Author: J. Kelland Perry

In 2010, my husband and I left the city to escape to rural life in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and we're savoring every moment. I update my blog with everything I love through prose and photography, as well as posts about writing. My first novel was released in March 2016 and its sequel was released in March 2017. My third novel, The Women of Wild Cove, was published in September 2025, this time of the speculative genre.

Lions Club High School Speak Out

Published on by J. Kelland Perry20 Comments

Yesterday, our local Lions Club sponsored and held Pearson Academy’s Speak Out Competition. We had 17 student participants and an excellent audience turnout.

Speak-outs are great opportunities for youth to practice and build skills through public speaking, and to encourage them to have a public voice in issues that concern them.

The winners:

Rhianna Bishop, 1st Place. Topic: Leadership in Rural Communities

Jessica Melindy, 2nd Place. Topic: Growing Up with Mental Illness – Anxiety and O.C.D

Deidre Hounsell, 3rd Place. Topic: Dangers of Driving Under the Influence

Rhianna Bishop and Jessica Melindy. Missing from photo: Deidre Hounsell

As the first place winner,
Rhianna will compete later at the regional level.

Steve Perry, Lions member and moderator
Ted O’Connor, teacher and judge

The judges for the speak-out were Joanne Wiley, Theodore O’Connor and myself.

It was a privilege to spend time with these young adults and to volunteer once more for this worthy event.

***

Have you or your child ever competed
or taken part in a public speaking competition?

Memories of Nico

Published on by J. Kelland Perry29 Comments
Our sweet festive boy

Nico was our one and only grand-puppy. He was a Golden Doodle who had the sweetest, most loving temperament I’ve ever witnessed in a dog. We only had Nico in our lives for five short years before he tragically left us, but he will always live on in a special corner of my heart.

Even though it’s been over a year since he passed, I still miss him when I visit my daughter and her family. They have two cats now, Ginger and Joey, but no one can ever take the place of this big boy who was full to the brim with life and love and fun.

Baby Nico
First visit to Newtown with the fam
with Leah
Summertime fun
Looking out over Lead Cove
Chillin’ with his sister Ginger
Nico and his dad
Just another visit at Nanny’s house
Enjoying a summer day in Lead Cove

Getting over the loss of a pet is never easy, and is particularly hard for animal lovers like our family. I can’t imagine what it will be like to lose my cats when that time comes. Then again, maybe they will outlive me.

Have you lost a special dog, cat or other animal recently?
Please share in the comments below.
❤

Paw Prints

Published on by J. Kelland Perry22 Comments

Cold winter days are fast approaching, and for our feline friends and housemates Maisie and Viv, that means snowy paws and shorter trips outside.

Sometimes they cry to go out, but change their minds and make a quick backtrack when we open the door and the bitter wind hits their furry faces. Then they cry again as if we can magically change the weather for them!

“Cats seem to go on the principle that it never does any harm to ask for what you want.” – Joseph Wood Krutch, American writer, critic, and naturalist

Blogger Bouquet #55

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

Marie Zhuikov of Marie’s Meanderings is a novelist, science writer, poet and editor that I have followed for quite some time.

From her About page:

“The meanderings of Marie’s mind blog explores life in northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and anywhere else Marie Zhuikov’s travels may span. There are bound to be thoughts about her passions, which include nature, environmental issues, the arts, music, children, dogs, books, relationships, cooking, water, wine and the like.”

In Marie’s previous novels she has focused on endangered animals, and her next one is no exception. Check out Marie’s recent post on the pine marten, also known as the American marten. She has even written two magazine articles about the marten that are on newsstands now.

Marten Mania

Comments are closed here but you can leave a little love on the blogger’s page.

Have a beautiful weekend, everyone!
❤

Sunday Snaps: Root Cellars of Elliston

Published on by J. Kelland Perry21 Comments

Elliston, root cellar capital of the world

root cellars of Elliston, NL

These photos of root cellars are from one of my November posts five years ago. I’ve been thinking about them lately because in the speculative novel I’m writing, an abandoned root cellar figures largely in certain plot points of the story.

More than 130 root cellars have been documented in the Elliston area, dating back as far as 1839, and some are still used today to store homegrown vegetables.

