I’ve been neglecting my Sunday Church Blogging duties – mostly because I have so many other duties around here and have depleted my stash of photos. So this might be the last church for awhile, and hopefully you can do me the favour of naming it! All I know about this one is that it’s right outside Corner Brook, and it has the most stunning location of any church I’ve seen – especially on a sunny day. So come on – I hope someone out there from the west coast will be able to tell me what it is!
Thanks for the Thumbs-Up!
We were thrilled to discover that our wonderful guests enjoyed themselves this summer as much as enjoyed having them, giving us great reviews and making us the Number-One ranked hotel in Newfoundland and Labrador on Trip Advisor. This was our first season in this industry so we hit a few bumps along the way, and now we’re so pumped to learn that we ultimately did what we sent out to do – give our guests a unique, memorable and purely ‘Newfoundland’ getaway right on the edge of the Atlantic. And we’re so grateful to everyone that gave us reviews – if you’re reading this, a BIG thank you!
In the meantime, we’ve gotten a bunch of lovely guest-book signings, have scanned a couple and are thinking of making them a feature on our site. What do you think?
Joe Friday Friday
Chances are, if you’ve been to Ocean Delight, you’ve met my brother and fellow Whiteway newbie-turned-devotee, Joe, aka Joe Friday. When we bought these cottages, we were quite ‘green’ to the industry and didn’t know how much work was entailed – and knowing what we know now, there’s no way we could have gotten through this summer without his help.
Like me, Joe left Torbay as a young man looking for something new, and found it as a bartender in Nova Scotia. Also like me, 40 years later, he found himself in Whiteway and knew his life was about to change. He came out to help me paint a cottage and I couldn’t get him to leave. He fell in love with the community and the people and the lifestyle, as everyone is wont to do when they discover the magic of the place (or when the Wizard of Shag Rock casts his spell over them).
He stayed with us in empty cottages until more guests started arriving with the warmer weather, and we needed a better solution. He found the perfect one – a cottage just up the road which we call Joe Friday’s Cottage on Joe Friday’s Beach. Then after performing his first screech-in, our guest Geoff gave him the jacket you see above. It’s so cool, you have to call him ‘Joe Merlot.’
And ‘Joe Merlot’ is particularly fitting, as he now makes wine in the winery we set up in the basement of The Gannet. Joe Merlot intends to expand the winery to make beer. Do I see a Joe Labatt coming? I don’t know how many Joe’s there will be here in the future, but there’s one thing for sure – Ocean Delight sure has one Joe Cool.
We love having him around. Whether he’s Joe Byrne, Joe Friday, Joe Merlot, Joe Labatt, or Joe Cool, we love all of them and don’t care which one it is – as long as we still get plain, ol’ Joe! And thanks, Joe, for all that you do – you’ve made life out here even better, and that’s hard to do!
Radiant Sunsets
I should probably change the name of this blog from ‘Jerry by the Sea’ to ‘Jerry Watching the Sky’ given the number of posts I dedicate to sunsets. And if you’ll indulge me again, we had one the other night that begged to be photographed. Where ever I am I’m drawn to watch each evening, but here and now the cleanliness of the air and the cooling temperatures are making the sunsets more radiant than anything I have seen before.
When photographer Michael Hanson stayed with us, he told me that ‘real’ photographers don’t take pictures of sunsets or sunrises – they take pictures of their effects. I hope I captured some of that here. Not that I’m a ‘real’ photographer yet, but I’m trying!
Young Artists in the Wonderful World of Whiteway
You know that I can’t rave enough about the artistic talent out here in Whiteway, and that I try to use this space to promote local artists and events – I’ve gotten so much from this community, I’m more than happy to share it. In that vein, well-known Newfoundland artist and friend Clifford George has emailed me some pictures, telling me that he likes to promote young people who show an interest in art. It’s clear from these pictures that Clifford is more than their ‘promoter’ – he is also surely a mentor and teacher, and we are so blessed to have him – and such bright young people – in our community.
So here are some of these young people. First is Dylan, who is interested in painting and the colour wheel, so Clifford has been trying to teach him that. According to Clifford, Dylan has done 5 Shag Rocks, because ‘practice makes perfect.’ You can see in these pictures just how much practice he’s put in – they’re really amazing. 
