Vol 35 • No 05
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October 2022
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Readers Creep Us Out
Deadly Place Names Who’re you calling chicken?
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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 Janice Stuckless Assistant Editor Nicola Ryan Editor Lila Young Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters Advertising Sales Account Manager Barbara Young Account Manager Ashley O’Keefe Marketing Director Tiffany Brett Finance and Administration Accountant Marlena Grant Accountant Sandra Gosse Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney
Warehouse Operations Warehouse / Inventory Manager Carol Howell Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins Retail Operations Retail Floor Manager, St. John’s Jackie Rice Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Crystal Rose, Jonathon Organ, Erin McCarthy, Marissa Little, Kim Tucker, Heather Stuckless, Katrina Hynes, Destinee Rogers, Amy Young, Emily Snelgrove, Brandy Rideout, Zoey Gidge, Alexandria Skinner, Emily Power, Ella Coggins
Subscriptions Customer Service Associate Cathy Blundon
Founding Editor Ron Young Chief Executive Officer/Publisher Grant Young President & Associate Publisher Todd Goodyear General Manager/Assistant Publisher Tina Bromley
To subscribe, renew or change address use the contact information above. Subscriptions total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $45.99; ON $45.19; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $41.99. US and International mailing price for a 1-year term is $49.99.
Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #40062919 The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of the servants or otherwise, and there shall be no liability beyond the amount of such advertisement. The Letters to the Editor section is open to all letter writers providing the letters are in good taste, not libelous, and can be verified as true, correct and written by the person signing the letter. Pen names and anonymous letters will not be published. The publisher reserves the right to edit, revise, classify, or reject any advertisement or letter. © Downhome Publishing Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Printed in Canada Official onboard magazine of
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96 berry good
Contents
OCTOBER 2022
48 Homesteading For Life David Goodyear of the Homestead at Flatrock shares his knowledge of the science and art of living sustainably. Nicola Ryan
68 Where the Spirits Move You Author Patrick Collins leads the brave on the Haunted Harbour Grace walking tour through the town’s heritage district. Dennis Flynn
80 On the Trot with Ponies
80 pony trail
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Dennis Flynn takes a stroll on a new trail in South River that includes access to a Newfoundland pony pasture.
96 Everyday Recipes Best Berry Recipes October 2022
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Contents
OCTOBER 2022
homefront 8 I Dare Say A note from the Editor 10 Letters From Our Readers Vintage reads, late library books and a tribute to a longtime reader
16 Downhome Tours Readers explore Canada’s Northwest
18 Why is That? Why do we call a cowardly person a “chicken”? Linda Browne
20 Life’s Funny Tongue-Tied Marie Hewlett
21 Say What? A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth
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northward bound
20 open wide
22 Lil Charmers Sweet Meets 24 Pets of the Month Farm Family 26 Reviewed Lisa Moore’s latest novel, This is How We Love
28 What Odds Paul Warford cries uncle
30 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose reviews Ian Foster’s Close to the Bone 34 Adventures Outdoors Off to a Grouse Start Gord Follett
38 In Your Words No Place Like Home
42 Facebook Horror Stories Real life spooky experiences 4
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24 hog wild
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60 in profile
features 54 Salamander Surprise A recent discovery of tiny critters drew a big reaction in CBS. Todd Hollett
54 far from home
60 Sure Shots Featuring photographer Barry Langdon
explore 74 What’s in a Name? Deadly Places Dale Jarvis
76 Travel Diary Trip of a Lifetime Theresa Priest www.downhomelife.com
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Contents
OCTOBER 2022
102 autumn colours
home and cabin 86 Stuff We Love Cool and Cosy Nights Nicola Ryan
92
DIY doughnut
88 Pantry Project Interior designer Marie Bishop’s tips on designing a pretty pantry
92 The Everyday Gourmet Homemade Doughnuts Andrea Maunder
102 Down to Earth Fall Foliage Kim Thistle
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116 childhood memories
reminiscing 106 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places.
108 This Month in Downhome History 110 The Whale Drive Excerpted from Ern Warren’s memoir, Once a Man, Twice a Child About the cover This No-Bake Berry Cheesecake is just one of our new-found berry recipes that are easy to make and irresistible to enjoy. If you picked a ton of berries this summer, we have the Best Berry Recipes for them. Turn to p. 96
Cover Index Homesteading for Life • 48 Take a Trot on the New Pony Trail • 80 So Berry Good • 96 Readers Creep Us Out • 42 Deadly Place Names • 74 Who’re You Calling Chicken? • 18 www.downhomelife.com
116 Memories of Merasheen Excerpted from Patrick James Hann’s memoir, The Devil is in You Crossways
124 Puzzles 136 Colouring Page 138 Classifieds 140 Mail Order 144 Photo Finish October 2022
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i dare say
Don’t tell the other months, but October is always my favourite issue.
Todd Young photo
I don’t know why it is, but it never fails that when it’s all put together and I read through it for the first time in its entirety, I enjoy October issue more than the rest. Maybe it’s because of the focus on food – everyone knows how much I love food. This time of year we’re often discussing root vegetable harvests and Thanksgiving meals. From our little garden, we’ll be enjoying fresh carrots and new potatoes, freshly bottled beets and berry jams, and warm apple crisp. It’s a very, very small scale “farm,” as our oldest grandson calls it, our best attempt at a sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle like the one so beautifully created at the Homestead at Flatrock (see story on p. 48). And our annual Best Berry Recipes always inspires me to get baking. This year I am obsessed with the Air Fryer Partridgeberry Bagels (see p. 100). With Halloween on the horizon, October issue always includes a few good ghost stories. Who doesn’t love a little spine tingle now and again? The stories of paranormal encounters shared by our Facebook community (see p. 42) gave me creep thrills. So while summer issues take me on fantastic outdoor adventures, and December makes me feel wonderfully festive, there’s something special about October. I hope you agree. Thanks for reading,
Janice Stuckless, Editor-in-chief janice@downhomelife.com
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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 Sylvia Squires Hall of Labrador City, NL, who found Corky on page 84 of the August issue.
*No Phone Calls Please. One entry per person
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Vintage Downhomer Collection
I would like to share with you my vintage Downhomer collection, which I recently found in my basement while purging some stuff. It looks like I’ve hung onto these for 24 years now, as they are dated from 1998 to 2001. I must have had a hard time throwing them out – I’m not a hoarder, I promise. Now I just have to decide what to do with them: keep or throw out. Mind ya, they’re not hurting anyone in the shoe box they’re stored in; might be interesting to start rereading them. I especially love the copy featuring my cousin, Gordon Pinsent. That one I intend to read today. Lorraine (Pinsent) Preston Ontario
B’y, those covers really take us back! Wonder if any readers are hanging onto even older issues? Send us a photo of the oldest issue you have in your possession today. Let’s see who gets bragging rights – and maybe a prize! Email us at editorial@downhomelife.com or submit your photo at DownhomeLife.com. 10
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Downhome and Dad Since I was a child, my dad, Mark Cote, always had a little stack of Downhome magazines on our coffee table in the living room. Some of them would be years old, crumpled and pages folded in, but he would read them and reread them. He also would share them with family and friends once he was done with them. The unique part of this situation is that my dad was not from Newfoundland, didn’t live in Newfoundland, and has been a resident of Quebec for most of his life. That said, my father loved Newfoundland with all his heart, from the first time he stepped foot on the Rock until he died suddenly in February of this year. My father proudly attended St. Francis Xavier University [NS] and upon graduation, went to Newfound-
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land to work construction for a summer. It was during this time that he met my mother, Sandy. They fell in love and were married, my brother Jamie was born and they moved to Quebec. As a family, we made the long drive and took the ferry to visit our Newfoundland relatives every year. For my parents and my two brothers and me, it was the highlight of our year. Christmases in Clarenville were magical, summers were full of adventures and every trip left our hearts full of love. My mother died suddenly in 1988, but we continued to make visits to Newfoundland, even after my father remarried. My older brother died in 1995, but Newfoundland remained part of our lives. From time to time, our Uncle Vince and Aunt Cathy would come to Montreal and visit us;
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they even made the trip for my wedding. My visits became less frequent as we all grew up, went to university and started our lives as adults. But my father’s love for Newfoundland and my mother’s family never waned. He continued to visit with my stepmom as frequently as they could, mailed Christmas cards every year and enjoyed regular phone calls with my Uncle Vince, when they would chat about everything, from the Habs to the deepest wonders of life. My dad loved everything about Newfoundland. He loved the long drives and the landscape and the smell of the ocean. He loved the way Newfoundlanders speak, and after a few weeks of visiting would often somehow come home with an accent – a rarity for a French Quebecer! He loved the cooking and the music, the kitchen parties and the jokes, which he would often tell at our family parties. Above all, though, my father loved the people of Newfoundland. He would often say that Newfies have the biggest hearts of anyone on the planet and that the community spirit is unparalleled. He admired how everyone takes care of one another and do not hesitate to lend a hand to anyone in need. It is this spirit that my father also had in his heart, which is perhaps why he fit in so well and loved the province so much.
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When my father died this year, we were all shocked and heartbroken. He was the patriarch of our family and the glue that held us all together. The days that followed were a blur of phone calls and visits, making funeral arrangements and taking care of our stepmother. One by one, the cards and handwritten letters started coming in from relatives in Newfoundland, sharing their favourite memories of my father and recounting the stories. As much as they were difficult to read, they were also healing and powerful, as our relatives shared their versions of their love for my father. Today, I called the Downhome office with shaky hands and tears in my eyes to inform them of my father’s death and cancel his subscription. But in speaking with Cathy [Blundon] on the phone, I decided to redirect the subscription to my house. So my children and I will now happily receive the magazine and enjoy the stories within. Thank you, Downhome, for being a constant for my father, and for making Newfoundland a part of our lives for all these years. Jennifer Cote Pincourt, QC
We are truly sorry for your loss. We hope your continued connection to Newfoundland and Labrador brings comfort to your family.
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Better Late Than Never During the spring of 1958, I borrowed the book The Poetic Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson from the Botwood Public Library. As a boy of 12 years old, childhood activities occupied my attention and I neglected to return the book on its due date of April 11, 1958. On July 28 of this year, I returned the book to the Botwood Library – 64 years late, but returned, nevertheless. Dr. Harry Elliott Retired professor (MUN)
We imagine you having “to strive, to seek, to find…” that Tennyson tome and eventually return it to its rightful place.
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Fox Crossing
The foxes near the Cape Ray Museum have been walking the little hiking trail so much we decided to put a crossing sign there for them. They seem to have it figured out. Wayne Osmond Cape Ray, NL
Thanks for the cute photo, Wayne.
Monuments to a Tragedy
Searching for Meaning
This article in your June edition [“Monuments to a Tragedy”] brought back a lot of memories. My husband, Gerald Eichel, was one of the crew who lost his life, at the age of 31. That crash changed my life at age 31 forever. I have never been to the crash site, so seeing the photos 44 years later was painful but enlightening. I hope if the monuments do materialize, I get to see them. My travelling companions and I had planned a trip to Newfoundland in 2021, but COVID halted that and all other plans. Thank you to Kim Ploughman for a well-written article.
In your article “The Numinous Journey by Jing Xia” [August 2022], I was curious about its meaning so I looked it up. “Spiritual, holy, divine, intangible, ethereal” were meanings I found. I feel this should have been defined in the introduction to this album as it was a printed piece and not audible – it defines what type of music is being written about. Knowing the meaning to “numinous” helps the reader to know what kind of music this piece is about. I am eager to experience it.
Carolyn Eichel Via email
Thank you for your letter, Carolyn. We hope you get your trip to the province in the near future. 14
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Betty Pickens Via email
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Sponsored Editorial
Newfoundland Ponies in the Empire State Growing up on Long Island, New York, Mike Harvey was always keenly aware of his Newfoundland heritage. His father was born in Newfoundland, and he still has family in the Portugal Cove and St. John’s areas. Although Mike says horses and farm life were never part of his childhood, as he neared retirement after a 33-year career in law enforcement he decided to leave city living behind. In 2016 he purchased an 11-acre property in Burdett, New York, arriving with 2 horses and an ambitious plan to transform the mostly wooded property into a farm with rolling fields, paddocks and horses. Maple Knoll Farm is a nod to the first property Mike’s grandparents owned when they moved to New York all those years ago. As the farm project was ramping up, a story from his family roots caught Mike’s eye. The story was about the plight of the Newfoundland Pony and its critically endangered status. Mike decided he wanted to do his part and began researching how to set up a pony breeding program at Maple Knoll. As Mike quickly discovered, finding available ponies and getting them shipped to him was no easy task. He credits other pony breeders for being so generous with their knowledge and networks to help him on his journey to becoming a pony owner. The small number of ponies and breeders, combined with being on the other side of the border at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, only added to the challenges and delays. But Mike’s persistence is paying off, with 2 mares on the property today and more to come. Both Gwen Dawson’s Dream (NPS #811) and Canaan Eden (NPS #836) have delivered healthy colts since arriving at Maple Knoll, Sargent Calvert this year and Sweet Baby James last summer. Both colts will be registered with the Newfoundland Pony Society (NPS), and Mike intends to breed them to ensure their bloodlines for future generations. Another pony mare, a radical changer, is currently in Ontario and should arrive in Burdett next month. “I’m just trying to help the breed. If I can contribute 10-15 ponies to the NPS Registry, I’d be thrilled.”
Eden and Calvert
Mike says that he and his partner Elizabeth Dipiazza feel an affinity to the ponies, despite never owning one before 2020. “They have such a mild temperament. They’re always looking to you for guidance. Newfoundland Ponies want to be appreciated for what they are: bundles of energy that never fail to please.” When asked why he’s taken up the Pony’s cause and the huge commitment required to breed them, Mike says with a laugh, “Well, I don’t golf!” Then he quietly remarks, “because this gives me a chance to do something important.” The future of the Newfoundland Pony depends on owners like Mike who are dedicated to responsibly breeding them. Increasing their numbers is so important to ensuring the Pony’s survival. NPS applauds pony breeders like Mike, near and far, who have taken up the cause of the little Pony that built Newfoundland!
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homefront Downhome tours...
Canada’s Northwest
Arctic Ocean
In 2018, Mary and Stephen Leonard of Huntsville, ON (formerly of Maberly, NL), drove their truck camper over 28,000 km through all the Canadian provinces and territories, and dipped their toes in the Arctic Ocean in Tuktoyaktuk, NWT.
Canada’s beauty stretches west from the rocky shores of the Atlantic to the mountainous Pacific coast and north to the Arctic Ocean. The Northwest Territories Highway 10 (also known as the Inuvik–Tuktoyaktuk Highway) runs 138 km to the very edge of the country. Officially opened in 2017, it’s the first all-weather road to Canada’s Arctic Coast. 16
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Watson Lake Cathy Coss from Warren, MB, poses for her husband, Roger, at the Signpost Forest in Watson Lake, YT.
In 1942, Carl K. Lindley, a homesick GI working on the Alaska Highway Project in Watson Lake, YT, posted a sign indicating the direction to his hometown of Danville, Illinois. Since then, travellers from around the world have been adding their own signposts to Mile 635. Today, more than 80,000 signs make up the Signpost Forest.
Deskenatlata Lake Craig Walsh, formerly of St. John’s, NL, sports one of the many Downhome magazines he keeps at his cabin at Deskenatlata Lake, NWT.
