Vol 37 • No 04
$4.99
September 2024
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Wooden Walls Distilling
Explore Chance Cove The Cod Splitting Show
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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, Water Steet Crystal Rose Retail Floor Manager, Avalon Mall Jonathon Organ Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Kim Tucker, Amy Young,
Advertising Sales Account Manager Barbara Young Account Manager Ashley O’Keefe Marketing Director Tiffany Brett Finance and Administration Accountant Marlena Grant Accountant Sandra Gosse Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney
Heather Stuckless, Destinee Rogers, Emily Snelgrove, Brandy Rideout, Alexandria Skinner, Colleen Giovannini, Rachael Hartery, Julie Gidge, Drew Oliver, Kaitlan Lewis, Emma Luscombe, Rebecca Pevie, Morgan Powless, Meadow Miller
Subscriptions Customer Service Associate Lisa Tiller Founding Editor Ron Young Chief Executive Officer/Publisher Grant Young President & Associate Publisher Todd Goodyear General Manager/Assistant Publisher Tina Bromley
To subscribe, renew or change address use the contact information above. Subscriptions 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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74 berry pickin’ time
Jackie Dean photo
Contents
SEPTEMBER 2024
42 Pet of the Year Meet the winner, an extraordinary animal friend!
50 Buddy’s Back Inside the emotional return to the stage of Buddy Wasisname & The Other Fellers Dillon Collins
62 The Cod Splitting Show
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the boys are back www.downhomelife.com
A centuries-old practice and cultural hallmark Kim Ploughman
74 A Field Guide to Newfoundland Berries A fresh crop of facts about our favourite sweet treats. Nicola Ryan September 2024
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Contents
SEPTEMBER 2024
homefront 8 Between the Lines A note from the Editor
10 Letters From Our Readers A Visit Home, Talk of a Tragic Treasure and Fond Memories.
14 Downhome Asks Some of our favourite callouts and responses from our readers on social media. 16 Downhome Tours Spain 18 Then & There Recent news, notes, events, anniversaries and more from across NL and beyond.
16 hola!
20 Why is That? Why do we call it a “rain check”? Linda Browne 22 Life’s Funny Strawberry Time 23 Say What? A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth
24 Lil Charmers Berry Picking Buddies
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i’ll pass, thanks
26 Pets of the Month Paw-some Autumn
28 Reviewed Denise Flint reviews A Seal of Salvage by Clayton B. Smith 30 What Odds Paul Warford’s exasperated utterances. 32 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose reviews Ian Foster’s new album, Nerve 4
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24 l’il pickers
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68
56
hidden gem
36 Adventures Outdoors
on your mark
Impromptu Moose Yarn Gord Follett
40 The Labrador Current An Innocent Bystander Nathan Freake
features 56 The Race is On Targa Newfoundland is back on the road. Dillon Collins
explore
80 that’s the spirit
www.downhomelife.com
68 Hidden Gems Exploring Chance Cove Wayne Parsons 80 A True Spirit St. John’s based craft distillery Wooden Walls Distilling shines on an international stage. Dillon Collins September 2024
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Contents
SEPTEMBER 2024
94 harvest treats
home and cabin 84 Stuff We Love Blueberry Bonanza Nicola Ryan 86 Ask Marie Anything Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions. 90 Todd’s Table Beef Stir Fry Todd Goodyear
94 Downhome Recipes Harvest Time!
102 Down to Earth Expanding
84 berry good
Your Horizons Kim Thistle
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110 those boys!
reminiscing 108 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places.
109 This Month In History 110 Visions and Vignettes About the cover September is a period of growth and change, of new beginnings and fresh, bright futures. Downhome explores the endless possibilities of the season this ‘Sweet September’ with a photo of a bountiful partridgeberry haul from reader Quenton Lessard gracing our cover.
Cover Index Pet of the Year • 42 Saltwater Joys • 50 Start Your Engines • 56 Sweet September • 74 Wooden Walls Distilling • 80 Explore Chance Cove • 68 The Cod Splitting Show • 62 www.downhomelife.com
Adventures of two young scallywags in an imaginary outport of days gone by. Harold N. Walters
114 This Month in Downhome History 118 Rooted in History Lester Green
124 Puzzles 136 Colouring Page 138 Classifieds 140 Mail Order 144 Photo Finish September 2024
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between the lines
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve taken this place for granted. Newfoundland and Labrador has been a source of great aggravation and greater inspiration for me over the years. Equal parts stifling as she is freeing, many of us have surely experienced firsthand the yin and the yang that come with island living. With our isolation comes peace and tranquillity, our perceived lack of opportunity allows for increased creativity. The cost, both real and imagined, can be high, leading many to adopt a glass-half-full mentality. I think I’m nearer a place of contentment in my saltwater life, though I’ll be open enough to say that has not always been the case. As Al Pacino’s fictional gangster Michael Corleone once said, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” With that in mind, I was lucky enough to be in attendance for the first proper live performance of Buddy Wasisname & The Other Fellers in five years. It was, in many ways, an eye-opening experience. Buddy and the b’ys have been a constant in my life from childhood, and I’d venture to say that Wayne, Kevin and Ray have been the soundtrack to more than a few island memories. This past June close to 3,000 eager concert-goers packed the Iceberg Alley Performance Tent on a prime Saturday evening, singing along with the beloved contributors of the Newfoundland songbook. If I wasn’t sentimental before, hearing “Salt Water Joys” belted to the rafters by thousands is sure to give one pause. Wayne Chaulk’s lyrics cut to the core of a wayward soul like me who has “searched for all the reasons why I should go away,” but ultimately “take my chances with those saltwater joys.” To that end, our September issue embraces the good stuff, the call of home and those saltwater joys that keep us there. 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 Cathy Harnum-Flynn of Sherwood Park, AB who found Corky on page 15 of the July issue!
*No Phone Calls Please. One entry per person
www.downhomelife.com
September 2024
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A Visit Home Dear Editor, I am beaming with pride and my soul is replenished as I share this story with you. When my granddaughter, Meera Amanda Lake, arrived in St. John’s, Newfoundland on May 12, 2024, she had made it “home” to where her daddy grew up. Meera is just 10 months old. Born in Georgetown, Guyana, she’s been getting to know her Newfoundland roots via FaceTime. Her Guyanese mom is not a fan of the cold, so her dad, St. John’s native, Darrell Lake – who has been working in the oil and gas industry in Guyana since 2020 – waited until the last bit of snow melted before introducing his favourite ladies to “da rock”. It was foggy when they arrived and foggy when they left three weeks later. But Meera loves the outdoors. Her little nose was fog-kissed more times than Grandma’s smooches. Meera was fortunate that her dad’s sister was home from Ottawa at the same time. Safe in her snuggly bunting suit, Aunt Kerry explored the sights and sounds of St. John’s with Meera in a baby carrier. They ventured to Signal Hill, around Quidi Vidi Lake, 10
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Mundy Pond, and through Bowring Park. Meera and Aunt Kerry convinced Mom to bundle up and hike the Silver Mine Path on the East Coast Trail. Meera’s favourite part of that trek was watching the waves at Middle Cove Beach. They’re not quite the same as the waves that hit the coastline in Guyana, but it’s the same Atlantic Ocean. Meera comes from her connection to the ocean naturally. You could say it’s in her blood. Her Great-grandfather was called “Big Jack”. There were three men named Jack Lake on Oderin Island, and Big Jack earned his name from his height and broad shoulders. Big Jack fished off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. For 40 years, he sailed in a schooner from Oderin to the Grand Banks, and
www.downhomelife.com
Meera’s great-grandfather Big Jack (right) from the schooner, he rowed his dory out to haul nets filled with cod. Resettlement in the late 1960s forced Big Jack to retire his trawls, but he never stopped longing to be back on the water in his dory. The memory of my
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dad’s dory has been preserved in our family since his passing in 1969. I raised my three children on the stories and adventures of Big Jack. We return to the abandoned island of Oderin every summer. It’s where the hills and trees sing and the weathered remains of the school house and dwellings whisper memories into the wind. Meera’s cousins, Clara and Jack can’t wait to introduce her to the old root cellar and the hole in the rock. Now teenagers, they have been going to Oderin every year since they were born. Meera will have to wait until next summer, however, before taking a maiden boat ride in Placentia Bay West. She’s headed back to Guyana
with visions of murrs and turrs in her dreams and the North Atlantic salt air in her lungs. My dad, Big Jack, well, he’s watching over wee Meera and has a fixed place in her heart. Gordon Lake St. John’s, NL, formerly from Oderin
Thank you for sharing Gordon. There’s nothing like a maiden voyage to Newfoundland and Labrador and we’re glad your granddaughter got her first taste of the place at such a young age. The first of many, we hope! Do you have your own stories of visits to the province you’d like to share? Let us know at editorial@downhomelife.com or online at downhomelife.com
Talk of A Tragic Treasure
Wasn’t I just pleased when I visited my father in the nursing home and he showed me that you had used my article “A Tragic Treasure” (published in Downhome’s June 2024 issue) with photos of my dearly departed mother. Awww... Thank you. I wasn’t sure if you were going to put it in, so this sort of made my day. Also, there is a mistake in the article – my fault, not yours! In paragraph two I think it was, you included the account of my mom’s German U-Boat account you published in 2011. I said it happened in the early thirties. Wrong! It was the early forties. It’s a mistake I missed when submitting the article. Too late now – can’t put toothpaste back in the tube now that it’s out there! However, if any reader brings that up, please apologize for me. The war didn’t even begin until 1939. Anyhow, it was a buzz seeing my mom’s account in Downhome. Thanks for the buzz! I do really hope Mom’s account encourages others to talk about what they’ve found on the beaches of Newfoundland’s shores and submit articles to you about it – so interesting. Have a great Newfoundland day! Linda Smith 12
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Fond Memories of Harry & Annie This is a photo of my grandfather, Harry Fiander, in the early ‘60s in his store, H. Fiander & Sons in Curling. He and my grandmother Annie ran it for years and lived in the apartment upstairs, and they were known and loved by all. I have wonderful memories of spending time there, maybe getting a few candies or an ice cream. I remember they had a beef barrel in the back of the store, Grandpa would take out a piece of beef with the hook, wrap it in brown paper and tie it with string. The store has changed hands a few times over the years, and I doubt that I would even recognize it today, so I am thankful to have found these photos in amongst my mom’s albums. They bring back fond memories of a simpler time. Carol Parsons via downhomelife.com
Thanks so much for your submission, Carol. We know more than a few Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have fond memories of a small town store or hangout. And yes, it was a simpler time! Your grandparents sound like they had something special! We always welcome any similar insights or stories from our readers.
www.downhomelife.com
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Asks How do we learn? From you, dear readers. Downhome routinely takes to social media to pose all manner of questions to our followers. From favourites to memories, opinions and everything in between, Downhome Asks, and you answer. Here are some of our favourite callouts for questions and responses from our followers.
Name a meal where the leftovers are just as good or maybe even better. Turkey neck soup, boiled dinner or leftover gravy. The best is smearing a piece of homemade bread with reheated gravy and eating it just like that. Danielle Robertson Fish, brewis, potatoes, scrunchions and fried onions all mashed together and drizzled with molasses. Sylvia Squires Hall Turkey dinner. Can make so many things with the leftover turkey, stuffing, gravy, and veggies. Turkey soup, poutine, turkey a la king, lettuce wraps, hot and cold turkey sandwiches and wraps, hash, breakfast potatoes, the list goes on. Jennifer Squires Yanish Almost any ‘NL’ meal really. Fish n brewis, baked beans, jiggs … yum! Audrey Clarke Hot roast beef, chicken, and turkey sandwiches. Dan Goldsworthy 14
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I think all leftovers taste better the next day because that’s when all the flavour sets in good! Carolyn Ferrie
Do You Make Your Bed Every Morning? Well, I’m the oddball. After 50 years of my hubby working shift work, all three shifts in a month, most times he was in it, so no I don’t. And it’s ok. Janice Clark Yes, before I leave my bedroom. Actually as soon as I step out, I turn around and make it. Dena Hepditch Yes, I start the coffee and then make the bed every day. Judy Kilby I used to, but not now. Not every single day. Cindy Simmonds I don’t anymore because, since my husband retired, he makes it. Kathy Rogers 1-888-588-6353
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Yes, and I change the sheets every second day. Kevenia Dominix Yes, I don’t leave the room until I do. Miranda Puddicombe
I live in Newfoundland and Labrador, but I’ve never … About the only thing I haven’t done regarding Newfoundland culture on my bucket list is visiting every community on the island, but pretty close now to seeing them all. Patsy Chaffey Humby Born and raised in NL, but never kissed a cod. Ate lots of cod and cod tongues and cheeks though. Travelled the island on family trips to many areas as a kid. Karen Moore I have never seen an iceberg. Gerardine MacLellan Gale I was born and raised in Newfoundland and Labrador but I have never seen a Better Place. Bev Stride Dawe
www.downhomelife.com
I have never been a fan of NL music. Anne Roane I was born and raised in Newfoundland and Labrador but I’ve never been to Labrador. Melissa Keeping I have never ate seal flippers or seen any Newfoundland outports or been to Gros Morne Park or many parts of Newfoundland, except the South Coast, St. John’s and the surrounding area. Marjorie Green I have never taken the ferry to the isolated communities on the South Coast, but it’s on my bucket list. Donna Marsh Cluett I was born and raised in Newfoundland, but I’ve never seen an actual pitcher plant or puffin. Lynnette Bown I have never hiked Gros Morne when I lived in Newfoundland. It’s on my bucket list for this summer, though. Melissa Darby McArthur
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homefront Downhome tours...
Spain
Barcelona Cheryl Wiseman and her mom Evelyn Greene pose by Barcelona’s Basílica de la Sagrada Família in this photo taken by Dustin Wiseman.
The Basílica de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona is an architectural masterpiece designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Renowned for its breathtaking blend of Gothic and Art Nouveau styles, construction began in 1882 and continues to this day! In 2005, the Sagrada Família was included with six other notable examples of Gaudi’s work in Barcelona designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 16
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Los Boliches Paul O’Driscoll and Kathleen McGrath enjoyed their time in Los Boliches in September of 2023.
Los Boliches is a sun-drenched seaside neighbourhood in Fuengirola, along the Costa del Sol in southern Spain. It’s known for its picturesque Mediterranean beaches, excellent seafood restaurants, and great mix of Spanish and British culture. It’s about 30km south of vibrant Malaga, one of the oldest cities in Europe, birthplace of Pablo Picasso.
Caminito del Rey Christine and Don Legge of Sudbury, ON successfully trekked the daunting Caminito del Rey (The King’s Little Path) in the province of Malaga.
Creeping along the steep walls of a narrow gorge in El Chorro near Ardales, this notorious 8km path was once considered one of the most dangerous in the world. It was originally built in the early 20th century as a service route for workers constructing a hydroelectric plant. In 1921, King Alfonso XIII officially opened this feat of engineering, taking the walkway to the Conde de Guadalhorce dam, and since then it has been known as ‘the King’s little path.’ www.downhomelife.com
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homefront
Then&There
Downhome catches readers up on major recent news, notes, events, anniversaries and acknowledgements across Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond.
Long-Awaited Catch In what the federal government has declared a “historic decision”, the commercial northern cod fishery is returning for the first time since the 1992 moratorium. The decision reestablishes a commercial northern cod fishery in NAFO Divisions 2J3KL with a Canadian Total Allowable Catch (TAC) of 18,000 tonnes for the 2024 season. The inshore fleet sector will receive approximately 84 percent of the TAC, with 20 percent of this inshore sector allocation provided to 2J-based harvesters and six percent of the TAC is allocated to the Canadian offshore fleet. “Ending the northern cod moratorium is a historic milestone for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. It’s through working together that we have reached this moment. We will cautiously but optimistically build back this fishery with the prime beneficiaries being coastal and Indigenous communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador,” boasts Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard Diane Lebouthillier.
Clowe Swims with the Sharks
Newfoundland’s own Ryane Clowe has returned to the franchise he long called home. Ryane has been hired as assistant general manager for the National Hockey League’s San Jose Sharks under GM Mike Grier. Ryane spent the last three seasons with the New York Rangers as senior advisor and hockey operations advisor. The Fermeuse native played 10 NHL seasons before his on-ice career was derailed due to injury. He was drafted by the Sharks in 2001, suiting up in San Jose, New York and New Jersey. He spent time as head coach for the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers before vacating the post due to concussion-related issues. He then moved to an assistant coach role in New Jersey before making the transition to the front office. 18
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Murphy’s Powerplay
Recruitment On The Rise
The province has stepped up its efforts to recruit nurses, particularly post-grads. Those efforts have been fruitful, to say the least. This year, a record-high 93 percent of the total 2024 graduates from local nursing schools have joined NL Health Services, the organization shared in a summer release. “We are pleased with the results of our recruitment efforts to date, and we will continue working diligently to encourage locally trained healthcare professionals to stay and work in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Debbie Molloy, vice president responsible for human resources at NL Health Services. NL Health Services has further extended conditional job offers to students still completing their program, offering signing bonuses, improved compensation, bursaries, improved support for work-life balance, and tuition support.
