Downhome October 2024

Vol 37 • No 05

$4.99

October 2024

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Screams on Screen

Creatures of the Night The Crescent Lake Monster

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life is better Published monthly in St. John’s by Downhome Publishing Inc. 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 Tel: 709-726-5113 • Fax: 709-726-2135 • Toll Free: 1-888-588-6353 E-mail: mail@downhomelife.com Website: www.downhomelife.com Editorial Editor-in-Chief Dillon Collins Assistant Editor Nicola Ryan Editor Lila Young

Warehouse Operations Warehouse / Inventory Manager Carol Howell Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins Shipping/Receiving Clerk Jennifer Kane

Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters

Retail Operations Retail Manager, St. John’s Jackie Rice Retail Floor Manager, Water Steet Crystal Rose Retail Floor Manager, Avalon Mall Jonathon Organ Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Kim Tucker, Julie Gidge,

Advertising Sales Account Manager Barbara Young Account Manager Ashley O’Keefe Marketing Director Tiffany Brett Finance and Administration Accountant Marlena Grant Accountant Sandra Gosse Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney

Heather Stuckless, Destinee Rogers, Emily Snelgrove, Brandy Rideout, Alexandria Skinner, Chloe Evans, Colleen Giovannini, Kaitlan Lewis, Emma Luscombe, Rebecca Pevie, Morgan Powless, Claudia Hartery, MacKenzie Aylward

Subscriptions Customer Service Associate Lisa Tiller Founding Editor Ron Young Chief Executive Officer/Publisher Grant Young President & Associate Publisher Todd Goodyear General Manager/Assistant Publisher Tina Bromley

To subscribe, renew or change address use the contact information above.

Subscriptions 1-Year term total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $49.44; ON $48.58; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $45.14. US $54.99; International $59.99

Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #40062919 The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of the servants or otherwise, and there shall be no liability beyond the amount of such advertisement. The Letters to the Editor section is open to all letter writers providing the letters are in good taste, not libelous, and can be verified as true, correct and written by the person signing the letter. Pen names and anonymous letters will not be published. The publisher reserves the right to edit, revise, classify, or reject any advertisement or letter. © Downhome Publishing Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

Printed in Canada Official onboard magazine of

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mysterious places

Veronica Baggs photo

Contents

Jackie Dean photo

OCTOBER 2024

48 NL’s Lucky Seven The fortunate crew of the Elite Navigator.

Pam Pardy

54 Scares on Screen NL’s long and colourful history within the horror genre.

Dillon Collins

60 Newfoundland and Labrador’s Most Haunted Places

106 NL’s loch ness

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Twenty must-see mysterious spots that might just send a shiver down your spine.

Nicola Ryan

106 Crescent Lake Examining the lore and legend of Cressie.

Fred Parsons October 2024

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Contents

OCTOBER 2024

homefront 8 Between the Lines A note from the Editor

10 Letters From Our Readers Newfoundland Hospitality and Leaving Home to Find Another

14 Downhome Asks Some of our favourite callouts and responses from our readers on social media.

16 Downhome Tours Wild Islands 18 Then & There Recent news, notes, events, anniversaries and more from across NL and beyond.

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island hopping

20 Why is That? Why do bats hang upside down? Linda Browne

22 Life’s Funny The Motorhome Rose Noel

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

24 Lil Charmers Adorable Autumn

20 go batty!

26 Pets of the Month Happy Halloween!

28 Reviewed Denise Flint reviews Vigil, a collection of short stories by Susie Taylor

30 What Odds Paul Warford’s midnight chats

32 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose reviews Pêcheur de rêves by Adrian House 4

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26 boo!

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at day’s end

36 Adventures Outdoors Hunting the Black Ghost Gord Follett

40 The Labrador Current Halloween on the Labrador Nathan Freake

features 42 Terror Nova: Exploring Haunted NL From the page to the screen, the team behind the acclaimed horror anthology series are hitting the small screen this Halloween season.

Dillon Collins

explore 66 Creatures of the Night A Guide to Nocturnal Animals of Newfoundland and Labrador Todd Hollett

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74 Dusk to Dawn A glimpse into the province’s night-time splendour.

Nicola Ryan

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the night life 5

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Contents

OCTOBER 2024

92 snack time

home and cabin 82 Stuff We Love Snoozefest Nicola Ryan

84 Ask Marie Anything Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions.

82 nap time

88 Everyday Gourmet Slow Cooker “Baked” Stuffed Apples Andrea Maunder

92 Downhome Recipes Midnight Snacks

100 Down to Earth The Great Pumpkin Kim Thistle 6

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104 days gone by

reminiscing 104 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places.

105 This Month In History Installing the gallows

About the cover They say that the night is darkest just before the dawn. Reader Dominique Andrews of Labrador City captures the complexity of the light meeting the dark with a bonfire at Lobstick Lake, which graces the cover of our October issue.

Thoughtfully themed as ‘Newfoundland

by Night’, this issue explores our island after dark, complete with the stories and creatures that inhabit it.

Cover Index The Lucky Seven • 48 Terror Nova • 42 Dusk to Dawn • 74 Screams on Screen • 54 Creatures of the Night • 66 The Crescent Lake Monster • 106 www.downhomelife.com

112 This Month in Downhome History 116 A Life RememberedA threepart series reflecting on a simpler time in Newfoundland and Labrador Albert Butt

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

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between the lines Ever since I can remember I’ve been fascinated with the darker side of life.

Ghosts, zombies, vampires, werewolves, lake monsters, aliens. If it’s dark, cloaked in mystique and dripping with dread, odds are I was a full-on convert. There’s a famous story of a meet-the-parents day at my kindergarten class during the Easter season, where, with zero prompting or suggestion, my mother could point out Little Dillon’s bunny drawing amongst the dozens adorning the classroom walls. Complete with bloody fangs and an excess of menace, it was a surefire tell for anyone who knew that shy, polite kid harbouring a love affair with the ghoulish.

Now, all of that’s not to say that I’m some sort of Machiavellian sociopath. I never hoarded roadkill (impossible, since I love animals more than people) or crashed crime scenes for kicks. My love of the macabre, horror films and literature and the more villainous characters of canon, brings up big worldly questions about thrill-seeking, and finding calm, comfort and joy in the unknown and, perhaps more broadly, in being scared.

For the same reason many take up skydiving or stand in line in the blistering heat to conquer a rollercoaster, many pack cinemas on the opening night of a new horror feature or crack a Stephen King novel with only candlelight to break the dark. For those who get it no response is necessary and for those who don’t no answer will do. And that’s completely fine.

This time of year, in which the spirits, sprites and souls of the undead walk the earth (if that is what you believe) is particularly attractive for us terror seekers.

This issue, lovingly titled Newfoundland By Night, tips the hat to not only the Halloween season but to the inherent beauty in the nocturnal, the creatures of the night, the folklore wrapped in eerie fog and the ethereal way a photograph captures the dying of the light.

Dillon Collins Editor-in-chief 8

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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 Elaine Goodyear of North Sydney, NS who found Corky on page 57 of the August issue!

*No Phone Calls Please. One entry per person

www.downhomelife.com

October 2024

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Newfoundland Hospitality On Wednesday, July 10, 2024, while on her way to her car, Daphne noticed a couple sitting outside at a mall in Corner Brook, NL during a severe thunder/lightning storm. Upon greeting them, she thought by their accents they may be from the cruise ship in port that day. They disclosed that they were an Australian couple waiting for the storm to abate so they could walk back to their ship, the Island Princess.

She graciously offered to give them a ride, which they accepted. They offered to pay Daphne for the trip but she refused to take anything for her good deed. Shortly after leaving the car, they discovered they had left their cell phone in the back seat of the car. Before going onboard the ship they mentioned this to a few cruise information officers with the Port of Corner Brook.

In chatting they decided to call their phone number to see if it would be answered. It wasn’t. Joyce, one of the information officers, remembered that the lady’s name was Daphne and she was driving a grey Mazda, was retired and looked to be about 64 or so. Not much to go on, how many retired Daphnes are there in this city of around 20,000 people?

Later they came back and remembered Daphne had mentioned originally being from Deer... something or other, “Deer Lake?” Joyce added. “Yes, Deer Lake, that’s it,” they agreed.

As the day wore on, Joyce was kept busy helping the 2200 visitors returning to their ship, but she couldn’t get the incident out of her mind, 10

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thinking Daphne, how many Daphnes did she know? She thought, naw, it couldn’t be her old friend Daphne... after all, she’s 83. What are the odds?

So she called a mutual friend Elaine and asked if she had a phone number for Daphne. She did. She asked Daphne if she had given a couple a ride to the cruise ship that afternoon.

“I sure did,” said Daphne.

“Well they think they left their phone in your back seat, we called their phone number but there was no answer, and by the way, they said you looked to be about 64,” added Joyce.

“Oh my, I was stopped at a red light and heard loud music playing and thought the young people in the car next to me got their music awful loud,” said Daphne, laughing.

Daphne called back and said “I found the phone, I’ll be right down with it, and thank them for the compliment on my age” laughing

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again. The phone was given to the Port manager to be taken aboard the ship.

Later the couple came back and Joyce asked if they had received their phone.

At that point, they hadn’t, but were very surprised and grateful that it had been found so quickly, and asked Joyce if she could deliver $20.00 to Daphne to show their appreciation.

After getting off work, Joyce called Daphne to come get her money and they shared a chuckle about the afternoon’s event. Another example of our friendliness and hospitality helping to promote the Newfoundland Tourism Industry.

Francis Hull Corner Brook

Thanks for sharing Francis! The hospitality of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians is known far and wide, and for good reason. It’s great to see those ideals put into practice.

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Leaving Home to Find Another Very little clothes, very little money We sailed away into the west It wasn’t luxury, It wasn’t funny Seeing our future through a foggy mist From dear old England, from a tiny town There was no work, none could be found We packed our bags and headed down Down to the docks, to that unholy ground A couple storms, then days with no wind Thinking our journey would never end No time to laugh, no time to pretend We prayed to God for luck to send In mid-Atlantic, we lost two souls On deck at sunrise, we said some words Never knowing what the future holds West of the Grand Banks we saw the birds It took us Thirty days and nights To sail across the deep blue sea The year was 1840, land in our sights A promised land we were longing to see The rugged shore of this Newfoundland Would be the place we’d soon call home A little cove, with a beach of sand Nevermore would we need to roam We did not know heartbreak lived there Having no awareness and having no fear About all the sorrows we would have to bear When the time came and we finally got there It was on a Sunday, the last one in May

The rain and the fog would not go away We stepped on the wharf with not much to say In that cold little town far up in the bay We needed supplies, to the merchant we went I saw in his eyes he would want every cent The ones that we carried in our little purse The merchants here were surely much worse How they loved to see, our torment and pain All the time knowing we’d come back again Stuffing their pockets with no care at all The overpriced items that hung on the wall We needed a dory, some jiggers and line Molasses and flour to get through the days He said do not worry, everything will be fine When the Fall comes around, then everyone pays They put us through such misery While stealing all our time How they gloated for us to see We left that town and the merchant behind We left the town of old St.John’s Headed down the southern shore Kept a wide berth around Mistaken Point Then turned to west and forever more.

Dwayne Swift

Thanks, Dwayne! We love receiving poetry from our readers! Those interested in submitting poetry can send your submissions to editorial@downhomelife.com or submit directly at downhomelife.com under ‘Poetic License’ 12

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Asks How do we learn? From you, dear readers.

Downhome routinely takes to social media to pose all manner of questions to our followers. From favourites to memories, opinions and everything in between, Downhome Asks, and you answer. Here are some of our favourite callouts for questions and responses from our followers.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and from who?

A dear departed friend once said to me, when hugging someone, squeeze them like you mean it. There is a lot of healing energy and power in hugs and it will always make the other person feel better and warm their soul. Everyone needs a hug, even strangers.

Christine Craigie Kew I rarely took my mom’s advice in my younger years, mostly because I am too stubborn! We’re very close and she often gives good advice. But the one time I took her advice I was very grateful. That was don’t ever get a white floor because you’ll be drove nuts trying to keep it clean! She saved me a lot of frustration. Thanks Momma!

Robin Fry

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My father always told me, “No matter how bad you think you have it, there’s always someone worse off than you.” So, if you stop and think for a minute, it’s always true.

Quenton Lessard I went to university with this gentleman from Scotland, who once told me that everything I will ever do in life will take place within 10 ft.².

And as I moved through life that 10 ft.² will follow me and surround me.

If I assure that I take care of those who are within my 10 ft.², they will move with me through my life and they too would take care of me.

Carol Dawn My grandpa told his kids and my mom passed it on to us, when you love and get married don’t work for the same company that way if the company closes or goes on strike you’ll still have some income.

Cheryl Vousden

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If you could go back in time and spend one day as a kid again, how would you spend your day?

One May 24 weekend, my widowed Mom set up a tent near our front door in the front lawn in a rural NL little community. I was maybe 8-9 years old. We had electricity, bed frames, a mattress, a bedside table, an electric radio, a mat on the floor, the whole kit and kaboodle! Tea in flasks, treats, etc. Woke up the next morning to total silence. I mean beyond quiet! It had snowed overnight (unbeknownst to us) and blanketed our tent and our outside world in snowy silence. A beautiful moment for Mom and me!

Gail P. Davis At my grandmother’s house, picking apples from her apple trees and planting potatoes with my grandfather.

Amanda Peyton-Noseworthy My father had a piece of land in the next community where he would ‘make’ hay. I remember going there with my parents and siblings for the day while they ‘made’ hay. We all climbed on the cart. Mom had packed a lunch. It was a wonderful time when we were together. We all got on the load of hay to come here.

Love to have one day like this again.

Being together as a family was precious.

Melinda Luedee O’Quinn

spend the day at the lake. Packed a lunch and snacks and away we went.

As soon as we would get there we would all run and jump into the water. Swimming with our parents was a very special and awsome family time that I will never forget!

Carole Larouche Laying down on the sofa on my mom’s lap and let her stroke my hair.

She was the most awesome mom ever.

Rhonda V Rogers

What is something that is NOT on your bucket list?

Skydiving, ziplining, rappelling.

Anything that involves my arse hanging over an abyss!

Christina Templeton

Hiking up Mount Everest and diving down to visit the Titanic.

Marcel Gingras Running a marathon. If you see me running you better run also because something is catching me, LMAO! Dobbin Dobbin Skydiving or any of those flippy floppy stomach-churning rides at the fair!

Robin Fry Eating seal flipper pie!

Janice Clark

The most wonderful time was when my mom and dad decided to bring the whole family (10 of us kids) to www.downhomelife.com

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homefront Downhome tours...

Wild Islands

Easter Island

Georges Noesen of Luxembourg stands amidst the enigmatic moai on Easter Island.

Easter Island is a tiny speck of volcanic rock in the vast Pacific Ocean. Originally known as Rapa Nui by the ancient Polynesians who settled there, the island is renowned for its nearly 1,000 colossal moai— the monolithic human figures carved from compressed volcanic ash between the years 1250 and 1500. Each statue stands as a silent sentinel, gazing eternally towards the horizon, guarding the ancient secrets of a lost civilization.

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Falkland Islands John Spurrell of Hodge’s Cove, NL, displays a copy of Downhome at Whalebone Cove in this photo submitted by Elaine Spurrell.

Isolated and sparsely populated, the windswept Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean. The territory is made up of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, as well as hundreds of smaller islands and islets. In Whalebone Cove, not far from the capital, Stanley, you can see the wreck of the Lady Elizabeth, a three-masted iron barque that drifted there in 1936.

Mauritius Odette K Maurice of Sherbrooke, QC, submitted this photo of her son Kelly Maurice on a recent trip to Africa.

The Republic of Mauritius is a verdant island nation in the Indian Ocean, situated roughly 2,000 kilometres off the southeastern coast of Africa and 500 kilometres east of Madagascar.

It was once the only home of the mysterious dodo, a hefty flightless bird that vanished into extinction in the 17th century.

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homefront

Then&There

Downhome catches readers up on major recent news, notes, events, anniversaries and acknowledgements across Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond.

FFAW Elects First-Ever Female President History has been made in Newfoundland and Labrador, as the FFAW has elected its first-ever female president. Dwan Street has been elected to lead the Fish, Food & Allied Workers Union, earning the bid over fellow candidates Dave Callahan and Abe Solberg.

Dwan shared that she was “humbled, amazed and forever indebted,” following her historic victory, where she will take over from outgoing president Greg Pretty.