Another of Clifford’s informal students is 13 year-old Ashley. I asked Clifford to tell me a little bit about her to include with her pictures, and he wrote this: “She loves to draw and to write poetry. She loves animals and loves to ride horse back. She has been coming down to our house for a few years now, she usually leaves poetic notes around the house.” As you can see from these pictures, Ashley, like Dylan, is an eager and gifted student, and I’m happy to be able to showcase this budding young talent with you. 
All in all, I wish these young artists the best and am sure they have a bright future ahead of them.
Tuesdays with Murphy: Fields of Barley
What is not to love about life in the Wonderful World of Whiteway – I moved in with Jerry and The Berry months ago and they’re still finding new places for me to explore. Here I am in Hopeall where Newfoundland ponies normally roam at the Horse and Pony Protection Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. Unfortunately for me, all the horses are out to pasture for the summer. Too bad! I wanted someone new to play with – and I’m almost as big as them, so I thought they might take me as a fellow four-legged.
But I always look on the bright side of life and even though I was alone it was great fun to bound through the fields and smell the barley, flowers and scents of my cousins who run wild in these parts. Jerry promised to take me some new places in Hopeall this week, so, I’ll take him at his word, if you’ll take me at mine that I’ll share my adventures with you when he does. Paws crossed!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN3k3ZLXoSw&feature=youtu.be]
A Wake at Last
Yesterday was a good – make that great – day in the Wonderful World of Whiteway – and one that I was afraid wouldn’t happen for us. It was the official kick-off of 10 more days of the food fishery (where individuals are allowed a small quota of fish each day) and boat troubles that have been plaguing us for the past several weeks made me worried we wouldn’t be able to go out and enjoy it.
But with a great thanks to Alf and Randy Peddle, we converted the boat from two Johnson motors to one 225 HP Yamaha! It was a challenging job made harder by the fact that shaft was 4 inches too short. We had to put an extension on the back of the boat at Woodman’s Welding shop in New Harbour. Craig Newhook and Sam Pitcher are experts and made the bracket in record time – which is just about how much time we had!
So we were able to join our neighbours and all the little boats of Newfoundland that took to the water …. and I caught the first fish – take that, Berry!
Bingo Calling
Before coming to the Wonderful World of Whiteway, I hadn’t played Bingo in about 45 years, I think. And even here, game night was starting to fade, and there was talk of shutting it down. There was talk, that is, until Hilda, The Queen of Bingo herself, got actively involved. She found ways to cut expenses and promote it, even volunteering to call it herself.
We went a night she was calling, Laurelyn made $20, and we had a lot of fun – so much so we went back the week after. This time, LL was one number away from winning the $500 jackpot. I’m almost glad she didn’t win – she likes to brag when she beats me. Luckily, that never happens … OK! OK! Maybe it happened once during the fishing season … OK! OK! Maybe it was every time she went out with me! I let her win!
But bingo is back, and Hilda and her rescue committee are to be congratulated. They play every Wednesday at the Rec Centre from 8:30 – 10 PM. Come have some fun.
Tuesdays With Murphy: In the Doghouse
I hope I haven’t given the impression that just because I live in the Wonderful World of Whiteway, it’s all fun and games out here. I can’t leave my humans alone for 5 minutes without them coming up with some new special project that, of course, I have to supervise. Take The Berry (a.k.a. Miss Kijiji), whose dalliance with online bargain shopping led us to one of our more recent work days – setting up the dog house.
When Jerry, Joe and Alf backed in the trailer, I knew it was ‘go’ time – these men can’t be expected to supervise themselves! Of course, the humans are calling this 6X6 from Mount Pearl a ‘shed,’ but I know what it really is …. four small walls, small roof, set outside in viewing distance from the house – that’s a doghouse if I ever saw one. Maybe it’s a bit bigger than the standard, but I’ve already seen Jerry ‘in the doghouse’ more than once. But not to worry, gentlemen – if your time in the doghouse starts becoming more literal than figurative, you’ll know I’ll be right along beside you to keep you company!
Love is in the (Ocean) Air
We had another first here at the cottages, of the best kind. Corey proposed to Amanda while staying in The Gannet, and she said ‘yes’ – and we couldn’t be happier for them. We felt blessed to be involved in the process in even a small way. Corey and Amanda were clearly made for each other, their smiles bigger than the diamond, their obvious love for each other making the mood here sweet and electric at the same time. Am I rambling? Don’t blame me – blame it on the young love!
While it’s too early to have set a date yet, we wish Corey and Amanda all the best and hope to see them back. They’ll at least have to send us some wedding photos! 
