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A Look Back on the “Dog Days of Summer”

Published on by J. Kelland Perry31 Comments

Dog Days of Summer, according to Websters Dictionary: “the hot and humid period of summer between early July and early September.”

Dog Days of Summer, according to me: having my canine friends come to visit!

First up, SOPHIE RAE!

Sophie Rae

In July, Sophie came to Newtown for the first time with my son and his fiancée. She is a white golden retriever, is the youngest of our doggies, and just so happens to be turning two today. Happy Birthday, pretty girl!

She had lots of fun exploring Perry’s Point, and even went to Bennett Island with us via the sandbar.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Cuddles in the Car

Our next visitors were my daughter and her family in August, and of course they brought ARCHIE!

Archie

Archie is six years old, and has visited us before. He beat himself out every day running around the Point, and also went on the sandbar to Bennett Island with us.

He was particularly obsessed with this “ball” while he was here:

“I need that ball!”

Archie always loves to come see us.
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

My sister and her husband were our third visitors. They spent Labour Day weekend with us, with Abbey and Jaxon in tow!

Abbey and Jaxon

Jaxon is twelve:

Jaxon

…and dear little Abbey is sixteen!

Abbey

These dogs are more laid back, as you may guess.

But they did go on an adventure to Windmill Bight Park in Lumsden with us, to enjoy some fun in the sun and sand.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Even though everyone knows I’m a cat person first and foremost, I do love and enjoy being around any animal. Thanks so much for making the trip, my loved ones and your pooches! 💕🐾❤️

The Open Door

Published on by J. Kelland Perry24 Comments

🎶🎶“Doot, doot, do, lookin’ out my back front door” 🎶🎶

💕💕💕

“All my life has been a series of doors in my face
And then suddenly I bumped into you…
With you, I found my place
With you, I see your face
And it’s nothing like l’ve ever known before
Love is an open door.”*

💕💕💕

*from the movie: Frozen

🎶with my apologies to CCR ☺️

My contribution to Thursday Doors by Dan Antion

Throwback Thursday: My Buttercup Runneth Over

Published on by J. Kelland Perry14 Comments

image

Buttercups, bright eyed and bold, hold their chalices of gold to catch the sunshine and the dew. — Julia Caroline Dorr

Photo originally posted here.

Sunday Snaps: And Then There Were Two

Published on by J. Kelland Perry27 Comments

Back in March, I shared pics of the kitty suncatcher my daughter gave me, in memory of Vivian. You can check it out here: All That We Love Deeply.

One of my longtime blogger friends had mentioned I should have a suncatcher for Vivian’s sister as well:
“You need a little Maisie suncatcher so the sisters can be together again.” – Lois

Well, once more, dear daughter has surprised me with a gift. She found a kitty (the closest she could find to resemble her) to memorialize our Maisie who passed in 2020.

I’ve already shared her on Facebook and Instagram, but I thought all my blogger friends and followers should also have a look.

Aren’t they sweet?

These little mementos bring comfort—and occasional tears—and will have to suffice until we rescue one or two more cats later this year. ❤️

Clouds

Published on by J. Kelland Perry22 Comments

Happy first day of summer, friends!
We are experiencing an early heat wave here in Newfoundland, so our longed-for season received an early start.

Last week, while the weather was cooler and we were having our morning coffee out on the deck, we saw a cloud that was nothing short of spectacular. It started with a low bank of fog stretching across the entire horizon, but soon morphed into a tall white marvel.

Fog bank in Newfoundland

And just before it dispersed, it grew even bigger:

Fog bank in Newtown NL

“A cloudless plain blue sky is like a flowerless garden.” – Terri Guillemets

On the eve of our heat wave, the sky and clouds were an artist’s tableau:

Summer sunset in Newtown

“I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now. From up and down, and still somehow, it’s cloud illusions I recall. I really don’t know clouds at all.” – Joni Mitchell

Happy Easter, Every-Bunny!