Paradise/ SJ SPCA Strike PAW-Some Deal

The Town of Paradise and the SPCA St. John’s have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide direct animal care and a haven for lost or missing pets from the town. The Town will make an annual contribution of $10,000 to the SPCA for the next five years, with the funding supporting the SPCA’s Way Home Capital Campaign.

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St. John’s to host Prestigious Soccer Championships

O’Leary Earns National Honour Deputy Mayor of St. John’s Sheilagh O’Leary earned a tremendous honour this past summer, serving as one of three recipients of the Municipal World Women of Influence in Local Government Award. The award celebrates women who have made significant contributions to local government, whether on the administrative or political side. It recognizes women who have “demonstrated leadership, strength, and determination, as well as grace under pressure.”

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The City of St. John’s has been announced as the host city of the 2025 Toyota National Championships, with the best amateurs in Canadian soccer vying for the men’s Challenge Trophy and women’s Jubilee Trophy. Taking place on the week leading to Thanksgiving Day 2025, it will be the ninth time the competition has been hosted in the province, with the Toyota National Championships serving as the nation’s primary amateur soccer competition for more than 100 years.

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Expert answers to common life questions.

By Linda Browne

Why do bats hang upside down?

As we creep closer and closer to All Hallows’ Eve, you might be stringing up fake cobwebs (while the resident spiders give you the side-eye as you beat down the real ones with a broom), pumpkin lights and other decor to get into the spirit of spooky season – perhaps even a rubber bat or two.

While these oft-maligned and misunderstood creatures of the night tend to give folks the heebie-jeebies (their association with vampires might have something to do with it), they play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems by pollinating plants, dispersing seeds and eating pests. According to a fact sheet from Parks Canada, “All the bats native to Canada are insect-eaters and typically devour half their weight in insects during a single night of hunting for food” – so you can thank them for fewer mosquito bites. The agency also notes that bats’ “worldwide value as a natural form of pest control for agriculture and forestry is estimated in the billions of dollars.”

Bats belong to the order Chiroptera, which, originating from Greek, means “hand wing.” According to a piece published in Fowler’s Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, Volume 8, in 2015, 20

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author Elizabeth L. Buckles writes that while mammals like lemurs and squirrels can parachute, “only bats have powered flight,” noting “It is this unique anatomic feature and the ability to fly that distinguish bats from all other mammals.” The makeup of their wings, which “are actually modifications of the standard mammalian hand consisting of elongate, slender phalanges spanned by a thin, tough wing membrane that serves as a flexible airfoil,” she notes, gives them adaptability and maneuverability in flight, “and allows fine adjustments to navigation.”

Understanding the way bats fly is key to understanding why these fascinating creatures hang upside down, explains Cori Lausen, Director of Bat Conservation with the Western Canada Bat Conservation Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada.

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“Bats are thought to have evolved to hang upside down because this is energetically advantageous and allows them to avoid predation quickly – this all stems back to the way they fly.

Their flight mechanics are very different from birds,” she says in an email to Downhome.

“Birds can just take off from the ground by flapping, and their wing motion is somewhat of an up and down, with their feathers providing the lift,” she continues. “But, bats generally need to ‘catch the wind’ under their wings to be airborne and then their flapping motion is more like a swimming motion with the lift being generated by the big skin surface that stretches between their elongated fingers.”

While some bats can push off from the ground to get into the sky, Lausen says, “It is slow (imagine flapping a bit on the ground before becoming airborne) and energetically taxing.”

“Most bats will roost in such a way as to be able to simply drop and be airborne, which allows them to escape predators quickly, and head out foraging each night easily taking flight from their elevated roosting position,” she adds. So how can bats “hang around” for so long without getting tired? It all comes down to their tendons, explains Amy Edwards, Post Doctoral Researcher, Ecology, Environment & Evolution, at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia.

The ancestor of the bat lived in trees and would face downwards waiting for insects as they moved up the trunk, she explains in a piece published on

the university’s website. “They used their hands and mouth to grab the prey and hung from their back legs.

This led to an adaptation in their claws which allowed their tendons to lock into place when they hang. That’s why bats can hang upside down without using muscles, and barely any energy.

Gravity does all of the work for them,” she writes, adding “Since it uses the least amount of energy, it’s the best way for a bat to sleep.”

While our furry little friends are in trouble due to habitat destruction and diseases like white-nose syndrome, thankfully, organizations are working to protect them. That’s also good news if you’re a fan of margaritas.

On their website, Bat Conservation International (a non-profit based in Austin, Texas) says without bats, we might not have tequila either.

“Tequila is produced from the agave plant, which relies primarily on bats to pollinate its flowers and reproduce,” they share. “So next time you order a tequila, be sure to raise your glass to the pollinating bats that helped to make it possible!”

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

The Motorhome I was at my cabin this past weekend. My sister, next door to me, was expecting company for the weekend. I was out in my yard and a motorhome pulled up in her yard. A man got out, had a smoke and talked to my brother-in-law. I saw him look in his motorhome then got in and drove away in a hurry. A little later, he returned with his wife and dog. I went over to say hello. He told me he stopped 10 km back, got out for a smoke, got back in and drove to my sister’s house. Apparently when he got out his wife also got out through the side door with the dog and he didn’t know. He got in and drove away and she was back waving to him, but he didn’t see her. She went nearby and called him and told him that he left her behind. What a fright he got! We also have a motorhome and I keep telling my husband that we are not getting a dog!

Rose Noel McIvers, 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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see “You didn’t gonna o’s nothin’! Whanyway?” believe yoduerson-Lessard – Kelly An

Say WHAT? Downhome recently posted this photo (submitted by Justine Thomas) on our website and social media platforms and asked folks to imagine what the monster might be saying. Kelly Anderson-Lessard’s response made us chuckle the most, so we’re awarding her 20 Downhome Dollars!

Here are the runners-up: “...well, they called it after the only part of of him I didn’t eat.” - Noel Martin “Do you want to play Snakes and Ladders?” - Janice Walsh “You’re so cute I could just eat ya!” - Sherry Day

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

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homefront lil charmers

Pumpkin Patch Kid Shea Joseph sends pumpkin kisses and harvest wishes.

Vanessa Mooney Freshwater, NL

Adorable Autumn Set Your Sights Lily Mae and her Poppop search for moose.

Crystal Webb Corner Brook, NL

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Channel the Flannel Ethan’s sweeter than pumpkin pie.

Naomi Edwards Goose Bay, NL

Colour Me Beautiful Keira admires the fall colours in Corner Brook.

Daphne Parr Corner Brook, NL

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homefront pets of the month

Goodest Ghoul Macky’s the ghost with the most.

Mandy Harding Tides Brook, NL

Happy Halloween

Thriller!

Black cat Tuckamore is one frightful feline.

Krista Bennett Beachside, NL

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A Pointer and his Pumpkin Gauge is decked out for Howlo’ween.

Leslie Earle St. John’s, NL

Pick of the Patch Maggie’s up to some scare-y shenanigans.

Dennis Snow via DownhomeLife.com

www.downhomelife.com

October 2024

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homefront

reviewed by Denise Flint

Vigil Susie Taylor

Breakwater Books $22.95

Vigil is a collection of short stories by Susie Taylor set in a fictionalized version of Harbour Grace that explores the dark side of town and the people who inhabit it. The stories are interconnected and revolve in a decidedly elliptical fashion around the death of Stevie, a young loser everyone in town knew and most people stayed clear of.

Story by story we learn who Stevie was, who the people around him were and what happened to him.

The advantage of a collection such as this is that it builds a world much larger than can be accomplished in a single short story, which, by definition, has to be brief. But because they are individual stories they can collectively have a greater diversity of characters than would be possible in a novel, which can only feature so many characters before the reader becomes completely confused. It’s the best of both worlds. There are good people and bad people, but none fall neatly into either category.

Everyone is flawed. Everyone has redeeming features. And in a bit of a meta twist, there’s even a character called Susie who is clearly the fictional personification of the author herself and who is just as imperfect as the rest of the crew. It doesn’t take long for all the characters, not just Susie, to become real people in the reader’s mind.

That’s how compelling the stories are.

Vigil may be the best book of short stories I’ve read in years. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Highly recommended.

Susie Taylor’s Vigil is available now at shopdownhome.com

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Q&A with the Author Denise Flint: How does writing a novel and writing a book of short stories differ, especially when the stories are all interconnected?

Susie Taylor: I think that in terms of

of the things I wrote about happen. I used to say I was writing about a rougher, tougher Harbour Grace but it’s rougher and there’s a huge addiction crisis.

the actual process, it’s different because I didn’t write them in a linear fashion. And in the process of writing a novel, there’s an overarching plot which makes it difficult to have smaller plots, but each piece in this collection has a smaller plot within it.

DF: I noticed in your acknowledgements that you said someone didn’t give Kev, one of the sketchier characters, enough credit. Why did he deserve more?

ST: We have a real tendency,

DF: How did you come to put yourself in the story?

ST: When I very first started writing stories based in rural NL I thought about the fact that I’m from away, even after being here 22 years. I was in a writing group and someone said it would be interesting to have the community looking at you instead of you looking at them. I decided to own it. Since this character is so based on me I decided to call that character after me. It’’s very strange during readings to say your own name. It doesn’t matter. People always think that everything you wrote is true and they’re constantly asking, “Did this happen?”

DF: Are small towns in Newfoundland really like this?

ST: When I started writing these stories, probably in 2016, I could see there was a rise in addiction and crime and as I wrote the stories I had the eerie experience of having some

www.downhomelife.com

especially now, to look at people and say they’re good or evil and all of us have the capacity to do really terrible things depending on possibilities. It’s easy to look at people, not just Kevin, and see there is good in everyone and we need to acknowledge the humanity of men like him.

DF: Do you have a favourite story? Which one and why?

ST: I think that my favourite story is “Vigil” because that story sort of just happened. Often I slog away for months and months when I started that I didn’t even know I would finish but I sent it to a friend and she said it was great. I sent it out and it placed in a competition and it was just one of those stories that arrived in my head and I kept writing about them.

DF: Is there a favourite character?

ST: I clearly have a soft spot for Kev. I think, especially as women, we so often don’t have power and it’s a lot of fun to write about a character who has a lot of power.

October 2024

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homefront what odds

Linda after dark

By Paul Warford

When I think of Mom, nighttime is often included.

In her navy blue housecoat, Mom often putters about the kitchen when lots of other moms her age have long since retired for the evening and are surely sleeping soundly.

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Our editor wrote me earlier this month to gently suggest I talk about “night” in What Odds this time ‘round. Hallowe’en is nigh upon us, after all, and those cardboard witches (green skin; warts-on-nose) manage to look just a little more sinister once the sun goes down.

“You got it, boss!” I replied. I always try to be an obedient writer, albeit a tardy one.

Meanwhile, in my head, I was thinking, “I planned to write about Mom. How am I bridging those two?”

Don’t worry, though. I’ve since figured that out.

Mom, AKA Linda Warford (nee Smith) celebrated her birthday just 24 hours before my current writing. I’d list her middle name as well, but she doesn’t have one, sadly; too poor for a middle name back in those days.

When I think of Mom, nighttime is often included. She often putters about the kitchen in her navy blue house coat long after other moms her age have retired for the evening and are surely sleeping soundly. I’ve had insomnia since 2004 and, if it’s genetic, I inherited it from her.

My mother has never been the soundest of snoozers. She has trouble drifting off, just as I do, and she’s a light sleeper to boot. Dad snores and wakes her, benign and innocent in his own deep sleep, which is never far from reach for him. Dad’s probably asleep right now, as I type this, hunkered down in an armchair for his unofficial afternoon nap.

When I last lived with my parents, during my brief tenure as a substitute teacher, Mom and I would often chat at night after the house and neighbourhood were quiet. Since they laid the yellow paint on the Veterans Memorial Highway, transport trucks now bypass my 1-888-588-6353

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childhood home on Bay Robert’s main highway. As a child, they’d rumble through town as I lay in bed, like contrary giants exhaling a huff.

When I visit my parents these days, I lay awake and find myself missing the bustling noise of traffic that used to slide past the windows every evening. Sometimes I wonder if my slumbering subconscious misses the noise, too.

Anyway, when I was substituting I’d limp through the weak with bleary eyes and a dull countenance because I was sleeping so poorly. When the weekend arrived, I’d stay up late despite any residual exhaustion still pooling puddles in my brain. I’d climb the stairs to the kitchen at 1 am before suddenly stopping short so as to not walk into Mom (in her blue housecoat) just inches in front of me.

“Oh! I didn’t know you were still up.”

“Yes, your father was snoring and woke me up and then I couldn’t get back to sleep.”

Inevitably, we’d find ourselves seated and chatting across from one another at the kitchen table. Our deepest conversations always happen at these times, ‘neath the waning moon.

The older I get, the more I look at my parents and try to figure out just where I came from. I look at Dad’s meticulousness, his pinpoint focus on the task at hand and his urge to do it properly. For a long time, I thought I missed out on this trait entirely. Does craftsmanship skip a generation?

That hardly seems fair.

In time, I realized those idiosyncrasies are in me as well, but their output manifests itself differently. I can’t plumb a doorway www.downhomelife.com

or turn a spindle on a lathe, but I can fashion a sentence and whittle it until I believe it looks just right.

Mom’s latent traits are more contemplative. She considers— considers others; considers the “state of things.” She wonders what will come next for everyone, I think, and wonders if those things will be positive. Is she being the best person she can be, so she can help guide her family on a good path? This is a lot to think about for one person, yet my mother’s empathy commands her to do so, to the point where it keeps her up at night. That’s where I come in, literally, to the kitchen to get a snack, while my mother tidies and hopes everyone will be okay.

So, we sit and we chat. She brings crackers to the table as I stir my tea and we share “real” talk. These discussions meander into topics like dating, morality—even sexuality. We talk about how I see these things from my perspective before she relates how they look from her own, and we work towards a common understanding that bridges our generations and ideally helps us understand this world a little better, together.

As a child – and even now, in my 40s – Mom will sometimes enter a room to find me sitting alone and she’ll say, “Oh, you look deep in thought,” but I’ve never once said back to her, “I get that from you.”

I love you, Mom. Get some sleep.

Paul Warford began writing for Downhome to impress his mom and her friends. He writes and performs comedy in Eastern Canada.

Follow him on X @paulwarford October 2024

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fresh tracks

new music talk with Wendy Rose

Pêcheur de rêves Adrian House

ST. JOHN’S-BASED singer/songwriter Adrian House is showing off a new talent on his latest record – his capability of writing and performing music en français.

This skill recently earned Adrian a nomination from MusicNL in the “L’Artiste/Groupe Francophone de L’Année” category. He also received a nod for Jazz Artist/Group of the Year, and one listen of Pêcheur de rêves will show why.

The record opens with “Babette,” a jazzy pop song with horns complementing happy piano and light percussion. Each instrument gets its time to shine, with the main repeating guitar riff followed by a funky bass solo. Adrian also incorporates scat singing into this piece. Right from the get-go, the upbeat energy is infectious.

On “Don Quichotte,” Adrian slows things down a tad, but the liveliness remains. Leaning hard into my mediocre French skills, this song explores themes of romance and chivalry – which makes sense, given the title and the inspiration of Miguel de Cervantes’ novel, Don Quixote.

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For “Gisèle,” we receive a tender ballad, with jazzy piano, dreamy guitar, and soft percussion under Adrian’s smooth voice. Close your eyes, and it’s easy to imagine yourself sitting in a café somewhere in France, sipping on a latte while being serenaded by a beloved local chanteur.

“C’est comme ça” kicks off with fiddle, and Adrian seems to draw inspiration from his years in the folk music scene, singing in a lower, more raspy voice as he creates a piece that builds excitement before a wonderful finale.

Piano takes the lead on “Les muses,” a pop song telling a story about sources of inspiration – as you may suspect from the title. “Dans mes reves, les muses sont la,” he sings – “In my dreams, the muses are there.”

At just over five minutes long, it’s the longest song on the record, and it’s still as commanding as the shorter bangers.

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For “Les bagatelles,” there’s a “gypsy jazz” vibe, with this fun piece also including a humourous vocal solo, with Adrian turning into a human kazoo.

In the closing lyrics, the songwriter makes a humourous dig at himself, singing – roughly translated – “Je ne suis même pas Francophone, comment ça que j’ai l’audace de chanter dans une language que j’ai appris en classes? Pardonez-moi, mesdames, messieurs, si mes paroles vous repoussent.”

In English, the lyrics are, “I am not even a French speaker, so why do I have the audacity to sing in a language that I learned in class?