Deskenatlata Lake lies approximately 115 km NNW of Fort Smith, NWT, on the traditional land of the Akaitcho First Nations and the Northwest Territories Métis Nation. Only acces-sible by plane or snow-mobile, its remote location is excellent for hunting and fishing. www.downhomelife.com
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Expert answers to common life questions. By Linda Browne
Why do we call a cowardly person a “chicken”? Halloween is slowly creeping up on us once again, which for many means ’tis the season for scary movies, swapping ghost stories by candlelight, visiting a “haunted” corn maze and all kinds of freakishly frightening fun. That is, unless you’re a chicken. Tricks or treats; jigs and reels; fries, dressing and gravy – some things just seem to go together. But poultry and cowardice? How did that connection ever come about? We felt there was no better pair to tackle this question than writers and editors Patricia O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman. They’ve both previously worked for The New York Times and have penned five books about the English language between them. They also run the “Grammarphobia” blog, which looks at grammar, etymology and usage. And they were happy to help Downhome follow the breadcrumbs (or chicken feed, as it were). “The cowardly sense of the noun ‘chicken’ ultimately comes from the use of ‘hen’ for a fainthearted person, often contrasted with the use of ‘cock’ (that is, rooster) for a dominant 18
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person,” the duo tells Downhome via email. So for how long has the word “hen” been associated with fear or nervousness? O’Conner and Kellerman note that it can be traced back to the York Mystery Plays, “a series of 48 religious works,” which the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) says predates 1450. Taking it one step further, they point to the noun “hen-heart” (meaning a coward) and the adjective “henhearted,” the latter of which appears in a political poem by John Skelton that the OED dates sometime before 1529. The poem, say O’Conner and Kellerman, “describes English courtiers during the reign of Henry VIII as timid cuckolds: ‘They kepe them in theyr holdes, Lyke henherted cokoldes.’” Speaking again of the difference 1-888-588-6353
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between “hen” and “cock,” the pair point out that the earliest OED citation “in those contrasting senses” comes from “a satirical tract by Samuel Rowlands, printed around 1613: ‘It saues thy head from many a bloudy knocke, / To play the Hen and let thy wife turne Cocke.’” “This sharp contrast between rooster and hen may have helped popularize the figurative use of ‘chicken’ when it showed up in its cowardly sense. Like ‘hen,’ the fearful ‘chicken’ originally appeared in a compound with ‘heart,’” O’Conner and Kellerman say. They point to the first OED citation, a 1602 Elizabethan comedy called “Blurt, MasterConstable.” It includes the line: “Such Chicken-heartes (and yet great quarrellers).” Eventually, the chicken lost its heart, so to speak. “‘Chicken’ in its fearful sense soon appeared by itself in this OED example from ‘Cymbeline,’ a play by Shakespeare produced in 1611: ‘Forthwith they flye Chickens, the way which they stopt [swooped] Eagles.’ The passage describes fleeing soldiers as chickens who once swooped like eagles,” they add. The phrase “chicken out,” O’Conner and Kellerman mention, came a bit later, in the 20th century. The first
OED example of it comes from the February 19, 1931, issue of the Salt Lake Telegram: “The Irish outfit was highly ballyhooed at the beginning of the football season, with the result that logical competition ‘chickened out.’” Now that we know a bit more about where this curious connection comes from, the other question is: Are chickens deserving of their wimpy reputation? Some passionate poultry lovers respond with a resounding “No!” One of them is United Poultry Concerns, a US non-profit “dedicated to promoting the respectful treatment of domestic fowl.” In a piece published in 2019, on the organization’s website, president and founder Karen Davis decries this “foul” comparison and extols the bravery of roosters and hens, stating, “A chicken will stand up to an adult human being” and will also “fight fiercely and successfully with foxes and eagles to protect their family…” (as just two examples). So the next time you want to make fun of your friend for not accompanying you to that haunted house, perhaps “scaredy cat” would be a better insult than calling them “chicken.” (Though you might not want to mess around with a black Halloween cat on a bad day, either.)
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
Tongue-Tied When I was 12 years old, we were living on the Horse Islands. One day, when our neighbour came in from fishing, my mother said to me, “Go down to the stage and cut out some tongues for supper.” When I arrived at the stage I said, “Sir, Mom wants me to cut out some tongues.” “OK,” he said and passed me a cod. I didn’t say I’d never done this before. I took the cod fish, opened its mouth and looked around inside. Confused, I said, “Sir, this cod has no tongue!” He and two or three others had a good laugh at me before showing me how to cut out tongues. I cut out many meals after that. Marie Hewlett Springdale, NL
Do you have any funny or embarrassing true stories? Share them with us. If your story is selected, you’ll win a prize! See page 9 for details.
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now whye.” k I w o “N cutie pi e m l l a c you rding ther Ha – Hea
Say WHAT? Downhome recently posted this photo (submitted by Cathy Ruddell) on our website and social media platforms and asked folks to imagine what this dog might be saying. Heather Harding’s response made us chuckle the most, so we’re awarding her 20 Downhome Dollars!
Here are the runners-up: “I’m done playing tricks. Where’s my treat?” – Dinah Wood “You put in your thumb, and hauled out a pumpkin.” – Deanne Hussey “I would rather treats in this bowl.” – Bev Stride Dawe
Play with us online! www.downhomelife.com/saywhat
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homefront lil charmers
Sweet Meets Pretty Pony Harrison proudly grooms his pony, Oreo, in Gold Mine Cove, Catalina. Julie Lodge Catalina, NL
Let’s Do Lunch This cutie shares some lunch with Pandora the goat. Linda Corbett Colliers, NL
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Saddle Up Aurora perches on her Poppy’s Clydesdale in Witless Bay. Darrell Paul Witless Bay, NL
Silly Kids Riley is surprised when a goat at Devoe Ranch likes his sweater! Joyce Meade Port aux Basques, NL
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homefront pets of the month
Downward Donkey Igor leads an idyllic life at Lester’s Farm Chalet in St. John’s, NL. Cameron Squires St. John’s, NL
Farm Family Like a Pig Luna needs to work on her table manners. Victoria Squires Jamestown, NL
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Sheep Thrills These woolly friends in Brigus, NL, call at the window for a treat. Brenda Dalley Bay Roberts, NL
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homefront
reviewed by Denise Flint
This is How We Love Lisa Moore
House of Anansi Press $32.99
It’s Snowmageddon in St. John’s, NL, and 21-year-old Xavier has just been stabbed. He may or may not live, but it’s not looking good. That’s the setup for This is How We Love, Lisa Moore’s latest novel. During the course of the story we go back in time – sometimes days, sometimes years – to learn about the events leading up to the attack and the people affected. This is How We Love is literally that. The book shows in concrete form the ways, the mechanics, by which people love each other. But it also explores various kinds of love, especially one kind of love – the love between mothers and daughters, even if they have no actual blood ties to each other. The story itself is about the big questions: life and death, and love and happiness, and what they all mean. Yet it is the small details that make this such an intimate and immediate story: the way two mothers stand in their respective doorways keeping watch as one of their children dashes across the street between the two houses. That’s exactly the way mothers behave – it doesn’t matter that one is a birth mother and the other is a foster mother. Moore is no slouch when it comes to taking a deep dive into someone’s psyche and then presenting her findings in the most efficient, but lyrical, way possible. And that is what gives the book its power. But frantically reading to the end to find out Xavier’s fate gives it its momentum. 26
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Q&A with the Author Denise Flint: Who is your favourite character in the book? Lisa Moore: It’s sort of like children.
DF: What writers have had the greatest influence on you? LM: The people in Burning Rock,
I don’t have a favourite character; I’m invested in all of them. I think Mary Mahoney was the most surprising, and if I had to choose a favourite it would have to be a character I had no idea where it came from. I was so surprised at how she handed Trinity life skills, was protective but recognized that love for children was about providing them tools and you don’t have to be a parent or a blood relation to do that. I loved her because of her generosity. She was able to love deeply and pragmatically even though she was under no technical responsibility to do so. She held my attention.
which is a group of writers that came out of the creative writing class in 1980 at Memorial. In terms of wider reading, I’ve been influenced by William Faulkner and the way he luxuriates in language and stream of consciousness; Toni Morrison; in terms of Canadians, Mavis Gallant and her wit and sense of drama and subtlety; and Elizabeth Bowen, the Anglo Irish writer. They all really know how to make a character and make them move in the scene and also have a love of language. Those are the things that move me when I’m reading.
DF: What do you remember about your first piece you ever published? LM: I’m not even sure what the piece was. I just know it was in a magazine called Canadian Fiction. It was a magazine dedicated to Newfoundland writers edited by Larry Matthews, who taught me creative writing at Memorial. I was in Toronto and I remember going into a bookstore in the pouring rain and I didn’t believe it would be there. It was the biggest kind of thrill and a really strange feeling because it was Toronto. I had worked on it a long time and it was an intimate part of me and it was out there in the world. It was mind boggling. Something that belonged to me.
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DF: What does your writing day look like? LM: I teach creative writing at Memorial, so my writing day starts at 5:00. During the pandemic I’ve been living around the bay. We’ve had such an amazing summer, I’ve been sitting outside writing in a diary with a pen. I’m fictionalizing and lying and making no effort to stick to the truth. Then I return to the computer and work on whatever novel or short story I’m working on. Then I go back to the diaries and then I go for a long walk with my two setters and listen to podcasts; then I do housework; then I work on things having to do with teaching, which I find as thrilling as writing myself. Reading students’ stories and talking about them makes me feel very connected to the live wire of writing, and I love that. October 2022
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homefront what odds
niece to see you again By Paul Warford
Our visits were I covered a lot of ground when I in Halifax a decade ago. Yet, to my brief in the lived bemused chagrin, I could never seem to find grand scheme of Aunt Barb’s house, a brick-red abode atop a hill in lush greenery. childhood, but shrouded Unlike many Newfoundlanders of their memorable, and generation, my parents had few siblings; two for mother and one for my father. My mother’s the red house my sister, Aunt Nina, was tragically cut down in her atop the hill sits prime when I was an infant, while Uncle Joe now in my mind was laid to rest when I was in Grade 8. Dad’s sister, Aunt Barbara, lives in Nova Scotia to this right where day. You can find her (with great effort) on the we left it. shoreline of Lower East Chezzetcook – a place
so peaceful that deer wander into her yard to munch her garden’s heads of lettuce. However, for years before that she lived in Halifax. Wandering the city while I lived there, I often assumed I’d stumble upon this oasis from my childhood, but I never did. We’d visit her each summer before ultimately venturing the great Warford motorhome farther, to Canada’s Wonderland, or Bangor Maine, or, just that one time, to Disney World. Her smile was always so big and she always welcomed us, cared for us and made us feel loved. Our visits were brief in the grand scheme of childhood, but memorable, and the red house atop the hill sits now in my mind right where we left it. My brother Brian got married yesterday, his second marriage. The event gave me the opportunity to see my nieces, Holly and Willow, after years of being apart. When I first joined them a few days prior with my soon-to-be new sister-in-law, Andrea, and Charlotte (married to my other brother), the girls seemed detached; a bit quiet. No hugs, no fanfare. After some time
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of sitting quietly together on the steps leading to Cape Spear’s lighthouse, Charlotte asked them if they knew who I was and they furtively shook their heads. I wouldn’t say I was shocked (COVID had kept us apart for so long), but I was unsure how to proceed; I’ve never been great with small children. I get nervous around them. I thought then of Aunt Barb and how aware of her I would have been at the girls’ age. I was concerned I wasn’t fulfilling my uncle duties properly. I want to be the kind of older relative who does a good job, like Aunt Barb and poor, departed Josiah. So in the days leading up to the wedding, I made an effort to simply be around them, among the other adults, to repair that unfamiliarity and reestablish myself in the family tree. Holly was unable to paint my toenails on the day of the wedding, as it turned out, but my immediate agreement to the idea left the two of them smiling. The party bus took the wedding guests from the Newfoundland Distillery (where I now sit and write) to The Gypsy Tea Room in downtown St. John’s. In this luxurious coach, the girls danced and drank juice and played with their iPads, and I found myself fascinated with how much I love them. We took some selfies. While waiting for tea and coffee in the restaurant, Holly yearned for fresh air, so Uncle Paul took his nieces for a walk on Water Street. I forgot how close Freak Lunchbox was, and when they pleaded to go inside this mother of all candy stores, www.downhomelife.com
I of course obliged. Unfortunately, I’d left my wallet in my jeans back in South River, so I instructed them to stay near the store (they’re eight and 10) while I ran back to the restaurant to score some cash. The newlyweds were clearly annoyed with me, as they’d already “been eating candy all day!” Brian was also unimpressed that I’d left his children unsupervised in downtown St. John’s, but they’d promised me they wouldn’t wander and I trusted them. Charlotte followed me back and footed the bill. I told the girls to blame Uncle Paul if they got any heat for the candy. Of course, it’s hard to stay miffed on such an auspicious day, so we were all three forgiven by the time we returned for cake. The adults soon asked Willow to compare pinkies with her Uncle Paul. The two of us were born with an odd and mild birth defect: our pinky fingers are visibly crooked, bent at the second knuckle a good five or 10 degrees. We held our weird digits aloft for comparison. Perhaps I’m not as adept as Aunt Barb quite yet, but I’m catching on. There’s no need to fret when it comes to family, I’m learning; you just need to be there and be enthusiastic, and the rest falls into place. Our bond is in our blood (and our crooked pinkies). Paul Warford began writing for Downhome to impress his mom and her friends. He writes and performs comedy in Eastern Canada. Follow him on Twitter @paulwarford October 2022
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fresh tracks
new music talk with Wendy Rose
Close to the Bone Ian Foster
LOCAL SINGER-SONGWRITER Ian Foster is switching up his approach to creating music with his newest album, Close to the Bone, set to be released this fall alongside an accompanying short film of the same name. The ECMA and MusicNL Award winning artist has crossed into this medium in previous years, taking home an award from the Nickel Film Festival for Best Original Screenplay for his tune, “One More Song.” Ian has also had his hand in works that have appeared at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Calgary International Film Festival. This history of successful crossovers and collaborations is kind of what transformed Close to the Bone from a stand-alone album to an album-film duo, but Ian also transformed his approach. “I really changed up the way I wrote this album – I leaned into using drum loops, synths, pianos and more,” Ian explains. “I think this is my most personal album. Perhaps it was shaking up that process that allowed me to write more about those closest to me, including myself.” The album opens with “Over Her Shoulder,” with Annie Sumi singing the four-line chorus of “Black Velvet Band,” hearkening 30
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to Ian’s memories of his grandfather’s accordion playing, and his interesting creative choice to play only the chorus of the traditional folk song. As the swelling violins of the 1m33s opening track fade out, piano and electronics kick off “Close to the Bone,” the album’s title track. While I might have called Ian a folk artist years ago when working at Fred’s Records, he has now firmly planted himself in rock/pop. “Is there something that we haven’t shown? Just another year close to the bone,” Ian sings in the chorus, over catchy drums and synths. While Foster explains “Voyager” in detail in our Q&A to follow, the listening experience is also an adventure, with gorgeous backing vocals from 1-888-588-6353
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long-time musical partner Nancy Hynes. “Just keep talking, and tell us where you are, in the space between the stars,” Ian sings. The album’s fourth track, “Middle Distance,” begins with a drum beat that immediately gets toes tapping and heads bopping. This work explores the strange feeling of being lost at home and finding yourself elsewhere.
In “Roaring 20s,” Ian invites us to join him in the roaring ’20s, referring to the 2020s while also recalling a decade long past. “Fire all the cannons, put the mask on for the show,” he sings in the chorus’ opening lines. “Just another new age,” he repeats as the song fades out. Piano leads us softly into “Edges of the World,” a particularly tender tune. Ian’s songwriting skills shine as his storytelling creates complex images, scenes and emotions. In “Pre-Existing Condition,” the pace picks up again, with percussive www.downhomelife.com
clapping keeping the beat until we hit the chorus, when electric guitar grabs your attention and holds it tight. This catchy tune is another inevitable toetapper, and what I call an earworm – a song so catchy that after just one listen, you’re walking around all day singing it in your head. This was a personal favourite. “Hairline Fractures” is an undeniable pop song, with some electronica influences, including echoed and distorted vocal effects. Ian uses the medical term “hairline fractures” artistically to demonstrate a long, gradual and ever evolving decline: “cracks in the armor,” or “things that come after all this time,” he sings. Fully instrumental “Year of the Fire” also has electronica influences, with a heavy presence of drum loops and synths. Chris LeDrew photo The album’s 10th track, “War We’re Fighting,” is more of a traditional rock song, with acoustic guitar and a memorable chorus. I immediately drew parallels to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. “Ignition Key” opens up with yet another catchy riff, and again, demonstrates Ian’s songwriting and storytelling ability. “How do we keep this, the fire in our hearts right now?” he sings. “Just keep trying to find it,” the outro goes. Close to the Bone finishes with its longest track, at 6m39s, “Curve in the Road.” While Annie takes the October 2022
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opening vocals on this track, I think of Sarah McLachlan. After Ian’s voice gets added to the mix, I’m reminded of duets like Diana Ross and Lionel Richie’s “Endless Love,” or Patti LaBelle and Michael
McDonald’s “On My Own,” as the singers trade off some vocal parts and share others. The album’s final song throws back to the album’s intro, as we hear lyrics to “Black Velvet Band” once again.
Q&A with the Artist Wendy Rose: The record opens with Annie Sumi singing the traditional folk song, “The Black Velvet Band.” What’s the story behind carefully selecting this famous song as your album intro? Ian Foster: Both the album and film
reference my life here in St. John’s, and – importantly – the lives of various members of my family. I began to learn a lot more about my mother’s life growing up in St. John’s, just a few streets from where I now live in the downtown core. My grandfather lived with us until he passed away when I was in my teens. I have his accordion and mandolin. I don’t remember much of what he played, but I will always remember that he sang just the chorus of “Black Velvet Band” over and over in his latter years… The film portion of this project is largely about mothers and daughters, and so it felt right to have my good friend – and stellar songwriter in her own right – Annie Sumi take the lead on that vocal.
