Newfoundland and Labrador – Page 2

A Look Back on the “Dog Days of Summer”

Published on September 13, 2024September 13, 2024 by J. Kelland Perry31 Comments

Dog Days of Summer, according to Websters Dictionary: “the hot and humid period of summer between early July and early September.”

Dog Days of Summer, according to me: having my canine friends come to visit!

First up, SOPHIE RAE!

In July, Sophie came to Newtown for the first time with my son and his fiancée. She is a white golden retriever, is the youngest of our doggies, and just so happens to be turning two today. Happy Birthday, pretty girl!

She had lots of fun exploring Perry’s Point, and even went to Bennett Island with us via the sandbar.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Our next visitors were my daughter and her family in August, and of course they brought ARCHIE!

Archie is six years old, and has visited us before. He beat himself out every day running around the Point, and also went on the sandbar to Bennett Island with us.

He was particularly obsessed with this “ball” while he was here:

Archie always loves to come see us.
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

My sister and her husband were our third visitors. They spent Labour Day weekend with us, with Abbey and Jaxon in tow!

Jaxon is twelve:

…and dear little Abbey is sixteen!

These dogs are more laid back, as you may guess.

But they did go on an adventure to Windmill Bight Park in Lumsden with us, to enjoy some fun in the sun and sand.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Even though everyone knows I’m a cat person first and foremost, I do love and enjoy being around any animal. Thanks so much for making the trip, my loved ones and your pooches! 💕🐾❤️

Sunday Snaps: And Then There Were Two

Published on June 30, 2024 by J. Kelland Perry27 Comments

Back in March, I shared pics of the kitty suncatcher my daughter gave me, in memory of Vivian. You can check it out here: All That We Love Deeply.

One of my longtime blogger friends had mentioned I should have a suncatcher for Vivian’s sister as well:
“You need a little Maisie suncatcher so the sisters can be together again.” – Lois

Well, once more, dear daughter has surprised me with a gift. She found a kitty (the closest she could find to resemble her) to memorialize our Maisie who passed in 2020.

I’ve already shared her on Facebook and Instagram, but I thought all my blogger friends and followers should also have a look.

Aren’t they sweet?

These little mementos bring comfort—and occasional tears—and will have to suffice until we rescue one or two more cats later this year. ❤️

Clouds

Published on June 20, 2024 by J. Kelland Perry22 Comments

Happy first day of summer, friends!
We are experiencing an early heat wave here in Newfoundland, so our longed-for season received an early start.

Last week, while the weather was cooler and we were having our morning coffee out on the deck, we saw a cloud that was nothing short of spectacular. It started with a low bank of fog stretching across the entire horizon, but soon morphed into a tall white marvel.

And just before it dispersed, it grew even bigger:

“A cloudless plain blue sky is like a flowerless garden.” – Terri Guillemets

On the eve of our heat wave, the sky and clouds were an artist’s tableau:

“I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now. From up and down, and still somehow, it’s cloud illusions I recall. I really don’t know clouds at all.” – Joni Mitchell

Happy Easter, Every-Bunny!

Published on March 31, 2024March 31, 2024 by J. Kelland Perry16 Comments

Photo Challenge: Dramatic – Part 2*

Published on January 20, 2024January 20, 2024 by J. Kelland Perry31 Comments

Here is the second (and final) instalment of dramatic photo highlights from my blogging archives. I’ll start with two “vivid skies” left over from Part 1:

I wasn’t long running for my camera when this giant funnel cloud appeared by our house a few years ago. At first I thought it was a tornado!

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Cotton candy clouds at sunset are always a summery treat:

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A perennial favourite—my clothespins encased in a glaze of ice:

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A spider and her web I discovered on my kitchen window one misty summer night. I was amazed by the detail:

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This ghostly tree caught my eye one November, outside a Grand Falls-Windsor inn:

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Berg watching in Greenspond was a delight that day in June 2015.

Admiring Nature’s sculptures in Iceberg Alley. Check out the entire blog post here.

