“There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky.”
– Percy Bysshe Shelley
Sometimes we sit lamenting as memory traces back
The old familiar landmarks that we miss from off our track.
They’ve built the railway stations where our feet were wont to skate,
They motor over footpaths where our lovers used to wait.
But there’s one left still – dear old Signal Hill.*
I’ve always loved Signal Hill. That’s probably why I incorporated into a couple of scenes in my debut novel, Calmer Girls.
Overlooking St. John’s Harbour and the Atlantic Ocean, it is the capital city’s most popular tourist attraction.
I take the time every summer to pay a visit, and this past July was no exception. Here are a few shots from that gorgeously sunny and breezy day – then again, as any tourist can attest, it’s always quite breezy atop this hill!
In the distant past, Signal Hill has been the setting for victorious battle, the location for Marconi’s monumental establishment of wireless telegraph communication, and a signalling station for approaching ships.
Today it is a National Historic Site under Parks Canada.
The best thing I like about Signal Hill?
The views, of course!
If you look closely at some of my pics, you can see the trail around the hill.
This is not a hiking trail for the faint of heart.
Thanks for taking a look at my throwback to July and one of the best-loved sites my province has to offer.
*Poem by Lydia Chancey, Book of Newfoundland, 1937
This past summer, Perry’s Point here in Newtown, Newfoundland & Labrador received a new addition. A project of the Cape Freels Development Association, this information display is a reminder and a history lesson to all about the first people who inhabited this area: the Beothuks.
I will let the display speak for itself.
Please read to learn more about this fascinating First Nation.
Thank you to the Cape Freels Association, Winston Perry, and to anyone else involved in this worthy initiative.
As it happened, earlier this year I read The Last Beothuk, the newest release by local author Gary Collins. I wholly recommend this historical novel to anyone interested in learning more about the way of life of these indigenous people and what ultimately became of them.
Inspired by True Events:
“Long after Demasduit’s skull has been stolen from her grave, and years after Shanawdithit has died, one Beothuk and his family survive.
Bursting out of the pages of Newfoundland history appears Kop, the last true Beothuk.
When all the other members of his tribe are exterminated by the Europeans, Kop seeks revenge against the Unwanted Ones.
Hidden among the Bear Clan of the Mi’kmaq, the Beothuk strikes back.
Follow Kop on his trail of defiance against the European marauders upon his Island. See what becomes of a man who has nothing to lose or live for.
Stay with him on a hundred trails and sit with him across the smoke of a hundred campfires. You will not only weep for the last Beothuk—you will cheer him on as he pushes back against the Unwanted Ones.”
It’s that time of year again, when hubs and I gear up to leave home for the required and much-anticipated summer getaway. I will be adding on an extra week myself, starting tomorrow, to stay with my grandchildren while their parents fly off on a vacation of their own.
After that, my days will pretty much belong to me, to indulge in the things I like besides writing and blogging. Time to explore, relax, and enjoy the summery season for a spell. Time to do lots of reading, visit friends and family both in and outside the capital city, and find new moments of inspiration through the lens of my camera. You might catch a glimpse of me on other social media, but I’m going to try my best to keep that to a minimum too.
Here are a few of my backyard snaps from past summer posts, as well as a new video from a few days ago.
***
Northern gannets employ an ingenious way to fish for food. They “corral” the fish by flying around together in a circle over the water where the fish can see them. The fish school tightly together for safety, but that’s when these birds plummet, diving deep into the waves to catch them. Sorry for the blurriness, but it was a quick capture with my iPhone. Short and sweet so don’t blink!
Please turn up your volume to hear the gannets in their glee.
Stay safe and have fun, everyone,
and I’ll catch up with you in August. 🙂
What are you doing this summer for a change of pace?
The old adage “good fences make good neighbours” is a wise one, and it is usually true.
And yet, some neighbours don’t have any.
The fences we had once upon a time are long gone,
with only rolling lawns between us now.
And more pleasant neighbours you would never find. W and M are the coolest folks.
(That’s our house in the background, and W’s new bird-house in the foreground.)
Grandma M’s pot will soon be overflowing!
…and those bloomers will be blooming.
Good one, W and M. Let’s just hope Maisie and Vivian don’t drive away your new feathered tenants – or worse!
All of this neighbourly talk brings this timely quote to mind:
Whether the borders that divide us are picket fences or national boundaries, we are all neighbors in a global community.
– Jimmy Carter
Sunday Snap: Sea Star
Did you know? Marine scientists have replaced the starfish’s common name with sea star because it’s not a fish. It’s an echinoderm, closely related to sea urchins and sand dollars. There are 2,000 species of sea star living in all the world’s oceans. The five-arm varieties are the most common. Sea stars have an eye at the tip of each arm.
Common name: Starfish (Sea Stars)
Scientific name: Asteroidea
Type: Invertebrate Carnivore
Average life span: Up to 35 years
Weight: Up to 11 lbs
– source: National Geographic
*from Curtains by Elton John & Bernie Taupin
Last Friday, I had the honour to serve as one of three judges in our local high school’s speak-out competition.
Held and sponsored by Badger’s Quay Lions Club, this year’s event boasted nineteen students competing from Pearson Academy, the highest number of participants in all of Atlantic Canada. Good on you, teen citizens!
Purpose of a Speak-Out:
• To provide youth with the opportunity to practice and build skills through public speaking
• To encourage youth to have a public voice in issues of concern to them
And the winners are:
Bridgette, 3rd place. Topic: The dangers of drunk driving.
Leah, 2nd place. Topic: Being “Seventeen” in today’s world.
Megan, 1st place. Topic: How cancer in a family affects the children. As the winner, Megan will go on to compete at the regional level next month.
What stood out about the winners: plenty of eye contact, how well they articulated their thoughts, and how animated and relaxed they were with the audience.
I thought all the students did very well with the preparation of their chosen material. As per speak-out regulations, however, several excellent speeches received penalties for exceeding time limits.
I enjoyed this event immensely and would love to be invited back again, and I’m super-encouraged by the high level of participation and interest in public speaking demonstrated by our local youth.
Has your child ever competed in a public speaking event?
Share your experiences with me below.
I cheated a bit today by sharing two photos.
That’s my mom in St. John’s, May 1968.
The other is her older brother Jack and his son Paul in 1950’s Grates Cove, NL.
“Each photograph is a story captured in a single moment.” – M. Lopez
“Smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly. . . into the mystic.”
~ Van Morrison
I shared this post exactly five years ago this week. I thought its photos deserved another look. Have a great weekend, everyone! ❤
Due to time constraints, comments are closed.
Come along as we take a stroll through Newtown on this beautiful October day.
partridgeberries – a.k.a. lingonberries
The tide is high this afternoon.
Much of my next door neighbour’s garden is still summer lovely.
I stopped to admire another neighbour’s potato harvest. Of course, he insisted I take a bagful.
Dogberries, a true harbinger of Fall
Lobster traps
Mr. Blue Sky and me
Still wearing his shorts in October, and loving it
The Tickle
Our other neighbour is drying salt fish.
Freshly painted grapnels for next year’s fishing season
Kitties, you should have come with us.
Jennifer's Journal 