WR: We got the first tease for Close to the Bone back in 2020 with “Voyager,” one of the most tender songs on the record. “Voyager” was released via a brilliant and thought-provoking 32
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animated short film. Can you tell us a little more about the short and the song? IF: “Voyager” and “The War We’re
Fighting” are the two oldest songs on the album. I wrote it after reading about the spacecraft Voyager passing into interstellar space, or “the space between the stars” (thanks, NASA press release, for that lyric...). I distinctly remember it being story 7 or 8 of the day, behind the usual daily news – and that was depressing, given that it is the farthest-flung object humankind has ever created and sent into the universe. It has continued to tell us who we are every day for more than four decades: an inspiring human achievement at a time when we could all use some inspiration. The video was written by myself and Andrew Winter, directed by Andrew, with art by Mira Howards. I found a long-form essay on Voyager’s engineers, and it was rife with beautiful and inspiring ideas. For example, one of the engineers they followed for the article undertook the journey to the jet propulsion laboratory from a few states over, the farthest he’d ever travelled at that point. What a contrast to the thing he helped create! The script is really 1-888-588-6353
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about how time passes “down here with the walls” as Voyager makes its journey and informs us about our little role in all this. A big idea, so we really tried to focus on the people who work on the scientific front lines.
Alex Stead photo
WR: Close to the Bone explores a family living through and coping with chronic illness, loss and legacy. I read that the film was inspired by your mother’s memories of her aging parents. I’d love to hear more about how these conversations with your mother developed this film’s storyline. IF: Several years back, my mother
offhandedly told me that by the time she was 16 or 17, she was carrying her mother up the stairs of their old house on Young Street (her mother had rheumatoid arthritis). That image is referenced in lyric form on “Curve in the Road,” and is a primary image in the film. It was so striking to me: the transformation of a child into the parent, and the tragedy of that. The offhanded nature of the comment came from the fact that it was all lived so long www.downhomelife.com
ago, and to my mother, it didn’t feel like a choice she made, but rather what she had to do. Through many long chats with her these last few years, I realized it has taken her her whole life to understand the scope of it all. I don’t think my mother is unique in this story. There are a lot of people out there helping people with chronic illnesses, or older parents, continue to survive and hopefully thrive in the face of great adversity. It is a part of love that is not glamorous, and not often talked about, yet is felt by so many. Often in silence, behind a closed door. While a short, music-driven film is limited a bit by its format, I wanted to explore the emotional truth of some of this on screen.
WR: At the time of this interview, you’ve just shown Close to the Bone, the film and album, to audiences in Botwood and Fogo – and there are still screenings to come in English Harbour and Corner Brook. As a province with an aging population and many people coping with circumstances akin to the film’s characters, what do you hope viewers will take away from this film? IF: Nancy told me about an audience
member at our Botwood show who told her she spent so many years caring for her mother, and no one knows what it really takes. She then passed on some nice remarks about the film in this context. That really made me feel great because I think that about sums up a best case scenario: that someone will see it and feel seen. I think that’s what we all want when we watch a film: to somehow see ourselves up there. October 2022
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homefront
adventures outdoors
Off to a Grouse Start By Gord Follett
“What’s the best way to introduce my kid to hunting?” The first time I was asked this question was about 30 years ago, and since then I’ve answered it on countless occasions and always with the same response: “Grouse hunting.” Those parents and grandparents were looking for a relatively easy and safe way to get the kids started; one where they didn’t have to drive and walk all over God’s creation to achieve success, or at least get an opportunity to fire a few shots. There aren’t too many woods roads, trails or forested areas of this province where you won’t find ruffed and/or spruce grouse. 34
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Before their first hunt, youth should walking around the woods and trails take firearms safety and hunter eduwith a shotgun was exciting enough, cation courses, which are offered and when I shot my first two grouse throughout the province by the on my third outing just past Paddy’s Wildlife Division of the Department Pond on the TCH, I was hooked of Fisheries and Land Resources. The for life. division also partners with local rod I’ve always found early mornings and gun clubs to offer Youth Outdoor the best time to hit the trails for Skills programs for kids aged 12 to 17. grouse. Sure, you can spot the occaThese highly popular programs, with sional bird 10:00 in the morning or qualified instructors and volunteers, include training in shotguns, rifles, archery, fly fishing, outdoor survival, wildlife identification and orienteering. As a spectator and sponsor to many of them, I can certainly vouch for the enjoyment and knowledge the kids gain from these events, and I highly recommend parents or guardians register their kids early when they hear of one coming up in their area because registration is limited and they fill up quickly. Once the kids are properly and legally prepared for hunting, a whole new and exciting world opens up for them. That world, of course, is the wonA participant in the Youth Outdoor derful outdoors of NewfoundSkills program fires at a target, under land and Labrador. the watchful eye of trained volunteers Unlike the majority of hunters and wildlife officials. Gord Follett photo in this province, my experiences did not begin when I was 11 or 12 2:00 in the afternoon, but from my years of age. Rather, I was in my early experiences, the first couple hours 20s and had just started a career in of daylight are best. And don’t be the local newspaper sportswriting surprised to see three or four of these business, which was primarily night birds together in half a dozen differshift work, leaving me with little to do ent spots. all day after five or six hours sleep. Most grouse I see are not on the This was when and why I purchased wide gravel woods roads, but on the my first single-shot, 12-gauge shotwalking and quad trails leading from gun and began searching for grouse them. Quite often you’ll spot the on the outskirts of St. John’s. Just birds picking up small stones and www.downhomelife.com
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sand that actually function like teeth, collected in the gizzard and used to grind up and pulverize food. If you happen to spot them running into the woods and bushes along the sides of the trail before you can fire a shot, don’t fret; most times they don’t go far. Just sneak up and “turn on your grouse eyes,” as my uncle once told me, because as good as their camouflage is, a trained eye can pick them out. Once you spend a bit of time hunting grouse, you’ll get used to this faster than you may think. Check the trees on each Benjamin Brace harvested side all along the trail as well. his first grouse some years Quite a few times I’ve been back while hunting with his walking slowly with my head dad, Derek. Derek Brace photo straight or down, turning from side to side, when suddenly I hear the flutter of wings as metres of a grouse before noticing it, they take off just above me. then had to slowly back up 30-50 Most times you can get surprismetres – depending on which gauge ingly close to these birds, which may shotgun I was carrying – before be fine if you’re looking for a close-up shooting. And if you happen to miss photo, but not so if you’re hunting. on your first shot, quite often they’ll You need to give your shot/pattern a stick around and present another chance to spread. Too close and it opportunity. will be like firing a single projectile – So, a final word of advice for any a bullet. If you do manage to hit the of you kids who “can’t wait” to get at bird, you’ll be left with nothing but a it: If you have a habit of sleeping in, few feathers to take home. There lose it – or you’ll lose your best have been quite a few occasions opportunity of seeing and harvesting when I’ve walked within 10-15 a few birds. 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 in your words
No matter where we roam in life or how many places we hang our hat, we each carry in our heart one place that makes it skip a beat when we hear the word “home,” and it certainly applies to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Recently we asked our Facebook friends to show us what “home” means to them by sharing a photo. We received more than 300 responses! Here are some of the beautiful replies.
Stephenville by Glen Pye
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Backyard Crescent Lake, Roberts Arm
Northern Lights by Steve Byrne
by Pansy Snow
Boat Launch in Colliers by Nicole May
Christmas at the Cabin by Jennifer Heather Rogers
Bakeapple Picking by Joann Peyton
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King’s Point by Rene Edison
Eastport Beaches by Tina Butt
Salt fish drying by Wanda Chappell
Jigging cod with my dad by Tennille Hancock
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Humber River Deer Lake by Melanie Adams
Going down the beach by Patti Lundrigan-Clarke
On the Water by Colin Smith
St. Vincent’s by Vikki Theresa
Molasses Raisin Bread by Jane Elliott
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homefront
We asked our Facebook friends if they’d ever had a spooky encounter. Did they ever! Here are some of the accounts that gave us chills.
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Pauline and Guy Badcock On July 1, 2013, our 36th wedding anniversary, my husband Guy and I stayed at a B & B in Carbonear. We checked in midafternoon and informed the owner that we wouldn’t be back until 9:30 that night. She said staff don’t stay overnight, so she gave us the key code and told us that one other couple would be staying there overnight as well. We returned about 9:30 p.m. or so and went to our room. Sometime during the night we both heard loud noises coming from the adjacent room. It sounded like furniture being moved around. This went on for most of the night, but we heard no voices. It kept us awake, and I was tempted to go and knock on the door and ask them to be quiet, but decided not to. (I wish now that I had.) It sounded like chairs, tables, beds and suitcases being moved from one side of the room to the other. By daylight it stopped. When we checked out, the owner asked, “How was your stay?” I said that it was lovely, but the guests in the next room were really noisy all night long. She looked at us like she had seen a ghost. She said that the other guests had a family emergency and left before supper. “You and your husband were the only guests here last night.” I said. “I don’t think so because someone else stayed here last night as well!” I can’t wait to go back.
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Chuck Clark This one time I was lying in my bed watching the “Canada AM” show, and it was around 10:00 a.m. when I heard a strange sound from downstairs. At first I just passed it off, thinking that my uncle was having a dream, but about 10 minutes later the strange sound was so terrifying that I had to go downstairs to check on my uncle. When I got downstairs there was no one in the house but me. All of a sudden, my uncle and my cousin walked in the front door. My cousin saw the look on my face and asked, “Are you all right?” and I said, “No. I heard the strangest thing.” She asked, “What did it sound like?” I replied, “It sounded like someone in pain and suffering.” That afternoon, the credit agency called my uncle and said, “Sir, we were over to your wife’s gravesite this morning and took your wife’s headstone because you didn’t make the last payment on her headstone.” My aunt died about six months before this happened, so we (the family) didn’t know that he was going through such rough times. So we all collected the money together and got my aunt’s headstone back on her grave… because I know it was her that I heard. May she rest in peace. That’s the only experience that I ever had like that, and to be honest with y’all, I hope it never happens again!
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Brian Burnett Where my girlfriend lived, one day there was a little girl singing and dancing around a shrub several houses down the street at her friend’s place. Nobody was home and nobody else around saw the little girl. The shrub had been planted in memory of her son’s baby, who was stillborn.
Sheila Strong I have a very old story that my dad used to tell. He and I are from Shoal Harbour, Trinity Bay, NL. Dad told me many times about the Ghost Train that would be heard coming down the railway tracks near what is called Man Point in Shoal Harbour, which is very close to where my dad, Alex Clench, grew up. He said if you were on the train tracks or very close to them, you could hear the train coming, see her headlight and hear the train whistle blow – but when it would pass you by, there would be nothing there. But still, as she went by you could feel the air move as she passed you. My dad worked with the railway for many, many years, so he was very used to trains.
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Gloria Bailey If my mother-in-law was alive, she saw and heard a lot. She was in service when she was 17, in Grand Falls, with an elderly woman. At night she heard someone in the kitchen and dishes being put on the table. In the morning, she asked about it. The lady said that happened every night!
Joy Ford I had an incident happen twice. One night I was watching TV and the stereo, which was behind where I was sitting, suddenly turned on and slowly turned up the volume to bust. The second time, I had gone out one evening to walk the dog. Everything was turned off when I left. No one was home, but when I turned onto my road coming back, I could hear my stereo on bust again. I was a little nervous walking into my dark house.
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Megan Keller
Melissa Slade
My old roommate had something attached to him. One evening after he moved in, I was in the basement relaxing on my phone and his male cat was lying next to me, when all of a sudden it was like something put their hand under him and threw him across the floor. Another night, I was heading to bed and as I turned out the last light to head into my room, I could hear “her” say good night. I told my roommate the next day, and he said, “I wasn’t going to tell you, but because you told me that I will.” He said, “It must like you and not me. I was making lunch and I felt a cold chill on the back of my neck and a voice say ‘Get the F out’” (in an evil voice, he said). Another time we were all in the basement. Our male cat was relaxing on the basement steps, which had no backs on them so you could look up through. We could see something had grabbed the cat’s fur as he jumped and ran away. It seemed to not like any males, but was good to me and my female cat!
I have a few stories/experiences, but the one that sticks out the most involves Torbay Beach. My friend and I were parked there one night around midnight. My friend was driving, and I was in the front passenger seat. I was turned in my seat facing my friend, talking. We were parked facing the ocean. Out her window, over on the rocks, I saw a child all in white, looking down, carefully jumping across the rocks. All I could think was why is there a child down on the beach so late? As the child jumped across the rocks I had to move my head a little because the driver’s side mirror blocked view of the child… then the child disappeared! I screamed, covered my eyes and told my friend to drive. She asked no questions, started the car and flew up out of the beach. She said she knew from my face that we had to go. It was as plain as day and I’ll never forget it. It happened about 20 years ago, give or take.
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Advertorial
“See you at the show!” It’s the invitation that has signalled the start of the Christmas shopping season in Newfoundland and Labrador for more than a generation. “We have visitors from those early days telling us they now bring their own children and grandchildren to the show,” says Sandra Flynn, Sales and Event Manager for Christmas at the Glacier and its smaller sister event, Deck the Halls. Sandra founded the show in 1993, when the Glacier Arena in Mount Pearl was also brand new. “The Glacier building itself was barely complete in the spring of that year, when the idea of starting a brand new craft and art festival was formed,” she recalls. “I’m so grateful to the vendors from across Newfoundland and Labrador, the Maritimes and beyond who took a chance, helping establish the show’s success.” Ten years later, Sandra partnered with CGI Entertainment, and the show has thrived and grown under their combined leadership. CGI’s Business Manager, Bev Moore-Davis, recalls their early days. “Although I had plenty of experience in crafting my own product – designing and sewing everything from home décor to wedding dresses – I had no 46
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Bev with some of our long standing vendors, at the end of the 2019 show. Also in the photo is then Premier Dwight Ball.
Sandra and her son Scott at the top of the stairs, Christmas at the Glacier 2021
experience in organizing trade shows. Sandra quickly took me under her wing and, as promised, taught me everything I needed to know.” She adds, “Organizing an event of this magnitude requires a lot of time and energy. Although the days are long and sometimes hectic, seeing the smiles and hearing the positive comments certainly makes it worth the effort. I always look forward to the show and connecting with our Christmas at the Glacier friends, many of whom we only get to see once a year.” This year’s event is anticipated to be the biggest and best yet. For five days, October 19-23, the arena will be filled to the rafters (literally!) with almost 200 crafters and artisans. Many of the perennial favourites will be back, and there’ll be new and unique vendors to discover. Sandra and Bev, and their team, have pulled out all the stops to create the most beautiful and fun kick-off to this Christmas season. “See you at the show!” ev, 019 dB r2 cie a r l d n eG Sa th at as m ist n aa
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David Goodyear carefully thought about The Meaning of Life at the time when he was looking to settle down with his family. “The commercials on TV tell us that we should be jumping on a cruise, having fun, getting airplane trips to this place or that place. I realized how commercial our society has become, and obviously I was in that boat,” he says. “But I woke up one day and I was like, ‘I feel like a lot of this stuff that I do in life is because of what’s been defined for me.’ Not to be too philosophical,” he adds with a bit of a laugh, “but it all seemed meaningless. I thought, ‘I need to redefine what meaning is to me.’” David, a physicist, operates the Homestead at Flatrock, NL. Along with his wife, Janice, and their daughter, Katie, he explores techniques for living sustainably and concepts in permaculture – an approach to living and land management that draws inspiration from natural processes and ecosystems. Permaculture’s principles encourage such things as observing and interacting with the natural environment, catching and storing energy, using and valuing renewable resources, and producing no waste. The homestead life is about as far from the modern world’s consumer culture as you can get, and it’s one David wouldn’t trade for the world. www.downhomelife.com
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So how does one get started on creating a homestead? In the beginning, David drew on his background in physics to design the homestead’s ultra-efficient family home. “I started looking into building science and realizing that the way we build homes is wrong. As much as everything looks great, it’s not functional,” he says. Imagine the cost of trying to heat a large, drafty house on a windy hill and you should get the idea. At the homestead, “the long axis of the house runs east to west,” David says, “We’ve got large windows on the back that capture sun and they’re all triple glazed. There’s almost no windows on the north, so we capture a lot of heat in the wintertime.” The “passive house,” as it is known, was the first house of its kind in Newfoundland and Labrador. “It uses about anywhere from a quarter to 33 per cent of the energy of a normal home,” David explains. “Now, the house cost about 10-12 per cent more in the beginning, but in the end the energy savings are perpetual.” The same thoughtful design went into the greenhouse and surrounding 50
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David and Janice Goodyear (top right and below) along with daughter Katie (top left) harvest some of the bounty on their property in Flatrock
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At the homestead, “the long axis of the house runs east to west. We’ve got large windows on the back that capture sun and they’re all triple glazed. There’s almost no windows on the north, so we capture a lot of heat in the wintertime.”