Forgive me, ladies and gentlemen, if my speech repulses you,” he sings, surely in jest.

The next track, “Nulle part,” is perhaps the most rock/pop selection on the record, with a squealing guitar solo and distorted vocal effects giving a heavy edge. The song has its own music video, which takes the audience on a nighttime bicycle ride out Southside Road in downtown St. John’s, from the point of view of the rider.

Fun fact: Adrian is a big fan of cycling, having toured Atlantic Canada in 2020 on bicycle to perform a whopping 10 shows.

We go back to a jazzy feel with “Le parapluise d’Élise,” Adrian’s hommage to the 1964 French musical, Les Parapluies de Cherbourg.

“Comme a Cherbourg c’est une chanson où ils conversent, et elle fait semblant d’être Catherine Deneuve” – “Like in Cherbourg it’s like they’re singing while they’re talking, and she laughs, pretending she’s Catherine www.downhomelife.com

Deneuve,” Adrian sings ahead of the instrumental break.

“Existence” begins with an altcountry-esque guitar riff. There’s a folk/rock vibe in this track, with the addition of tambourine, while the next track, “Hotel pénitence” brings us back to the jazzy sound that this album started with. While Adrian bounces around subgenres, rest assured this is definitely a jazz record

through and through, deserving of its award nomination in that category.

The album finishes with the title track, “Pêcheur de rêves,” a slower, softer selection with an incredible backstory. Sitting by the water near his cabin on the Southern Shore, Adrian began writing about the ocean next to him.

“I found myself inspired in part by my friend Danny Hayes from Brigus, who was passionate about the fishery and would often wave to me as he was on his way out to, or in from, the fishing grounds… The chorus of the October 2024

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song says (in translation) ‘Fisher of dreams / you’ll always be free / cast out your nets / into infinity.’

Incredibly, Danny tragically died in October 2023, and his death has left a huge gulf in the community,” Adrian explained.

“I feel so glad to have this song, and

I think that it speaks to the fact that even after someone is gone, their impact remains … The song is a bit of a tribute to [Danny] and to everyone in the fishery. And to everyone who has a dream that they’re striving for.”

Thanks for following your dreams, Adrian – We appreciate the music.

Q&A with the Artist Wendy Rose: When and where did you start playing music?

Adrian House: I started playing music

like most of us do, taking piano lessons as a kid. Eventually, when I was 15, thanks to my brother Matthew, I picked up a guitar and I was hooked right away. I took lessons with Charlie Barfoot for a while, and then just practiced on my own. My first professional gig was as a tour guide/entertainer for Mullowney’s Puffin & Whale Tours in Bay Bulls, which was a challenge depending on the seas! Since then, I’ve played in a rock band called The Connexions, which put out one album in 2013 and toured to Toronto, a Hank Williams tribute band for a couple of years, and have now put out a total of four solo records, which I’m really proud of.

WR: Your new record is completely in French. What inspired you to write an album in your second language?

AH: I know, it’s kind of crazy! If you’d

asked me four years ago if I’d be putting an album out of original songs in French at this point, I’d have said no way. But I did put a French tune on both Love a Man and Lookin’ Up, so I guess the seeds were

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there. I started to get more into French music over the years, but it was the pandemic that really led me to jump into it in a big way. I did a songwriting workshop with Frédérick Baron, who’d worked for a Québecois artist called Céline Dion before, you may have heard of her.

He really liked the songs that I came up with in the workshop and suggested I apply to the Festival International de la Chanson de Granby, Quebec’s biggest song competition/festival. I was thrilled to make it into the ‘semifinals’ with 18 others and got to go to Quebec, perform my songs in a packed 700seat theatre backed by some of Quebec’s best musicians, and take a bunch of amazing workshops. I’ve found that writing in French liberates me in a really interesting way – I can fully express myself at my most passionate, and silliest too, in a way that I can’t always in English. Granby was a fantastic experience and from there, I started focusing on material in French in a big way, got a Canada Council grant in early 2023, and here I am!

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of years. Has that opened opportunities that you might not have gained working solely in English?

AH: For sure, that’s part of what’s

cool about having taken this direction. In addition to going to Granby, I got to travel to Caraquet, N.B. for their Gala de la Chanson in 2022, where I had a song in the finals (“Nulle part”, the first single off my new album by the way). It was an amazing experience to hang out with a bunch of talented Acadian artists and get a taste of the francophone scene in Atlantic Canada, and I learned a lot from that experience.

Locally I’ve had lots of great opportunities too. I’ve sung the national anthem in both languages three times now for citizenship ceremonies, which is a lovely experience, and am called on fairly regularly to perform at official events, for example, Official Languages Week in the spring with the federal government. The francophone community in St. John’s is really supportive and ‘sympathique’... We’re really building an excellent community of francophone artists in NL these days. It’s quite exciting.

WR: What’s in the works for in 2025?

AH: A tour of some kind! I’ve been

playing locally as much as I can since the release, and those shows have been amazing, but I’m ready to take it on the road and see how audiences on the mainland will react to what I’m putting out there. I’m excited to discover the francophone regions of Atlantic Canada more, like Chéticamp in N.S. and the Baie Sainte-Marie, also the Acadian regions of PEI and of course all of francophone New Brunswick. I want to improve my connection with the francophone community in Halifax as well. Radio Canada has been really kind to me over the past few years, including with this release, and so my songs have been played on the airwaves quite a bit throughout Atlantic Canada ... I’m excited to be working with Étienne Beaulieu of the new NL francophone label Iceberg Musique as my manager, so please get in touch with him or me if you’d like to book me!

I’m so proud of this record; I really put my heart into it and I think it’s the best thing I’ve done. I can’t wait for what the next year has in store!

Ritche Perez photo

www.downhomelife.com

October 2024

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homefront

adventures outdoors

Hunting the Black Ghost

By Gord Follett

I vividly recall trying to walk across the forest floor as gingerly as humanly possible to get to my bait stand.

Even with my limited hearing, the sounds of tiny sticks cracking and bushes brushing against my clothing were quite audible.

With every slow, meticulous step of my 190-pound frame, there was nothing I could do to prevent the “crack... crack... crack” and the “swooshlike” sounds coming from the supposedly “soft” material of my camo pants and jacket.

Once at the stand, I climbed the rickety 14-foot ladder, settled into the rough wooden seat, inserted the magazine into my Savage .270 and waited for the nose of a mature black bear to lead it to my offering of caplin, a freezer-burned full cod, outdated cookies and other sweets from the house, topped off with a litre of molasses and two bottles of vanilla extract poured in and on top of the 50-gallon drum.

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The sweet vanilla would get the animal’s attention from afar, I figured, enough to draw it into where the other scents would consume its full concentration.

“Gonna be a good while before any bear shows up around here though,” I remember thinking to myself, “after the friggin’ noise I made coming in and climbing into the stand.”

The wind was virtually nonexistent that evening, quite unlike the mosquitoes. They were in the millions! And because I was hunting an animal with an extremely keen sense of smell, the use of insect repellant would likely kill any chance I had of attracting and harvesting a nice bruin. Killing them with slaps against my hands, head and neck was also out of the question, so I tried my best to suffer through it for as long as I could.

“No way am I gonna be able to put up with them little bastards, not even for a few minutes,” I told myself, to which the other side of me countered with, “Well, you’ve come all this way to central Newfoundland from Mount Pearl, ya nut, and you only have couple more days left, so you might as well...”

Then as my head dropped downward and my eyes peered through the spaces between the balsam branch “floor,” there he was – a 250-275-pound male that came in the same route as I did, but without making a sound! Not a peep!

Once over the initial shock and excitement of seeing a bear after less than 15 minutes in the stand, I kept wondering how this four-legged creature could walk over those same broken branches on the ground www.downhomelife.com

without making a sound. I could understand how the bushes and leaves didn’t make noise against his soft black fur coat, but those sticks?

How? The animal’s twitching nose informed him exactly where all that delicious food was, but he wasn’t ready to dive right in. Twice he circled the bait bucket – ever so cautiously – through the surrounding bushes and alders.

Although I couldn’t see the full animal at all times, I spotted enough black to know he hadn’t been spooked from the area and that he’d eventually let his guard down and dig his paws and head into the hole I had cut in the side of the barrel.

While waiting – and instead of focussing my full attention on his every move – I continued asking myself how this creature managed to walk directly underneath me without making a sound. I’d heard about similar experiences from other hunters, but always thought they were exaggerating. Until today.

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Meanwhile, my black ghost finally came out near the tree to which the bait barrel was strapped. He stood straight on his hind legs and gave a final good sniff before dropping down and sauntering to his supper.

My next challenge was to chamber a round very quietly... if there’s such a thing when there’s no wind and you’re only 50 yards from an animal with acute hearing that’s about twice as sensitive as humans and over a large frequency range as well.

I slowly pulled back on the bolt and waited before completing the chambering.

“Ok, he didn’t seem to hear that little bit of noise,” I told myself, “so now I’ll just very quietly push it ahead to load ‘er and then thumb off the safety.”

Pushing the bolt back down didn’t go as quietly as I had hoped, and suddenly the bear looked in my direction. We were eye-to-eye, I swear! For those 15-20 seconds, I did not move a muscle, blink or breathe. Then to my complete surprise, he turned back to the barrel and began licking the top, which gave me an opportunity to move just enough to line him up and fire.

Through the bushes and trees, he ran at top speed. I really didn’t know how well he was hit, but I wasn’t about to climb down out of the stand and begin searching until I knew he

wasn’t coming back.

With another round in the chamber ready to fire, I cautiously searched until I found his lifeless body 25 minutes later just 70-80 metres from the bait.

It was a respectable animal and a great hunt, but most memorable about it all was how silently he crept right under my feet.

This was the first bear that Gord ever harvested, about 20 years ago. Weighing about 150 pounds, it was significantly smaller than the one he writes about in this story.

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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Order Online!

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homefront

the Labrador Current

Halloween on the

Labrador

By Nathan Freake

As a kid, the first real snowfall of winter came just before Halloween. Nowadays it seems as if the first layer of snow doesn’t stick until mid-November, but I could be remembering it wrong – you know, in a back-in-my-day-a-plate-of-chips-cost-ten-cents type of way.

The more I teach the youth of today and recount my childhood memories to them, the more I realize how quickly time passes, and how much older I get by the minute. Now that I have two children of my own I find myself thinking quite often of how they might recount their childhood memories to others in the future, and I can only hope they look back on them as fondly as I do. This time of year is no different, as Halloween is one of those times that bids me pause and reflect on the moments in my life that shaped me.

As you can imagine, our Halloweens looked a little different than they did in the movies. I always found it funny looking at the actors who wore their costumes just as they would their normal clothes, and how no parents were there to chase them around in cars to take breaks in between houses. Why weren’t their hands freezing? If this is Halloween, 40

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where’s all the snow? Don’t they have to put on a couple of layers underneath? Unlike the kids in the movies, hanging around in the streets was not an option. Beeline from the truck to the doorstep, knock on the door, collect the goods, and get back!

Thankfully, my mother made my Halloween costumes every year, so I never once froze to death waiting outside a stranger’s porch for a handful of cold, hardened candy.

And let me tell you, those costumes were something. My mother would spend hours at a sewing machine preparing my costume for the big day. Weeks in advance we’d have to figure out what I was going to be so she could get the materials. I never trick or treated as a superhero, a pirate, or a classic villain from a slasher flick. Nothing store-bought, no. Nothing of the ordinary. I was the odd one out who went to school 1-888-588-6353

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on Halloween dressed as a basketball and net, complete with a makeshift basketball mask over my head, sitting in a foam pipe rim around my neck, and a painted cardboard backboard strapped to my shoulders.

I was the kid in the life-sized PacMan get-up made with Everlast boxing gloves and yellow bed sheets stitched over polyester stuffing. The Pac-Man costume was a particularly warm one... all that padding on top of my massive Choko suit, which pushed out at the seams, making my Pac-Man look like he had eaten one too many of those famous pellets of his. (I suppose it was on theme, as I would certainly be downing a few too many treats of my own that night).

What I remember most about those nights, though, is coming home once everything was said and done. My close family friends and I would burst through the front door and plop down on the living room floor, sniffling and rubbing our cold cheeks with numb fingers. Hot chocolate was at the ready to warm our shivering bodies.

We’d dump our pillowcases full of candy onto the living room floor and take our time separating it all into categories—candy, chips, and chocolate. Then, between my friends and I, we’d divide everything into equal portions to make it fair for everyone.

When I think back on it, Halloween was one of those days every year that never failed to brighten my spirits.

From the time spent watching my www.downhomelife.com

mother fix up a costume for me, to trudging through the snow with friends, bouncing around from door to door, to coming back to the comfort and warmth of my home, Halloweens were moments that I will forever cherish. Luckily, I have the

opportunity to relive and make memories with my children the same way my parents did for me. And that’s what I intend to do! They may not be as chilled to the bone as I was going around town, but there will always be a warm place to come home to and divide their pillowcase candy however they see fit.

Happy Halloween, everyone! Feel free to share some of your Halloween stories with me as I’d love to hear them, and happy trick or treating!

Nathan Freake is a writer and educator from Labrador City.

For any inquiries, you can reach Nathan at thelabcurrent@gmail.com October 2024

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features

From the page to the screen, the team behind the acclaimed horror anthology series are hitting the small screen this Halloween season.

By Dillon Collins

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Julie Baggs photo

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Its rugged windswept visage, the lengthy, at times tragic history, and unshakable isolation all add up to a potent cocktail that would make a perfect backdrop for Lovecraft lore or a Poe fable.

In recent years, practitioners and proprietors of horror culture have done wonders in promoting all things creepy NL. The creative crew at Grind Mind have gained international attention for their healthy crop of titles and burgeoning film festival Fogfest. Authors have penned eerie tales and bone-chilling texts with Newfoundland connections, while others have taken to harnessing the power of the unknown in various forms.

Mike Hickey, the chief architect of the Terror Nova brand of horror anthology books and soon-to-be television series, has been an ardent proponent of the paranormal.

www.downhomelife.com

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Mike Hickey has seen the renaissance of horror in Newfoundland and Labrador grow in recent years.

The longtime host of the Fright Hype web series, author and allaround creative, Mike has seen the renaissance of horror in Newfoundland and Labrador grow exponentially in recent years, with modern films and television productions including SurrealEstate and The King Tide propelling the medium to new and exciting heights.

“The fandom is growing, but it’s also becoming a little bit more approachable, I think because more people are aware of the people doing it. It just kind of gives a bit of a green light.” Mike shares during a sitdown with Downhome, referencing Grind Mind’s ‘fear made right here’ mantra.

“The guys from Grind Mind especially helped in a big way to get this fear made right here philosophy.

It’s this kind of concept that you can do this here. Their thing was so 44

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grassroots and it was so local and felt so local, that it gave a lot of people the ‘Oh, it’s the b’ys! And the b’ys are doing this here!’”

Buoyed by a thriving horror scene and the success of a series of anthology releases through Engen Books, the Terror Nova brand first took to television in 2023 with a Halloween special for local network NTV. The overwhelmingly positive response planted the seeds for something more expansive and ambitious.

“What we ended up doing was a bunch of interviews and features with people who do spooky stuff around here. We talked to the guys in Grind Mind, we talked to Ross Squires who does an annual haunt out on Thorburn Road, we talked to Dale Jarvis and Sasha and Leslie from Trash Panda Events and all 1-888-588-6353

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around the island. Each episode is going to be anchored by a paranormal investigation. And then in each of the communities we go to we’re going to be talking to people who do spooky stuff, who promote spooky stuff, talking to museums and the people who run attractions and people who sell spooky wares and make spooky art. Anything that Terror Nova plans to visit numerous appeals to people who dig sites across the province including that kind of ethereal, the former school on St. Catherine spooky, dark horror, Street in Grand Falls-Windsor.

Halloween culture,” Mike shares.

Among the teased highlights of the series, Mike revisits his old stomping grounds of Grand Falls-Windsor for one particularly ominous encounter with an abandoned Catholic School.

“One of the places we’re doing a hunt is a former Catholic grade school where I spent kindergarten to grade seven which is now an abandoned building,” Mike says of the property on St. Catherine Street. “After it was decommissioned as a school it was used as an empty space when the council owned the building and The fanfare from the original firefighters used it as a training site. broadcast, coupled with strong Multiple firefighters have picked up viewership for NTV’s new NTV+ app weird anomalies on thermal imaging resulted in plans for a follow-up. cameras while they were training in Terror Nova with Mike Hickey will the place. So we have a thermal see the crew traverse the island for a imaging camera, and we’re going to six-episode series plus an additional have a look around for ourselves and Halloween special following a similar see if we can find anything” format of unscripted travel log meets Returning to a former residence he ghost hunt. occupied in Goose Cove during his “We’re going to be travelling kinds of people who are doing fun stuff that way. And then we went to the Woodstock (Public House) and did a ghost hunt and used that as the framing device where we would just throw in all these fun features, and it came out really well.”

