Downhome June 2024

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$4.99 June 2024

Vol 37 • No 01

The Old Master of Flying Friend or Foe: Insects of NL Chasing the Labrador Cup

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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 Founding Editor Ron Young

Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney 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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tis the season

Julian Earle photo

Contents

JUNE 2024

38 The Labrador Current Labrador West’s Nathan Freake remembers the Lab Cup

42 Grateful: Three Decades of Doyle Alan Doyle reflects on 30 years in the music business and his understated 20th studio album Welcome Home Dillon Collins

68 ‘Tis the Season

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having a blast

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Summer 2024 is full of epic events, outdoor adventures, little slices of history and much more!

112 The Old Master Remembering Captain Roy Cooper Retired Pilot Tom Green

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Contents homefront 8 Between the Lines A note from the Editor

JUNE 2024

10

Nflders ahoy!

10 Letters From Our Readers Newfoundlanders Rockin’ on The Water, Thank You, Applause for Amazing Work

14 Downhome Tours Australia 16 Why is That? Where did top hats come from and why are they so tall?

Linda Browne

18 Life’s Funny Get Eel Ed Power 19 Say What? A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth 20 Lil Charmers Fresh Fish, Capelin Cuties & more!

22 Pets of the Month Baycation Buddies

26 Reviewed Denise Flint reviews Admits Strangers: The Forgotten History of the Newfoundland & Labrador Press Gallery Association by Michael Connors

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watch your step!

28 What Odds Paul Warford looks to the sky

30 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose reviews Out of View by Len O’Neill 34 Adventures Outdoors Fishing starts with Patience Gord Follett 4

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20 catch of the day

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no place like it

features 48 Happily Ever After One NL couple receives one very special gift that allows them to live happily ever after Pam Pardy

56 Summer Sounds 2024 Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Music Festival Guide

explore

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62 Newfoundlove Newfoundland and Labrador is Canada’s best-kept secret Wayne Parsons 74 Friend or Foe Summer insects of Newfoundland and Labrador Todd Hollett

the sounds of music

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Contents

JUNE 2024

92 summer sizzle

home and cabin 82 Stuff We Love Gifts for Dad 84 Ask Marie Anything Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions 88 The Everyday Gourmet Juicy and tasty turkey burgers Andrea Maunder

92 Downhome Recipes Sizzling summer favourites

100 Down to Earth Carpenters: Good or bad Kim Thistle 6

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82 somethin’ for fadder

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107 memory lane

118 historic find?

reminiscing 106 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places

107 This Month In History Memorial Stadium

About the cover As we head into summer in Newfoundland and Labrador, our cover features a picturesque image of a humpback whale breaching off the coast of Bonavista from regular contributor Mark Gray. Whale watching is one of the key tourist attractions across the province throughout the busy summer months.

Cover Index Three Decades of Alan Doyle • 42 In Sickness and in Health • 48 Discover Summer • 68 The Old Master of Flying •112 Friend or Foe: Insects of NL • 74 Chasing the Labrador Cup • 38 www.downhomelife.com

108 This Month in Downhome History 116 Turnip Talk Susan Fagan 118 A Tragic Treasure Linda Smith

124 Puzzles 136 Colouring Page 138 Classifieds 140 Mail Order 144 Photo Finish June 2024

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between the lines

If you’re reading this outside of the rugged borders of Newfoundland and Labrador, I must begin by informing you, dear reader, that this preamble is not necessarily written with you in mind. After all, you’re seeing this, at the earliest, in the waning weeks of spring or the onset of summer. For most of you nonislanders, the snow has long since vanished to the hopefully clearer skies from wince it came, the temperatures have ballooned from frigid to tepid to darn-right soul-warmingly pleasant, the gardens and foliage blossoming with the promise of something greater. We Newfoundlanders and Labradorians know better. Usually, and I truly mean more the rule than the exception, we fail to receive even the slightest promise of warmth until mid-June. If, and I mean if, we can escape the final brush of winter in April, then we descend into the dreary doldrums of the sogged-to-the-skin perma-overcast that envelopes this island for much longer than humanly necessary. As I write this the capital city has been bashed to submission with wind, rain and grey skies for five days. I hope this acts as a personal jinx to the elements to counteract the depressingly mid-season slump we’re under, but I digress. June means the closing of textbooks, the revival of shorts and flip-flops and the beginning of the ever-too-brief summer season. With my diatribe about how we islanders are cursed with lacklustre weather for eight months of the year out of the way, there is much to be hopeful for as we cannonball into summer 2024. The sights, smells and sounds of summer will be on full display in Newfoundland and Labrador, with this issue highlighting just a taste of what this province has to offer.

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 Raymond Hewlett of Moncton, NB, who found Corky on page 51 of the April issue!

*No Phone Calls Please. One entry per person

www.downhomelife.com

June 2024

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Newfoundlanders Rockin’ on The Water Newfoundland and Labrador was well represented aboard the Celebrity Apex cruise ship to the Caribbean, which left from Fort Lauderdale Florida with stops in St. Maarten and St. Thomas this past April. Reportedly over 500 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians were aboard the vessel, including frequent Downhome contributor Pam Pardy and her partner Perry Langmead.

“We started to hear around Christmas that there were going to be about 250 couples from Newfoundland on the ship and we were really looking forward to the trip. It was like connecting with long lost friends and family and making new friends too. But everyone knew someone we knew so that made it a really awesome time with an extended group of friends,” Perry said.

Perry made sure to take his Newfoundland flag everywhere he went. “On the lounge chairs on the deck and when we were off the ship, we’d take a few pictures with the flag. Other Newfoundlanders asked to pose with it, so I’m really glad we took it along. One group of ladies who posed with the flag said it was the best picture of their entire vacation,” he said.

“There were Newfoundlanders everywhere,” adds Mark Hiscock of Shanneyganock, who was onboard on a delayed honeymoon with his wife, Kelly.

Talk about rockin’ on the water!

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Thank You Ms. Stuckless, (Janice Stuckless, former Downhome Editor-in-chief) I will miss your monthly editorials, but like all things, sooner or later everything comes to an end. When I received the Downhome in the mail, the very first thing I read was your editorial. They are so very interesting.

Where has the time gone, it being 24 years already? You have done an excellent job, one you can be really proud of. It was you who gave us the gift of reading, writing and self-worth.

Whenever I read an editorial you wrote, it was like you were talking just to me. You understood where I came from and what I was going through. I thank you and I wish you great luck and happiness in your new phase of life. As for the new Editor-in-chief, Dillon Collins, I welcome him and wish him well in his new job. I can’t

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wait to read his editorials each month.

I am sure that Mr. Collins will have lots to write about and new adventures to share with his many readers.

Sharron Louvelle Black Duck Siding, NL

We appreciate your kind words Sharron. Janice was, and remains, a valued member of the Downhome family with contributions to the brand that will be felt for years to come.

Applause For Amazing Work Dear Staff, I have never written to a publisher to tell them that I think their product is amazing. It’s overdue. Here goes. I first want to tell you that I have thoroughly enjoyed every issue of Downhome since subscribing last winter, 2022. Also, many (overdue) thanks for sending the back issues,

June 2024

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August and October 2019. If someone hadn’t left behind the September 2019 ‘Ponies’ issue in the foyer of my apartment building in BC, I never would have begun my NL education with the “Future of Farming” article. I was smitten. Its compact size is deceiving. It packs a punch, with some of the most diverse topics I have ever seen in one publication. History, photography, talented people, hilarious articles, recipes, games, social issues, etc, all fit into my handbag for those save-my-sanity hours spent waiting for my lunch, a ride or the dentist. Re-reading Dale Jarvis’ article on mythical beasts and the unique “Latin” names for each is fun. Gotta love that Uniped with its “one jeezly big foot”! I like that Marcus Gosse includes some language skills along with the colouring page. Could you incorporate a bit more of

Indigenous stories and skills like the Inuit seagrass weaving? I applaud you all for doing amazing work.

Lastly, my apologies and thanks to the polite and patient lady who I kept past her quitting time because I’m an ignorant Westerner who can’t seem to get the time difference straight between BC and NL. She handled my subscription renewal and change of address and never growled once.

Regards and thanks b’y.

Terry E. Staite Peachland, BC

Thank you for the kind words Terry, and we’re proud to play a small part in your ‘NL education.’ We appreciate any comments for praise or critique, and encourage your feedback at downhomelife.com or at editorial@downhomelife.com

Corrections In our March 2024 issue, our “Road to Confederation” (p. 48-53) feature incorrectly attributed the April 5, 1932 riots in St. John’s as taking place at the Confederation Building, instead of the Colonial Building. Also, in our April 2024 issue, our “Between Two Tickles” (p.

64-69) feature incorrectly named Nina Burry as Nina Bungay. We apologize for these oversights.

The St. James Memorial Commitee.

L to R : Winston Perry, Brenda Lee Goodyear , Nina Burry, Colin Hoyles, Marie Boland, Trudy Hoyles, Paul Rogers, Emma Dale. Missing in this photo: Edwin Sheppard.

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homefront Downhome tours...

Australia

Blue Mountains Reader Krista Dlugosch of Torbay, NL, brought Downhome on a trip to Australia’s famous Blue Mountains in February 2023.

West of Sydney in New South Wales, the Blue Mountain region is famous for its dramatic scenery, steep cliffs and forests of eucalyptus – just imagine the smell! The area is also home to over 400 different kinds of animals, among them rare marsupials like wombats, yellow-bellied gliders, spotted-tailed quolls and long-nosed potoroo, as well as wolf-like wild dingoes, grey kangaroos and iconic koalas.

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Kiama Pat and Dave Long of Poland, Ohio, USA pose at the Kiama Blow Hole, in Kiama, New South Wales.

When in New South Wales, try trekking the Kiama Coast Walk – a seaside trail that stretches about 20km between the village of Minamura and Werri Beach by the Tasman Sea. ‘Kiama’ translates to “where the sea makes a noise,” and there are many incredible natural attractions along the way. The blowhole, a natural cavity in the cliffs that can spray water up to 25m (82ft) into the air, attracts 900,000 tourists a year!

Melbourne Melbourne was the final port of call for Stephanie and Karen Simon of Margaree, NL, after cruising around Australia and New Zealand.

The Skydeck observation deck occupies the entire 88th floor of the Eureka Tower in Melbourne and is the highest public vantage point in a building in the Southern Hemisphere at 285m (935 ft). The tower is named after the Eureka Stockade, a rebellion during Australia’s Victorian gold rush in 1854, and offers incredible 360 views of the city. Brave visitors can check out The Edge, a glass cube extending 3m from the edge of the tower, for a unique viewing experience! www.downhomelife.com

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Expert answers to common life questions.

By Linda Browne

Where did top hats come from and why are they so tall?

Fashion is a funny thing. It seems to ebb and flow like the tide and what’s “in” one day is “out” the next, with certain trends coming back around like a boomerang.

But some fashions never seem to enjoy a resurgence. Take the top hat.

Besides Mr. Peanut or Rich Uncle Pennybags, otherwise known as Mr. Monopoly, it’s something that you don’t see all too often (short cinema and concert-goers rejoice!), unless you’re a royal watcher or have a penchant for very fancy parties.

Have you wondered about the origins of this interesting piece of headwear? While legend has it that an English haberdasher by the name of John Hetherington created the top hat, that story is simply bunk, says master hatmaker John McMicking of L&H Hats in Dundas, Ontario (on Facebook at “Mr. McMicking “THE” HatMaker” or Instagram @mr._mcmicking_the_hatmaker).

While there’s debate as to where the top hat was first made (probably England, McMicking notes), it evolved from earlier styles of hats, and became the “top hat” as we know it by 1775.

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“By 1793, George Dunnage, an English hatmaker, patented a ‘waterproof’ silk plush version that was an imitation of the beaver fur felt version of the top hat,” explains McMicking in a message to Downhome.

However, as Canadian beavers were plentiful, it was easier and cheaper to make these hats from beavers and other animals, he says. “After the fur trade had brought the beaver almost to the point of extinction (about 1850 or so), the silk plush version was further developed as a replacement.”

While silk became the preferred version, he continues, a confluence of factors (including two world wars) eventually saw the demand for top hats decline to the point where it wasn’t worthwhile to continue making them, leading most of those who supplied materials for silk top hats to close up shop.

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producing the very specific type of silk plush that was needed to make silk top hats, and when that factory closed (about 1961), the last makers of silk top hats continued producing silk top hats by using up their stockpiled supplies of plush,” McMicking notes, adding that English hat making company Christys’ London made the “final” silk top hat made of Lyon silk plush around 1978. So why are top hats so tall in the first place? The long and short of it, says McMicking, is “the vagaries of fashion.”

“Someone thought it looked good, and a sufficient number of others agreed with that judgement. There was also the correct ‘scientific’ belief that the air that was trapped above the wearer’s head, and below the underside of the top of the crown of the hat that he was wearing, provided insulation against the heat, or the cold (depending upon where, and when, the hat was being worn),” he writes.

“Also, the ‘height’ of any given top hat is more an optical illusion than a matter of actual height. If one were to attend the Ascot Races this coming June, and gain access to the Royal Enclosure (where top hats are part of the mandatory dress code for men), the average height of the top hats one would see would be about five to five and a half inches, and rarely more than six inches tall,” McMicking

adds, noting the tallest of the stovepipe top hats worn by President Abraham Lincoln clocked in at eight inches high (making the already towering figure appear even more prominent).

Familiar with the phrase “mad as a hatter”? McMicking sheds further light on its origins.

“Before the industrial revolution separated the hatmaking trade into the two co-dependent trades of felt making, and hat finishing, the ‘hatter’ made his own felt (starting with loose fur and/or wool), which he then blocked and finished himself,” McMicking says, noting that nitrate of mercury was used to enhance cheaper grades of fur. “After the felt was made, the hatmaker (or the hat finisher) would shape the felt on a wooden hat block, using very hot water and steam, and various types of flat irons, and, as such, he spent his working day (12 hours or more) breathing in mercury laden steam.”

While an occupational hazard at the time, as the mercury was introduced during the felt-making stage and released during the blocking stage, McMicking explains, “no mercury remained in the finished hat, and was never a health risk to the wearers of the hats.”

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

Get Eel Several years ago our granddaughter was visiting with us from her home province of Nova Scotia. As it was a hot summer’s day we took her to a local park where there was a lovely swimming area. After a few minutes of swimming, some kind of fish were swimming around her feet. She was frightened, screamed, and ran out onto the beach. A young boy close to her own age asked her what was wrong. She explained what had happened and he laughed. He told her they were eels as it was a breeding ground and they usually hung around the area. She asked him if they would bite a person. He replied, “only if you step on them.” She then said, “how do you know if you step on them?” His quick reply was, “when they bite you.” From the mouths of babes!

Ed Power Grand Falls-Windsor, NL

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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“Honest Jack, I feel just like Rose on the front of the Titanic” – Patsy Chaffey Humby

Say WHAT? Downhome recently posted this photo (sent in by Brendon Gould) on our social media of a possible conversation between two seagulls and asked folks what these two feathered friends might be saying. Patsy Chaffey Humby’s response tickled us, so she’ll receive 20 Downhome Dollars!

Here are the runners-up: “Hi, I’m Seagal, Steven Seagal.” - Doug Hicks “Starboard! Turn starboard! I said STARBOARD fish for brains!”