David Goodyear
garden beds. “You know, if you’re planning to build, don’t just plop the house down somewhere,” laughs David. “It has to be more of a holistic approach to designing a property to have it work. Whether it’s where the sun’s arc is in the sky, how many trees you have on your southern border, wind protection – all these things should be taken into account.” The way the property is laid out also reflects David’s common-sense approach to physics. “Our vegetable garden, for example, captures as much energy as it can. It’s all on the south side,” David says. “The cellar uses passive energy techniques to keep vegetables from freezing and maintains the right temperature without the use of any external inputs other than the regular cycle of summer and winter.” David says, “It’s all about capturing solar energy, increasing temperature, storing thermal mass,” as he explains how he grows vegetables including broccoli, mustards and www.downhomelife.com
other leafy greens year-round in the insulated passive solar greenhouse, depending on the amount of light available. The amount of knowledge David has earned is impressive, and he’s constantly observing, evaluating and trying new things. “The thing is, physicists don’t sleep,” he laughs, then adds, “No, we do sleep. In general, most physicists that I know are pretty inquisitive people. They tend to want to understand what’s going on in order to be able to come up with a process. To say, ‘OK, this is why this works, and it makes sense.’ To somebody that has a broad base of physics knowledge, you realize that growing food, storing food, capturing energy, all those things are really just about the sun and the seasons and astronomical things that basically most people take for granted. But they’re all very physical processes. For us, it’s about how do we maximize production so that we get the most out of an area in the shortest October 2022
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The gardens and greenhouse are positioned to maximize the sun’s energy, allowing the Goodyears to grow food all year long.
amount of time, so we can process it and get it put away for winter. And that’s always what we’re doing.” The latest development at the Homestead is the creation of a food forest. “I brought in maybe about 180 trees, of which maybe 50 are fruit or berry type trees. That’s more the long-term goal in terms of food production. You kind of let nature do its thing with a food forest. But it’s a last step because, in the end, that part of your homestead provides annual production in some way, shape or form every year that you don’t really need to do anything with because it self regulates.” Today, after about three and a half 52
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years, David and Janice and the Homestead at Flatrock have accomplished the goals they had set out for themselves. They have created a beautiful, ecologically friendly property and a more sustainable way of life. Including the vegetables they grow, they buy meat from local farmers, and raise their own chickens and eggs. “Basically we’ve created on the property an internal, I call it a circular, economy. But it’s really an ecological economy in the sense that we try to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible, and repurpose,” David says. “My attitude has always been ‘leave the planet in a better place than what 1-888-588-6353
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I found it.’ And I feel like a lot of my morals and values went into the design of the property so that I can minimize impact as much as possible.” On a smaller scale, everyone can adapt sustainable activities in their own homes. “Most garden and backyards can easily incorporate permaculture principles,” David says. “It could be a simple fruit tree guild with a fruit tree and some berry trees. And things like that that are fairly self-sustaining.” For renters or those with limited space, David recommends container gardening. “A lot of container gardening can be done very simply,” he says. “It can be done with things like fish pans or you could do hay bale gardens – put a hay bale in the middle of the garden, dig a hole in it, stick some soil in it and then grow vegetables. And you’re containerizing them so you can easily move things around or give them to somebody to compost afterwards. Even if you’re renting or you’re an apartment dweller, things that trail off the edge of a balcony could easily be grown – strawberries are things
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like that.” In the end, David stresses the rewards of life on the homestead. “Now I’m at a point where, as much as I’m pretty sure a lot of people think I’m a workaholic, I do enjoy it. It goes beyond the work and the food; there’s a feeling of contentment knowing that I’m able to provide something meaningful. We’ve built up a perspective on what life is, but we haven’t really ever stepped outside to look at what that means. And I know that the choices that I make are based on a set of morals and values that I’ve determined are meaningful to me.” He jokes about the commercials for cruises and long plane rides to sunny tourist beaches that he ignores now, adding, “I’ve created for myself a life in Flatrock. And honestly, I’m so content where I am that I don’t ever need to go anywhere. I actually love being home. I don’t need to escape.” Follow David and Janice’s homesteading adventures on Instagram: @ fr_homestead; Facebook @ Flatrockhomestead; and YouTube “The Homestead at Flatrock.”
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A recent discovery of tiny critters drew a big reaction in Conception Bay South. By wildlife technician Todd Hollett
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Lorne King was cleaning up around his property on Dunn’s Hill Road in Conception Bay South, NL, on May 18, 2021, when he noticed some critters that resembled earthworms with legs. They were uncovered when he moved some old piles of degraded timber during yard renovations. What Lorne had discovered were five eastern red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) – and they were about 530 km east of their closest relatives in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The habitat around Lorne’s property is very similar to this amphibian’s native home outside the province: large spruce and birch woodlots with open fields nearby. Human disturbance is also generally low in the area. Another two individuals, an adult and a juvenile, were uncovered about 100 metres away from the originals on May 23.
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fishing trips and released them, or This amphibious discovery brought people coming to do a spot of freshJames Baxter Gilbert and Julia Riley, water fishing on the island could biologists out of Mount Allison Unihave brought them with them back in versity in New Brunswick, to the the day. It is not a common practice island. They arrived in St. John’s on now, but it may have been when we May 30, with hopes of tracking down knew less about the impact such the elusive creatures. James and actions could have. Or it could be a Julia started their search in a valley combination of the three, or somein CBS close to Lorne’s home. “When thing else entirely.” we came out the first day, we walked right in the valley and we went to, like, the beautiful green wilderness and we searched all day,” James recalls. Despite their efforts, and being nearly eaten by blackflies, they didn’t find a single salamander. How the salamanders got to CBS is currently unknown, but it is believed that they were accidentally transported. They could also have been intentionally released or escaped as pets. They don’t make very good pets, as they hide all the time and are hard to feed properly. “However, they are the typical type of critter that some child may find on a holiday to the mainland, collect a few and bring them home. Then when Mom and Dad find out, they make the kid release them,” James says. Barely 2" long, these salamanders He adds, “They live in loose were quite the surprise to substrates and can hide in the Lorne King, who found them under roots of plants or within rotting some old lumber in his yard. wood, so accidental transport At first the salamanders were only and release are absolutely viable known from CBS, since the first pathways. And once they were introaccount from Lorne King. During duced, the spread around the island their May 2021 trip, James and Julia could be facilitated the same way.” were able to find 133 around Dunn’s James also says that “people a Hill Road in less than two weeks. while back used live bait for trout However, it appears they may have and other freshwater fish; and thus, found their way to other areas. anglers over the years may have “So originally, we had thought it brought back live bait from off-island 56
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may just be localized to a small area, maybe spreading out in natural space out of sight. But after talking with people, sharing info on social media and gathering some local wisdom, we were able to hear about confirmed [through photos] sightings from St. John’s near Oxen Pond and another out in Curling out by Corner Brook,” James says. “Since then, we have learned that a few people have been seeing them in varying numbers over the last few decades in Oxen Pond and also recently in Curling.” The neat thing is that while the scientists found them in people’s yards, many of the homeowners had never seen them. “Even when dozens are living around their flower beds and wood piles, they are very good at going unnoticed.” James states that the earliest account of the red-backed salamander in Newfoundland is from the mid-1970s. However, he says, they may have been here much longer and were just overlooked. “All in all, we simply do not know yet. There are a number of ways they could have been introduced and the time frame could be long, especially given the wide extent where they have been seen [Corner Brook to St. John’s]. But the weird aspect is if they have been present from 50 to 100 years, how are people only starting to report them now? This may be related to their quiet, unassuming,
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Salamander Biology
The eastern red-backed salamander, a lungless variety of salamander, grows to 5-12.7 cm long and has two colour phases. The lead-backed phase is grey to black overall, while the redbacked phase has an orange or red stripe down the length of the body and tail. Both are mottled black and white underneath and have five toes on the back feet. To evade predators they can break off part or all of their tail if attacked. They will regrow the tail; however, it is usually duller in colour once regrown. Its diet is varied, consisting of arachnids, worms, snails, larvae and insects. The approximate lifespan of an eastern red-backed salamander is about 25 years. Unlike most other Canadian salamanders, this species reproduces on land, laying their eggs in moist microenvironments under woody debris, in crevices or under rocks. Thus they do not require standing water to produce their young.
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and secretive demeanor. But we would have to think some keen-eyed naturalist would have stumbled upon them. But we just do not know yet.” James believes the salamanders will survive quite comfortably on the island, as “from a climate standpoint the island is quite suitable.”
However, the habitat may not be quite as ideal, in that “the island may have some spots that would allow them to persist, and others might be a bit too boreal for them. Typically, you find them in mixed wood and hardwood forests, so the dense conifer forests are less inviting to them.” He also says that in “Labrador they do have two salamanders: the bluespotted salamander [Ambystoma laterale] and the northern two-lined salamander [Eurycea bislineata], 58
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but the red-backed does not occur there. So what we could see from our initial survey is that they tend to favour areas where human disturbance creates a bit of a buffer for them. So our actions to grow garden plants, or different trees, or lawns may be creating pockets where they can get a foothold.” However, with the wide variety of different forest types across the island “some are less inviting; others may work great.” He adds that “all in all, the climate is suitable, and certainly some of the forests are, too, and wherever people create human-modified green spaces they seem to do well.” It is still unknown if, or how, the salamanders may impact island biodiversity. “Where they are native, they can occur in exceptionally high numbers and are a predator of many forest floor invertebrates – so much so, they are a major competitor with other invertebrate-eating woodland species. The concern would be very hard to predict how an invasive amphibian will impact different trophic levels and food webs, but we do know that invertebrates are a highly important, yet often overlooked, base layer; so it is worth some health concern and warrants some research to get an idea of what is going on,” says James. “Could be fine, but it is best to be sure.” He adds that “none of Newfoundland’s amphibians are native species anyhow, so ecologically the presence of another one impacting them is less ecologically worrying. As for other wildlife – the birds, small mammals and caribou, and so on – they are not a direct concern as far as we know. [These salamanders] are non-toxic and, to be honest, super harmless as 1-888-588-6353
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Other NL Amphibians
Blue-spotted Salamander
Northern twolined Salamander
Mink Frog
Northern Leopard Frog
Spring Peeper
Wood Frog
American Toad
Green Frog
an individual. But it is the ecological impact of them as a non-native invertebrate predator that can shift the biomass of a forest that jumps out to me as something to be mindful of.” And as this may be the first account of this species establishing a population outside its native range, there are no previous examples of their impact on a new environment. James and Julia are working on determining the many unknowns of the red-backed salamander in this province. One method involves examining the stomach contents of the salamanders they collected while visiting the island to determine just what they are eating. “This is an important first step in determining how they may be impacting native invertebrate communities,” James explains. They are also going to be sampling genetics www.downhomelife.com
from the Dunn’s Hill population “to see if we can trace the linage back to an origin population somewhere on the North American mainland. This will allow us to figure out where they came from originally, which may also begin to give us hints at how they got here.” The biologists also hope to enlist the help of graduate students in their research into the Newfoundland salamander population, and they are appealing to the public. If anyone has seen an eastern red-backed salamander, they are asked to contact them by email at jbaxtergilbert@mta.ca or at jriley@mta.ca, or call the Newfoundland and Labrador Wildlife Division at 709-637-2025. Reports can also be made to your local Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture office. October 2022
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sureSHOTS Featuring photographer Barry Langdon
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“I usually get a smile or a puzzled look when I tell people I didn’t buy my first camera primarily to take pictures,” photographer and videographer Barry Langdon says with a chuckle. The Bonavista, NL, resident needed a second video camera that could also take still shots for his YouTube videos. He’d never worked with a DSLR prior to 2020. “I went around town taking a few pictures because I prefer to learn from hands-on experience,” he says, “and before I knew it, I fell in love with photography.” As one who leans into landscape photography and long exposure art, Barry is getting a real taste of what photographers will do for a good photo opportunity: “hands froze trying to capture the sun rising over the chimney (sea stack), climbing down cliffs trying to get the right angle of a sea stack,” he recalls. He spent one uncomfortable night sleeping in his car in Trinity, after his photography session carried him too far into the night to bother setting up his tent. “There were a few cracks and pops when I got out of my car at 4:00 a.m. to hike up Gun Hill to ensure I am set up to capture the sunrise. Definitely not the most comfortable place to sleep in the back seat of a Mazda 3. I have had a better sleep in the woods under a lean-to on boughs.” Although he’s relatively new at it, Barry has been getting accolades for his photography. (One of his images was chosen for the 2022 Downhome Calendar.) The community support has meant a lot to him. “I also cannot fail to mention people like Gord Follett (Gord Follett Photogwww.downhomelife.com
raphy). Gord actually gave me a huge boost in confidence at a time when I needed it the most. He didn’t know that at the time and still doesn’t, unless he reads this – so if you are reading this, thanks, Gord! Then there’s people like Cory Babstock, an amazing artist and a kind man who supported me even before I got serious about photography. There are so many that I could name, but those are the top two that have been supportive in some way or another and helped me move forward. I really don’t like to leave anyone out here, especially the local artists that came before me, people like Russell Lynch, Ray Mackey, Kara O’Keefe. Even people in my hometown like Kevin Hayley, Loretta Lander. All these and more have their own perspective, their own vision, and I respect and appreciate that.” When Barry is out with his camera, currently a Canon 90D, he finds himself drawn to the coastline for its beauty, how it changes with the seasons and the weather, and how it makes him feel. “When you stand near the edge of a high cliff, a towering sea stack, and really look – I mean, really look – you realize how small you really are, and any issues you may have begin to seem a whole lot smaller,” he explains. “Photography, in general, has been a great help to my mental health, and it’s in those times that I find that I am really focused, pun intended.” October 2022
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A BLOOD-RED MOON ascends in the east over the Harbour Grace Islands, where God Almighty Cove sits opposite Devil’s Cove in the eternal battle for lost souls. In mute witness stands Easton (also called “Easter” or “Eastern”) Rock, close to where pirate Peter Easton is said to have sunk the Basque ship St. Malo in the early 1600s. According to the legend, 47 pirates were buried ashore in a mass unmarked grave, but the exact location remains a mystery. Some secrets are not easily pried from the realms of the dead, despite the passage of time.
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My eye catches an eerie orange glow emanating from a wooden coffin leaning against the cornerstone of the 1870 former Custom House. The lid, adorned with a large white cross, rests a few feet away – but the former occupant of the sacred vessel does not. Spirits of all nature, nuisance and nuance are afoot this night. Their presence echoes in the strange sounds and lights coming from sources unseen. Under lamplight, an ordinary sign carries a more ominous message on this chilly October night: “No Loitering after Dark.” 70
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Yet, loitering we are – me and a large group who have gathered for the annual Haunted Harbour Grace walking tour. This fright night is a fundraiser to benefit the Conception Bay Regional Museum (located in Custom House), hosted by Undertaker Rogers (a.k.a. local author Pat Collins). “The Board of Directors for the Conception Bay Museum, in their efforts to make heritage and history entertaining and informative, decided to do a haunted hike highlighting interesting people and events from our past,” Pat explains. “My character of Rogers is kind of an amalgamation of a number of real-life people, but no one undertaker in particular. Rogers serves as a narrator and tour guide who tells the stories as we interact with the spirts, played by our wonderful volunteer actors in appropriate spots along the way. It is all a little spooky, but great fun for audiences of all ages.” www.downhomelife.com
Without giving away too many secrets of the tour, I get a teaser about who might rise up to join us along the way. “We keep switching out stories from year to year,” Pat says. “One of the characters you might encounter is Bishop Carfagnini and his infamous curse, which he bestowed on our town in the 1880s. To paraphrase: ‘May the moss grow on the roofs of your houses and the grass grow on your street.’” Bishop Enrico (Henry) Carfagnini (1823-1904) was a Franciscan Roman Catholic priest and educator who served as Bishop of Harbour Grace from 1870 to 1879. He presided over a controversial tenure during which he was often in conflict with prominent local charitable groups, such as the Benevolent Irish Society. Carfagnini left with allegedly very bad feelings and supposedly laid a curse on Harbour Grace upon departing. According to a Decks Awash article from its NovemberOctober 2022
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December 1982 issue, “When the Bishop left Harbour Grace to take up an appointment in Gallipoli, Italy, it is said that the citizens drew their blinds as he passed.” In equal parts fright and fun, the stories and stalkers shift in Rogers’ wake from alleyways to anchorages, to archways of great homes and entrances to hallowed grounds. Pat continues, “We portray some characters and locales from my books as well. There’s Gibbet Hill, where two Irish men [Peter Downing and Patrick Malone] brutally killed their English boss, Robert Crocker Bray, his 18-month-old child and his servant girl, Ellen Coombs from Upper Island Cove. Bray was also a catechist at St. Paul’s Church, which we pass. What a perfect setting for that story. We also reenact a scene from the famous Harbour Grace Affray, where a mortally injured Orangeman, 72
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William Janes, calls out to his mother, decrying the senselessness of the violence around religious bickering. Janes died at Pippy’s Lane in 1883.” One particularly moving moment for me was when Elfreda Pike arose from the gravesite at the United Church Cemetery, where she was laid to rest in 1870 after having been slaughtered by a mysterious uniformed man. This is a character from Pat’s book, Murder at Mosquito Cove. Then there’s the sad encounter with the ghost of poor little Alice Williams, a marginalized woman who died mysteriously and whose death was dismissed. Alice was found floating in the harbour. Pat says, “One of the final tales is from the late Mrs. Thomas Ridley, whose spirit returns to reveal the horrifying story of the mysterious 1-888-588-6353
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mound, which rises up from the ground under her basement during the night. Master Ridley ordered the basement sealed hereafter. We do that outside the ruins of Ridley Hall, which is another great setting to create the atmosphere. It is important, though, to remind folks that all are welcome and it is done only for good fun and a great charity cause. We all need a little scare now and then followed by a good laugh of relief at harmless things that go bump in the night.”
