W.A.L.K.

We had a great hike last weekend. We went to Hopeall Falls and Backside Pond (not too far from the cottages). Murphy was bounding! He is quite amazing – spell the word “W.A.L.K.” or “H.I.K.E.” or “R.I.D.E.” and he springs into action, bouncing around on all fours like Tigger. And in the woods he is rambunctious – the complete opposite of his house life.

We were on a moose trail, and after seeing moose prints, Murphy got so excited. We ran into a moose awhile ago and he must have remembered how much fun he had chasing it away!

Then we lit a fire, boiled the kettle and put on the bacon and beans. It was simple and awesome (kind of like life in the Wonderful World of Whiteway!).

 

Tuesdays with Murphy: Sleeping with the Enemy

I have no idea why, but Joe Friday somehow grew wings and is flying to Halifax for a vacation. Who needs a vacation from paradise??? Anyway, while he’s gone, his little devon rex cat, Molly, will be our houseguest.

I was a little nervous about seeing Miss Molly – I met her when I first came to Ocean Delight, and she didn’t seem to like me much. I guess to something her size I seem big and scary – when Jerry and The Berry brought her home she snarled, growled, and hissed like a demon fresh out of hell. Thankfully, to know me is to love me, and my nonchalant demeanor won her over – as you can see, we’ve even taken a few close naps together. I’m a lover, not a fighter!

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

And speaking of another beautiful friendship, I love Jerry and I love his blog. If you do, too, this week is your last chance to vote for him for a TopBlog award. It’s easy to vote, no registration necessary – simply head over to this link and find his category on the bottom left, called Best Professional or Business Life Blog. I’d vote, but I think it’s only open to human citizens!

Enchanted Evening (Literally!)

No doubt there is no shortage of entertainment out here on the Baccalieu Trail. Take Friday, for example, when The Berry and I got to spend a night with faeries!

That’s right, Friday night was spent in an Enchanted Wood, complete with faeries, faerie dust, and friends. The Faerie Queen of Newfoundland (a.k.a. Lisa Day) and the Faerie Queen of Ontario (a.k.a. Soozi Schlanger) put on an awesome show and party, unlike anything I’ve experienced outside New Orleans.

Soozi is a singular woman with a singular talent, with an uncommon mix of talent, charm, charisma, energy, and history – truly amazing. She’s been on the road with Jordie (see pics below), and recently performed at The Ship in St. John’s. She is an artist, a poet, a musician and has a genius not unlike that of our own Clifford.

And what a show she, Lisa, and Jordie put on for us! Lisa read a wonderful piece of literature (an excerpt from the book she is working on), sang with Soozi and played the Cajun washboard. Soozi recited, sang, bounced around, smiled and laughed and put on one of the best shows I have EVER attended. It is quite the road show. It made me long for New Orleans again, and for when I had my entire life ahead and had dreams of road trips and free spiriting all over the world.

It left me with smiles and memories. It was a rare and special night where you meet someone and feel like you’ve known them all your life. And you end upa little more convinced that faeries and magic do exist!

And please folks, less than a week and you won’t hear me making this request anymore – from now until the end of the month, if you enjoy my blog, please vote for me for a TopBlogs award (no registration necessary to vote). Just head to this link, and my category is Best Business or Professional Life Blog, on the bottom left. Thank you!

Sunset Sunday: Earning Your View

Sometimes you earn your view. Not that we’re not blessed with the sunsets we get to see most nights out our back window. But we captured this one on a hike last weekend. So I guess we’re doubly blessed – beauty in our backyard, more beauty surrounding us when we make a little effort and go out and enjoy nature. Happy Sunday, everyone. Only one month left til Christmas!

Another First: Homemade Jam!

Doubtless I am settling into the quiet life around the bay! I made my first jam last night, made fresh from the wild cranberries we caught in front of our Heart’s Delight Cottages and the pears I picked at Sobey’s supermarket. It was the second time making berry jam for The Berry (sounds cannibalistic to me!), so she led the charge. Either way, it was a labour of love and local ingredients!

 

Wood I?

Would I leave our guests to fend for themselves, having to bring their own wood for their fire pits? I think you know the answer to that! Everyone loves a fire, especially as the days are getting colder and shorter!

Newfoundland Art Everywhere

Come to Newfoundland and you’ll be surrounded by opportunities to experience all the fine arts – singing, dancing, stunning paintings like those of our friend and artist, Clifford George. We have way more talent here than our small numbers would normally suggest.

But something you may not notice unless you look – all the folk art that many would take for granted. Like this little red dog, standing guard outside Clifford’s barn. He was carved by his friend, Stephen Legge, with a chain saw- I didn’t even know you could do such a thing! But take any time driving around our small communities and you’ll see all forms of sweet artistic expression popping up everywhere, making life just a little more colourful. Please let me know if you have a favourite piece or type of folk art – and if you have any pictures of it that you’d like to see on the blog, please email them! I’d love to share some more.

And don’t forget, there’s lots of ways to support local artists with your holiday shopping this season. I’d suggest starting at the Newfoundland Craft Council, and going from there!

And hey, can we maybe consider this blog to be a piece of Newfoundland art?? Maybe I’m stretching a little, but if you enjoy it, please consider heading to this link to vote for me for the Canadian TopBlogs award. My category is Best Business or Professional Life blog on the bottom left, and you don’t need to register to vote. Easy!

Busy Busy Busy

It’s a rare day that my blog doesn’t go up first thing in the morning (I usually write them the night before), which maybe legitimizes my claims that we’ve been working like crazy the past few weeks. If this summer we were busy with the day-to-day of physically running cottages, lately we’ve been focusing on long term goals and strategies (like the rebranding you see on the sign above). We’re also working on a new online booking system, so keep an eye out for that.

In the meantime, if you’ll forgive me my late post and still enjoy this blog, please consider voting for me for Canadian TopBlogs award. My category is Best Business or Professional Life blog on the bottom left of this link, and you don’t need to register to vote. Thank you!

Tuesdays with Murphy: Fetch!

Boy oh boy, my humans sure need a lot of help! I’m not sure why, but Jerry keeps throwing sticks into the water. Someone has to retrieve them! Thankfully, ‘retriever’ is my middle name – literally – so I’m up to the challenge. Honestly, I don’t know what they’d do without me. 

Got it! And I love the Atlantic Ocean – I’m so lucky to get to play here every day!

Book Club Road Trip – Ocean Delight Style

The Berry here for a ‘guest blog’ – Jerry passed me the baton so I can share last weekend’s events. Jerry and Murphy had a ‘boys night’, while I hosted my ‘Book Club Ladies’ in the Heart’s Delight cottages (with lots of help from Joe Friday!).

I love my book club and was looking forward to having my friends pay a visit. With a moveable feast of courses, we started in the Osprey for cocktails and appies and book talk, then moved to the Gannet to dine on Joe’s famous cod au gratin. That was followed by a lovely baked salmon with pilaf rice and salad for the main course, and chocolate pavlova with raspberries and cream for dessert.

A great time was had by all, and the ladies all agreed the Long Point Cove cottages were the perfect back-drop for Cheryl Strayed’s powerful memoir, Wild, recounting her 1,100 mile solo hike of the Pacific Crest Trail.

And with lots of creature comforts and comfie beds, good food, wonderful wines and great conversation (and no need for designated drivers this time), it looks like our first ‘Book Club Road Trip’ will be the first of many more to come. Please let me know if you’ve read and enjoyed Wild, too, or if you’re part of your own book club – maybe we can help you arrange your own Book Club Road Trip, too!

 

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