- Kelly Anderson-Lessard “I told you that you aren’t cleared for landing!” - Dave Breen

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

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homefront lil charmers

Fresh Fish

August tries out her greatgreat-grandfather’s handmade net.

Carole Ann Abbott Musgrave Harbour, NL

Capelin Cuties Seaside Sojourn Bianca’s making memories in Nan’s rubber boots.

Alanna Mesheau Fort McMurray, AB

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Ready, Set, Net! First-time capelin fisher Landon is ready to roll.

Roxanne Slaney via Downhomelife.com

Family Tradition Connor, Zoie and Noah are a cute crew of cousins.

Nicole Marsh Hickman’s Harbour, NL

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homefront pets of the month

Baycation Buddies After the Rain Beautiful Storm poses beneath a double rainbow.

Crystal Peddle Long Beach, NL

Happy Adventure This cute pooch heads out to hunt for icebergs.

Yuki Matchim-Brown Salvage, NL

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Sunny Skies Sweet Willow savours the sunshine.

Julie Baggs Burgeo, NL

Ocean View Fifteen-year-old Cinnamon enjoys a stroll in Port Anson.

Kim Fowlow Port Anson, NL

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life is better A summer sunrise at The Dungeon, Bonavista, NL Shelon Hicks Bonavista, NL

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homefront

reviewed by Denise Flint

Admit Strangers The Forgotten History of the Newfoundland & Labrador Press Gallery Association Michael Connors After Books Inc. $22.00

Admit Strangers: The Forgotten History of the

Newfoundland & Labrador Press Gallery Association is the first book written by Michael Connors, known to many as an anchor at NTV. But he’s also the former president of the press gallery and a long-time political reporter for both print and television media. In other words, he’s well-positioned to know what he’s talking about and he’s done a lot of research.

As a consequence, Connors seems to know everything there is to know about the Newfoundland and Labrador Press Gallery Association.

It’s a formidable feat considering how difficult gathering the bits and pieces of information into one cohesive package must have been. The information presented comes from a variety of sources.

The book covers the period of the association’s heyday from the mid1960s to the 1990s. It describes what a press gallery is, which can be surprisingly controversial, and its function, which is equally open to interpretation. It also examines the day-to-day operations of the notalways-functional organization and its relationship to the various governments it reported on. There are several illustrations and many chapters conclude with firsthand accounts of the events described by the people involved, adding a personal note to what could easily be an overly dry account.

Connors manages to not only collect all the various strands but do it in an entertaining manner. Admit Strangers is a must-read for political wonks and anyone interested in Newfoundland and Labrador history.

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Q&A with the Author Denise Flint: For readers who might not know, can you explain what the press gallery is?

Michael Connors: There are a couple of ways of looking at it.

Physically, it’s a gallery above and behind the speaker’s chair.

Journalists are allowed to sit there.

The general public is not allowed to take notes and this allows the journalists to inform people of what is going on.

A press gallery organization is journalists organizing themselves with a workspace like an office bullpen and a scrum area and interview area. It’s a physical gallery and an organization.

DF: How important is the press gallery these days?

MC: It’s an interesting debate because media has changed a lot.

There was a time when it was the only way for people to know what was going on in parliament/ government. You couldn’t watch it yourself. Today things have changed.

We have online media, the government broadcasts, all Hansard is online. In that sense, the press gallery is not the only conduit anymore. You can make an argument that it’s not important in that way.

But you still need journalists asking questions and finding out what’s going on behind the scenes and in that sense it’s still important.

DF: Why do you think this book is important?

MC: My number one mission is preserving memory. Journalism tends to be a field where there’s a lot of turnover, so it’s very hard to retain institutional memory. In 2016 I became president of the press gallery and shortly after that, I got a call from the speaker’s office that cleaners had found some boxes. I discovered they were very old records from the ‘60s and ‘70s which was fascinating to me.

The fear that this could be lost, and I didn’t even know about it myself, made me ask ‘what is the best way to save this memory?’ I thought it would be useful to put it out for a book for anyone who was interested in that sort of thing.

DF: What do you think the future of journalism is going to look like?

Especially political coverage.

MC: That’s the million-dollar question. The situation that Saltwire is going through is scary. If we knew [the answer] the media wouldn’t be having the problems we’re having now. There’s still a question about how online media can make money. I feel there will always be a need, but the market has broken. There will be a lot of trial to see a model that works.

But we are in that transition phase.

Like the battle between the government and Facebook and the Saltwire problems. There’s a lot of experimenting going on right now.

Admit Strangers: The Forgotten History of the Newfoundland & Labrador Press Gallery is available now at shopdownhome.com www.downhomelife.com

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homefront what odds

total eclipse of the harbour

By Paul Warford

The tricky part As I sit in a darkened hallway of of being Memorial’s medical faculty, preparing to I have a persistent cough, I have Half an eclipse pretend Moons on my mind. You know the ones I mean, aficionado is that the Vachon brand 1/2 Lune Moon as it says on each one is only the box, but throughout my upbringing they visible in certain were known universally as “half moons.” Some parts of the of you probably have the charming “flavour in your lunch pail as you read this, nestled world, so if you cake” betwixt the can of Pepsi and the bag of chips. want to view You’d find them in the “snack cupboard” at them all, you’d Nan’s house and your eyes would sparkle at the better make sight, just as mine did in South River during heady days of the mid-to-late eighties. sure your those After finishing whatever After Eights I could passport is as discover and engorge, half moons were the next spotless as your course on the kids’ menu (so to speak). Back telescope lens. then, the vanilla option was my preference, and they shone golden under that crinkling cellophane, their hue as blonde as your school crush’s curly hair. If the box was full I’d usually eat two at a time. However, these days, basked in the wisdom of adulthood, I actually prefer the chocolate variation, and I eat them individually.

I mean, I hardly eat them at all, but they’ve been on my mind because if you take the two options and place them side-by-side in a sort of sugary Yin and Yang, they resemble an eclipse.

Don’t burn out your retinas later this evening when you turn your peepers to the sun in the hopes of watching it get blotted by the moon.

Canada’s first solar eclipse in decades is scheduled to begin today, April 8th, right around the same time I have to send this piece off to the Downhome brain trust to (ideally) be stamped for approval. As is often the case, I found myself pondering potential topics for What Odds this month – something

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different; something out-of-theordinary; something spicy. Given the fact that we’re actually in the June issue, I was leaning towards barbecuing (meats, techniques, sauces), but now that this cosmic event is upon us, I thought, “What’s more random than a once-in-a-lifetime happening such as this one?” That’s what they say, at least.

According to the first random website I clicked on, a lunar eclipse actually occurs every year or two…somewhere. The tricky part of being an eclipse aficionado is that each one is only visible in certain parts of the world, so if you want to view them all, you’d better make sure your passport is as spotless as your telescope lens. Northern Ontario enjoyed an eclipse in 1979.

Otherwise, Canada hasn’t seen an eclipse of the sun since the 1920s.

Please take these figures with a grain of salt. NASA and Downhome share no affiliation, so it’s not easy to factcheck this stuff.

I heard the Maid of the Mist is steaming tourists and locals alike around and beneath Niagara Falls to view this monumental occasion. The novelty of huddling shoulder-toshoulder with other amateur astronomers in the din of the world’s greatest waterfall isn’t lost on me, but I think I’d stay onshore. I’m the sort of participant who would wander overboard whilst blinking back the spots of the sun still in my eyes.

That said, I do have a date for this evening’s viewing. She’s got the specialized glasses ready to go. They look like someone’s idea of a bad joke at a 3-D movie cinema. I hope you have some company yourself while www.downhomelife.com

you peer upon that glorious lamp of heaven, as Shakespeare put it. I wonder if that guy caught any eclipses during his storied life.

Celestial bodies aside, Father’s Day is also happening this month, so don’t forget to purchase and wrap your gift neckties and 12 gauges. Get him what he really wants this year. My own father has been doing a bang-up job and even at this age he’s still teaching me and helping me figure out this planet we find ourselves on.

GRIND MIND is thrilled to announce the first gremlin born into the family. Our director, Shane, along with his wife, Shalane, recently welcomed Maddox into the world.

We, the grind members, met him just the other night. Shalane presented him with pride after carrying him and his bassinet inside. We all huddled around, five bearded men three drinks deep, hooting and hollering our hellos. I pointed out that if any of us had any story ideas revolving around newborn babies, now was the time to film them—no reason Maddox can’t start grinding right away. Anyway, happy (first) Father’s Day to Shane, and also to Dad and my brother Brian and all the other dads out there paying for Jungle Jim’s and singing lessons.

Alright, I better get my eclipse outfit on and get ready. I’m going to blink into my apartment’s kitchen light for an hour or so to practice.

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 June 2024

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fresh tracks

new music talk with Wendy Rose

Out of View Len O’Neill

WHILE OUT OF VIEW marks Len O’Neill’s debut solo album, this renowned singer-songwriter worked with a slew of local creatives to bring this new record to life.

“I had an incredible team helping me out on this record,” Len excitedly told Downhome.

A former Fred’s Records colleague, Liam Ryan, was instrumental in bringing Out of View to life, helping form the band, and contributing “very tasty and steady bass and guitar performances.”

Another Fred’s Records coworker, Jack Etchegary, was “an incredibly consistent and creative percussionist and musician who brought great insights to every arrangement,” Len explained.

“John Moran’s skill and experience and taste in songwriting changed several songs for the better, Maria Peddle’s fiddle playing is arguably the MVP of the sound of the record, and Michelle LaCour’s piano accordion provides a haunting North Atlantic texture 30

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to the songs; she also came through with an open and punchy master of the recordings,” he continued.

Steve Maloney contributed “layered vocal parts to several of these songs, adding an ethereal and emotive element that sweetens and expands each.”

The community collaboration also extends to the album art designed by Jud Haynes, artist photos by Adam Heffernan, and additional recording

by Sarah Harris, who helped Len record sitar while in Montreal… and there’s still more community collaboration to note!

Len raved about his experience working with Jake Nicoll, who primarily recorded and mixed the record.

“I really have too many good things to say about working with him for this interview. He creates a great environment, he’s an accomplished and trustworthy musician, and he builds a lot of his own recording 1-888-588-6353

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equipment,” Len added with awe.

Jake and Len worked together in multiple spaces in numerous cities, and despite being all over the place – from Newfoundland to Europe and back again – the final product is a beautiful, cohesive record.

The album begins with “Rebels In The Rubble,” “about a night Thom

Coombes and I shared together, and so it seemed fitting [for Thom] to contribute a guitar part,” Len shared.

This upbeat country/rock song features backing vocals by Nico Paulo, Pam Mackenzie, and Ariel Sharrat, recorded in Portugal.

A catchy riff leads us into “The Kid Couldn’t Find A Callin’,” with the title in the opening lyrics. This uplifting song will resonate with folks www.downhomelife.com

navigating adulthood during these uncertain times. “If only I could decide what to do with my life,” Len sings repeatedly.

He slows it down on “Highlight Reel,” with haunting fiddle and backing vocals by Victoria Fuller.

Len’s songwriting abilities continue to shine on “(You’re Leaving For) England,” the lyrics quickly building a story about the power of love spanning any distance.

On “A Certain Kind Of Sadness,” Nico Paulo lends her talents for “a stunning counter melody,” Len explained. This gorgeous slow jam has a vintage country sound, which continues on the next track.

“Sorry To Say” features harmonies by Andrew Laite of Rube & Rake and Lucas Rose.

Lucas helped add “some western flavour” to the album with pedal steel and dobro, and his contributions are especially audible on this cheerful song.

A very special guest vocalist appears on “The Birthday Of Your Life” – Len’s partner Allison Kelly, the inspiration for this song, joins in on the chorus. Again, Len rapidly builds a world for his listeners, inviting them to witness a passionate love story. I’ll admit that I felt tears forming in my eyes while listening to this track, imagining how Alison must’ve felt hearing these beautiful lyrics for the first time.

Some Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will pick up on a hint of familiarity with “One Way To Go Is June 2024

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West,” which features “a melodic quote” of the Land & Sea theme song

by Sandy Morris and Ralph Walker.

“The record was mastered before I asked for permission, so I was quite relieved when Sandy gave me the green light,” Len admitted.

This track is a personal favourite, with its lyrics noting the joys of getting off the island and seeing the world, but the pain of “leaving your crowd in a memory.”

It’s something many young NLers struggle with – we want to see and experience the world, yet leaving the

comfort and familiarity of home proves tough.

The title track comes in second last.

“Out Of View” is another instant country classic, with Len’s storybuilding skills once again burning red hot.

The record wraps up with “When The Shadow Falls,” a strong finisher to an all-around stellar record.

There’s no filler on Len O’Neill’s Out of View – keep your sights on this artist, and be sure to catch a show if you can.

Q&A with the Artist Wendy Rose: Wow – your debut solo album! It seems wild to me that this is your first solo record. What inspired you to go out on your own after so many successes in local groups?

Len O’Neill: There were a few reasons why I wanted to do a solo thing, but the main reason was the kinds of songs I started writing. I took an interest in folk, roots, trad and country music while working at Fred’s Records, and the songs I started to write seemed like they wanted to live in smaller and more intimate spaces, where the lyrics could be the focus. The songs also worked well as both simple solo arrangements AND as more fleshedout band arrangements, so it seemed to make sense not to tie them to any one group.

I had also started playing solo in pubs and bars and was working on a repertoire of cover songs that worked in a similar way. There were some practical elements to going solo as well. It’s cheaper to travel and tour,

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and it’s much easier to schedule rehearsals! I love playing with other musicians, but there’s definitely a freedom afforded in going it alone.

WR: How has the creative process of this album differed from your other musical projects?

LO: With Green & Gold, the songs

were mostly composed as demos with full arrangements and then the band would take them and do their thing with them and really elevate what I had done, and then we’d go back and rerecord it as a group. With this project, many of these songs have been living with me for years. I played most of them live solo many many times. Liam Ryan asked me to play a gig with a band and so we put one together with Liam on bass, Jack Etchegary on drums, Maria Peddle on fiddle and John Moran on keys.

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organic approach where I was mostly focused on playing acoustic guitar and singing.

We recorded the bed tracks in Jake’s studio in St. John’s, and then I recorded the vocals and guitars in Portugal with Jake Nicoll as part of The Burning Hell’s Snowbird program, where they rent a place in a warm country over the winter and then bundle in recording costs with accommodations and food. It was a lovely experience.

overwhelm and anxiety associated with making big decisions is something many people probably feel at some point in their lives.

The song also touches on the sense many have of being forced into a series of jobs we don’t like because of the pressures of life under late-stage capitalism, as well as the environmental anxiety that accompanies those very conditions.

We’re really getting down to brass tacks on this album here.

WR: Your second single, “The Kid Couldn’t Find a Calling,” was released this past March. What kind of feedback have you been hearing so far?

LO: There have been several people

WR: What’s the plan for 2024?

LO: 2024 is shaping up well. I’m

who have really connected with “Kid Couldn’t Find a Calling” and reached out to tell me as much. I think the feeling of not really knowing what to do with yourself and your life and the

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doing some tour dates in the spring, including a run of shows supporting Nico Paulo on her maritime tour. I’m touring in late June/early July with Andrew Smith and the band, and then heading out on the road again in the fall.

