friendly imp from the hobs of Hell, poked a finger in the pie. And then… The whole shebang erupted, exploding like one humongous bubble. Splat! All those hands on the brink of applause flew apart, flabbergasted. Mind that bubble pipe competition, Gnat? Miss Britt’s desk was drenched, and her hair hung in soapy hanks. Nevertheless, she awarded Sally and Ugly Maude first prize. Rightly so. Harold Walters lives in Dunville, NL, doing his damnedest to live Happily Ever After. Reach him at ghwalters663@gmail.com
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reminiscing
For over 35 years, Downhome Magazine has been at the heart of all things Newfoundland and Labrador. A comforting, familiar and constant presence in our province’s media climate, Downhome has been a name synonymous with ‘home’ for over three decades and counting. In this Month in Downhome History, we dive through our archives to give readers snippets of days gone by, highlighting major events, unique facts and the stories that matter to our readers.
May 1989 Volume 1 • Number 11
Mother’s Day By Clyde Peddle
A special day dedicated to mothers is relatively new to North America. It was not until 1908 that mothers were honoured in this way. The tradition of setting aside a day for the expression of love for mothers dates back to the ancient Greek Empire. It was continued in pagan Rome later by the early Christians in honour of the Virgin Mary. In England, an ecclesiastical decree expanded the holiday to include all mothers. Perhaps because many of the early settlers in North America were not members of the established Church of England, they did not bring this celebration with them. It was not until the early 1900s that Miss Anna Jarvis succeeded, through a national letter-writing crusade, in establishing a new tradition. On Sunday, May 10, 1908, Miss Jarvis’ mother was honoured at a special church service for which Anna donated 500 white carnations to be 108
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worn by everyone in attendance. From the gesture stems the custom of wearing flowers to honour one’s mother. In 1914, the second Sunday in May was officially proclaimed ‘Mother’s Day’ as a public expression of love and reverence for mothers. Flowers, gifts, candy and cards combined
with phone calls or visits home to make Mother’s Day a special one. For many years in Newfoundland, children of all ages wore a rose on Mother’s Day to honour their mothers. A red rose was worn by the children of mothers who were living, while the rose worn by those whose mothers had passed on was white.
May 1994 Volume 6 • Number 12
Roddickton Man Finds Hope in Coffins Local woodworker Terry Norman recently attended a trade show in Japan. The trip might have landed him a million-dollar contract. While Terry creates several products out of wood, he took along a sample of his specialty for the Japanese businessmen to see. It was a hope chest. Thousands of people attended the trade show and many people passed by Terry’s booth. One Japanese businessman looked long at Terry’s hope chest and asked if he could supply about 5,000 for the Japanese market. Terry assured him that indeed he could. The only thing is, and it’s not a problem, that the Japanese businessman thought the hope chest was a coffin. “We’re expecting to hear from him about the job real soon,” Terry told the Northern Pen upon his return home. “The potential is there for a really huge order. This guy wants these boxes made very plain and in such a way that they can be collapsed for transporting.” If it comes through Terry and his mates will be busy for the next year or so. And doesn’t word travel fast in the wonderful world of business? Shortly after Terry arrived back to Newfoundland he received a call from a Montreal businessman to see if he would be interested in purchasing handles and other hardware used in making coffins. 1-888-588-6353
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May 1999 Volume 11 • Number 12 -
Pricy Paintings of Priceless Subject Matter By Gary Troake
Newfoundland and Labrador has spawned many great artists, and has also inspired the palette of great artists who were “not from these parts.” The painting entitled “The Iceberg” was magnificent. It had hung in the hall of a boys’ home for a long time and when it came to light, it caused a stir in the art world. At auction, the experts knew the bidding would be brisk, but no one expected to see what happened on October 25th, 1979. The bidding opened at $500,000 and advanced at $50,000 increments. When the hammer fell at $2.5 million, the audience cheered at what was at the time the highest figure ever registered at an art auction in the United States. The painting was later given to the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts by an anonymous donor. The painting was created by Frederick Edwin Church (1826-1900) after he returned from a schooner voyage to Newfoundland and Labrador in 1859. Mr. Church was hired to illustrate a book by Rev. Louis L. Noble entitled “After Icebergs with a Painter,” published in 1861. The schooner’s name was “Integrity,” and it was skippered by Captain William Knight of St. John’s. That was a lot of money, but it’s nothing to this other little tidbit. In 1998 Bill Gates, creator of Microsoft and with a net worth of $80 billion, the world’s richest person, paid $30 million for the painting “Lost on the Grand Banks,” by American artist Winslow Homer. The $30 million is to date the most money ever paid for a painting by an American artist. Ironically, Homer’s first two paintings were bought by his brother “on the sly,” to inspire Homer to keep painting, and when one of Homer’s relatives was told that Mr. Gates had purchased one of his paintings for $30 million, she promptly said, “not worth it!” 110
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life is better Foggy Day in Bonavista, NL Mary Gray Bonavista, NL
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reminiscing
I can remember when television didn’t exist.
