Letters from Corner Brook - July 10-16, 2011

I can’t begin to keep up with the time here. It’s been unfortunate that my brother-in-law and nephew haven’t been able to get out and draw/paint as much as they might have liked. Friday at Woody Point was a beautiful day, Saturday not bad. Sunday we were back to cold, chilly, wet and generally disgusting. My poor cedars on the deck just get put upright and get going again, and it rains buckets, and they end up over sideways and floating. We keep hearing that the weather is going to get better. Oh yeah?

I don’t remember if I wrote last week about the show at the Bay of Islands Yacht club. In checking, find it wasn’t included. So let’s hop back to last Thursday. Six young people have summer employment with the Bay of Islands Theatre. They did a wonderful dinner show called “A Concise History of Newfoundland”. Only one of these kids is a theatre student. The others were going into various careers like law and medicine. They interspersed funny scenarios taken from Newfoundland history, with songs from Newfoundland and the appropriate historical periods. The dinner was excellent, and we all enjoyed the show. What talent.

Monday the 11th was one of the good days for weather. Bob and Joel went off to Woody Point again; some drawing and photography for Joel; Bob was giving a watercolour workshop in the afternoon. Kathi and I left at the same time, and headed up to L’Anse aux Meadows. It was a fantastic drive, in beautiful weather. Along the way, we stopped at a chip truck - and got a fat lot of shrimps, onion rings and chips.

As we pulled out from the chip truck, I heard a rattling and banging under the car. Stopping to check, discovered the rear mud-flap flapping. Never let it be said that twist-ties are not one of humanity’s great inventions. A simple twist-tie fed through the two holes in the car and the flap, a couple of twists - and it’s miraculously silent again.

In L’Anse aux Meadows (actually Hay Cove) we found our B&B, and then went off to photograph icebergs before dark came. Since the weather was decent, it was a good time to do it. There were a lot of icebergs around. A 100-square mile ice-sheet recently broke off the Arctic’s Petermann glacier - and the bergs we were seeing were pieces of that ice-sheet, moving into the harbours and gradually breaking up into smaller pieces.
http://www.icebergfinder.com/iceberg-map.aspx

That evening, Kathi and I went to the Norseman Restaurant for dinner. It’s a wonderful place to eat, and we had two nice large cod dinners, a partridgeberry martini, chocolate mousse and pannacotta for dessert. During dinner I was telling Kathi about the Festival 500 community choir in Corner Brook during May, with Scott Leithead from Edmonton - and that Scott’s choir Kokopelli, from Edmonton - would be in Corner Brook July 15. The couple at the next table overheard, and mentioned to us that their daughter was singing with Kokopelli but also playing oboe for one of the pieces.

On Tuesday morning, the great weather had again disappeared, and instead we were buried in fog and sheets of rain. Figuring there was little else to do, we went off to explore some of the smaller coves and towns; up to the Dark Tickle store so I could get one of the warm jackets I’d seen the day before. Cold enough to see the breath! We stopped at a small craft store, where I also got a perfect scale model of a Viking ship - Kathi got a pair of labradorite earrings - part of the opal family of stones.Just after one Bob and Joel arrived, and we went to have lunch at a small restaurant called The Daily Catch. Excellent food, including crab cakes and a carrot-ginger soup. By then the weather had improved enough that we could drive to the Viking village of Norstead - a fascinating look into the history of the Norse migration to North America. Please note: Vikings never put horns on their helmets; that was a theatrical addition invented somewhere along the way to make them look more fearsome. After Norstead, we also went to the national Historical Site of L’Anse aux Meadows, and then out for some more photos of icebergs.

That evening we had dinner at the Norseman again. We were joined by a member of the staff of Parks Canada - she pretty well runs Gros Morne, but does other things as well - and was in L’Anse aux Meadows to work with a film crew doing a documentary. I also wanted to hear one of my favourite singers, Wade Hillier, who often performs there. It was a great evening, good food and company. It is without a doubt my favourite restaurant anywhere.

