Newfoundland – Jennifer's Journal

Calmer Girls: 10th Anniversary of my Debut Novel

Published on March 24, 2026 by J. Kelland Perry15 Comments

Ten years ago today, my first novel Calmer Girls was published. I’m sharing a post from one year later, Calmer Girls Setting in Pictures, to give you an idea of how my birthplace of St. John’s, NL made for such a wonderful setting.

CALMER GIRLS SETTING IN PICTURES

Although Calmer Girls is a fictional tale, its Canadian setting certainly isn’t.

It was fun writing a pair of novels set in my birthplace of St. John’s, Newfoundland, and perhaps the following pictorial will better explain why it had inspired me. After all, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words!

All of these locations are featured in scenes throughout the first novel. Calmer Cove is not included as it is semi-fictional.

Samantha and her sister took their first ride in Ben Swift’s T-bird to Signal Hill and along the harbourfront. Later, Samantha took pictures of a cruise ship in the Narrows.

**Cabot Tower on Signal Hill – National Historic site**

**Where Ben Swift lives: Gower Street, in all its vibrant colours**

**Where Samantha, Veronica and their mother live: Military Road**

**Cape Spear. Sam, Ben and Kalen visit here. This is the oldest original lighthouse structure in the province.**

**x 2: Aerial view of Cape Spear – the most easterly point in all of North America**

**x 3: Cape Spear National Historic Site – new lighthouse**
Newfoundland, Canada

**House similar to rich girl Crystal’s. She has a party one night where Ben loses his temper. (Canada House on Circular Road, Heritage Property)**

**St. John’s Regatta at Quidi Vidi Lake, where Samantha and Ben share their first kiss.**

**Bannerman Park, where Samantha and Ben get busted while kissing. Also where Ben loses it – again! – and punches his buddy Kalen in the face.**

**The War Memorial, where Ben finally confesses his depression to Samantha.**

**Planned Parenthood – NL Sexual Health Centre, where Veronica visits!**

Thanks for visiting my hometown, which is, in my opinion,
one of the most vibrant and colourful places on earth.

Photo sources: NL Tourism, Government sites, Wikipedia, Google (public domain)

Come back next time for Part 2: Calmer Secrets Setting

Calmer Girls Setting in Pictures

Published on April 25, 2017April 27, 2017 by J. Kelland Perry29 Comments

Although Calmer Girls is a fictional tale, its Canadian setting certainly isn’t.

All of these locations are featured in scenes throughout the first novel. Calmer Cove is not included as it is semi-fictional.

Samantha and her sister took their first ride in Ben Swift’s T-bird to Signal Hill and along the harbourfront. Later, Samantha took pictures of a cruise ship in the Narrows.

Thanks for visiting my hometown, which is, in my opinion,
one of the most vibrant and colourful places on earth.

Photo sources: NL Tourism, Government sites, Wikipedia, Google (public domain)

Come back next time for Part 2: Calmer Secrets Setting

My Buttercup Runneth Over

Published on July 21, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry17 Comments

Vivian’s View From Here: Kilmory Getaway

Published on July 12, 2015August 23, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry28 Comments

Welcome back, my peeps and pets, to Vivian’s View From Here.
Today we take a page from my Summer Travel Diary.
Our “staff” took a break from St. John’s this past week
to spend three nights at Kilmory Resort near Swift Current.
It was beautiful and secluded there in our pine log chalet,
which, of course, was right up our alley.
Maisie and I especially loved the loft, because we like perching up high.
So peaceful, so cozy…
We weren’t particularly fond of the noise from the jacuzzi jets, however.
But we appreciated the bird’s-eye view of our beloved staff.
Here I am practising my “lumbersexual” poses. That’s a thing!
If you never heard of it, go google it! I’ll wait. 🙂
As nice and comfy as it was, after a while
we grew weary of having to staying indoors.
“Hey, I hear lots of birds and squirrels!”
Maisie meows. “Can you please let us out?”
After all, we’re used to going out all the time on Perry’s Point.
And look how beautiful and sunny it is out there!
Please???
Begging works! Our staff fashioned makeshift leashes,
so we could explore outdoors for a bit.

Thanks for dropping by, everyone!
~ head bumps & nose kisses,
Vivian

Kilmory Resort

My “Backyard” – Pt. 2: The Beach

Published on September 15, 2014September 15, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry37 Comments

As the last tranquil days of summer disappear, I am drawn to the warmth of the sandy beaches that encircle Perry’s Point.

