Tag: Newfoundland scenery

“The Flower that Smiles Today”

Published on by J. Kelland Perry25 Comments

The flower that smiles to-day

To-morrow dies;

All that we wish to stay

Tempts and then flies.

What is this world’s delight?

Lightning that mocks the night,

Brief even as bright.*

 

*This is the first stanza of The Flower that Smiles Today by Percy Shelley, one of my favourite poems. Read the entire poem and a brief analysis here.

And a favourite quote:

“Man’s life is brief and transitory, Literature endures forever.”

― Rory Stewart, The Places in Between

Flowers of primary colours: travel theme by wheresmybackpack.com

Photos: jenniferkellandperry.com

“Took Brain to the Beach”

Published on by J. Kelland Perry36 Comments

One summer day, when my son Brian was just a little boy, his Aunt Sherry came to babysit him.

When I got home from work, I found a note stuck to the fridge. It read: “Took Brain to the beach. Sherry.” We all had a great laugh over the funny spelling. (Yes, my boy is smart, but that’s beside the point.)

Fast forward to the present. Last week, he had some time off, so he came to visit for a couple of days. The weather was perfect and off we went. We took Brain Brian to Lumsden North beach for some practice on his golf swing.

This is one of his favourite pastimes when he visits. I’ve blogged about beach golf here before, when they used the beach right next to our house as a driving range and the sandbar as a target. Check out the photos here.

The next morning was even warmer and more beautiful, so for a change, we headed out to the beach at Cape Freels.

Momma got bored watching, so she went for a walk.

Too bad she didn’t bring her own brain to the beach. She forgot to turn her iPhone the proper way for the following video! Oh well, if you watch it on your phone, it’s fine. And black bars or not, it’s still pretty, and the sounds of the wind and waves will help you feel the warm sun and the gentle sea breeze on your face.

Happy Friday, everyone!
Will you be going to the beach this weekend?

Canada Day weekend..

Published on by J. Kelland Perry18 Comments

Happy Canada Day, my fellow Canucks! Thought I’d share a post – and a fond memory – from another Canada Day weekend.

J. Kelland Perry's avatarJennifer's Journal

Okay, this is the first time we ever had friends come to dinner – in a CANOE!




Another wonderful thing about living the coastal life. 🙂

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Calmer Girls Setting in Pictures

Published on by J. Kelland Perry30 Comments

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.

St. John’s Harbour
66 Thunderbird Convertible

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.

View of Harbour from Signal Hill
Cabot Tower on Signal Hill – National Historic site
Where Ben Swift lives: Gower Street, in all its vibrant colours
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Where Samantha, Veronica and their mother live: Military Road
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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

Spring and a Special Remembrance

Published on by J. Kelland Perry27 Comments

Spring takes its own sweet time
to show its face here
on the northeast shore of North America.

Life lies dormant, still deep in hibernation
beneath a fresh blanket of snow and a glittering sheen of ice.

We wait for the arrival of warmer, softer days later in the season,
when the sun shines bright
and full of promise,
giving a welcome glimpse of what is to come.

As we do every year around this time,
we look forward to our coastal world’s transformation and rebirth.

***

A special remembrance today:

Here is our neighbour, Ben
(in the boat above)
from a popular commercial for Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism.
It has played all over the world many times.
This scene in the video is from Barbour’s Tickle here in Newtown.

This post is dedicated to the memory of our beloved neighbour, cousin and friend, Benjamin Perry.
(August 4, 1936 – March 24, 2016)

Unsettled: a Calmer Girls Excerpt*

Published on by J. Kelland Perry9 Comments

 ~ A brief look back at Book One before the release of Book Two ~

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Video: Out and About with Vivian

Published on by J. Kelland Perry46 Comments

Hey, all!  Vivian K. Perry here, showing off in a short video on Perry’s Point yesterday.

Don’t be concerned about all my meows – I’m always that vocal when I’m having fun.

Near the end, see the panoramic view from the point, and my lightning-fast sprint back home!

Wonderful Yellow

Published on by J. Kelland Perry20 Comments

About this time every winter, I begin to yearn for an injection of more colour in my world. So when I saw that Yellow was this morning’s one-word prompt from The Daily Post, I felt compelled to take part.

The following photos were previously shared on my blog over the years, but I thought it fitting – as well as worthy – to give them a second look.

dandelion
Our little girl enjoying backyard dandelions

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Travel Theme: Oceans
Our little boy finds a teensy-weensy crab
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Disney World fun
Colosseum at Night
Roman Colosseum at Night
Paris at night
Autumn walk in Newtown
Hey, Little Girl
Our girl on Lester’s Farm, St. John’s
Sunshine, Surf, and Sand
Jumping the waves on Lumsden Beach
The Sky's the Limit
The Sky’s the Limit on Perry’s Point
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My Buttercup Runneth Over – Perry’s Point
Varadero, Cuba
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Along the Garden Cove walking trail
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Spring walk in lovely Greenspond

These last two photos are from my Instagram account:

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Love this beauty from an artist friend. Getting it framed soon!

Last but not least, something to wake up the taste buds:

Lemon meringue pie with a glass of Yellowtail!
Lemon meringue pie with a glass of Yellowtail!

***

“How wonderful yellow is. It stands for the sun.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh

Vivian’s View From Here: Window Cats

Published on by J. Kelland Perry40 Comments

Greetings, humans!041-800x415

Vivian K. Perry here, back for another guest blog on Jennifer’s Journal. I have new photos to share today!

We had snowy, blowy weather last night, which gave us pretty windows to look through when we woke up. As much as Maisie and I don’t like it when it gets too cold, sometimes snow can add an aesthetic appeal to our long winters.

The first pic shows some of Jennifer’s other cats.

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Now on to us real kitties…

img_2419-832x1280At first, I thought I would like it outdoors today.
img_2417-1280x941I quickly changed my mind.
img_2418-1271x946Maisie seems oblivious to my discomfort. (Please disregard the high-tech reading lamp)
img_2422-1280x574I am quickly let back inside, and then…
img_2427-1066x1280…the shoe is on the other paw!
img_2432Ha! Snow on her nose 🙂
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Thanks for taking a look through the window on our world.
See you next time!

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How is your winter going?
Do you have snow where you live?

Arrival of Winter & New Horizons

Published on by J. Kelland Perry24 Comments

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? 

Winter came early to our corner of the world, and so far it has packed a heavy punch in most areas. These photos were taken a week ago, after our first significant snowfall. We’ve had more since then.

Inspiration can come to the artist in us in many ways. I hope to expand my own horizons in the coming new year, and I wish the same for you.

Here are a few new horizons from Perry’s Point to inspire creativity through the frosty months ahead.

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We live on Snowy Beach Avenue now!  🙂

004-1280x841 006-1280x1061 010-1280x813 019-1280x852 025-1280x807 035-1280x850 I must give credit where credit is due: Paul “helped” with these next three. They were taken in the last couple of hours before sunset. 

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“The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” ~ Christopher McCandless

WPC: New Horizon

What do you see on your horizon for 2017?