Newfoundland and Labrador’s own Trevor Murphy has joined Hockey Canada as their new vice president of hockey development. The Mount Pearl native most recently served under the senior leadership team for the 2025 Canada Games Host Society, previously holding executive roles with the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps and ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers. From 2003 to 2008, Murphy led the delivery of hockey development programs in Atlantic Canada as the manager of Hockey Canada’s Regional Centre in Saint John, NB, before working three seasons with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers in community and consumer partnerships. Murphy shares that he’s “excited to work with the tremendous members, volunteers and staff throughout the country to build upon the foundation that has been created for development programs as we look to take them to new heights and impact all hockey participants in a very positive manner.”
Disability Benefit Launched
The Provincial Government has announced the launch of a Disability Benefit that will achieve a basic income for Persons with Disabilities, backed by a $26 million investment. “Our government recognizes that the higher cost of living has impacted everyone, particularly those most vulnerable, including persons with disabilities. This new program is a positive step toward addressing some of the inequities experienced by persons with disabilities,” says Paul Pike, Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development in a release. The benefit will come into effect in July 2025 and includes up to $400 a month for persons with disabilities and $1200 in Registered Disability Savings Program, which begins in January 2025 for those that qualify. www.downhomelife.com
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Expert answers to common life questions. By Linda Browne
Why do we call it a “rain check”? Isn’t it unfortunate when you run to the grocery store to stock up on a sale item, only to find it’s already sold out? Lucky for you, you can always ask the cashier for a rain check. The name for this little piece of paper that promises you the sale price for a product once it comes back in stock didn’t originate in the grocery aisles but rather, the ballpark. Originally, the term did indeed relate to weather – and America’s favourite pastime, explains Caroline Taggart in her book As Right as Rain, which looks at the origins of some of our most beloved expressions. “If it rains hard enough during a baseball match, play is abandoned, or at least postponed, and disappointed ticket-holders are given a rain check so that they can get in for nothing next time,” Taggart writes. The American use of “check” here, she notes, is the same as that of a “hatcheck girl,” who provides a “check” or ticket that a person would use to retrieve their hat or coat when they’re leaving a venue. The figurative use of the phrase, as in “to take a rain check,” Taggart adds, 20
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“came to mean to refuse an invitation but with the clear intention of accepting another time.” On his blog Wordorigins.org, Dave Wilton shares the earliest example he found of the phrase used in a context outside of baseball, from the July 13, 1887 edition of the Daily CapitolianAdvocate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (which credits the original piece to the Detroit Free Press). The piece tells of a reporter who, noticing some “threatening” weather just after having his boots shined, remarked: “It is almost certain to rain, and I shall lose my elegant ten cent shine.” To which the “frescoer” replied: “I’ll give you a rain check, and if you lose your shine come back this afternoon and I’ll give you another.” While Taggart and several others say the literal concept of a rain check “has been around since the 1880s,” in his award-winning book A Game of Inches: The Story Behind the Innova1-888-588-6353
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tions That Shaped Baseball, Peter Morris says they go back even further. “In fact the National League faced controversy over the subject from its founding in 1876. The home opener in St. Louis was rained out, but none of the gate money was refunded,” Morris writes. Sports fans were not happy, he says, and an editorial in the May 5, 1876 edition of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat cried foul, stating: “Such a policy may be penny wise, but it is pound foolish, as well as dishonest.” Morris continues, “The club was forced to do damage control, and within weeks this policy was posted on all league grounds: ‘After one inning has been played no tickets will be returned. If the game is called tickets will be returned, good for any game played on the grounds, but in no case will the money of admission be returned’ (New York Sunday Mercury, May 20, 1876).” While baseball playerturned-manager and team owner Abner Powell is often credited with creating the rain check in the late 1880s, Morris says, what he actually invented was the “detachable rain check.” He references a 1943 article in Sporting News (in which the interviewer spoke with a then 83-
year-old Powell) that “made clear that the practice itself was already in vogue.” The article explained how ball clubs distributed hard, reusable cardboard tickets to customers, which were turned in to the gatekeeper, who deposited them in a box, noting “If rain halted a game before the fifth inning, the spectators would line up at the gate to receive a ticket for the next day as they passed out of the park.” “The spectators were handed the same tickets they had turned in at the gate,” Morris explains. “But Powell found that the number of tickets refunded would usually exceed the original sale. He attributed this to boys who had scaled walls, slipped through the drainage ditch, or sneaked in the service entrance. Accordingly, he devised detachable tickets, so that rain checks could be issued only to actual ticket purchasers.” Morris says while the article doesn’t specify a year, in his book The Hot Stove League, the late Lee Allen (who was the historian at the Hall of Fame’s National Baseball Library) notes it took place in 1888. While Morris says it took years for Powell’s innovative idea to catch on in the major leagues, he eventually hit a home run.
A Boston Red Sox rain check ticket stub, circa 1960
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
Strawberry Time When I was a child living in St. John’s in the 1940s, I was with my father, a Salvation Army Officer, when he went one day in June to visit a patient at the Waterford Hospital. I was waiting in his car when a farmer came along with his horse and cart, which was filled with manure. Three men were leaning up against the inside of the fence. One of them called the farmer and said, “Hey, mister. What are you doing with that load of crap?” The farmer replied, “I’m taking that to my farm to spread on the strawberries.” “Aw, sir,” the man replied, “You should come in here... We have cream on ours.” Orville Cole Dartmouth, NS
Do you have any funny or embarrassing true stories? Share them with us. If your story is selected, you’ll win a prize! See page 9 for details.
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ty girl, “You’re a ci ndma but my Gra cks!” knits my soy Jenkins Moriart – Angela
Say WHAT? Downhome recently posted this photo (submitted by Gina Keeping) on our website and social media platforms and asked folks to imagine what the boy might be saying. Angela Moriarty Jenkins’s response made us chuckle the most, so we’re awarding her 20 Downhome Dollars!
Here are the runners-up: You know my Nan got cheesies! Danette G. Rowsell Nar Jam-Jam around here is there? Phil Riggs Hey cutie, want to share my crib? Edna Walsh
Play with us online! www.downhomelife.com/saywhat
www.downhomelife.com
September 2024
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homefront lil charmers
Berry Picking Buddies Fruitful Fun Beaming Bryson picks partridgeberries with his mom. Brittany Powell via DownhomeLife.com
Sweet Seeker Benjamin’s got bushels of berries. Courtney Park Gander, NL
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Berry Tasty!
Beau can’t resist a berrylicious bite. Hannah Power via DownhomeLife.com
Blueberry Bliss Rosie is the sweetest little berry picker in the patch. Karen Hoddinott Bell Island, NL
www.downhomelife.com
September 2024
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homefront pets of the month
Falling for You Raider loves the fresh fall air and long walks on the trails. Angela Bonnell Torbay, NL
Paw-some Autumn Sticking Around Zara’s waiting for someone to throw that stick. Kimberly Canning Upper Gullies, NL
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Blazing Trails Pretty Molly goes for a trot on the Corner Brook Stream Trail. Ian Adey Corner Brook, NL
Treemendous This climbing kitty interrupts the neighbour’s birdwatching plans. Al & Ruby Lawrence Waterville, NS
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September 2024
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homefront
reviewed by Denise Flint
A Seal of Salvage Clayton B. Smith
Breakwater Books Ltd. $22.95
There’s something not quite right about Oliver Brown. An orphan with somewhat mysterious powers, he’s the ultimate outsider in the 1950s Newfoundland outport where he lives. His aunt is clearly raising him purely from a sense of duty and his grandmother refuses to acknowledge his existence at all. The only way he can play with the other children is by playing alongside them with an invisible but unbreachable wall between them, and the only time he’s truly at peace is when he’s by the ocean, a place his aunt insists he avoids. Oliver knows he’s a pariah, he gradually realizes he’s gay, but is he a selkie? That might be for the reader to decide in Clayton B. Smith’s debut novel A Seal of Salvage. The story isn’t told linearly, jumping back and forth to highlight the significant events of Oliver’s young life. It can result in a somewhat clumsy narrative as chapters open with statements along the lines of ‘four years before that happened’ or ‘two years before this happened’. One minute Oliver is a teenager, the next he’s a young boy. However, the language is beautiful and Smith has captured the easy way of speaking and comfortable socialization (unless you’re Oliver) of people who have known each other all their lives and are confident they will continue to do so until they die. Smith’s exploration of what it means to be an outsider is wellconsidered and carefully crafted. There’s joy as well as heartbreak and the bittersweet undertone keeps the reader engaged. Clayton B. Smith’s A Seal of Salvage is available now at shopdownhome.com
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Q&A with the Author Denise Flint: How long have you been writing and when did you realize you were a writer? Clayton B. Smith: Honestly I’ve been writing my whole life. Apparently, I’ve been saying I wanted to be a writer from before I could remember. In grade two when we had projects I was already saying it. When it wasn’t a profession I was doing it for fun so eventually I could get published and have it as a profession.
DF: Why did you choose to set this story in the 1950s? CS: The choice for that setting was to maintain a time period that still wasn’t so connected to the outside world, with the isolation that a lot of those communities still had. We still didn’t have the infrastructure to connect us to the rest of the province, let alone the country, and that was a prime space for imagination to take over.
DF: You chose to set this story in a real town rather than making one up. Does this constrain you in any way? CS: It definitely did obligate me to do my research. I had to make sure I was accurate. In contrast, it gave me the opportunity to explore fantasy that was more real to the reader and anchored in a real place. I won’t say it made it more difficult because I could lean on history and compose
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some of my settings based on reality. I wasn’t just writing fantasy, I was writing fantasy that took place within history and real life.
DF: What has writing this book taught you about how you personally see the past? CS: I think that I’ve learned that I’ve romanticized the past and this book took that away. There’s a charm to the old-fashioned ways, especially when I think of the tall ships and the fishing and the isolated life, and the more I read I recognized there were the same struggles, just occurring at a different time. There are examples of homophobia and racism – they just had less access to electricity.
DF: Do you and Oliver share any traits? How much of yourself did you put into him? CS: I guess a lot of the characters in the book have aspects I have similar to. He has a solemness. I’m kind of present in all the characters and feel them in different ways. Some I’m proud of, some not so much.
DF: What’s the reception been like? CS: Overwhelmingly positive. I’ve had lots of great feedback from here in the city and the outports. A lot of people from away have reached out and told me that it makes them feel like they’re back home, regardless of the timeline.
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homefront what odds
days like these By Paul Warford
Holding Ugh, readers, I’m having a day. word is funny, isn’t it? “Ugh.” The the keys to a That exasperated grunt of the privileged middle stricken car is class. This utterance is common vernacular for of my generation and the ones who like holding the those showed up afterward. uneaten treats “Ugh, they’re outta slices of Hawaiian!” The sound is only used by those who already of a sick dog… have plenty because it’s a sound you make when you aren’t getting what you expected to receive. I guarantee you my poor, departed grandparents never made that sound once in their lifetimes. But I digress. After earning a parking ticket en route to a meeting I was ultimately five minutes late for, I went from there to Jumping Bean on Elizabeth Avenue to write this. Open my wallet – no bank card. I had the thing this morning when I got coffee, where did it go? My VISA is disabled because my bank is investigating fraud on my account after recently discovering Microsoft charged me $150 for an apparent mystery service I didn’t ask for. So, no means to pay for the lunch I just ordered, but Jumping Bean treats me well and said I could pay the next time I visit. I sit to begin, reaching to retrieve my trusty earbuds from my bag – behind my hands and brain, they’re the most crucial item I need to complete What Odds because I have to shut out all the ambient noise around me or I can’t focus on what I’m saying. No earbuds. Ugh. So I drive home, collect the earbuds from where I left them charging, complete a quick, unsuccessful scan for that bank card, and then back to the car. I’m going to pass my bank on the way, I might as well stop in and get a temporary replacement. 30
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“Sure thing, can I just get your ID?” the teller asks. Open my wallet, no ID. I never remove it from my wallet, except when I wear tracksuits because they have no back pocket. I sported one yesterday when the lady and I went for ice cream, so the ID is at home, in those pants, under my cat. What’s that expression I used to hear on TV as a kid? “Mama said there’d be days like these…” We don’t know what we got ‘til it’s gone, to use another expression, and in the grand scheme of existence, this day isn’t that bad, really. I mean, at least the car is running. This time last week I wouldn’t have been able to say the same so casually. After the briefest of stops to meet a friend at the Farmer’s Market last weekend, I returned to my Mazda with a confident stroll, only to find myself frowning at its dashboard seconds later. “Well, that’s peculiar,” says my brain while my foot tries to pump the oddly resistant brake pedal and my index finger makes idiotic jabs at the ignition button. “These lights and symbols don’t usually greet me, day after day, as I take this wonderful car around town. What in God’s name is happening?” My kingdom for a mechanic. Holding the keys to a stricken car is like holding the uneaten treats of a sick dog; if only they could talk back and tell you what’s wrong, you’d do whatever you could to help. My 2017 Mazda 3 remained mum, however, telling me nothing. The dealership’s service department was closed, and I suspected the issue was electrical in www.downhomelife.com
nature and so I didn’t feel comfortable calling a random mechanic to examine my car. This was Canada Day weekend, so the car would have to sit where it was for the next three days. Ugh. By the time I was speaking to Scotty the mechanic on Wednesday, I’d already done a fair share of walking in the rain, so I was eager to hear his diagnosis. “Give it to me straight, Scotty! Is it the goddamn carburetor?!” Scotty wasn’t sure; he’d need some time. “It’s hard to say what’s wrong with it cause so very few things go wrong with these cars.” Finally, someone who understood. “I know, buddy,” I replied with a tired smile. “That’s why I got one.” There was corrosion somewhere, and that caused the computer to stop communicating with the rest of the car, or something like that. My guess is the corrosion only happened because I wasn’t properly undercoating the car in the first place. My ID is in my other pants, my bank card probably fell out onto the floor of the car and is under the front seat while I’m typing this. Maybe the lesson for this week is that whenever one of us says, “Ugh,” what we’re really saying is, “I brought this on myself.” 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 September 2024
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fresh tracks
new music talk with Wendy Rose
Nerve Ian Foster
NEW IN CLASSICAL, CLASSICAL MOTIVATION, Classicaltronics, and Music for Sleep: Solo Piano are just a few of the carefully curated online playlists where you can find music from Ian Foster’s 2024 record, Nerve. For those who know Ian as a folkroots troubadour, this new album sees the prolific lyricist drop the poetry and focus solely on the music, returning to his first love – the piano. The album opens with “Dark Patterning,” with pretty, plinky piano guiding us into the beginning of our aural adventure. The song title reflects the nefarious technique of deceptive design patterns on user interfaces – think along the lines of trying to cancel an online membership, only to be met with many bold, large-print prompts encouraging you to stick around, while the “cancel” button you seek hides in a small font in a dark corner. On “Gossamer,” Ian brings in a relative of the piano, the una corda, which translates to “one string.” This instrument employs a piece of felt material that 32
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dampens the sound as the internal hammer hits a singular string, giving a slight delay and a unique sound as it alters the resonance. Ian employs a few extra musicians on this track – Carole Bestvater, Daniel Fuchs, Mahina GrahamLaidlaw, and Amy Collyer-Holmes. Together, this group of four are The Strong Harbour String Collective (SHSC), an ever-evolving performance ensemble of artists and music teachers. The SHSC accompanies Ian on several tracks, helping construct the rich and full sound you hear on this record. We continue with “Volition.” Slow to start, this track builds and builds, only to take an abrupt left down a brand-new path around the threeminute mark. Drummer Nicholas Coultas-Clarke joins in, with one Fred’s Records employee remarking, “Nick did not have to go that hard on that track!” While that sounds 1-888-588-6353
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vaguely insulting, it’s meant as a deep compliment in Gen Z slang. The SHSC returns again on “Hard Kiss,” with violin swells and soft piano creating an impressive aura. Closing my eyes, I picture long grass swaying in the wind, an empty swing softly bouncing on the breeze. It’s
work to form new soundscapes for this song. This fascinating technique also plays into the title of the first part of this medley, as the songwriter uses older works to create something new and fresh. The SHSC crowd also perform on this composition, as well as the next track, “More to Surrender.” On this tune, we veer more into electronic music territory, but the transition is so seamless and subtle, that you’re already there before you notice the shift. Ian introduced this listener to a brand new word with “Phosphenes” – the scientific term for the otherworldly “light show” that happens when we press/rub on our closed eyelids and see flashes, squiggles, sparkles and more. This track is an experimental exploration that started with a simple musing – “I wonder what will happen if…?” By heavily processing and filtering a piano track – using multiple copies of the same track – Ian again constructs a brand new ambient soundscape with this creative approach. Ritche Perez photos Next up is “I See You in light and airy, however, the “harder” There,” a simplistic piano-focused part of “Hard Kiss” comes in at piece. Soft and delicate, this piece is 2m45s with the addition of one of the shortest songs on the percussion. It’s catchy, and you can’t record, coming in at just over three help but groove along. minutes. Though short, the track is Ian took a unique approach with the still mesmerizing, somehow feeling album’s fifth track, “Who I Was/A longer than it is. First Step Home,” by getting extra Using a vocal recording by Annie inventive with sound design. Playing Sumi from “Edges of the World,” off around with waveforms, Ian used 2022’s Close to the Bone, with added samples from his own catalogue of harmonies from Ian’s longtime www.downhomelife.com
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collaborator Nancy Hynes, “Ready to Receive” emits a slightly different vibe than the rest of this instrumental album, while still sounding cohesive. “I love mining the increasingly rich collection of sounds I’ve recorded from artists over the years,” Ian says. “It adds a comforting weight to the music.” The record closes with “Severe Clear,” its title drawn from the aviation industry, describing optimal weather/flying conditions. This
utterly ethereal track was treated to a visual accompaniment, with the creation of a music video using footage from a recent trip to Mexico. The timelapse video shows a gorgeous, sunny day on the water, with clouds floating overhead. As I write these words, it’s a similarly beautiful day here in St. John’s. Find some green grass, look up at the rolling clouds, take some deep breaths, and turn on Ian Foster’s new record.