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time with Rising Tide Theatre, Mike reflects on the structure which he labelled ‘the one spot I’ve ever truly thought could be haunted.’

“I ended up in this house by myself.

And that house is the only spot I’ve ever truly thought could be haunted.

And we have that house. No one lives there. It’s been abandoned for about ten years, but the guy who owns the property is letting us go in and do our ghost hunt there. So I’m actually going to get to go back into that house with ghost-hunting equipment and have a bit of an experience.”

Armed with eerie encounters and spooky settings, the Terror Nova crew, now experienced in the finer points of the genre, have benefitted greatly from the film and television boom within the province.

“A bunch of the people here who work in film and television suddenly have all this experience working specifically in shows that are within the genre and have these kinds of special effects and are these kinds of stories,” Mike explains. “So it helps elevate them in terms of their

Mike conducts a paranormal investigation at an abandoned home in Goose Cove.

Moments after taking this photo of the stairs in Hill Road Manor in Grand FallsWindsor, Mike heard a bone-chilling voice.

You can't make a spooky show in Newfoundland without a stop by the old Trinity Loop Amusement Park.

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The Cathedral in Harbour Grace, currently undergoing renovations to open as a multipurpose space, is the site of one of Terror Nova's ghost hunts.

confidence and being able to execute it themselves. All that stuff just kind of feeds itself. And then the more that that happens, the more it grows, the more everybody gets comfortable acknowledging it.”

Faced with the timeless question of why Terre-Neuve works on almost every level as a backdrop for the macabre and unsettling, Mike references our deep-rooted history which lends itself to the creation and proliferation of expansive and engrossing folklore, ghostly or otherwise.

“There’s still that history here. And I think whenever you have that history and so much of our culture and our heritage comes from such a rich a place that has such rich lore, that lore gets brought over with them. It makes it really easy when you want to highlight the spooky stuff.”

The Terror Nova crew during the Cathedral ghost hunt.

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features

The remarkable story of the Elite Navigator

By Pam Pardy

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On July 25th,

the Elite Navigator fishing boat and its crew were reported missing, seemingly vanishing with no communication to loved ones since the prior evening.

The seven fishermen, all from Newfoundland’s northeast coast, were immediately reported missing. We spoke with the captain who had been lost at sea and the boat owner who waited on shore for word.

“The b’ys were out fishing for turbot and we got the last signal from them around 8:30 p.m. the night before,” begins Glenn Mouland, owner of the Elite Navigator.

“I wasn’t expecting them in until the next day, but when they didn’t get in and I wasn’t getting any response, I was getting worried. I figured they could have been delayed by wind or tide, so I waited a bit, but by 2:30 in the afternoon Thursday, I contacted the Coast Guard and said, ‘something ain’t right,’ and the search was on.”

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The Elite Navigator set out from New-Wes-Valley with seven crew members on board, fishing for turbot.

On July 25, the vessel was reported overdue.

Glenn had a lot of concern for the crew. One of the missing crew members, the boat’s captain Eugene Carter, was also Glenn’s nephew, but he knew them all quite well. “Most of them had fished turbot with me for years, and I knew them all,” he explains.

big boat on radar, but I figured they were in the life-raft together because there was no sign of anything else bad anywhere, so I still had hope.”

The people of the New-Wes-Valley region, an amalgamation of three small fishing communities, braced for the worst and hoped for the best.

The people of the New-Wes-Valley region, an amalgamation of three small fishing communities, braced for the worst and hoped for the best.

Glenn descibes his feelings surrounding the missing vessel and crew as “Stressed and nervous and everything else you could say, but I didn’t give up hope. The only reason to give up hope was if they found something, and the visibility was low.

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While it’s well known that fishing is among Canada’s deadliest professions, and tragedy at sea links many coastal communities across Atlantic Canada, there was a ray of hope.

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didn’t give up hope, not for one minute,” Glenn says, adding that, days later, when he heard the news that everyone was safe and sound, it was very emotional.

“I got a job to describe it. It was a moment, for sure. I was talking back and forth with the fellas that were out fishing and I heard they seen an oil slick, and what they were calling a target. They were on the way back to check it out and they saw the flare go up.

Well, I knew at least one of them was alive then.”

He didn’t allow himself to get too excited, he continues. “I had the phone lodged on the kitchen counter and the family was all around the island there and we heard, ‘the chopper got them spotted and someone’s in the water from the Coast Guard.’ It felt like forever before I heard, ‘They got all seven and they’re all good.’ Well, the dishes almost came out of the cupboard,” he adds with a laugh.

On the day we spoke with captain Eugene Carter, he and the other six crew members who had spent almost three nights on the ocean in a life-raft were preparing to meet the Coast Guard crew who rescued them from the sea. “They will take us up and show us where they found us and all that, so it will be emotional,” Eugene admits.

So what happened? A fire broke out just a few hours into their 25-hour journey, Eugene explains. “I made the decision to abandon ship when I knew there was a problem. We did get an alarm saying there was a fire but once I saw the extent of the fire, www.downhomelife.com

it was out of our control.”

Five men managed to make it into survival suits, and as they watched the smoke from the Elite Navigator from their life raft they knew they were lucky to get off when they did.

“Once we got off the ship, the fog was

NL premier Andrew Furey embraces a crew member during a welcome home celebration in New-Wes Valley. bad, so our visibility was reduced, but we didn’t have wind and the tides were pretty good. The next day I did see the vessel again and all I could see was what was left and black smoke coming out.”

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(Above) The celebration of the Lucky Seven’s survival continued with the crew meeting the rock band Nickleback. (Right) Crew member David Tiller was presented with a new guitar from Alan Doyle and Premier Furey, after his was lost in the sinking. night adrift, Eugene shares that the mood was light. “We hung in there, we talked to each other.

We made jokes with each other and we just kept our spirits up.

Just like when working together we would always be cracking little jokes at each other and things like that. That’s kind of the same thing we did to pass the time, honestly.”

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down to our last flare, but I was always prepared. I was thinking a few steps ahead and just kept calm,” he says, sharing that he knew the flare had been spotted when he saw the Coast Guard helicopter turn around.

There was much celebration when the crew, now named The Lucky Seven, arrived home.

Eugene shares he was overjoyed to see the support and the love they’ve received since returning home. “I’m just overwhelmed with the support of our community and the people of

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Newfoundland and Labrador and even Canada and the world. It was just crazy. I haven’t gotten through half of my messages yet, and I probably never will get through all of them,” he says with a laugh, sharing his thanks once more.

“I just gotta put it out there. To anybody involved, anybody who sent a prayer or whatever for me and my crew members, we deeply appreciate every one of them and we can’t put into words how grateful we are for them.”

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features

Newfoundland and Labrador has a long and colourful history within the horror genre

BY DILLON COLLINS

THE BUSINESS OF HORROR IS BOOMING. Thrill seekers and fright fiends are in the market for their fix, and studios are all too eager to oblige in churning out genre thrills for the masses. On the silver screen, 2024 has been a banner year, anchored by some potent franchise entries (The First Omen, The Strangers, A Quiet Place: Day One, Alien: Romulus) and crowd-pleasing originals (Longlegs, Abigail, Immaculate, Trap), while small screen chills were handed out through Interview with the Vampire, Chucky, Them and American Horror Story, to name a few. Quietly, Newfoundland and Labrador has carved out its own bloody chapter within the annals of Hollywood horror. Here are some of our more prolific entries into the grim genre: 54

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SARA CANNING NL’s Scream Queen

Perhaps no Newfoundlander and Labradorian has taken to the horror genre like Gander’s Sara Canning. Breaking into the mainstream thanks to a recurring role on the hit teen horror drama The Vampire Diaries, Sara furthered her promising career with high profile credits in big-budget fare War for the Planet of the Apes, Once Upon a Time, Supernatural and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, to name a few. In the world of horror Sara has truly flourished with roles in film and television including Van Helsing, Creepshow, Influencer and Superhost, most recently starring opposite Chris Jericho in the wrestling horror Dark Match.

Sara Canning in The Vampire Diaries

Robert Joy in The Hills Have Eyes

ROBERT JOY A Grotesque Transformation A versatile and respected character actor, Robert Joy is perhaps best known to audiences for his lengthy turn as Dr. Sid Hammerback in CSI: NY, a role he helmed for 168 episodes. And while ‘Bob’ is good guy personified away from the screen, he’s taken his ability to morph into whatever character appears on the page to ghoulish heights. The St. John’s native first broke into the world of horror with the role of Elliot West in Amityville 3-D, further diving into the genre in The Dark Half, Fallen, the remake of Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes, George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem.

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Richard Harris in Orca

ORCA

Terror Under the Waves

In the aftermath of the monster hit that was Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, studios worldwide made it their mission to evoke terror in the form of man vs. animal clashes. From grizzly bears to boars and every primate, marsupial or mammal in between, if it breathed, clawed or swam, it was punted into the world of horror. That was the case with 1977’s Orca: The Killer Whale, which saw the maligned titular whale turn into a vicious killing machine bent on revenge in this chiller shot in Petty Harbour. The film, starring noted actors Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling, Robert Carradine and Bo Derek, was released to poor critical reception and tepid box office totals, yet has since become a cult classic.

NATASHA HENSTRIDGE Ferocious Femme Fatale

Natasha Henstridge in Species www.downhomelife.com

You know you’re destined to go down as a horror legend when your feature film debut is at the heart of a $113 million Hollywood blockbuster. That was the tale of the tape for Springdale’s Natasha Henstridge, who launched her journey on the screen as Sil, a genetically modified alien/human hybrid in the successful sci-fi/horror flick Species. She’d return to the franchise twice more in Species II and the made-for-tv film Species III, further exploring darker titles with John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars, sci-fi series The Outer Limits and indie horror films The Black Room and The Unhealer.

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Clayne Crawford in The King Tide

CHRISTIAN SPARKES Directing Darkness Downhome readers will no doubt be familiar with writer/director Christian Sparkes, the subject of a recent feature interview for his chilling folk horror film The King Tide and adaptation of Michael Crummey’s emotionally charged novel Sweetland. Christian has long been inspired by the world of horror, earning praise for his eerie short A River in the Woods and dark fable Cast No Shadow, starring the father/son tandem of Joel Thomas Hynes and Percy Hynes White. 2024’s The King Tide would see Christian jump back into more spine-tingling territory, chronicling the upheaval of a small fishing village rocked by the emergence of a mysterious child.

Henry Czerny and Mimi Kuzyk in The Righteous

MARK O’BRIEN

Embracing Evil

No actor has seen their profile rise quite so rapidly in recent years as has Paradise’s own Mark O’Brien. From Oscar-winning sci-fi drama Arrival to the A-list riddled Marriage Story, Bad Times at El Royale and prominent television roles in Halt and Catch Fire, City on a Hill, 61st Street and Perry Mason, Mark has come a long way from his days as the affable Des Courtney on Republic of Doyle. So much so that the multi-talented student of filmmaking has flourished in the horror genre. Mark’s feature-length directorial debut, The Righteous, received critical acclaim, with Mark writing, directing and starring in the white-knuckle slice of psychological horror.

Factor in roles on Hannibal and splatter-fest Ready or Not and Mark is more than capable of holding his own in darker corners.

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JENNIFER HALE Animation All-Star

The Guinness World Record holder for most prolific video game actor (female) just so happens to be a Newfoundlander and Labradorian. In the world of gaming and animation, Jennifer Hale needs no introduction.

With a career spanning over three decades, Jennifer has lent her voice to some of the most iconic franchises imaginable, from Star Wars to Spider-Man, Scooby-Doo and X-Men. While the horror genre itself isn’t necessarily her bread and butter, genre titles like God of War, Bioshock, Mass Effect and Halo have all featured her prominently, with the Happy Valley-Goose Bay native credited in the found footage juggernaut Paranormal Activity 4.

Sarah Levy in SurrealEstate Blue Ice Pictures/SYFY

SURREALESTATE

Haunted House Hijinks

The secret is out. Newfoundland and Labrador looks good on film. Television productions ranging from period thriller Frontier, action-packed Reacher and comedy biopic Son of a Critch have all set up shop across our shores in recent years, yet one series in particular has taken advantage of our at times eerie mystique to tremendous effect. SurrealEstate, a paranormal drama, has been filmed throughout St. John’s and across the Avalon for two seasons and counting. The series follows realtor Luke Roman and an elite team of specialists handling the cases that no one else can: haunted and possessed houses that literally scare would-be buyers away. The series was recently renewed for a third season through parent company SYFY. www.downhomelife.com

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explore

Twenty must-see mysterious spots that might just send a shiver down your spine.

Filled with remote and mysterious places,

Newfoundland and Labrador has its share of spooky sites and supernatural stories. One lifetime might not be enough to explore all its shadows. But fear not – we’ve ventured into the unknown to reveal some of the province’s must-see scary spots and eerie hidden gems. Read on, if you dare.

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Dennis Flynn photo

Travel back in time to Battle Harbour, located off Labrador’s southeast coast. This former salt fish mercantile complex flourished in the 1770s and was once known as the Capital of Labrador. Now a National Historic District, it’s mostly deserted and rumoured to be haunted by the spirits of former residents. With no roads or streetlights, reports of disembodied voices and shadowy figures add to its eerie allure. battleharbour.com

Notorious pirate Captain William Kidd is said to have hidden treasure at the bottom of a pond near Tracey Hill in Red Bay in Southeastern Labrador. As the story goes, Kidd cut off the head of one of his crew and tossed the body on top of the buried loot. The phantom of the unlucky headless man is believed to appear at midnight, acting as the treasure’s ghostly guardian. parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/redbay

Forteau’s Grenfell Louie A Hall Bed & Breakfast was originally built in 1946 as an International Grenfell Association Nursing Station. It’s been operating as a B&B and welcoming guests from all over the world since 1994.

Brave visitors should inquire about their Ghost Room. grenfellbandb.ca/home/

Spectral lights and shadowy figures may haunt the Pioneer Footpath, a coastal trail that traces early routes once used by communities along the Labrador Straits.

Stretching from L’Anse au Clair to Pinware, this footpath invites intrepid hikers to embark on a series of day treks between settlements, with overnight stays at quaint, yet possibly haunted, accommodations. labradorcoastaldrive.com www.downhomelife.com

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Over a thousand years ago, the ancient Norse founded the oldest known European settlement in the New World – L’Anse aux Meadows, at the tip of the Northern Peninsula. According to the Sagas, they were driven away by the Skraelings, the mysterious and shadowy original inhabitants of Vinland, whose presence still lingers in the barren expanse. parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows

The granite Rose Blanche Lighthouse has been standing sentinel on the rocky coast for more than 150 years. To get there from the ferry terminal in Port aux Basques, take the first exit to the right onto Highway 470 towards Isle aux Morts – Deadman’s Island. roseblanchelighthouse.ca

Spend a night on the edge of the world at the Quirpon Lighthouse Inn. Perched on the desolate, uninhabited Quirpon Island off Newfoundland’s northernmost tip, this remote retreat is only accessible by a 30-minute boat ride through the ghostly waters of Iceberg Alley. Once there, you’ll find yourself a 1922 light-keeper’s home, where isolation and the unknown await. linkumtours.com/ accommodations/quirpon-lighthouse-inn/

Explore the west coast of the island by taking Captain Cook’s Trail, Route 450, which heads west from Corner Brook along the south shore of the Humber Arm. Long ago, a ship crewed by Gallic sailors was wrecked on rocks in the Bay of Islands near Lark Harbour and sank with all hands. Listen carefully when a storm blows up – are those the cries of drowned sailors calling for help? newfoundlandlabrador.com/trip-ideas/road-trips/western/captain-cooks-trail

Zachary Hatcher photo

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Perched on a rugged cliff above Twillingate, the Long Point Lighthouse stands as a lonely watchtower over the wild Atlantic. Built in 1875, it’s attracted a few strange stories over the years. One tall tale tells of the lighthouse keeper who fell down the centre of the lighthouse and was caught by an invisible figure and set safely on his feet. twillingate.com/to-see-do/historiclandmarks/long-point-lighthouse/

Uncover the haunting remnants of a bygone era in the resettled communities and forgotten corners of the South Coast. Begin your journey in Hermitage on Route 364, where a passengeronly ferry will carry you to the isolated, ghostly villages of Gaultois and McCallum. To reach the abandoned community of Grand Bruit, you’ll need to find a local willing to guide you—most likely in a fishing boat—through the quiet waters to this deserted place. newfoundlandlabrador.com/trip-ideas/road-tripslanding/central/south-coast-adventure

Bold explorers; take the passenger ferry west from Bay L’Argent on Route 212 to Rencontre East – a rural community only accessible by water. Stay at historic Chart House, a vacation home built in 1893. rencontreeastvacation.ca

Folklore says Deadman’s Cove, near Harbour Breton, earned its name after a ship of mean-spirited, troublemaking men met their fate there. According to the tale, their own wicked ways brought on the wreck and sealed their doom. Explore the area by hiking the Deadman’s Cove trail. harbourbreton.com

Charly Vojin photo

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According to eerie legend, each night the headless phantom of a Newfoundland dog can be seen racing toward Elliston. Find out more on the third weekend of September each year when Tourism Elliston hosts Roots, Rants and Roars—a twoday festival celebrating Newfoundland’s food, culture, land, and sea. Don’t miss the Haunted Cellars event for more bone-chilling ghost stories. rootsrantsandroars.ca

In the foggy gloom of Bonavista, the Mockbeggar Plantation stands as a ghostly relic of the past. Now a Provincial Historic Site, the history of the restored outport merchant premises dates back to the 17th century. The creaking floors and weathered walls of Bradley House, constructed in 1871, whisper tales of days gone by – it’s even said that a ghost watches visitors from the upper floors. seethesites.ca/sites/mockbeggar-plantation/

Mifflin’s Heritage Inn is a beautifully renovated heritage home in the heart of Bonavista.