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what’s in a name?
By Dale Jarvis
There have been a lot of jokes made over the years about Newfoundland and Labrador’s rudest place name, but with October 31st on the horizon, what is the spookiest? One contender is clearly the community of Isle aux Morts. It is named for the small islands opposite the settlement that share the same name and which were settled before the town itself. Roughly translated to English as “Deadman’s Island,” it has been suggested that the name was originally given by the Basque who came to Newfoundland to fish as early as the 1500s. A history of shipwrecks in the area is the supposed reason for the deliciously gloomy name.
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In the area there is also an Isle aux Morts Harbour and an Isle aux Morts River. Archbishop Howley (19041914) noted another place with a slightly different spelling, Isle A Morte, at Port aux Basques. We can also boast of a Bras Mort Brook near Stephenville and Anse aux Morts near Pointe Amour, Labrador. Emily Harbour, Labrador, might not seem like a frightening name, but the former fishing station does boast a Graveyard Cove. Back in the 1800s, a family had died in Emily Harbour
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of smallpox. They were buried in a sandy little cove, and from that day to this, that lonely beach on Brig Harbour Island has been named Graveyard Cove. Trepassey, on the Avalon Peninsula’s Southern Shore, also might not seem spooky at first glance. It has what is known to geographers as a commemorative place name, which is given consciously in recognition of another place. In this case, it was transferred from the Baie des Trépassés in Brittany, the “Bay of Souls.” Trépassés is used to refer to a place dangerous for shipping, much like “Deadman’s” would be in English. My personal favourite is Bitter Ann’s Cove, which is located east of Garden Cove, near the head of Placentia Bay. According to legend, the cove is named after Ann Power. Ann found herself stranded in the cove without a boat when her husband died suddenly one winter. Just when things seemed hopeless, the spirit of her dead mother appeared, saying, “Go to the point, light a fire and stay there.”
Not one to argue with a ghost, Ann obeyed, and spent three days and three nights tending a fire on the point. Eventually, a passing boat saw the light and came to her rescue. From that point on, the cove has been named Bitter Ann’s Cove. In addition to all these ghoulish place names, Newfoundland and Labrador is home to two Coffin Islands; one each of a Coffin Cove, Coffin Point, Skeleton Cove, Ghost Lake and Ghost Pond; eight place names that include the word Deadman; too many Wreck and Shipwreck place names to count; and at least 13 (which seems appropriate) other Newfoundland and Labrador official place names which include Dead in some form or another. Which of these places seems like the ideal Halloween destination to you? Do you know a story or local legend explaining your favourite Newfoundland and Labrador place name? Send it to dale@dalejarvis.ca. Dale Jarvis is the author of “Place Names of Newfoundland and Labrador,” published by Flanker Press.
Does Isle aux Morts have Newfoundland’s spookiest name? Scott Francis photo
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With any great trip, planning is key. That is why our trip to Newfoundland in late July-early August 2019 was, for me, a trip of a lifetime. Here’s a little background on how it all came to fruition. I’ve been getting together with two of my first cousins, Debbie and JoAnne (our mothers are sisters), since 2015 at Deb’s cottage in Northern Ontario. We decided that for our fifth year we should do something special, so we all agreed to start planning our getaway to The Rock. Each of us had a responsibility; we needed to book our flight, rent a car and make reservations for lodging. Lucky for us, I have a cousin (on my dad’s side), Judy, living in Paradise, NL, who was a huge help in planning our trip and was our own personal travel guide. Left: JoAnne and Chief the dog on Signal Hill in St. John’s. Backdrop: Fogo Island with Brimstone Head in the background
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JoAnne, Debbie and Theresa on Fogo Island Our family roots in Newfoundland go way back. Our mothers are from Fogo Island, my dad and uncle are from Juniper Stump and another uncle is from Gander. Fogo Island was ultimately our getaway destination with many lovely stops along the way. We arrived at St. John’s Airport in July 2019, and got our rental car. We drove to Judy’s place in Paradise and stayed with her for a couple of days, taking in the local scene. Of course, we visited Signal Hill and Cape Spear, and took in the local pubs’ fare and music in downtown St. John’s. A day trip was planned along Conception Bay South, where we visited Clarke’s Beach and discovered a local distillery, and sampled some of their gins. We also had a picnic in Brigus and took in the sights of this historic town. Back to Paradise, we had a huge feed of cod for supper. The following day we loaded up the car and headed west. We visited the 78
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lovely town of Trinity, with its many colourful homes and beautiful churches. Unfortunately, we could not stay long because we wanted to be in Bonavista before dark. Waiting for us in Bonavista was a charming Airbnb. We spent one night and managed to enjoy a fine meal at a local restaurant and take in the spectacular scenery. Dungeon Provincial Park left us speechless, as the whales put on quite a show. We ended the evening down by the water enjoying the amazing sunset. The following morning we were back on the road with a quick stop in Gander to refuel and grab something to eat. We had a schedule to follow and needed to make the ferry in Farewell to take us to Fogo Island. The crossing, along with weather, was grand. We’d arranged to stay at a lovely saltbox home in Fogo, another Airbnb. It was an ideal location for us. There was so much for us to do: 1-888-588-6353
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reconnect with family, meet up with old friends and, of course, hike the famous Brimstone Head. We visited The Bleak House and Marconi Centre. Every day we had a new adventure waiting for us. Our last couple of days on the island were spent in Tilting, another pretty town with many local attractions and great hiking trails. And oh yes, in Joe Batt’s Arm we can’t forget The Fogo Island Inn. We didn’t have reservations for the inn, but we managed to get some great pictures. We spent a total of six days on Fogo Island. We all wanted to stay longer, but we needed to get back to St. John’s for a concert on George Street. This would be our last night in
Newfoundland, and what a way to spend it – at a live performance by Buddy Wasisname and the Other Fellers! Unbeknownst to us, my husband had contacted the group and during their encore of “Salt Water Joys,” they gave a huge shoutout to the visiting cousins from Ontario, naming us all and welcoming us. This trip down memory lane is dedicated to the memory of our dear cousin/friend JoAnne. She passed away peacefully on January 25, 2022, after a lengthy illness with cancer. Every time I revisit NL, I will be remembering all the happy memories we shared. Thank you, Debbie, Judy and JoAnne for making this “A Trip of a Lifetime.”
Sunset in Bonavista
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explore
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I was visiting a Newfoundland pony foal born in South River in July this year when I learned from a local, Tammy Webber, about a new and unique hiking trail. In addition to beautiful views of South River and Cupids, the path leads to the Newfoundland Pony Heritage Pasture. www.downhomelife.com
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“This pasture is managed by a group of local Newfoundland pony owners and volunteers, and houses a small herd of protected Newfoundland ponies,” said Tammy, who leads tours of the trail and pasture. “The best access is the old cart path along Caplin Cove Road [near Marshall’s Store at the intersection of Routes 60 and 70]. It has been widened and upgraded to a gravel walking trail that is easy to navigate along, and brings you to a little kiosk with some information on the Newfoundland Pony and a picnic table to have a lunch. The pasture itself is open to 82
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the public to walk and view the ponies, and feel free to take as many pictures as you like.” Visitors must be very careful to close and secure pasture gates behind them as they enter and leave, Tammy adds, and to not bring pets or motorized vehicles, which would scare the ponies. Most importantly, “Please do not feed the ponies. They have lots of good grass and water on the pasture, which covers a large area, and are very well-cared for there.” This summer a Newfoundland pony died after being overfed by, most likely wellmeaning, visitors. 1-888-588-6353
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Tammy says credit for the trail development goes to the “Town of South River, the local Newfoundland Pony Pals Project, the excellent volunteers and pony owners who lend a hand, and the Newfoundland Pony Society, who all work to protect and promote awareness of our wonderful and unique Newfoundland ponies.”
This Provincial Heritage Animal is in need of promotion and protection, as only about 250 of these endangered animals live in their home province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and only about 450 are registered worldwide. She sees the trail as a wonderful method of raising awareness for the plight of the pony.
The town of South River has done great work promoting awareness of Newfoundland ponies and developing the Pony Walking Trail.
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“All people in the country need the chance to see them and to learn firsthand more about Newfoundland ponies. I think this hiking trail idea could work elsewhere in the province and on the mainland, and wherever in the world Newfoundland ponies are found. It’s a small project, but a step in the right direction.” On a beautiful weekend morning, I did indeed check out the new trail and it was, as promised, very easy to walk along the upgraded gravel road. The pasture containing the Newfoundland ponies (pasture No. 5 on the farmland map for locals) is the first one encountered immediately after the picnic kiosk on Caplin Cove Road. It is well marked with pony signage on the gate. The rolling
meadows gently crest at a hill, providing stunning views of Conception Bay North where small boats engaged in the recreational cod fishery dot the waters under a deep blue sky. There were roughly 10 Newfoundland ponies milling around the day I visited. After taking a few photos from an appropriate distance I left them to graze in peace and moved along to the far gate (also marked with a pony sign) that indicated the end of the protected pony section of the much larger grassland. I opted to continue on – carefully securing all gates as I went – to visit the hidden horseshoe-shaped beach at Caplin Cove. It lies roughly between Cupids and South River, tucked into a valley between rocky
Newborn Newfoundland Pony “This little male pony is one of the friendliest I have ever seen,” says proud owner Terry Crocker, 63, of Harbour Grace, during a visit with him in July 2022. “He is actually only 13 days old today, and we named him ‘Herb’s Knight’ in honour of a local gentleman, Herb Bray, who was a tremendous lifelong supporter of the Newfoundland pony. In terms of his bloodline, the sire is ‘Brandee’s Legacy’ (NPS# 940) and the dam is ‘Randell’s Joy’ (NPS# 942). “It has actually been a good year for Newfoundland pony foals. I am not sure where they are all located or if it includes numbers from outside the province or not, but I hear that around 20 foals have been born so far in 2022. The Newfoundland pony can definitely use all the help it can get. I have been keeping Newfoundland ponies all my life and I would not be able to tell you the number we have had in our family over the years, but a new foal is always very special. I actually still have five ponies, and this little fellow is a great addition.” 84
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headlands. There I counted three young eagles and spied a whale breaching in the distance. I’d stopped here numerous times while kayaking, but it was my first time walking in and I was pleasantly surprised at the views. It’s worth noting this last section to the beach is an option only if you’re comfortable with passing through a section of cow pasture. If you’re not, it is still a wonderful trip to the ponyonly section of the pasture. Or, if
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preferred, you can simply walk the 1.4 kilometres (one way) from the trailhead to the picnic kiosk and not enter any pastures at all. It is all a matter of personal experience and comfort level with animals. Whatever you decide, I have to agree with Tammy Webber: experiencing first-hand encounters with the beloved Newfoundland pony and learning how to help save this Provincial Heritage Animal is a great step in the right direction.
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HOME and Cabin
stuff we love by Nicola Ryan
Cool and Cosy Nights HOME FIRES BURNING As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, it’s the perfect time to curl up in front of the fireplace. Adorn your hearth and keep children and pets safe with a decorative fireplace screen like this one. BlackForestDecor.com
MULL IT OVER As October’s full Hunter’s Moon rises in the sky, sip a crisp seasonal cider from the Newfoundland Cider Company. The province’s first craft cidery produces small-batch cider from fresh-pressed apple juice and locally grown fruit and berries, creating a variety of delicious flavours. NewfoundlandCiderCo.com
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COLOUR BLOCK Keep away the chill by cuddling up under a traditional, handmade, granny square blanket like this one created by Julie Brocklehurst at Logy Made. They also create pillows, art and custom orders. Facebook.com/logymade
GUIDING LIGHT Lean into the rustic vibe and create a pool of light to read by with a unique, lanternstyle table lamp like this one from Railey Design. Perfect for fall evenings at the cabin, it includes a 7-watt bulb in the lantern body, which can serve as a night-light. RaileyDesign.com
SPIRITED AWAY No dark, stormy night in the spooky season is complete without some eerie stories. We love Screech: Ghost Stories from Old Newfoundland by Charis Cotter. This collection of Atlantic ghost stories for the whole family features spectral illustrations by Genevieve Simms. ShopDownhome.com
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HOME and Cabin
Pantry Project By interior designer Marie Bishop
The beloved pantry:
for me, the word pantry evokes visions of worn wooden shelves lined with mason jars filled with preserves, dried fruits and spices, sacks of flour, jars of pickles, pottery bowls, stacks of blue and white dishes, and teacups. It gives me a feeling of warmth and security that all is well in the world.
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So, when Mr. B and I built our modest little house 35 years ago, a pantry was at the top of my wish list. Even though they were not popular at the time, I was not backing down. The word pantry is derived from the Anglo-Norman word paneterie, which came from the Latin panis meaning “bread.” The pantry was a room where baked goods (mostly bread), spices and baking supplies were stored. A larder was similar to a pantry in that food was stored there, but mostly meats, cheeses and vegetables. Uncooked or partially cooked meat was covered in lard to preserve it and stored in barrels, hence the name larder. Today the two words are often interchangeable, but pantry is by far the more popular and accurate choice. Fast forward to 2022, and a pantry is the most requested feature in kitchen design, a trend that began even before the pandemic. Kitchens have evolved immensely over the past decades. Back in the early 1900s, kitchens were rarely seen by guests who came for dinner; whereas today, the kitchen is the hub and heart of the house. It offers a place to gather, share stories, celebrate events, connect with family and, of course, enjoy a wonderful meal. Preparing delicious food to be shared and enjoyed with family and friends can be pleasurable and therapeutic. I go into my pantry, look at all the possibilities and get inspired. Mind you, I don’t always follow through, but the option is there nonetheless. Whether your pantry is a walk-in www.downhomelife.com
Preparing delicious food to be shared and enjoyed with family and friends can be pleasurable and therapeutic. I go into my pantry, look at all the possibilities and get inspired.
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room, a double-door cabinet, or open shelves tucked into a corner, the fact remains that this space offers the ingredients for a wonderful evening of good food and great memories. No matter what the capacity, the key is to keep your pantry organized and well stocked. If you are redesigning or adding a pantry to your space, there are a few things to think about:
Not all shelves are created equal and, at first glance, you may think the more shelves the better, which is true – to a point. A little wall space is also a benefit; for instance, you need somewhere to hang your apron. It’s wise to have some shelves that are only 6" deep for storing small spice jars or a single row of canned goods. Traditionally, items that get stored behind other items get overlooked, and forgotten about – until they are past their expiry date and then they are garbage. 90
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Today’s pantry often provides space for small appliances like a toaster oven, microwave and mixer, all of which require some counter space. However, the counter depth need only be 14"-18", not a full 24" deep like the ones in the kitchen. This still provides enough space in the cupboards below to house pots and pans, platters, seasonal dishes – all things that do not need prime space in the main kitchen area. You also need ample electricity, especially if you plan to put a small fridge or freezer in your pantry.
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Personally, I prefer fixed shelves above the counter space. However, this does require a little planning to ensure the shelves fit the items that will live there, such as cereal boxes (especially the ones from Costco). So, adjustable shelves are usually the safest bet. Spices can be bought in bulk but should be stored in airtight jars to keep them fresh and vibrant for a long time. There are all kinds of sizes and styles of jars you can buy; I’ve chosen all the same size with covers that offer the option of shaking out a small amount, a larger amount or heaping it out by the spoonful. For drygoods used in larger quantities, such as rice and pasta, large covered jars are the answer. Labels are essential for spices and a bonus on the larger jars.