At least not in the part of the world where I grew up. When we were young, my brothers and I used to stand outside a furniture store in our hometown watching a television set in the showroom. It was always left on so people could view it from outside the store. It was a small black-and-white. No colour in those days, no flat screens either, no cable or satellite. Now, television was new back then and so were television stations. There were no 24-hour broadcasts. The few shows that did come on started around three or four o’clock in the afternoon. There was an image on the screen called a test pattern, and every time the image moved we thought a show was about to start. Later on, as some of the more wellto-do folks in our town bought television sets, my brothers and I would stand outside their living room windows watching their television until 112
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they closed their curtains or drove us away. There was one lady who would ask us into the house to watch the shows with her kids. My father got wind of what we were doing and forbade us from doing that. But my father worked away a lot. Believe it or not, televisions cost more then than they do now. We were one of the first families in our neighbourhood to own a TV, not that we were well-to-do. Our father was so ashamed that we were going around looking into other people’s 1-888-588-6353
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windows that he went out and bought one. God knows how long it took him to pay for it. It was an RCA Victor 18" black and white with rabbit ears to bring in the signal. Our back kitchen resembled a local theatre most nights because all the people in the neighbourhood came to watch TV at our house. Can you imagine that happening today? We kids loved the half hour shows that came on before supper. Every day of the week there was a different show. We watched Range Rider, Annie Oakley, Tex Ritter, Tim McCoy and Roy Rogers. The most popular show with the grownups was Friday Night Wrestling from Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. All the men in our neighbourhood and most of their wives came to watch the wrestling. It was standing room only in our back kitchen, with every chair occupied. The wrestlers didn’t wear fancy outfits, just plain swim trunks and knee-high boots. The referee always checked for foreign objects – not that they had anywhere to hide them. I can remember a lot of their names, but seeing as I can’t get the spelling right, I won’t attempt to list them. I do remember one of the most popular good guys was Whipper Billy Watson. He did a lot of work with sick kids, especially polio victims, and helped to raise a lot of money on their behalf. He was famous for his dropkick and sleeper hold. There was another named Pat O’Connor, whose trademark 1-888-588-6353
was the mule kick, and who could forget Yukon Eric, who said he ate two dozen eggs for breakfast every day. And of course there were the bad guys, the Russian brothers and Tiger Tasker. You can imagine the scene as the good guys fought the bad guys with two out of three falls determining the winner. Everyone was on the edge of their chair watching blow for blow with their favourite wrestler. It was quite the sight to see and even better to hear. My mother wouldn’t allow swearing or foul language, so everyone had to exercise a great deal of restraint. It was hard to believe that these were all good, church-going people at times. Many a hat were either torn to shreds or bit to pieces in our back kitchen. Eventually, almost everyone in the area got a TV set and the local theatre went back to being a single-family home. We still watched Friday Night Wrestling, but it got much quieter when there was only us.
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reminiscing
by Lester Green
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Gather around and listen to me yarns.