Complementary breakfast is offered across the street at Mifflin’s Tea Room. As night falls, venture to the nearby Garrick Theatre, Newfoundland’s oldest operating community theatre. mifflinsheritageinn.com; garricktheatre.ca

Float on down to Glover’s Harbour, near Leading Tickles, home of the Giant Squid.

See a life-sized replica of this monstrous 55-foot-long cephalopod caught by fishermen in 1878. Facebook.com/GloversHarbourNL

seethesites.ca

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Supernatural seekers are well advised to set their sails for Bell Island in Conception Bay – it’s considered one of the most haunted places in Canada. Be sure to keep your distance from Dobbin’s Garden, reportedly haunted by the tragic and terrifying Swamp Hag. Instead, explore the abandoned mine and hear some of Bell Island’s most chilling tales by catching a performance of the Ghosts of Bell Island Tour presented by the Theatre of the Mine. Search Tourism Bell Island Inc. on Facebook.

Landlubbers can spot the solid black flag of fearsome pirate Peter Easton flying over Harbour Grace in the summer months. Take an excursion to the town’s Heritage District with a guided tour to hear tales of curses, mysterious graves, and murder; or head out with the Haunted Harbour Grace walking tour which takes place each year during the Halloween season. conceptionbaymuseum.com

The Monastery Hotel in St. John’s occupies a beautifully restored heritage building that once served as a Christian monastery. While you can indulge in the luxury of your room, be prepared for the unexpected— whispers of hauntings linger here.

Mysterious footsteps echo in the halls, and doors have been known to slam shut on their own, leaving guests to wonder who—or what—still roams the premises. Monasteryhotel.ca

Dark alleys thread through the historic downtown of St. John’s, the oldest city in North America. Ghosts of the past still linger in the shadows in the City of Legends.

Follow a guide through the foggy, dimly lit streets to hear chilling tales of ghosts, mysterious happenings, and local legends that have been passed down through generations. hauntedhike.com

bellislandminetour.com

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A Guide to Nocturnal Animals of Newfoundland and Labrador

BY TODD HOLLETT

A STROLL THROUGH THE FOREST on a sunny day does the mind a world of good, with the sounds of the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze, birds cheerily chirping and squirrels scurrying about nibbling on buds. That same forest quickly turns into a different place after dark. Your mind plays tricks as you imagine flashes of danger. An owl’s silent flight resembles a ghost in the shadowy land, bats flutter about as your mind conjures up images of bloodthirsty creatures straight from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. You imagine being stalked by a hungry coyote as you hear their spine-tingling yips and howls. Bats, owls, coyotes and even moths – all creatures of the night – are often not our favourite animals as they capture our imagination. Nocturnal animals are adapted to their after-hours existence, often having large eyes for low-light conditions and heightened senses of smell and hearing.

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BATS Perhaps the most famous nocturnal animals are bats, with over 1,400 species making up the order Chiroptera (Latin for hand wing, which is derived from the skin stretched out on their elongated fingers to create that famous leathery wing).

Bats have been feared throughout history and are often associated with witchcraft, evil and darkness. Common misconceptions are that bats will become tangled in long hair, or drink your blood. While the South American vampire bat does indeed subsist on the blood of mammals and birds, the North American species are insectivorous, eating 50% to 100% of their body weight in insects nightly, saving millions of dollars in agriculture pesticides and millions of itchy mosquito bites.

Despite the misconception that bats are blind, they can see, finding their way around in pitch black through echolocation, emitting sounds out of our range of hearing that bounce back to make a map of their surroundings.

The little brown bat, the most common Newfoundland bat, is found in all provinces and territories in Canada, except Nunavut. These little fliers tend to go on two or more feeding flights a night, one at sunset and the other before sunrise, dining on moths, flies, mosquitoes, mayflies, beetles, and midges.

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MOTHS Moths and butterflies make up the order Lepidoptera, but there’s one big difference between these fluttering insects: butterflies are diurnal, whereas moths are mostly nocturnal. There are over 160,000 species of moths and 18,500 butterfly species in the world today, eight moth species to every one butterfly. For some unknown reason, nocturnal moths are attracted to artificial lights, with theories suggesting they use natural light to fly in straight lines. Moths live in almost every habitat. Some migrate in the fall, others surviving winter in a cocoon and others in southern Canada, referred to as “winter moths”, surviving winter as adults.

Some moths developed methods of avoiding predators. About 40% of clearwing moths mimic bees, wasps and even hummingbirds. While others are perfectly camouflaged, some have developed patterns resembling eyespots that intimidate predators. Tiger and hawk moths confuse bats by emitting ultrasonic clicks that throw off their echolocation. Despite the common belief that moths will eat your clothes, only two species of caterpillars damage fabrics, even then they only eat wool, fur or feathers, avoiding synthetics. Moths are important pollinators of crop plants that we depend on.

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OWLS Owls, order Strigiformes, are found on every continent except Antarctica and are perhaps the best-known nocturnal bird on the planet. However, not all of the 240plus species are nocturnal. Some such as the short-eared owl, are day active.

Nocturnal owls have developed large eyes, acute hearing and facial disks that funnel sound toward the ears, all adaptations to hunting in darkness. The ears are positioned asymmetrically on the head, improving their ability to detect the direction of sounds. Some owls, such as the Northern Hawk Owl, can hear a vole moving from almost a kilometre away. Not only are the eyes large, but they are tube-shaped, as opposed to “eyeballs” and are immobile, providing binocular vision for better focus and depth perception.

Owls do not chew their food. They swallow small prey whole or large chucks torn from larger prey. Anything that the stomach cannot digest, such as bones, teeth or fur, is regurgitated as a pellet while the owl roosts during the day.

The eerie hoot of an owl is a familiar sound in Newfoundland and Labrador’s forests at night, but not all owls hoot. Barn owls hiss, screech owls whinny like a horse, and saw-whet owls sound like a whetstone sharpening a saw.

In many cultures owls are a representation of wisdom, which is evident in the wise owl in Winnie the Pooh or the meeting of owls in the Chronicles of Narnia, where the name for a group of owls, a parliament, originates.

Still, other cultures connect the hoot of an owl with bad luck and death. To the Ancient Greeks, snowy owls were sacred, as they were the owl of choice for the Goddess of War, Athena. www.downhomelife.com

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WOLVES AND COYOTES Newfoundland and Labrador is home to two members of the family Canidae, the grey wolf and the eastern coyote, with the wolf being the largest member of the family.

Many associate wolves with pristine wilderness, cold forests and tundra, as they are found throughout most of the Northern Hemisphere.

They live and hunt in packs, usually made up of a family group, with only the alpha, or dominate, pair being permitted to mate. Coyotes on the other hand are often considered tricksters and pests. They will more often hunt as individuals or in pairs or small groups if hunting larger prey.

Few sounds are as haunting as the low howl of a wolf in the night.

However, the howl is not the signal of your demise at the gnashing teeth of a pack of wolves. Howling serves three much less vile purposes: to keep in contact with other pack members, protect territory and solidify social bonds.

Coyotes are considered among the most vocal North American Canid, with their scientific name Canis latrans meaning “barking dog”. They have 11 different vocalizations divided into three categories of communication: agonistic and alarm, greeting and contact.

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Wolves can eat huge amounts of food, consuming up to nine kilograms in one meal. This is believed to be the origin of the term “wolf it down”. The alpha male is the first to eat from prey and devours the most of all. Coyotes supplement their natural diet with human food sources such as pet foods, food scraps, and unattended small pets and livestock.

Wolves have been a major part of folklore, religion and mythology throughout Eurasia, North America and Europe. The big bad wolf of fairy tale fame comes from Europe and has been associated with witchcraft by Northern Europeans, Native Americans and Norse.

Ancient Greeks associated the wolf with the sun god Apollo, while the Romans connected them to Mars, the god of war and agriculture. The werewolf, portrayed in many horror films, comes from Slavic culture.

Like wolves, coyotes play a major part in folklore. North American Indigenous peoples consider the coyote sacred with divine creative powers, others believe them to be malevolent tricksters, while others combine these roles. The Navajo believe that the world is built in a sequence of stories, with the coyote guiding humans down to earth while the badger continues the underworld and the coyote remains with the people.

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explore

DUSKto DAWN Night Photos from Newfoundand and Labrador

BY NICOLA RYAN

LATE IN THE EVENING, when the day’s work is done and the sun dips below the horizon, the cities and harbours of Newfoundland and Labrador are bathed in the glow of the moon and stars. In this collection of photos from our readers, we showcase the magic and mystery that emerges after dark, offering a unique glimpse into the province’s nocturnal splendour.

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Starry night sky over Cape Bonavista Mark Gray Bonavista, NL

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Starry skies over Piccadilly Beach Bailey Parsons Stephenville, NL

Downtown city lights

Jason Jones St. John’s, NL

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Skies afire over Sandbanks Provincial Park Julie Baggs Burgeo, NL

Summer campfire near Quartzite Lake Keith Fitzpatrick Labrador City, NL

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Twilight at Massey Drive

William Russell Newfound Drone Productions

‰ Tips for Night Photography ‰ Scout your location ‰ Prepare for long periods outside ‰ Bring a flashlight ‰ Shoot in manual mode ‰ Lower your aperture

‰ Set your ISO as low as possible ‰ Use a tripod for long exposures ‰ Use bulb mode for longer exposures ‰ Make sure you’re shooting RAW Source: masterclass.com

Down Arm at Twilight

Melvin Legge Durrell, NL

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A peaceful scene in Too Good Arm Maddison Case New World Island, NL

Summer sun sinking low

Aimee Doiron Twillingate, NL

Sunset serenity

Bernice Goudie Dunfield, NL

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Some enchanted evening

Leah Willcott Bay D’Espoir, NL

Last cruise ship of the season Robert Carter Chamberlains, NL

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Sunset swirls

Brendon Gould Port au Choix, NL

Northern Lights of Labrador

Larry Jenkins Labrador City, NL

Have you captured a night photograph that you think would resonate with our readers? Send your best snaps to editorial@downhomelife.com or submit directly at downhomelife.com. www.downhomelife.com

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HOME and Cabin

stuff we love by Nicola Ryan

Snoozefest BEDHEAD Most of us spend 1/3 of our lives asleep, so make bedtime the best time. At Madison Mackenzie Home in downtown St. John’s and online, you’ll discover a dreamy collection of top-notch bedding, from cosy duvets and duvet covers to snuggly quilts and soft sheets. Whether you’re after stylish sets or mix-andmatch separates, you’ll find what you need to create the bedroom of your dreams. madisonmackenziehome.com

PEACEFUL PILLOW Saltsoaks Self-Care, based in Gander, NL, creates gorgeous, all-natural bath and body products incorporating pure, organic ingredients. Want to pamper your peepers and give your tired eyes some love? Try one of their aromatherapy eye pillows, filled with fresh lavender that maker Joanne Burt harvests right from her garden. saltsoaks.net

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FLOCK OF SEAGULLS How sweet would this seagull-themed mobile be in your baby’s nursery?

Pehr’s classic felted wool mobiles are handcrafted in Canada from 100% wool and dyed with AZO-free colours.

Imagine drifting off to dreamland with the distant calls of seagulls on the evening breeze, or choose from other charming styles including woodland creatures, parading elephants or gentle giraffes. homeonwaterst.com

CHILL OUT If the woodstove’s blazing and it’s too hot to hit the hay, slip into a pair of cooling sleep pants. These dreamy pants from SAXX are made with evaporative cooling technology in a super comfortable, breathable, moisturewicking cotton/modal blend. Sleep soundly and stay refreshed as you snooze in cosy style! marks.com

WARM WOOLIES Back in the textile mills of England during the Industrial Revolution, humble workers were permitted to use leftover bits of raw wool, known as thrums, to add texture and extra warmth to their clothes. This tradition sailed over to Newfoundland with the early settlers and continues to this day. On a cool autumn night, snuggle up in a pair of thrummed vamps like these handmade ones from the NL Emporium in Corner Brook. facebook.com/NLEmporium www.downhomelife.com

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HOME and Cabin

Ask Marie Anything Interior designer Marie Bishop takes your questions

Q. I’m planning a Halloween dinner party and wondering if you could offer some advice on how to spook up my entrance and dinner table?

Absolutely! Halloween is one of my favourite celebrations.

It harkens back to our Celtic roots and the holiday on the Witches Wheel known as Samhain (pronounced Saw-win). It marks the celebration of the harvest season, the beginning of winter and the start of the New Year. The festivities begin at sundown on October 31 and continue through the first two to three days of November. It’s a time when the veil between the earthly realm and the spirit world is thinner, making it easier for spirits to cross over and walk amongst the living. The spirits were believed to revisit the houses they once lived in, leading to the tradition of dressing like ghosts, going door to door, reciting verses and looking for food.

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The entrance will immediately set the stage and imbue your guests with the ‘spirit’ of the night.

Whether you honour those Celtic traditions or not, it’s a great excuse to spooky up your house, invite the spirits to feel at home and enjoy the bounty of the harvest with friends.

Plus it’s a perfect chance to get in touch with your inner child and have some creepy fun.

So, let’s start with the entrance, which sets the stage and imbue your guests with the ‘spirit’ of the night before they cross over the threshold and into the night.

You’ll want to engage all the senses

by adding eerie, creepy music to set the mood. Hide your Bluetooth speaker outside and set your playlist to a bone-chilling collection of ghoulish tunes and sound effects.

Lighting is next, the importance of which can never be overstated. Forget the existing lights you usually use to brighten your doorway and welcome your guests. Low voltage lights with a yellow or orange glow, or freaky concealed uplights instantly cast the illusion of spiritual energy. Adding a collection of battery-operated candles

Window boxes are a great place to add some scary to your entryway. www.downhomelife.com

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If you have space for a small table, gives another layer to the eerie feel of by all means, it will add more your entrance.

Speaking of layers, these wonderful opportunity to continue the illusion.

DIY Phantoms of the Night are creepy Pumpkins, gargoyles, lanterns, bats, reminders of the apparitions often crows, and branches all help create reported in graveyards on All Hallow’s the perfect ‘welcoming’ environment.

Eve. They are easy to make and give unsuspecting visitors a shiver up the spine when the breeze blows their way.

All you need for these wonderful wraiths are styrofoam heads from any dollar store, four lengths of cheesecloth each appx. 10-12 feet long, watered-down white glue, and a screw eye for each head and fishing line.

Apply the first layer, placing the cheesecloth evenly over the head so that roughly five feet hang down in front and back, brush on the glue and smooth the cheesecloth around the face, eyes, nose and mouth but stopping at the chin. Do this for each layer.

Place the next layer crossways to the first. When all layers are finished, let dry, attach screw eye to the top of the head and hang with fishing line. Spine chillingly creepy.