Q&A with the Artist Wendy Rose: I feel like we have a lot to catch up on since mid-2022 when your record Close to the Bone was released. Less than two years later, we have a brand new Ian Foster record, Nerve, which is entirely instrumental. As a talented lyricist, what made you want to go in this direction? Ian Foster: I’ve spent the last number
of years scoring more and more for film and loving that aspect of what I do, so Nerve is a logical musical extension of that work in some ways. After Close to the Bone, I felt I quite literally didn’t have anything else to say for a minute when it came to lyrics, and this album happens to be the direction music was pulling me at the time. I’ve always followed those feelings when they’ve come up throughout my career. Frankly, I’ve never understood when an artist doesn’t follow their heart: god knows we’re not in this business for the money, so it’s best to simply do what you want to do. 34
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WR: Where does the album title come from? IF: In 2020, I experienced an extended bout of nerve pain that became chronic pain. So, no real mystery on the title. Returning to my first instrument – the piano – was physically easier than the guitar at the time, and brought some comfort and catharsis during that difficult period. I feel you can hear those things across the record, and I’ve even had a few messages from folks relating the music to their own experiences with chronic pain: it’s wild how powerful music can be in terms of how it reaches people, with or without lyrics.
WR: Can you tell us a little about the recording process and the musicians you collaborated with? IF: Nerve was largely recorded in my
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featured The Strong Harbour String Collective. Both Nick Coultas-Clarke and Annie Sumi contributed to the record in an interesting way: I found this old loop Nick played during the recording of his own debut album Armour that I produced, and I asked if I could include it as a backbeat in “Ready to Receive.” Annie’s vocal on the same song came out of a session she did on Close to the Bone … Nancy Hynes also contributed a harmony to Annie’s melody on that song.
WR: Your new record was launched at Bannerman Brewing Co. on June 8, with a special in-store daytime performance at Fred’s Records the following day. What was the vibe like at these events? IF: It was a pretty fulfilling weekend
because the two launches were so different. We transformed Bannerman with the help of Dave Shears of Hurricane Music on lights, along with Nick helping tech out the show from the stage for music and video, and Rob Brown on sound for front of house. Guests included Nancy Hynes, Andrya Duff and opener Jing Xia, which made for quite a musically diverse show. Fred’s was a far more relaxed environment, with just myself and Nick for most of the show, and a special appearance by Andrya. This one was family-friendly, so we had a bunch of kids there, which is always fun in terms of how they react to the music.
WR: What’s in store for yourself and Nerve in 2024? IF: I’ll be taking Nerve around the island
this summer, and we have some fall/Christmas plans coming together, along with a western Canadian tour in winter 2025. As always, ianfoster.ca/ shows for the latest. www.downhomelife.com
September 2024
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homefront
adventures outdoors
All photos by Cliff Doran
Impromptu Moose Yarn By Gord Follett
Many of my outdoor articles in the Newfoundland Sportsman magazine over the years came from people I had just met. At the supermarket, gas station, on a river or in the woods, I’ve enjoyed listening to their stories of hunting and fishing adventures. Occasionally, when I thought a particular story would appeal to readers, I would ask if I could contact them at a later date to get more information for a possible feature article. Such was the case in March of this year as I was unloading my snowblower from the Tacoma to clear the driveway of a family member. Philip recognized me from the Sportsman magazine and television show and offered to push his feet against the bottom of my ramps so they wouldn’t slip off the tailgate, as I had forgotten to bring the straps and 36
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hooks that kept them in place. “Doing any rabbit hunting this year, Gord?” he began. “Don’t seem to be a lot of ‘em around, according to my buddies up around St. Mary’s Bay and out around the BlaketownWhitbourne area.” “I haven’t been rabbit hunting much the past few years,” I replied, “but I do plan to get back at it with my buddy Tony Vinnicombe next season; just gotta lose some weight so I can get around.” “Did you have a moose licence last season?” he asked. “No, I had one the year before,” I said, “so I just advanced in the pool and will apply again when I’m in pool 6... not many of them around, either.” “Yeah, I’ll say,” Philip said. “We had to make two, five-day trips to Millertown before I got mine last season. We only saw seven animals on those trips; three the first one and four the second trip, including the young bull I eventually shot. We covered a lot of ground on quads to see those few animals. A lot of ground...” “Oh I hear ya,” I said, “but at least you got your animal.” “As we were driving back to camp one evening on our first trip, we spotted a lovely, big, healthy cow less than 100 yards away,” Philip continued. “But even with my either-sex licence, I wasn’t planning on taking a cow anyway because most of them would be pregnant by then. That’s my personal choice. I’m not criticizing anybody for
taking a cow on their either-sex licence. It’s entirely up to the hunter. I don’t want to upset anybody. Make sure you include that part in your story, will ya Gord?” Philip finally harvested his animal on the last day of their scheduled five-day hunt. Philip and his pal Kevin discovered “really fresh” tracks in two different areas the next morning, but despite his repeated cow calls and waiting more than three hours at each spot, they failed to attract any animals. They were encouraged, however, by the sign and vowed to “stick at it from daylight to dark” on their final day, which called for “fog as thick as grandmudder’s pea soup,” but “dissipating” by noon. Despite not being able to see more than 70-80 yards off the trails in the early morning fog, the boys were on their way at first light. They did see a young bull around 11 o’clock as it was beginning to clear, but in the 30 seconds it took Philip to get off the
Our hunters spotted a young bull through the fog, but he quickly disappeared right back into it. www.downhomelife.com
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Philip could have taken a cow on his first trip, but decided against it.
bike and ready his .308, the animal disappeared back into the fog, which hadn’t “lifted” quite enough for them to see past 150 yards. “After that, the weather cleared and it was a beautiful day,” my new friend continued. “We had a boilup around 1 o’clock just off the woods road by the same marsh where we saw tracks earlier, then I suggested to Kevin that we should hop back on the quads and try another spot. But he was having nothing to do with it! “He told me that if I went, I’d be going alone and that he had “a good feeling” about this area. So of course, we stayed and called. And called. And called...” Shortly after 6 p.m., the boys thought they heard “a grunt.” Philip called and listened. Nothing. He called again and waited... Suddenly the unmistakable sound of a bull’s
grunt left no doubt an animal was heading their way. Fifteen minutes later, a young bull – which they were pretty certain was the same one they spotted in the fog – emerged from the trees about 150 metres away. “He only made a few steps out and stopped to listen,” Philip said, “so I went down on one knee, aimed for his vitals and squeezed the trigger. Bang! I knew I hit him good and didn’t bother to chamber another bullet. Sure enough, 60-70 yards later, down he went.” It was just after dark by the time they got the animal paunched, quartered and back to the cabin. “And what did you do then?” I asked with a grin. “Well b’y, ya knows what we broke out then,” he laughed. “Slept in the next day, of course, but all was good. Another great trip in the books.”
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
An Innocent Bystander By Nathan Freake
For a teacher, September is the month of all months. Back-toschool prep, new beginnings, meeting staff and students whom you’ll spend the rest of your year with – all of it making for a hectic few weeks to kick off the next ten months of the new normal. But despite the heavy workload that this time of the year brings, September, for me, has taken on a new weight. In May of 2021, archaeologists uncovered the tragedies that lay beneath the grounds of residential schools across our country and unmasked the wrongdoings of our nation. In the aftermath, on September 30th, 2021, Orange Shirt Day became the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and it could not have been more timely in Canada’s history. I had grown up half-aware of the history of Indigenous peoples in Canada. As I got older, becoming a more avid reader, I found myself picking up the works of Richard Wagamese and Thomas King. I became fascinated with the history of Indigenous Canadians and the stories they shared. In my high school years, I was lucky enough to travel to Ottawa and take part in the annual Rotary Adventure in Citizenship Program. There, for the first time with my own eyes, I witnessed a smudging 40
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ceremony that had a profound effect on me that I will never forget. I am from Labrador, born and raised. In case the nickname “Big Land” didn’t paint the whole picture, it’s true: this place is huge. If you’re from Labrador West – where you can all but jog to the Quebec border – the next Englishspeaking town is 250 kilometres away. The next? 300 clicks more. If you haven’t been here (or aren’t a geography buff), most of the Indigenous population in Labrador starts about there, far from what I had known and experienced. So when I read about the discovery of the tragedies plaguing the Indigenous communities across Canada in May of 2021, I was deeply affected, torn, and desolate. I was not, however, surprised – and this is the saddest conclusion of all. I had played no part in the tragedy, but I nonetheless felt guilty. I was an innocent bystander, right? 1-888-588-6353
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On the day the news struck I wrote the following poem to help describe my state of mind as a white man looking inward, a bystander to the problem. Each September I come back to the heart of what I felt in May of 2021. I don’t know if I will ever stop feeling the same as I felt when considering my state as a bystander. And perhaps that’s the point. I hope this poem helps to navigate your understanding of what it means to be Canadian, to reconcile, and what it means to live in truth. And please, don’t hesitate to contact me to keep that conversation going!
i am an innocent bystander i am an innocent bystander dancing in the starlight to an Ojibwe song
i am an innocent bystander unseeing of the carpeted wrongs of the country that i love
i am an innocent bystander walking through an exhibit of a First Nations Museum
i am an innocent bystander watching little bodies being pulled en masse from silent ancient graves
i am an innocent bystander reading of Métis traditions in a textbook, tattered and torn
i am an innocent bystander except that i once shrugged off Shanawdithit like she was a work of fiction except that i once thought it so unfair that i was victim to restrictions except that i once was jealous of the green card as if i deserved it too except that i once scoffed at the drunken, thinking they’d had better things to do
i am an innocent bystander being quizzed on the Innu (or the Inuit —i struggled to distinguish) i am an innocent bystander writing an answer on the Beothuk and which of them was last i am an innocent bystander thinking TB was just too bad and not a colonial plague i am an innocent bystander reciting information from an old and mangled textbook i am an innocent bystander knowing nothing of the things that had been kept out of those lines
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i am just a bystander i am not guilty i am not a foe and i am not to blame but i am just a bystander i am not innocent at all
Nathan Freake is a writer and educator from Labrador City. For any inquiries, you can reach Nathan at thelabcurrent@gmail.com September 2024
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features
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It’s that time of year again, time to tip your paws and snouts to our furry, feathered and fantastic friends for our Downhome Pet of the Year Contest. All year long Downhome showcases your canine, feline and all-around awesome animals and, each and every September, spotlights the most heartwarming paw-some stories that will surely bring you closer to animal lover than ever before. This year’s winner is Rufus, the Bionic Wonderdog, who has changed the life of his humbled human, Leigh Bursey.
Rufus, the Bionic Wonderdog The deep connections that can develop between humans and animals are precious. A single glance into the eyes of a scruffy pup can lead to years of love and devotion, as in the case of Rufus and his dad, Leigh. “I never had a dog before,” recounts Leigh, who was living in Brockville, ON, when Rufus came into his life. “I was in a relationship at the time with a wonderful woman who I have immense respect for. She had left her domestic circumstances with this little black puppy dog. She had to work sometimes and asked me to babysit him. I said, ‘I’ve never babysat in my life! I don’t know anything about dogs!’ But I just remember I looked at this little guy and thought, ‘How could anyone not be completely in love with him?’” Leigh wears many hats as an activist, journalist, researcher and musician, currently working as a Supportive Housing Case Manager. He specializes in homelessness – a circumstance he understands personally, and Rufus is always at his side. Rufus and Leigh www.downhomelife.com
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“After a lot of my lived experience with poverty and homelessness, I started working at youth centres and warming centres and shelters,” he explains. “Rufus would come with me to Ottawa to volunteer and to Brockville to be at the warming centre. He’s been with me at the Gathering Place, he’s come with me to work with Connections for Seniors. I take him with me wherever I can and it’s normally greeted with a lot of enthusiasm from clients and residents.” Rufus’ sweet, sociable nature wins him friends wherever he goes. “There have been times where there’s been a skirmish at a warming centre,” Leigh says. “And after dealing with someone’s traumatic circumstance, I’ll turn around and I see him on buddy’s lap, you know, sharing a yogurt cup, watching Sons of Anarchy together. He’s just very affectionate and I know it made a significant difference in their life. He’s the greeting dog, the therapy dog, the guard dog and the welcoming dog. He’s everybody’s best friend.” Rufus earned his ‘bionic wonderdog’ title after surviving a major accident in 2022 when he was struck by a car. “One of the big things I promised him as he was getting older is I was going to try to get him a backyard to play in because even as a municipal councillor in Ontario I couldn’t afford a home of my own. So the opportunity came up here and we moved here and he had a great backyard but that didn’t make a difference when he got smoked,” Leigh says as he recounts the harrowing details of the incident. 44
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“They broke his femur and hip. On the other side, the hip by the cracked femur was mangled in three places. They knocked out a couple of teeth, scarred his face, road rash, knocked him loopy. He bit his tongue, his eyes were rolling in the back of his head, he was in shock and immense pain. I just remember jumping over top of my dog and putting a hand up and lying in the middle of the road going, ‘Please don’t die on me. I can’t do this without you.” Heavenly Creatures, a local animal rescue organization raised ten thousand dollars that weekend and saved Rufus’ life. “I really thought the accident would have more impact on his quality of life but he’s the same energetic dog he always was to me. I don’t notice any significant difference at all,” says Leigh. “He’s full of energy, he’s so affectionate, so full of love. He’s a bit territorial, I mean, especially when it comes to the front lawn and protecting his dad, but when he’s anywhere else he’s just a darling – and he’s also super cute!” The bond Leigh and Rufus have forged is rooted in companionship, loyalty, and the unique ability pets have to provide unconditional love and comfort. “He’s been with me through some hard times for sure,” Leigh says. “I’ve struggled with some mental health issues in my day, some depression and anxiety. He’s been so therapeutic for me because he’s very loving.” Soon, Leigh and Rufus will be on the road again, relocating to New Brunswick where Leigh will work as a housing initiative manager. “Rufus has been a part of a lot of adventures,” he says. “He has a little www.downhomelife.com
dog tag of every city he’s lived in. He’s been out in PEI picking potatoes with me, he’s been a part of my fundraisers, he’s been a part of my life as a public politician and marched in parades. He’s been a groomsman, he’s been a superhero, he’s sort of done it all, but the biggest thing is he’s provided a lot of comfort and warmth to people who didn’t have a lot.”
Our Pet of the Year winner is the recipient of a two night pet getaway from Ocean View Hotel, complete with a pet amenities package, complimentary breakfast and $100 dining card. The premier oceanfront hotel is located in the heart of Gros Morne National Park in picturesque Rocky Harbour. For more information visit theoceanview.ca (See ad on page 55)
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Bella
y ated b NominTobin Leo
“I want to tell you a story
of how a little lost and hungry kitten saved my life,” begins Leo Tobin, a county fire chief and business owner in Alberta. “One afternoon I was at court as a support figure. It was a beautiful November day, and while standing outside talking to a couple of R.C.M.P. officers, this beautiful black kitten with a small white circle on her shoulder came up to me. I picked her up, and one of the officers said, ‘It looks like you’ve got a new friend.’” A self-described dog person, the tiny kitten made such an impact on Leo that he decided then and there to find it a home following court, though the animal was nowhere to be seen when he returned from his commitment. Three weeks later, amidst a blizzard in the region, serendipity would intervene. “After taking an hour to drive a half-hour drive, I finally made it home,” he recalls. “My workplace is 30km away, but 46
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My wife said, ‘You’re going to keep her’ and I said, ‘Not likely.’ I hung up the phone, took one look at the beautiful and pitiful little thing, went into the bedroom, changed into my street clothes, and out I went into the storm for an animal I didn’t even like. the courthouse is five blocks from my apartment. As I got out of my car, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was a tiny little ball of black fur shivering at my door. You must understand, that I lived in a 4-plex…two apartments up and two on the ground level. I lived in an upper apartment, yet there she was…at “my” door! I knew it was the same kitten because there was a tiny white circle on her shoulder.” Resigned to the fact that he couldn’t possibly leave the creature stranded in the cold, Leo brought the kitten inside. “I wasn’t sure at that moment what I was going to do about feeding her, but I did know the next day she would be leaving. My wife said, ‘You’re going to keep her’ and I said, ‘Not likely.’ I hung up the phone, took one look at the beautiful and pitiful little thing, went into the bedroom, changed into my street clothes, and out I went into the storm for an animal I didn’t even like.” Fed, entertained and appreciative with newly purchased kitty chow and toys, the kitten would curl up with Leo, cuddling under his chin for warmth as the pair fell asleep in unison.
