Category: Scenery

Sunday Snaps: the Old and the New

Published on by J. Kelland Perry33 Comments

Most communities exist in a balance of the old and the new. Newtown, like every Newfoundland community, is no exception.

Friday was a bright and beautiful day, giving me the perfect opportunity to capture the contrasts.

First, the old:

This is the front view of a century-old fishing stage. If you think it looks ready to topple over in this photo, take a look at the side view:

I’ve shared this little shed on my blog before. It’s still hanging on to that rock for dear life!

A decrepit fishing boat reminds me of a beached whale.

Now for something new—a pretty spot to sit and enjoy the seascape:

A miniature lighthouse makes a picturesque addition.

Check out the new bird blind, a part of our wetland wildlife habitat:

A bird-watcher’s delight

Inside the blind

“There is magic in the old and magic in the new: the trick is to successfully combine the two.” ~ A. D. Posey

Thanks for tagging along!

Cityscape: the Big Apple*

Published on by J. Kelland Perry24 Comments

In June of 2002, husband Paul and I took a trip by car to New York City. We were attending my cousin’s wedding in Nova Scotia that month, so we settled on a plan to extend our vacation afterwards and to take in some of Maine and Massachusetts on our way to the Big Apple.

View of Manhattan Skyline on our Liberty Cruise Boat Tour

With our plan already in place when 9/11 happened, we thought about cancelling the U.S. leg of the trip, but ultimately decided to go anyway. No trouble to notice the absence of the Twin Towers in the photo above, as well as the absence of the new Freedom Tower.

I will never forget our visit to Ground Zero.

View of New York from the Empire State Building
Atop the Empire State Building

In retrospect, I’m glad we didn’t cancel. It was a memorable experience all around.

*Photo Challenge: Cityscape by Nancy Merrill Photography

Sunday Snap: Giving Thanks

Published on by J. Kelland Perry22 Comments

I know 2020 has been a year like no other, but still . . .

I’m thankful for my health.
I’m grateful for my home and who I share it with.
I’m thankful for a world of diverse cultures, colours, and wonders.
I’m grateful for the people who fill my life—and have filled my life—with love, sunshine, and warmth.

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” – Melody Beattie

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” – Willie Nelson

“The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” – Mary Davis

♥ ♥ ♥

 Happy Thanksgiving,
Canada. 

Sunday Snaps: Buoys of Summer

Published on by J. Kelland Perry32 Comments

In a fishing village like Newtown, you will often see brightly-painted buoys adorning fences, rails and walls, particularly in summer.

While buoys of all types are still used for fishing. . .

. . . many are adapted solely for decoration.

As fall approaches, most of the buoys will be put away until next summer, but some embellish the landscape all year round.

buoysWhen creating the title for this post, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the Don Henley song, The Boys of Summer.

“I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
after the boys of summer have gone.”

Of course, if you are from anywhere besides the U.S., my play on words makes sense.
All other English-speaking countries pronounce buoy like “boy”, whereas most Americans pronounce it “boo-ee”. I wonder why.

And if that’s the case, how do Americans pronounce “buoyant” and “buoyancy”?

How do you pronounce buoy?
Do tell!

(And can you tell I’m not
ready for summer to end?)

Sunday Snap: Focus

Published on by J. Kelland Perry24 Comments

Pic and a Word Challenge: Depth of Field

While my latest book is on submission, I’ve recently shifted my focus to photography (see what I did there? 😉 ). I’m starting an online course this week to study what my Canon camera can actually do beyond my usual point and click.

What is Depth of Field?
“Depth of field is the distance between the closest and farthest objects in a photo that appears acceptably sharp. Now your camera can only focus sharply at one point. But the transition from sharp to un-sharp is gradual, and the term ‘acceptably sharp’ is a loose one! Without getting too technical, how you will be viewing the image, and at what size you will be looking at it are factors that contribute to how acceptably sharp an image is.”  ~ photographylife.com

My humble contribution: I captured the above photo when my daughter and her family came to visit. My grandson took a shine to this gorgeous little caterpillar we found near Cape Freels beach.

Speaking of online courses, I’ve also signed up for a certificate course through the University of Alberta called Indigenous Canada, which includes 12 lessons that explore Indigenous histories and contemporary issues from an Indigenous perspective. The course is also accessible outside of Canada. For more info, click here.

Never curb your lifelong desire to learn, my friends. Focus on something new, to you! 🙂

Vivian’s View From Here: “They say it’s my birthday”

Published on by J. Kelland Perry39 Comments

Hello, my peeps! Apparently it’s my 13th birthday today, so I guess I have cause to celebrate.

Me when I was a baby

Me today

I was feeling down and lonely because this birthday marks my first trip around the sun without my sweet sister Maisie. The good news though, is that I had a special visitor!

Archie

No no no—not that dog, Archie, who came here with his family this week. I’m glad he’s gone home.

I had a very unexpected visitor to Perry’s Point this weekend: a seal!

We usually see seals around here during the winter or spring, not in August. I wonder did he get lost? I hope not. In any case, his arrival caused a bit of a stir and had everyone running for their phones and cameras, including our neighbour Wayne. Here are a couple he captured with his camera.

Isn’t he pretty?

Not as pretty as me, of course.

I wish one and all a lovely Sunday
and hope you’ll celebrate with me!
♥ ♥ ♥

RDP: Fringe

Published on by J. Kelland Perry23 Comments

The wild grasses on Perry’s Point are freakishly tall this summer. Most of it is topped with a feathery fringe that dances in the sun and sways in the breeze. I can stare at it for hours!

Fitting too, seeing as I live on the fringe of an island on the fringe of North America. 😉

Ragtag Daily Prompt for Monday: Fringe

Summer Evening

Published on by J. Kelland Perry21 Comments

Close of hot June day—
soft sea breeze, high crescent moon,
cool waves kiss the shore.

We’ve enjoyed a bit of a heat wave this past week, an unusually early occurrence here in the easternmost province of Canada.

I call it a bonus because our summers are notoriously short, and after a long winter and spring, warm sun-filled days are more than welcome. I’m also grateful for the coastal breezes that keep things temperate.

This is my contribution to A Photo a Week Challenge: Dusk – nancy merrill photography

Sunday Snaps: Found Art in Driftwood

Published on by J. Kelland Perry35 Comments

“Driftwood seal on rock” – August 25, 2019

“A photographer must possess and retain the receptive faculties of a child who watches the world for the first time.” ~ Bill Brandt, British photographer

“Driftwood seal on rock” – February 29, 2020

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” ~ Elliott Erwitt, American photographer

I don’t know about you,
but I much prefer the summer version at the moment!

Happy Thanksgiving, Fellow Canadians

Published on by J. Kelland Perry22 Comments

This weekend, my sister and her husband came to visit and spend Thanksgiving with us. The weather was lovely on Friday and Saturday and we had a wonderful time together, as always.

Here are a few pics little sis took around the point and gave me permission to share. Thanks, Lynn.

“Hello, Auntie!”

“Turkey makes me so sleepy…”