Photography – Page 36 – Jennifer's Journal

Playing Tourist in my own Hometown

Published on July 29, 2013April 27, 2017 by J. Kelland Perry21 Comments

Ahhh…Home Sweet Home!

After two busy weeks in our fair capital city of St. John’s, my husband and I are once again happy to be back in our house on the Point. Make no mistake, though, I always enjoy our extended summer jaunt revisiting my birthplace, even though husband has to bring some work with him. Time spent with the kids and grandkids is always a great thing, as were the walks around Mundy Pond and Quidi Vidi Lake, not to mention the dining out, the shopping, and celebrating husband’s birthday. We even managed to take a couple of side trips to Grates Cove and Portugal Cove while we were there.

My trip would not have been complete, however, if I had not taken a spin up to Signal Hill.

Is it any wonder one of my favourite spots has a spectacular view of the ocean? I know, I know. I live by the sea. You’d think I would have had my fill of huge bodies of water by now. But no, when the yearning for the sea beckons, I must respond.

husband enjoying the view — husband enjoying the scenery

057 — view of Cape Spear in the distance

Deadman's Pond - urban legend would have you believe it is bottomless — Deadman’s Pond – urban legend would have you believe it is bottomless

cannons guarding St. John's Harbour — cannons guarding the Harbour Narrows

the warmest visit I can ever remember on Signal Hill

I expect to be extremely busy over the coming weeks, finishing the first draft of my novel (but I will be checking in here too!). I’m hoping to have it completed by the time my daughter and her family come to visit in the latter part of August. Wish me luck!

Further Reading:
Sometimes I’m Still that St. John’s Girl

Grates Cove

Published on July 22, 2013January 19, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry13 Comments

My husband and I are enjoying our second week away from home, spending most of our time in my birthplace, St. John’s, the capital city of Newfoundland. This past weekend, however, we took a short trip to Grates Cove.

002 — Entering Grates Cove
– jenniferkellandperry.com

030 — View from the walking trail running along the cliffs and barrens
– jenniferkellandperry.com

This little community is the most northerly one on the Avalon Peninsula, and is my mother’s hometown.

Mom, out and about ;) — Mom, out and about 😉

My father’s maternal roots are also here, so most of my relatives originated in Grates Cove. Some of them still live here, and others have summer homes.

Grates Cove is actually a National Historic site, recognized for its acres of rock walls.
From the last of the 1700’s to the early 1900’s, local residents used the rocks to define spaces within their environment. The rocks were thrown, stacked and piled into more than 160 acres of land to set aside fields, create gardens, store vegetables, protect livestock and to use as cemeteries. (source: beyondbaccalieu.com)

Rock_Walls_at_Grates_Cove_0024-M — beyondbaccalieu.com

051 — Beautiful day on Saturday
– jenniferkellandperry.com

Like many of the coastal communities in our province, Grates Cove was a desirable place because of its prolific fishing grounds. First settled in 1790, its population has shrunk over the years, but it still supports the livelihood of a number of local fisher-persons, and is a popular tourist destination.

Many of these tourists have loved the place so much, they bought property of their own and put down roots. It has been reported that Grates Cove has the highest per capita in all of Newfoundland of “Mainlanders” buying up houses to live.

If you are ever in the area and get a chance to visit this picturesque little fishing village, I am sure you will understand why the “come-from-aways” fell in love with it and made up their minds to stay.

jenniferkellandperry.wordpress.com — jenniferkellandperry.com

Have you ever visited tiny, out-of-the-way communities like Grates Cove? Are any of your relatives still living in places such as these?

Beach Golf, Anyone?

Published on July 14, 2013March 24, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry41 Comments

Disclaimer: No wildlife was harmed during the creation of this photo shoot.

My son came for a visit here in Newtown this past week. On one of the days, I went along to take pics of him and my husband playing beach golf. This beautiful sandy beach is only a few hundred yards from our house. The weather was cool and windy, but I liked the way the photos turned out.

This is the sandbar they were aiming for.

"Is anyone here a marine biologist?" (just kidding ;) ) — “Is anyone here a marine biologist?” (just kidding 😉 )

Time to collect the balls... — Time to collect the balls…

Balls that didn't hit the sandbar are easily found because the water is shallow. — Balls that didn’t hit the sandbar are easily found because the water is shallow (and surprisingly warm!).

I love the action and the waves in this one.

What do you like to do when you go to the beach?

Happy Birthday, Canada ♥

Published on July 1, 2013March 24, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry4 Comments

“Ripples”

Published on June 23, 2013March 26, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry25 Comments

Here is my take on Ailsa’s Travel Theme: Ripples this week.

First, some evening shots along the shores near my home:

This morning I shot these pics of my husband and Vivian on their pre-breakfast jaunt:

There were a few “ripples” of laughter from behind the camera too.