Pull up the trap keg or sit on the drawing bucket by the splitting table. Some hangashores can lie on that salmon net in the corner or put your backside on Father’s old trawling tub. A yarn for I will spin even though many say I’m fibbin’, but I know cause I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth in the fall of 1978. A yarn about our family, the crew of the Wells Brothers that sailed from the harbour of Little Heart’s Ease. They and their forefathers before them were fishermen. There was me brother, skipper Wayne, father, Will, younger brother, Rod, and brother-in-law, Everett. The morning broke with the fog lying low on the hills, the harbour like a sheen of ice. The water reflection was broken only by the boat’s whelm as they crossed over each other. The sounds of boats leaving the harbour caused the fishermen to stir from their night’s nap and jump to their feet. The fog mist made the deck slippery like the turbot slub in the boat’s hole after a good haul. The crew was eerily quiet as they went through the routine of preparing the boat for the day’s voyage. The skipper turned the key, and the engine slowly churned over, breaking the silence. The boat slipped away from the government wharf and disappeared into the fog blanketing the entrance to the harbour. The boat sliced the waters like a hot knife through butter, soon turning around the Lower Head. A breeze from the sou’west was starting to freshen up, but there was no worry in last night’s radio forecast. The mesh of the gillnets glistened as the sun’s rays shone through the patchy fog in the Arm as the boat raced towards Deer Harbour. One of the boys lit the stove in the forecastle. The sound of the boiling kettle and the smell of crackling bacon and eggs soon drifted into the wheelhouse. With their senses aroused, the boys jumped into the forecastle and gobbled their breakfast. Using the boat’s radar, the skipper steered the Wells Brothers down Southwest Arm to the fishing grounds. The crew handed the skipper his breakfast, and he gulped it down like a seagull while keeping his eyes on the outline of land on the radar. 1-888-588-6353
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The Wells Brothers tied up in Little Heart’s Ease Everything seemed to be going smoothly. In less than an hour they would set the gillnets into the waters off Duck Island. As the boat rounded Eastern Head, the northerly wind had freshened up Trinity Bay, striking the boat broadside, causing it to heave back and forth. Remember, these were the days before stabilizers were installed on longliners. The crew gripped the nearest object to keep from sliding back and forth with each roll as the boat continued to round Random Head lighthouse. Suddenly, a loud bang and a flash of light came from the forecastle. Everett jumped into the forecastle and saw that the lantern above the stove had come loose and crashed onto the hot stove. A ball of flame engulfed the lantern. Instinctively grabbing the handle on the lantern, Everett jumped up from the 116
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forecastle and tossed the lantern out through the wheelhouse door. Within seconds, the lantern slipped below the surface, and the crew extinguished the fire on the stove. Assessing the damage, the crew decided to continue to the fishing grounds to set the gear. Now, Everett is a man of few words. He’s not known for spinning yarns, but according to him, the fishery was good the following year. They started searching for herring in the spring and placed lobster pots along the shoreline of Southwest Arm. When the cod arrived they placed codtraps in prime berths. With summer’s passage and fall’s arrival, the time came for the gillnet fishery. Like last year, the crew decided to go down on the grounds off Deer Harbor. They placed one fleet of nets just off the lighthouse around Eastern Head. Once all the 1-888-588-6353
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Everett on board nets were placed they returned to the safety of the harbour at Little Heart’s Ease. The following morning was like all others, but little did they know what would be among the morning catch. The boat slipped towards the staff buoy for the first-morning fleet off the lighthouse. The high-pitched sound of strained rope flicked water into the air, breaking the silence. If one were to look over the side, the rope seemed to go down forever, disappearing into the abyss. If you peered long enough you’d notice a slow change from the endless rope being replaced by the bright white underbelly of a fish as the catch came into view. The nets floated to the surface filled with cod, the fish flicking as they came over the roller and were quickly pulled around the gurdy. This continued until 1-888-588-6353
about 1000 lbs lay in the boat’s hole. The number of cod slowed as they came towards the end of the fleet. The eyes of the crew were suddenly cast to a clanking noise of metal on the roller and a bright red object plunked onto the fish table. The gurdy was thrown into neutral, and everything screeched to a halt. The crew was in shock as they stared in amazement at what they saw. There on the table was the flaming red lantern. The glass globe was missing, and it was no longer burning. It must have run out of fuel, or some fish must have blown it out. Now, you can believe it. I have seen the evidence. Suppose you don’t believe me yarn, then drop by Everett’s loft and ask him to show the little red lantern hanging on the wall. Ask him to tell the story. While you’re there, ask him about the girl who had her glasses knocked overboard when they were squid jigging or when he hauled up the moonshine jug of Fox Island.
