Oceanfront cottages on Newfoundland’s Avalon Peninsula
Here’s recent guests, Bob and Julia Nield, who were our first from Australia. It was a delight to have them and to have a chat before they left for Trinity, which I’m sure they’ll love. Unlike me, they have strange accents and talk fast!
Australia is definitely on my bucket list. I got pretty close with a trip to Thailand. Would love to know any hints on best time of year, where to go, etc, for travelling there from anyone who’s been.
We were lucky the other day to get a call from Alf, another wonderful neighbour out here in the Wonderful World of Whiteway, saying he had some trout (count em – 11!) if we wanted them. We love trout, and hadn’t had any in a long time, but you know me – not wanting to impose, we politely declined (Not!!). They made a great lunch. Alf has also brought us moose steak and sausages lately – we’re really spoiled out here.
We’re heading back to the Wonderful World of Whiteway today. Who knows what new wonders (and fish!) await us …
I took these shots yesterday on the oldest street in North America. It was 9 am and nearly 20 degrees in April – I needed someone to slap me to see if I was dreaming. This has been the best April I can remember, no matter where I’ve lived – and that has included down south, so that’s saying something. I feel truly blessed with all the sunshine (today’s rain be damned), and I’m sure my fellow Newfoundlanders feel the same!
Today’s grey skies notwithstanding, the trees are budding, the flowers are coming up, and the grass is turning green. This is awesome – people have been out in their short sleeves. Gotta love it!
Yesterday was bright and sunny in St. John’s, where we’re back for a few days, so I took advantage of the weather with a trip Bowring Park. I couldn’t count the number of times I took my girls here when they were little, for picnics and to feed the ducks. They didn’t know how to pronounce it so for them, we were always going to “Boring Park.”
Of course it’s anything but boring, especially on days like yesterday when everyone was out it tee-shirts and smiles. I’m pretty sure we’ve had more sunshine in the past month than we did all Spring last year – hopefully a harbinger of nice seasons to come.
I have two hidden spots in Bowring Park where I like to take picnics and feel like I’m hiding out in the middle of the city. Everyone needs a quiet space where they can escape – do you have any in St. John’s? I’m always on the lookout for more!
On Sunday we were lucky enough to get a call from our new friend and neighbour, Clifford George, offering a horse ride with him and Renee Butler-Harnum to me, Laurelyn, and Janet, our guest staying at the cottages. Renee is another great painter and horse lover/owner, with a beautiful Friesian, and another great new neighbour and friend.
The horses were ecstatic to be out the mostly sunny Sunday, and so were we. When was the last time you were in a horse-drawn carriage? I’m hoping to get out in one again when I visit my daughter in Victoria in a few weeks. 
As you may have already read, we’ve been updating our cottages, making them more our ‘own,’ and that has meant new furniture. Which of course also has meant a basement full of old furniture not being used. In steps the Heart’s Delight – Islington Volunteer Fire Department, who took all 4 truck and 2 trailer-loads to use for their fire training house, which they use for real-life training. Any extra will be given to those in need in the area.
We had a ball moving all the furniture as we got to meet some local firemen. What a great bunch of people out here! 
Then on Saturday, we celebrated Joe’s birthday with close friends and family and a marshmallow roast – a 2om to 2am type affair, so lots of fun! And again, the local firemen were involved, this time delivering 12 roast beef dinners as part of a fundraising campaign. At $7 a pop and really delicious, we were happy to oblige! It was a wonderful weekend, I hope yours was too, and Happy Birthday once again to Joe (who’s doing it right in this picture – wine in one hand, cake in the other!)
I’ve been using my Sundays posts to highlight churches in different communities, and today I’m going slightly off-island with the Saint-Pierre Cathedral, in St. Pierre, which I love. This cathedral was rebuilt after a fire in 1905, on land which had housed a church since the 1600s. In researching this post I learned that this Roman Catholic church is built in the Basque style. I especially like how the stain glass windows and door handle celebrate Saint Pierre’s connection to the sea and fishing – just like ours.
Saint Pierre is a short ferry ride from Fortune, Newfoundland, which itself is about a 4 hour drive from the cottages. It’s a really fun way to soak up a little bit of French culture in between your Newfoundland road trips!
We have a guest coming to our Heart’s Delight cottages tonight who is in a wheelchair – and unfortunately the cottages are not wheelchair accessible yet. But we want everyone to be able to enjoy this place, so Joe Friday and I spent yesterday building a ramp. She would also really like to have a fire, so we made sure there was lots of firewood ready (all the other cottages were similarly stocked – my poor arms!).
I really like the hands-on nature of my new job as Happy Innkeeper, and I’m getting into the best shape of my life. Even though I was a little apprehensive about using power tools on Friday the 13th! 
If you’re looking to find me on my St. John’s days, this is the first place you should look – Coffee Matters, my favourite coffee shop and place of business! For the ambiance and strong coffee, it gets my vote every time – even though an overzealous manager got the chain in hot water (so to speak) not too long ago. The owner resolved the issue quickly though, which I’ve learned is the most important thing to do in business, and I’ve never had anything but great service there.
But of course, we’re back in Whiteway for the next few days, so this will be my office. I like both, but the view is better here! When given the choice, do you prefer to work from home, or get out of the house for a bit?
What a treat it has been to have the crew of the CBC’s popular program, Land and Sea, stay with us. We had the pleasure of chatting with Pauline Thornhill (above) and her cameraman, Calvin Tobin. They’re working on a piece in the area that will be out this fall, and staying (and loving!) at our Whiteway cottages. No wonder the show is so popular when the host and crew are “personality plus” – truly sweet people. I can’t wait to see what they’re working on, and for those who don’t know, Land and Sea airs at 12 noon on Sundays. Tune in if you want to learn about the challenges and pleasures of life on the east coast!
And they were nice enough to leave us some hats – one for me and Joseph (Happy Birthday, Joe Friday!) and one for our neighbour and friend, Alf Harnum, who may be the show’s biggest fan and has seen every episode at least once. We make a handsome bunch, don’t we?