June 2024

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homefront

adventures outdoors

Now that’s a fine Brook trout for Taylen Head Mitch Head photo

Fishing Starts with Patience

By Gord Follett

Tending to a small cut on my thumb from a Vienna Sausage tin, I heard a man swearing a little further along the shoreline of Round Pond, near Bauline Line on the northeast Avalon Peninsula.

It was no big deal; certainly nothing out of the ordinary for most of us who regularly use “curse words.” I didn’t even bother to look up, figuring he’d either lost a trout or hooked bottom.

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Proud Dad Mitch Head, shown with his son Taylen, is a firm believer in having patience with kids learning to fish and starting them when they’re young Mitch Head photo

I licked the tiny bit of blood from my thumb, put the sausage tin and Coke against a rock and cast my baited hook as far as I could, before letting it sink just a couple of seconds, then closing the bail on my open-face reel and starting a slow retrieve.

I heard the man cursing again.

Then again. I was giggling to myself until I heard a kid say, “But Daddd...”

“If you get hooked up in them *&#% rocks again,” the man interrupted, “I’m gonna take that rod and flick the works – reel an’ all – in the *&#% pond.”

Not my child, I know, and some of you will say I should mind my own business. But you see, I’m not very good at that in these situations. I had to get a bit closer to see how old this kid was that Dad was yelling at, so I very slowly side-stepped my way towards them in water halfway up my knee rubbers as I continued casting and reeling. I nodded with a smile as the father glanced in my direction from 35-40 metres, but he quickly turned his head and puffed www.downhomelife.com

on his cigarette without responding to my simple greeting.

“I didn’t know the water wasn’t very deep there, Dad,” I heard the boy of eight or nine years of age try to explain. “I’ll reel faster next time, ok Dad? Ok?” The father, a slim man in his early 30s, ignored him and continued reeling and smoking.

Now, I’m a bit of a softie when it comes to this stuff. “Got no time for it!” as the old folks say. My heart was aching for a boy that I’d never met or seen in my life. And if you’re thinking this might be a good time to remind me that I should mind my own business, well, you’re wasting your time.

Just then I hooked my second fish of the morning, which caught the boy’s attention, though his father refused to acknowledge that a nearby “friendly” angler (up until now, at least), was in “fish on!” mode.

“Dad,” I heard the kid say in a loud whisper. “Dad... that man just caught a big trout.”

“You gonna fish or not?” his father June 2024

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grumbled, “cause if not, we’ll go back to the truck and get the *&#% home out of it!”

“No, I’ll fish again, Dad. I’m sorry.”

“Well don’t be so stupid next time.”

Stupid? Stupid? Ok, now I’m feeling heartbroken altogether for this kid. The poor boy seemed frightened to death of his father.

Even as I write this, I’m biting my tongue.

I reeled in and began walking behind them to get further up the shoreline, slowing just long enough to comment about the great weather and ask how the fishing was going.

The boy gave a polite smile while his father spat in the water, turned towards me and asked, “Why, you tryin’ to rub it in ‘cause you caught a couple. Just keep on goin’, buddy.”

“Who pissed in your Corn Flakes this morning?” I asked.

“Look, just move on and leave us alone.”

“I’m not lookin’ for trouble here, bud, but it’s pretty hard not to hear the way you were talkin’ to your young fella.”

“I’ll talk to my boy any way I want to,” he shouted. “Now get the hell outta my face.”

A quick glance at the boy was enough to see he was quite nervous.

Maybe afraid as well. I assured him we were just talking and there was nothing to worry about, before telling them to “have a good day” and moving on.

Six weeks later I was driving home to Mount Pearl after visiting my buddy Cliff Doran in Trepassey and stopped at a convenience store in Fermeuse to grab an energy drink. As I pulled open the door to enter, out walked the man with whom I “shared a brief conversation” at Round Pond in early June.

I was bracing myself for an ‘accidentally-on-purpose’ drive of his shoulder into my chest as he passed by, but to my complete surprise, he reached out his hand and asked if I had a minute.

I took a few steps back and said, “Sure b’y.”

He apologized for being nasty for no reason and told me he admitted to his son on the way home that he was wrong for speaking to him as he did.

“My boy then smiled at me like I’d never seen him smile never before...

It really made me think about what I was doing... and the only bad part of all this,” he added with a chuckle, “is that he got me drove mad to go fishing every weekend.”

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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homefront

the Labrador Current

Chasing

Cup the

By Nathan Freake

In the earliest recesses of my childhood I can see my father – at that time sporting a thick Mario Bros. moustache – diving around on a patched, wooden floor, with fearless determination to keep a ball out of a makeshift, metal pipe net. I am perhaps three or four years old by the time the term “Lab Cup” comes into my consciousness, but I am barely one when I attend my first.

Each June, E.J. Broomfield Arena, sitting in the heart of Happy ValleyGoose Bay, becomes a place of historical significance. For me, it’s a place almost outside of reality, where each year I am reminded of the passage of time, the roar of gravel on the road trip, the countless poutines I ate as a child, and of the friends that have long moved on to different places in life.

If you haven’t been there, it’s quite hard to describe. Any athlete or fan can tell you that. I mean, sporting events are sporting events—they’re all exciting. But this one? It’s a different beast. It’s fast, physical, exhilarating, and loud. It’s a one-ofa-kind type of tournament, and it’s no trouble to see how much it means to those involved. If you close your eyes and focus your senses, you 38

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might still find the lingering scent of burning, pain-relief mint wafting through the air since the doors closed on last year’s tournament. You can probably still hear the crowd, the rumble of the arena as the ball is blasted off the glass, and in my case, hopefully off my hands instead of in the net behind me… I’ve been forever trying to match my father’s skill in that department. It’s one of those, you-had-to-be-there type of experiences.

The first time I played in the tournament I was a skinny youngster. I felt like a kindergartener standing in a twelve by six cage, facing giants – grown men with powerful strikes that barrelled past me, through me, and, if I’m lucky, off me. I battled for every inch of my crease but kept running into brick 1-888-588-6353

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My second Lab Cup attempt

walls of human beings. Now, I am a skinny grown man with more experience and a decade’s worth of Lab Cups under his belt. I have lost many, many times. I’ve won once.

The feeling of lifting the cup just last year for the first time, with over ten tournaments of failure behind me, was an out-of-body experience.

All the times I’d watched and cheered on the players and teams I’d grown up watching. All the countless hours I spent anxiously watching my father dive around on the floor like an acrobat, fearless, dreaming of the moment I could be like that for someone else. All the years participating and coming up short until I finally got my chance last year in front of my eight-monthold son in the stands and my father behind the bench cheering me on. That was something I will never forget.

In the end, the experience of walking into E.J. Broomfield each June is enough. When the stakes are high and the crowd is roaring there’s no better place to be than on that floor, in front of that net, behind my team. I’m no longer a teenager playing among men. I can grow a moustache now – not quite the Mario Bros. stache, mind you – but sometimes I still feel small in that www.downhomelife.com

packed arena. I still feel like that little kid, sitting on the edge of his seat, waiting for kickoff. I still feel like each time I step through the doors something magical will happen in those few short days in June because something magical will happen – it’s the only guarantee.

For some, the Labrador Cup is a fun tournament that one looks forward to each year. For others, it’s in their blood, and they have the scars to prove it.

Three generations twenty-five years later Nathan Freake is a writer and educator from Labrador City.

For any inquiries, you can reach Nathan at thelabcurrent@gmail.com June 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

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features

Meghan Tansey Whitton photo

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GRATEFUL Alan Doyle reflects on 30 years in the music business and his understated 20th studio album Welcome Home

BY DILLON COLLINS

What does the passage of time feel like?

Is it a glacial pace? Or more of a blink and you’d miss it whisper in the wind? Surely it’s different for the individual and strongly guided by circumstance. For Newfoundland and Labrador’s travelling troubadour Alan Doyle, three decades have passed since he chose to dedicate his life to that of a globe-trotting musician. And while much has changed for the consummate entertainer, his gratitude for his lot in life – and love of the good times – remains firmly intact.

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Meghan Tansey Whitton photo

Alan Doyle and the Beautiful Band have just come off a national tour with more dates to come this year “It just all adds up to gratitude, really, for me,” the affable Alan shares in a sit-down with Downhome, reflecting on 30-plus years in the music business and the release of his latest studio album, Welcome Home.

“I mean, even more than nostalgia, I literally can’t believe I still get to do this. I just did the biggest Canadian tour of my life. That would be incredible in year six. Year 31, that’s almost impossible. That’s very satisfying, but also it’s still fun. I don’t spend a lot of time looking over my shoulder, partly because I’m having fun doing what I’m doing, but also because I’m always afraid. I’m always afraid that if I look back, I’ll go ah well, that’s enough. And then what will I do? (laughs).”

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studio effort Welcome Home sees the Petty Harbour native at perhaps his most raw and vulnerable, tackling hefty ballads and weighty topics that somewhat stray outside the colour pallet of the longtime Great Big Sea frontman.

“It’s just a few things I would have never written about years ago, like having a son who’s about to leave home. All those things that happen to you when you’re 55, if you’re lucky. I think I finally became kind of confident or comfortable enough to let people see a few different faces. I’ve become well known for doing uptempo party songs, and uptempo party beer garden songs are still my favourite thing to do. And in all honesty, it’s kind of my knee-jerk reaction. When I don’t try to write something different, that’s what I write and that’s what I come up with 1-888-588-6353

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and that’s where my head is,” he admits.

“Over the years I have written lots of songs that are a bit more inwardlooking, certainly in Great Big Sea and even with my own band in the last 10 or 12 years. There’s not a lot of room for those songs at the George Street Festival. People come with their fists ready to pump. I’m always

celebrated Canadian scribes Jimmy Rankin and Donovan Woods, and reimagined takes on personal favourites (including GBS staple “How Did We Get from Saying I Love You” and the decade-old track he penned with A-list actor Oscar Isaac, “Best I Never Had”) reinforce Alan’s long-standing desire for collaboration.

Doyle’s latest album Welcome Home takes the artist in some new directions. “It’s just a few things I would have never written about years ago… I think I finally became kind of confident or comfortable enough to let people see a few different faces.” too eager to please them, take a moment to interject a song about growing up in Petty Harbour or something, you know? I don’t say that like it’s necessarily a good thing either. Maybe one of my biggest shortcomings is that I’m a sucker to please the crowd, and so be it.”

Co-writes with the likes of

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“I don’t want to do it by myself,” he jokes. “And again, I don’t say that like it’s a good thing. It’s probably a bad thing. I’m one of the only people I know who would rather co-write a song than write a song. I didn’t get into the arts, or certainly didn’t get into band for a living to sit down here by myself. I’d much rather sit in a

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“As I’ve always said, and it’s more true now than ever, if it’s not fun, it’s not worth it…”

Sullivan Event Photography

room with a couple of buds, bang something out, go get tacos and then try to do it tomorrow. I’m just such a collaborative person that I always want company.”

Now in his mid-50s, Alan has mastered the tricks of navigating the life of a road warrior. The past year has seen Alan and his Beautiful Band tackle their biggest national tour to date, with an upcoming local engagement alongside Shania Twain at August’s Churchill Park Music Festival on his native island.

“I still love the night as much as I ever loved it. Probably more, because I can’t believe I still get to do it, you know? But undeniably, it’s physically harder than when you’re 25,” he says of the art of live performance. “It’s undeniably harder on the body, but a little easier on the head. You’re a little bit more aware of what the 46

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actual stakes are. When you’re 30, you don’t know. How are you going to know? If you do it long enough, you know what to worry about and what not to worry about. It becomes a little easier on the head, I think, especially if you got great company, and my band is great company.

“As I’ve always said, and it’s more true now than ever, if it’s not fun, it’s not worth it. You never get paid enough money to do it if you don’t like it. Don’t do it, just do something else. If the work is not enough, then go find other work.”

Looking at the big picture, of two dozen albums, countless tours and three decades and counting punched in a career with expectations long surpassed by its architect, Alan Doyle doubles down on his gratitude to have lived a life that keeps on giving.

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than I would have 10, 15, 20 years ago. I just like doing this for a living.

I didn’t get into the music business to have the greatest summer of my life and then moved to a villa in Greece, you know? I got into a band for a living because I wanted to play music for a living,” he says warmly.

“There’s big luck and collaborations that have led me to a few different things, like writing books

and plays and musicals and acting in musicals and television shows and movies and all that stuff. I have no idea why I would stop doing any of that. As long as it’s there to do and people will have me, I’m eager to do it.”

Visit alandoyle.ca for a complete list of tour dates. Welcome Home is available now in physical and digital formats.

Lindsay Duncan photo

www.downhomelife.com

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features

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Bonita and Dexter Pelley

of Goose Pond, NL, have a tale to share that has it all: Romance, suspense, close calls and, best of all, one very happy ending. If you think that providing spoilers makes this story any less thrilling, you’d be mistaken.

Bonita smiled at her husband Dexter before speaking. “If this didn’t happen to us, I’m not sure I would believe it myself.”

When the two first met, Dexter swore it was love at first sight – at least it was for him. He decided to wait and let the friendship grow before revealing his true feelings.

“Dexter patiently waited for me to fall in love with him. Six months into our friendship, that first kiss was magical. By then I really had gotten to know him. We talked a lot. We hung out. He took his time to ‘reel me in’, he teased me later,” Bonita said with a smile.

“I remember that particular day looking at him and all of a sudden I www.downhomelife.com

saw his blue eyes. I saw his dimples.

I fell in love. I was cooking, and he was in the kitchen at my place, and he was standing by the stove and he said, ‘Life can’t get any better than this.’ I said, ‘Yes, it can. I love you.’”

Three days later, Dexter got down on one knee and proposed to Bonita.

Marriage, and the commitment that comes with those vows, are said to be tested ‘through sickness and in health’ and for ‘better or for worse.’

Bonita and Dexter were tested.

Twenty-four years following their picture-perfect wedding ceremony, the couple said ‘I do’ all over again with gratitude after Dexter received a lifesaving heart transplant.

“We wanted to celebrate the gift of June 2024

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living and of being together after a life-saving transplant,” Bonita said, explaining their decision to renew their marriage vows.

Dexter, Bonita explained, suffered from a genetic disease called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). “It affects the heart muscle and Dexter lost both his mom and his sister to that same disease,” she shared.

Their deaths were instant. Dexter’s mother was in church when she fell to her knees and died and his sister was hiking Marble Mountain when the same thing happened. Dexter had a defibrillator placed in his chest as a precautionary measure which twice saved his life, but as the disease progressed he was told he’d require a heart transplant.

“I was deployed overseas in Kuwait and I was gone for six months in the desert and months after I returned, he went into congestive heart failure,” Bonita said, explaining that it was back and forth to the hospital with many scary moments.

“He couldn’t breathe lying down so there were times when he would lie between my legs, and I would hold him up all night so he could get some sleep. There were times I had to get in a shower with him because he would get dizzy and collapse.”

Dexter was ‘miserable’, their life like ‘a roller coaster of up and down days.’

Unsure if Dexter qualified for a heart transplant, the couple still held out hope. “I begged, ‘give him a chance. Give him a chance.’ Six months later, they found a matching donor,” Bonita said through tears, adding that it was a close call.