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Expecting to remove his unexpected guest the next day, the kitten became instantly attached to Leo, and Leo to the kitten. “I opened the door and let her out and she crawled up the chair, hopped onto the railing, over to my arm, around to my left shoulder and sat there, watching people on the street. Yes, she stayed. I named her Midnight, but my wife said Bella suited her better because she is beautiful. Bella was home.” Retiring a year later and diagnosed with PTSD, Leo explains that Bella has been a tremendous source of emotional support. “Bella is always by my side and always there for emotional support. My wife started calling her a puppy cat,” he jokes. “Bella follows me everywhere and listens like a dog. She sits and waits for treats, meets me at the door when I come in, and when I tell her up, she jumps on my lap. She curls up asleep on my lap when I’m watching TV downstairs, and if my wife calls out to talk to me, she just lies there sleeping.” Unexpected bonds can form in the most miraculous of ways, even for a man and his cat, both needing each other more than they’d know.
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Walter
Nominated By Michelle Earle
“Our Frenchie Walter is our hero. At four years old he woke one day in extreme pain, unable to use his back legs. With a diagnosis of Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) and a ruptured disc, he underwent life-saving spinal surgery. He made it through but was still unable to walk. It took a year of numerous therapies, setbacks and tears, yet Walter always stayed confident and steadfast. He has continued to beat the odds, facing any complications head-on with his nose in the air and a wobble in his step. He inspires us every day.”
Piper
Nominated by Krista Howell
“Piper is a rescue pup from the town of Norris Point. She lives in Pasadena now. She is a regular visitor to the library at Grenfell Campus, MUN, where she offers wellness and cheer-up visits to students from around the province and around the world! So many students love the snuggles and belly rubs that remind them of their pets back home, and obviously Piper LOVES the attention!”
Milly
Nominated by Amanda Oakley
“Milly is a pitbull/cattle dog mix. She was abandoned in Texas at five months old and was picked up by a rescue that transports to NL. It wasn’t known to the rescue that she was deaf. My fiancée and I had her two days before we figured it out. Training a deaf dog does come with its challenges. We have to use hand signals and we have to be her ears and make sure she is always safe. She has changed our lives. We are more patient, understanding and attentive because of her. She’s the best pup.” 48
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Dory
Nominated by Amanda Pelley
“Have you ever met a cat that loves to spend time in a stroller and go for walks? Well, my cat Dory from Durrell is just the cat. When Dory was just a kitten I bought a pet stroller hoping I could take her for a little stroll around my little cove. The moment she jumped in she loved it. Now, four years later, Dory not only likes to get in for walks but it’s her place for her naps. When the weather is nice Dory and I head for a walk. She enjoys the ocean views and loves to watch the sunset!”
Macey
Nominated by Kayla Cox
“Macey is a beloved seven-year-old Golden Retriever who resides in Irishtown-Summerside. She greets you by shaking her bum, waving her tail and giving endless kisses. She’s an adventurous canine who has a passion for exploring the great outdoors, whether it be moose hunting in the woods, fishing with her brother or hunting frogs with her sister in the Newfoundland ponds. Macey also loves ski-doo and side-by-rides. She enjoys relaxing by the fire at the cabin and has a great love for rocks. Woof!”
Opie
Nominated by Arabella Dyke
“Opie came into my life in September of 2023. He’s my very first personal horse and the dream I’ve had since I was little. After losing my ‘heart horse’ in 2022 very unexpectedly, he showed me how to love another horse fully. Opie is my unicorn who has shown me how to love the sport again and how to give my heart to another horse without feeling guilty. He makes me the happiest a girl can be!”
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features
e turn to the Stag e R l a n o ti o m E llers Inside the & The Other Fe e m a sn si a W y of Budd BY DI LL ON CO
LL IN S
TO SOME, THEY’VE BEEN THE BACKDROP TO CHILDHOOD. To others, the soundtrack of road trips, steam cruises out of the harbour, kitchen parties and camping-based shenanigans. To any they meet, Kevin Blackmore, Ray Johnson and Wayne Chaulk are some of Newfoundland and Labrador’s favourite sons and national treasures. To all, they’re known as Buddy Wasisname & The Other Fellers, and after five years away they’re back on the stage.
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All photos by Alick Tsui
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Buddy Wasisname & the Other Fellers get up to their old shenanigans during a performance at Iceberg Alley in 2024 The much loved and hilarious ensemble suited up for their first proper show in five years this past summer at the Iceberg Alley Performance Tent before a raucous and enthusiastic crowd nearly 3000 strong. There was magic under the big top on that sultry June evening, that much was clear to those in attendance and the legendary entertainer’s stage front. “Ray, Kevin and I hadn’t played together in five years, except for one little stint last November when MusicNL gave us an award and wanted us to do eight minutes. So we went to town and got together for probably an hour and just tidied up three pieces and did that. But that doesn’t really count. So for five years, we didn’t play. For us to come together on the weekend, and perform to a group like that who was just so enthusiastic and so eager to see us after being out of the picture, it was delightful,” shares Wayne 52
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Chaulk in a sit-down with Downhome. “Over the last few years, I can’t tell you how many emails and texts and messages and everything else (the band has received) people just saying we really miss what you do and we need it. It was good to do this and have at least 3000 people see us. It was really delightful b’y, to connect with the fans and get the reaction that we got, and to prove to ourselves that we’re capable at our age and the absence from it to still be able to do it. It was absolutely wonderful.” Belting out fan favourites “Is You Happy”, “Chainsaw Earle”, “Sarah” and “Salt Water Joys” in unison with the capacity crowd, the response from the sea of humanity put to bed any doubts that the boys may have lost a step. “Every performer has doubts about what he’s done and what he’s doing. And when you go so long without playing, you just wonder. We’re playing all those old, some people 1-888-588-6353
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call them hits, but we’ve always called them misses. These were our greatest misses. So we wondered if they would still stand up. Are people sick of this now? And to walk on stage and know that you can forget a word or you can fumble a chord, it doesn’t matter,” Wayne says proudly. “You got 2500-3000 people singing your lyrics. What’s really gratifying to me, and I’m sure Kevin and Ray too, is that those weren’t songs that they hear on the radio
Wayne Chaulk
Kevin Blackmore
from Nashville, these were originals. These are basically Newfoundland songs and they were our songs. And to know that all of these people who came could sing all of the lyrics, I mean, it’s just so gratifying.” Firmly established as a quintessential part of the Newfoundland zeitgeist, Buddy has begun to receive their flowers in recent years, literally and figuratively. The band has been honoured by the East Coast Music Association and MusicNL for their www.downhomelife.com
contributions to music and culture, recently receiving the supreme national accolade of being inducted as members of the Order of Canada. “Sometimes the past becomes a blur,” Wayne acknowledges. “We haven’t been playing a lot in recent years. I’m doing various things, and every once in a while, almost every day I’ll smile because a memory will come back to me from 30 years ago, 35 years ago or a particular theatre, a particular crew member did
Ray Johnson
something or said something, or a family showed up for soundcheck because they couldn’t make it for the show. There are hundreds. “One would think that our before date would have passed a long time ago, but like you say, it’s a multigenerational thing. And that’s what we aimed at in the beginning. We want families to come out to the show. You wouldn’t believe the number of people now who say that ‘every trip that we went on, you guys September 2024
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were the soundtrack for it. Grandad was singing, dad, mom, kids, everybody singing these songs.’ That becomes ingrained in people’s minds and it becomes a little bit of the soundtrack for their childhood and earlier years. And that’s what makes it so lasting, I think.” Posed the million-dollar question on the future of Buddy live, and Wayne pumps the breaks on a fullscale return to the road. The trio, alongside longtime fixture Byron Pardy, have enjoyed a reprieve from decades of travel and gigging, spending much-deserved time with family away from the spotlight. That said, the allure of the crowd is strong, and only growing stronger thanks to the mammoth reception under the Iceberg tent. “We’ve been enjoying the fact that we get to spend so much time with family and friends and kind of live normal lives because, for 37 years,
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we spent time at home, but then we also spent probably 100 days of the year on the road, broken up. Your life was compartmentalized and you were on a plane and you were gone. It was just madness. Your schedule was crazy for all these days, and you come home and you’d miss birthdays, you miss special occasions, stuff like that,” Wayne explains. “So to have an extended period at home, to have a normal life and given our ages too, we reasoned that we would play very, very little and that might even be once a year or twice a year or whatever. It would be only an event all three of us wanted to do, and our families were okay with it. But when we played (at Iceberg Alley) it certainly reignited the old feelings of how good it is to be on stage and to be responded to the way we were. We’ll keep the door open.”
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Targa Newfoundland is back on the road this September. From September 12-19, one of only three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world and the only tarmac rally in North America will hit the province, visiting two dozen communities from St. John’s to Leading Tickles. With competitors past and present ranging from 15 different countries as far as Turkey, Japan and Australia, racers will cover over 2000 km, including 500 km on closed courses on public roads, navigating spectacular terrain, breathtaking scenery, and immersing drivers and crew in the uniqueness that is outport Newfoundland and Labrador. “I believe we are now the last major support of outport life in Newfoundland,” shares Robert Giannaou, Targa Newfoundland co-founder and www.downhomelife.com
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Targa Newfoundland is subdivided into two distinct events this year. Targa Bambina a two-day competition Targa Duemila a six-day competition Both events include a two-day Course Familiarization Program (CFP) prior to the event. This provides a driving skills review, stage review, and practice session. The first day is mandatory for new teams and optional for returning teams. The second day, which includes the stage review, is mandatory for all teams.
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inductee into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame Class of 2022 as a competitor, builder and significant contributor. “We’re there for these communities and we work with these communities.” Kickstarting in 2002, Targa NL has attracted hundreds of professional racers from across the globe, serving as an economic boom for local tourism, bringing in an estimated $100 million of economic activity into the island portion of the province (according to a formula from the MUN School of Business and ACOA). Robert, who has been involved in motorsports within the province and beyond for over six decades, emphasizes the importance of retaining the heart and tradition of Targa NL while embracing the duel philosophy of creating a symbiotic family-like atmosphere between the competitors and the communities that become their canvas. “We are alive and well. We’re doing
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Targa Newfoundland has three fathers or co-founders: public relations executive Doug Mepham, automotive journalist Jim Kenzie and Newfoundland businessman and racer Robert Giannou. After competing in the Targa Tasmania in Australia in 2001, Jim Kenzie and Doug Mepham were inspired to bring the excitement of that event closer to home. According to Jim, “We got talking and thought: Island; welcoming population; needs tourism dollars. How about Targa Newfoundland?” Jim wrote about the idea in the Toronto Star Wheels section and Doug Mepham sent the article to Robert Giannou, who had promoted Formula Atlantic races in St. John’s in the early 1970s and other motorsport events after that. Robert Giannou secured the support of the provincial government and a year-and-a-half later, Targa Newfoundland was born. Targa ran for the first time in 2002 and continues proudly today 22 years later.
well. We understood that it was going to be two tough years to get back on the road (following the COVID-19 pandemic). And what we have done as a result of what happened last year and before, is we were taking up to 80 and 90 entries. Now we’re limiting it to 40 to 50, because when you go about that, you lose the gathering, so to speak, that the bonding of the competitors and the bonding with the Newfoundlanders,” he explains. “We are continuing to, for example, www.downhomelife.com
expand the number of times for the lunch stops and service stops, which we used to, in the past, run right through. Now we give them a chance to experience the communities, and that’s what I love about the event.” High octane thrills under the backdrop of picturesque Newfoundland and Labrador have made Taraga NL a can’t-miss event for twenty years and counting. For all things Targa NL visit targanfld.com. *History and event info courtesy of Targa NL September 2024
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We’re wasting no time preparing for the next Downhome Calendar, . . . and neither should you! Submit your favourite photos of scenery, activities and icons that best illustrate the down-home lifestyle. We’re looking for a variety of colourful subjects – outports, animals, laundry lines, historic sites, seascapes, hilltop views, and so much more – and photos from all four seasons. This is your chance to get in on our most popular reader contest and try to woo the judges into choosing your photo for the 2025 Downhome Calendar. These calendars are seen by tens of thousands of subscribers and displayed all year long.
What are you waiting for? Submit today, using one of these ways:
by mail: Downhome Calendar Contest 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL A1E 3H3 online: www.downhomelife.com/calendar Must be original photos or high quality copies. Digital photos must be at least 300 dpi, file sizes of about 1MB. We can’t accept photocopies or photos that are blurry, too dark or washed out. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want your photos returned.
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IT’S THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH: the Cod Splitting Show! Well, at least in the once fish-rich waters of Newfoundland and Labrador. 62
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David Boyd photo
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For centuries, this cultural performance has been staged on many a wharf in many a crook, cranny and cove along 17,540 km of coastline. In recent decades, the spectacle has waned, with the curtain nearly coming down during the Moratorium era of 1992. Thank Cod, however, for the food fishery which seasonally reignites the production, and for folks like Captain David Boyd, who runs Prime Berth in Twillingate. Born and brined in fish culture, David hails from one of “the most beautiful of fishing villages,” Tizzard Harbour. Later in life, he would also be called to step into a role as a fiery and passionate fish-culture keeper. During a phone conversation, the Captain notes that by the time he could crawl down over a wharf, he ventured out to cod trap fish with his Dad. “As father was the cod splitter in our fishing crew, it was only natural that I would split,” he recalls, reflecting on practising his splitting on tomcod. “No one in the crew wanted me to make a round tail on a merchantable cod,” he laughs. At the entrepreneurial age of 14, he remembers splitting and drying 14 quintals of tomcods, which he then sold to Quintans at Moreton’s Harbour. “Cod splitting was the most skilled job in the assembly line of the splitting table. If the cod was not split correctly, right off the bat, it would not be prime cod,” David remarks. The story of how David became a skilled fish splitter would go on to 64
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feature in his daily staged performance at his favourite theatre in the world: The Prime Berth Fishing Museum. At his father’s urging, the young mariner continued his schooling, becoming a teacher. For 28 years he taught at a one-room school in his mother’s birthplace of Moreton’s Harbour and later in Twillingate, where he met his wife, Christine.
Young David Boyd with his father, 1950 The sea, however, was ever calling his soul. In the spring of 1995, David jumped full-time back into the the fishery, harvesting crab, lobster and cod under the Stewardship Fishery. Coincidentally, he started creating Prime Berth. “It began as a tribute to my forefathers and as a way and a place for visitors to touch the soul of a way of life, fast disappearing,” he shares. 1-888-588-6353
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The Prime Berth Fishing Heritage Centre is located at the causeway to Twillingate. Over the years David has filled it with displays highlighting the traditional fishery. With help from friends and family David spent countless hours relocating the century-old buildings of the fish trade from Tizzard’s Harbour. He added displays, including cod traps, fishing stages, splitting tables, and a blacksmith shop to the historic fishing centre. Today, Prime Berth is located at the causeway that connects Twillingate to the island and is a top provincial attraction, bringing awareness to the traditional inshore fishery. Ray Greenham from Indian Cove has offered an extra hand www.downhomelife.com
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Some of the buildings at Prime Berth were relocated from other communities. Here we see David towing his father’s stage from Tizzard’s Harbour. with the cod splitting show. He recalls a tourist declaring the place “better than The Rooms!” Greenham agrees: “If you want to be brought back in time and smell cod liver oil in a 100-year-old cod liver bucket, watch David expertly remove a cod’s sound bone, demonstrate the art of cutting out cod tongues, then Prime Berth is your better bet. There’s no other place in the province like it.” For close to 30 years David has performed the captivating cod splitting show to over 1200 motor coach groups. He estimates that he’s entertained some 40,000 tourists. “Most importantly, they have learned the deep roots of the province’s fish culture, as demonstrated by the art of cod splitting,” he says. In 2004, this fish performer won the province’s Cultural Tourism Award, taking home the Manning 66
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Award in 2016, which honours his private museum as well as his efforts in sharing the history of the inshore fishery and engaging visitors in firsthand and authentic cultural experiences, including cod jigging. Newfoundland and Labrador was once the cod heartland, but over time the mighty fish have fallen. “They never had a chance,” David laments, referring to the foreign draggers who devastated the cod from the 1960s onwards. Even today, David has issues trying to secure a few fish. As a licenced tour boat operator, he’s allowed to retain a cod or two, but only during the food fishery. In the meantime, the Cod Splitting Show must go on! For David, it has been made all the more urgent following his diagnosis of a rare blood cancer in 2023. The visionary captain shares with travellers his ancestors’ story, 1-888-588-6353
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underscoring how the biggest cod resource in the world not only enlivened our shores but fed the world. “I want people to understand about Newfoundland’s inshore fishing heritage … and indeed, marvel at what defined us to our core,” he shares proudly. David is hopeful Prime Berth imparts a timeless lesson: that the rich tapestry of his ancestral heritage is not a relic of the past, but indeed a living and cherished force that could, and should, shape our future. More than anything, David envisions Prime Berth and the Cod Splitting Show as a form of resistance, a fire
against changing times that’s determined to burn and endure as a keeper of cultural wisdom. As one visitor at Prime Berth enthused, “Dave brings fishing to life when he splits a cod!”
