Canada – Page 17 – Jennifer's Journal

Road Trip: Eastport Peninsula

Published on December 11, 2015December 11, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry32 Comments

Earlier this fall, Paul and I visited the Eastport Peninsula in the central part of Bonavista Bay. With an economy that traditionally focused on its rich natural resources, it has become one of Newfoundland’s most popular tourist destinations. The peninsula is home to sandy beaches, motels, cottages, campgrounds, bed & breakfasts and inns, and is part of The Road to The Beaches tourism region.

Eastport Peninsula - photo credit: tango7174 — **Eastport Peninsula** – *photo credit: tango7174*

NLC_Eastport5_tango7174 — **Salvage Bay** – *photo credit: tango7174*

This pretty peninsula extends from Terra Nova National Park and follows the coastline along Newman Sound to the south, around the community of Salvage, around Salvage Bay to the east and then following Damnable Bay, Morris Channel, Fair and False Bay, Bloody Reach and Northeast Arm on the north.

Don’t you love the funny place names?

After Paul finished his work in Eastport and before we retreated to our cabin for the night, we took a drive out to the farthest point of the peninsula. This drive brought us through Salvage, population 174. Most of the residents there are retirees.

Canadian radio host Michael Enright calls the 9 kilometre walk from Salvage to Eastport “the most beautiful in the world.” Even though it was on the damp side during our visit, I could certainly see why he calls it that. With its peaceful winding road lined with trees, foliage and gorgeous, tidy properties, I could also see why someone would choose to spend their retirement years there.

Of course being a fan of all things feathery,
I had to stop to get up close and personal with the lovely ducks in the area.

I told Paul – and the ducks – that I would love to return to the Park next summer. A longer stay in this area of the island is a highly anticipated holiday for me when the weather warms up again.

Blogger Bouquet #32

Published on November 30, 2015March 21, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry

Selfies and the people who take a lot of them often get a bad rap. Here is a refreshingly different perspective on the topic from a blog called The Belle Jar :

An Open Letter To All Of My Friends Who Take Selfies

Comments are closed here but you can share a comment on the blogger’s page.

Man of a Thousand Songs

Published on November 20, 2015November 20, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry33 Comments

A Newfoundland legend has passed.

Ron Hynes lost his battle with cancer yesterday, but the St. John’s native and the “man of a thousand songs” will be remembered in this province as one of our best and most talented singer-songwriters.

I’ve loved Ron’s music ever since he performed as front man with the Wonderful Grand Band on a local early-80’s TV show. But when I saw him sing and play at the Fat Cat on George Street one night in the early nineties, I knew he would be an enduring musical storyteller and an artistic treasure.

Sonny’s Dream, his most famous song internationally, has been recorded by many artists such as Valdy and Emmy Lou Harris. Have a listen:

As much as I love that song, the following is perhaps my personal favourite. The lyrics alone, in my opinion, elevate its author Ron to the deserving title of our finest wordsmith and poet.

St. John’s Waltz
by Ron Hynes

Oh the harbour lights are gleaming
And the evening’s still and dark
And the seagulls are all dreaming
Seagull dreams on Amherst Rock
And the mist is slowly drifting
As the storefront lights go dim
And the moon is gently lifting
As the last ship’s coming in

All the sailors got a story
Some are true, some are false
But they’re always wrecked
and they’re up on the deck
Dancin’ the St. John’s Waltz

Amherst Rock Jennifer's Journal — Fort Amherst (Amherst Rock)
*Jennifer’s Journal*

Oh we’ve had out share of history
We’ve seen nations come and go
We’ve seen battles rage over land and stage
Four hundred years and more
For glory or for freedom
For country or for king
Or for money or fame but there are no names
On the graves where men lie sleeping

All the nine to fives survive the day
With a sigh and a dose of salts
And they’re parkin’ their cars and packin’ the bars RON-HYNES
Dancin’ the St. John’s Waltz

Oh my heart is on the highway
And I’m sold on goin’ to sea
All the planes fill the skyway
The trains run swift and free
So leave the wayward free to wander
Leave the restless free to roam
If it’s rocks in the bay or it’s old cliche
You’ll find your way back home

So don’t question or inquire
What’s been gained, what’s been lost
In a world of romance don’t miss out on the chance
To be Dancin’ the St. John’s Waltz

Rest in peace, Mr. Hynes.
Your music will continue to live on through our playlists and in our hearts.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/ron-hynes-death-reaction-1.3327456

Luminous

Published on November 12, 2015November 16, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry29 Comments

Luminous: radiating or reflecting light; shining, bright.

**Overlooking Barbour Tickle on a brilliant autumn day**

☀️

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**The shores off the Point** **bathed in milky sunlight**

Direct observation of the luminous essence of nature is for me indispensable. – Robert Delaunay

Be luminous. Don’t adapt yourself to the circumstances around you but change them to be better. Always take your sunshine wherever you go. – Islam Elnady

I believe there is luminosity hiding in the shadow of the mundane. And things that hover on the periphery of our vision. If that’s magic, then I believe in it. – Natasha Mostert

Photo Challenge: Luminous

Three Day Quote Challenge

Lightning Show

Published on August 12, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry30 Comments

On the 2nd of August, we had a thunder and lightning storm that lasted for seven hours, the longest one we’ve witnessed since we moved to Perry’s Point (nearly) five years ago. There was torrential rain off and on throughout, but these pics were taken during the dry lightning act of the show.