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Dexter required heart surgery due to a genetic disease, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). donor we were told, ‘Dex only has weeks left. He can’t wait anymore.’ It devastated us,” Bonita said, explaining they held on to hope despite the odds. She stuck by Dexter and became a source of hope and strength for him in those tough times. “I decided while in that hospital bed to show my gratitude to Bonita for everything she did for me and for us. I didn’t want to see any more time pass us by,” he shared.

“Dex has always been romantic, writing poetry and letters to me. Still, he surprised even me with his gesture. He proposed just before his heart transplant. He said, ‘If I get through this, marry me again.’ And so we did, 24 years after the first time we said ‘I do’. We are both so grateful,” Bonita said through happy tears.

The couple renewed their vows surrounded by loved ones, wearing the same wedding attire they had worn over two decades prior. “The 1-888-588-6353

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Dexter’s life was saved, allowing whole experience gave us both an Bonita and her husband to live appreciation for anyone who ‘happily ever after’, they say. As in participates in the organ transplant most marriages, the wife has the last system,” Dex said with gratitude. word. “Dex’s donor gave us a second Adds Bonita: “Dex’s donor not only chance, and we will always be grateful gave him a chance at a healthy life, to have this time together.” but they gave me my husband back, and even with a new donor heart, there was no change of heart for him or for me. We happily renewed our vows. He may have gotten a new heart, but he got the same old wife.”

For the happy couple, sharing the impact that organ donation can make is an important one. “We wanted to get it out there, the life-saving opportunities that exist. What a gift an organ donation is.

There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t thank Dex’s Through sickness and in health, donor and their family.”

Dexter and Bonita have been married for over two decades.

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life is better Visiting sailboat in Salvage, NL Alan E. Mason via downhomelife.com

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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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features

Summer’s here, and with it comes the always-anticipated summer concert season! From the Avalon to Central, the West Coast and Labrador, the soundtrack of summer 2024 will be dominated by folk, country, classical, rock, metal, and every sonic pathway in between.

Downhome gives readers a sneak peek at the major music festivals taking place on The Rock this summer!

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LAWNYA VAWYNA June 5-8 • St. John’s A collection of music and art in downtown St. John’s from the not-forprofit of the same name, Lawnya Vawnya boasts a vibrant, eclectic and inclusive list of artists for the always in-demand multi-day and venue summer concert series. The 2024 installment boasts an array of indie darlings and locals including Debby Friday, Willie Thrasher & Linda Saddleblack, Aquakulture, Jenina MacGillivray and Tunnel Vision, among others.

ICEBERG ALLEY PERFORMANCE TENT June 19-29 • St. John’s Back for its seventh installment on the banks of Quidi Vidi Lake, the Iceberg Alley Performance Tent brings a multi-day, world-class lineup of entertainment to St. John’s under the big top! With a 2024 lineup featuring the likes of Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Bush, Billy Talent, Marianas Trench and Sam Roberts Band, Iceberg Alley boasts a unique concert atmosphere under a 38,000 squarefoot tent that needs to be experienced to be believed. www.downhomelife.com

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DEAR LAKE STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL July 19-21

NL FOLK FESTIVAL July 12-14 • St. John’s The 48th Annual Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival returns to Bannerman Park in St. John’s from July 12th to 14th, 2024! “We’re so excited because this is the biggest Folk Fest we’ve ever put on and we’re bringing in some of the biggest names we’ve ever had,” says Executive Director Julie Vogt.

This year’s lineup includes highly acclaimed American musician and singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris, plus William Prince, Steve Earle and the Ennis Sisters. The festival, a cultural highlight of the summer calendar, celebrates traditional and contemporary folk music, storytelling, and crafts from Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond.

This year for the first time, all daytime festivities from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. will be free to the public.

Catch the daytime performances, visit the traditions tent, and join in workshops featuring musicians, makers and artists. “We’re also going to have for the kids Splash n’ Boots, free absolutely free, and the Newfoundland ponies will be back,” says Julie. “So come down and get your folk on!”

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Celebrating 40 years and counting as one of western Newfoundland’s marquee festivals, the Deer Lake Strawberry Festival features a wide array of activities and musical performances for all ages. Past musical guests and headliners include April Wine, Glass Tiger, Jim Cuddy and The Kentucky Headhunters.

FOOD, FIBS & FIDDLES July 19-20 • Gunner’s Cove The preeminent music festival in the Northern Peninsula, Food, Fibs and Fiddles returns to Gunner’s Cove on July 19-20 with musical guests Blue Rodeo, Charlie Major, Kellie Loder and Shanneyganock. The festival was originally conceived in 2023, with the inaugural event taking place indoors and featuring headliner Sean McCann of Great Big Sea fame. The success of the event, and the ability to attract more prominent acts, allowed the Board of Directors confidence to make Food, Fibs and Fiddles a key date on the calendar going forward.

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HeavyNFLD FEST July 19-21 • St. John’s & Corner Brook Do you like it loud? Fans of the heavier side of the musical spectrum on both the Avalon and West Coast will want to turn out in droves for the first annual HeavyNFLD Fest, a weekend of both adult-only and all-ages performances in St. John’s (The Rock House and Pavlov’s Electric Verandah) and Corner Brook (Retro Arcade and Bar) with over two dozen of the island’s best local punk, metal and alternative acts as well as several notable touring artists.

“Organizing HeavyNFLD Fest into a reoccurring annual festival is not just about capitalizing on the clear gap in the market, this is about developing a way to celebrate Newfoundland’s bustling, but often underrepresented heavy music,” explains Ben Chapman-Smith, MusicNL’s Music Celebration Week Event Coordinator for 2023. “We are creating new infrastructure for our artists and strengthening our connections with the rest of Atlantic Canada through the festival and even the rest of Canada as the festival grows.” More details are available at HeavyNFLD’s Instagram page @heavynfld.

GEORGE STREET FESTIVAL August 1-7 • St. John’s It’s a party on the biggest little street in North America. The timeless George Street Festival has boasted a who’s who of the music world across its nearly four decades of history, from Kenny Rogers to George Thorogood, Live and Third Eye Blind, to Great Big Sea, Hey Rosetta! and The Masterless Men. Since 1985, the George Street Festival has been a St. John’s summer staple, the embodiment of good times and the love of even better music.

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TUCKAMORE MUSIC FESTIVAL August 5-18 • St. John’s, Admiral’s Cove, Brigus With its name derived from an evergreen unique to Newfoundland and Labrador celebrated for its tenacity, strength and beauty, the Tuckamore Music Festival boasts two weeks of chamber music from world-class musicians bringing audiences from across the province and beyond to the Avalon in August. “When things are going well in a chamber music performance it is almost an out-of-body experience,” explains Nancy Dahn, Co-Artistic Director of Tuckamore through the event’s website. “You feel like you are communicating on a level that is more nuanced, electric, and deeper than words could ever be, instinctively and effortlessly feeling and anticipating another musician’s pacing and expression.”

CHURCHILL PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL August 9/16-18 • St. John’s Quickly becoming one of the biggest music festivals in Atlantic Canada, Churchill Park Music Festival returns for its third installment in 2024, headlined by Canadian chart-toppers Shania Twain and Nickelback.

Boasting past headliners including Matchbox Twenty, Ann Wilson of Heart, Alanis Morissette and The Lumineers, the St. John’s-based showcase boasts over 10,000-plus fans per day across two weekends in August.

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IRONFEST August 24 • Labrador City The largest outdoor concert in Labrador, IronFest returns after a highly successful outing in 2023 (which featured the likes of Alan Doyle and the Arkells), with their much-hyped 2024 installment.

Taking place in Labrador City and boasting a variety of events for all ages, the marquee concert features Canadian rock legends Big Wreck, country artists The Road Hammers, and celebrated local trad act Shanneyganock.

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relationship with Canada’s easternmost province. You see, I spent the better part of three decades on the rock, growing up as a lad into young adulthood.

As I grew older, my mind wandered as I dreamt of bigger and better things that I thought my birth province couldn’t provide.

I was yearning to leave the island to explore the world – to better myself and take advantage of opportunities that would come my way.

All photos by Wayne Parsons

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I left Newfoundland behind in the mid-nineties, not looking back as I moved to Vancouver. I saw what they had and I wanted a piece for myself.

Great weather, and well-paying jobs were reasons enough to move. The climate was a big one for me. They say that the weather can shape people. Well, that’s a true enough statement, as I was already moulded into a miserable person because of Newfoundland’s bad weather.

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At that time, Newfoundland and Labrador was known as a have-not province, while the rest of the country was flourishing. Even through the height of the off-shore cod fishery, Newfoundlanders were a neglected lot. The 80s and early 90s weren’t kind to us Newfoundlanders.

We didn’t have the swagger of larger cities like Toronto or Montreal. We had our quaint little St. John’s, which was our closest resemblance to an

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urban landscape. We watched as Vancouverites greeted blossoms in February, while we knew that winter could stretch into the May long weekend. Life seemed unfair at times.

As a child, I often wondered why we couldn’t have nice things like I saw on American television. I remember my Mom mail ordering clothes and toys that we couldn’t get locally. We felt like we were always in a struggle to be like the people on TV. But it wasn’t real. Americans knew how to flaunt excess and that only made us jealous of what we could have.

A valid tourism industry hardly existed either. As a young fella skateboarding around town, I rarely met outsiders. Unless they were foreign off-shore fishermen from other countries, real tourists were a rarity.

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It wasn’t until later in my forties that I rediscovered my birth province. I booked a month long vacation with my wife and daughter with the plan to travel throughout the island. This time I was a tourist, not a resident. We drove to each corner of the island, seeing things I’d never bothered to see when I lived here. I reconnected with old friends and realized the importance of lifelong relationships. That trip ignited a newfound love of my homeland, one that I hadn’t had since I was a child. I realized there was real beauty here, not only in its landscape but in its people.

My wife and I fell in love with this island so much that we decided to buy a house a year later. We purchased a vacation home in a quaint town Heart’s Delight-Islington. We packed up our pickup truck and drove across the country to stake claim to our new home. After a week of travelling, we arrived with a welcoming west-facing oceanview and the best sunset I’ve ever seen.

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turned into seven, and we didn’t want to leave. Our love of the island grew as we took our time to dive deep into what she had to offer. Sipping coffee while we stared at Trinity Bay every single morning has a way of swaying your opinion.

Returning to this island paradise has given me a greater appreciation for life here. The scenery, landscape, solitude, and people. My God the people. What wonderful, generous, sincere, and kind people call this place home. Yes, there are good people everywhere who will do anything for you, but Newfoundlanders have something extra.

There’s a warmth and an openness to let strangers into their lives that doesn’t exist anywhere else. Need something? Go knock on someone’s door. Just feel the need to chat? Well, they can do that too. There’s a good chance they’ll also clothe and feed you, regardless of your position in life. Their brutal honesty will keep your ego in check while showing you love and respect.

The natural beauty of the province is unique, the savagery and power of our coastal shorelines, mesmerizing.

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But the best part is that living next to the sea is attainable here. In most of the developed world, only the wealthy or lucky can afford these luxuries. After spending 25 years in Vancouver, they know what they have and they pay millions for that view. I can confidently say that some Newfoundlanders take this freedom for granted, but not in a bad way.

They know the sea is not reserved for the fortunate.

My wife and I are bi-coastal. We own houses on both coasts. We are experts on living on both sides of the country. We can, with confidence, say that there are very few shortcomings to life in Newfoundland and Labrador. Yes, the job market isn’t quite as robust as the west, but it’s also far less expensive to live in the east. The weather has gotten substantially better than it was when I was a kid. Now, St. John’s is Vancouver-like most of the year. In my experience, small-town life in British Columbia is not that enticing.

Many towns offer little other than the

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freedom of movement.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, small towns are generally warm and inviting, offering quaint shops and abundant character. Newfoundland has a rich arts and culture scene, especially robust in St. John’s. You’ll find a deep European influence, with strong ties to the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Portugal.

I’ve been hearing rumours of more people relocating to the east coast from out west. Most feel they are being priced out of home ownership.

If you look at what Newfoundland offers, it’s similar to life in the west.

The slower pace and affordability are major draws to get people to come here. Your lifestyle doesn’t change much – you can still do the same things. Sure, we might get a bit more snow, depending on where you live, but frigid temperatures are virtually non-existent like they are in the rest of Canada, save for southwestern British Columbia.

I think it’s time to discover what you’ve been missing.

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explore

Oliver Whiffen photo

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Sun’s out, fun’s out!

Whether you’re embracing your staycation or taking in the wonders of The Rock for the first or 50th time, there’s always plenty to do and explore in Newfoundland and Labrador. Downhome outlines some of the must-dos for your ideal summer excursion or bucket list in 2024, including epic events, outdoor adventures, little slices of history and much more!

Off the Beaten Path Embracing a staycation or just looking to venture into the wild? Newfoundland and Labrador features a network of 32 provincial parks which offer ample opportunity for exploration while preserving nature and biodiversity. Explore 336 km of wilderness paths along North America’s easternmost coastline on the picturesque East Coast Trail. Take in the majesty of Gros Morne National Park, or walk in the footsteps of early settlers on the Labrador Pioneer Footpath. Get your adrenaline fix at North Atlantic Zipline in Petty Harbour or Marble Zip Tours in the Humber Valley, go whitewater rafting in Badger, or hop aboard a boat tour in Bonavista to spot whales or towering icebergs.

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S.S. Ethie performed by the Gros Morne Theatre Festival Theatre NL photo

Summer on Stage Thespians rejoice! Summer is filled to bursting with ample options to check out world-class stage performances from one corner of the island to the other. Rising Tide Theatre in Trinity (June 1-September 28), the Gros Morne Theatre Festival in Cow Head (June 6-September 22) the Queen Street Dinner Theatre (July 4-August 21) in Grand Falls-Windsor and the Stephenville Theatre Festival in Stephenville (July 19August 16) are just some of the top-notch companies treading the boards with home-grown productions.

Rising Tide Theatre photo

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The Mummers Parade is a crowd favourite during the Bonavista Church Street Festival Bonavista Church Street Festival photo

Celebrate Good Times

Looking to puff out your chest, don your colours and show off that civic pride? The season brings with it a bevy of annual events from town showcases to big-time anniversary bashes. Keen to ring in Canada Day with a bang? There are fireworks shows, parades and fun and games for all ages in nearly every city and town across the province. For more celebrations, check out the Kelligrews Soiree (July 6-12, Conception Bay South), Church Street Festival (July 22-28, Bonavista), Southern Shore Shamrock Festival (July 27-28, Ferryland), Gander’s Festival of Flight (August 2-5) or the Brigus Blueberry Festival (August 8-11).

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Visitors to the Colony of Avalon in Ferryland can take part in a archaeological dig.

Dennis Flynn photo

A Piece of History Does your ideal vacation include widening your knowledge of people, places and culture? Newfoundland and Labrador is filled with stories, sounds and sights that illustrate our rich and diverse history. Take in one of our many provincial historic sites, such as the Colony of Avalon Archaeological Site in Ferryland, the Winterton Wooden Boat Museum, the Sealers Interpretation Centre in Elliston, or the North Atlantic Aviation Museum in Gander. Trek back in time to the age of the Vikings at L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site, delve into the wonder of 1497 navigation with the Matthew Legacy in Bonavista, or journey to the Battle Harbour National Historic District of Canada off the coast of Labrador.