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reminiscing
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Original photo by Harry Doucette
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Rarely considered pets, their value was measured by their willingness to work in their traces (tackling) or unhesitatingly leap into the icy waters of a northern sea. A hardy mixture of various breeds, most dogs remained outdoors in all seasons and all weather and sought shelter under buildings or in the lun of cellars and woodpiles. No doubt, in that mixture of bloodlines, some of their hardiness could be traced back to the Labrador husky. A few were
get them moving until that bout of stubbornness passed. The observation, “We’ll catch them when their dogs won’t haul,” no doubt earned its validity on such occasions. While another old saying, “Every dog has its day” is open to many interpretations, for most sled dogs, Sunday was their day. On weekdays they were often hard to locate and woodcutters often spent much of
Rarely considered pets, a dog’s value was measured by their willingness to work in their traces… reported to have come ashore on drifting ice floes while others of the breed were brought back by schooner fishermen. Harbour dogs usually roamed free, untended and undisciplined. Deprived of any veterinary services, breeding times provided many a clamorous spectacle when dogs were practically unmanageable much to the disgust of their owners and the public. Most likely, the reproof in the old saying, “You’re gone to the dogs,” originated from such incidents. Their unpredictability was legendary. Sled dogs trotting along one minute would suddenly lie down in their traces and no amount of encouragement or swearing would 120
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their morning rounding up reluctant dogs and forcing them into tackling. No such effort was required on a Sunday morning when their dogs frolicked around the hand-slide, full of vim and vigour and waiting eagerly for the outside door to open. Water-dogs also had a reputation for unpredictability. Retrievers, who on some mornings eagerly leapt into a surging sea, would on occasion refuse to venture out on a calm sea with ducks lying dead only a gunshot away. No doubt, on such occasions the curses of frustrated gunners echoed over the still waters as those ‘sons of bitches’ got quite an earful. 1-888-588-6353
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To their credit, harbour dogs were adept at survival. While some owners were provident enough to lay aside a stock of dried capelin, salt herring and cod heads, others were not and their dogs frequently went hungry. Lean and hungry dogs often became saucy and the story is told of a boy, hardly in his teens, who was attacked on his way home from school. He managed to beat off the attacking dog and when its owner arrived on the scene another confrontation ensued. “Tie up your dog or I’ll shoot it the next time he attacks me,” the boy warned. “It’ll be a costly shot if you do,” the owner threatened. “No, that’s what it won’t. It’ll only cost eleven cents for I’ll kill it on the first shot,” he retorted. That was the price of a cartridge (when sold out of the box as was the custom in those days) and the boy, a crack-shot since he could lift a gun, had the final say in that matter. Such confrontations, however, were rare as troublesome dogs were usually done away with by their owners before they became a threat in the community. Then one day, to a harbour well acquainted with the vagaries and temperament of dogs, two fine specimens arrived on a midSeptember morning. They came ashore on the Mescol, a trading boat owned by a prosperous mercantile firm with branch premises in Tilting. Aboard with the captain and crew was the owner of the firm and his friend, an English gentleman. The wharf on that fine autumn day was a beehive of activity. Fishermen in deeply loaded punts and skiffs 1-888-588-6353
waited in turn to yaffle their fish onto the culling board where it was graded and sorted according to size and quality. Strong arms strained as hand-barrows of graded salt cod were lugged to the storeroom where huge balance scales weighed the transactions into quintals and pounds. Trade was brisk. The stockpile of fish was growing and the air was filled with the wholesome aroma of dried salt cod. The Mescol’s arrival brought a lull to the activity which was about to resume when the English gentleman stepped up on the wharf. “Mr. Tweed,” someone joked as the gentleman was stylishly dressed from head to toe in a sporting outfit made from that cloth. Both dogs, each on a leash, had jumped up on the wharf ahead of him. Alert and well-groomed, they were most certainly different in breed and temperament than the harbour dogs. The English gentleman was undoubtedly proud of his companions and most certainly eager to elaborate on the wonderful qualities each possessed. “What kind of dog is that one?” an old fisherman asked. “That one, my dear man,” said the gentleman with an air of superiority, “is a Pointer.” He was about to inform the gathering of the other dog’s pedigree when another old fisherman very emphatically piped up, “Then, that other one must be the DISAPPOINTER.” To say the least, among that group of fishermen, there was hardly a chance of anyone being overly impressed by dogs. May 2024
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puzzles
The Beaten Path
Kathy Savoury photo
By Ron Young
Block out all the letters that are like other letters in every way, including shape and size. The letters that are left over, when unscrambled, will spell out the name of the above community.
K
E
H
T p
n
B
T
J
R S
x
R V p
M M
H
A
P 124
M M E
S Q
n
S
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T
T J L R
H V U x Q A S K E S M J A E L A Q T n J S S A U U T U H
A R V pO S L T R K T M T M H V K S X Q M
H x
S S
U
S
n
Last Month’s Community: Portugal Cove 1-888-588-6353
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Sudoku
from websudoku.com
Last month’s answers
?
