Travel – Jennifer's Journal

Evergreen Post: Dad in The Big Land*

Published on June 18, 2023 by J. Kelland Perry27 Comments

Thinking of you today, Dad, and every day. Revisiting a favourite post from 2015 to honour you on Father’s Day. ❤️

These days, few of us experience the old-fashioned pleasure of receiving a letter by standard mail. So imagine my joy to find, tucked inside a Christmas card from my aunt in the U.S., a handwritten note, along with a handful of photos sent to her from my father.

She writes:

“Dear Jennifer – A note to enclose with these snapshots sent to me many years ago. They are precious to me, but belong in your heart and your home. It was a great adventure that Ralph shared with me over the phone lines. – Lovingly, Irene.”

Discussing this with my aunt recently, she was unable to nail down the year they were taken, but she believes Dad made the trip to Labrador in the mid to late fifties. That would make him, at the youngest, twenty-one, and still single.

An added bonus: his familiar handwriting scrawled on the back of each snapshot. ♥

I have captioned each one with his words.

A closer look:
I love his outfit. Lots of layers, warm boots, yet he is wearing a jacket, shirt and tie, and his hair is perfect.

01-03-~2 (4) (1) — **Our plane at Gander before takeoff 4:30 pm**

This begs more questions: why did he fly out of Gander and not St. John’s? Who was he with and who took the pictures? Why did he make this trip to Labrador? Unfortunately, we are fuzzy on all the details.

01-03-~2 (2) (1) — **Crossing the bays to Hopedale**

01-03-~2 (3) (1) — **Deserted shack and our dog-sled at Big Bay between Hopedale and Davis Inlet**

01-03-~2 (5) — **At Makkovik with “husky” pups.**

If only he and I could sit down and have a chat together about his adventure in “The Big Land.” In any case, I cannot put into words how good it feels to see my father’s young face again. ♥

Have you ever gotten mail that made your day?

Is there someone you love and miss with all your heart?

*Previously published in 2015 here.

Further Reading: Labrador, the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador

Exploring my Island: Port au Port Peninsula

Published on April 1, 2023April 1, 2023 by J. Kelland Perry31 Comments

They say that travelling to places you’ve never been before is good for your brain, especially as you age. The island of Newfoundland is quite large and is the perfect place to accomplish this, with its ancient rock formations, dense forests and breathtaking coastlines and seascapes.

I know, I know—there’s no big culture shock from travelling within my own province, but it’s still nice to sightsee in locales we haven’t visited before. As I mentioned in a previous post, Paul’s work affords us many short road trips to all corners of the island, and we try to visit little nooks and crannies of interest in between.
So when we found out about site visits to two schools on the Port au Port Peninsula last August, we were particularly happy to go. We’ve both been up and down the west coast but never there. And this would be our chance to visit the only peninsula on the island that we’d never been!

**Port au Port Peninsula is that tiny arrow shape on the west coast.**

We booked a two-night stay at The Inn at the Cape on Cape St. George. It was lovely, the host was friendly, and the breakfasts were wonderful.

“Discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust

We didn’t get to take in everything on that trip but would gladly go back to sightsee what we missed.

“I take to the open road. Healthy, free, the world before me.”
– Walt Whitman

*INN AT THE CAPE

Exploring My Island: The Mighty Gander River

Published on February 26, 2023 by J. Kelland Perry21 Comments

(My apologies if you received a blank post in your inbox previous to this one — I had a glitch. Hope I have it fixed!)

On icy cold days like today, I love to reflect on photos from my summer travels. This selection takes me back to an overnight stay on Gander River last June.

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.

Did you know I have a Newfoundland and Labrador category of posts on this blog? I will add this post to it shortly. Depending on what device you’re on, you can access the list from the menu or from under the header. Or click on here: Newfoundland and Labrador

Photo Prompt: Sail

Published on July 4, 2022July 4, 2022 by J. Kelland Perry33 Comments

We know we should help our environment by reducing waste wherever we can. So with the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” advice in mind, I came up with an idea to repurpose an old favourite sweatshirt of mine.

This is no off-the-rack item. My husband gave it to me years ago after creating the artwork for a St. John’s, NL tour boat company. The owners of the Scademia* sold T-shirts with the new artwork, and Paul gifted me with a sweatshirt.

After a time and tons of wear, the sleeves and neckline became decidedly off-white, so it disappeared into the back of my closet. Recently I was tossing away old clothes, rediscovered it, and came up with this:

**Ready for hanging!** **Not bad, huh?**

*The Scademia, the last of the Grand Banks Schooners, was an icon in the tourism industry for over 25 years. Many people from around the world have walked her decks as she took them out through the narrows on an adventure on the open seas. . . . Many people were married, fell in love, or even got screeched-in aboard of her, including many famous people like rock legend Rod Stewart and the late Pierre Elliott Trudeau. – Facebook

This is my contribution to the RDP Monday prompt: SAIL

Sunday Snaps: Feeding the Birds, Parisian Style

Published on February 6, 2022 by J. Kelland Perry30 Comments

Happy Sunday, all!