So Wednesday morning we were off again, driving to St. Anthony to see if there were more icebergs around, and just see the lay of the land. Following a quick lunch, Kathi and I were on the road home and the two fellas went out to do some more drawing while they could. They went down to Norris Point and Rocky Harbour, and did some work there.

Friday everyone was on the way home, and life resumed a somewhat different pace again. Friday evening, Corner Brook was treated to the wonderful youth choir from Edmonton - Kokopelli - led by Scott Leithead, who was the choir clinician at the Corner Brook Festival 500 in May. Those of us who sang with the community choir in May were invited to join Kokopelli for the music that we knew. - and I discovered that Scott is a friend of two of my musician friends - Dylan Bell and Suba Sankaran.

Saturday morning - today, July 16 - I was out the door to meet a friend who was helping move a deck umbrella from the store to the house. Box was too big for my car, and he has a truck. That done, I worked a little, and then went down to City Hall for the Gay Pride Parade. Who should be there singing and taking part, but Scott Leithead and Kokopelli.

So it’s been a busy week......and I confess to being a bit tired. Just a bit. Starting tomorrow afternoon, I am camp chaplain at West Haven till Friday noon. OK. 35 small kiddies.....fun!

Letters from Corner Brook - Canada Day week.....

Well, what a week! ...where to start?

Monday I guess.....which dawned in a pea-soup fog. Corner Brook *might* get fog once every couple of years. Well, this was the day....I wondered if the Twilight Zone had come and we were suddenly in St. John’s, which *does* get lots of fog.

So - last week had ended with a call from a local funeral home, to take a service Monday afternoon. I didn’t know the family, they weren’t Humber, but asked for United Church. After the service was over, I was approached by a woman who said “It’s a long time since the airport in Toronto!” Then she said “When you walked in this afternoon I thought ‘This person looks right familiar!’. When you started to talk, I thought ‘I know this voice.’ Took a moment but then I remembered we talked in the airport in Toronto, on the way back here to Newfoundland!”

It just goes to show that we never know how those supposedly chance conversations in passing will turn out.

After the service, dashed home to change into more comfortable clothes, and then went to the Comfort Inn to pick up two women I’d met via the cruise network. They were just starting a bus trip through Newfoundland. So we went to the Mamateek Inn for - ahem - cod tongues, with ‘scrunchions’, little tiny pieces of crispy fried salt pork fat. Following dinner, we attempted to drive to Lark Harbour - there were times when it looked as if the fog was lifting, times when we could see right down the bay, but eventually it just got so thick it wasn’t worth driving. So we came back, and went to Steady Brook where the fresh water stream is, to get them a bottle of water for the trip; then down to Bowaters Park for a short walk. They’ve seen a good part of Corner Brook anyway. In the few days since, they report that they had cloudberry (bakeapple) tarts, partridgeberry tarts, moose pie, and figgy duff - have seen four moose and an iceberg. The weather improved and they’ve been enjoying great sunshine and beautiful scenery. Joanne, Fran and Audrey in Corner Brook.

Tuesday was the staff orientation at West Haven United Church camp - so I felt it was a good idea to be there. I’ve started a term as Vice-Chair of the Camp Board, and wanted to meet the staff and just see what was going on. It was a great day, including a fantastic lasagna lunch. The big news is that when the Glidden Paint Store was approached by a member of the board for some donations, he walked away with a commitment for $3000 dollars worth of paint and supplies, and two painters, - to do whatever we need done to the camp buildings. So sometime next week we are going to the camp to volunteer to help the painters.....so I took some pictures of “before”, and will put in “after” when it’s done. There is an iris blooming down on the beach. The title photo is the chapel ready for the evening service.

Wednesday the weather turned, and out came sun and warm weather. Thank goodness! I spent the morning in a conference call, discussing possibilities for the churches in Corner Brook; then some work on paper stuff, in to the hospital to make some visits, in to Home Hardware to order two more deck chairs, and finally finished with dinner out with some friends....sitting on their back deck in the garden watching the birds and just relaxing and enjoying.