Off to The Races In a land of sailors, fishers and mariners, there’s no doubt that rowing and sailing competitions are popular summer passtimes. From the Big Land to the banks of Quidi Vidi, there are numerous rowing events across the province, with two in particular packing thousands of observers and enthusiasts lakeside. The Labrador West Regatta takes to Jean Lake in Wabush on July 26 for its 52nd anniversary. In St. John’s, the Royal St. John’s Regatta is back for its landmark 206th installment. The oldest sporting event in North America first began in 1816, and now, the Largest Garden Party in the World routinely draws 50,000-plus spectators for a day of family fun and sporting excitement.

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Royal St. John’s Regatta photo

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A dazzing light display greets visitors to the Victoria Park Lantern Festival.

Art With Heart The provincial government has named 2024 as the Year of the Arts – a celebration of Newfoundland and Labrador’s unique and colourful arts community. There are countless initiatives including performances, workshops, exhibits and community projects to explore.

Some of the highlights on the arts-calender for book-lovers are Ochre Fest (July 5-7, Ochre Pit Cove), the Winterset in Summer Literary Festival (August 9-11, Eastport), and the annual Writers at Woody Point festival (Gros Morne, August 20-25). In St. John’s, the Hold Fast Contemporary Art Festival (August 20-24), the Downtown Busker’s Festival and the Victoria Park Lantern Festival all run in August.

For more attractions, accommodations and events across the province this summer check out our dedicated travel guide Explore 2024. Visit our summer music festival guide on page 56 for a full breakdown of summer concert listings.

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Summer,

a time for sunny days, picnics, a cool dip in the pool and insects. It’s impossible to ignore the diverse insect life in our province, whether it’s a colourful butterfly flitting among the flowers or an army of ants invading your picnic. Insects can be beneficial, destructive or a bit of both. Let’s take a closer look at some of these diverse creatures that we consider friend or foe.

Yellowjackets Newfoundland and Labrador is home to a large variety of wasps. The eastern yellowjacket Vespula maculifrons is probably the most familiar. Yellowjackets are very social, with the queen founding a colony in spring, usually in a subterranean cavity, inside human-made structures, bushes or lower branches of trees.

The paper-like nest is ball-shaped, constructed of chewed wood fibres mixed with saliva, and contains a comb structure for developing larvae to live in. Once the nest is built she starts her colony, foraging for insects to feed her developing offspring, with the workers hatching first. They then take over the duties of nursing, nest maintenance and defence. The colony can contain thousands. We often encounter workers as they show up in our back-yards often foraging bits of charred meat from cold barbeque grills. If disturbed they become vengeful, delivering multiple painful stings, often in mass numbers.

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Ground Beetles Newfoundland is home to 178 species of ground beetle, with 96 species in the Big Land. As their name suggests they typically live on or in the soil, being particularly fond of waterbody edges and underneath rocks, logs or leaf litter.

These predaceous or opportunistic scavengers are mostly nocturnal and are important biological controls in many ecological systems. Both adults and larvae feed on other invertebrates, many of which are damaging species. The majority overwinter as adults and are therefore most numerous in early spring and late fall, others overwinter as larvae and require time in the spring to develop, peaking in mid-summer.

Amara fulva is a brownish-red ground beetle introduced to the island from Europe, being first recorded in North America in 1905 at Codroy in western Newfoundland. It prefers dry, sandy or gravelly areas near sand dunes and waterbodies. They feed on seeds and plant material.

The European ground beetle Carabus nemoralis was also accidentally introduced from Europe. They are bronze to greenish-bronze with violet edges and prefer areas disturbed by human activity and are not reported in Labrador.

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Common Green Bottle Fly The common green bottle Lucilia sericata may not be a pesky biting fly, however, we still don’t really like having them around. The metallic green to coppery green colouration is quite beautiful if we can get past the fact that they are the first flies to show up on corpses, lay eggs and then the larvae wallow in the goopy mess.

Although they thrive on death, they can also prevent it. Maggot therapy is becoming an “in thing” in the medical profession, involving the application of living larvae to wounds that have a lot of dead and necrotic tissue. The larvae chow down on this disgusting meal removing the bad stuff, avoiding the healthy stuff, and releasing antimicrobial enzymes that promote new tissue growth. Untreated these wounds may cause loss of life or limb.

Traditionally this type of treatment has been known in Newfoundland and Labrador for some generations as there are stories of its use by settlers of Happy Valley-Goose Bay collecting maggots from rotting seal and fish entrails and applying them to wounds that would not heal as early as the 1800s.

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Ichneumon Wasps This is one of the most diverse groups of insects in the world with over 25,000 known species. It’s estimated that there are more species in this family than species of birds and mammals combined.

Except for a few species, Ichneumons are parasitoid wasps that attack immature insects such as beetles, flies, butterflies, moths, bees and wasps, thereby filling an important role as a regulator of insect populations and biological control agents.

The females have an ovipositor which she uses to lay her eggs, injecting them inside or on the body of an unlucky host. The ovipositor is strong enough to drill through several centimetres of wood to reach larvae inside trees. The ovipositor is used for defence in some larger species, such as Ophion.

Ichneumons practice either idiobiont or koinobiont lifestyles.

Idiobionts venom paralyzes and prevents the host from moving or growing, and koinobionts allow the host to continue growing and developing. After hatching, the larvae chow down on the still-living host, typically killing it after several weeks of feeding. The adult’s diet is not as morbid, feeding on plant sap and nectar, although some females may sip bodily fluids from host insects while laying eggs or stabbing insects to cause wounds.

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Carpenter Ants The two largest and most commonly encountered species are the black carpenter ant Camponotus pennsylvanicus and the red carpenter ant Camponotus herculeanus. The biggest difference is the black carpenters have one queen and the reds may have multiple. Colonies of both can have a workforce of over 10,000.

While they have powerful jaws that can deliver a painful bite, they are not as destructive as we think. Their presence indicates water damage to a structure as they excavate nests in rotten wood, not eating the wood, but depositing it outside the nest entrance.

Foraging at night, they dine on plant juices, dead insects and if they find their way inside a house or cabin sweet human foods. When they discover a food source they return to the nest and let all the others know that they hit the jackpot. The others then follow a chemical scent trail back to the food source. They sometimes aggressively defend aphids, eating the water and sugar mixture they excrete.

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Syrphid flies Also known as bee flies or flower flies because of their resemblance to bees and their attraction to flowers, these harmless critters don’t bite or sting but are easily confused with honeybees when seen in early spring and late fall. They are one of the best-known groups of flies due to their popularity with insect enthusiasts.

A common sight in gardens, adults are important pollinators, capable of carrying pollen much further and to a greater variety of flowers than pickier bees, feeding on pollen and nectar, or honeydew collected from aphids.

The larvae, which usually grow in polluted waters, play a variety of ecological roles with some dining on decaying matter, and others munching on plants and carrion, plant bulbs, wood and bacteria. Others prey on aphids, thrips, leafhoppers and other tiny pests. As they are one of the earliest active beneficial insects they are an important biological control helping suppress spring aphid populations on ornamentals and vegetables.

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Bees Eighty-four species of bees in five families call this province home. When we think of bees we usually envision the social honeybee, but the majority live a solitary lifestyle and do not have a queen.

The five families are Andrenidae (mining bees), Apidae (bumble, honey and nomad bees), Colletidae (cellephane and masked bees), Halictidae (sweat bees) and Megachilidae (carder, leafcutter and mason bees).

Apidae is one of the most diverse and recognizable, as we’ve all seen the bumbling bumblebee buzzing around the dandelions on our lawns.

Bumblebees buzz around with pollen-laden sacks called corbicula on their back legs, which are unique to this family. This provides food for their larvae, which are hidden in an underground nest that the queen chooses, usually in an abandoned rodent burrow. When she first selects this nest she will start her colony, laying eggs on a pollen mass and incubating them with her abdomen. The colonies will build throughout the summer, reaching 50 to a few hundred bees. After mating the male will die and the queen will overwinter in a small underground nest.

The province is home to about 13 species of bumblebees in the genus Bombus and 15 in Labrador. The common names are based on colour patterns of their fuzzy bodies with the most common being the half-black, lemon cuckoo, northern amber, red-belted, tricoloured and yellow-banded bumblebees. Their fuzzy bodies and ability to contact their flight muscles give them an advantage over other flying insects as they can warm themselves, allowing them to be active earlier in the spring and in cooler climates.

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HOME and Cabin

stuff we love by Nicola Ryan

Gifts for Dad

A GREAT CATCH What do you get the father who has everything? What do you get the boss beer connoisseur/awesome angler who’d sooner drive 40 km to a secluded fishing hole than prop up on a sandy beach or stage-side at a sold-out concert? Combine that duelling love for hops and hooks with this adorable and wildly functional fish bottle opener from Posie Row in St. John’s. This aluminum, seven-inch portable bottle opener is part talking piece, part tool-kit-must-have for those days when twistoffs aren’t an option and bashing your bottle top off a kitchen counter won’t cut it. posierow.com

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE Summer is here and you know where Dad will be. Whether it’s on the deck, in the garage, or by the lake, fadder’s know best when they’re BBQ’n up a storm in the one season of the year where Mom gets a break in the kitchen. Why not spice up the season with Newfoundland Seasonings Ragin’ Bayman Spicy BBQ Seasoning?!

This 100G pouch, proudly sold through our Downhome Shop, is an all-new blend of sweet and spicy flavours perfectly pairing finely selected herbs and spices.

It’s ideal for grilling, smoking, roasting or braising. shopdownhome.com

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POURS FOR POP There’s nothing like a good glass of wine. Pair it with your favourite meal, the perfect evening, or down a bottle or two for a celebration of your choosing, and there’s little doubt about the power in the gift that gives the good times. From Auk Island Winery, 3 Sheets to the Wind Red is a fullbodied dry red wine that combines the flavourful Newfoundland wild blueberry with the grape-like qualities of the Newfoundland wild blackberry for a delightful table wine that pairs well with cheese, steak, wild game, beef and chocolate. aukislandwinery.com

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK… Is there any part of your consciousness that can allow you to believe that your square ol’ Dad was once upon a memory a rocker of the coolest quality? Before Dad regulated the thermostats with drill sergeant-level precision or groaned whenever moving from sitting to standing, your pop was likely a punk, rocker or head-banging metal head. Let It All Fall: Underground Music and the Culture of Rebellion in Newfoundland, 1977–95, is a collection of interview-based firstperson monologues that describe the experiences of a generation of independent musicians. shopdownhome.com DINE AND DAD For the father-figure in your life who tends to live on the fringes, yearning for the road less travelled or dip into the quiet seclusion of nature. This bamboo flatware set, available at The Bee’s Knees and The Travel Bug in St. John’s is an eco-friendly, dishwasher-safe culinary campers must-have. Featuring a fork, knife, spoon, chopsticks, bamboo straw and straw-cleaning brush, all wrapped in a cotton pouch for storage and transport, you’ll never be ill-prepared for grub up at sun up or a late night munch by the moon. thebeeskneesstore.com www.downhomelife.com

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HOME and Cabin

Ask Marie Anything Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions

Q. My husband and I recently bought a sweet little house in Comfort Cove. It’s close to my heart because it once belonged to my maternal grandmother and many of my relatives still live in the community. It’s a wonderful getaway with the picturesque, protected cove right outside our living room window.

However, the kitchen is tiny. In fact all of it fits on one wall, which includes a hot water tank, a single sink below the window, a 28" stove (which will stay for now), and minimal counter space. At the other end, the fridge barely fits on the piece of wall between the porch door and the bedroom door. My grandmother managed many wonderful meals in that tiny kitchen, but the challenge is that my husband is a foodie. To say he loves to cook is an understatement, I know, lucky me!

The upside is that there’s a full double-door pantry cupboard in the porch which holds most of the dry goods, the bigger pots and pans and all the paper products. I would love some suggestions on how I can bring this well-loved tiny kitchen into the twenty-first century and still keep it simple, charming and functional for my handsome gourmet.

– Maxine & Gerard (Chef G) Corcoran, Paradise, NL 84

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Congratulations!

Those little treasures around the bay are wonderful places to reconnect with your roots, wake up to the peaceful mornings, soak up the spectacular sunsets and enjoy the slower pace.

Food has always been part of that communal celebration of family and place. And yes, lucky you! It doesn’t get much better than living with someone who not only loves and appreciates good food but puts their energy into experimenting with different recipes and ingredients.

Let’s see how we can maximize this space for the delicious meals to come.

I’d start by taking everything off the upper section of the window wall: the upper cabinets, the shelves, the light over the stove and the little valance over the window. This may be a good time to add extra blocking behind the drywall to support new cabinets or shelving. There will be some obvious plastering and painting required, but once that’s done, you have space to create a fabulous, functional, feature wall. There are so many options. For instance, you could do a large format tile, which makes the space look bigger because there are fewer grout lines. If installed vertically and run to the ceiling it will add height as well.

The blue-green colour definitely carries the ocean vibe. The other option would be a textured wallpaper, which is quicker to install and less expensive, but not as permanent, especially behind the sink area. If you do go this route, be sure you have extra on hand.

Next I would suggest you build in

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Instead of upper cabinets, I suggest floating shelves on each side of the window, which will open and expand the space.

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the hot water tank. It’s not really a range hood to eliminate moisture and feature you want to draw attention to odours, so I’d suggest a white in your cooking space. However, chimney-style hood. Very clean, there’s a way to incorporate it into the simple lines and takes up minimal kitchen by giving it the look of a full- space.

Again, consider this addition in height pantry, painted the same colour as the base cabinets. Longer conjunction with the backsplash. doors on the bottom will give you When you do eventually replace the access to the tank when necessary, stove, maybe go with a slide-in with and shorter doors on top will give you controls on the front. This will give added storage.

Instead of upper cabinets, I suggest floating shelves on each side of the window, which will open and expand the space. You can purchase If keeping 1 3⁄8" thick laminated the bottom pine planks at your local home building store. cabinet doors They come in 4-foot and and drawers, 6-foot lengths x 12" my suggestion deep. They’re a great price and are plenty would be to strong to hold dishes refinish them and glassware. There are with Benjamin all types of brackets available for the Moore installation process, #CC-720, some visible and some Night Train. hidden. I prefer the hidden ones, especially in this case to keep the look clean and simple.

I’d recommend doing three shelves you back all that wall space taken up on each side of the window, with by the height of the existing stove. roughly 10” between them. Make There you can put a magnetic bar for them as wide as possible to give you knives or a shallow shelf for spices, maximum space for dishes, mugs, although spices are usually best kept glassware, cutting boards, spices, away from the heat.

Now for the bottom cabinets and cookbooks, canisters and special items. Again, keep things as minimal finishes. If the budget allows, I’d as possible. A note to plan and replace the doors and drawer fronts, measure for your shelves before you which is not a huge investment. You can buy prefinished or unfinished install the backsplash tile.

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order them in the colour and style you want from a kitchen company.

Assuming the existing ones are staying, give them a light sanding and paint them and the pantry unit a shade of blue/green that works with the tile. My suggestion would be Benjamin Moore #CC-720 Night Train. The shelves, on the other hand, would look best painted white, B.M.#OC-17 White Dove. This gives some continuity to the look. The wall above and cabinets below will flow vertically while the countertop and

shelves will carry the horizontal flow.