David at the splitting table
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explore
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discovered Chance Cove almost by accident. As avid hikers, we have seen countless areas of the island. We’re not ones to sit still for long periods, so suffice to say that exploration is in our bones.
All photos by Wayne Parsons
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One sunny autumn day, we searched for places along the East Coast of the Avalon that were reasonably close to home. While perusing online maps for one of the few areas that we had yet to see, we saw the little community of Chance Cove. Barely an hour from our home in Heart’s Delight, we decided to take a “chance” and go explore the area. We laced up our boots, grabbed our cameras, and hit the road. The drive is an easy one from almost anywhere, as you pass the popular tourist destination of Bellevue Beach on Highway 201. Arriving in Chance Cove itself is quintessential Newfoundland – a quaint seaside community, dotted with colourful houses along the rocky coastline. To our surprise, we noticed a sign that said “Hiking Trail” with an almost perfect parking lot that welcomes visitors to this trail. I have to admit that this wellsigned spot took me by surprise, as I didn’t expect there to be an officiallooking and welcoming trailhead. In 70
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all honesty, I would expect this level of care to come from a larger town. The nearly three-and-a-half kilometre trail itself is another delightful surprise. It’s abundantly clear that careful hands are maintaining this path. From the start, the trail is clearly defined and lovingly built. It’s moderately rugged in spots with tree roots and rock steps but manicured where you need it to be. These trail builders have built and maintained boardwalks and adequate signage, making it impossible to get lost. As you amble along, you’ll skirt the shoreline of the Chance Cove beach opposite the town itself. Soon after, the trail pitches upward and you’ll find yourself overlooking sheer cliffs. It’s always windy on this exposed portion of the trail, so keep that in mind as you venture close to the edge. Eventually, you’ll get back into the close quarters of stunted Newfoundland trees, offering protection from the howling winds. Continued on page 72 1-888-588-6353
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You’ll find a well-built staircase leading to a quiet, tranquil beach with a clear view of an island, aptly named “Island Cove Beach”. The halfway point, known as “Big Cove”, is the highlight of this short hike. A very tall cliff overlooks an equally impressive sea stack that rises from the Atlantic. There are views galore along the journey, each offering picturesque vantage points. But don’t get too close to the edge as the height is not for the faint of heart. You have the option of scrambling down a steep chute to Big Cove with the help of a fixed rope. This can be difficult for most, but the reward is a private crescent beach, flanked by tall cliffs. Eagles, sea stars, jellies, and striped granite rocks are usually found in the area, so have your camera ready. If the tide is low, there’s a mini cave at the base of the forested sea stack. Best visited on a warm sunny day because you can lounge around, admiring the grandeur around you, protected from the wind. Climbing out of this secluded spot is fortunately easier than descending into it. Back onto your hike, the vantage point changes again as you get your last glimpse of Big Cove. Now you’re at the highest elevation of the trail, as you follow a nicely wooded section. After a brief descent, you’re doubling back on the trail you started on. Before you know it, you’re back in sight of the parking lot. 72
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For an added point of interest as you leave the parking lot, look for the lion head-butting the rock at the end of Chance Cove beach. My wife and I love the Chance Cove hike so much that we make time to do it every year. When I describe it to others, I like to call it a mini
Skerwink Trail. Like the Skerwink, the Chance Cove hiking trail offers breathtaking scenery and multiple opportunities to “take it all in.” The best time to visit would be a calm day in the summer or fall. Avoid winter months for obvious reasons, because you’ll also want to explore the beaches. Enjoy! 1-888-588-6353
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Field Guide to
NEWFOUNDLAND
BERRIES A FRESH CROP OF FACTS ABOUT OUR FAVOURITE SWEET TREATS BY NICOLA RYAN
Ian Gidge photo
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From windswept hills to sheltered clearings, rocky barrens to soggy bogs, each year Newfoundland and Labrador is bountiful with berries. Whether you’re picking them fresh from the wild or savouring them in homemade jams and desserts, Newfoundland berries offer a taste of the island’s rugged beauty and warm, welcoming spirit. Grab a bucket and join us on a sweet adventure.
Blueberry
Several types of blueberries grow here, but the most common is probably the lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium). Locals might suggest looking for blueberries in areas where the lumber industry has recently gone and logged all the trees. This is because blueberries like to grow in loose, well-drained, acidic soils with a high content of organic matter. The best time to forage for these beauties is late August to September. Snack on them fresh, or try them in a classic blueberry duff or jam, or sip a chilled glass of blueberry wine. Head to Brigus for the town’s Blueberry Festival each August.
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Partridgeberry
Partridgeberries (Mitchella repens) are called Lingonberries in other parts of the world. They tend to be tart and slightly sweet in flavour and are used to make jam, sauce, wine and baked goods. The best time to pick partridgeberries is after the first frost, normally in late October or early November in high-elevation locations because the frost brings out the berry’s sweet flavour. Fresh-picked partridgeberries were traditionally stored in a barrel of water in the cellar or on a porch. In the 1950s, Fogo Island’s Earle & Son Ltd. was marketing canned lingonberry sauce “from the windswept hills of Newfoundland.” Check out the Fogo Island partridgeberry harvest festival in October and be sure to try a piece of Lassy Tart – a classic recipe including molasses in the pastry and partridgeberry filling. Quenton Lessard photo
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Bakeapple
Bakeapples sell for a surprisingly high price. Surprising, that is, if you’ve never gone bakeapple picking. Generally ready for harvest between mid-August and September, this golden-orange berry grows scattered in bogs and wetlands, making each bucketful a labour of love. Some of the best places to pick are on the south coast of Labrador and the Great Northern Peninsula, and you’ll find freezers full from Port au Choix to L’Anse-auLoup. Bakeapples (Rubus chamaemorus), also known as cloudberries and by other names throughout the world, have a somewhat sweet-tart flavour and are usually used to make jams and spreads for desserts. Try a drizzle of bakeapple spread on a slice of cheesecake for a heavenly treat.
Annette Tatchell photo
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Strawberry
Wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana), are among the earliest berries to start ripening around here, springing out in sunny spots as early as mid-July. They can be found throughout Newfoundland – notably in the area around the Humber Valley, where, after the Second World War, returning soldiers and their brides settled the area, cleared the woods and set up farms. Wild strawberries are a delicious addition to any summer dessert, and there are many U-pick locations from Cormack to Campbellton where you can pick your own. Strawberries can spoil quickly, so put them in the fridge right away. Wait to wash them until right before you eat them because they’ll last longer. Head to Deer Lake in July for the Strawberry Festival – one of the longestrunning festivals in the province.
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Raspberry and Blackberry
On the south coast, you will find sandy loam soils that are highly fertile with great drainage, ideal for growing raspberries (Rubus idaeus), and blackberries (Rubus fruticosus). We recommend setting out in search of these berries anytime from late July to late August, but be sure to wear long pants to avoid thorns. Sweet and bursting with flavour, they taste great when eaten fresh, made into a jam or jelly, or used in any variety of baked goods.
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explore
A St. John’s based craft distillery shines on the international stage. By Dillon Collins 80
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What business, artist or craftsman can claim they’re the best in the world?
Wooden Walls Distilling, one of only two craft distilleries in Newfoundland and Labrador, can now lay claim to such an achievement.
All photos courtesy Wooden Walls Distilling
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Wooden Walls, the much-acclaimed distillery and tasting room which launched on the historic waterfront of Downtown St. John’s in 2023, has earned the immense distinction of capturing World’s Best Varietal Vodka and Best Varietal Vodka in Canada at the 2024 World Vodka Competition for their premium spirit Evening Tide Vodka. September 2024
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“It just puts that recognition on the product,” Head Distiller James Walsh shares with Downhome. “We believed it was a really good product, that’s why we entered into these competitions. But then getting that feedback is everything and getting some recognition on the national real stage, really helped our brand awareness.” “To get our vodka to be the best in the world in our first year, it wasn’t even something that we were considering. But we have a distiller that’s incredible,” adds Director and Co-Owner Dean Sullivan, tipping his hat to the craftsmanship of James and company. “Everything he makes is fantastic. So we know the product’s good and we’re not trying to compete with Iceberg and Smirnoff. The whole plan for us was to make a premium product. So we’re playing in a different market with premium spirits.” Celebrating the best in internationally recognized vodka styles and judged by a panel of leading distillers and experts, the World Vodka Awards recognize and promote 82
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the best vodkas globally. Handcrafted into small batch spirits using slow distillation and fermentation techniques, Evening Tide is made using a blend of wheat, rye and oats sourced throughout Atlantic Canada for a wonderfully smooth pour that stands a cut above their contemporaries. “If you ever take a sip of Evening Tide you’ll probably realize that it doesn’t have that classic harsh vodka burn to it,” James shares. “It’s extremely smooth and that’s from every step of the process.” That painstaking process – from grain selection to fermentation – requires time, precision and attention to detail, resulting in a truly delectable premium spirit. But that’s not the only top-shelf beverage the Wooden Walls team has crafted. From their award-winning coffee liqueur and new blueberry liqueur to eye-catching cocktails using local ingredients mixed with their handcrafted blends of vodkas and gins, Wooden Walls aims for the highest level of experience with every sip. “We don’t try to let synthetic 1-888-588-6353
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flavours influence our product,” assures James. “We want it all from the source.” Paying homage to the sturdy oakhulled steamers of the 1800s which were pivotal for Newfoundland trade and commerce, Wooden Walls draws inspiration from Newfoundland and Labrador’s colourful heritage, saluting a heartiness and resilience in a region that boasts more than a few diverse offerings to satisfy wayward pallets. Take Walsh’s Welsh Gin, a modern twist on the classic London Dry style, crafted through maceration and
vapour infusion with a marriage of citrus, juniper and warm spices. Or the aforementioned Coffee Liqueur, a World Liqueur Awards-winning mouth punch crafted with Bonavista Coffee Company’s Tanzanian Korongo Peaberry cold brew, vanilla beans, and cacao nibs. “Everything’s about being premium,” Dean says proudly. “Everything’s about trying to be the best: best products, best spirits, best process, best cocktails, best service.” Visit Wooden Walls Distilling at 140 Harbour Drive or find their products at NLC locations.
“We don’t try to let synthetic flavours influence our product. We want it all from the source.”
James Walsh
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HOME and Cabin
stuff we love by Nicola Ryan
Blueberry Bonanza GOOD PICK Forget the salt beef bucket! Crackerberry’s purpose-built bags are a berrypicker’s best friend. Handmade by local artisan Elona Severs in Deer Park, NL, these unique and useful bags are comfortable, durable and available in both large and mini sizes, perfect for foragers of all ages. Search for Crackerberry Bags on Facebook.
SWEET TREATS We love the housewares at Adora Boutique in Whitbourne. These hand-carved bowls, made with sustainable wood, are decorated with botanicals and accented with white details – perfect for serving up a fresh batch of berries or any other tasty treats! adoraboutique.ca
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BERRY CHIC Sprinkle a dash of fresh berry charm to your look with these dangling sterling silver earrings. Featuring tiny meticulously crafted blueberries nestled in shiny silver leaves, they’re the perfect pick to add a touch of sweetness to your style. heritageshops.ca
FRESH AND FAB Stuart’s Stitches, handcrafted in Corner Brook, offers pet accessories including bandanas, scarves, bow ties and scrunchies for all occasions! How precious would your pooch look in this blueberry print? Search for @stuartsstitches on Instagram.
BERRY-LICIOUS The Dark Tickle Company, located in St. Lunaire-Griquet, on the Great Northern Peninsula, makes the most delicious jams, sauces, spreads and teas. We love to add a heaping spoonful of Old Fashioned Wild Blueberry Spread to a freshly baked tea bun – heaven! darktickle.com
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HOME and Cabin
Ask Marie Anything Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions
Q: How do the design and decor of my space affect my psyche and overall health? What can I do to improve it?
Awesome question. There have been many studies recently around that topic. So many things in our environment affect our mental and physical health; the space we spend the most time in is a big one. Without getting into a makeover or renovation, let’s start with the small things. Suppose you come home at the end of the day and there’s an untidy mess greeting you, a pile of dishes on your kitchen counter, clothes and books left all over the furniture in the family room. In that case, I’d guess that you drop your shoulders, let out an audible sigh and feel as though you cannot begin to relax until that mess is taken care of. You can sit back and put your feet up, but the nagging interruption in your visual periphery is a subconscious torment.
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If you open the door at the end of your busy day and what greets you is a clean, tidy space, a vase of fresh flowers on the table… I’m pretty sure your happiness level just went up a few notches. On the flip side, if you open the door at the end of your busy day and what greets you is a clean, tidy space, a vase of fresh flowers on the table, and the natural scent of lavender, mint or lemon finding your nostrils, I’m pretty sure your happiness level just went up a few notches. That’s just the tip of the iceberg and, realistically, a pretty easy fix. A few minutes of tidying, clipping a few blooms from the garden (or picking them up at the market), lighting some candles or plugging in an air diffuser and you’re done. You know that feeling when you know something is affecting you but you’re not aware what it is? That’s what the space around you is like. Once you start to notice it, you realize there are things you can do to improve it. www.downhomelife.com
I once had a client who happened upon some less-than-ideal circumstances. She was unhappy with her new space and the mismatched pieces that became her decor along with some of the more meaningful items she’d brought with her. There was nothing we could do about the wall colour or flooring which, luckily, wasn’t bad. We assessed furniture options, removed what wasn’t necessary or didn’t add value to the space, picked the most personal pieces from the artwork, added an extra lamp and a rug, and arranged it all in a comfortable, inviting grouping. It was amazing what a little attention to detail and placement made. It started to feel more like home and she started to relax into her new reality. It reminded me of just how September 2024
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critically connected we are to our personal space and how it deeply affects us. And it’s true of every space we encounter. Healthcare facilities should be designed to offer calm and healing environments. Educational institutions are meant to enhance the learning experience and therefore all elements of that environment should contribute to that end. Workplaces should ideally promote productivity, well-being and collaboration, creating a win-win for employers and employees.
Spaces can and should be both functional and beautiful. It’s not just how it looks, but how it makes you feel. I’ve adopted a quote from William Morris, a British craftsman and artisan from the mid-1800s. He said, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” It’s a great philosophy to live by. There are five basic elements of design that affect your mood and well-being, again, whether you realize it or not.
My advice is to keep your space as light and bright as possible with accents that appeal to your personality.
Colour I won’t state the obvious here about how our weather affects the amount of time we spend indoors. Suffice it to say, we need to surround ourselves with colours we enjoy. The red/orange spectrum will inspire feelings of warmth and energy while the blue/green spectrum can calm and soothe. There’s endless information on the psychology of colour and how it can impact our lives. My advice is to keep your space as light and bright as possible with accents that appeal to your personality.
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Use of Space
Peaceful Surrounding
Most areas of your house have a specific function which requires specific furnishings. Keep a sense of balance in mind. It’s easy to over furnish a room. Each piece should look like it belongs.
Some would call it Feng Shui. It’s all about bringing things into the space that make you feel good and create good energy. You’ll know when something doesn’t feel right.
Personal Touches Lighting Natural lighting is the most impactful for creating a space where you want to spend time. If that’s not possible make sure there is ample lighting using large ceiling fixtures, and floor or table lamps. The colour of the bulb is critical too. Where possible, go toward the warm spectrum light bulbs.
