For some reason, I have always had a thing for cemeteries. They are quiet, serene, peaceful, and I enjoy reading the gravestones. In Newfoundland, there are many graves of young children, or seamen lost at sea, that pull at your heartstrings as you wonder about their loved ones left behind, and what lives they led before they passed on. And you will find graveyards in the most nostalgic of places, resettled communities, atop cliffs overlooking the sea, tucked in a cove where only a dirt path leads in and out, old stones buried among the berry bushes.
“Everyone, deep down within, carries a small cemetery of those he has loved.”
“Curiosity is one of the great secrets of happiness.”
Bryant H. McGill
From giant wooden pencils to crocheted starfish overlooking the sea, trees decorated with hearts and faces, there is always, always something of the curious to find in your Newfoundland travels, that will put a smile on your face!
From seashore strolls to backyard birdhouses, Newfoundland surrounds me with bird life … from the finch to the eagle. To see the large colonies of guillemots, kittiwakes, gannets and puffins, or to enjoy the solitary soaring of an eagle high above, it’s almost impossible to go anywhere and not have birds surround you. Greater and lesser yellowlegs, plovers, blackbacked gulls, herring gulls, goldfinches and grosbeaks, loons and scoters, mergansers and turrs, grayjays, cormorants, crows and ducks…. the list goes on ….
“The air is crowded with birds, beautiful, tender, intelligent birds to whom life is a song.”
Oh, the thrill of enjoying not just the scenic landscapes of this marvellous place, but the creatures that inhabit this island as well. The whales sporting in the depths of the ocean, the capelin rolling on the beach, the seals sunning themselves on the ice, the caribou roaming, the beaver busy at its work, the foxes’ curiosity and stealth, the moose browsing and the snowshoe hare grooming. Even the goats, sheep, cows and horses grazing freely are a joy to see. Does one’s heart good to be reminded we are not the only ones here.
“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.”
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”
Psalm 19:1
Those who know me are aware that I think the skies of Newfoundland are the most picturesque of anywhere I have been. Sometimes the clouds are white and wispy, sometimes low and brooding, intoxicatingly voluminous, sweeping, turbulent, floating or filled with evening light. So many moods, and ever changing as we are. Remember to look up!
Yesterday started off nothing special, and I wasn’t sure how I would spend the day. Bella got me up to serve her breakfast and then make coffee (yes, in that order!). It was a grey day – drizzling rain with a hint of wet snow. Well, we decided to go for a ride and see where it would take us … ok I decided and Bella went along with it, as she is always up for an excursion!
We stopped in Port Blandford for gas, then at Joey’s Lookout at Gambo, then at Tim Horton’s in Gander for a coffee refill, onto Route 340 through Lewisporte and visited the Marina, where the boats are stored ready for the upcoming winter. We left there and drove the pothole capital of the world (as far as I’m concerned!) on the Road to the Isles, stopping at Boyd’s Cove, enjoying the views on the way to New World Island and headed for the Long Point Lighthouse at Crow Head. Coming into Twillingate, the snow began and the outside temperature had dropped to zero. Not quite sure what I had thought heading out in my sweatshirt, leggings and running shoes, but as I said, I didn’t have a particular plan.
After a brief stint in the chilly wind at the lighthouse taking in the view, we got back in the Jeep and shortly thereafter headed for home. I had miscalculated both my timing and the weather, so it was dark by the time I got back to Gander, and from there a slow, snowy, blowy, night drive home with not much traffic besides my Jeep and the snowplows. Bella was very happy for her supper by then!
Now … that doesn’t sound all that blogworthy, and the photos aren’t my best ones. BUT, as the title indicates, there was BEAUTY in this day. There was the beauty of my little companion, faithfully at my side. There was the beauty of freedom, of wide open spaces, of music and recuperation. And there was the beauty of friendship, of encouragement, of cheer, of sharing and connection (despite such connection was by roaming data usage!). It was a very special day actually, one of my best since I’ve been here these past few weeks, and my heart was full. Someone chose to make a difference. Someone chose to be a lighthouse in the storm. Someone chose to give up part of their day, to be involved in mine. And for that … I thank them. They will never realize how much it meant, what a difference it made.
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.”
John F. Kennedy
“Don’t forget that maybe you are the lighthouse in someone else’s storm.”
While I enjoy the sunshine and warm days, there is something profoundly beautiful, and fitting, in a “grey foggy day”. There’s a stillness, an absence of noise and disturbance, a transcendence of time, an eerie inspiration to get lost in your own thoughts, and be filled with a quietness that can leave your mood as settled as the fog. Especially by the seashore, where the boats are at rest, the seabirds are more heard than seen, and the homes seem that much cosier, hugged by the haze.
Here’s a link to the song, Grey Foggy Day, by Eddie Coffey -https://youtu.be/uY2nVUXeXzY
“Be someone’s sunshine when their skies are grey.”
Always love the trip from here down the Bonavista Peninsula and back, usually taking both Route 235 and 230 to get the full experience of all the familiar sights along the way. It will always have a special place in my heart – from our fabulous stays at White’s B&B, to our favourite dining experience at The Little Dairy King – best fish and chips in all of Newfoundland!
Once you reach the Cape Shore Road, the sunshine, the waves and surf are there to greet you. From whales to puffins, icebergs to icecream, historic homes to horses freely grazing, there’s not much missing in the adventure. Seabirds, Swyers store, blue flag iris, the “Dungeon”, the harbour, the Matthew replica, the lighthouse, and of course, John Cabot’s statue to remind us of his discovery of this “good view”. It surely is, still today.
The colour palette of Newfoundland is not limited to its natural beauty … it is small wonder that the expressions of colour are recreated and reflected throughout – on homes, stages and storefronts, benches and buoys, laundry lines and ladders, boats and birdhouses, cabins and caravans. Here, life is like a box of crayons …
They hit the nail on the head when they came out with their tourism campaign in 2016 (see link below). “All the colours of the world today are in me …” Yes indeed.
There is something deeply inspiring about the natural colours of Newfoundland that speak to me. The burgundy of the autumn blueberry bushes, the pastel tones of the stones on the shore, the bright wildflowers peeping out from rocks and trees, the earth tones of lichen and undergrowth in the forest woods, the purple and silver of a mussel shell on the beach, the greys and browns of worn wood or pier pilings … it is magical. So much beauty in the simple things, so many signs of a Creator. The emphasis of sunlight dappling through to the forest floor, the muting effect of a foggy day, the accentuation of the glistening rain on a leaf – all add to the wonder.
“The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts…”
sanctuarybythesea 