I’m tempted to suggest you keep the retro hardware if they’re a comfortable fit. Otherwise choose something simple in design and pleasing to the touch, just bigger.

I’m excited for you and your gourmet husband and I’d love to see pictures of the finished product. It’s a wonderful thing to enjoy all the goodness life has to offer with family, friends, great food and life around the bay. It’s a fabulous way to love your space.

Ask Marie Anything!

Got a design question for Marie? Email editorial@downhomelife.com. www.downhomelife.com

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the everyday gourmet

Juicy & Tasty

Turkey Burgers 88

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the everyday gourmet

By Andrea Maunder

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

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If friends are inviting you over for BBQ turkey burgers, your first thought might be to say you can’t make it. LOL It’s unfortunate we likely all have experienced dry, tasteless burgers made from ground turkey, chicken or pork. Those meats tend to be so much leaner than ground beef, it can be a challenge to make a burger worth eating. I’ve got the recipe so you can accept and conquer that challenge!

The secret is in the “panade.” It’s a mixture of bread crumbs and liquid (usually milk) that supplies moisture and binding to the meat. In the case of beef, we really don’t need egg or crumbs to bind/moisten because it has enough fat content to remain juicy and hold together.

However, we often see recipes for leaner meats that contain eggs and dry breadcrumbs.

The problem with eggs is that they also can become dry when cooked, and don’t enhance the texture or flavour. And the problem with dry breadcrumbs is, well, they are dry, and do nothing to add moisture to the burger.

I take my panade a step further and add yogurt instead of milk. This adds a touch of tanginess, which adds complexity to the flavour, and importantly, tenderizes the meat.

The combination of breadcrumbs and yogurt is magic. (Gluten-free breadcrumbs will work.)

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The other key to my lean-meat burger recipe is to pre-fry the onions and garlic. Chunks of raw onion in a burger don’t get a chance to cook, resulting in it falling apart on the pan or grill. Frying also adds a wonderful umami background flavour. You’ll notice I’m asking you to fry the spices/seasonings with the onions.

Fat carries flavour, so you’ll get more impact and tastiness when you mix everything.

I have included a little shredded cheese, but if you prefer to keep the burgers really lean, you can leave this out. I love it because it adds a little richness. Any firm-ish shreddable cheese will work – cheddar, mozzarella, havarti, gouda. Feta is delicious, but reduce the salt in the recipe a little to compensate. Hard, dry cheeses like parmesan or romano don’t do much for moisture content, so I’d tend to avoid them in this recipe.

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If you’re pan-frying you can cook as soon as you’ve formed the patties (although feel free to make ahead and chill). If cooking on the BBQ, it’s best to prechill the patties well, brush well with oil, and preheat the BBQ so they hold up on the grill and don’t stick. Also, whatever method you use, don’t try to flip them too soon.

Allow the patties to form a nice crust – they’ll start to release themselves and make them much easier to flip with a spatula. (They kind of let you know when they’re ready.)

If you don’t already have one, please invest in a probe thermometer and cook to an internal temperature of 74C (165F). It takes the guesswork out of food safety, but also allows you to cook your burgers to the perfect point of juiciness, and not leave them on for extra time, worrying about them being fully cooked.

This recipe makes four good-sized patties.

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Turkey Burgers 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs 1/3 to 1/2 cup whole-milk plain yogurt 1-2 tbsp butter or oil 1/2 cup finely chopped onions or shallots 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely minced 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp smoked or regular paprika

Place the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add the yogurt, and mix to combine. (this is your panade). Start with 1/3 cup and allow to absorb. I’ve given the range of 1/3 to ½ cup depending on the dryness of your crumbs and the thickness of your yogurt. If you see the mixture doesn’t look moist, add more yogurt. It should look moist, but not sloppy-wet.

In a small frypan, sauté the onion in the butter or oil with the spices until translucent. Add garlic and sauté a minute more. Add salt and Worcestershire. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool. Then add to the breadcrumb mixture and stir to combine. Add the turkey and gently mix to combine the meat and flavourings. Add the shredded cheese. Do not overmix, as this can make the burger tough.

Put a little bit of meat on a small plate in the microwave to cook through and taste for seasonings.

Divide the mixture into four portions. Form each a patty about 1 inch thick and a little bigger than the bun (the meat will shrink a bit as it cooks.) Place on a parchment-lined pan or plate. Press your thumb into the center of each patty to create a www.downhomelife.com

1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground mustard 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 1 pound ground turkey (or chicken, pork) 1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)

shallow dimple. This will keep the burger from bulging in the center as it cooks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (or place in freezer to chill more quickly).

Preheat oven to 375°F. Either cook in a frypan or on the grill. If panfrying, heat 1-2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil in a frypan over mediumhigh heat until simmering. (A wellseasoned cast iron pan is great if you have it, otherwise use nonstick). Add the burgers and cook undisturbed until a golden-brown crust forms on the bottoms, about three minutes.

Flip the burgers with a flat spatula.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the burgers reach an internal temperature of 74°C, five to seven minutes more.

Top each burger with a slice of cheese if desired. Assemble the burgers on hamburger buns with desired toppings.

Or grill on a well-oiled, clean, preheated grill over medium-high heat until cooked through, three to four minutes per side. The burgers should reach an internal temperature of 74°C. I love a bit of mayo on toasted buns and avocado on a turkey burger.

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downhome recipes

Sizzling Summer Favourites Summer is around the corner, and with it an array of fresh and indulgent food options for the grill master in your life. For many, summer means BBQ season. Chicken, ribs, fish, corn, potatoes, salads, you name it. It’s a time for ripe produce, tender cuts of meat and a well earned cold one on a hot summer day. Here are a selection of tried and true favourites to make the most of your scorching hot summer.

Pineapple Salsa 2 mangoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 2 peaches, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch dice 4 tomatoes, chopped 1 white onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 cup diced fresh pineapple 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste 3/4 cup water 2 tbsp white sugar, or to taste 2 tbsp lime juice 1 small jalapeño pepper, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp salt

Place mangoes, peaches, tomatoes, onion, red pepper, yellow pepper, pineapple, and cilantro in a large bowl. Stir in water, sugar, lime juice, jalapeño, garlic, and salt until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with chips or cracker of choice. Yields eight cups.

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BBQ Chicken Thighs 1 cup ketchup 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 tbsp molasses 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1/4 cup water 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Whisk together ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and water. Reserve 1/3 cup and set aside.

Combine ketchup mixture and chicken in a gallon-size slider bag or large bowl; refrigerate and marinate for at least 1 hour to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade; discard marinade. Make drainage holes in a sheet of non-stick aluminum foill with a grilling fork. Place foil sheet on grill grate with non-stick (dull) side facing up. Immediately place chicken on foil. Add chicken to grill and cook, flipping once and basting with reserved 1/3 cup marinade until cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes on each side. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired. Yields four servings.

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Salmon Poke Bowls 4 cups cooked rice 4 tbsp soy sauce 4 tsp rice vinegar 4 tsp sesame oil 1/4 tsp chile oil (Optional) 3/4 pound sashimi-grade salmon, cut into small cubes

Toppings 1 avocado, sliced, or to taste 1 red bell pepper, sliced, or more to taste 1/4 cup shelled edamame, or more to taste 4 sheets dried seaweed, cut into strips, or to taste 1 tbsp pickled ginger, or to taste 1 tbsp furikake (Japanese nori seasoning), or to taste 2 tbsp chopped green onion, or to taste 1 tbsp sesame seeds, or to taste

Divide rice among four bowls. Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and chile oil in a bowl to make dressing. Mix salmon with the dressing. Divide among the 4 bowls. Top bowls with avocado, red bell pepper, edamame, seaweed, pickled ginger, and furikake seasoning. Garnish with chopped green onion a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Yields four servings.

Substitute lettuce for the rice or use a mixture of both. Substitute sashimigrade tuna for the salmon, or use tofu or mushrooms. Add finely chopped pollock if desired. Use tamari or liquid aminos if the dressing needs to be gluten free. Here are some other topping ideas: wakame (seaweed salad), fresh tobiko (fish eggs), thinly sliced omelet, diced pineapple and/or mango.

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Grilled Shrimp Skewers 1 cup brown sugar 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 cup molasses 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp mustard 3 tbsp honey

1 tsp ground cloves 1 tbsp ranch-style salad dressing 1 tsp chili powder 1 tbsp minced fresh garlic 4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined wooden skewers

Combine brown sugar, lemon juice, molasses, basil, vegetable oil, mustard, honey, clove, ranch dressing, chili powder, and garlic in a large bowl. Toss in shrimp to coat, cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, soak wooden skewers in hot water to prevent burning on the grill. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate.

Thread shrimp tightly on to skewers. Cook on the top rack of the grill for approximately 4 minutes, or until the shrimp turns pink on one side. Flip shrimp and cook for an additional 2 to 4 minutes, or until there are no signs of grey. Use a fork to remove shrimp from the skewers. Yields eight servings.

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Raspberry Mojito 4 fresh mint leaves 4 fresh raspberries 1/2 ounce simple syrup 1/2 ounce lime juice

ice 1 ounce raspberry-flavoured vodka 1 ounce silver rum 2 ounces club soda

Muddle mint leaves, raspberries, simple syrup, and lime juice together in a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice and add vodka and rum; cover and shake until chilled. Pour entire contents of shaker into a Collins glass and top with club soda. Yields one serving.

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BBQ Pork Ribs 4 pounds baby back pork ribs 2/3 cup water 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 1 cup ketchup 1 cup water 1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup prepared mustard 4 tbsp butter 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 tsp hot pepper sauce 1/8 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place ribs in two 10x15-inch roasting pans. Pour water and red wine vinegar into a bowl; stir to mix. Pour diluted vinegar over ribs and cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Baste the ribs with juices halfway through cooking.

To make the BBQ sauce: Mix ketchup, water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, butter, brown sugar, hot pepper sauce, and salt together in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

Preheat grill for medium heat. Lightly oil preheated grill. Transfer ribs from the oven to the grill, discarding cooking liquid. Grill over medium heat for 15 minutes, turning ribs once. Baste ribs generously with BBQ sauce, and grill 8 minutes. Turn ribs, baste again with BBQ sauce, and grill 8 minutes. Yields eight servings.

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Mexican Grilled Corn 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 lime, juiced 1 tbsp ground ancho chile pepper 1 tsp smoked paprika 8 ears corn on the cob, husked

1/4 cup butter, melted, or as needed 1/2 cup freshly grated cotija cheese 1 pinch salt, or to taste 1 lime, sliced

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.

Combine mayonnaise, lime juice, ancho chile powder, and smoked paprika in a bowl; whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil corn in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain the corn. Place ears of corn on hot grill and cook until the kernels begin to brown and caramelize, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn corn and continue to cook, turning ears after 1 to 2 minutes, until they are browned with slightly charred, caramelized spots.

Generously brush corn with melted butter and ancho-lime mayonnaise until kernels are coated. Sprinkle ears with cotija cheese and salt. Garnish with slices of lime. Yields eight servings.

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Hasselback Potatoes 4 (8 ounce) baking potatoes 2 tbsp butter, melted salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp finely grated fresh Romano cheese 1 tbsp seasoned dry bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Peel potatoes and place in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning. One at a time, dry potatoes and place in a large wooden or metal serving spoon. Using a sharp knife, slice potato crosswise at 1/8" intervals, cutting until the knife touches the spoon, being careful not to cut all the way through so the potato stays intact. Arrange potatoes cut-side up in a shallow baking dish or small roasting pan. Drizzle with 1/2 of the melted butter, then season with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes; drizzle with remaining butter and sprinkle Romano cheese and bread crumbs on top. Season with a little more salt and pepper and bake until nicely browned, about 20 minutes. Yields four servings.

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down to earth

Carpenters Good or Bad

BY KIM THISTLE

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I often receive questions about bugs from readers. Bugs is a really large umbrella for creepy crawly things that most people find distasteful. I am a bit of a cheerleader for these creatures as most are beneficial and very interesting once you get to know them.

A recent inquiry was about one of these little beasties that most of us consider an insect but is, in fact, a land crustacean. Crustaceans include lobster and crab. What, you may ask, do we have crawling around our gardens that are related to these delectable foods? In Newfoundland and Labrador, we call them ‘Carpenter bugs’, ‘Boat Builders’ or ‘Cafners’, the latter being a new one to me. The rest of Canada refers to them as ‘Sowbugs’ although there are many other names for them.

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Carpenters feed on decaying matter such as wood, fungi or rotting plant material which is why most composts provide an ideal home for them.

The reader’s question was about how to eliminate them from their hobby greenhouse. Before I answer that question, let’s talk about what these little guys do.

Sowbugs hang out in damp areas such as basements, composts, soil mulch and any other habitat, such as greenhouses, which provides moisture and food. If you see them on the sidewalk, they are usually dead or hurrying to find a hospitable spot to hold up for a bit. If they dry out, they die, hence, you will not often see them basking about on the beach. That being said, if they are submerged for any length of time, they will drown. They are dependent on that sweet spot that provides just enough but not too much moisture.

Carpenters feed on decaying matter such as wood, fungi or rotting plant material which is why most composts provide an ideal home for them. If you do the math (put two

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and two together) you will realize that they provide an indispensable service to us gardeners. These bugs and earthworms are the two most beneficial creatures for breaking down waste and turning it into compost.

I am a bit of a salesman for these little guys, but they do have a downside. They sometimes feed on cultivated plants (although it is rare) and they have a bit of a sweet tooth for strawberries. Can you blame them?

So, to answer the reader’s question, ‘Are these creatures causing damage in your greenhouse or are they in there because there is rotting wood or decaying plant matter to feed on?’

If they are just hanging out doing what they were intended to do, I would leave them alone.

If they are indeed causing damage, here are a few things you can try to eliminate them.

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Get rid of their habitat. Remove any rotting wood or decaying plant matter.

Keep the area outside of the greenhouse free from the two things listed above. If they have reason to hang out on the exterior of your greenhouse, it won’t be long till they find their way inside.

Since they do have a sweet tooth, use half a cantaloupe turned upside down to bait them. Carpenters are nocturnal so they will feed on this at night. In the morning you will likely find throngs of them hiding out and having a feeding frenzy. The murderous side of you may throw this in a bucket of water and watch them drown while the ‘live and let live’ side may opt to relocate to the compost where they belong.

Don’t want to waste a perfectly good cantaloupe? Roll up some damp newspapers with some apple slices inside and you will have the same results. The fruit is the bait, and the damp dark newspaper is the habitat they love.

If you are intent on a magic solution, a bit of diatomaceous earth sprinkled lightly around your young seedlings and strawberry plants should do the trick. Although this is an organic pesticide, exercise caution. Be sure to wear gloves, eye protection and wear a mask over your mouth and nose to prevent inhalation.

Sowbugs are more beneficial than harmful. They clean up our debris, they don’t bite and they provide food for other insects such as spiders (and, yes, we do like spiders). I would not suggest putting them on the plate for your surf and turf but you can definitely encourage them to accompany the leftovers to the compost!

Janice, I hope I have answered your question.

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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life is better Calm day reflections Brian Gough Upper Island Cove, NL

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reminiscing flashbacks

Four French Sisters The daughters of Charles French and Susanna Menchions French of French’s Cove, NL, circa 1940. From left to right: Julia French Bowering, Lillian French French, Susannah French Picard, Winifred French Carter.