A house can look lovely because it’s clean and tidy but if it doesn’t have your personal touch it doesn’t feel like a home. That doesn’t mean every horizontal surface has to hold a family photo or holiday souvenir. Curate it carefully and tastefully, letting your space tell your story. There are a few other factors that should be taken into consideration. Scent and texture may be more obscure than the basics but they play significant roles in our perception and mood. Natural elements such as wood, stone and greenery add another level. Bringing nature into your space, especially here on the Rock, is a great way to stay connected to our ruggedly natural environment. It will immediately raise your mood and inspire you to get outside and enjoy all the beauty there is. Your space – especially your personal space – affects you in so many ways. I think it’s worth the effort to create an environment that makes you glad to be home at the end of the day, an environment in which you truly love your space.
Ask Marie Anything! Got a design question for Marie? Email editorial@downhomelife.com.
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Todd’s table
Beef Stir Fry 90
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Todd’s Table By Todd Goodyear
When he’s not dreaming up or cooking up great food, Todd Goodyear is president and associate publisher of Downhome. todd@downhomelife.com
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It seems like a copout, but this meal is so simple to make that the effort feels undeserving of the results. You need meat – I’m using beef – lots of veggies and about half an hour, that’s it. How many times do you struggle with meal planning and preparation? I know most people I talk to cringe at the question, “What are we having for supper today?” There are so many distractions in life, especially during the week: work commitments, family responsibilities, pet needs, etc. Often we rush around so much that one of the most important things we need to do slips our minds. You can always order takeout, but these days that can be more expensive than convenient if you make it a regular occurrence. A simple stir-fry is not only delicious and satisfying but it’s so simple and quick, and, if you make enough, you’ll have a meal for lunch the next day. Here’s what you need. Remember the choice of protein and veggies is 100% your own. Cook what you love to eat.
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Beef Stir Fry 1 lb beef sirloin, flank or skirt steak cut into 2-inch strips 2 tbsp of olive oil or avocado oil 1 1/2 cups of broccoli, cut into small pieces 1 small onion 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced 1 can whole mushrooms
Once you have all your ingredients chopped, sliced and minced heat up a deep frying pan, or wok if you have one, on medium-high heat, and add oil. Once the oil is hot add the beef, stirring and turning over until browned on all sides. This will take 10 minutes or so. Add the garlic at the last minute, being careful not to burn. Remove the beef when browned and set aside. Add a little more oil to the pan, keeping it medium-high, then add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for about five minutes and add the remaining veggies. Cook, tossing and stirring for another five minutes, and return the beef to the pan, adding soy sauce and sugar. Cook for five minutes and taste, seasoning with salt and pepper. You can serve over the rice of your choice, though it’s also great as is.
1 red bell pepper, sliced into small pieces 2 stems of celery chopped small 2 carrots thinly sliced 2 cloves of garlic minced 2 tbsp of soy sauce 1 tsp of white sugar Salt and pepper to taste
Todd’s Tips Prepare everything for the pan before you turn on the heat. Cook on medium-high heat to obtain the sear. Choose your protein and veggies, and cook what you love to eat. Always cook with confidence!
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downhome recipes
Harvest Time! It’s harvest season, which means fresh fruits and veggies bursting with flavour! Whether you like to bottle and stock up for winter or enjoy fresh and fragrant flavours, September is prime time for reds, blues, yellows and greens. The colour wheel to Flavourtown is in high gear this month at Downhome as we serve up vegetarian-friendly recipes that utilize your garden’s best offerings.
Blueberry Pancakes 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1 1/4 tsp white sugar 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk 1 egg 1/2 tbsp butter, melted 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
Sift flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Combine milk and egg in a small bowl. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Stir in melted butter, then fold in blueberries. Set aside for 1 hour. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the hot griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake; cook until bubbles appear on the surface, then flip and cook until golden brown on both sides. Serve hot. Yields 12 pancakes.
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Roasted Garlic Cauliflower 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp minced garlic 1 large head cauliflower, separated into florets
salt and ground black pepper to taste 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220° C). Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Combine olive oil and garlic in a large resealable bag. Add cauliflower, seal the bag, and toss until cauliflower is coated. Pour into the prepared casserole dish and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven and turn on the broiler. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and parsley over the cauliflower. Return to the oven and broil until golden brown, three to five minutes. Serve hot and enjoy! Yields six servings.
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Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 1 pound crumbled blue cheese, divided 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup sour cream 1 1/2 tbsp white sugar 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced ground black pepper to taste 1 head iceberg lettuce, cut into 8 wedges 2 roma tomatoes, diced 1 small red onion, thinly sliced croutons (optional) cumbled bacon (optional)
Gather all ingredients. Combine 1/2 of the blue cheese, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, sour cream, sugar, olive oil, garlic, and pepper in a bowl; blend with an electric hand mixer until well combined. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until serving. Place each lettuce wedge on a salad plate. Drizzle dressing over each wedge. Scatter tomatoes, onion, and remaining blue cheese over each salad. Croutons and bacon optional. Yields eight servings.
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Spaghetti Squash 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 3 tbsp sliced black olives 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. Place spaghetti squash cut-sides down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance, about 30 minutes. Remove squash from oven and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, two to three minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are warmed through. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash and place in a medium bowl. Toss with cooked onion-tomato mixture, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm. Yields six servings.
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Cream Filled Carrot Cake Cookies Cookie Dough 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup softened butter 1/2 cup vegetable shortening 2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained with juice reserved 1/2 cup grated carrot 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Frosting 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened 1 tbsp softened butter 2 cups confectioners’ sugar 1 tbsp juice from canned pineapple
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease four cookie sheets. For the dough, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl until well combined; set aside.Beat together sugars, butter, and shortening in another bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Mix in flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in crushed pineapple, carrot, raisins, and walnuts, mixing just enough to evenly combine. Drop spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool briefly on the baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. For the frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar and pineapple juice; beat until no lumps remain. Spread frosting on cooled cookies. Allow to dry completely before storing. Yields four dozen cookies.
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Bakeapple Jam 5 cups bakeapples, frozen (4 cups) 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup orange juice
1 cinnamon stick 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Place all ingredients in a pot over medium heat; cook until berries are thawed. Once thawed (skip the thawing step if using fresh berries), bring mixture to a boil and cook until liquid reduces to a jam consistency. Remove pot from heat and discard cinnamon stick. Strain out all the seeds, being sure to push all the pulp through the strainer into a heatproof bowl, so as not to lose any jam. Discard the seeds. Using a wide-mouth funnel, ladle mixture into sterile jars, filling to 1/2" from the top. Using a paper towel dipped in boiling water, carefully wipe the jar rims clean of any preserved mixture. Any residue will prevent a good, proper seal. Using a magnetic lid lifter, lift lids onto jars and place a ring over the top. Tighten the rings finger-tight only. Lower filled jars onto the rack in the pot of boiling water. The jars should be covered by at least 1" of water. Put the lid on the canner and once the water returns to a boil, set a timer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, carefully remove the jars using a jar lifter (special tongs), being careful not to tip them over. Place jars on a rack to cool, undisturbed, overnight. Next day, remove rings (or tighten them a little and leave them on) and store your preserves. Yields 1-2 (500 ml) jars.
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Blueberry Ricotta Squares 1 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup white sugar 1 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/3 cup milk 1/4 cup shortening 1 egg 1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries 2 eggs, beaten 1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese 1/3 cup white sugar 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square baking dish. In a large bowl, stir together flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and baking powder. Add milk, shortening, 1 egg, and lemon extract; beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute, then beat on medium speed for 1 more minute. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan; sprinkle with blueberries. In a medium bowl, stir together 2 beaten eggs, ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Spoon over blueberries and spread evenly. Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares to serve. Yields one nine-inch dish.
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French Onion Soup 1/2 cup unsalted butter 2 tbsp olive oil 4 cups sliced onions 5 cups beef broth 2 tbsp dry sherry 1 tsp dried thyme
1 pinch salt and pepper to taste 4 slices French bread 4 slices provolone cheese 2 slices Swiss cheese, diced 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Gather all ingredients. Melt butter with olive oil in an 8-quart stock pot over medium heat. Add onions to butter and continually stir until tender and translucent. Do not brown the onions. Add beef broth, sherry, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven’s broiler. Ladle soup into oven-safe serving bowls and place one slice of bread on top of each (bread may be broken into pieces if you prefer). Layer each slice of bread with a slice of provolone, 1/2 slice diced Swiss and 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and broil in the preheated oven until cheese bubbles and browns slightly, two to three minutes. Serve hot and enjoy! Yields four servings.
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down to earth
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Expanding Your Horizons BY KIM THISTLE
It’s the end of summer. If you are anything like me, you still have squash plants that you’ve not managed to get in the ground yet and just can’t bring yourself to compost. Summer in Newfoundland is short. Very short. It’s so hard to get everything done before time is up. That said, it’s changing. With the warming of our planet, our last frost in spring is earlier and our first frost of the fall is later. There’s a big downfall to this, but I am going to concentrate on the upside rather than the negative aspects of the changing climate. You can just turn on the radio in the morning if you want to be depressed. When I travel about the island, I am drawn to community gardens to see the new and interesting vegetables and fruits that gardeners are attempting. There was a time when it was potato, carrot, cabbage and turnip. These are important crops that we still need to focus on but let’s take a look at some things that we are growing now that we wouldn’t have thought about 20 years ago, or, if we did, it would take much tender love and care to bring it to the ripening stage.
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Before I get into it, here’s some trivia. Everybody loves trivia! Tomatoes and peppers are fruits that are referred to as vegetables by many gardeners. According to Melissa Petruzzello in her article “Is a Tomato a Fruit or a Vegetable?”, botanically speaking, a fruit is a ripened flower ovary and contains seeds. Tomatoes, plums, zucchinis, and melons are all edible fruits, but things like maple “helicopters” and floating dandelion puffs are fruits too.
Tomatoes Many of you will remember the days of copious jars of green tomato chow on the shelves. Seldom did I see the pantry stocked with bottled tomatoes, paste, and sauce. These fruits were often picked green and either stored in boxes inside to ripen or processed into the many green tomato products we are familiar with. The extended frost-free days are not the only reason for a vineripened tomato. Seed catalogues and the internet have expanded our horizons to look for varieties that ripen in a shorter season. When purchasing seed for 2025, keep an eye out for Scotia, Manitoba, Moskvich and Pink Berkeley TieDye. If you love cherry tomatoes, Tumbler, Fantastico, Sweetie and the Bumble Bee series are great options. Roma is the earliest plum tomato that I know of and probably the best one for bottling. These varieties should all ripen on the vine without the aid of a greenhouse if these warm, humid summers continue.
Peppers People are often discouraged when they try peppers as they have a difficult time growing them to a good size. It’s not that they take such a long growing season but rather, they need to be deadheaded to avoid too many fruits trying to ripen at one time. Pepper plants are often loaded with flowers and every one of those flowers wants to turn into a pepper. It’s a plant’s main aim in life to turn to seed and reproduce. You, the gardener, do not want a million small peppers on your plant (well, maybe you do) but rather a few good-sized beauties. Once you have three to four peppers about an inch long, remove any flowers or new peppers that are starting to grow. Once these fruits are three-quarters grown, let a few more small peppers start to grow. Once your original peppers have been harvested, the second crop will be underway. If you are looking for early varieties, Orange Blaze is a very sweet pepper that ripens in about 65 to 70 days. Carmen is another of my favs. It takes about 80 days to ripen to a deep red but can be eaten green within about 65 days. 104
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Melons
Ground Cherries
That’s right, cantaloupe and watermelon can be grown here on the rock. These plants should be started inside and a greenhouse certainly eliminates the worry of frost, but with a little attention, these can be field-grown once your greenhouse-grown seedling has three or four sets of true leaves. Start your seed inside, mid to late April and plant out after the danger of frost is past. If there is a risk of low temperatures, cover with a frost blanket. Sweet Granite cantaloupe and Sugar Baby watermelon are early varieties that are so sweet you would think you are tasting summer. Warning, don’t be too eager when it comes to harvest. Read up on signs of ripeness. There is nothing worse than picking one of these gorgeous fruits just to find it has over or under-ripened.
These are the cute little orange fruits that you often see on a dessert plate in upscale restaurants. This delicious fruit has a taste that is a cross between a kiwi and a pineapple. I like to grow them in pots in the greenhouse or on the deck. They ripen when the husks turn papery and fall to the ground. If grown in the garden, they often become wet and dirty when they fall so I prefer to grow them on the porch. I seed these at the same time as my tomatoes as they have about the same ripening season. Children LOVE these. Not only do they come in their own gift wrap, but they are like eating candy. If you do decide to try these delectable sweets, don’t waste them on the side of your dessert plate. Eat them as they ripen and if you have an overload, try ground cherry jam. It’s to die for with smoked salmon.
