Photography – Jennifer's Journal

Summer Memories Series: The Mighty Gander River

Published on July 17, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry14 Comments

Here is another favourite to add to my Summer Memories collection.

This post takes us back to an overnight stay on Gander River in June of 2023.

Whenever my husband Paul has to travel for work in our beautiful province, I often accompany him. Particularly enjoyable are the trips that take us somewhere we haven’t visited before. And when we can combine business and pleasure, the trips are all the more fun.

This time Paul’s work took him to a business associate’s cabin on the Gander River, to design an extension and renovation for the client. The long boat in the photo above took us there, the only way to access the site.

In spite of the high winds, and getting splashed by spray over the side of the boat, the temps were warm and the views were lovely.

Here below is a shot of the little guest cabin we stayed in on the property. So cozy!

The Gander River is well-known for its salmon pools and outfitting business. To learn more, check out this site.

Below: blue flag iris growing along the shoreline.

Time to eat, sit back and relax.

Our gracious hosts provided a delicious grilled steak supper and refreshments at the main cabin.

I would love to go back there someday!

Summer Memories Series: Concerned — Part Two

Published on July 8, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry16 Comments

This is one of my favourite summertime posts. It features Vivian K. Perry and was shared in 2017. We still love and miss you lots, Viv! I also love the scenery of Barbour Tickle here in Newtown.

Welcome back for the Big Reveal.

On Sunday, I asked “What has gotten Vivian so concerned?”
Scroll down to find out!

On an especially gorgeous Saturday last month, Paul and I decided to go out for a row in the Serendipity, a lovely little punt built by our late neighbour, Ben Perry.

We came up with the ‘brilliant’ idea
to try to take Vivian along.
We did everything we could to coax her aboard,
but she was having no part of it.

In fact, she almost lost her mind that we were going,
with or without her.
She cried to break her heart as we left.

Bon voyage!
Your loss, Viv.

Rounding Perry’s Point…

…and down through the Tickle

Part of a wedding photo shoot.
You never know what you’ll see
when you’re out for a row.

Leaving the Tickle,
we set out for Bennett Island.

In case you were wondering why there are no lifejackets,
the water is very shallow here.

Vivian missed out,
but thank you for coming along!

For more Barbour Tickle photos, click here.

I will be sharing other summer memories over the next three months. ☀️

Snapshots from a Summer Day*

Published on June 30, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry10 Comments

The Ragtag Daily Prompt today is Summer Memories! I thought I’d share this favourite evergreen post as an introduction to a summer series I plan to showcase in the next few months. ☀️

*Ragtag Daily Prompt: Summer Memories

All poetry and images are my own.

A Life That Matters*

Published on June 19, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry12 Comments

When I saw the Daily Prompt on WordPress this morning: “What’s a common misconception people have about happiness?”, I couldn’t help but think about a post I made back in 2017. I’m sharing it again because it addresses that question. And with the passage of time, my own opinion has changed somewhat, so I have made a few small updates.

“It doesn’t matter who we are, what we are doing and what our station in life is, we all have the ability to contribute to something beyond ourselves and (to find) purpose in doing so.” – Emily Esfahani Smith, author of The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters.

According to Smith’s research, it isn’t happiness that makes life worth living – it is meaning. It is rising each day with a purpose. As simple and as uncomplicated as that sounds, I wonder how many of us have been chasing the wrong thing.

Is developing a “meaning mindset” the only true answer to achieving fulfillment?

Living on auto-pilot, or chasing mostly what brings you pleasure, or working long and crazy hours, driving yourself to exhaustion to conform to someone else’s definition of success – do any of these pursuits sound like happiness to you?

Or have you already figured this out?

Update: Our purpose, or anything that fulfills us, can change with time; from education to self-expression, from career and to parenthood and beyond. The main thing is, hopefully, whatever endeavour, it gives a measure of satisfaction and meaning.

I think we are all guilty of “living on autopilot” from time to time. Life and its many challenges have a tendency to do that to you. I do believe in the randomness of life, and yet also believe in self-actualization which helps give you a sense of direction, to give those experiences more meaning than ever.

Something has to generate that singular feeling of being alive in a positive way. What will make me happy? But “happiness” is far too vague a goal to me. What passion or purpose will make me feel more alive?