These phantoms are Birch, maple or alder easily made with some branches, stripped of leaves and styrofoam heads and painted black are an inexpencheesecloth. sive way to create atmosphere and provide a place to string the Now, inside where long dark lights or hang bats and ravens.

Maybe you have window boxes that shadows and creepy cocktails await. are transitioning from summer to fall. Candlelight works wonders here too, Now is the time to fill them with tall creating a perfect atmosphere for the seed pods, cat tails and tall dead evening ahead, whether it’s an grasses. You could also drop some small intimate dinner for two or a gathering gourds and pumpkins, a perky crow for all souls. The Silent Supper is also part of the Samhain ritual, where the and terrifying spiders into the mix.

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A backdrop and some backlighting will add eeriness to your table. food of your ancestors is prepared and served and you invite loved ones who have passed to join you at the dinner table.

An effective way to set a memorable table is to create a backdrop, provide an eye-catching centrepiece and make each place setting a personal invitation welcoming your guests to a wonderful meal.

The backdrop here was an easy fit – black velvet drapery panels on the

patio door. The drapery rod provided the support for these perfectly creepy black and gold dollar store skeletons and the wispy DIY wraiths mentioned earlier. I did use an uplight on the floor near the panels to add eeriness to the scene.

The centrepiece is a round tray filled with pumpkins of all sizes in a few colours except the traditional orange. The look I was going for was subdued, sombre and spooky and the orange would be a little too bright.

Each place setting holds a handwritten name card placed in a skeleton head, a skeleton head candle holder and a burnt orange napkin under the feet of a cast iron crow. A few pinecones and acorns complete the earthy look while black wine goblets with a sparkly web add just enough glitz. The crow on top of the skeleton head whose eyes light up is my favourite. Add as many battery-operated candles as the table can hold and as many real ones as you feel your guests can safely navigate.

Dinner is served.

This should get you well on the way to an evening of bone-chilling stories, ghostly conversation, eerie entertainment and an unforgettable meal.

An evening where you and your guests will love your spooky space.

Ask Marie Anything!

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

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the everyday gourmet

Slow Cooker “Baked”

Stuffed Apples 88

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the everyday gourmet

By Andrea Maunder

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

www.downhomelife.com

I love autumn in Newfoundland. It’s the perfect seasonal trifecta of the fall produce harvest, that special crisp smell of the air, and return to tasty, warming comfort foods. I think fall is our most dependable season weatherwise, too. It’s the perfect time to enjoy evening walks and adventures as the sun sets on the reds, golds and coppers, and return home to something delicious.

Imagine having been out for a walk in the beautiful autumn air, your soul revived by the changing colours of the leaves, your cheeks pink and your lungs feeling fresh… and walking in to be greeted by the tantalizing aromas of apples, nuts and cinnamon.

“Oh,” you say, “That sounds great, but how can I be baking and out walking at the same time?” I’ve got you covered. My recipe for slow cooker stuffed apples requires just a little prep time, and a few simple ingredients (you probably already have on hand) and takes care of itself while you go out and have fun. You can set the slow cooker on low for a four-hour window, or on high for a two-hour window, depending on the adventure you have in mind.

They are decadently delicious treats that happen to be pretty healthful. Sensational as an after-walk dessert topped with vanilla ice cream, and fantastic breakfast or brunch with plain yogurt. Apples are in season in the fall – so it’s a perfect time for you to plug in the slow cooker.

A note on the type of apple you choose: The ideal texture is an apple that will just hold its shape during cooking but become soft enough to “cut” with a fork. It’s best to avoid McIntosh

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and Red Delicious; while great for making applesauce, they break down or go mealy. Ideal varieties are Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady, Fuji, Jonathan, Paula or Ida Red, Cortland, Spartan, and Braeburn. If you can find apples with flatter bottoms, that helps keep them from tipping over. But they’ll be fairly well held up by being nestled next to each other in the pot, it’s not a dealbreaker. All that said, if you wanted a longer cooking time, say overnight, to be awakened by those apple pie aromas, select larger, firm Granny Smith apples – they’ll hold up to flipping the slow cooker on low as you go to bed. I’m planning on doing this for my fall girls’ Airbnb long weekend with my besties.

The only tool that I’d suggest, (other than the slow cooker, of course) is a melon baller. You’ll want to scoop the middle out of the apples, from the top centre, removing the core and creating a hollow space inside the apple for stuffing, while not penetrating the bottom or sides.

You can do this with a small paring knife to get you started and a small spoon if you don’t have a melon baller. But if you want to get yourself a little kitchen present, they’re a handy tool to have. I use them for balling melons and other fruit, naturally, but also for scooping out baby potatoes, cucumber, zucchini or eggplant to stuff, and have also used mine to make the perfect depression in thumbprint cookies to fill with jam.

You’ll need to start with a little liquid in the bottom of the slow cooker. Apple juice or cider is a natural. Plain water is fine, too. I used water with a little splash of 90

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maple syrup and bourbon – perfection. Water with a touch of nutty amaretto liqueur would be gorgeous.

You can mix the filling in advance – several days even, and you can prep and stuff the apples hours in advance, or even a day before. As long as they are stuffed, you don’t have to worry about the apple flesh oxidizing (turning brown), but I wouldn’t go longer than a day, as they might start to get a bit mushy.

I like to toast the nuts before I chop them for the filling. That’s optional, but I do love the extra toasty flavour they impart, and the crisper texture they retain. I’ve included the spices I love: cinnamon, ground cardamom and freshly grated nutmeg, but please use your favourite(s). I used golden raisins and chopped dried apricots. Again, use what you like (or what you have in the pantry).

Craisins, dates, figs, currants or even chopped dried apples, mangoes or pineapple would be delicious. I used pecans, but feel free to use walnuts, almonds or seeds, such as pumpkin or sunflower. If you want to omit the nuts, some large flake rolled oats would be a good substitution. And don’t omit the pinch of salt. It helps create a beautiful balance.

The only limit to the number of apples you make is the size of your slow cooker. I have several sizes and used my 3-quart one for this recipe.

The Honeycrisp apples I had were huge, so I found three fit well. For a larger batch, I’d use my 6-quart slow cooker. If you’re like me, you might discover your regular oven has a slow-cook feature, so you could batch up for a crowd, using whatever covered pan you like.

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Slow Cooked Stuffed Apples 4 medium-sized apples

Pinch salt

1/2 cup liquid for the cooking – apple juice, apple cider or 1/3 cup water plus 2 tbsp maple syrup and 1 oz bourbon

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup toasted, chopped pecans (or other nuts or seeds). Large flake rolled oats are a good substitution

1 tsp ground cardamom Freshly grated nutmeg – a quarter of a nut (Or use spices you like – 2-3 tsp pumpkin spice mix would be great)

1/2 cup dried fruit (I used half golden raisins and half chopped apricots)

1/4 cup cold butter, cut into little cubes – 1/4 inch

1/3 cup brown sugar (up to half a cup if you’d like them a bit sweeter)

2 tsp fresh lemon juice (or 1 tsp apple cider vinegar)

If toasting the nuts, set them on a dry nonstick frypan over medium heat, tossing frequently for three to four minutes while you start prepping everything else. Remove them from the heat to cool, then chop coarsely.

Prepare the apples by scooping out the core and some of the interior, making sure not to pierce the sides and leave a good inch at the bottom. This creates a hollow space for stuffing.

Mix the stuffing ingredients together in a small mixing bowl and fill each apple, mounding on the top. Place in the slow cooker and add the liquid in the bottom. Place on the lid and set the temperature to low for about four hours or high for about two hours. The cooking time may vary a bit depending on the size and variety of apples you use, as we chatted about, above. When fork tender, serve as they are, with the cooking liquid drizzled over, with ice cream or plain yogurt. Leftovers refrigerate and reheat well in the microwave. Also delicious cold. Serves 4.

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HOME and Cabin

downhome recipes

Midnight Snacks Whether you’re deep in a movie marathon, heading in late from a night on the town or just suffering from a case of insomnia, nighttime can be primetime for a midnight snack. Heck, they can be anything you’d like, from craveable candies and bags of well, snacks, to full-on mouthwatering meals worth coming back to again and again. Here are some recipes for you night owls and midnight munchers.

Caramel Popcorn 5 quarts popped popcorn 1 cup butter 2 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup corn syrup

1 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp baking soda

Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).

Place popcorn in a very large bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for four minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda. Pour caramel in a thin stream over popcorn while stirring. Stir until evenly coated. Divide popcorn between two large shallow baking dishes. Bake in the preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces. Yields 20 cups.

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The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 cup freshly grated ParmigianoReggiano cheese

8 slices cooked bacon 4 slices cheddar cheese 8 slices sourdough bread

Mash together butter and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl until evenly blended. Make sandwiches by placing two slices of bacon and one slice of cheddar cheese on half of the bread slices. Top with the remaining slices of bread. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.

Spread some of the butter mixture on the top of each sandwich. Place sandwiches butter side down in the skillet. Spread the remaining butter mixture on the other sides. Cook until golden brown on each side, about three minutes per side. Yields four sandwiches.

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Peanut Butter Noodles 1 (9 oz) package dried udon noodles 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger root 3 tbsp soy sauce 3 tbsp peanut butter 1 1/2 tbsp honey 2 tsp chili oil

3 cloves garlic, minced 1 whole rotisserie chicken, skinned and boned, meat pulled into large chunks 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1/4 cup green onions, chopped 1/4 cup chopped peanuts 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Bring a large pot with lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Drop the udon in a few noodles at a time and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain; return to the pot. While the udon noodles are cooking, whisk the chicken broth, ginger, soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, chili oil, and garlic in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, whisking until the peanut butter has melted. Pour the sauce over the noodles. Add the chicken and red bell pepper; toss until the noodles are evenly coated in the sauce. Sprinkle with green onions, chopped peanuts, and cilantro to serve. Yields six servings.

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Poutine 1-quart vegetable oil for frying 10 oz gravy

5 medium potatoes, cut into fries 2 cups cheese curds

Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep heavy skillet to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). While the oil is heating, begin to warm gravy. Place fries into the hot oil, and cook until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cook fries in batches if necessary to allow them room to move a little in the oil. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Place fries on a serving platter, and sprinkle cheese over them. Ladle gravy over the fries and cheese, and serve immediately. Yields four servings.

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Pepperoni Pizza Rolls 1 (13.8 oz) package of pizza dough of choice 1 cup marinara sauce, divided 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup thinly sliced pepperoni, cut in halves 2 tbsp minced onion (optional) 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Place pizza dough on a lightly floured work surface, and press into a rectangle. Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the dough to within 1/2 inch of the crust edges (you will not need all of the sauce), and top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Evenly distribute pepperoni and onion over the cheese, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Tightly roll up the dough to form a log, pinching the seam together to seal. Transfer dough to the refrigerator for 10 minutes to make slicing easier. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, slice the log into 12 individual rolls and set onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until pizza rolls are golden brown in color and the cheese has melted, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve pizza rolls with the remaining warmed marinara as a dipping sauce. Yields 12 pizza rolls.

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Buffalo Chicken Dip 2 (10 oz) chicken 3/4 cup hot pepper sauce 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened 1 cup ranch dressing

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 bunch celery, cut into 4-inch pieces 1 (8 oz) box crackers Green onion (optional)

Gather all ingredients. Heat chicken and hot pepper sauce in a skillet over medium heat until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook and stir until well blended and warm, three to five minutes. Mix in 1/2 of the cheddar cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top. Cover and cook on low until dip is hot and bubbly, about 35 minutes. Top with green onion if desired.

Serve with celery sticks and crackers. Yields one dish.

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Maple Pumpkin Tarts 2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree 4 eggs 1 1/2 cups demerara sugar 2 tbsp cornstarch 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp cloves 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 1/2 cup maple syrup 24 tart shells Whipped cream, pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Blend all ingredients (except tart shells, whipped cream and pecans) in a food processor with an “S” blade (or mixer with a whisk attachment) until completely smooth. Pour mixture into the tart shells and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the centres just start to puff up, the crust is golden and a knife inserted in the filling comes out clean. Let cool and top with whipped cream or pecans, if desired. Yields 24 tarts.

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Spinach Quiche 1/2 cup butter 1 small onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 1 (4.5 oz) can mushrooms, drained 1 (6 oz) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

1 (8 oz) package shredded cheddar cheese, divided salt and pepper to taste 1 deep-dish pie shell 4 eggs 1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until lightly browned, about seven minutes. Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta, and 1/2 cup cheddar. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into the pie shell.

Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the spinach mixture in the pie shell, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the top with remaining cheddar and bake until set in center, 35 to 40 minutes longer. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Yields one quiche.

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down to earth

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The

Great Pumpkin

BY KIM THISTLE

Let’s be clear. I can count the number of pumpkins I have grown on less than one hand. Well, that might be exaggerated, but I am certainly not a pumpkin grower extraordinaire. The pumpkins I have grown are the small sugar variety, a delicious sweet fruit perfect for soups and breads. My grandchildren don’t live nearby, so I would prefer to use the space for food that takes up less room and buy my Halloween pumpkin at nearby Wright’s farm. That said, if you have little people around, it’s probably the very best use of space in your garden.

What child does not want to grow their own Jack O’Lantern?

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Space is a necessity when growing these cucurbits. If you are planning to grow a regular-sized pumpkin, you will need about 50 to 100 square feet.

That’s a lot of space in a small garden. These plants need a lot of nourishment and the soil must be rich and loaded with organic matter.

If you can meet these two requirements, pumpkins are fairly easy to grow. If you have a compost heap, plop a couple of plants in it early in June and you can almost ignore them from then on. The only thing to worry about is watering and most compost heaps have good water retention. If planting in your garden, choose a sunny corner where the vines can sprawl without interfering with the rest of your crop.

Be sure to amend the soil often and it’s best to fertilize on a weekly or biweekly basis. I recommend a good, stinky, water-soluble fish fertilizer.

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Pumpkin plants are sensitive to cold and our season is short. Buying a started plant from your local garden center is ideal or start your seed inside about a month before you intend to plant outside. Be sure to harden off (acclimatize) your plants or the sudden shock of the sun or cold will cause a setback or death. If it calls for frost, you can protect your plant at both ends of the season by using a frost blanket, also available at your local nursery. Having owned a garden centre, I am all about supporting them. They are the guys with the knowledge you need for growing and they don’t have screwdrivers and tires to help them with sales throughout the year.

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Some cool things to do with pumpkins Carve your child’s name on the skin when the fruit is smallish. It will heal over and grow along with the pumpkin.

Try a few interesting varieties like ‘Blanco’ a pure white pumpkin, Warty Gnome, or a baby jack mix for a colour variety of small pumpkins.

Like pumpkin seeds? Carefully scoop them out and roast them for a delicious snack. There are tons of ‘how to’ methods and recipes online.

If you want to try for one of those mega pumpkins, use Dill’s Atlantic Giant seed and prepare to spend your summer nursing it along.

And then there are the flowers! What a delicious taste treat. Stuff them with Boursin or ricotta and herbs. Lightly sauté them and boom, move aside Martha Stewart.

them at all costs. If you don’t see them around, you will have to give Mother Nature a hand. Remove the male flower (the one without the ovary – the small growth behind the flower) and gently shake the pollen from it into the female flower. This can also be done with a paintbrush but it’s a little more time-consuming.

The male flower is only used for pollination and is dispensable whereas the female flower must be left on the vine. You should see the ovary starting to swell within a few days but if it dries up your assistance was for naught and you will have to start again. Once you have a few pumpkins that seem to be taking off, remove any more that begin to grow.

Here in Newfoundland, our plants will produce one or two nice-sized pumpkins. Any more than that will give you a lot of very small fruits as each one takes a ton of energy to grow. If you aim to grow small pumpkins, you can let eight to 10 grow on a vine.

Remember that pumpkin is a delicious food and is not just a means to an end for a spectacular Halloween. That being said, what would Halloween be without them?

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

Got a question for Kim?

downtoearth@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com

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reminiscing flashbacks

Seaside School

“These were Grade 5 students from Durrell’s Academy,” writes the submitter.

“Taken on French Beach in 1955, when I was teaching in Twillingate.”

Irving Wareham Paradise, NL

Shop Talk

The submitter poses while working at a shop on Liverpool Avenue in St. John’s around 1948.

Herb Noseworthy Christina Lake, BC 104

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Harbour Hubbub Seagulls swarm around the wharf in Petty Harbour in this photo from the 1980s.

Cynthia Gullage Toronto, ON

This Month in History In 1750, the civil government of Newfoundland received a commission of oyer and terminer, giving it the authority to hear criminal proceedings and sentence felons. Previously, those accused of serious crimes were sent back to England to be tried.