For a few moments, I can almost forget colder days are approaching…

071 — **This stretch of sand is begging for bare feet.**

“To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower,
hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.”
~ William Blake

It’s good to see that the beach birds are still around.
The sandpipers and plovers seem to be in no hurry to wing their way south for the winter.

086 — **Among the strands and clumps of kelp, there must be lots of yummy tidbits for them to eat.**

087 — **Notice how some like to stand on one leg.**

092 — **The different species get along fairly well, sharing nature’s bounty.**

098 — **Due to global warming, many species of birds in North America are dwindling in numbers, and the numbers on protected and endangered lists are increasing.**

099 — **I hope you never face extinction, my precious feathered friends.**

101 — **This one appears to have something to say about it all.**

105 — **I love their plump little bodies…**

114 — **Vivian doesn’t go down to the beach unless she has company…**

115 — **…Good thing for the beach birds!**

“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.” ~ Charles Darwin

Thank you for stopping by to enjoy the beach with me, and Summer’s last hurrah. 🙂

Has Fall arrived where you live?

My “Backyard” – Part 1

Published on September 8, 2014September 14, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry31 Comments

“If one really loves nature, one can find beauty everywhere.”
~ Vincent van Gogh

There is something about this time of year, before the advent of autumn, that I love about life on Perry’s Point.

Unconventional to say the least, my backyard here in Newfoundland has no fences, save for one side shared with our neighbour.

One day last week I got out early with my camera, hoping to capture the soft morning light.

The grass is still glistening with dew. — **The grass still glistens with dew.**

It's shaping up to be a splendid September day. — **It’s shaping up to be another splendid September day.**

View from the back door. — **View of the islands from the back door**

Vivian is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. — **Vivian joins me, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.**

Maisie is looking for a belly rub. — **Maisie begs shamelessly for a belly rub.**

The outermost point of land on Perry's Point — **View from our deck of the outermost point of land on Perry’s Point**

**Walking toward the brink. Around here they call it a “beel”, which I believe to be a slang version of “bill”, or small peninsula.**

036 — **This morning the bay is calm and serene.**

The inukshuk my husband made this summer — **The Inukshuk my husband made this summer**

The "Rock Cove", where rainwater collects — **The “Rock Cove”, where rainwater collects**

An ideal source of drinking water for our feathered friends. We've seen a few indulge in birdbaths here too. — **It’s an ideal source of fresh drinking water for our feathered friends. We’ve seen a few indulge in bird baths here too.**

The patridgeberries are ripening, on schedule for picking next month. — **The partridgeberries are ripening, on schedule for picking next month.**

I don't know what kind these are. Do you? — **I don’t know what kind these are. Do you?**

Neighbour Ben's buoys and bobbers — **Neighbour Ben’s fishing buoys and bobbers**

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”
~ Albert Einstein

Join me next Monday for: My “Backyard”- Part 2: The Beach

Sunshine, Surf and Sand

Published on August 24, 2013March 24, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry26 Comments

Is there anything that captures the carefree magic of summer more than spending warm days playing at the beach? When the kids came to visit this week, they happily took advantage of the many delights the seaside has to offer.

Our little girl made a new friend :) — Our little girl makes a new friend 🙂

Building sand castles, catching hermit crabs in their little shells – and releasing them again – jumping over frothy waves and off of sand dunes, letting their dog run free, all this and more made for a memorable summer holiday.

Nico loved his newfound freedom — Nico loves his newfound freedom

Nico probably had the best vacation a dog ever had. The freedom to explore the coastline, running after beach birds that couldn’t be caught, he was a joy to watch as he galloped across the sand in wide circles around us.

Our little girl played with her new friend from Ontario every chance she got, as if they had always known each other. When the time came to say goodbye, she cried, but they exchanged addresses and made plans to become pen pals until they could see each other again. 🙂

The day they left, our little boy said he wished he lived here because he didn’t have a “backyard beach” at home.

Come back for more fun any time you want, precious boy. — Come back for more fun any time you want, precious children.

Travel Theme: Play
Weekly Photo Challenge: Focus

Travel Theme: Architecture

Published on August 12, 2013March 24, 2014 by J. Kelland Perry28 Comments

Ailsa’s travel-themed photo challenge this week is Architecture.

While I was out and about in the older section of St. John’s last month, I stopped to admire some of the colourful Victorian rowhouses near the downtown. Tourists come every year looking for the street called Jelly Bean Row, but there is no one street. It is the nickname given to all the vibrantly painted row houses in the downtown area.

For fellow Canadians familiar with the CBC television show Republic of Doyle, this is the outside shot of the "Doyle household" — For fellow Canadians familiar with the CBC television show Republic of Doyle, this is the outside shot used for the “Doyle household”.

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