Need Help
Puzzle answers can be found online at DownhomeLife.com/puzzles
www.downhomelife.com
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Julie Baggs photo
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Downhomer Detective Needs You After more than two decades on the Urban City Police Force, Downhomer Detective has come home to rid Newfoundland and Labrador of a new threat – cunning thief Ragged Rick. A real braggart, the slimy criminal sends DD a blurry photo of his surroundings plus clues to his whereabouts just to prove he’s always a step ahead. DD needs your help to identify where in Newfoundland and Labrador Ragged Rick is hiding out this month.
Use these 5 clues to identify where Ragged Rick is now: • Famous for its white sand beaches • Farley and Claire Mowat lived here • Part of an archipelago • Located at the end of the Caribou Trail • Possibly named by early Portuguese visitors
Last Month’s Answer: Upper Amherst Cove
Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador
by Mel D’Souza Last Month’s Answer: Brigus 126
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In Other Words Guess the well-known expression written here in other words.
Last Month’s Clue: The bovine vaulted over the celestial sphere In Other Words: The cow jumped over the moon
This Month’s Clue: That man evaded demise by the epidermis of his ivories In Other Words: __ _______ _____ __ ___ ____ __ ___ _____
Rhyme Time
A Way With Words VISION VISION
A rhyming word game by Ron Young
Last Month’s Answer: Double Vision
1. A running living thing is a _______ ____
This Month’s Clue
D
3. Double the rodents is _____ the ____
UN
G
AR
O
OI
G
2. To create a forgery is to ____ a ____
Last Month’s Answers 1. foul owl, 2. flower power, 3. twice as nice
N
Answer: _____ ______ __ _______
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. ;
. A E I O D L C A E I B H E R O I E A M E I E D I M S O O M I N S N O O T T T H D O M P I M T O T R Y U M S T Y T U WWM E R 0 R S W V S W Y S T Y
Last month’s answer: Good nature is worth more than knowledge, more than money, more than honour, to the persons who possess it. www.downhomelife.com
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Rhymes 5 Times Each answer rhymes with the other four
1. mud
____________
2. vehicle
____________
3. jammed
____________
4. blessing
____________
5. jerk
____________
STUCK? Don’t get your knickers in a knot! Puzzle answers can be found online at DownhomeLife.com/puzzles
Last Month’s Answers: 1. muscle, 2. hustle, 3. bustle, 4. rustle, 5. mussel
Tangled Towns by Lolene Young Condon and Ron Young
Unscramble each of the five groups of letters below to get 5 Newfoundland and Labrador place names.
Sound out the groups of words below to get a familiar expression.
1. BLANCHARMIES
For best results sound the clue words out loud!
2. ALSOPIT
End us Trees Tanned Herds ________ _________
3. TARFPOX
Annex Sore Cyst __ ________ Last Month’s 1st Clue: Arrest Mike Ace. Answer: I rest my case. Last Month’s 2nd Clue: Arrow Spud. Answer: A rosebud.
4. PRUPE LEISLUG 5. ELKWEGIRLS Last Month’s Answers: 1. King’s Point, 2. Rattling Brook, 3. Beachside, 4. Coffee Cove, 5. Springdale
A nalogical A nagrams Unscramble the capitalized words to get one word that matches the subtle clue. 1. FINE FACE ~ Clue: in the morning, it’s a real eye-opener 2. MUSKRAT PEER ~ Clue: you might not get a date, but you will get checked out 3. AREA COOL SIGHT ~ Clue: this guy really digs his job 4. CHIN WADS ~ Clue: it’s a handful at lunchtime 5. GREEN SPAS ~ Clue: they’re just along for the ride Last Month’s Answers: 1. butterfly, 2. sidewalk, 3. homemade, 4. doorknob, 5. windmill 128
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Four-Way Crossword F o re Wo rd s • B a c k Wo rd s • U p Wo rd s • D o w n Wo rd s By Ron Young
Unlike regular crosswords, in Four-Way Crossword each letter is not necessarily related to the letter in the adjacent row or column, but is part of one or more words in some direction.
