Canada – Jennifer's Journal

Buoys of Summer*

Published on August 28, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry31 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.

When 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?)

*Summer Memories Series

Summer Series: Butterflies and Daisies

Published on August 22, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry15 Comments

“If I had my life to live over, I’d pick more daisies.”
– Don Herold

“We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever.”
– Carl Sagan

Summer and my love for it has been a delightful and major distraction, but of course those days are racing by. As the weather cools, you should see me around more often.

Now, where was I?
Oh yes – he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me…

🌼🦋🌼🦋🌼

Summer Memories Series: Inspired

Published on August 5, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry24 Comments

What is it that inspires our desire to create?

What moves an artist to draw or to paint a picture? What sparks the passion in a writer to pen a poem or a story? What is it that prompts a photographer to run for her camera and try to capture that perfect shot?

Here are a few things that give me continued inspiration:

1. The ocean, which surrounds me. No surprise there, right?

Every day, it is a slightly different colour, morphing between shades of blue sapphire, steel grey, or deep, dark navy with racing waves and frothy white-caps. On other days, it is as calm and flat as a mirror. The sea is a living thing: mercurial, organic, merciless, and endlessly beautiful.

2. I’ve always had a passion for all animals (no, not just my cats! 😉 ). Horses, dogs, whales, and birds… …natural beings of the forest and untamed creatures of the sea and sky.

3. Teaching children about Nature, and why we need to respect it, appreciate it and care for it is a spark for my imagination. I love answering their many questions…… and listening to them tell of their own experiences in the beautiful, natural world.

Have you ever noticed how Children and Nature go so happily together?

“As a child, one has that magical capacity to move among the many eras of the earth; to see the land as an animal does; to experience the sky from the perspective of a flower or a bee; to feel the earth quiver and breathe beneath us..”

~ Valerie Andrews, A Passion for this Earth

“Children are born naturalists. They explore the world with all of their senses, experiment in the environment, and communicate their discoveries to those around them.”

~ Audubon Nature Preschool

Do you have special childhood memories of exploring Nature?

What fills you with inspiration? Do tell!

First posted on this date, August 5, 2015

More Memories: Summer Lovin’*

Published on July 29, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry64 Comments

This evergreen post first appeared on today’s date in 2014. (Gosh, did life seem simpler back then?) We had planned to visit Lead Cove last summer, but couldn’t because of all the wildfire alerts in the area. We are fervently hoping we get to visit there in August. 🙏

☀️☀️☀️

Summer in my province of Newfoundland and Labrador, compared to most of North America, is short but ever so sweet. What makes it so cherished, to my mind?

The following photos were all taken in Lead Cove, the little community where I raised my children.

I love my home for its natural beauty,

its refreshing, rugged and

unspoiled charm,

for its clear and wide blue skies

without a whisper of smog.

I love the clean, sparkling water

and the glistening rocks adorning the coastline

that beg to be traced

and trod upon by eager footsteps.

I love summer in Newfoundland

for its breathtaking views

of seascapes and landscapes

when I embark on a hike.

Whether I traverse

its beaches of sand or

climb its rocky windswept hills,

I know my camera will find its aim.

I embrace it because

the bushes and shrubs,

green and lush,

are heavy with fragrance

and of wild roses in bloom…

…while in the gardens,

the planted perennials are brilliant with colour,

delighted at last

to spread their bright petals to the sun.

I love the hardy trees of Newfoundland…

…as they stretch

their ripe foliage to the sky.

Shot through with rays of sunlight,

a shimmering haze settles over the treetops

like a warm summer veil.

After a long winter and dismal spring

of cold, naked branches,

they, as I do,

breathe a sigh of gratitude

at the return of this warm and golden season.

Are your days filled with Summer Lovin’
where you live?

*All photos and prose are from 2014

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.

The Women of Wild Cove: A Thought-Provoking Future for Only 99¢*

Published on June 1, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry

My latest novel in e-book format is only 99¢ for all of June!

“An intriguing view of the future … I was both thrilled and, at times, appalled with its methods of survival … I love novels that make you think.” – Marie Ann Bailey

“… A love story of the land, of its people, of friendships and of justice.”
– Carol Balawyder

“A timely book – a dystopian future triggered by runaway global warming.” – Atlanta Reader

“Fascinating exploration of a peaceful matriarchal society in a deteriorating & violent world. The book is engaging and suspenseful and hard to put down.” – Luanne Castle

“… An ambitious book that delivers on all fronts … great world-building … and dimensional characters who are easy to root for. I loved the feminist bent as well, along with the Eastern Canadian setting. All in all a great read!” – Carrie

“Two hundred years in the future, society and the environment has collapsed. The story follows the life of Kat, an 18-year-old girl who lives in a matriarchal society in Newfoundland … I found the story captivating and compelling.” – Marie

“Can women rule better than men? Highly recommended to readers who enjoy post-apocalyptic thrillers that raise interesting questions about human nature, power, and control.” – D.W. Peach

“The story balances world-building with real human stakes, and the final choices Kat faces are both heartbreaking and believable.” – Elsie

“A very thought-provoking book.” – Lulu

“A broken lawless world or one ruled by women that seems to work … I settled into my reading chair for what prior experience with this author told me would be a well spun tale.” – Jacqui Murray

*Available on Amazon Kindle, Indigo Kobo, Barnes & Noble Nook, and wherever fine books are sold.

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.