This afternoon has me wistfully looking back on our European trip, yet again. For this post in particular, I’m reminiscing about Paris and our visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral.

As enthralling as it was to take a tour inside this extraordinary example of French Gothic architecture, I was equally enamored with the feathery congregation outside!

In April of 2019, a massive fire tore through the roof of the Notre Dame, but a restoration by artisans is in the works. I have a feeling these birds have missed the tourists and will be happy when this historic cathedral reopens in 2024.

By the way, did you know that February is National Bird Feeding Month in the U.S.?

“Birds are the most popular group in the animal kingdom. We feed them and tame them and think we know them. And yet they inhabit a world which is really rather mysterious.” ~ David Attenborough

Photo Challenge: Sunday Stills — Are You a #Bird Feeder?

My photos originally shared here: Scenes From France – Part 3: More Paris!

Which Way?

Published on January 21, 2022 by J. Kelland Perry27 Comments

Happy Friday, all!
Here’s a fun photo challenge from the blog Alive and Trekking.

Which way do I go for my favourite local walking trail?
To Greenspond, of course!

And which way to Bennett Island?
Across the water from Newtown, that’s where.

“It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

While visiting Italy, which way to Siena?
Through this archway!

**Our group entering Siena in Italy.**
**Most of the walls built in the 10th and 11th century still surround the city today.**

And which direction do we go to spend lots of money?
This way!

**Shops and boutiques line many of the streets in Siena.**

Here I am getting ready to leave Grand Central Station
to explore New York City. But which way should I go?
There’s so much to see!

Back in Newfoundland, what is the only way
to enter St. John’s Harbour from the Atlantic Ocean?
Through the Narrows.

**From Signal Hill, watching a boat enter the Narrows of St. John’s Harbour**

“Happiness is a direction, not a place.”
~ Sydney J. Harris

And finally, which way was Maisie going on that lovely August day?
Where was she leading Vivian? Who knows?

“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”
~ George Harrison (and perhaps Louis Carroll?)

Photo Challenge: Which Way by Alive and Trekking

Sunday Snaps: Vanishing Points

Published on October 3, 2021 by J. Kelland Perry23 Comments

To create an illusion of depth in photography, you need perspective. One way to create perspective is by using vanishing points. A vanishing point, or point of convergence, is the spot on the horizon line where the other lines diminish. Sometimes it is visible, other times not.

To start, I’m sharing three of my photos from here in Newfoundland and Labrador. They show fall, winter and summer, in that order.

**Driving to Corner Brook on the Island’s West Coast**

**Looking back at our house from the shovelled path**

**The gang enjoying Cape Island Beach, Cape Freels**

The following three photos were captured during my travels:

“They dealt in transformations; they suggested an endless series of possibilities, extending like the reflections in two mirrors set facing one another, stretching on, replica after replica, to the vanishing point.” – Margaret Atwood

A Photo a Week Challenge: Vanishing Point

Flower of the Day – July 25: Tiger Lily*

Published on July 25, 2021 by J. Kelland Perry18 Comments

During our time away this month, we took our annual trip to the small community of Lead Cove, Trinity Bay. My daughter and family have a second home there, and it’s always nice to visit, especially in the summer.

Their property has lots of beautiful trees, but for this post I’m sharing the tiger lilies.

“Flowers don’t worry about how they’re going to bloom.
They just open up, turn towards the light and that makes them beautiful.“
~ Jim Carrey

I first heard of this quote from writer friend Pamela Wight‘s Instagram page. Thanks for sharing it, Pam. 🙂

*Cee’s Flower of the Day Photo Challenge

Black and White Photos: Buildings

Published on May 13, 2021 by J. Kelland Perry56 Comments

I never get tired of looking at pictures from our trip to Europe. Here are some favourites I revisited for Cee’s Photo Challenge today.

First, a few from Tuscany, Italy.

And on to Paris, France:

And finally, one from Cannes:

Copyright Jennifer Kelland Perry, May 13, 2021
Posted as part of Cee’s Black & White Challenge

Spring Trip Memories: 2019

Published on April 11, 2021 by J. Kelland Perry39 Comments

Since we’ve been enduring day after day of rain, drizzle and fog here in Newfoundland—along with a touch of the white stuff yesterday—I thought it was high time to drag out photos from our last vacation off the island. Hard to believe it’s been almost two years since we flew to sunny Cuba for a week.

The weather was particularly hot and humid this time, but we found ways to keep cool with the help of pools, shady spots, a la carte dining, and lots of cold drinks.