6-22-13 Travel Theme: Ripples (quotidianhudsonriver.com)
Ripples… Ailsa’s WTT… (ouchmybackhurts.wordpress.com)
Travel Theme: RIPPLE (opallaontrails.wordpress.com)
Travel Theme: Ripples Sardegna (laavventura.wordpress.com)
Travel Theme: Ripples (shaanthz.wordpress.com)

The Whole World Smiles With You :)

Published on May 16, 2013October 29, 2017 by J. Kelland Perry26 Comments

I’m sharing a few smiles I’ve collected from around the world in today’s post. While you listen to the great Louis Armstrong, it is my hope these photos will put a smile on your face too. 🙂

Cuba:

Jamaica:

100_6446 — How’s this for Service with a Smile?

Italy:

rome 080 — Our Favourite Bartender in Rome

Friends in Florida:

Relatives in Ottawa:

Dominican Republic:

Our Trip to the Dominican Republic 084 — “I’ll be your waiter this evening”

Our Trip to the Dominican Republic 081 — Charming

Our Trip to the Dominican Republic 107 — My Personal Favourite 🙂

Reasons To Smile 🙂 (beingreal365.wordpress.com)

Kids Do Say the Darndest Things

Published on May 1, 2013January 17, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry26 Comments

This morning I read a funny post by 40 is the new 13, a fellow blogger, on how children make crazy assumptions based on their own brand of logic, such as dogs are boys and cats are girls.

It sparked a memory for me. It wasn’t of an assumption one of my kids made, but a memory of what my son said one day when he was in grade two. I think it would be considered a malapropism.

Above is a pic I took of my boy back in the day, waiting for the school bus on his first day of kindergarten. When he got to second grade, his teacher, Mrs. Snow, was a kind and lovely young woman, and all the children adored her.

One day, when my little boy was nearing the end of that school year, he got off the bus and came home with an interesting piece of news. My friend and I were chatting over coffee when he entered the kitchen. He dropped his book bag and announced,

“Guess what? Mrs. Snow isn’t going to be a grade two teacher anymore.”

“No?” I asked, curious. “Is she giving up teaching already?” It seemed odd because she was nowhere near the age of retirement. “Oh, she’s going to teach a different grade, is she?”

“No,” he said. “She’s going to be a prostitute teacher.”

I nearly choked on my coffee, while my friend tried in vain to suppress her laughter.

Now the first thing I did was gently correct him. “You must mean substitute teacher, honey.”

The next thing I thought was, where did he hear that word? It wasn’t a word that was bandied about in our household. It wasn’t like he was living in a bordello, or that we let him watch a steady stream of TV shows like Hill Street Blues or Spencer for Hire. And I sure as heck couldn’t imagine it as a topic of conversation among him and the other kids around his age. How did this word get into his vocabulary?

To this day, the answer remains a mystery.

Another one I liked was when my niece asked for a “girl-cheese” sandwich. Even when her mother corrected her, she continued to say it.

“It’s my cheese sandwich. And I’m a girl, right?”

Did you have any “verbal typos” to share from your childhood, or from one of your own kids?

(Of course, you don’t need to be a kid to say the darndest thing. The other day I called a take-out restaurant and asked if they had any “pressure-treated” chicken. I’m still shaking my head over that one. 😉 )

More fun reading:
Dogs are boys, Cats are girls

Photo Challenge: Up

Published on April 21, 2013April 21, 2013 by J. Kelland Perry37 Comments

This week’s photo challenge at the Daily Post inspired me to have a look back on our memorable trip to Italy and France. It didn’t take long to come “up” with some photos that fit nicely with the theme.

(Not sure if it’s against the rules to share more than one. ;)) I hope you enjoy them.

View of the Italian Alps – Stresa, Italy

Staircase at our B & B - Stresa, Italy — Staircase at our B & B – Stresa, Italy

View from our Hotel Room In Rome — View from our Hotel Room – Rome, Italy

marble staircase in hotel - Rome — marble staircase in hotel – Rome

Palazzo Vecchio - Siena, Italy — Palazzo Vecchio – Siena, Italy

Duomo of Florence - Italy — Duomo of Florence – Italy

Notre Dame Cathedral - Paris — Notre Dame Cathedral – Paris

Inside Cathedral - Paris — Inside Cathedral – Paris

Louis Vuitton - Paris — Louis Vuitton – Paris

Eiffel Tower - Paris — Eiffel Tower – Paris

France 003 — In front of the Arc de Triomphe – Paris

Arc de Triomphe - Paris — Arc de Triomphe x2

Ceilings in the Louvre Museum - Paris — Ceilings in the Louvre Museum – Paris

Weekly Photo Challenge: Up (mdcphotographs.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Up (beijingcityphoto.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Up (scottseyephotos.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Up (Dry) (chrisbreebaart.wordpress.com)
Weekly Photo Challenge: Up (turtlestravel.com)

Guest Post: Vivian’s View From Here – Part II

Published on March 14, 2013August 23, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry30 Comments

I’m baaack!

Hello there, Peeps. Vivian K. Perry here, Jennifer’s (dare I say) favourite cat. Just don’t tell my sister Maisie, capiche?