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“Study Nature, love Nature, stay close to Nature.
It will never fail you.”

—Frank Lloyd Wright

*Photo Challenge: LAPC: Dramatic

A Look Back on 2023*

Published on December 31, 2023December 31, 2023 by J. Kelland Perry40 Comments

I honestly can’t believe how fast this year flew by. 2023 was quite eventful, what with signing a new publishing contract—YAY!—as well as reaching a couple of personal milestones. More on those in a bit.

Not everything was rosy, however.

As many of you know, we had to say goodbye to our Vivian in November. Eight weeks later, the grief is still so raw, so fresh. I think the only way to ease the loss is to rescue another cat, or two, come spring.

Now for the milestones.
In 2023, our house here on Perry’s Point turned one hundred years old!

We’ve lived here since we left the city in 2010, with very few regrets. Paul and I love it here next to the ocean and away from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

If you haven’t already, check out my post from 2020, Ten Years in This Old House, to see how we spruced it up before we moved in.

Milestone Number 2: On August 15th, Paul and I celebrated our silver wedding anniversary.

25 years married to my best friend. Of course Paul always reminds me we were together four years before our wedding day. 💕

I am deeply thankful on this New Year’s Eve for many things, and one of them is having you, my blogger friends, in my life. Each of you have made blogging much more meaningful than I ever thought possible when I started this journey.
Which just so happened to be on New Year’s Eve, 2011.

Wishing you good health and happiness in 2024!

How was your 2023?

*RDP Prompt: Looking Back

Autumn Walk: “Across the Farm”*

Published on November 6, 2023November 6, 2023 by J. Kelland Perry29 Comments

When I first moved to Newtown back in 2010, my husband Paul told me how he used to play in “the farm” as a child.
“Show me this farm!” I said.
“Oh, it isn’t actually a farm anymore,” he chuckled. “But we used to play Cowboys and Indians, and climb the big rocks over there. Folks pick berries there now.”

In recent years, the farm trail has been upgraded and storyboards have been added.

The Farm: “In the late 1860’s and into the 1900’s, there were two ways to get from Perry’s Point to E & S Barbour’s and William Barbour and Son’s businesses. The long way was a semicircle past the Greens and Tulk’s houses, but usually when asked which way you had gone, the answer would be across “the Farm”.

“Uncle Ned Green had a long “hen’s house” . . . and in the summer, horses would gather to feed and were not driven away. This was the area where all young kids would play games, climb the rocks, and build mud and wooden huts. The Farm became their playground in the summer and a place for snow sledding in the winter. It was also a great place to pick berries in late summer.”

Did you know Beothuk children played here long before Paul and his friends did?

”Nature gives us so much: clean air, beautiful landscape, breathtaking views, fish, animals, and the list goes on. We want people to come, see, and actually walk the path where a tribe of Beothuk once lived with their children and took care of the land without damaging our environment. We need to show our appreciation to the first peoples by protecting and preserving this same environment for future generations.”

Well said and I couldn’t agree more!

*This hiking trail is part of the Wonder Shore Trails system which start in Greenspond and go all the way to Musgrave Harbour here in beautiful Bonavista North.

Vivian’s View From Here: I’m Sweet 16!

Published on August 22, 2023August 22, 2023 by J. Kelland Perry31 Comments

Greetings, Peeps and Pets. Vivian K. Perry here, happy to share that I celebrated a milestone birthday last week. I know, I know, I’m already sweet and fabulous!

Sixteen wonderful years with Jennifer and Paul—three years in the city, thirteen in the country. And thirteen years with my sweet and beautiful sister Maisie.

I still get to explore the outdoors here on Perry’s Point …

… especially during the gentle days of summer.

I even grab naps outside!

🐾 🐾 🐾

Yet, it’s equally as lovely indoors where I get tons of love and attention.

Jennifer says she can’t imagine life without me.

All I know is, however long I remain in this earthly realm …

… I’m pretty sure no cat has had a better life.

I am one grateful feline.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

🎈🐾🎈🐾🎈

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!