1-3: male 1-10: roughed up 1-21: mire 4-7: crewmember 8-10: guided 9-39: great lake 10-100: mobilization 11-14: whole thing 14-12: alloy 15-18: sole 19-16: Nevada city 23-3: potent potable 24-28: G-man Ness 28-25: work hard 28-30: sharp end 30-60: tactic 34-14: seine 34-36: profit 36-56: pitch 37-7: big pool 40-36: jumped 41-21: finish 42-12: downpour 42-92: steal cattle 45-15: dropped down 45-42: dread 45-65: merriment 47-44: secure 47-67: unhappy 51-21: rip 51-53: potent potable 51-56: heresay 53-3: blank space 53-83: friar 56-6: dole 56-59: file 56-60: hoarse 56-76: tear 58-28: chair www.downhomelife.com
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58-60: snoop 59-39: baked item 67-65: noise 68-98: sandbank 69-67: contribute 70-68: crazy 70-90: males 76-72: sow 76-80: hesitate 78-80: utilize 79-59: spruce juice 85-88: big bovines 90-87: zero 91-1: plebiscite 91-51: pertain 94-64: apartment 95-91: subsequently
96-6: termination 97-67: interpret 99-96: in this place 100-91: thenceforth Last Month’s Answer
D E F I N I T I ON NU L A E P A T I O U L A T E ARR L I OCH I D E B I R T B L A B UHAM I A HOV E RCRA F T T S E T S TO P O S R E ARD I B AGU OE RA EWI D E R N AMY R T N UOC May 2024
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The Bayman’s
Crossword Puzzle 1
2
3
by Ron Young
4 5 6
7
8
9
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11
16 19
17
20
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30 33 37
42
130
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ACROSS 1. popular retriever 4. self 5. number of provinces 6. Muscular Dystrophy Association (abbrev) 7. before Sat. 8. couch (colloq) 11. unsellable cured fish (colloq) 16. gardener’s tool 17. Dildo Arm (abbrev) 18. tiny bit 19. _____ Blondell – singer 21. Brick’s _________ – tonic 23. taxi cost 24. ___ Rockwood – famous NL trivia buff 25. lie 26. mount (abbrev) 27. hide 29. Beni Malone’s circus act 31. Aquaforte Harbour (abbrev) 32. famous sea-going NL family 33. killick 36. equal 38. __ mine, Valentine 39. “Your tawts ___ too far aft” 40. Florence, to her friends 42. each (abbrev) 44. Green Gables heroine 45. one of The Jackson 5 46. member of the birch family 47. “In a leaky punt with a broken oar, ‘tis always ____ to hug the shore”
DOWN 1. “Take me back to my western boat, __ __ ____ __ ____ St. Mary’s (5 words) 2. matured www.downhomelife.com
3. “Lots of fish in ________ _______” (2 words) 9. “Me boot is broke, me frock is ____” 10. Pepé __ Pew – cartoon romancer 11. “They ____ a wide net” 12. “Not a word of a ____” 13. tag (colloq) 14. supped 15. fuel 17. cigarette (colloq) 20. post 21. beret 22. “A fine leg for a ____ ____” (2 words) 27. landwash 28. “You’re still just a ______ in a Calgary hat” 30. catch 31. lend _ ____ – help (2 words) 34. not far 35. regarding (abbrev) 37. battery size 41. long-term support (abbrev) 43. identification (abbrev) 45. Trinity Bay (abbrev) F I B ANSWERS R E O H TO LAST M E W MONTH’S N O E R N CROSSWORD W E T F A B C A N B E C R U E L O D E A O R R O U O U R P R A Y E R S G O N U N I T E D V K O D D T B A A S E N I O R L O T T O S T O R E D I A S H U N T I L N G N I E E R I N D I N G D I S G U S T E D O N I N G T A D A G A I N May 2024
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DIAL-A-SMILE © 2024 Ron Young
Pick the right letters from the old style phone to match the numbers grouped below and uncover a quote which will bring a smile to your face.
’
___ 487 __ 86
_________ 467678268
___ 668
, _4 _8’_7 _4 _6 _7 _6 _7 _8 _2 _6 _8
___ 946 __ 86
____ 6253
_____ 68437
___ 843
___ 489
____ 5673
Last Month’s Answer: When the past comes knocking, don’t answer. It has nothing new to tell you. ©2024 Ron Young
CRACK THE CODE x
Each symbol represents a letter of the alphabet, for instance =R Try to guess the smaller, more obvious words to come up with the letters for the longer ones. The code changes each month.