Some of us may take a little longer to figure out what gives meaning to our days. Sometimes, the smallest things can give meaning, and matter a great deal to someone else. A life with purpose would also take us outside ourselves so that we can’t help but take others into account. At least that is my perception of what Smith’s book is telling us.

Have you found your meaning?

*First posted in June 2017

Whisker Wednesday: Can’t Share a Chair?

Published on May 20, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry13 Comments

Gord: “Hey, Lou—I didn’t see you there!
Can we share this chair?”

“Never mind!

I’ll take the other one so I can stretch out.

🐾 🐾. 🐾 🐾

Happy Whisker Wednesday,

Everyone!”

💕💙💕

Evergreen Post: Calmer Secrets Setting in Pictures

Published on May 13, 2026May 20, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry14 Comments

This is Part Two of the Calmer Girls series setting in pictures.

Calmer Secrets takes place in Newfoundland in 1997-98, four years later than the first book. (The Calmer Girls Book One setting pictorial can be seen here.)

First, let’s take a look at Samantha’s school in Corner Brook, Memorial University’s Grenfell Campus on the west coast of the province. Samantha is enrolled in the Visual Arts program there.

When Samantha returns to St. John’s during a school break, she goes downtown with Veronica and her friends. In one of the George Street clubs, she sees cover band, Cold Plate, and is reunited with her high school friend Kalen there.

**George Street, lined with pubs, in downtown St. John’s**

**x 3: The annual George Street Festival entertainment always draws huge crowds.**

Later in the story, tragedy strikes.
The youngest character in the book is brought to the Janeway Children’s Hospital,
the one that existed at that time.
A new facility was built a couple of years later.

The following photos depict Samantha and Ben’s boat tour experience out of St. John’s Harbour.

**The Battery at the foot of Signal Hill**

**Samantha takes pictures of an iceberg like this…**

Check out this real boat tour short video:

Photo sources: Grenfell College, NL Tourism, Eastern Health, Pinterest, Google (public domain)

Thanks for coming along!

There is only now …

Published on April 28, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry12 Comments

There is only now.
An open window
a fresh breeze
to welcome
this bright and beautiful
April day.

– J. Kelland Perry

Wordless Whisker Wednesday: King of the Castle

Published on April 15, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry16 Comments

King Louis

Sunday Snaps: April Evening on Perry’s Point

Published on April 12, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry29 Comments

As I have mentioned on my blog before, spring takes its own sweet time to show its face on the island of Newfoundland. The arrival is gradual, just as it is on most northern coastlines, with cold temperatures accompanied by the odd snowfall or sleet storm.

I love the anticipation of warmer days ahead. And there are still some lovely moments, particularly when the wind is light, the water is calm, and the sun begins to set. These photos were taken on the peaceful evening of April 2nd, and since then most of the snow and ice has disappeared.

Another reason I love spring here on Perry’s Point: the pleasure to witness the renewal of nature by observing our seabirds. Two weeks ago, it started—the sudden appearance of seagulls and other salt water birds pairing off to mate. Everyday, we now see them huddled—and even cuddled!—together on rocks and small islets off the point, or gliding through the water side by side: herring gulls, saddlebacks, black ducks, and pintails.

Seagulls squeal a spring duet

swim in pairs around ice and rock

glide as swans in graceful tandem

hush broken by caw and squawk *

*excerpt from Seagull Spring by J. Kelland Perry, April 2015

“April is the gateway to the joys of summer.” ― Fennel Hudson

“Oh, the lovely fickleness of an April day!” – W. H. Gibson

Calmer Girls: 10th Anniversary of my Debut Novel

Published on March 24, 2026April 20, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry15 Comments

Ten years ago today, my first novel Calmer Girls was published. I’m sharing a post from one year later, Calmer Girls Setting in Pictures, to give you an idea of how my birthplace of St. John’s, NL made for such a wonderful setting.

CALMER GIRLS SETTING IN PICTURES

Although Calmer Girls is a fictional tale, its Canadian setting certainly isn’t.

It was fun writing a pair of novels set in my birthplace of St. John’s, Newfoundland, and perhaps the following pictorial will better explain why it had inspired me. After all, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words!

All of these locations are featured in scenes throughout the first novel. Calmer Cove is not included as it is semi-fictional.

Samantha and her sister took their first ride in Ben Swift’s T-bird to Signal Hill and along the harbourfront. Later, Samantha took pictures of a cruise ship in the Narrows.