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Planning is key. Once you do an inventory of items to be stored, it’s easier to plan the storage space you need. Don’t forget about the veggies, paper products and reusable grocery bags: they all need ample space to call home. When our children were little and now when the grandkids come, they frequently set up shop in the pantry. Give them a barstool, a TV table, a notepad and a toy cash register, and they are ready to fill your grocery order. It’s a delightful way to begin a loving relationship with food. The pantry has been a part of our food heritage since medieval times, and I am delighted that it has resurfaced as a critical element in today’s house plans. It is a great addition to your kitchen, a wonderful way to encourage great meals and a fabulous way to love your space!
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HOME and Cabin
the everyday gourmet
Homemade Doughnuts
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the everyday gourmet By Andrea Maunder
Andrea Maunder is the owner and creative force behind Saucy & Sweet – Homemade Specialty Foods & Catering.
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Please accept my apologies in advance. I LOVE unglazed, old-fashioned, fried sour-cream doughnuts. I’ve been working on perfecting a recipe – and I am taking you down with me. These are so simple and so good, you won’t be able to resist whipping up a batch whenever the craving strikes. These are not raised by yeast, but instead by baking powder; so no proofing, no guesswork. The perfect doughnut, for me, has some crispness and crunch to the exterior, a caky moist interior that strikes the balance between lightness and a hint of chewiness, just lightly sweet, intensely redolent with the aroma and flavour of freshly grated nutmeg, a hint of the floral warmth of good vanilla, and the rich hit and subtle tang of the sour cream. I adore that crackly exterior, too – it’s an irresistible invitation to take a bite. Thanks for indulging me in my detailed description – are you salivating? (I am.) By now, you must be dying to get into the kitchen to get started. A few key things: Buy the whole nutmeg and freshly grate it with a microplane or fine grater. Use full-fat (14%) sour cream. This recipe uses cake or pastry flour, as it contributes to the lightness. I’ve made them with regular all-purpose flour with good success – just use a little less. If it’s in your budget, it’s worthwhile to pick up a few new tools for your kitchen – a small investment that will pay off as you’ll find future baking and cooking much easier. (1) To cut the doughnut shapes, I used a 2 1/2-inch pastry cutter for the doughnut and a 3/4-inch one for the hole. (If you don’t have pastry cutters, use a small glass and a thimble, or a little cap to a vinegar or condiment bottle. Or you could use something round like a coin (washed, of course) and cut around it with a sharp knife.) (2) A digital scale for weighing ingredients is particularly useful for baking and breadmaking. It takes the guesswork out of the milling and moisture content of flour, and opens up a whole world of European-style recipes that are based on weight rather than volume measures. (I’ve given both the weight and volume amounts October 2022
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here. If using volume, you might need to adjust the moisture content of the dough.) (3) A digital probe thermometer allows you to get specific about the temperature of frying oil, cooked meat, candy or jam, and even bread. The exterior of bread can be brown and crusty, and it may sound “hollow” when thumped, but it’s hard to tell if the centre might still be a bit doughy. Insert the probe thermometer and look for 90-100°C or 195-205°F. And you’ll never worry if water is too cold or hot to bloom yeast because you can ensure a temperature of 41-46°C or 105-115°F. If you have a deep fryer, you can certainly use it to make these doughnuts. I have a small enamel-coated cast iron pot that I keep vegetable shortening in. Shortening is stable at room temperature. After five or six uses, I toss the shortening, wash the
pot and start again. (If you fry something fishy or spicy, you’ll not want to fry doughnuts in it afterward.) Be sure the pot you use is large enough to allow head space to boil up, but not overflow, when you add your ingredients. For this recipe, whatever vegetable oil you have on hand in a small saucepot will work just fine. Another really wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can prep the dough, cut the doughnuts, refrigerate them and fry them a day later! I love this feature because if not baking for friends, having a dozen or more doughnuts around is a little too dangerous. I have gone as long as two days before frying them, but they aren’t quite as fluffy. If refrigerated for a day, let them come to room temperature before frying, for the best lightness.
Old-fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts Makes 12-15 100 g (1/2 cup) white sugar 30 g (2 tbsp) cool (not cold) butter, cut into little cubes 2 egg yolks Half a fresh nutmeg, grated into the bowl 2 tbsp plain applesauce 1 tsp good vanilla
255 g (2 cups + 1 tbsp) cake/pastry flour (extra for texture if needed, and more for dusting the cutting board) 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/8 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp kosher salt (or 1/8 tsp table salt) 113 g (1/2 cup) full fat sour cream
In a stand mixer bowl with beater blade (or hand-held electric mixer with beater blades, or by hand with fork), cut the butter into the sugar until it looks crumbly. Grate in nutmeg and add egg yolks. Beat until light, fluffy and thickened. Mix in applesauce and vanilla. In another bowl, mix the flour with baking powder, soda and salt. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, on very low speed, to the mixing bowl. Then mix in half the sour cream, another 1/3 of the flour, remaining sour cream and remaining flour. Mix just until combined. It should be a little sticky and somewhat soft, but not like batter. Add a little flour if necessary. Gather mixture together and transfer to a small, lightly floured bowl, 94
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sprinkle a little flour on the top, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, or up to an hour. Remove dough from the fridge and start heating shortening/vegetable oil. You are going for a temperature of 335°F. (Over 350°F browns the outside too quickly, and 325°F allows too much oil absorption and doesn’t promote fluffiness.) Sprinkle a little flour on a board and roll out (or pat out) dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a floured cutter (or glass), cut as many doughnuts as you can, transferring them to a parchment-lined pan or plate. Cut the doughnut hole using a smaller cutter or sharp knife. Either keep the holes for frying, or return them to the dough as you pull it together and pat/roll it out again to cut more doughnuts. Continue until all dough is used. Brush off excess flour and check oil temperature. If you don’t have a thermometer, heat over medium heat and test with a doughnut hole or scrap of dough. Fry 1 or 2 at a time – or as many as will fit in your pot/fryer without touching. Let them fry a minute on one side, then use a chopstick or end of a wooden spoon to flip them and cook the other side. The characteristic cracks will appear as they puff and fry. Colour should be dark golden. Remove and drain on paper towel. Let them cool a little before eating. Glaze is optional (I’m not a fan). To make a glaze, whisk together 3½ cups icing sugar, 1½ tbsp corn syrup or liquid honey, a pinch of salt, and 3-4 tbsp hot water until smooth and flows slowly. While doughnuts are still warm, dip them into the glaze to coat, let excess drip off into the bowl, and set doughnuts on a rack for 15-20 minutes, until glaze sets. www.downhomelife.com
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HOME and Cabin
everyday recipes
Best Berry Recipes When we were done combing the hills, woods and fields for delicious berries, we searched far and wide for these new, delicious ways to eat and share the bounty.
No-Bake Berry Cheesecake 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup butter, melted 4 cups fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and halved strawberries), divided 1 cup sugar, divided 3 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened 2 cups whipped topping Mix graham crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan or a 9"x9" baking dish. Mash 2 cups berries with 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining sugar with mixer until blended. Add mashed berries and mix on low speed until blended. Fold in whipped topping and spoon mixture over crust. Refrigerate for 6 hours. For springform pan, run a knife around rim of pan to loosen cake and remove rim. Top cheesecake with remaining berries before cutting and serving. Makes 1 cheesecake (12-16 servings)
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Berry Upside Down Cake 1/3 cup butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries), cleaned and chopped – or one (12 oz) bag frozen field berries, thawed and drained 1 1/3 cups flour 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup milk 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 1 egg Preheat oven to 350°F. Place butter in bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan, and put it in the oven as it heats. When butter is melted, remove from the oven and sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar evenly over melted butter. Spoon berries evenly over top. In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients with electric mixer until well blended, scraping bowl frequently. Pour batter over berries. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Immediately place a plate upside down over the baking pan and turn both over. Leave pan on cake for a minute or two, then remove it carefully. Serve warm. Makes: 9-12 servings
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Berry Cobbler 2 cups strawberries, sliced 3/4 cup blackberries 3/4 cup raspberries 3/4 cup blueberries 2 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 cup + 4 tbsp sugar, divided 3 tbsp cornstarch 1 1/2 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6 tbsp cold butter, diced 3/4 cup heavy cream Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, combine berries and lemon juice. Mix cornstarch with 1/2 cup sugar and pour mixture over berries. Stir berries gently to distribute cornstarch mixture evenly, then pour all into a 9"x9" baking dish. Combine flour, 3 tbsp sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter, or use two forks or your fingers, until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Stir in heavy cream to make a soft dough. Drop dough by spoonfuls over berry mixture. Sprinkle remaining 1 tbsp sugar over dough. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until top is browned and berry juices are bubbling up. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves: 9-12
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Raspberry Bliss Balls 1 cup raspberries (fresh or thawed from frozen) 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted 1 tbsp chia seeds 2/3 cup finely shredded coconut, divided Set aside 2 1/2 tbsp of the coconut for rolling. Place the remaining coconut, raspberries, oats, maple syrup, coconut oil and chia seeds in a food processor; process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours, until mixture thickens. Using 1 tbsp of mixture at a time, roll into balls, then roll in reserved coconut. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Makes about 12 balls.
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Air Fryer Partridgeberry Bagels
Stuffed Strawberries 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup icing sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 20 large strawberries, cleaned Graham wafer crumbs Mini chocolate chips (optional) Beat cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Spoon into a piping bag (or a resealable bag with a corner snipped). Hull strawberries and use a sharp paring knife or tiny measuring spoon to scoop out the core. Slice off just enough of the bottom so the strawberry can stand upright. Fill strawberries with cream cheese mixture. Dust the top with graham cracker crumbs. Optional finish: Sprinkle tops with mini chocolate chips, or melt them first in the microwave and drizzle chocolate over strawberries. Makes 20 pieces.
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1 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt (or any flavour you want, but it must be a thick yogurt like Greek) 1 cup self-rising flour (or make your own: 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp salt, blended together well) 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/8 cup partridgeberries (fresh or thawed from frozen) 1 beaten egg (for egg wash) Sift together flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir together flour mixture and yogurt. Carefully fold in partridgeberries, then use floured hands to mould dough into a ball. If dough is too wet, add a little flour; if it’s too dry, add a little yogurt. Dough should be soft. Knead it only lightly. Place ball of dough on a floured surface. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece out into a rope about 3/4-1 inch thick, and join the ends to make a bagel shape. The centre hole should be big – it will close up as the bagel puffs up in cooking. Brush both sides of bagels with egg wash. Lay in air fryer, leaving an inch or so between bagels. Do them in batches if needed. You don’t want the bagels to touch as they swell or they won’t evenly cook. Cook at 350°F for 10 min. (time or temperature may vary slightly depending on your machine). Finished bagels will be browned on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Eat them warm from the air fryer, or cool them completely to slice and toast later. For best storage, wrap each individually and freeze until needed. Makes 4 bagels. 1-888-588-6353
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Blueberry-Banana-Walnut Scones 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 cup cold butter, cubed 1/2 cup blueberries (halve any large ones) 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1 individual serving container blueberry yogurt 1 large banana, mashed 1 tbsp brown sugar Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle with flour. Whisk flours, sugar, baking powder and baking soda together in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender, or use two forks or your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in blueberries and walnuts. Beat yogurt and banana together until smooth, then stir gently into flour mixture just until dough holds together (kneading it will make the dough tough). Turn dough out onto prepared baking sheet and pat it into an 8-inch circle. Use a sharp knife to score 4 lines through the circle, making 8 equal wedges. Sprinkle brown sugar over wedges. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until scones are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool a little before pulling wedges apart. Serve warm, or set on wire rack to cool completely, then store in airtight container for up to a week. These also freeze well to reheat later. Makes 8 scones.
Fresh Blueberry Walnut Bars 2/3 cups walnuts, finely chopped (or ground) 1/2 cup graham crumbs 1 tbsp sugar 1/3 cup rolled oats 3 tbsp butter 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese 1/4 cup sugar 1 tbsp orange juice 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 2 tbsp blueberry jam (or whatever jam you have) 2 cups fresh blueberries www.downhomelife.com
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8”x8” baking pan. Combine walnuts, graham crumbs, sugar, oats and butter in a small bowl. Press firmly into the bottom of the baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, orange juice and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Slowly beat in Greek yogurt until combined. Spread filling evenly over cooled crust. Warm the jam in the microwave for 30 seconds, to make it runnier. Stir it into the blueberries and pour mixture over the filling. Refrigerate until set and ready to serve. Serves 16 October 2022
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HOME and Cabin
down to earth
Fall Foliage BY KIM THISTLE
“What is that shrub with the red leaves?” That is the question of the month. Anybody who has ever worked in a garden centre knows exactly what it is. A Burning Bush. It is, indeed, a feast for the eyes at this time of year. Gardening is a year-round activity, and when you are planning your plot be sure to think about what your space will look like through all 12 months of the year. Here are some options for fall colour and a few things to consider about each one.
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Dwarf Burning Bush Euonymus compactus This shrub has a mature size of approximately 6' x 6' and may grow even larger in some landscapes. Be sure to choose a spot where it has room to grow. And, yes, that is the dwarf variety. The regular burning bush gets much, much larger. Summer foliage is green and the leaves will not turn colour until the warm days and cold nights of autumn are upon us. For the boldest of colour, be sure to plant in full sun. It will grow in partial shade but will not develop the intense crimson that gardeners desire. This plant is adaptable to most soils but will not perform well in a wet, poorly drained area. With its mounded shape it makes a wonderful privacy screen or hedge. Few pests attack it, making it a low-maintenance shrub.
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Goldflame Spirea Spiraea japonica ‘Goldflame’
A great choice for three seasons of colour: bronze tinged in the spring, neon yellow green in the summer and coppery orange in the fall. It lends well to pruning, and you can hack away at this little plant. Prune in late winter after the extreme cold has passed. For this reason, it is a good choice for roadside beds where it will be buried with snow in the winter. It is extremely cold hardy. This plant stays small and compact. Fully grown it is approximately 30" x 30".
Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa
Often overlooked in the garden centre, this shrub turns brilliant hues of red, orange and purple in fall. The sweetly scented flowers appear in spring when insect pollinators are searching for food. Do your part and provide a plant that will help them with their mission. Chokeberry has a shiny black berry that is edible, and in recent years it has received renewed attention for its health benefits – it is packed with antioxidants. These shrubs are native to Newfoundland, so you know they will grow without too much attention.
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Smokebush ‘Grace’ Cotinus coggygria ‘Grace’
The leaves of this shrub emerge bright wine-red in the spring, followed by a summer colour of deep red and then, for the pièce de resistance, a fall colour of red or orange that is almost fluorescent. For best colouration, plant in full sun. It’s named smokebush for the flowers, which look like clouds of smoke rising above the foliage. A low-maintenance plant, it responds very well to hard pruning. This practice is often used to rejuvenate the fall colour; but beware, it will result in poor flowering the following year.
Flowering dogwood Cornus kousa
Everyone should have one of these because, in my humble opinion, it is the most beautiful tree in the garden. This small, vase-shaped tree has four seasons of interest. The star-shaped blooms appear in late spring and persist into summer. These blooms give way to red fruit that attract hungry birds. The fall colour can be a spectacular red, orange, yellow or purple. And in winter, the exfoliating bark, as well as the tree shape, lends interest to the landscape.
Grows best in full sun or part shade.
It’s an easy to grow, easy to care for shrub that is generally pest free.
It thrives in organically rich, acidic to neutral, well-drained soils. Kim Thistle owns a garden centre and landscaping business on the west coast of the island. She has also been a recurring guest gardener on CBC’s “Crosstalk” for almost three decades.
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reminiscing flashbacks
Happy Heyday In this photo from the early 1950s, Janet and Stan Handrigan pose with five of their 11 kids and a niece beside their barn in Grand Bank, NL. Kay MacVicar Brantford, ON
While the Sun Shines
Martin Atkinson of Herring Neck uses his horse to pull hay, to feed his animals in the early 1960s. Joan Ford Herring Neck, NL 106
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Hauling Hay The submitter’s father and a neighbour work together in the Goulds in the 1950s. Perry Howlett Goulds, NL
Colossal Cabbage Herb Howell once grew this 19 1/2 lb cabbage in his garden in Badger’s Quay. Darlene Hubley-Kean Badger’s Quay, NL 1-888-588-6353
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The Downhomer October 1988
Woman hospitalized after colliding with a whale
(reprinted from The Coaster with permission)
Saturday, August 6, 1988, was a day that Mr. and Mrs. Eli Short of Hermitage will remember for a long time. Taking advantage of a beautiful day, Eli Short and his wife Vida were spending an afternoon boating in Hermitage Bay. Everything was going fine until the boat ran into a whale, which was in the process of surfacing. The impact caused Vida to be thrown from the boat and landed on the whale’s back, where she received minor cuts and severe bruises. After everything had settled down, Vida was about 50 feet away from the boat. Fortunately, her husband was able to get to her and pull her back into the boat. Shortly after landing in Hermitage, Vida was rushed to the Harbour Breton Hospital where she spent the weekend. While in hospital Vida was somewhat a celebrity. She was the first patient since the hospital opened some 50 years ago that had been admitted and treated for injuries received from colliding with a whale. 108
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*Canada only. Shipping not available to Newfoundland and Labrador and Nunavut.