_ _
pL
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
3 Zzt zC e
_ R _ _ _ R _,
i x H i Zx H
_ R _ _ _ R _ _ _
i x H i Z x zC e
_ _
OD
_ _ _ DY
Zx H
_ _
_ _ _ _
L
OD
_ R _
3 Z zt
Last Month’s Answer: Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened. 132
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© 2024 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.”
direction = _ _ _
semblance = _ _
fog = _ _ _ _
gossip =
ybe
mfY i ] i w w
KfwI
boastful = _ _ _ _ _
c wal d
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
}b c c f] i ww
_ _ _ _
Kaw i
_ _ _ _
_ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
} i b ww b e
pal =
_ _ _ _ _ _
v wf i]d
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
d i c i ]dw
_ _
_ _ _
a] }ay
mfv i
_ _ _
_ _ _
_ _ _ _
wI w f Y i w
a]
_ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
y} b I
eal
_ _ _ _
I} b ]
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
} b c c i ]w
Last Month’s Answer: Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another. www.downhomelife.com
May 2024
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Different Strokes
Our artist’s pen made the two seemingly identical pictures below different in 12 places. See if you can find all 12.
ERN AND COAL BIN IN NEW BONAVENTURE
Last Month’s Answers: 1. House, 2. Roof, 3. Tree, 4. Sun glasses, 5. Box, 6. Handlebar, 7. Fence, 8. Slacks, 9. Sign, 10. Ridge, 11. Window, 12. Jacket. “Differences by the Dozen”- A compilation of Different Strokes from 2002 to 2014 (autographed by Mel) can be ordered by sending $9.95 (postage incl.; $13.98 for U.S. mailing) to Mel D’Souza, 212 Pine St., Collingwood, ON, L9Y 2P2
134
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HIDE & SEEK FRESHWATER ANIMALS
The words can be across, up, down, backward or at an angle, but always in a line.
ALLIGATOR BASS BEAVER BEETLE CRAWFISH CROCODILE DRAGONFLY DUCK EEL FLAMINGO FROG HERON HIPPOPOTAMUS LEECH NEWT
NYMPH OTTER SALMON SNAIL SWAN
Last Month’s Answers
TADPOLE TOAD TROUT TURTLE WATERSNAKE
P M F N C S D D N F U D M V L Q J Z Z V Q U I V I X W Y J C N S P A J O T F K S E L J O C W I E H B Z J S Z L C P F B F F A V L E R Z G V V N Q W U M G G J Z Z R T O H Y F E L B I S E I B A B U X B H X T R I T S G O N C E O W M Q N A W N Y B C D K N C X B T E V W O F M B U D S Q Q G R O P U A P X E O S U X S Q S O D C X W G I G E V O X H M R C E L N L L O R A A Q P F E F Q I L D G B X B S R L Y L M H B V E B M P S G G E K J F I O I M P E K O A J O E S S L D C E Q U I N O X W T G N I N I A R T F S O U M B R E T S A E X Z E B M L L I R C Q O K G S E T B O R E X I Y S A Q Q R N U V W E H C F Q F O Y M C R A M R S Q N V G T E T Y A K X I G H Z D L S U E F K V L V N S O E R A O H W Q M C P W F B B S L A S N Q V A B Q P D J K T H P I C K I X T P E O N W O T T Q Q C I B E G I N N I N G E J Z Z T T Z U K N U E U Q J T U N T W G J S B P N O J Z T W G N I N E D R A G B W Z O H V T V M Z W E Y J P
E B T F R P W L W U L H A K F G D Y Q G T S M I S N X I G H C R A F F K I H Z R E V A E B M Z Z A V L I T B U Q E F F O P P S G G S L L U N D H S R S L J Z A J N T M R E C P I W R L S N R A W C T D J V Y A H D C T W J O L O F T I C W V O E L E S S G S Z W F P P O Q B V G P W G X D A T Q F S E Q T L A M O D L R O K H D W O A R T L N Q B S Z L I D M L M W I Q A F L R M J T R F C W A T E R S N A K E M W N Z D C M A E G O A C R Z M H I Y N F F Q J L O B P I A Q G I A R P M L U T D T X G C W E V H T N J T Z T O T J N F D U C K O I U R H K B D E C E K E G Q N U G E E G Z S T K A A B E A Q N K A L E C R Z F O Q H D W M O J Z Y L J R N W D P Y T S B K W L R X R K H T L L C R O C O D I L E S R M B F R Y T O L G D M J I B V I E N D C U B Q U Q D P M X T X M X F R V A P R Y P V S E A G S T A D E Q H M T N I T N B N M Z G Y Q O A M C P A D N K D Y U J V S I D Z S K R T Z V N N F D B S S A B C W G G www.downhomelife.com
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Colourful Culture
The drawing on the opposite page