One of the earliest cases of the new court was the trial of nine soldiers and fishermen charged with the murder of magistrate William Keen, who was killed in the course of a robbery gone wrong. All the accused were sentenced to death by hanging, and a gallows was erected at the foot of Prescott Street in St. John’s.

Following this violence, hostilities between the English and Irish colonists resurfaced, and on October 12, 1754, Governor Hugh Bonfoy ordered outport Justices of the Peace to erect gallows on public wharves in an effort to deter future crimes.

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reminiscing

Examining the lore and legend of Cressie

By Fred Parsons

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Crescent Lake

,

a body of water measuring about eight kilometres in length, is located adjacent to the town of Robert’s Arm in Green Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador. The lake, named after its crescent moon shape, allowed Bowater’s pulpwood industry to be highly successful, with the operation employing workers from communities throughout Green Bay for 40 years. Over 500,000 cords of pulpwood were harvested and shipped overseas through the port at Tommy’s Arm. Today, the lake maintains its popularity for a wide variety of recreational activities, its proximity to the Hazelnut Hiking and Adventure Trail, and popular tourist hubs Robert’s Arm Heritage House, Jack’s Place, and Crescent Lake RV Park.

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An exaggerated replica of “Cressie” stands adjacent to the welcome sign as an invitation to Lake Monster Country.

Yet one factor which has generated significant interest in Crescent Lake is the focus on its alleged monster, Cressie. Initial sightings of the lake monster date back to the early 1940s, when a berry picker on the shores of the lake was startled by the sudden appearance of a creature that defied description. Nearly two dozen sightings of Cressie were reported from the 1960s through the early 2000s. Eyewitnesses have estimated sizes ranging between 15 to 20 feet, with reported colours varied from grey to light or dark brown.

Following the formation of the Beothuk Trail Tourism Committee (BTTC) in 1987, efforts were set in motion to promote the Crescent Lake monster. Mr. Russell Bragg, secretary with the group, initiated a publication The Beothuk Times penning many convincing articles on 108

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Cressie. Other publications followed, with articles on the phenomenon appearing in books, magazines, and newspapers, while eyewitnesses were interviewed on both local and national radio and television. Later, various community groups became involved in incorporating Cressie in a variety of events for children and adults alike, with the new town welcome sign dubbing Crescent Lake as ‘The Loch Ness of Newfoundland’.

It was not until 2003, however, that the legend of Cressie received extensive coverage from one of the world’s leading monster experts.

Benjamin Radford, from upstate New York, visited Robert’s Arm in hopes of tracking down the Crescent Lake monster. On June 23, 2003, Benjamin spent more than half the day interviewing locals and circumnavigating the lake, taking in the 1-888-588-6353

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sights and sounds at points where Cressie sightings had been reported.

He took photos of trail signs, information boards, the Cressie Castle, and the first replica of Cressie fabricated and erected in 1995. This visit led Benjamin to publish an article “Chasing Cressie” in Downhome’s September 2005 edition. In 2006, following Benjamin’s publication of Lake Monster Mysteries

“Lake Monster Mysteries”

by American paranormal investigators, Benjamin Radford and Joe Nickell contains a chapter on Crescent Lake. (co-authored by American paranormal investigator Joe Nickell), plans were initiated to conduct an extensive investigation of Crescent Lake.

On June 8, 2008, CMJ Productions, a film crew from Montreal led by Leo Singer, arrived at Robert’s Arm to carry out a week-long 1-888-588-6353

investigation for the History Channel. The team were joined by forensic sketch artist RCMP Officer Michel Fournier, Dr. Richard Haedrich, Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Biology at MUN, Richard Vander Voort, ROV Chair for the Marine Institute, two divers, local fisherman and sea captain Alwin Rideout, as well as the pleasure craft Wave Over Wave owned by the late Walter Stone, and a beaver aircraft to assist with the operation. Despite heavy wind and rain resulting in murky lake waters from the preceding weeks, the investigation commenced on Monday, June 9.

Using equipment like a side-scale sonar (commonly referred to as a fish), a high-resolution sonar, and an ROV, the team commenced their search in what’s referred to as the ‘lower lake’, the section where most sightings had been reported. In addition, a baited crab pot was used to lure the suspected eel-like creature. The following day the crab pot had moved far from its original position, though there were no signs that the bait was disturbed.

Undaunted, the team delved further into the investigation, with search efforts relocated to deeper sections of the lake, particularly in the deep crevices where creatures like eels tend to hide. The search continued before divers halted their efforts for safety reasons. Both investigative team members and residents were disappointed that the elusive creature remained undiscovered, though interesting findings emerged through the investigation: Dr. Haedrich stated that the possibility of a large eel like a conger navigating from the ocean into a October 2024

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never surface. freshwater body and making its Their movement is also from side home there was certainly possible, to side instead of up and down, as explaining how such a creature could many sightings indicated. Another grow to huge proportions. reason for skepticism is that a single Michel Fournier believed the three creature, like the reported Cressie, eyewitnesses he interviewed descould not live for as long as it has cribed the same creature and he felt been reported, nor could it strongly that they sighted something reproduce itself. ‘real’ in the lake.

Richard Vander Voort offered positive comments at the end of the Monster Quest documentary, Lake Monster of the North (available on YouTube). The beaver aircraft used in the investigation scrutinized the Tommy’s Arm River valley. Richard commented on the features of its terrain, noting that the Above: Joe Nickell engages former river could allow a large town manager, Ada Rowsell in a lake creature to access the investigation experiment. Below: Dr. lake. He strongly believed Richard Haedrich and members of his team load technical equipment that if there was a aboard the Wave Over Wave. creature to be found, and he had more sophisticated equipment, he’d be able to find it.

Joe Nickell was less positive in his comments.

He joined the team later in the week to engage in a log experiment.

He endeavoured to prove that eyewitnesses – because of the excitement caused by sighting someIn a telephone conversation with thing large and unusual – tend to Joe at his home in Amherst, New overestimate the length of what they York in July 2024, Joe outlined his observe. In his article “Quest for the involvement with the Crescent Lake Giant Eel” Joe completely ruled investigation. He alluded to the out the eel factor since eels are above article and his closing bottom-dwelling creatures which 110

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comment: “Should Cressie surface in a more credible form, I would certainly be willing to reopen the case.”

Benjamin Radford strongly believes that the legend of Cressie is alive and well. In his closing paragraph in Lake Monster Mysteries, he offers the following conclusion: “Whether fish, log, tree rind, giant eel, or unknown monster, Cressie’s true identity is mostly irrelevant to the residents of Robert’s Arm. Whether it lurks in the waters of Crescent Lake or not, the creature certainly exists in the hearts and minds of this small Newfoundland community.”

The curiosity surrounding Cressie continues in the present, with students commemorating the legend of Cressie with comprehensive research projects, the creation of models, as well as poems and songs

from within the Robert’s Arm region and beyond. In his ode to Cressie, singer-songwriter Jim Payne wrote: “Cause there’s a monster in the lake, everybody calls her Cressie Monster in the lake, she pops up every now and then Monster in the lake, no one’s seen her lately She shows her nose from time to time, but never tells us when.”

In song, story and local lore, the legend of Cressie continues to thrill and inspire.

Maxwell Fred Parsons grew up at Lushes Bight, NL. He retired from teaching in 1992 and spent an additional five years as a substitute teacher in the Green Bay South area. His first book.

Stories I Recalled on the Road to Lushes Bight (Volume 1), will soon be released from the Amazon Publishing Hub. He currently resides at a senior’s cottage on Queensway, Grand Falls-Windsor.

A secret replica of Cressie was fashioned for a civic celebration in the early 90s. As the fog lifted on a perfectly calm surface, Cressie made her appearance. The hundreds who had gathered to watch the fireworks were awestruck and applause echoed from the shores of Crescent Lake!

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reminiscing

For over 35 years, Downhome Magazine has been at the heart of all things Newfoundland and Labrador. A comforting, familiar and constant presence in our province’s media climate, Downhome has been a name synonymous with ‘home’ for over three decades and counting. In this Month in Downhome History, we dive through our archives to give readers snippets of days gone by, highlighting major events, unique facts and the stories that matter to our readers.

October 1989 Volume 2 • Number

Peckford Has New Job Brian Peckford has lost his job with the St. John’s Sunday Telegram after only six weekly columns. Telegram editor Brian Gangnon states that Peckford’s column lacks the insight into Government that the newspaper has been seeking. Peckford’s old press secretary, Frank Petten, has hired the former premier as a regular contributor to the Shoreline, a weekly tabloid newspaper distributed free to 7000 homes around the Avalon Peninsula.

Spanish Trawler Arrested The 40-meter Pescafria Tercero, a Spanish trawler, has been illegally fishing inside Canada’s 200-mile limit. The Tercero, along with a special vessel, were spotted by the Canadian Coast Guard ship, Sir Wilfred Grenfell, last month and upon approach both vessels steamed off in different directions.

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The Grenfell, fitting in as a temporary fisheries patrol vessel, chased the Tercero and shortly caught up with the fleeing boat.

An armed party boarded the vessel without incident. The Spanish trawler had about 70 tonnes of fish aboard at the time.

A spokesperson believes that the vessel is twin to another which hauls a big net between them. The ship’s crew and captain were allowed to leave the ship after arriving in St. John’s, but the captain had to appear in court several days later.

October 1994 Volume 7 • Number 5

No Last Laugh for Lynx Caretakers of the community pasture in Comfort Cove-Newstead have finally got the best of a lynx which killed 14 lambs over the past summer.

On the night of August 28th, Kaywood Canning and his son Shawn shot the lynx as it once again approached the pasture area. Shawn said he first noticed the lynx in early July.

The Canning’s reported having a lynx on the pasture to wildlife conservation officer Truman Porter. He said traps were put out to try and capture the lynx, but after being unsuccessful, a permit was issued to have the animal shot.

Reprinted from The Pilot. Used by permission.

Taking a Bite out of Sharks Shark has acquired a surprising new image. Slowly but surely, Corner Brook cooks are finding they have nothing to fear from sharks.

In other parts of the world, sharks have been popular for years as a food dish. But until recently Corner Brook residents remained leery of sharks and unaware of their special advantages.

“It’s not as strong in flavour or as dry as tuna,” says Frances Lavers, seafood operator at Sobey’s in the Valley Mall. “Shark has a distinctive taste that’s at home in many dishes. And it holds up nicely in dishes with a variety of ingredients, such as stirfry.”

Reprinted from The Humber. Used by permission.

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October 1999 Volume 12 • Number 5

12-Year-Old Marystown Businessman Bryan Cheeke of Marystown may only be 12 years old, but the energetic youngster has just finished his first few months as a businessman.

‘Bait-By-Bryan’ has been very successful for the young man who has started his operation after hearing about the Youth Ventures Program at the Marystown Community Centre.

Utilizing the experience he had from collecting bait for his family’s fishing trips, Bryan moved quickly into business.

Assisted by his younger brother Stephen, he collects bait on damp evenings to keep his stock up to par. He supplies bait to several stores in the Marystown area.

A Kingslayer on The Rock Downhome profiled the 1999 Norwegian drama film Misery Harbour, which was shot in Newfoundland and Labrador, and directed by Nils Gaup. The film, which centers on young writer Espen Arnakke, who escaped his small Danish town en route to Newfoundland, starred none other than Game of Thrones alumni Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, known to millions for his breakthrough role as Jamie Lannister, aka The Kingslayer.

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October 2004 Volume 17 • Number 5

Idol Honoured Upper Island Cove native Jason Greeley made it to the top four in the popular television series Canadian Idol, and to honour his achievement a party was thrown for him on George Street in St. John’s. Mayor Andy Wells and Premier Danny Williams were on hand, along with more than a thousand screaming fans. During the event, Jason received a Griffiths guitar and a Downhome Gift basket, compliments of Downhome.

Fallen Buds The last remaining NHL farm team in Atlantic Canada, the St. John’s Maple Leafs, will be relocated to Toronto, Ontario in 2005. High franchise fees, poor ticket sales and travel costs were among the reasons for the decision. St. John’s city council, which built Mile One Stadium for the team, is looking for a new tenant and ways to pay off the $4.5 million the facility has racked up in debt.

Lost and Found The oldest coin ever made in what is now Canada has been found in Ferryland, Newfoundland, by Aaron Miller, an archeologist at the Colony of Avalon dig. It’s inscribed with the inititals D.K., which he suspects belonged to Newfoundland Governor David Kirke in the 17th century.

Governor Kirke operated a tavern and posessed a licence from the King of England to make his own money. Older coins have been found in Canada, but all were made abroad.

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reminiscing

A three-part series reflecting on a simpler time in Newfoundland and Labrador

By Albert Butt

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Part One Humble Beginnings

As I look back,

the principles that my parents, brothers and sisters relayed to me are why I had a very healthy and happy life nearing 88 years. My parents taught us well because we all were very successful in our professions. I do not remember ever seeing any of our family being mean to each other, and the only minor discussions I remember were between my dad who was ‘Progressive’ and my mom who was ‘Liberal’.

We were not blessed financially and had no hydro, indoor services, telephone, washer, or clothes dryer, but we always had plenty of food, heat (from a wood/coal stove) and love and respect for each other, which we still share today. Our parents showed us the way to continue even when faced with setbacks which often stemmed from the years when codfish, salmon, herring, etc., were scarce due to high winds, tide and ice. Yet, they were able to supply all our needs because they were able to plan for bad years and good years. We never had to rely on handouts or any government assistance.

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The writer with Carbonear in the background While growing up in Carbonear, I never felt unsafe because we had no reason to even lock our door at night.

All our neighbours kept in touch and were always willing to help each other in times of need. In addition to spending the summers at Square Islands, my parents also had a large vegetable garden which contained potatoes, turnips and cabbage, which were put in a root cellar for use during the fall and winter.

I was always under the impression that one cannot see the future unless they know the past. After many years, I finally realized that Carbonear, where I was born, will forever remain a major part of my long life. There’s an old saying which reminds me of Carbonear: “Nothing compares to a remote community, where there is a feeling in the air and a sense of time standing still, of peace and acceptance.”

The town is also noted as “the town that says you’re welcome,” and “the hub of the bay.” I have travelled to every province of Canada including the territories and numerous U.S. states, even Hawaii on several occasions, yet Carbonear is still one of my favourite places in the world.

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It’s not just the beauty, because that’s certainly there, but it’s the local people where you get a feeling from every person who has a warm and kind manner which I think is from years living close together and growing as a community on an island in the Atlantic Ocean.

Growing up in Carbonear is well remembered. We made our own fun and did not know what boredom was.

We didn’t have video games or iPads, so we spent a lot of time doing homework and outside activities. We made our own sleds and picked blueberries in the summer to get enough money to buy pencils, paper, pens, etc., for school. Our school supplies were ordered through Eaton’s catalogue and our books were covered with brown wrapping paper to keep them clean because they were normally handed down from one to the other or given to others who could not afford them.

We all celebrated Christmas and always had a real balsam fir tree decorated with homemade articles, tinsel, and red and green crepe paper and a red paper bell hanging from the ceiling. We had very few lights on the tree, but my brother Reg always 1-888-588-6353

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had a star made of wood on the roof of the house. Christmas Eve was special as we hung our homemade stockings behind the wood/coal stove. We always had a horse, so my dad would often ring the horse bells to let us know that Santa was coming so we had to stay in bed.

On Christmas morning, we always had an orange, an apple, grapes, candies, cake and cookies in our stockings and our gifts were all homemade by my mom, which were mitts, scarves, tuques, socks, etc.

My first school years are still a memory. We had a one-room school located in Carbonear South where the youngest (kindergarten) sat in the front rows and Grade 8’s in the back row. The desks were double (side by each) with a hole in the centre for ink. We always tried to sit side by side with a best friend, but

that seldom worked out because with the same teacher, she or he knew us all well enough to separate accordingly. At recess time, we had to stand in line and take our daily medicine, one spoonful of cod liver oil, which at the time, we found tasted terrible. We had a stove in the middle of the room and in most cases, Grade 8 students took turns arriving early to light the stove so that the room would be warm when the other students arrived.

For many years, I missed about three months of schooling because we usually left Carbonear around the end of May and did not return until October. I have attached a copy of my Grade 8 class test results for 1952 with the comments from the teacher which state “Very good work but a bit backward most due to the time lost each spring and autumn.” However, I believe I did ok by coming 4th in a class of 7. After completing Grade 8 we had to walk or bicycle to Carbonear North to attend higher grades.