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reminiscing
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THE CHAPEL ARM
that I was born into was steeped in one tradition that was more than a century old. The whale drive was introduced into Newfoundland from Europe, and as a boy it was a regular activity I would witness and grow to participate in. I grew up having reservations about the slaughter of domestic animals. Somehow that reservation did not apply to the indiscriminate slaughter of whales. These were warm-blooded mammals, just as our domestic animals were; the only difference was a matter of their environment. My involvement in slaughtering one and not the other is something that I have wrestled with since aging. Today it is something I recall with remorse.
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A pilot whale, known locally as a pothead
Prior to the 1950s, pilot whales (known locally as potheads or roundheads) would be herded ashore in Southern Cove and slaughtered for their oil. They travelled in pods, measured up to 20 feet and could weigh in excess of three tons. Once herded ashore, they would be slaughtered and stripped bare of their thick coat of fat. Participants would then share and transport the fat to Western Cove, where it would be cubed and rendered into oil using cauldrons over an open fire. The resulting oil would be collected into drums for sale and shipment. Before the arrival of the Cabot Highway, shipment was by schooner. In about 1950, Arctic Fishery Products Co. Ltd. introduced three whaling schooners and set up a rendering facility in Dildo. It preceded a circumstance where mink ranchers in Western Canada were experiencing a shortage of food to supply their animals. That food supply primarily came from the slaughter of wild horses. At the same time, here on the Atlantic, we were engaged in a practice of harvesting the whale for its oil and discarding its meat. The perfect solution was on our doorstep. We could utilize a wasted resource, and tap what seemed to be an endless 112
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supply of it journeying annually to our shores. In short order, the Fur Farmers Feed Co-operative was put in place in Dildo, having a plant to supply an array of mink ranches that had sprung up in Blaketown. The appearance of a schooner on the horizon, herding whales into the bay, set a large part of our population in motion. Those who qualified dropped whatever they were doing and took to their boats. Those not involved in the drive would migrate on foot to the hills overlooking Southern Cove to witness the spectacle. For the children, it was a thrill and learning experience. For the women and elderly, it was an opportunity to socialize. For the ablebodied participants, it was an opportunity for an honest day’s pay. Each year, about mid-August, pods of pothead whales would appear in our bay in search of squid. They would come and go for about three months before heading on their annual migration in the Gulf Stream off the Grand Banks. These pods would number in the hundreds. From Chapel Arm, it was a common sight to see a schooner or two out on the bay doing a search. When one encountered a sizeable pod (known to number as high as 500), it 1-888-588-6353
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would establish a position on the open-ocean side of the herd. They would then disturb the whales’ leisurely journey by firing into the water next to them in order to drive them toward South Dildo or Southern Cove. Sometimes the whales would dive for several minutes in an attempt to avoid their pursuer. On these occasions, the whale boat would retreat by circling back to maintain the advantage.
was occurring. Atop the hill behind Gordon’s house was a huge cloven rock. It was there that Gordon or one of his sons would erect a pole with a flour-sack flag to alert the fishermen of Long Cove. Today that rock is marked by a plaque that reads, “The Roundhead Rock, in Memory of Gordon Newhook, 1917-2008.” Most of the local boats used in the drive measured about 24 feet long and were powered by gas-driven 4-8
Each year, about mid-August, pods of pothead whales would appear in our bay in search of squid. They would come and go for about three months before heading on their annual migration in the Gulf Stream off the Grand Banks. These pods would number in the hundreds. When the movement of whales crossed the line running between Southern Point and Chapel Head, the whale boat would be joined by motorboats from Norman’s Cove and Long Cove. The residences of Long Cove were obscured by Chapel Head and depended on Gordon Newhook of Norman’s Cove to let them know each time a drive to Southern Cove
horsepower make-and-break, twostroke engines. They would carry three or four crew members each, armed with lances and fisted-size beach rocks. They tossed the rocks into the ocean behind the moving herd and made noise by shouting and beating lances and paddles on the gunwales. More often than not, the flotilla maintained control of the
Pothead whales being driven ashore in Chapel Arm, Trinity Bay, 1955 Courtesy Heritage NL
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Whales being flensed on the beach in Chapel Arm, 1955 Courtesy Heritage NL
herd. On rare occasions the herd would dive and manage to escape at full speed out the bay. When a herd was driven close to Chapel Arm, participants from there entered the drive in motorboats, rodneys and dories. As a boy of 14, I was a willing and active participant. Ken and I would scull our rodney across the bay to join others on the final leg of the journey. Once the whales arrived near Upper Island, the outcome was obvious. The sandy ocean bottom was gently sloping upward into Southern Cove Beach. In depths of 50 feet and less the whales would not dive, and any chance of escape by submerging was taken away. Soon there would be complete disorientation of the herd. Many would just crash into the beach. The sight of such an event involving several hundred whales was awe-inspiring. The frenzy of a battle between thrashing whales and men with lances would commence. It took about two hours for the whaling schooner to do its part. The finishing act was left mostly to the small boats because of their manoeuvrability with sculling oars. Most of the killing came at the hands of a 114
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man in the bow of the boat, stabbing with lances. It was a battle that was up close and personal. Sometimes the lance would be thrown. Often a wounded whale would circle out of control in a dying frenzy and ram a boat. The person at the oar was always mindful of this and would attempt to get out of its way or otherwise turn the boat for a head-on collision. Any punctured boat would be beached. Usually in less than an hour the cove was littered with old and young carcasses lying still. After the kill, all whales that were not already beached would be towed ashore by the motorboats. A power wagon or tractor would then arrive to haul the whales high and dry. Then the most strenuous part of the process began. Using long fleshing knives or, in some cases, scythe blades, the whales would be stripped of their fat. The strips were usually cut into one foot by two foot rectangular pieces complete with a slit for carrying by hand. All the fat would be tossed aboard waiting stake-bodied trucks for shipment to Dildo for rendering. The fat from the head of the whale was rendered separately because it yielded a 1-888-588-6353
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finer quality of oil that, in the mid1950s, fetched a whopping $1,000 per drum. The downside was that only about one drum was produced per season. The flesh would be sculpted from the carcasses and also transported to Dildo. There it would be ground together with fish offal to yield mink feed for fur farmers, or frozen to be ground on demand. In the wake of the drive was a beach lined with skeletal remains complete with entrails and tails. Within hundreds of feet of the cove, the water had taken on a lingering crimson colour. Percy Warren took record of the participants of the drive for the purpose of calculating their pay. That pay would happen days later. Boys 14 and 15 received a halfshare. Men 16 and older would receive full share. Those with broken boat planks received no compensation for damages; they simply made temporary repairs before limping home. The carcasses of whales were generally left to rot or go adrift. This resulted in their remains showing up in coves on both sides of the bay. In later years, more sane practices came
into play and the carcasses were taken to deep water and sunk. Toward the end of pothead whaling, the industry resorted to using rope nets to corral live whales. They would be strung from Southern Cove Point to the Upper Island, and from there to the easterly shore. This idea was introduced to control the rate of kill. The practice was not too effective and was soon abandoned. Depleting numbers ended the pothead whale drive in about 1967. It was a little late in coming when the Canadian government imposed a moratorium on whaling in 1973. Either way, upcoming generations would escape the horrors I witnessed and not have to regret having been a part of it. In its time, the whale drive etched memories in my brain that no person wants to bear. Those with a stomach to witness some of what I witnessed can search the internet for a documentary done by The National Film Board of Canada in 1957, entitled Encounter at Trinity, Newfoundland. The young boy, Gregory Smith Jr., depicted in that half-hour film was an acquaintance and my age at the time.
Whales were delivered to a processing plant in South Dildo. Courtesy Heritage NL
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reminiscing
By Patrick James Hann
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Photo courtesy Merasheen Facebook Group– Carl Pitcher
The following is an excerpt from Patrick’s memoir, “The Devil is in You Crossways” (2022, DRC Publishing). These recollections are from the chapter titled, “Over-Protective Parents. Down on the Wharf. Mr. Lar.” (Edited for space. Reproduced with permission.)
“DOWN ON THE WHARF ”
is the preferred place for young boys when not asleep, in school or in church. It’s the centre of activity for commerce and offers opportunities for play, devilment and discovery. Being on or near a wharf without adult supervision is strictly forbidden for young children, thus making it more attractive.
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Patrick Hann during a revisit to Merasheen Anne Dalton photo
The Hann waterfront premises are directly opposite the Bests’ property across the harbour. We didn’t know that Mom had set up a spy system with our neighbours across the harbour to inform her when we managed to escape her watchful eye, getting too close to the wharf and danger. Mr. Fred Best will begin to sing a nonsense song about Tony Galento (a famous American heavyweight boxer of the day) to alert her when we are edging too near the wharf. Fred has a fine collection of songs, but if he interrupts his program and begins to sing a ditty about Tony Galento, “Tony Galento peed in his pants oh,” this is a message to Mom that Tony and I are trying to sneak onto the wharf. The biggest attraction at our wharf is the arrival of schooners and other vessels. The sleek schooners arrive bringing fishery salt from Cadiz, Spain, via St. John’s, vegetables from Prince Edward Island and coal from Nova Scotia. Captain Clem Berkshire arrives regularly in the Bertha Joyce with general cargo from St. John’s, including a bottle of rum for my father. The Anna V. Fagan, with Skipper Gordon Brown, comes each year to cull and transport sun-dried 118
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cod to merchants in Harbour Buffett and St. John’s. The Cooperator II, a schooner owned by Placentia Bay consumer co-operatives, often captained by Uncle Anthony, frequently enters the harbour. The Guerney, a passenger boat my father bought from Victor Mulrooney in 1953, and our sturdy skiff, the Mary Moureena, nod and sway on their moorings at our wharf. The Glider, a fishing schooner skippered by Mr. Din Pat Walsh, is anchored nearby in the harbour when not on fishing voyages to Cape St. Mary’s. Mr. Alex Lockyer from Woody Island appears every fortnight in the trader James and Lucy with beer and confectionery, to the great delight of adults and children alike. The Glenda Denty, a small coastal freighter from down the bay, visits occasionally. Sometimes enough schooners, jacks, smacks, jaunters, skiffs, punts and dories are moored side-by-side in the Bottom to allow a person to cross the harbour by leaping from one vessel to another. While at school, I often hear the deep echoing foghorn of an arriving schooner. I visualize the schooner passing the Big Rock and mooring at our wharf. Soon the staccato clatter 1-888-588-6353
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of its donkey engine, together with the muffled thump of freight being landed on the wharf, calls me. The arrivals of schooners such as the Iris & Verna, the Marie Stone, and the Mary Reddy bring old friends and new experiences. Their crews tolerate us, though we are sometimes in their way as we explore every nook and cranny, often climbing the rigging or balancing on the bowsprit. The cooks, always friendly, usually ask us to fill their water barrels and run errands. In return they give us raisin buns. I run an errand for the cook and receive a quarter, enough to buy a mixed bag of peppermint knobs and hard barrel-shaped candy, the black barrels being particularly coveted because they are few. Once I receive two 50-cent pieces from a schooner’s cook, literally cash
on the barrel-head, for 24 trout I’d caught that morning in the Scrape Cove Brook. I spend much time with adults who are busy at their daily chores. I’m always curious about the what and how of things, which I can usually learn from observation. I learn not to get too much in the way, and especially to avoid asking questions about the why of things. Too many why questions seem to get on people’s nerves and make them feel vexed. Mr. Lar builds a new punt in front of his shed near his house. I spend many hours at the work site. He doesn’t mind having me there and is very tolerant of my questions. I particularly like to watch the process whereby he steams the planks in order to bend them to fit the curve of the boat. This requires fire, a magnet
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to a young boy. Mr. Lar will eventually moor his newly built punt at Mr. Pad Houlihan’s wharf in Barry’s Bottom in Big Merasheen. One Sunday morning, Mr. Lar decides to take his punt around the head to Little Merasheen, planning to make a few trips to Doughball Cove to cut winter firewood. In the sacristy before Mass, Jim Lar informs Donatus and me about his father’s intention and invites us
falters and stops. Jim tries repeatedly to restart the engine, but it sputters for only a few seconds. His father tries a few things unsuccessfully, then quickly moves to the bow and slacks out the grapnel, hoping to prevent our steady drift towards shore. The sculling oar is useless against the tide and swell. The anchor holds for a few seconds, then trips as the punt rises and falls in the large rolling swells. Repeated
We are almost abreast of the Pond Head when the engine suddenly falters and stops. Jim tries repeatedly to restart the engine, but it sputters for only a few seconds. along. After Mass, I bolt down my breakfast and I’m at the wharf early with Donatus when Jim and his father arrive over Connors’s Height. It’s a warm fall morning with hardly a breath of wind. However, there is a heavy swell breaking on the land from gale-force southwest winds earlier in the week. The sea is tumbly going through the Narrows and rounding the boiling sunkers off the Wester’d Head. Once we round the head, the rolling waves from behind scoot the punt along quickly, sometimes lifting the stern from the water, causing the engine to race. Mr. Lar is at the tiller, and Jim is in the dellroom bailing with the spudgel while generally tending to the makeand-break engine. Donatus and I are for’ard sharing a sweet turnip that he snatched from someone’s vegetable garden on his way to the wharf. We are almost abreast of the Pond Head when the engine suddenly 120
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attempts to restart the engine fail. Mr. Lar conjectures that there’s likely water or dirt in the gas. With bow to the southwest, we are adrift between the savagely breaking Pond Head sunkers on our starboard side and lunging waves pounding a wild shore to port. Shags, some with spread wings greeting the pale sun, line the top of a nearby cliff like black statues. If the anchor can grab holding ground and stop tripping, we can bob up and down until someone eventually comes looking for us. But we are gradually drifting closer to shore and disaster, and Mr. Lar decides to slack the punt close enough for Jim to jump ashore and go for help. He quickly adds another coil of rope to the anchor mooring and begins to slack the punt toward shore while Jim, waiting in the stern, apprehensively watches the approaching cliffs. I’m glad we didn’t cast lots for Jim’s job. 1-888-588-6353
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Mr. Lar calmly says, “Boys, don’t worry, we’re going to be fine, there’s always a break in the waves. Get ready, Jim.” He has two turns of the rope around the stem-head and is gradually slacking the boat toward shore, praying that the anchor will hold. He studies the waves intently, then suddenly allows the punt to scoot quickly toward land on the next wave while roaring at Jim to jump. Jim makes it ashore, keeps his footing and madly scrambles up the slippery rocks of the Pigeon Cliffs with the waves chasing him. While Jim is scrambling, Mr. Lar, the muscles in his arms corded, is hauling the punt back out of danger. They both display great skill and timing. There’s a bit of luck involved as well; the anchor held at the critical
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time and Jim didn’t slip on the wet rocks. A bad situation could have become worse quickly. Donatus and I are relieved spectators. We watch Jim navigate the cliffs and move up the gulch out of sight. We know he’s heading toward his Uncle Ron’s on Pitcher’s Point, originally Dunn’s Point until Mr. Joey Pitcher arrived in Merasheen from Hopeall, Trinity Bay, around 1900. We wait aboard the bobbing punt without much conversation. At intervals Mr. Lar sighs and repeats, “Yes boys, we did all right,” as if he is reflecting on the situation and is relieved that we escaped the worst. Shortly after, Jim and his uncle arrive in a motor dory and safely tow us to the priest’s wharf in Little Merasheen.
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puzzles
The Beaten Path
Wenda Crummell 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.
D
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K
E
H
F p
n
R
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S
H E L P J S n
A
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J L G
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m D
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G
H
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L H
p
E J
J
F
R U m T
T
H
U
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m
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K D
K H L n
E
S F F A
x
A E S
Q S
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p E p D E A
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Last Month’s Community: Springdale 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
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Robert Carter photo
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Downhomer Detective Needs You After more than two decades on the Urban City Police Force, Downhomer Detective has come home to rid Newfoundland and Labrador of a new threat – cunning thief Ragged Rick. A real braggart, the slimy criminal sends DD a blurry photo of his surroundings plus clues to his whereabouts just to prove he’s always a step ahead. DD needs your help to identify where in Newfoundland and Labrador Ragged Rick is hiding out this month.