Jennifer asked me back to host her blog today, because she is a little bogged down writing an especially exciting chapter of her new novel.

Whatever! I was happy to oblige, nonetheless. This is my second time guest blogging on Jennifer’s Journal. If you’re interested, and I’m sure you are because I’m so cute, you can see my first post from last summer here.

Maisie and I do agree on one thing: we are getting bored with the cold weather. We miss the summer days of hunting little creatures, and basking in the sun. It is warming up a bit, but it’s still darn chilly on the paws most days.

So we while away the hours with our indoor activities.

**Still looking pretty spiffy there, Alex**

Nice! A little something for my wish list. — **Nice! But do they come with kitties on them?**

Lying on legs, one of our best loved pastimes — **Lying on humans, one of our best-loved pastimes**

Sometimes, we get on each other’s nerves, as sisters often do. I was thinking Maisie looked entirely too comfortable having our little house all to herself, so I had to act.

There. That's better. — **There. That’s better.**

Of course, at other times Maisie and I are closer-than-this:

Maisie lets me cuddle her when she's cold — **Maisie lets me cuddle her when she’s cold**

But what is my Number One Favourite Activity?

That’s right,
Dreaming of Summer

Thank you for visiting Vivian’s View from Here! We hope you enjoyed it. 🙂

Would you like to see more of Maisie and Vivian? Check out these links:

Cats on Ice: Exploring Spring Thaw in Iceberg Alley

Vivian’s View from Here – Part I

Foliage (and Other Living Things)

The Liebster Award and Sharing the Love

Published on March 6, 2013August 23, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry18 Comments

Yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to learn my blog has been nominated for the Liebster Award, by Alessia and Fabrizio, the authors of a lovely blog I’ve been recently following, Maple&Saffron.

Thank you, Alessia and Fabrizio! I recommend for my readers to check out this wonderful cooking and travel blog, by a couple who have immigrated to Canada from a country I adore, Italy.

Here are the rules for this award:

When you receive the award, you post 11 random facts about yourself and answer 11 questions from the person who nominated you.
Pass the award onto 11 other blogs (make sure you tell them you nominated them!) and ask them 11 questions.
You are not allowed to nominate the blog who nominated you!
Make sure the blogs you choose have 200 or less followers ( I did the best I could with this, but sorry, I might’ve cheated on some).

Okay, time to get down to business. Here are my random facts:

I have the worst handwriting of anybody I know. Good thing I can type well.
I am eight months younger than my husband.
I have one older brother and one younger sister. And you know what they say about the middle child.
Being in nature calms my spirit.
I have a cat figurine collection.
There is a sandy beach 25 yards from our front door.
I like a good joke and a thoughtful quote, some of the reasons I still use Facebook.
I feel more comfortable in small groups, or just one on one conversation.
I can’t imagine a life without pets.
I worked in a bank for about 15 years.
I consider my daughter and my son my most significant contributions to this world.

Maple&Saffron ask:

If you were to leave for a trip in 5 minutes, what are the 3 things you’d take with you? An easy one, if we are talking living things and a long trip: my husband and our two cats. If not, my iPad, straightening iron, and camera.
What instrument have you ever wanted to learn to play? The piano. The guitar is a close second (tried three times but never stuck with it ).
Which recipe do you really love cooking? Not exactly a single recipe, but a big turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
What’s your favourite song when you’re travelling? Hmm..only one? That’s hard. Life Is A Highway? 🙂
You’ve just landed in Italy: what’s the first dish you wish to taste? Any kind of pasta! Or maybe margherita pizza..
Mountains, hilltops or beaches: where would you go on vacation? Anywhere is fine with me if the weather is nice, and it’s not too crowded
What’s the best thing about your country? Lots of open spaces and open minds
How do you like spending your day off? Getting outdoors for a walk or a hike, or sitting on our deck in the summer
What’s your favourite world cuisine? Italian
If you could only save one of your books, which one would you choose? One of my poetry anthologies
What role/part would you like to play in a movie? Another tough one, but I went with Ripley in Alien.

Here are my nominations, lovely blogs on some of my favourite topics. For those of you nominated who don’t do awards or don’t have time to participate, please know that I understand. For those who do, thank you for participating. Your questions to answer are after the nominations list.

Nature is my Therapy

One More Day

trifles

Welcome to my Mind, Pull up a Chair

Kurt Rees poetry

bliss in images

lindatownsdin

Cauldrons and Cupcakes

Almost Spring

talktodiana

onewildword

What is your favourite book genre to read?
How long have you been blogging and what made you start?
Name your favourite meal.
If you could go anywhere in the world on your next vacation, where would you go?
What is your most prized possession?
What is your favourite way to relax?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Which do you prefer: music, TV, or theatre?
What movie did you see in the past year that you liked?
Who is the most important person in your life?
What are you most passionate about in life?

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What could be more universal, in any language, in any country, than a freely-given smile? When you see a smiling face, does it make you happy too?

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