Luxury getaways to the ocean's edge
Mike Crane has done lots over the past many months to help Jerry and The Berry with their many endeavors. And he likes to kayak after work – Whiteway is a great spot for it. I just don’t know why he won’t let me come along for the ride – I always comes down to the shore to try to beg one!
Please take a minute to read this beautiful article written by Terry Roberts in the Compass. It describes a beautiful experience we got to share last week.
Terry Roberts of the Compass Newspaper created the name ‘Alice in Newfoundland’ when he came to interview Ann Firman and Zofia Perry, two of our guests staying in the Blueberry. From Whitby and Oshawa, respectively, they booked the cottage last November for them and for Alice – their mother. Then on Dec 23, Alice suddenly passed away.
The daughters decided to bury her ashes in, Newfoundland, a place she loved so much – more than any other place she ever visited. So they kept the reservation, sprinkling her ashes on the beach in Whiteway and in the waters off Shag Rock. Alf, my guardian angel, and I took Ann and Zofia out to Shag Rock for the ceremony in the evening.
Ann and Zofia said Alice was a private person, but she would have loved all the attention. Terry did a great job on the story (as above).
Although I didn’t know Alice she will now be part of my life forever. As Tennyson once said, “I am a part of all that I have met.” Many a night as the sun paints the sky behind Shag Rock – due west – I will think of Ann, Zofia and Alice. She is home here in Whiteway. I will not forget being part of such a wonderful ceremony.
Here is the card they gave me about Alice – I would like for it to be said about me:
When I’m gone:
When I come to the end of my journey
And travel my last weary mile,
Just forget if you can that I ever frowned
And remember only the smile.
Forget unkind words I have spoken;
Remember some good I have done,
Forget that I ever had heartache
And remember I’ve had lots of fun.
Forget that I’ve stumbled
And sometimes fell by the way.
Remember I have fought some hard battles
And won, ere the close of the day.
The forget to grieve for my going
I would not have you sad for a day.
But in summer just gather some flowes
And remember the place where I lay.
And in the shade of the evening
When the sun paints the sky in the west
Stand for a few moments beside me
And remember only my best.
This beauty of a shot was captured by our guests Mike and Gloria. We loved having them, and, as they shared with us, they loved being here. Happy guests are what make this job so worthwhile. That, and our beautiful sunsets.
Saturday’s we like sharing pictures from Bud Vincent, a great Newfoundland photographer. He says he loves taking pictures of boats, and I can see why. I love the way he captures the stillness and beauty of this traditional Newfoundland scene (if you have more interest in traditional boat building, please check out the Wooden Boat Museum in Winterton, near our cottages – we did, and we loved it).
Anyone who had been to the cottages (or reads this blog regularly, for that matter), knows the many faces of Joe. He’s a service manager extraordinaire, doing any odd jobs you can think of, always going above and beyond, always anticipating our guests’ needs before they do. What can we say, we wouldn’t make it without Joe Friday!
And now that we’re running the Shag It Cafe and Gift Shop, that couldn’t be more true. It’s been crazy opening up this new venture (which is at our Whiteway cottages location), we have lots of great new staff, and we’re busy working on our kinks and getting it right. And we couldn’t have done that without Shag It Joe. Or is that Joe Shag It? Hm, not sure if either of those sounds right!
Either way, don’t forget – today’s the last day to enter our Facebook contest – the winner of the draw gets a $50 gift certificate towards the Shag It, or a Shag It tee shirt or apron. Should you enter? Shag It – why not?
Here is an old Newfoundland fence like I had never seen before. Made with riddle rods (sometimes called wriggle rods), they were quite common around the bay a few generations ago. There are small sticks weaved in and out over three horizontal sticks (called longers or lungers). They require no nails and are extremely sturdy and designed to withstand high winds.
This is an amazing privacy fence we have under construction – we’re planning to build more!
I’ve seen how busy everyone is with the Shag It Cafe and Gift Shop, so I’ve decided to pitch in. Here I am prepping for a day in the kitchen. It might be making your next Soup and Sandwich! And remember – less than a week left to enter our contest to win a $50 gift card or one of our tee shirts or aprons.
We have our like-family guests, Mike and Gloria, to thank for these great shots of their Newfoundland vacation. After their time with us, they set us this email – it’s exactly the kind of feedback that makes us love our job, and keep creating new ways to help visitors enjoy the Baccalieu Trail. Below are their pictures of Brigus, another beautiful community on the Baccalieu Trail. Thanks again, Mike and Gloria, and we hope to see you back!
Hello,
Mike and I would like to thank you again for our enjoyable holiday at Whiteway. We met and enjoyed talking to a lot of wonderful people and have made some new friends.
Wished that the cafe had been open when we were there and could have enjoyed some of the home cooked treats.
Thank you Jerry for the boat tour of Shag Rock and the beautiful coast line of Trinity Bay. I got some great pictures of Shag Rock and also a long distance one of the eagles.
We will certainly recommend the cottages and the gorgeous Doctor’s House Inn and Spa.
I have enclosed some photos from our tours, not bad for a cheap camera.
Thanks again and all the best,
Mike and Gloria
I recommend the movie Random Passage to anyone interested in Newfoundland culture and history – it really helps you understand what forces formed this colony. That’s why I love the pictures Bud Vincent sent me for the blog this week – of the movie set in New Bonaventure, Trinity Bay. Just beautiful.
Since we’re trying to spend our downtime exploring the area a little bit (it’s always a treat getting more acquainted with the Baccalieu Trail), The Berry reccomended we check out the Wooden Boat Museum in nearby Winterton. She’d been before and loved it, and we’ve blogged before about their great workshops and exhibits, dedicated to the history and context of traditional Newfoundland boats and boat building. So I was excited to see it with my own eyes. I was not disappointed. We saw lots, learned lots, and really enjoyed ourselves. I can’t say I’ve been in tons of museums, but it was definitely one of my favourites. 
Visiting guests, if you’re interested in your own day trips, there’s lots to do! Please feel free to ask for recommendations, or check out our Things to Do page to learn more.