Published on by J. Kelland Perry16 Comments
Happy Easter, Every Bunny!

“All That We Love Deeply”

Published on by J. Kelland Perry38 Comments

Last month, our daughter Denise surprised us with this lovely sun-catcher she found online. Does it remind you of anyone?

Is it a coincidence that she found a cat replica that looks like our Vivian, who passed away in November? I think not. Now we have a visual reminder that she is still peering out over Perry’s Point, which she knew like the back of her paw. 🐾

It’s also the perfectly fitting remembrance of her many guest posts on this blog—“Vivian’s View From Here”.

We still miss her terribly, yes.

But I like to think we have our own little guardian angel

watching over us. 💙

“What we have once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” – Helen Keller

Photo Challenge: Dramatic – Part 2*

Published on by J. Kelland Perry31 Comments

Here is the second (and final) instalment of dramatic photo highlights from my blogging archives. I’ll start with two “vivid skies” left over from Part 1:

I wasn’t long running for my camera when this giant funnel cloud appeared by our house a few years ago. At first I thought it was a tornado!

***

Cotton candy clouds at sunset are always a summery treat:

***

A perennial favourite—my clothespins encased in a glaze of ice:

***

A spider and her web I discovered on my kitchen window one misty summer night. I was amazed by the detail:

***

This ghostly tree caught my eye one November, outside a Grand Falls-Windsor inn:

***

Berg watching in Greenspond was a delight that day in June 2015.

Admiring Nature’s sculptures in Iceberg Alley. Check out the entire blog post here.

***

“Study Nature, love Nature, stay close to Nature.
It will never fail you.”

—Frank Lloyd Wright

*Photo Challenge: LAPC: Dramatic

Photo Challenge: Dramatic*

Published on by J. Kelland Perry48 Comments

When I think of dramatic photos I have taken, vivid skies and sunsets come to mind. And what better place to find them than on Perry’s Point?

Sunsets are proof that endings can often be beautiful too.

—Beau Taplin
Sunset on Perry’s Point

The sky broke like an egg into full sunset, and the water caught fire.

— Pamela Hansford Johnson

Here’s a favourite of mine from Newtown branch:

Long before evening sets on the Point, the sun is often brilliant, dancing on the surface of the waves:

Lots of beauty elsewhere, of course. I captured this curtain of a cloud on a tropical holiday:

Another favourite. This time from Bonavista NL, with the sea and sky together:

Sea and Sky

Stay tuned! Part 2 of Dramatic Photo Challenge coming soon. ☺️

*Photo Challenge: LAPC #282: Dramatic

A Look Back on 2023*

Published on by J. Kelland Perry40 Comments

I honestly can’t believe how fast this year flew by. 2023 was quite eventful, what with signing a new publishing contract—YAY!—as well as reaching a couple of personal milestones. More on those in a bit.

Not everything was rosy, however.

As many of you know, we had to say goodbye to our Vivian in November. Eight weeks later, the grief is still so raw, so fresh. I think the only way to ease the loss is to rescue another cat, or two, come spring. 


Now for the milestones.
In 2023, our house here on Perry’s Point turned one hundred years old!

We’ve lived here since we left the city in 2010, with very few regrets. Paul and I love it here next to the ocean and away from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

If you haven’t already, check out my post from 2020, Ten Years in This Old House, to see how we spruced it up before we moved in.

Milestone Number 2: On August 15th, Paul and I celebrated our silver wedding anniversary.

25 years married to my best friend. Of course Paul always reminds me we were together four years before our wedding day. 💕

I am deeply thankful on this New Year’s Eve for many things, and one of them is having you, my blogger friends, in my life. Each of you have made blogging much more meaningful than I ever thought possible when I started this journey.
Which just so happened to be on New Year’s Eve, 2011.

Wishing you good health and happiness in 2024!

How was your 2023?

*RDP Prompt: Looking Back