Use these 5 clues to identify where Ragged Rick is now: • the former settlement and island share this name • positioned in Placentia Bay • local lore credits the name to two French settlers, Mere and Jean • home of Dough Ball Cove and Naked Man Ridge • resettled in the 1960s
Last Month’s Answer: Englee
Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador
by Mel D’Souza Last Month’s Answer: Codroy 126
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In Other Words Guess the well-known expression written here in other words.
Last Month’s Clue: Glimmer, glimmer miniscule celebrity In Other Words: Twinkle, twinkle little star
This Month’s Clue: You are merely as aged you sense In Other Words: ___ ___ ____ __ ___ __ ___ ____
A Way With Words UP DOWN UP DOWN UP DOWN UP DOWN
Last Month’s Answer: Ups and Downs
Rhyme Time A rhyming word game by Ron Young
1. A witch prank is a ___ ___ 2. A crypt dance party is a ____ ____
This Month’s Clue
HOUSE
3. A spirited emcee is a _____ ____
Answer: ____ _____
Last Month’s Answers 1. red shed, 2. gauge age, 3. gawk at a hawk
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.
’ ’ O O B E A H A N O F I E H E H A E F A E E O T O P K N A P P I T S V E I R I H P H O Y Y U U R O W T Y S L N V T W P P W T T T O Y R
I N A L L N O E S N S R E S U N T
Last month’s answer: Evolutionists have proof without any certainty. Creationists have certainty without any proof. www.downhomelife.com
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Rhymes 5 Times Each answer rhymes with the other four
1. harbour
____________
2. swam
____________
3. range
____________
4. steered
____________
5. threw
____________
STUCK? Don’t get your knickers in a knot! Puzzle answers can be found online at DownhomeLife.com/puzzles
Last Month’s Answers: 1. edition, 2. sedition, 3. tradition, 4. definition, 5. competition
Tangled Towns by Lolene Young Condon and Ron Young
Sound out the groups of words below to get a familiar expression.
For best results sound the clue words out loud!
Unscramble each of the five groups of letters below to get 5 Newfoundland and Labrador place names.
1. BUNGLEREIN 2. ROZNUC LIVAGEL
Age Happen He Scar _ ________ ___
3. RONSIR NOPIT
Sue Punk Rack Hearse ____ ___ ________
5. DONATEWILL
Last Month’s 1st Clue: Historian Knits Elf. Answer: A story in itself. Last Month’s 2nd Clue: Ace Lip Per Erode. Answer: A slippery road.
4. TWINER SHOEU ROBOK
Last Month’s Answers: 1. North Harbour, 2. Black River, 3. Woody Island, 4. Merasheen, 5. Monkstown
A nalogical A nagrams Unscramble the capitalized words to get one word that matches the subtle clue. 1. TEACH LIT ~ Clue: the type to run circles around most of us 2. MEW RIMS ~ Clue: he’s often in over his head 3. MICE INTO POT ~ Clue: somebody always wins in the end 4. RAN TIRE ~ Clue: spending time with one is hard work 5. FREE ERE ~ Clue: a paid whistle blower Last Month’s Answers: 1. lesson, 2. mistakes, 3. furniture, 4. solution, 5. lawyer 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. 1-10: enchanting 1-41: nativity 1-91: inheritance 3-1: network 3-7: hag 6-9: lower jaw 10-40: DNA segment 10-100: kindness 12-42: female equine 14-12: male cat 15-12: molecule 16-14: club 16-19: incinerate 18-16: chafe 19-49: longest river 24-21: expensive 26-24: guided 27-24: lost blood 28-30: container 28-58: pieces 29-9: lodge 30-24: munched 30-60: Rome burner 32-62: genuine 35-31: core 35-32: listen 36-39: bucket 39-69: for fear that 41-44: noggin 41-50: chief server 43-93: restitution 45-5: grain 45-48: hold off 45-75: eye signal 51-54: incline 51-91: correct 53-51: blemish 53-93: repairs 56-54: tear 57-54 journey 58-54: disrobe 62-64: limb www.downhomelife.com
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62-82: tote 67-64: bird part 67-70: dampens 70-40: painful 70-64: simmering 71-73: firearm 76-56: knight’s title 76-73: epidermis 78-48: exam 78-75: chore 84-64: toupée 84-86: overcome 89-86: bring in 89-87: appendage 90-87: rip 91-95: sample 91-100: with class 96-99: to the brim
98-48: newest 98-68: tardy 99-69: fasting time Last Month’s Answer
E D A R G I T N E C
T A L UMU C R E AMOO R A EMA T N E I P P L E E P N I R E PMA R T E I DRY ORY L EK I E ARAWI N LMA NOR E A P T I VA T October 2022
C A P I T A L I Z E
A B O A R D A E R D
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The Bayman’s
Crossword Puzzle 1
2
by Ron Young 3
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ACROSS 1. When the wind shifts against the ___, trust it not for back ’twill run 3. He’s making a ___ for his own back 5. Newfoundland ___ Labrador 6. et cetera (abbrev) 8. The beaching of certain small fish in NL (colloq, 2 words) 17. As ______ as odd socks 18. gorillas 19. island (abbrev) 20. Stunned __ me arse 21. annual general assembly (abbrev) 22. Coal Bin’s buddy in Different Strokes 24. luminescent 27. Grey River (abbrev) 28. short for Daniel 29. steamship (abbrev) 30. retch (colloq) 33. opposite of WNW 35. Cape ____ – most easterly point in North America 36. “We’ll ____ and we’ll roar like true Newfoundlanders” 39. regarding (abbrev) 41. string 42. _______ room – storage space on a boat (colloq) 44. Merchant ____ – transport ships 46. “I’d throw him __ anchor” 47. Wanted dead or _____ 49. Pa’s mate 50. “I’m a _____________ born and bred, and I’ll be one ’til I die”
DOWN 1. rush (colloq) 2. small, rounded, bare hill (colloq) 4. “How’s ye gettin’ __?” 7. stylish 8. families 9. easy (colloq) www.downhomelife.com
10. post script (abbrev) 11. Little Harbour (abbrev) 12. baby’s tooth (colloq) 13. mast 14. civil engineer (abbrev) 15. employed 16. collectively, fishnets and twine for same (colloq) 17. outport profession 23. Robert’s Arm (abbrev) 25. “___ the b’y that builds the boat” 26. “The evening red, the morning grey, ___ surely signs of a fine day” 30. Great Big Sea’s second album 31. chat 32. white as the ______ snow 34. net 37. “___ mummers ’lowed in?” 38. opposite of SW 40. “Not likely!” (2 words) 41. 1960s lamp 43. ice clamper 44. none 45. automobile 48. Leonardo DiCaprio’s monogram 49. “Youngsters got __ drove!” D R I V I N G W O R K S m
H O G S
A N I M P I P E A R R I N O A I N V I T E A R A P S W E L A S S
ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD K L I V M Y M E R E A S S E T E
E O M I S O N E E N E M O O R O R I G G I N G R A G A L L U N V E V E E N
G R U M P
O Y S T E R
N O S
V S E O W S N I T N
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DIAL-A-SMILE © 2022 Ron Young
Pick the right letters from the old style phone to match the numbers grouped below and uncover a quote which will bring a smile to your face. ___________ 24739825489 ___________ 46633428359 ____ 9687 ____ 3283
_______ 3682537
_______ 2426237
__ 66
___ 367
________ 72887329
_ 2
_____ 64448
Last Month’s Answer: Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you, but not in the one ahead.
CRACK THE CODE
©2022 Ron Young
C
Each symbol represents a letter of the alphabet, for instance =C Try to guess the smaller, more obvious words to come up with the letters for the longer ones. The code changes each month.
_ _ C _
_ _ _
v
l LC i _ C C _ _ _
t CC i hp _ _ _
v
C _ _
Ct L
lQ
_ _ _
t LD
lQ
C _ _
CtL
_ _ _ _ _ _ _, 0 t O 7 Qki _ _ _ _ xt Y i
_ _ C C _ _ _
_ _ _ 0Q
L
Z QCC i Z Z
Last Month’s Answer: Knowledge is power especially if you know it about the right person. 132
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Food For Thought
© 2022 Ron Young
Each food symbol represents a letter of the alphabet. Find the meanings to the words then match the letters with the food symbols below to get a little “food for thought.”
plaything =
positive =
last =
lessen =
_ _ _
hyx
enmity =
]qtfI
_ _ _
hcK
_ _ _
tyh _ _
qt
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
Y ytYKq h
_ _ _ _ _
_ _
mKYsKf`K
vanity =
_ _ _ _
`[sK
qt
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _
Ktm’
_ _ _
hcK
_ _ _ _
.
Yy[ th _ _
qt
_
c fhsK m
qh’` _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
xKfs`
_ _ _ _
xy[s Iq]K
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _
hc fh _ _ _ _
qh’` hcK Iq]K _ _ _
_ _ _ _
xy[s
_ _ _
_ _ _ _ _
xKfs`
Last Month’s Answer: Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races, one after the other. www.downhomelife.com
October 2022
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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 HAVE A BARBECUE WITH FRIENDS
Last Month’s Answers: 1. Window, 2. Stairs, 3. Jacket, 4. Fishing line, 5. Life Buoy, 6. House, 7. Tree, 8. Van, 9. Boat name, 10. Sea gull, 11. Outboard motor, 12. Road “Differences by the Dozen”- A compilation of Different Strokes from 2002 to 2014 (autographed by Mel) can be ordered by sending $9.95 (postage incl.; $13.98 for U.S. mailing) to Mel D’Souza, 21 Brentwood Dr., Brampton, ON, L6T 1P8.
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HIDE & SEEK GAMES
The words can be across, up, down, backward or at an angle, but always in a line.
PICTIONARY RISK SCATTERGORIES SCRABBLE
BACKGAMMON BALDERDASH BATTLESHIP BRIDGE CANDYLAND CHECKERS CHESS CLUE CRANIUM CRIBBAGE DOMINOES MAHJONG MASTERMIND MONOPOLY OPERATION
E X C U D G Z P C N R U Z T H I Y L
N E C R T C F C H E S S L T G T Q R
V P Z K M A H J O N G K S M N V B V
P M T T R A Z J Z T Z E F O H A A J
K O Q E H W B V B Y O I I L C A W Y
B W P J W A D F L N H T S K Y J A U
W I C Z J Z N X T Z C R B X L R X B
Last Month’s Answers
B D V N L I Y O I F A E G L R X D I
www.downhomelife.com
O M S N N E P M F R I A W B A A N X
A Y L O T O O K E R M O X R N R W N
N D E M N D W P O M Q E V I O J D W
J A N O U X O G O D G E C D I F B K
T S M A N E R N B L Y E O G T X I W
S D A Q J S T J D N H R A W R Z H H
B A T T L E S H I P T Y G E C Q E L
Q S U K K U E D P E A V C J U F Y C
P T Y E Q J E G J R K T K T J A H N
K S C N T Y B K R E G A B B I R C U
Q Z W F Y M R Z P T I Z P U F M J U
G V R E S A R E Q K R N A T S X S L
R Y Q T C Y D E S S K E U T P U W A
SORRY TROUBLE TWISTER YAHTZEE R H T U E A K M L T E A C H E R V T
B S B S M P R N P B W N K I F A Q C
J E A I W H T N O I N L L W Y N Y M
L X H M E V W I G I B J X B P W R F
L A R M Q T W J T N T I P Y F A F F
W C N V F S E R A E R B E B A V X E
R E C E S S N J I H I E R V D S L H
I N E Q A V R E D V M L R C N E D I
S P D Y I M R C C C H B F W U H Z E
B P L C C G R A D E X E L Z S O B G
O I M P N Z G V W U A J T E E H E H
U T D W X Y I Y K O S A P B M O W T
A X P E N E W Y H L T P C I P J L L
A F M S B T I F R Q K S B C C S M I
U Q T Z A E E O K E C R W N T R R A
Q P O T P A L C J H S L W K R V U G
D C R A N I U M T K R C I Z N C D T
K C O M P A S S S P E N C I L K S H
I X P N A L M U K R D N S S J U I T
S N P C V M L T H P I S A M C P I G
A Y Q C V F E F O Y R J Z H B H C E
L F E N W I T D O Y R G B J U O X R
D C B V E W C B R Q P Y S Z V F C J
E U L U F T M V B D J R E K S F B S
I F L G S P M Y G U J C V M I X H M
U S S B A L D E R D A S H B T U W R
October 2022
J X S S X U J S T T T K U N M U X Z
O F L N E E T A M S S A L C C A D F
T Y F M A S T E R M I N D T P K M V 135
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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
October 2022
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Not intended to solicit properties currently under contract
%$#"! $% $# $ %! $
709-726-5113 1-888-588-6353 advertising@downhomelife.com
Real Estate Rates Prices start at $50 for a 1 column x 1 inch colour advertisement. This size fits approx. 20 words.
138
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Movers & Shippers Ontario to Newfoundland and All Points in Between
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Movers & Shippers
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October 2022
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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
Cold Edge of Heaven: A Story of Love and Murder in Canada’s Arctic - Whit Fraser
Holmes - Terry Foss
#82407 | $20.99
The Last Days of Smallwood - Edward Roberts #82399 | $21.00
#82521 | $22.95
Dear Billie: A World War II Love Story - Karen Lundy
#81999 | $22.00
A Newfoundland and Labrador Christmas Wish - Necie #79611 | $16.95 $6.00
Inuit TakugatsaliuKatiget:
Wild About Camping
On Inuit Cinema - Edited by Mark David Turner
#81996 | $13.95
#82406 | $34.95
A Newfoundland Christmas - Dawn Baker #43813 | $9.95
- Jane Whittingham
A Puffin Playing by the Sea: 12 Days of Christmas in NL - Gina Noordhof
#53792 | $16.95
ORDER ONLINE: www.shopdownhome.com
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
2209_Mailorder_Mail order.qxd 8/30/22 3:55 PM Page 141
MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com
Differences by the Dozen - Mel D’Souza #49315 | $8.95
Downhome Household Almanac & Cookbook 2 #13433 | $19.95
Downhome Gallery Cookbook
#38455 | $19.95 $9.88
Downhome Four-Way Crosswords - Ron Young #54058 | $6.99
Downhome Memories - Ron Young
#32671 | $14.95
Downhome Reflections Pictorial - Hard Cover
#36228 | $27.95 $10.48
TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-588-6353
Dictionary of Newfoundland and Labrador - Ron Young #34047 | $19.95
Downhome Memories Vol. 2 - Ron Young #46853 | $17.95
Between the Boulevard and The Bay - Ron Young #51175 | $17.95 $2.50
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
2209_Mailorder_Mail order.qxd 9/1/22 1:07 PM Page 142
GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
#42540 | $21.95
Downhomer Presents Newfoundland Christmas - Various Artists - CD
Homebrew Christmas Various Artists - CD
#10699 | $21.95
#34833 | $21.95
An Outport Christmas Various Artists - CD
Hand Painted Mummer with Ugly Stick Wine Glass
#36449 | $21.95
#73793 | $21.99
Hand Painted Mummer with Violin Wine Glass
2022 Clarenville Christmas Ornament
Hand Painted Mummer with Violin Wine Glass
Simani - Any Mummers Allowed In? CD
#81519 | $18.99
#78649 | $21.99
#73794 | $21.99
Hand Painted Mummer with Ugly Stick #79648 | $21.99
ORDER ONLINE: www.shopdownhome.com
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
2209_Mailorder_Mail order.qxd 9/1/22 10:13 AM Page 143
MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com
Carnation Milk Ornament
Fussels Cream Ornament
#79659 | $6.99
#79658 | $6.99
Good Luck Margarine Ornament #79667 | $6.99
CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
Purity Hard Bread Ornament #79669 | $6.99
Newfoundland Screech Ornament #79670 | $6.99
Purity Lemon Creams Ornament #79664 | $6.99
Tetley Tea Ornament
#79668 | $6.99
TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-588-6353
Purity Jam Jams Ornament #79666 | $6.99
Vienna Sausages Ornament #79657 | $6.99
Prices subject to change without notice. Prices listed do not include taxes and shipping. While quantities last.
2210_photo Finish_0609 Photo Finish 8/30/22 4:51 PM Page 144
photo finish
Red Sky
at Night
A spectacular sunset lights up Holyrood, NL, as a few hands fish for cod. Stephanie Linthorne Mount Pearl, NL
Do you have an amazing or funny photo to share? Turn to page 9 to find out how to submit. 144
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