Even though climate change is having some positive effects on our growing season, I am not interested in growing mangoes and pineapples in my backyard. Climate change is real and happening now. Let’s all take a look at our lifestyle to see what we can do to help halt the avalanche rolling toward us. We each have a role to play. 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 Trestle reflections in Bishop’s Falls, NL Dave Wheeler Grand Falls-Windsor, NL
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reminiscing flashbacks
Family Gathering The Perry family gathers together on the stage in Indian Islands, Notre Dame Bay in this incredible photo from the 1950s. Patsy Day Corner Brook, NL
Harbour View Years ago, Open Hall was a bustling fishing community. Bridie Mouland via DownhomeLife.com 108
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Room at the Inn Corner Brook’s Tudor-style Glynmill Inn officially opened in 1924 and was one of the first places on the West Coast to have electricity. Susan Herdman Lincolnton, GA, USA
This Month in History The protected natural harbour at St. John’s is accessed by passing through the Narrows, a 1,000 metre-wide opening between North Head and South Head. Newfoundland’s first lighthouse was constructed at Fort Amherst, and on September 1, 1863, a set of range lights were activated inside the harbour to help guide mariners through the dangerous rocks and shoals bordering the entrance channel. At that time, the red leading lights shone from sunset until sunrise from the roof of the Customs House at King’s Beach and the Congregational Church on Queen’s Road (right), in a line bearing N.W. 3/4 W. John Lawlor was hired as lightkeeper and held the position for more than twenty years. The Customs House was later destroyed in the Great Fire of 1892, and the Congregational Church was converted into Chapel Hill Condominiums in 1987. 1-888-588-6353
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reminiscing visions & vignettes
Gnat, do you mind…
Blueberry Duffs By Harold N. Walters
Aunt Sissy Hatt’s blueberry duffs were legendary in Brookwater. Folks believed it was because she was the Brookwater witch. Other than Aunt Sissy herself, only Harry and Gnat knew the truth. All Harry and Gnat’s lives, Aunt Sissy’s duff had been winning the blue ribbon at Brookwater’s annual Blueberry Festival. On the festival’s closing night, a panel of judges that always included the minister, selected the winning duff in a blind tastetest. This year, well before the festival, Aunt Sissy’s envious rivals met covertly. They planned to spy on Aunt Sissy, hoping to solve the riddle of her renowned duffs. Of course, it’s impossible to keep secrets from a witch. Whenever Aunt Sissy took her blueberry picking bucket and dodged off to Blueberry Hill, or even an out110
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of-the-way blueberry patch on the edge of an abandoned field, at least one woman from the pact tailed her. But it was easy for Aunt Sissy to spot Aunt Chook’s familiar straw hat weaving among the blueberry bushes. She didn’t need hawk eyes to glimpse Aunt Hood peeking from behind a boulder, sunlight reflecting off her spectacles. It was impossible not to hear Granny stomping branches as she tried to hide among the brambles. Knowing she was being watched, Aunt Sissy steered clear of the special spot where she picked her superior blueberries. But with the festival approaching, she needed at least half 1-888-588-6353
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a gallon of berries from her clandestine patch. Which is why she engaged the brace of imps she knew wouldn’t hesitate to join her in skullduggery. “Yoo-hoo, boys,” Aunt Sissy beckoned to Harry and Gnat when she caught them with their arms reeved through the fence palings to rob her gooseberries. “Frig. We’m caught.” Harry scrobbed the skin off his wrist when he yanked his arm from between the palings. “I ’low,” said Gnat, who’d had sense enough to button his cuffs. “Come here you young vill’yens.” Aunt Sissy waved the boys towards her porch. Fearing Aunt Sissy might turn them into wharf rats, Harry and Gnat stood at the bottom step scuffing their sneakers on the footpath. “Come up here.” Aunt Sissy leaned on a crooked stick she used when her rheumatism acted up. Harry suspected using the stick for a cane was Aunt Sissy’s sneaky way of carrying a magic wand. He scravelled up the step, Gnat beside him. Shoulder to shoulder, they waited for punishment. “I have a job for you,” Aunt Sissy said instead of witching them with her stick. “We’ll do it, Aunt Sissy. Whatever it is.” Relieved to have escaped transformation into rodents, the boys bobbed their heads like buoys in a gale. “I want you to pick me a gallon of blueberries.” “That’s easy,” said Harry. “We can pick two gallons if you want.” Aunt Sissy leaned on her stick, a 1-888-588-6353
shrewd look in her eyes. “It might not be as easy as you think. I want you to pick the berries on the sly.” “On the sly we’m good at.” Harry nudged Gnat. “That’s why I’ve asked you.” Aunt Sissy tapped her stick on the boys’ arse pockets and herded them into her kitchen. She eased herself into her rocking chair and Harry and Gnat perched on the daybed. “You know some of the women are trying to discover the secret of my scrumptious blueberry duffs.” “We do,” said Harry. “They thinks you uses a magic recipe.” “Or that you uses witchcraft on the berries,” said Gnat. Aunt Sissy almost cackled. “Neither. I use heavenly berries, picked in a divine spot.” “That’s where you wants us to go on the sly,” said Harry. “Not only on the sly.” Aunt Sissy whispered as if her rivals listened at the window. “You’ll also be acting a little bit wicked, some people would say.” “We’m good at a little bit wicked.” Gnat echoed Harry’s assurance. “Good boys. I’ll get you some syrup and cake while I tell you where to find the berries, and how to pick them without any of them old biddies seeing you.” Cheeks caulked with fruit cake, Harry and Gnat listened to Aunt Sissy’s directions. As she explained, they smirked, a couple of sleeveens anticipating shenanigans. When the syrup glasses and the cake plate were empty, Aunt Sissy finished her instructions. “It’s best you go in the dark. Tis hallowed ground where the berries grow. If September 2024
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you’re caught the three of us will roast in hell.” This time Aunt Sissy cackled for certain. Harry and Gnat glutched down the last cake crumbs. Their faces glowed like jack-o-lanterns. Duckish of the evening before Aunt Sissy intended to cook her duffs, Harry and Gnat, buckets in hand, headed for the blueberry patch. A full moon, towing a half dozen clouds, rose from behind the Crow Cliffs to follow the twilight pickers. Moon-shadow from the church steeple pointed at Harry’s and Gnat’s backs like an admonishing finger. Time full darkness set in, Harry and Gnat knelt in front of blueberry bushes like sinners at prayer. Berries the size of cast-net bullets, their skins straining to contain juicy ripeness, bent the branches. Moonlight spotlighting them, the foraging boy-oes plucked berries like bunches of grapes and dumped them into their pails. They kept their eyes and ears alert for passersby — or Aunt Sissy’s competitors. To aid the familiar scamps, the moon hid its chops behind its companion clouds when whistling wanderers strolled past the forbidden berry patch. Succumbing to temptation, Harry popped berries into his mouth as often as he dropped them into his bucket. “I knows now why Aunt Sissy’s duffs are always the best,” he said, berry juice jazzing his tastebuds. “Yeah.” Gnat’s tastebuds were as drunken as Harry’s. “But I’m half afraid to be eating these berries.” “Don’t be so foolish.” Berry juice leaked from the corners of Harry’s 112
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mouth, purple in the ghostly moonlight. When necessary, tombstoneshaped shadows stretched to help the moon cloak Aunt Sissy’s pair of knaves. Buckets and bellies filled, Harry and Gnat slipped away from the berry patch. Skulking through shadows, they reached Aunt Sissy’s cottage and lugged their buckets inside. “Those berries are gem-dandy. My duffs will be scrumptious.” Aunt Sissy jiggled berries in her palm before tossing them into her mouth. “Yummmmmm,” was all she said. Their shady roles completed, Harry and Gnat faded back into the night. On the night of the festival, after all hands gathered for the feast had shuffed away from the tables, their belts and apron strings stretched to bursting, the stage was set for the duff judging. On the school’s stage four judges sat at individual desks draped in tablecloths. Reverend Bottle tucked a napkin into his collar like a baby’s bib. Mrs. Butt, the Merchant’s wife, dusted her shelf-like bosom to ensure no stray supper crumbs lingered. Aunt Hood glowered at the audience with gimlet eyes. Wince Cody winked, thumped the tabletop and said, “Bring on the duffs.” A quartet of ladies brought the first test slices of duff from the kitchen and placed them in front of the judges. A fifth lady drizzled molasses-cody on the edge of each plate. While the judges ate, one of the ladies returned from the kitchen and held up a sign behind the judges’ backs — AUNT CHOOK’S DUFF. After four servings, after MARY 1-888-588-6353
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GINN’S DUFF and GRANNY’S DUFF, the sign lady held up AUNT SISSY’S DUFF. In the audience, Granny sat beside Aunt Sissy and watched the judges sample the duffs. Aunt Sissy’s stick lay like a scepter across her lap. Granny knew it wasn’t a witch’s wand. Nonetheless, she wondered if Aunt Sissy hadn’t waved it a wiggle before the judges fisted in. Catty-corner to Granny, Harry and Gnat sat on three-legged stools. When AUNT SISSY’S DUFF appeared behind the judges, Harry elbowed Gnat. Grinning like gargoyles, they leaned forward till the stools almost tipped.
a chimney… … and then she knew the source of Aunt Sissy’s blueberries, and who had been her sneaky pickers. Satisfied he’d relished every morsel, Reverend Bottle swallowed the graveyard berries. Harry and Gnat clapped like chimpanzees. Granny snatched Aunt Sissy’s stick and charged. She brandished the stick like a magic wand transformed
Granny noticed their sudden concentration. Wince Cody swallowed and nodded approval. Aunt Hood swallowed, her eyes still gimlets. Mrs. Butt swallowed and dabbed her lips with her napkin. Reverend Bottle chewed and chewed. As Reverend Bottle savored his duff, Granny watched Harry and Gnat wriggle and squirm like youngsters expecting Santa to spring from
into an alder switch suitable for lashing the arses of fleeing boys. Mind those festival duffs, Gnat? When the commotion settled, when the reason for Granny’s fury was revealed, the judges declared the contest void. For that year anyway.
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Harold Walters lives in Dunville, NL, doing his damnedest to live Happily Ever After. Reach him at ghwalters663@gmail.com September 2024
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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.
September 1989 Volume 2 • Number
Newfies Get Last Laugh: Most Intelligent Canadians By Far! By Ron Young According to an article in the July 21 issue of the Halifax Chronicle-Tribune Newfies are entitled to ‘the last laugh’. The article cites the latest figures released from Mensa that that organization has more Newfoundlanders per capita than any other province. Mensa is a worldwide organization comprised of the two percent of the population that has the highest intelligence (a general I.Q. of 134). One in every 3,157 Newfoundlanders is a Mensa member, over double its closest competitor, Alberta, where one in every 7,681 is a member of the elite society. This is much less than half the Newfoundland figure and is a figure that boggles even the Mensa executive director. “It’s a pleasant surprise,” said Wendy Marsh, who added she has never been confronted with such 114
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statistics before. “I would have thought that Ontario would have the highest per capita amount.” The per capita figures were calculated by using provincial population figures from Statistics Canada’s last national census in 1986. Mensa Canada supplied the latest figures on members in each province.
100th Anniversary of Fish Hatchery Observed
Residents of Dildo, Trinity Bay observed the 100th anniversary of North America’s first codfish hatchery on Dildo Island, Trinity Bay, on Saturday, July 22. To mark the occasion, residents of the Dildo area made their way to the island on a flotilla of longliners. On the island, a plaque was unveiled in honour of the occasion. Social Services Minister John Efford, who represented Premier Clyde Wells at the event, called upon area residents to work together towards getting a proper more permanent plaque to mark the site. Bellevue MHA Percy Barnett noted that various grants could be made available for a wharf and other facilities to make the site more accessible and attractive to visiting tourists. The Compass
September 1994 Volume 7 • Number 4
Equipment Seizures Make Poaching A Very Costly Business Increased surveillance and enforcement efforts resulted in the detection of 848 inland and coastal waters fisheries violations in the first half of 1994, an increase of 31 percent from the 645 detections during the same period last year. The enforcement program is making poaching an increasingly expensive activity. During the first six months of this year, enforcement officers seized over $150,000 worth of goods, including four motor vehicles, 19 boats, 14 motors, numerous nets, moorings, rods and reels and a variety of other fishing and camping equipment used during the commission of offences, as well as quantities of salmon, trout, lobsters, crab and other fish. Reprinted from the Humber log. Used with permission. 1-888-588-6353
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Tough Cure For Diarrhea Maracaibo, Venezuela: A young Venezuelan man has discovered a radical cure for diarrhea. When diarrhea-stricken Alexander Perez, 19, hopped into a lion pen to answer a call a nature, he was attacked by a lioness. “I had my trousers around my knees when I heard some growling and saw this ferocious animal hurling itself on top of me,” Perez said from his hospital bed. He wrestled with the lioness, which mauled his head and torso, and escaped badly wounded. Perez told a local newspaper how the attack affected his diarrhea: “It disappeared as if by magic!”
September 1999 Volume 12 • Number 4
First Newfoundlander to Win National Teen Pageant Title On August 12, 1999, Crystal Freake was crowned Miss Teen Canada International 2000, in Toronto, Ontario. She is the first Newfoundlander to win a national teen pageant title. At this event she also captured the Miss Teen Talent and Miss Teen Friendship Awards. Crystal is 16 years old and attends Exploits Valley High School in Grand Falls-Windsor. Her parents are Winston and Beverly Freake and the family resides in Grand Falls-Windsor. Crystal is an extremely intelligent individual who excels in all areas of her life. She will no doubt be an exemplary ambassador for teenagers across the country. She will now pass on her Miss Teen Newfoundland and Labrador crown, which she won in March 1999, to first runner-up Melanie O’Brien, 17, of Paradise.
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Record Quarter St. John’s: The second quarter of 1999 had a record 9.6 million barrels of oil produced by Hibernia. With its production of the quarter taken into consideration, Hibernia should reach a total of 42 million barrels for the year. Originally set at 50 million barrels, a couple of electrical malfunctions had that annual figure drop back to 40 million.
September 2004 Volume 17 • Number 4
Cyclist Goes National St. John’s cyclist Zach Garland, 18, is the first Newfoundlander to ever be named to the Canadian Junior Cycling Team. He earned his position based on his results this summer at the road nationals in Kamloops, BC, and the Wolfville Classic stage race in Nova Scotia, where he placed first overall.
Jellyfish For Dinner For decades jellyfish have been viewed by fishermen of this province as a mere nuisance. But now, researchers and fishermen alike are looking at ways to harvest the spineless blobs to create a new fishery. The federal and provincial governments have contributed $24,000 for the new experiment, in hopes that it can enter the $60 million-a-year market in China and Japan. Jellyfish are considered a delicacy in Japan, where more than 14,000 tonnes are consumed each year.
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reminiscing
by Lester Green
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As the snow melted this spring,
the naked deciduous trees atop the hill exposed a building that had disappeared from the landscape and only existed in my memory. The familiar A-frame root cellar, covered by salvaged cola tins, hidden for years by the growth of trees, was now exposed; a reminder of the significant role these buildings played in the survival of families scattered along the shores of the Southwest Arm region of Trinity Bay. My image of root cellars was heavily influenced by the shape of the structures on the Lowerside of Little Heart’s Ease. The four A-frame root cellars belonging to my great uncles and grandfather were the only shapes I had seen at Little Heart’s Ease during childhood. Several other A-frame cellars in the community helped solidify this image of a typical cellar used to preserve the fall harvest. Many years later, this image would be shattered when I visited Elliston, the self-proclaimed “Root Cellar Capital of the World.” Why was there such a difference in the architectural design of my childhood root cellar and those on display to tourists in Elliston? Was it a cultural influence from early settlers or a reflection of the landscape? My great-grandfather, William Jacobs, was born in Bay de Verde but relocated to Little Heart’s Ease in the 1860s, searching for land to settle and nearby fishing grounds. William and his brother, Thomas, settled on the Lowerside of Little Heart’s Ease. Thomas constructed a two-story saltbox house, and my great-grandfather added a shanty after his marriage to Hannah Spurrell of Butter Cove. After the death of his 1-888-588-6353
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Brothers Obediah and Levi Jacobs had root cellars on the family land in Little Heart’s Ease brother in 1891, William took full possession of the homestead. William and Hannah’s family consisted of four sons and two daughters. William applied for, and was granted, the land on the Lowerside of Harbour for $6.40 in 1905. Over time, William divided his land among his four sons as they reached adulthood and married. Obediah was given land bounded by Crown land and his brother Levi. Levi’s land was in the center, and my grandfather, David’s, was bounded by Levi and the Peddles’ land. William’s youngest son, Samuel, received his father’s homestead minus the land given to his three brothers. To survive, the Jacobs families harvested food from the sea and conducted subsistence farming, constructing two types of buildings to store food properly during the winter. One small building was used for cold storage to keep slaughtered animals such as sheep, pigs, and goats. The other was the root cellar where vegetables, berries, and fruits were preserved for the winter months. 120
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My great uncle Obediah, the oldest of William’s children, married Jessie, daughter of Eleazer and Cassandra Drodge. Obediah constructed his cellar above his house, which helped preserve food for his family of six children. It was passed on to Obediah’s daughter, Victoria when she married Richard Spurrell, with the couple settling in her father’s home after their marriage in 1928. Obediah was crippled and unable to continue with subsistence farming in his later years. However, his cellar helped preserve the vegetables harvested by his family from the cold winter months, supporting the next generation living in his home. The next son to marry was David, my grandfather. He exchanged vows with Alice, daughter of Samuel and Mary Ann Martin of Little Heart’s Ease in 1917. My grandfather constructed his cellar on land given to him by his father, an A-frame structure placed on a mound of rocks, dirt, and sods, where it existed until it was removed in the 1980s. Levi married Susannah Lacey, a school teacher from Wesleyville, in February 1920. They built a two1-888-588-6353
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story saltbox-styled home at Little Heart’s Ease, followed by a cellar just down from my grandfather’s, its architectural design identical to his brothers’ A-frame structure. Levi moved his family permanently to Baie Verte in 1939, where he was employed in the logging industry. In the 1950s, my parents, Olive and William, bought the house and land belonging to Levi. Mom gave birth to ten children, raising nine. Our sister, Glennis, died at two years of age. The A-frame root cellar built by Levi played a significant role in preserving root vegetables for our family. My siblings and I recall days of spring pronging manure from behind the barn and using the handbarrow to transport the fertilizer to the gardens. I remember Dad using our family horse, Bonnie, to haul the manure to the gardens, or firewood to keep our family warm. Our family would spend nights cutting the “eyes” from the potatoes and filling buckets. These cut seeds were placed in drills dug by Dad in the fields and covered with dirt. When the capelin rolled on the beaches in July, the small silvery fish would be caught using the cast net and carried to the fields as fertilizer. In the early fall, potatoes and other crops were harvested and placed in the cellar built by Levi. Over the years, my Dad repaired and changed the orientation of the original cellar to face the A-frame back towards the harbour, reducing the impact of the 1-888-588-6353
winds during winter. It was covered with felt kept in place by galvanized felt tins, the joins covered with tar. Samuel, the youngest son of William and Hannah, had a cellar below the stable where our horse, sheep, and occasional pig were kept, with a hen’s house in between. The architectural design was the same as his brother’s but was covered in cola tins.
Brother Samuel Jacobs also constructed a root cellar in the A-frame style The Lowerside cellars are all gone now, lost to landscaping and construction of new buildings. The images of the A-frame cellars, so vital in preserving root vegetables that fed generations of people from the Southwest arm area of Trinity Bay, are found in old photographs and memories of those who helped harvest the land. September 2024
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puzzles
The Beaten Path
Meghan Anderson 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.
S
P
K
E
M S
T
B
J P R
H
T p
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H V
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A H S M K
H P
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n
M C
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p S
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H N
M P n
B
R J
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S H K H J T
E
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Last Month’s Community: St. Vincent’s 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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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: • It has about 800 residents • It’s an historic fishing village • Home of a popular brewery • Likely named for a rowboat part • Jimmy Kimmel is the honorary mayor
Last Month’s Answer: Red Bay
Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador
by Mel D’Souza Last Month’s Answer: Bellevue 126
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In Other Words Guess the well-known expression written here in other words.
Last Month’s Clue: A shackle is merely as vigorous as its frailest connection In Other Words: A chain is only as strong as its weakest link
This Month’s Clue: The reward that is continually rewarding In Other Words: ___ ____ ____ _____ __ ______
A Way With Words HenFOXHouse
Last Month’s Answer: Fox in the hen house
This Month’s Clue
STAND I Answer: _ __________
Rhyme Time A rhyming word game by Ron Young
1. A nonstarter is a __ __ 2. To keep out is to ____ ____ 3. Morning hair is ___ ____ Last Month’s Answers 1. arrive alive, 2. loose moose, 3. fly by
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.
’ I B A E A R B C F A B E C T H E E R E F P E B R P E L I R E U M L D E O T I O F U N O R O N S T H S T T E O O L Y U I S N O S T O U Y W I Y T R W R T U
Last month’s answer: Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly better than wise people for their wisdom. www.downhomelife.com
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Rhymes 5 Times Each answer rhymes with the other four
1. thug
____________
2. bird
____________
3. midday
____________
4. abandon
____________
5. moron
____________
STUCK? Don’t get your knickers in a knot! Puzzle answers can be found online at DownhomeLife.com/puzzles
Last Month’s Answers: 1. alley, 2. galley, 3. Sally, 4. dally, 5. rally
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. ALUBNIE
For best results sound the clue words out loud!