During my last year of schooling (Grade 12Commercial), it was not uncommon to walk to Harbour Grace and return

A copy of Al’s Grade 8 report card from 1952.

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which was approximately 3 miles (4.8km) each way.

We played a lot of hockey, mostly on frozen ponds, but did have an indoor rink where the ice depended on the weather. My brother Jack played a major role at the rink because he looked after the building, and the ice, and was the referee. My team was the Carbonear Hurricanes, but I don’t think the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes stole our name. Our hockey sticks were homemade, as were our goal posts, which were made from ice after water froze in a bucket where each piece was placed apart by using the hockey stick as a measurement. Our pucks were made by finding a tree about the same size in circumference and the pucks were cut about the same thickness as a regular hockey puck.

I was also a member of Air Cadet 589 Squadron and spent two weeks at Base Greenwood in Nova Scotia where we did some flying, but not long enough to fly solo, and represented 589 on the rifle-shooting team where we placed second.

To help provide some food and before going to school in the morning, it was not unusual for me to check my rabbit snares, which were very often successful.

We often used the barter system because we traded our hen’s eggs for pork and milk with neighbours.

During those days, eggs were 12 cents a dozen. I remember my mom providing homemade bread to the family next door and in return, we got free haircuts.

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Al with his catch before going to school During my early days, I worked for 10 cents an hour, 10 hours a day, six days a week. My dad often said not to complain because he worked for four cents an hour. Friday was my big night out with my friends and I had to make sure I had 25 cents – a movie at the Bond Theatre cost 10 cents and the other 15 was enough to buy a Coke and fries. We all had to stand for ‘God Save the King’ after the movie was over. *Stay tuned for part two of our three-part series ‘A Life Remembered’’ in our fall Inside Labrador issue and part three in our November 2024 issue of Downhome.

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puzzles

The Beaten Path

Becky Wiseman 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.

J

E

S S

T

m

L L M

N A p

H

G V

U

M

Q

R

M

T

S

T p H A E S T M S M J U S L G E L G R T Q R G S V H I J L M ME L M M T L m L S p L T C I A S R T J M E K M A

G A V D Q S m H

U

T

S

Last Month’s Community: Sandy Cove 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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Norman Purchase 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: • Settled in Exploits Valley • Historic seaplane centre • Earliest name was Ship Cove • Critical WWII port • Its heritage is told in murals

Last Month’s Answer: Dildo

Picturesque Place NameS of Newfoundland and Labrador

by Mel D’Souza Last Month’s Answer: Pike’s Arm 126

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

Last Month’s Clue: The reward that is continually rewarding In Other Words: The gift that keeps on giving.

This Month’s Clue: No other moment akin to the current time In Other Words: __ ____ ____ ___ ______

A Way With Words STAND I

Last Month’s Answer: I understand

Rhyme Time A rhyming word game by Ron Young

1. A dream fright is a _________ ____ 2. A hag tic is a _____ ______

This Month’s Clue

LOOK YOU

3. Dracula’s father was a _______ ____

Answer: ____ _______ ___

Last Month’s Answers 1. no go, 2. stay away, 3. bed head

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.

; E E D C C A D A F N R N D E A D C O R E A A D H N N H E E T I I N T O F E P O E O S H E N T I R S I E P T I O O U Y L I R S N R T L I P U N I R T S O R S

Last month’s answer: We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future. www.downhomelife.com

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Rhymes 5 Times Each answer rhymes with the other four

1. wild

____________

2. foggy

____________

3. flower

____________

4. unmotivated

____________

5. woman’s name ____________

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

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

Last Month’s Answers: 1. goon, 2. loon, 3. noon, 4. maroon, 5. buffoon

Tangled Towns

by Lolene Young Condon and Ron Young

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

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

1. SMARTYNOW

For best results sound the clue words out loud!

2. RUBIN

Thigh Sing Gone Thick Ache ___ _____ __ ___ ____ Nod Itch Ants ___ _ ______ Last Month’s 1st Clue: Hideout Hit Strew.

Answer: I doubt it’s true. Last Month’s 2nd Clue: Abe Hum Pen Thin Height.

Answer: A bump in the night.

3. EONTURF 4. LEANMAIL 5. DRNAG KNBA Last Month’s Answers: 1. Bauline, 2. Torbay, 3. Flatrock, 4. Biscayan Cove, 5. Pouch Cove

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

1. LEEK SNOT ~ Clue: Sure, there’s no meat on his bones!

2. MINK PUPS ~ Clue: their faces light up when fall comes 3. ECO MUST ~ Clue: the real you lies beneath it 4. CHEWS IT ~ Clue: they spell mischief 5. MOB SIZE ~ Clue: they prefer brain over brawn Last Month’s Answers: 1. registration, 2. holidays, 3. placemat, 4. barrens, 5. festival 128

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Four-Way Crossword F o re Wo rd s • B a c k Wo rd s • U p Wo rd s • D o w n Wo rd s

By Ron Young

Unlike regular crosswords, in Four-Way Crossword each letter is not necessarily related to the letter in the adjacent row or column, but is part of one or more words in some direction.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1-10: denied 1-91: commission 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 3-23: droop 4-8: permit 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 8-10: married 15-12: backside 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 15-20: isolated 15-45: howl 17-14: measly 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 17-47: arithmetic 19-17: male cat 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 21-1: guided 21-23: limb 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 26-23: suspend 26-30: addiction 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 28-8: ship front 28-30: chomped 30-10: Sen. Kennedy 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 30-50: beige 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 32-34: distant 32-62: somersault 34-54: chest bone 100-10: ended 36-16: Marxist Guevara 66-6: briefcase 100-70: tenure 66-61: handwriting 36-31: coffee mate 66-68: Sol 38-40: ocean 70-61: document 38-68: shortly 70-68: male 42-45: den Last Month’s Answer 71-91: charged item 42-62: sass 72-76: wrath 46-42: tribulation CHE E R F U L L Y 77-47: baseballer Babe A E N O A H E A T L 46-50: thistle tip 77-79: male sheep 49-79: wander NMA R I O T I P S 81-85: leek 51-53: assist D AMA L L A R D S 85-90: pay attention 54-57: spoiled child E T UMS E N T O E 87-85: 2200 pounds 57-59: also S CHOOLG I R L 88-90: frozen H2O 61-41: kid’s game C H I PMA L AK E 91-95: dark time 62-12: swipe E A D O E Y E N OM 91-100: pyjama top 62-82: pot’s pard N P E NROE U S I 93-73: strong drink 64-62: tear T E ND E R FOOT 96-100: blouse 65-95: penny www.downhomelife.com

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The Bayman’s

Crossword Puzzle 1

2

3

by Ron Young

4 5 6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18 20

24

19

21

22

25

26

27 28

31

32

33

36

34

30

38 39

130

29 35

37

42

23

40

41

43

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ACROSS 1. pitch 4. tease 5. commercial 7. tiny amount 8. dead, red, coniferous limbs (2 words, colloq) 15. mouth (colloq) 16. Pa’s partner 17. “__ ye a Screecher?”

18. Newfie steak 21. sob 22. sealer’s staff 24. Black ______, Labrador 27. __Ha Bay 28. Lab West output 31. ____ Pilgrim, NL author 34. snow house 35. “He had a ___ on him like a harbour tomcod” 36. “In Flanders ______ the poppies grow” 38. crackie 39. If the Burin Peninsula is the boot, Fortune is the ___ 40. electrocardiogram (abbrev) 42. wooden rowing pegs (colloq) 43. casually stroll along (colloq) DOWN 1. long line container (colloq) 2. assist 3. Ragged Beach (abbrev) 6. nightmare witch (2 words, colloq) 9. soak (colloq) 10. tuberculosis (abbrev) 11. ocean marker www.downhomelife.com

12. unidentified flying objects (abbrev) 13. airplane garage 14. cow’s offspring 17. amid a seal herd (3 words, colloq) 18. fishermen’s ______ - classic NL dish 19. battery size 20. King’s Cove (abbrev) 21. Crescent Lake (abbrev) 23. OZ __ – radio station 25. harvest 26. kindling sticks (colloq) 27. type of seal 29. ______ on – provoked 30. “Down by Jim Long’s _____ - Al Pittman book 32. Allan’s Island (abbrev) 33. the ____ deal 37. dunk 41. 2.2 lb

N I P P E R

A Y E B S A B B Y E B J O E O N U S A S T T A B E A R N I T E A H N

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD Y P E C E B O N A E G R O L E S A T A N T N T T H D E T R R N E T E W F O U

K F O R R B A E Z A N T O K N O A A N B C A C R O W N D L A

D S M A L L A L W A O N O N D

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DIAL-A-SMILE © 2024 Ron Young

Pick the right letters from the old style phone to match the numbers grouped below and uncover a quote which will bring a smile to your face. ____ 2355

______ 746637

_____ 84373

____ 3297

__ __ 53 37

__ _ ____ 43 8 8464

_______ 8446637

___ 263

______ _ 762783 7

____ __ 7367 53

___ 843

_ _______ 6 7767483

-

Last Month’s Answer: Christmas is a competition between what gives up first, your feet or your wallet. ©2024 Ron Young

CRACK THE CODE ;

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

_ _

_ _ S S _ _ _ zC ; ;\B

_

_ _ _

b\

L K3C0 l 7\

_ _ _ _

3

0O

_ _

_ _ S S _ _ _ zC ; ; \B

b\

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

L

nO7\ L

_ _ _ _

X 3x

L

S _ _ _ _ S S ; l BB\ ; ;

Last Month’s Answer: It is dangerous to be sincere unless you are also stupid.

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© 2024 Ron Young

Food For Thought

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

lamp oil = _ _

assess = _ _ _

drama = _

_ _ _

l qvk

gong = _ _ _ _

dieting = _ _ _ _ _ _

onus = _ _

_

_ _

_ _ _ _ _

_

]p

_ _ _ _ _ _

yn v}K]w m _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

]w l I ye vwe _ _ _

vwf _

_ _ _ _

q] cn _ _

vw

o]yeKf vk

Y]w f]w m

_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

n[v}e qk

_

osy fnw

ps}}npp _

_

Y vpe]w m

}K]w n _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _

cnyIpnwn

ev[

_ _ _

eKn

’ kIs yn _ _ _

_ _ _

_ _

_

pv w n

Last Month’s Answer: There is no worse sorrow than remembering happiness in the day of sorrow. www.downhomelife.com

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Different Strokes

Our artist’s pen made the two seemingly identical pictures below different in 12 places. See if you can find all 12.

ERN AND COAL BIN WITH BOYS FISHING CONNERS

Last Month’s Answers: 1. House moved, 2. Roof, 3. Collar, 4. Chimney, 5. Child, 6. Bow, 7. Coal Bin, 8. Bird, 9. Window, 10. Tree, 11. Door, 12. Lane “Differences by the Dozen”- A compilation of Different Strokes from 2002 to 2014 (autographed by Mel) can be ordered by sending $9.95 (postage incl.; $13.98 for U.S. mailing) to Mel D’Souza, 212 Pine St., Collingwood, ON, L9Y 2P2

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HIDE & SEEK FALL

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

APPLES CIDER CLEANUP DAYLIGHT HALLOWEEN

HARVEST LEAVES PHOTOGRAPHY PRESERVES PUMPKIN

RAKE SEASON SPICE SWEATER THANKSGIVING

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

Last Month’s Answers

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

www.downhomelife.com

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Colourful Culture

The drawing on the opposite page

is the work of Newfoundland Mi’kmaq artist Marcus Gosse, a member of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band. His grandmother, Alice Maude Gosse (nee Benoit) is a Mi’kmaq Elder from Red Brook (Welbooktoojech) on the Port au Port Peninsula.

Marcus’ work has been exhibited in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax; The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery in St. John’s, NL; and the Canada 150 Art Show at the Macaya Gallery in Miami, FL; and his work is in private collections around the world.

He has generously offered a series of colouring pages that run monthly in Downhome. Each image depicts a NL nature scene and teaches us a little about Mi’kmaq culture and language. Each colouring page includes the Mi’kmaq word for the subject, the phonetic pronunciation of the word, and the English translation. And you’ll notice a design that Marcus incorporates into most of his pieces – the eight-point Mi’kmaq Star.

This symbol dates back hundreds of years and is very important in Mi’kmaq culture. Marcus’ Mi’kmaq Stars are often seen painted with four colours: red, black, white and yellow, which together represent unity and harmony between all peoples. Many Mi’kmaq artists use the star, and various Mi’kmaq double curve designs, to decorate their blankets, baskets, drums, clothing and paintings.

To download and print this colouring page at home, visit DownhomeLife.com. To learn more about Marcus and find more of his colouring pages, look him up on Facebook at “Mi’kmaq Art

by Marcus Gosse.”

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www.downhomelife.com

October 2024

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Movers & Shippers

Not intended to solicit properties currently under contract

A Family Moving Families Professionally and economically Coast to Coast in Canada Fully Insured

) )

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Toll Free: 1-866-586-2341 www.downhomemovers.com

A&K Moving Covering all Eastern & Western Provinces and Returning Based from Toronto, Ontario Discount Prices Out of NL, NS & NB Newfoundland Owned & Operated 35 Years in the Moving Industry All Vehicles Transported

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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!

The Home Sweet Home Newfoundland Collection - Jeff Cox & Jupiters Muse

My Dad, Our Boat, and Me - Kelly Piercey

Agnes’s Garden

#89403 | $19.99

#89399 | $12.99

Roaming the Rock: 50 Unforgettable Motorcycle Journeys on NL - Harry O'Reilly

otherwise grossly unremarkable: A Memoir of

Mummer’s Song: CD Enclosed - Bud Davidge

A Newfoundland and Labrador Christmas Wish - Necie

- Lori Doody

#89366 | $29.99

The Pup - Lori Doody

#89398 | $12.99

Santa is Coming to Newfoundland - Steve Smallman - Hard Cover

#53807 | $19.99

#89503 | $32.95

#4055 | $16.95

Cancer - Ashleigh Matthews

#89409 | $22.95

#79611 | $16.95 $6.00

ORDER ONLINE: www.shopdownhome.com

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

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MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com

Clarenville Pewter Christmas Ornament 2024

2025 Ed Roche Wall Calendar

2025 Ed Roche Vertical Wall Calendar

2025 Images From Home Wall Calendar

2025 NL Wall Calendar - Small

#89272 | $14.99

#89048 | $11.99

2025 NL Wall Calendar - Large

Newfoundland 2025 Agenda Featuring the Artwork of Ed Roche

Hand Painted Mummer with Fiddle Wine Glass

#89436 | $18.99

#89210 | $10.99

#89211 | $24.99

#79649 | $21.99

TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-588-6353

#89212 | $17.99

#89057 | $21.99

Hand Painted Mummer with Ugly Stick #79648 | $21.99

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

2410_Mailorder_Mail order.qxd 8/22/24 4:44 PM Page 142

GREAT GIFT IDEAS!

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

Carnation Milk Ornament

Tunnocks Caramel Log Ornament

#87477 | $5.99

#887475 | $5.99

Purity Hard Bread Ornament

Big Stick Bologna Ornament

Fraser Farm Meatballs Ornament

Salt Beef Ornament

Tetley Tea Box Ornament

Hawkins Cheezies Ornament

#89162 | $5.99

#89152 | $5.99

#89160 | $5.99

#89159 | $5.99

Good Luck Margarine Ornament #89157 | $5.99

#87476 | $5.99

#87479 | $5.99

ORDER ONLINE: www.shopdownhome.com

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

2410_Mailorder_Mail order.qxd 8/22/24 4:45 PM Page 143

MORE SELECTION ONLINE www.shopdownhome.com

Zest Pickles Ornament

Fussell’s Cream Ornament

Newfie Slush Ornament

#89150 | $5.99

#89161 | $5.99

#89153 | $5.99

Sale!

Newfoundland Savoury Ornament #89149 | $5.99

#82069 | $10.99 $8.88

#82067 | $10.99 $8.88

#89163 | $5.99

Sale!

Port de Grave Mummers Indoor Mat

Mummers Parade Indoor Mat

Pineapple Crush Ornament

Sale!

Mummers Parade Textured Mat

#82862 | $15.99 $8.88

TO ORDER CALL: 1-888-588-6353

Port de Grave Mummers Textured Mat #82861 | $15.99 $8.88

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

2410_photo Finish_0609 Photo Finish 8/22/24 2:03 PM Page 144

photo finish

Night Flight

Let your imagination be wild and free.

Tim Collins Labrador City, NL

Do you have an amazing or funny photo to share?

Turn to page 9 to find out how to submit.

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