Prue Stelling New York, USA

Wedding Bells This photo was taken at the wedding of Charlie Noseworthy and his bride Mary Stanley.

Lee Bolton Toronto, ON

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Portrait from the Past “A picture of my grandparents, Edgar Charles Nichols, and Martha (nee Hulan) Nichols,” writes the submitter. “Edgar, son of George, was the first settler of Nicholsville. Martha died in the influenza outbreak that took so many lives in 19171918.”

Geraldine Wiseman Deer Lake, NL

This Month in History In 1948, a Citizens’ Committee was established to raise funds to build a new arena to be named in honour of Newfoundlanders who served in the Second World War. Memorial Stadium, a 4,000-seat multi-purpose arena in St. John’s situated near Quidi Vidi Lake replaced the previous indoor arena, Prince’s Rink, which burned down in 1941.

On June 24, 1950, Olympic figure skating champion Barbara Ann Scott (right) laid the cornerstone, and the new Memorial Stadium officially opened in 1955. It operated for more than 50 years until it was closed in 2001 and replaced with Mile One Stadium, which is now called the Mary Brown’s Centre. The structure was converted, after much controversy, into a new Dominion supermarket, which opened in 2007.

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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.

June 1989 Volume 2 • Number 1

Letter in a Bottle

Spaniard’s Bay Youth Gets Letter From England

By Brian M Gillam, The Compass

Almost three months to the day, after Blair Osborne, 11, of Spaniard’s Bay scribbled a message on a piece of paper, inserted it in a twolitre plastic pop bottle and threw it into the Atlantic Ocean, he received a letter from Cornwall, England.

Osborne said he was shocked when the letter arrived at his home, and he knew that it must be the bottle he’d thrown in the ocean two months and 30 days ago on a cold January day.

The bottle actually touched down on the rocky shoreline between Bude and Widemouth Bay at Upton, the site where national surfing championships are held each year.

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The bottle was found by Englishman Robert Brown, a 37year-old resident of Stratton, Cornwall. Brown wrote a letter to Osborne and explained how he came across the bottle.

“I was strolling along the beach, about two miles from home on Sunday afternoon, April 9, when I spotted a two-litre Schweppes Ginger Ale bottle with your name and address inside. The writing had faded due to the sunlight the message was exposed to during the track across the ocean.”

Brown had to climb down a cliff path in order to reach the plastic bottle he eyed from the ledge above. The Englishman then wrote Osborne a friendly, warm letter giving the youth a look at Brown’s part of the world and a fairly close look at his family and how he fits into the social life of Britain.

“I never thought when me and my grandfather went down to the ocean to throw the bottle in that it would ever end up in England,” concluded the young Spaniard’s Bay resident.

New Roads to Connect Windsor, Grand Falls Train tracks no longer divide town

Residents of the towns of Grand Falls and Windsor may soon have alternative routes of transportation between the twin towns, according to Grand Falls town engineer Mike Pinsent.

Pinsent recently revealed that the town is proposing that two access routes be established to alleviate traffic congestion in the Cromer and Hardy Avenue areas. Two roads presently linked the two towns, Cromer Avenue and Lincoln Road.

The new concept would see the construction of a road from Duggan Street in Grand Falls, near Flexo-Pak Corp. Ltd., to Main Street in Windsor, across from the post office. As well, another route would be established from Hardy Avenue in Grand Falls to the industrial park in Windsor.

The old railway tracks, a sociological divider since Windsor came into existence as Grand Falls Station with the advent of the railroad, are no longer a physical barrier since the passing of the railway last year. This turn of events makes it possible for the towns to be interconnected in many places with very little difficulty.

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June 1994 Volume 7 • Number 1

World’s Tiniest Heart Surgery Patient From Aspen Cove Halifax – Little Kristen Wellon of Aspen Cove, Newfoundland, recently underwent open-heart surgery at the Izaak Walton Killam Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Born two months premature, little Kristen had a fatal heart disease. The surgical team spent almost four hours repairing veins between her heart and her lungs.

Dr. David Ross, who headed the surgical team said that the baby suffered from a disease called anomalous pulmonary venous connection, which according to Ross means, “the veins bringing the blood back from the lungs to the heart never joined up with the heart.”

“She was a very sick girl when she got here,” said her aunt Debbie Tulk. “She had only a couple days to live. Without Dr. Ross and his team, she wouldn’t have made it.”

Kristen may have been the smallest baby in the world to have successfully undergone open-heart surgery.

“We haven’t found anyone smaller,” said Ross.

Walking With Purpose Anchor Point – Five days after they began, five members of the Anchor Point Lions Club had completed a walk to Corner Brook and raised some $2,200 for burn victim Pamela Genge. As expected, the hardest part of the journey came when the five trekked through the Bonne Bay hills. But the men persevered and arrived in Corner Brook. Oscar Genge, Gary Genge, Whyman Gaulton, Daniel Genge and Dwayne Genge were very pleased with the level of support shown by passing motorists. They note that not only did they receive good financial support, but were given free rooms and meals at hostels and restaurants along the way. Reprinted from The Northern Pen. Used by permission.

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June 1999 Volume 12 • Number 1

Petty Harbour Fisherman is Continent’s Best Environmentalist Petty Harbour – He was born in Grate’s Cove and actually lives in Maddox Cove, but as far as most of the media is concerned, North America’s best environmentalist for 1998 is a Petty Harbour fisherman.

Newfoundlander Bernard Martin was selected as this continent’s winner of the extremely prestigious international Goldman Prize. Other winners were named for the six other continents. But for North America, it is Martin, the first Newfoundlander to be so honoured.

It was his crusade against big draggers and his overall work to save groundfish stocks and the marine environment that firstly had Martin nominated and selected as the winner.

In addition to the personal honour, Martin received a cheque for about $190,000 Canadian dollars, which he’ll use to pay off a few debts, give a few dollars to his four children and make a contribution to a worthy cause.

Well-known at home for his campaign against large trawlers, Martin was charged with civil disobedience and jailed in 1994 when he protested old-growth logging in B.C.’s Clayoquot Sound.

Between 1986 and 1990 he travelled for Oxfam Canada to Central America to teach local fishermen environmentally-friendly fishing techniques.

A fourth-generation fisher, Martin drew praise for his national and international environmental efforts.

He has also worked to have sustainable fishing methods used for cod fishing.

His selection was a great surprise for Martin. In fact he suspected a hoax when he was telephoned to inform him of the honour.

Normally a reserved individual, Martin is quick to defend the environment and to promote other causes.

There’s no doubt that Bernard Martin is a credit to Canada, a credit to Newfoundland and Labrador, a credit to Petty Harbour, a credit to his family and friends and, most importantly, a credit to himself.

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i first met roy cooper when I applied for a job with Eastern Provincial Airways of Gander, Newfoundland back in the 60s. I was taken on as a station agent in Deer Lake, where their sked flights used to stop on their way to points in Labrador.

Roy told me at the time that they would take me on as a pilot when a position opened. I had just received my commercial licence from the flying school Central Airways in Toronto Island Airport a short while before.

Roy was a very well-respected person in the aviation world; kind, never raising his voice, and always taught you how to manage your airplane and how to fly it.

I can recall many flights with Roy in different airplanes with me flying and Roy telling me what to do, or not to do. I always remember him telling me how to land an airplane after dark on floats, just in case it was needed at some point. I can recall one night flying to Port Hope Simpson on floats at 2 a.m. to bring in a fellow to St. Anthony Hospital, who was dying of a bleeding ulcer. I did exactly what Roy taught me and it worked out well.

Roy enlisted in the forces during World War II and was in the Newfoundland Overseas Forestry Unit, sailing for Scotland. In May 1942, he joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) and started flight training.

He flew many RAF aircraft during the war, the last being a de Havilland Mosquito night fighter, a twinengine aircraft that could achieve speeds close to 400 mph. His squadron was credited with the first downing of the German pilotless buzz bomb.

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Roy (left) and navigator Paddy O’Malley during the Second World War when they served in the Royal Air Force.

After the war he flew out of Moncton, New Brunswick with Maritime Central Airways, flying a DC-3 delivering supplies to the “Dewline” radar system, which was being constructed all over the Arctic.

He flew from Gander in 1954 for Eastern Provincial Airways and was in charge of their bush line as a chief pilot.

He flew contract work for Air Labrador for several years, with a year back on the water bomber with the Newfoundland Government. He was also elected to the Gander town council in 1959 and was later mayor for a short time.

Upon his retirement in 1980, with over 15,000 hours punched, Roy was known to have flown 38 different airplanes. This in itself is quite an achievement.

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Roy used to ferry airplanes for his friends’ company in Gander, like the Citabria on skis, which was damaged in the Park Lake area of Labrador south of Goose Bay. He was ferrying the plane back to Gander, having flown from Park Lake to Flowers Cove in the Newfoundland straits area for fuel. He took off for Gander in March of 1974, and after experiencing heavy snowfall, was forced to land on what he thought was a pond. Upon landing, he realized he had touched down on a bog. His plane became bogged down, and he used all his gas trying to move it. He was missing for three days with search and rescue and other planes trying to locate him.

I was stationed in St. Anthony flying the Mission plane Turbo Beaver. I drew lines on my map about three miles apart and went looking for him. The lines I had drawn on the map allowed me to fly the exact lines up and down the area where I thought he might be. The SAR aircrafts were searching along the high country of the Northern 1-888-588-6353

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Roy receiving his wings in 1942

Peninsula, just where I figured he wouldn’t be given the weather on the day he went missing.

On one of the lines of my map, I came across a big S.O.S. stamped in the snow with snowshoes, and I knew I had found him.

I had plenty of fuel and several people on board with me as extra eyes. I would have landed on the bog if I was lighter, but I didn’t want to risk being bogged down as well. I called the SAR helicopter, which

came to my location. I stayed overhead until they hovered and winched Roy aboard.

Roy called me on the radio from the helicopter afterwards, asking me if a Turbo Beaver could land where he was, which I agreed it could.

The family was grateful I had found him. If not, the outcome of the story would have been very different.

That’s the story of Roy Cooper, a kind and gentle man who I call the Old Master of Flying.

Roy (inset) flew water bombers for a time for the Newfoundland government

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reminiscing

By Susan Fagan

Newfoundland

is affectionately called ‘the rock’ and this accurately reflects the farming potential of most of the island. Until quite recently (1980s) when transcontinental transport became affordable and ubiquitous, the diet of the middle to lower classes was bereft of fresh produce.

I grew up in the 1960s in St. John’s, and as a child, I remember potatoes and root vegetables with every dinner. The winning triad included boiled potatoes, carrots and turnips. On special occasions, like Christmas, we would have pease pudding and cabbage. For added flavour, a piece of salt beef would be added to the boil-up.

My mother served the potatoes and turnips mashed (but not together) and the carrots in chunks.

They all softened at different times, so the potatoes were done before the carrots and the carrots before the turnip, so a delicate fishing expedition was held at various times in the process.

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My cousin Maureen once instructed me, upon reflecting on the process, “Put a stone in the pot with the turnip and when the stone is soft, the turnip is cooked.”

I don’t think she liked turnip.

My Dad and I both loved mashed turnip, though. It was mashed with margarine and salt and pepper and we both put Cross and Blackwell mustard pickles on them.

In the early 80s, Mom and Dad were feeling prosperous enough to afford a winter holiday in Florida.

They would drive from their home in New Brunswick in mid-March and stay for three weeks. Dad’s three older brothers and their 1-888-588-6353

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wives would be there at the same time, so each year they reconnected and recreated the beloved meals of their homeland.

For the most part, the Newfoundlanders felt quite at home in their warmer, southern neighbour. They all developed tans and wore shorts every day, a foreign experience for those who grew up on cool and cloudy summers. All was going smoothly until the shocking truth about American turnips was revealed.

mistake here. These small things here are NOT turnips. They must be labelled wrong.”

“Oh, yes. They are turnips, Ma’am.”

My aunt gets visibly more agitated and opens her mouth to question the intelligence of the smiling man.

He jumped in. “Are you Canadian, by chance?”

She smoothed her skirt, put her chin up and answered with confidence.

“Yes, I’m from Newfoundland, sir. That is NEW FOUND LAND as in un-der-stand.

“Well, Tim, there seems to be some mistake here. These small things here are NOT turnips.

They must be labelled wrong.”

There, bold as brass, labelled in the Piggly Wiggly, were small, white bulbous items labelled turnips. My aunt looked at them with obvious disgust. “Young fella, do you have any turnips?” she asked sweetly of the man in the apron, stacking melons.

“Yes, Ma’am. Here they are right here.”

He stopped at the white vegetables that were certainly not turnips.

“Those are NOT turnips. Can I speak to the manager?”

“Yes, Ma’am. I will get him,” said the boy, clearly questioning his knowledge (and life choices) when faced with the four-foot confident dynamo who was my aunt.

A few minutes later, a slightly older man with a matching green apron approached. “May I help you, Ma’am? I’m Tim, the produce manager.”

“Well, Tim, there seems to be some 1-888-588-6353

We hate it when Americans put the accent on the second syllable.”

“Well, I know what the problem is.

What you are looking for is RUTABAGAS.” He walked to the end of the aisle and picked up a gnarly, thick-skinned, larger yellow root vegetable.

“There they are! You must be some stunned down here to call turnips RUTABAGAS!” She took two and walked away as the manager smiled and shook his head.

Ten years later, I married an American with a strict aversion to rutabagas. Not only can I not easily find the turnips I like in the States, but I also cannot stand the smell of them cooking. So I have not had them since 2017, when I visited my cousins in Newfoundland and we had a boil up.

So, on a day when I feel nostalgic and homesick, I hunger for turnip (rutabaga in American).

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WHAT COULD HAPPEN in little Port Saunders that would be of any historical significance? I have two answers to that question from my dearly departed mother Ida Davis (nee House). I am now the keeper of those memories, passed down to me.

The first historically significant event I heard from her as I grew up was published in the Downhome magazine in July 2011. A German submarine surfaced at their dock in the early 1930s. My mother told me bits and pieces of this story throughout my childhood. At ten, she and a band of little rascals went to the wharf in the dark, against their parents’ warnings and were welcomed aboard the enemy vessel. The sailors stepped out of their wartime mindset and were kind to these outport children. A Google search of German submarines in the Gulf of St. Lawrence during World War II brings up other visitations and the shocking revelation that enemy U-boats had breached our waters.

Ida Davis (nee House) moved to Ontario to work in a textile mill when she was around 18

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Ida Davis shared many memories of her childhood, including stories of goods washing up on shore from sunken ships. One of these items was a mysterious blue mug. Ida passed away in 2021.

After watching a program showing artifacts from the Titanic, I recalled one more significant event Mom recounted. The population of Port Saunders today is listed as 647. Back in the thirties, it was probably even less. They were a small pocket of humanity living in an isolated seashore village without roads to anywhere else. Even so, history found them with offerings on the shore.

Mom said that goods from sunken ships would wash up on their shoreline from time to time, probably due to the strong current from the Strait of Belle Isle to the north. She recalled a wooden barrel of marmalade that was a particularly welcome gift from the unknown world beyond. Another time, a sealed barrel of flour washed up. One day, a little time traveller arrived on the 120

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tide bringing a tragic treasure.