2. ROBYTA
Hideout Hit Strew _ _____ ___ ____
3. LACKFORT
Abe Hum Pen Thin Height _ ____ __ ___ _____
5. PHCUO CVOE
Last Month’s 1st Clue: Week Ought Detail Endive Fit. Answer: We got the tail end of it. Last Month’s 2nd Clue: Abe An An Appeal. Answer: A banana peel.
4. CABINSAY VCOE
Last Month’s Answers: 1. Petit Forte, 2. Darby’s Harbour, 3. Monkstown, 4. Toslow, 5. Isle Valen
A nalogical A nagrams Unscramble the capitalized words to get one word that matches the subtle clue. 1. TATER ORIGINS ~ Clue: signing for things to come 2. ASHY IDOL ~ Clue: these days are always too short 3. CAPE MALT ~ Clue: your meal is on me 4. BARN RES ~ Clue: here you can’t see the forest or the trees 5. LAST FIVE ~ Clue: it’s a party and everyone’s invited Last Month’s Answers: 1. telescope, 2. astronomy, 3. predictable, 4. electricity, 5. anxiety 128
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Four-Way Crossword F o re Wo rd s • B a c k Wo rd s • U p Wo rd s • D o w n Wo rd s By Ron Young
Unlike regular crosswords, in Four-Way Crossword each letter is not necessarily related to the letter in the adjacent row or column, but is part of one or more words in some direction. 1
2
3
4
1-5: joy 1-10: happily 11 12 13 14 1-21: is capable 1-91: filiment light 21 22 23 24 6-9: to the brim 8-38: den 31 32 33 34 13-16: Ark man 14-12: single 16-19: warmth 41 42 43 44 16-46: excavation 22-24: mutilate 51 52 53 54 22-26: singer Lanza 22-62: firestick 61 62 63 64 24-27 unruly mob 24-44: male sheep 71 72 73 74 27-29: gratuity 27-77: snarl 81 82 83 84 27-47: beige 30-10: wily 91 92 93 94 30-27: expectorate 33-31: crazy 33-40: ducks 59-39: pole 35-5: fibber 36-32: camel-like animal 60-30: fewer 61-64: French fry 36-39: fat 64-94: small lake 39-69: nerd 65-95: measly 42-12: domesticate 67-64: light 44-41: wordless 67-70: big pond 45-42: soot 70-100: give off 45-48: dispatched 73-75: female deer 48-8: court case 75-77: peeper 51-56: kindergarten 80-76: cash 51-60: female student 82-84: write 51-91: smell 85-87: fish eggs 52-82: fellow 89-87: litigate 53-3: compassionate 91-94: manage 53-83: pelt 91-100: greenhorn 57-60: young female 96-56: regal 57-87: happiness www.downhomelife.com
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97-67: experience 97-100: leg end 100-10: everlastingly Last Month’s Answer
B A L D E RDA S H E CNADVAGU E WT E L I A F A I R I S P AR T T I T E T E L E P HON E D CWE R A E L R B I HE AR S E D E N T I F DOTOU T E A NOO S OR T N AR GE N E RO S I T Y September 2024
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The Bayman’s
Crossword Puzzle 1
3
2
by Ron Young
4
5 6
7
8
9
10
14
15 17
11
12
13 16
18
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23
24
20 25
31
28
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40 45
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ACROSS 1. negative vote 3. American public broadcaster 5. Ma’s mate 6. wane 8. whiskey 9. Premier Smallwood, informally 11. NL’s first Premier Brian 14. “How’s ye gettin’ __ d’day?” 15. inky black 17. Canada’s southern neighbour 19. for example (abbrev) 20. Joan ____ – American folk singer 23. prefix found in celestial terms 25. makeshift shelter 27. Lucifer 28. grassy mound 30. bar credit 33. Nunavut Teachers’ Association (abbrev) 35. Albert to his buddies 36. dirt 38. lair 40. the thing 42. chocolate bean 45. Tetley 46. seine 48. argue 49. refusal 50. Terre Neuve DOWN 1. NL mosquito 2. “___, b’y!” – common NL expression 4. family allowance 7. “I can’t marry all or in chokey I’d __” 9. Short for Joanne 10. how age is counted 11. Edgar Allan ___ 12. the country of NL’s King www.downhomelife.com
13. A. _____ Willis – NL’s onetime “one-man band” 16. Gambo’s most prominent son 18. __ John’s 20. Brown’s Arm (abbrev) 21. volcano in Italy 22. animal exhibit 24. pledge 26. door sign 29. __ Manche – abandoned NL village 30. NL is Canada’s _____ province 31. battery size 32. _____ Tobin, the “Tobinator” premier 34. eye for __ eye 37. teetotaller (abbrev) 39. Victoria, __ (behind Carbonear) 41. referee (abbrev) 42. all “fish” in NL 43. leather-working tool 44. Cape ___ – sou’wester 46. opposite of SE 47. “Where’re you off __?” 48. registered nurse (abbrev)
H I M O U ANSWERS B U M TO LAST B M MONTH’S Y E CROSSWORD H E R O N R O A R A S I W I N K E D S U N G L C A R E V A E G G A L O S O T E D H A R B O U R N M R G S S Y R U P S A Y S A H O N A R N L T R O U B L E S O N U H A R T E P AW T E V E H A MM E R G I R E L I K E A T L A S T September 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. ______ ___ 247478 627 __ ___ ___ ___ 26 673 848 466 ____ 9428 ____ 9687
___ __ 448 37
____ 3338
__ 67
__ 47
_ 2
_______ 2389336 __ 87
’
_____ 34778
______ 925538
____ 9687
Last Month’s Answer: Some days you’re the pigeon, some days you're the statue, just live with it. ©2024 Ron Young
CRACK THE CODE ;
Each symbol represents a letter of the alphabet, for instance =T Try to guess the smaller, more obvious words to come up with the letters for the longer ones. The code changes each month.
_ T
_ _
X;
X7
T _
;x
_ _
Az
_ _ _ _ _ _
Ln i z77 _ _ _ _
Q i 7x
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
BQ n Dz m x L 7 _ _ _ _ _ _ _
7X n 3z m z _ _ _
kxL
_ _ _
Qm z
_ T _ _ _ _
7 ; LOXB
Last Month’s Answer: It takes twenty years to make an overnight success. 132
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© 2024 Ron Young
Food For Thought
Each food symbol represents a letter of the alphabet. Find the meanings to the words then match the letters with the food symbols below to get a little “food for thought.”
offer = _ _ _
tedious = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
remain = _ _ _ _
delegation = _ _ _ _ _ _ _
pKtfywqf
vK}
qKyyKw w
yp i [
fondles = _ _ _ _ _ _
pier = _ _ _ _ _ ` i n
YtwI fy
m t
_ _ _ _ _
_ _
pmftf _
Ky
_ _
ww
_ _ _ _
_
ty f
`w
_ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
pm i w
y wttw`
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_
tf qf qvftKw Y _ _ _ _ _ _
_
_ _
_ _ w m i IIK fyy
_ _ _
}i [
_ _
wn
Kw _
_ _ _
pmf
_ _ _ _ _
y wttw`
Last Month’s Answer: Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune. www.downhomelife.com
September 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 AT THE RYAN PREMISES, BONAVISTA
Last Month’s Answers: 1. Bird, 2. Horizon, 3. Railing, 4. Hat, 5. Hair, 6. Shoe, 7. Step, 8. Plaque, 9. Trousers, 10. Cloud, 11. Lighthouse, 12. Ern’s arm. “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 BACK TO SCHOOL
The words can be across, up, down, backward or at an angle, but always in a line.
BACKPACK BINDER CALCULATOR CLASSROOM COMPASS
ERASER HOMEWORK PENCIL PERIOD RECESS
SCHEDULE SEMESTER STUDENT TEACHER TEXTBOOK
U B B J C S V D X W K C O M P A S S Z W S J E R Y D K C F F D A R R V B R T F N T W W A Y N H Z M M F E F O M C L J T O H O M E W O R K O O B T X E T E J H S S E B Z C X T D R I Z O U S D K S C U P H P Y J R E S A R E K L A V R E N K W P J P B O M V S T P J E L U D E H C S L S P H L B K Y B X U X H P B E S P M X S N A X H N U V C K C A P K C A B E M C N F I B S I K R Q Q P M C K B D T H G R E L R N G C B P G G S R S J B A G R L T P N A C M X N E D M I F Y C Z R U T L R A E S Y A B M Q O O M C H D T L Y L C P O Y U W M I E O H O C K K R H O L C L T O A U U O L B D A X M C U Q Z M K P Y F E A A Q C U O L O H G V E H E W Q Z G E A N F Y P B S E P U H A W D J S O N S D F N U R M Z D F Q I T S T X Q C S V I Z Q F T S S E C E R H C N W N Y S R M Z Q W U L T S O E D T N A S Z H C Y P D I O M O J L R L P K A P R L I L P E X Y V L X E X X K A O J H O T O S B Q Z S P E R I O D K Z R K T A R Y M J
Last Month’s Answers
G C A N A D A Y B E W V H M C Z Q S H P R A Y L Z Y I S G C D A Z T U I A Y O N B O V Q E Y G V Z N M F E L O I X H Y I K W U D K X S Q G B R D X E X I E Q X N S A P D I N J T Q F H S E W E Z R S C G W F T S C R M B T J M I N J D V E E E Z J P E X O M K V A E W O O F F Z V R K F R K N S M T Q P Z S E W G G P R E N U Z U U E T G U W K T K Q I P P V A X T L T G N A K P O Z H V X R A I E M R T A I J Z I O K I T N V Y T N A T Q S Y H U R Z Y P W T F W O B R O I O I C C G K R P L A C E N T I A K S V N O U H N U B S W V G I O G W S R Z U E Y E P Y X F B X X Y J Q T U I T O N U U G F H T U F T D G R D T V Z X G W A S H T Q A B U G D P E X V I V T A N W E S I A L D V O L L U E L G Z S O U T H E R N B H L T O J N L B V E C E F T K Y F X C B W K W W Q B P I J F F C Y R O L T S T H K B N S W J E D Y P J Z R T V M W W K X K U A S N R Z C Z H R A G Z Y R F X V I D K L O S R W Y L L Q Z L N G R Y S I
www.downhomelife.com
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Colourful Culture
The drawing on the opposite page
is the work of Newfoundland Mi’kmaq artist Marcus Gosse, a member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band. His grandmother, Alice Maude Gosse (nee Benoit) is a Mi’kmaq Elder from Red Brook (Welbooktoojech) on the Port au Port Peninsula. Marcus’ work has been exhibited in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax; The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery in St. John’s, NL; and the Canada 150 Art Show at the Macaya Gallery in Miami, FL; and his work is in private collections around the world. He has generously offered a series of colouring pages that run monthly in Downhome. Each image depicts a NL nature scene and teaches us a little about Mi’kmaq culture and language. Each colouring page includes the Mi’kmaq word for the subject, the phonetic pronunciation of the word, and the English translation. And you’ll notice a design that Marcus incorporates into most of his pieces – the eight-point Mi’kmaq Star. This symbol dates back hundreds of years and is very important in Mi’kmaq culture. Marcus’ Mi’kmaq Stars are often seen painted with four colours: red, black, white and yellow, which together represent unity and harmony between all peoples. Many Mi’kmaq artists use the star, and various Mi’kmaq double curve designs, to decorate their blankets, baskets, drums, clothing and paintings. To download and print this colouring page at home, visit DownhomeLife.com. To learn more about Marcus and find more of his colouring pages, look him up on Facebook at “Mi’kmaq Art by Marcus Gosse.” 136
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www.downhomelife.com
September 2024
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Not intended to solicit properties currently under contract
709-726-5113 1-888-588-6353 advertising@downhomelife.com
Book your ad in Marketplace Marketplace rates start at $50 for a 1 column x 1 inch colour ad. This size fits approximately 20 words. 709-726-5113 1-888-588-6353
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WATERFRONT • HICKMAN’S HARBOUR, NL 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1,700 sq. ft. split level on private 1.4 ac. lot in picturesque Hickman’s Harbour, Random Island. Property features a 16' x 20' shed, paved driveway and waterfront with stage and wharf. A perfect summer or retirement home - just a 40 min. drive to shopping, services and hospital in Clarenville. $219,000 Contact Fred Denty: 709.427.6371 realtor.ca • MLS# 1272362
Movers & Shippers
A&K Moving Covering all Eastern & Western Provinces and Returning Based from Toronto, Ontario Discount Prices Out of NL, NS & NB Newfoundland Owned & Operated 35 Years in the Moving Industry All Vehicles Transported
416-247-0639 AWKmoving@gmail.com
Ontario to Newfoundland and All Points in Between
A Family Moving Families Professionally and economically Coast to Coast in Canada Fully Insured Newfoundland Owned & Operated
Contact: Gary or Sharon King
Toll Free: 1-866-586-2341 www.downhomemovers.com
Return Loads from NL, NS, NB, QC, ON at a Discounted Price
905-424-1735
arent58@hotmail.com www.ar-moving.ca
Movers & Shippers Rates start at $175 for a 1 col. x 2" ad. Call Today! 709-726-5113 Toll Free 1-888-588-6353 Email advertising@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com
September 2024
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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
Songs in the Sea
Hides Rod Moody-Corbett
The Adventures of Spencer the Church Mouse - Tracy Barron #89165 | $19.95
World War II Shipwrecks of Newfoundland: In Pictures - Chris Power #89166 | $34.95
Dirty Little Secrets: A Novel - Mitchell D. King #89168 | $22.00
NL Recipes - Recipes From the Kitchens of NL
Cooking Up a Scoff
Our Best Seafood Recipes - From contributors
Our Best Berry Recipes
- Written and Illustrated by Pheilm Martin
#89129 | $19.95
- Traditional Recipes of NL
#79297 | $14.95
#89123 | $22.95
to Downhome magazine
#58362 | $10.99
#2495 | $4.95
- From contributors to Downhome magazine
#55888 | $10.99
ORDER ONLINE: www.shopdownhome.com
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
2409_Mailorder_Mail order.qxd 7/25/24 8:44 AM Page 141
MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com
Sale! Newfoundland Map Fleece Throw #75516 | $44.99 $32.88
Sale!
Newfoundland Sayings Fleece Throw #77814 | $44.99 $32.88
NL Flag Place Names Fleece Throw #75518 | $44.99 $32.88
Sale! NL Favourites Fleece Throw
Musical Mummers Fleece Throw #75515 | $44.99 $32.88
#86920 | $24.99
NL Grand Slam Hoodie Navy S-XXL
NL Grand Slam Hoodie Fushia S-XXL
#83531 | $61.99
#78151 | $61.99
TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-588-6353
Loves Me Grub Fleece Throw #86921 | $24.99
NL Coin Anchor Hoodie S-XXL
#76748 | $42.99
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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
Newfoundland Screech Coffee 225g Ground #39005 | $11.99 454g Ground #39365 | $22.99 225g Whole Beans #44259 | $11.99 454g Whole Beans #44257 | $12.99
Blueberry Loose Tea with Filters - 30g bag #37514 | $6.49
Summer Savoury
Summer Savoury
- 28g bag
- 60g bottle
NL Savoury Gift Card
#34176 | $4.59
#34177 | $9.99
#22019 | $6.95
Salt Water Taffy
Salt Water Taffy
- 135g bag
- 450g bag
#55128 | $4.99
#55127 | $11.99
NL Puffin Salt Water Taffy Candy Tote #49166 | $8.99
ORDER ONLINE: www.shopdownhome.com
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
2409_Mailorder_Mail order.qxd 7/25/24 8:44 AM Page 143
MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com
NL Flag T-Shirt
Keep Calm T-Shirt
S-XXL
S-XXL
S-XXL
#80195 | $21.99
#63201 | $21.99
#63132 | $21.99
NL Sayings T-Shirt
Yes B’y Says It All T-Shirt
Hard Case T-Shirt
S-XXL
S-XXL
S-XXL
#63026 | $21.99
#80202 | $21.99
#59135 | $21.99
Frig Off T-Shirt S-XXL
#83378 | $21.99
Yes B’y T-Shirt S-XXL
#59138 | $21.99
TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-588-6353
No Friggin Way T-Shirt
Home Ladies’ T-Shirt S-XXL
#74396 | $19.99
2409_photo Finish_0609 Photo Finish 7/25/24 10:40 AM Page 144
photo finish
Eagle Eyed
A magnificent Steller’s sea eagle catches fish in Trinity Bay. Georges Noesen Fentange, Luxembourg
Do you have an amazing or funny photo to share? Turn to page 9 to find out how to submit.
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