This time, I can’t take credit for the photography. My daughter Denise and her husband Dave captured parts of the electrical event on their cellphones during their visit with us. I had no idea smartphones could take such great pictures!

Notice, in most of them, the phenomenon of shelf clouds with the bonus of the setting sun in the shrouded background.

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Tomorrow we have a high Humidex warning with values approaching mid-thirties.
More unsettled weather may be coming.

Eek! Could another thunderstorm be on its way?

Inspired

Published on August 5, 2015August 5, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry31 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? 😉 )

092 (1024x509) 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. 052 (1024x683) The sea is a living thing: mercurial, organic, merciless, and endlessly beautiful. 035 (1024x461) 2. I’ve always had a passion for all animals (no, not just my cats! 😉 ).
Horses, dogs, whales, and birds… 102 (1024x683) …natural beings of the forest and untamed creatures of the sea and sky. 058 (1024x683)

3. My granddaughter inspires me with her sunny smile, her boundless energy and curiosity, and her sweet innocent, loving heart.

036 (1024x861) 4. My grandson inspires me with those impossibly long eyelashes, his sense of humour, his quick wit, and his infectious laughter (even when he teases his crinkly Nanny). 037 (1024x902) 5. 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… 055 (1024x683) … 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? 064 (1024x683)

“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

“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

Do you have special childhood memories of exploring Nature?

What fills you with inspiration? Do tell!

Sea and Sky

Published on July 21, 2015May 17, 2018 by J. Kelland Perry47 Comments

We might not have the greatest weather in Newfoundland, but we do have some of the loveliest views.

I can’t seem to get enough of our local brand of vitamin Sea.

Beautiful view from Signal Hill, St. John's — **Beautiful View from Signal Hill, St. John’s**

This photo from my hometown/birthplace.

I have a treasure trove of pics from our visit to the town of Bonavista.
This one is perfect for the theme of half sea and half sky.

I took this one evening from the lovely Garden Cove Walking Trail,
while we were staying in Kilmory.

Of course, this post would not be complete without a view from our own backyard.

“Smell the sea and feel the sky.
Let your soul and spirit fly.”
~ Van Morrison

Do you find the sea and sky as naturally therapeutic as I do?

***

PHOTO CHALLENGE: Half and Half
This week, let’s split our photos in two.

Travel Theme: Land meets Water
(… meets sky? 😉 )

Berg Watching

Published on June 2, 2015June 2, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry57 Comments

Iceberg Alley is what we call the area stretching from the coast of Labrador to the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland, and the best time for viewing bergs is late May and early June.

Saturday was beautiful and sunny, so Paul and I decided to drive to Greenspond to see if there were any icebergs close enough for good snaps. Before we entered the town, we were delighted to meet a few of them next to Greenspond’s causeway.

may 2015 178 (1280x741) — **I can’t remember ever getting this close to a berg so huge!**

**This group climbed down on the rocks to get a closer look.**

may 2015 040 (1280x1180) — **Close-up of a tiny waterfall on the iceberg.**

may 2015 183 (1280x776) — **Loving Nature’s sculptures**

We drove on into Greenspond to discover even more of the frozen beauties from the North.

may 2015 111 (1280x383) — **Well, hello there, giant hunk of glacier!**

may 2015 090 (1280x578) — **Such a pretty backdrop**

**This one makes me think of a flying saucer. Notice the deep blue middle.**

may 2015 070 (1280x518) — **A splendid view from this property.**

One more look from the causeway on our way back — **One last look from the causeway on our way back**

Have you ever gotten up close and personal with an iceberg?

Forces of Nature

Published on May 14, 2015June 20, 2018 by J. Kelland Perry32 Comments

Once again, iceberg season has arrived in Newfoundland.

Icebergs are beautiful to photograph and are a huge Force of Nature ( we only have to think of the Titanic disaster ) but the pack ice that often accompanies them can wreak their own special havoc. In our part of the world, these masses of moving ice interfere with fishing and sometimes even trap whales and dolphins.

In the area of Bonavista Bay North where I live, the water is too shallow to allow the big icebergs to get very close, but we do see plenty of pack ice and bergy bits.

Enter the seagulls. These hardy scavenger birds are so well-adapted to this rugged environment, I am in awe. Their ability to not only survive, but to thrive here, may well be called another force of nature.

Like all of our feathered friends in the northern hemisphere, seagulls mate in spring. This is the time of year in Newfoundland we see them answer to their instinct and pair off to procreate. They are monogamous, usually with one mate for life.

On the evening I took these photos, the setting sun cast interesting shadows and hues upon the ice and the water.

Of course, speaking of a force of nature, our Vivian needed to be a part of it all.

What Forces of Nature do you have in your backyard?

Easter Week with the Kids

Published on April 8, 2015April 8, 2015 by J. Kelland Perry28 Comments

This week is a definite departure from the usual routine at our house.
My daughter and her family came to visit on Good Friday, and we had a fun weekend together. Denise and Dave went back to town on Sunday, leaving the children with us for their entire Easter holidays. Here are a few photos.