Mom recalls a blue mug from the Titanic that sat on her mother’s kitchen shelf. Why hadn’t it sunk with the rest of the ship’s goods? I have no answer. Was it encased in something wooden? My mother only remembered seeing it in the kitchen as a child and that it had washed up on the shore. Aunt Hazel from the port, who immigrated to Boston, came home for many visits and admired the mug. My grandmother Muriel House (nee Lavers) was a giver. All Hazel would have had to do was say it was nice and Muriel would have given it to her, and so she did.

The puzzle over Mom’s account was that every time I saw artifacts from the Titanic, the mugs were white with a red emblem that said White Star Line showing a small flag.

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description of the item. She insisted the mug on their kitchen shelf was blue, not white. I also wondered about it being a mug. Didn’t people sip from teacups back in the day? It all filled me with wonder as I thought about the details.

The mystery was solved recently when I watched a YouTube Titanic documentary. They showed the white mugs I had seen before as my memory slipped back to my mother’s account. Then I saw a mug from the captain’s table. It was blue! And it was a type of mug with a saucer. My mother’s memory had been clear after all.

A few years ago, through ancestry.com, Aunt Hazel’s daughter made a connection with us from the

States. She was surprised to hear this story and had never seen such a dish at home. I suppose the blue mug is now as lost as it was when it bobbed on the waves along on the Strait of Belle Isle. However, the mystery of my mother’s story has been solved.

The mug had once donned the captain’s table on the Titanic; amazing!

Newfoundland sits as a ‘catcher’ stuck out in the wild Atlantic. Waves as old as time itself wash onto her shores bringing tales of humanity and ships lost in the roaring waves, storms and icebergs.

There must be a thousand stories of items washed up and gathered by beachcombers. Do you have one of those stories to tell?

Was the mug Ida once saw in her mother’s kitchen as a child one of the mugs used by first class passengers of the Titanic, such as the one seen here recovered from the wreck?

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

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

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$42.99 + applicable taxes

12 issues for $42.99* or 36 issues for $107.99*

Save up to $120 when you sign up for 3 years!

Delivered with December’s issue. ††Delivered with June’s issue. Canadian mailing only. ††† Delivered with a spring and fall issue. *Plus applicable taxes

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Tony McGrath photo

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Sign me up for a Downhome subscription Name:____________________________________________________________________________ Address:__________________________________________________________________________ City:__________________________________________ Prov/State: ____ Country: _______________ Postal Code: ____________________

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SIGN GIFT CARD FROM: _______________________________________ * Valid in Canada on a 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. ** Valid in Canada on a 3-year term. Total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $124.19; ON $122.03; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $113.39; US $159.99.

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

ORDER ONLINE TODAY! www.joindownhome.com

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puzzles

The Beaten Path

Shawn Hodder 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.

DM K E S Q T m J L R H T p H V U x Q A R E E m K E p J T E M T R S T T e Q H n

S

n

S

S

H

L M

x

J

A

R K

T

m

U

H

S

p

S

Q

M

n

H

S

K

A

U

H

T

S

V

U

x

S E V L A Q R

A L x

V L A J

n

Last Month’s Community: Port aux Basques 124

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Sudoku

from websudoku.com

Last month’s answers

?

Need Help

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

www.downhomelife.com

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Bradford Hicks 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: • Shares its namesake with Millertown • Located in Burnt Bay • Historically the Gateway to the North • Popular port for pleasure boaters • Hosts the annual Mussel Bed Soiree

Last Month’s Answer: Burgeo

Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador

by Mel D’Souza Last Month’s Answer: St. Lawrence 126

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

Last Month’s Clue: That man evaded demise by the epidermis of his ivories In Other Words: He escaped death by the skin of his teeth

This Month’s Clue: That woman is sensing being beneath the climate In Other Words: ____ ___ _______ ______ ____ _________

A Way With Words D

UN

G

AR

O

OI

G

Last Month’s Answer: Going Around in Circles

N

This Month’s Clue

Rhyme Time A rhyming word game by Ron Young

1. Seasonal disappointment is a ______ ______ 2. Cod au gratin is a ____ ____

HIGH HIGH HIGH

LOW LOW LOW

3. Cash is one ___ to ___

Answer: ______ ___ ______

Last Month’s Answers 1. fleeing being, 2. make a fake, 3. twice the mice

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 A A I N F B A F A E C E B D D L A A E E E E E R D O O N O E S O F I N O E R F E I N S T L S I Y O F S Y M O R S T Y R T L S V V R W S S O O U R S T

Last month’s answer: Memory is not wisdom; idiots can by rote repeat volumes. Yet what is wisdom without memory www.downhomelife.com

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Rhymes 5 Times Each answer rhymes with the other four

1. tote

____________

2. wed

____________

3. furry

____________

4. creepy

____________

5. imp

____________

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

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

Last Month’s Answers: 1. muck, 2. truck, 3. stuck, 4. luck, 5. schmuck

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. NAGRED YBA

For best results sound the clue words out loud!

2. WHORODO

Ease Turns Tan Dirt I’m _______ _______ ____

3. DOBYS VCOE

Dawn Bees Hutch Ape Egg ____ __ ____ _ ___

5. FROMDRUMES

Last Month’s 1st Clue: End us Trees Tanned Herds. Answer: Industry standards.

Last Month’s 2nd Clue: Annex Sore Cyst.

Answer: An exorcist.

4. PLEACH DISNLA

Last Month’s Answers: 1. Chamberlains, 2. Topsail, 3. Foxtrap, 4. Upper Gullies, 5. Kelligrews

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

1. CAN IT OVA ~ Clue: when doing nothing is everything 2. SWAT AY OW ~ Clue: always looking for a free ride 3. AUDIT GROAN ~ Clue: where the end marks the beginning 4. LEST ROB ~ Clue: red hot and kinda crabby 5. CAMP SOS ~ Clue: its aim is true Last Month’s Answers: 1. caffeine, 2. supermarket, 3. archaeologist, 4. sandwich, 5. passenger 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.

r

1-7: 0º latitude 1-10: tropical 1-31: Napoleon isle 2-42: hush!

4-44: once more 5-35: tenure 7-5: decompose 7-37: phoned 10-7: den 10-60: fluid 10-100: dissolved 11-14: human organ 11-15: thrust 14-44: profit 19-16: rhythm 21-23: chomped 25-28: rave 30-60: pound sterling 33-36: ten cents 35-65: belongs to me 37-35: jewel 37-39: acquire 39-19: vat 42-44: cure hide 42-62: Egyptian king 43-41: devoured 46-16: steak 46-49: contemplate 48-78: entice 50-41: light up 50-48: sick 54-74: sister 57-87: harvest 60-57: glum 60-100: escorted 61-41: frozen H2O 62-65: honest 62-92: domesticated 63-33: learned www.downhomelife.com

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66-36: dwelling 66-69: healing plant 68-38: govern 69-39: nut’s mate 71-91: 2,200 pounds 73-33: baked item 73-71: club 76-74: perfect score 80-76: goody 82-62: carpet 84-82: sew 85-55: adolescent 85-87: faucet 87-84: walkway 87-90: pontiff 91-1: conspicuous 91-41: pay attention

96-46: six feet deep 96-93: autumn 100-91: ruined 100-97: low Last Month’s Answer

MA NHA N D L E D UN I T LON E R E D I GE L I OT I P NARN E T P A E L E RA E F A S E I O R UMO U R A S P Y E S O T N I D D AM F T NA L P AU S E E LKLOX E NON R E T F A E R EHT June 2024

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The Bayman’s

Crossword Puzzle

by Ron Young

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ACROSS 3. paddle 4. transgression 5. “Great big ___ hove in Long Beach” 7. child’s game 8. information technology (abbrev) 9. sea ice barricade (colloq) 18. Portuguese ___ o’war – jellyfish 19. rival 20. __ Manche Provincial Park 21. Largest lake in Newfoundland (2 words) 23. “_ ___ a fair damsel, came over from Fogo” (2 words) 25. comes before tee 26. scallywag 27. rodney 30. quarrel 31. finale 32. “wearin’ his mother’s big 42 ___” 33. opposite of SSW 35. “Babylon ____” – WGB hit 37. Response to “Arn?” 38. short for Deborah 39. ___ Perlican 40. offshore oil platforms 42. Red Bay (abbrev) 43. ____ on the eyes – attractive 45. Old __ Buckley’s goat 47. “What’re ye goin’ __ tonight?”

49. explosive 50. cure, as in meat or fish 51. additional

11. littlest amount 12. dyes 13. ___Bees – NL Minor Hockey team 14. __ radio 15. lacing 16. 11 a.m. snack (colloq) 17. grade 18. Pa’s mate 22. pencil type 24. Asian unit of weight 26. whale meat 28. Lonesome as a gull __ _ rock 29. Good day __ clothes 30. land 32. pub 34. recede – like the tide 35. ____ your Maker 36. misplaced 41. short for Samuel 44. eye for __ eye 45. “I __ sick enough to be in three hospitals” 46. “He was __ thin you could see the sins on his soul” 48. “Who you belong __?”

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD

DOWN 1. dragonfly (colloq, 2 words) 2. burlap sack (colloq, 2 words) 6. “I’m so hungry I could ___ the arse out of a low-flying duck” 9. pancake (colloq) 10. raining cats ___ dogs www.downhomelife.com

June 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. ____ 9687

____ 2265

___ 226

__ 23

_________ 683737296

___ 288

__ 48

___ 226

__ 23

_______ 2226868

’

_____ 63837

_ _ _ __ ___ _ _ 6 8 3 73 455 3 3

Last Month’s Answer: It’s not important to win, it’s important to make the other guy lose. ©2024 Ron Young

CRACK THE CODE

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

_ _

_ _ _’_ _

\1

l i m x3

_ _ _ _ _ G _ Rzx i m Bz _ _ _ _

t 3 30

G _ _ _ G Bi\ B

D

_ _ _ _,

z 3 XX

G _ _ _ G Bi\ B

D

Last Month’s Answer: By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

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Food For Thought

© 2024 Ron Young

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

taxi =

bring forth = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _

dt V

}vavwtlv

]na i

cuddling = _ _ _ _ _ _ _

chirpy = _ _ _ _ _

nearly = _ _ _ _ _ _

intellect = _

_ _ _

ft}}na}

qvw ms

tK] c Il

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

]tnaltnana} _ _

Iqnwnl ttKnls _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

ft]tanI] _ _ _

_

mvsI _

’

_ _

nl I

_ _

lc _

t

_ _ _

t wv

_ _ _

ta i _ _ _

lfv

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Itd d vII _ _ _

.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _

VtKtad v

Last Month’s Answer: Happiness depends more on how life strikes you than on what happens. www.downhomelife.com

June 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 WITH LOBSTER FISHERMEN

Last Month’s Answers: 1. Ridge, 2. House, 3. Window, 4. Number, 5. Shed door, 6. Cap, 7. Strouter, 8. Walkway, 9. Transom, 10. Treeline, 11. Coal Bin, 12. Boulder “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

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HIDE & SEEK

TREES IN NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR The words can be across, up, down, backward or at an angle, but always in a line.

ALDER ASPEN BALSAM BIRCH CHERRY

DOGBERRY FIR LARCH LILAC MAPLE

PINE POPLAR SERVICEBERRY SPRUCE TAMARACK

A Q F X Z T Z K L I Z T Z I V P M U Y P C W O A P O Z G M N J U E Z D H V R C G Y I B Z N F A N T Z Q R S A N G I B T N N X X S V M O G Q R Q X A D X I N Q T F G N G W E M J J F K N B C B H Y I S N B F V O Z J R S T K F H Z K R G M O U U R F P R U F T R K M G R F X X T B P Q K A L D E R T L B K D W T I V W I B S I M U W C C Y E R T E N G U F B H Z K M B H F A E V V T I A I L G N B L V I N B P C Q A L R R R C P K R O R B P U Z E G O H D P K K R X C A I H A F A V R A A A P W C P W W P S M E Y A L N T Z L K A B G M M M Y L I X S Z T Z R D F C L F L H I E K E N A S Q Y R V J P A K G T M W J C P R K L H C G Y T T S F T R O J V R J P H P A I U P P O V U U X W Z N W Z E E R M A S L A B C R Y O B G B W R R H J C H J S Y B G E T L J A Q V R P U E F W P S P A Q Z P U D D G W F H X B R J I L I Y P V Q J R S P H F D D X R O P P G C T Z L A K X B U L P R A Q K D R X T A I D F R K R F I R U B L S Z C

Last Month’s Answers

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

June 2024

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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.”

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www.downhomelife.com

June 2024

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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!

Oliver’s Guide to Bumblebees of NL -

Mary Foley, Mary Doyle

Voitk, Hicks, M. Voitk and others

Unravelling a Mother’s Secrets Marjorie Doyle

#87916 | $18.95

#88243 | $22.95

Luna and the Heart of the Forest - Adam Karlin #88211 | $19.95

Healthy Comfort Foods

The Pig & The Dumpling

Where Once They Logged

Gluten-Free, Diabetic-Friendly and Keto Recipes - Bobbi Pike

A Tale of Witless Bay - Bonnie Johnstone

Stories of our Boys who Cut Pit Props in the British Isles - Lester Green

#88154 | $34.95

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Bluenose Ghosts

The Lucky and the Lost

A Seal of Salvage

- Helen Creightony

#88335 | $22.95

The Lives of Titanic's Children John Boileau with Patricia Boileau

#88336 | $24.95

- Clayton B. Smith

#88266 | $22.95

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

Happy Birthday Many Colours Greeting Card

Happy Birthday Puffins Greeting Card

Rowhouses Greeting Card

- Dale Power

- Dale Power

- Dale Power

#87492 | $9.99

#87491 | $9.99

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Cape Spear Lighhouse Greeting Card

House by the Sea Greeting Card

Nan’s Blueberry Cake Greeting Card

- Sandra Hunt Gill

- Sandra Hunt Gill

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#82784 | $6.00

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Nan’s Quilt Greeting Card

Dockside Calvert Dock Greeting Card

Port au Bras Dawn Greeting Card

- Sandra Hunt Gill

- Ed Roche

- Ed Roche

#81191 | $6.00

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TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-588-6353

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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!

Moose Crest Mug

Moose Crest Wooden Coasters

#86981 | $24.99

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Moose Crest Wooden Hanging Sign

Northern Moose Frosted Beer Stein #86974 | $24.99

Northern Moose Mug

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Northern Moose Wooden Coasters

Northern Moose Magnet

Northern Moose Wooden Hanging Sign

Moose Crest Frosted Beer Stein

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ORDER ONLINE: www.shopdownhome.com

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MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com

Newfoundland-Opoly Board Game #86537 | $37.99

500 Piece Puffin Puzzle

#86623 | $24.99

Puffin Sunset Diamond Art Kit

Codfish Cribbage Board

NL Map Cribbage Board

Moose Cribbage Board

Puffin Cribbage Board

Handpainted Rowhouse Mailbox

Crackleglass Rowhouses Globe

#82719 | $15.99

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Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.

2406_photo Finish_0609 Photo Finish 4/24/24 3:00 PM Page 144

photo finish

Pastel Moonrise

A radiant full moon rises in Great Brehat, NL. Bailey Parsons Stephenville, NL

Do you have an amazing or funny photo to share?

Turn to page 9 to find out how to submit.

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