According to Elliston folklore, the older folks told the children that babies came from root cellars. For more photos and info, click on the link below:

Mom, where do babies come from?

Cozy

Published on by J. Kelland Perry20 Comments

When I folded laundry from the dryer the other day, I put a throw cushion on top until I got around to bringing it upstairs.

I usually do that to prevent one of the cats from turning it into a bed. Well, Maisie couldn’t resist the warm nest and simply nudged the cushion aside.

“Voila! Thanks, Mom.”

I didn’t have the heart to drive her out of it. ❤️

“Like all pure creatures, cats are practical.”
~ William S. Burroughs

Today a reader…

Published on by J. Kelland Perry18 Comments

Please encourage your children to read.

Give them books they would enjoy for Christmas.

Take them to the public library to get their own library card.

If they are too young to read themselves, read them bedtime stories.

It’s never too early to inspire a love of good books. No, they won’t all become leaders, but research shows that reading to children and discussing the book is the best way to increase your child’s IQ and instill a love of reading.

10 Ways for Parents to Encourage Their Child to Read

Sunday Snap: A New Perspective

Published on by J. Kelland Perry34 Comments
Aerial View of Perry's Point
Aerial View of Perry’s Point

This cool photo of Perry’s Point was snapped last week on Monday, November 5th by Paul’s cousin, Winston Perry. He took it from a small plane and gave me permission to share. Check out the sand and the seaweed around the coastline.

That’s my house in the foreground, closest to the end of the point, the blue one with the shed and a little blue outhouse to the far left. A large portion of Newtown is shown in the background.

The sunshine that day makes the house colour look lighter from that angle, but if you click on my Facebook link below, you’ll see its true colour. Laundry and all! That photo was taken by Winston’s brother and our neighbour, Wayne Perry.

Thanks for the great captures, guys!

Home Sweet Home on Facebook

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Places People Live

Evening Sky in Autumn

Published on by J. Kelland Perry25 Comments

Autumn sky“There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky.”
– Percy Bysshe Shelley

Friday Fiction – A Special Guest

Published on by J. Kelland Perry29 Comments

Jennifer’s Friday Fiction

I’m pleased today to feature a special guest post on Friday Fiction.

My 12 year-old granddaughter Leah wrote the following flash fiction piece for school recently. When her mom showed it to me, I liked it so much, I asked Leah if she would allow me to publish it here on my blog.

Our family’s budding new writer readily agreed. Friends and followers, please take a moment to read it and tell me what you think!

roller coaster ride

Bart, the security guard, has always loved his job at the amusement park. He loves the greasy smell of deep-fried onions and the sweet smell of cotton candy drifting in the breeze as people happily skip by.

But there was just one thing that made Bart sad. He would always see people of all ages having so much fun with huge smiles on their faces as they jumped with excitement. Bart looked down at his chubby belly sticking out under his uniform with grease stains all over it from his recent lunch break. “I wish I could ride one of the roller coasters,” Bart thought to himself. All he wanted was to be able to ride a roller coaster and know what it was like to be happy and have fun.

Bart decided to make a plan. Maybe he could sneak onto a ride. No one would notice he was gone from his post because no one ever noticed he was there. Except for Trevor.

Trevor was Bart’s very strict boss. If Trevor ever found out about Bart’s plan, he would fire him for good and Bart definitely did not want that to happen. But he wanted to ride a roller coaster so bad, he was willing to take the chance.

Late one day, Bart was ready for action. It was 9:00 pm and the park closed at 10:00 pm. It was dark out so he wouldn’t be seen as easily. Bart slipped off his uniform so that he was left with a T-shirt and a pair of shorts on. He quickly put on his ball cap and ran off to the scariest ride in the park called “The Brain Wash”.

Bart got in line. While everyone was passing their tickets to the tall man standing at the entrance, Bart squeezed past the man without being seen. Bart had made it through!

He was finally on the ride. As the roller coaster was going up the steep hill with a ticking sound, he looked down at everyone below. They all looked like little ants. But there was one face that Bart could pick out. It was Trevor looking up at him with his arms folded across his chest. What if Bart got fired from his job?

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