Thursday turned out to be one of those days. I’d arranged to meet my colleague Kim at our favourite coffee place for breakfast...and then was going to spend the day just shopping and getting the house in shape. Not to be. My colleague Myles, who chairs Pastoral Oversight, wanted to meet to talk about getting the committee rolling. So from breakfast with Kim, it was downtown to have lunch. Then a run to Zeller’s for stuff for the house, and a meeting with someone from the church for afternoon coffee; then to Canadian Tire for chair cushions, plant pots, a couple of tools and some hooks for the kitchen. Finally got home, and got the outside lights up on the deck.

Oh yes! The landlord came to finish the deck!!! Finally. So, after much mulling about outside gardening, the decision was made to plant some roses and trees in pots on the deck...and not worry about a garden outside where I can’t see it anyway.

If this blog sounds a little disjointed, that’s because I’ve come back to it various times....so picking up on Friday - this time it was up to the church camp for the larger orientation of volunteers. This time it was pack a bag and stay for two nights. Part of my role was worship and music, along with one of our congregation - a youth, Oliver Dingwell, who is also co-chair of our board.

On Sunday morning I ran into town for service at Humber, and then back out again for the afternoon closing worship and communion. There is a great update to the camp, too. Turns out the painting of our camp was exciting enough that the Glidden store is providing up to $7000 worth of supplies, and Tim Horton’s will be supplying coffee and donuts on painting day.

Unfortunately I will be in Toronto when painting day happens....

I am trying to remember what I was doing Monday and Tuesday last week....and I think it was cleaning house frantically. About ten days before, I got an email from my brother-in-law, Bob Sinclair in Edmonton - that he and my nephew Joel were coming to Newfoundland. Bob has an art show at the Discovery Centre in Gros Morne National Park (where he was Artist in Residence in 2009); Joel has got into water colour painting as well, and came along to do some drawing and see Newfoundland. After some verbal arm wrestling with my sister, I persuaded her to come as well. That meant that Wednesday of this past week, July 5, they were arriving. Massive cleaning of house, moving of things out of the bedroom, buying more furniture for the deck, and generally getting everything prepared.

And Wednesday they arrived. We went to the train museum, drove out to Lark Harbour and back, stopped to eat, and took a walk in the newly-redone Margaret Bowaters Park. I wanted to make sure they were tired enough to sleep well. They did....

On Friday we took a trip up to Gros Morne, to Woody Point and Trout River. There is an excellent fish place in Trout River, called the Seaside Restaurant....Bob and Joel had fresh cod, Kathi had fresh sole, and I had my first mess of “caplin”, small sardines which come up the shore in droves, and can be picked up by hand. They were so fresh and so sweet, and perfectly cooked. I introduced Kathi to bakeapple berries - in a beautiful ice-cream parfait dessert. Plus we got fairly well snockered on a partridge-berry cocktail. Unfortunately I forgot all about taking a picture of the wonderful food....oh well.

That evening we went to a barbecue at the home of the Gros Morne Park geologist - a wonderful woman Kris Oravec. There we met the current artist-in-residence, from Yorkshire in the UK; a sculptor from the UK living in Newfoundland, and a textile artist working out of Woody Point. I took along some ground moose, moose steaks, and moose sausage. They were all a big hit! We enjoyed a lovely evening together.

Saturday was back to life in Corner Brook. Bob and Joel went off to Woody Point for the opening of the show. Kathi sat at home and rested and read, and I went off to perform a wedding, and attend the reception.

So here we are at Sunday again. Can’t believe how the time is flying. We had a wild storm in Corner Brook last night and into today - high winds and buckets of rain. My laundry which was almost dry didn’t get taken in, hence was not only wet but dirty again. So much rain came down that the dirt in the pots got splashed up on the laundry. The rain is finally ending, the pots are slightly drained out, and I think we are going out for a trek to the mall, and some dinner....

Cheers at the end of another two weeks in Newfoundland.....and the beautiful tablelands of Gros Morne Park.