is the work of Newfoundland Mi’kmaq artist Marcus Gosse, a member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band. His grandmother, Alice Maude Gosse (nee Benoit) is a Mi’kmaq Elder from Red Brook (Welbooktoojech) on the Port au Port Peninsula. Marcus’ work has been exhibited in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax; The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery in St. John’s, NL; and the Canada 150 Art Show at the Macaya Gallery in Miami, FL; and his work is in private collections around the world. He has generously offered a series of colouring pages that run monthly in Downhome. Each image depicts a NL nature scene and teaches us a little about Mi’kmaq culture and language. Each colouring page includes the Mi’kmaq word for the subject, the phonetic pronunciation of the word, and the English translation. And you’ll notice a design that Marcus incorporates into most of his pieces – the eight-point Mi’kmaq Star. This symbol dates back hundreds of years and is very important in Mi’kmaq culture. Marcus’ Mi’kmaq Stars are often seen painted with four colours: red, black, white and yellow, which together represent unity and harmony between all peoples. Many Mi’kmaq artists use the star, and various Mi’kmaq double curve designs, to decorate their blankets, baskets, drums, clothing and paintings. To download and print this colouring page at home, visit DownhomeLife.com. To learn more about Marcus and find more of his colouring pages, look him up on Facebook at “Mi’kmaq Art by Marcus Gosse.” 136
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www.downhomelife.com
May 2024
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Not intended to solicit properties currently under contract
%$#"! $% $# $ %! $
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Book your ad in Marketplace 709-726-5113 • 1-888-588-6353 advertising@downhomelife.com
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Ontario to Newfoundland and All Points in Between
A Family Moving Families Professionally and economically Coast to Coast in Canada Fully Insured Newfoundland Owned & Operated
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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
- Traditional Recipes of NL
Our Best Seafood Recipes - From contributors
#79297 | $14.95
to Downhome magazine
- From contributors to Downhome magazine
#58362 | $10.99
#55888 | $10.99
Cooking Up a Scoff
Dictionary of Newfoundland & Labrador - Ron Young
#34047 | $19.95
Lighthouses of Newfoundland & Labrador - Brian C. Bursey #36262 | $9.99
Downhome Household Almanac & Cookbook 2 #13433 | $19.95
Newfoundland and Labrador Brian C. Bursey - Hardcover
#21213 | $26.99
Our Best Berry Recipes
Newfoundland and Labrador Guest Book Brian C. Bursey
#2486 | $12.95
St. John’s, Newfoundland Booklet - Brian C. Bursey #16019 | $6.99
ORDER ONLINE: www.shopdownhome.com
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
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MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com
Purity Peanut Butter Kisses
Purity Assorted Kisses
Purity Rum & Butter Kisses
Purity Bull’s Eyes
Purity Spearmint Nobs
Purity Peppermint Nobs
Purity Peppermint Lumps
Purity Hard Bread
Purity Jam Jams
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#16805 | $4.99
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Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
NL Sayings T-Shirt
Home Ladies’ T-Shirt
S-XXL
S-XXL
NL Rhinestone Map Ladies’ T-Shirt S-XXL
#63026 | $19.99
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#61360 | $27.99
Experiment With Weed T-Shirt - S-XXL
Pot Head T-Shirt
Pirate Republic T-Shirt
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S-XXL
#83262 | $21.99
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#78962 | $22.99
NL Anchor T-Shirt Navy S-XXL
NL Anchor T-Shirt Purple S-XXL
NL Letter Map T-Shirt
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#83278 | $21.99
S-XXL
#58803 | $21.99
ORDER ONLINE: www.shopdownhome.com
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
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MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com
Distressed NL Flag T-Shirt - S-XXL
Keep Calm T-Shirt
No Friggin Way T-Shirt
S-XXL
S-XXL
#63201 | $19.99
#63132 | $19.99
Yes B’y Says It All T-Shirt
Happiness NL T-Shirt
S-XXL
S-XXL
#80202 | $19.99
#79423 | $19.99
NL Grand Slam Hoodie Fushia S-XXL
NL Grand Slam Hoodie Navy S-XXL
NL Anchor Hoodie Purple S-XXL
#80195 | $19.99
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#76599 | $54.99
TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-588-6353
#78151 | $61.99
NL Anchor Hoodie Royal Blue S-XXL #76605 | $54.99
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
2405_photo Finish_0609 Photo Finish 3/20/24 5:57 PM Page 144
photo finish
Fox Trot
A fox kit frolics in the grass near Clarenville, NL. Tina Sullivan Clarenville, NL
Do you have an amazing or funny photo to share? Turn to page 9 to find out how to submit. 144
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