Remember the Vanderveens, and the Old Man on the Sea? Well Joe Friday couldn’t let them go back to the mainland without a Screech In! He needs the practice if he’s going to be a real Screecher! They were a fun bunch and it was a fun night – all smiles and good sports for the cod-kissing. It helps that they loved their time at the cottages and plan on coming back next year (music to our ears!). And of course, as usual, Mr. Murphy wanted in on the action – he loves people, even when they’re downing questionably strong rum!
Tuesdays with Murphy: Holding My Own
Jerry and The Berry spend a lot of time talking about their new friends out here in the Wonderful World of Whiteway, but don’t forget that we four-leggeds enjoy our socializing, too. Here’s Arthero, an Italian Mastiff who visited me in Heart’s Delight last week. Don’t let his size fool you – he’s actually quite the gentle beast, as sweet, if only slightly less refined, than me. And thanks to my daily dips in the Atlantic, I’m fit enough to keep up with any dog – in fact, I love playing with everyone I meet! 
Actually, I think we’re two peas in a pod!
The Bays Are Alive (with the Sound of Music)
Meet The Sky Family, a wonderful, gifted family from PEI who share their Bible ministry with their Celtic music. They’re currently touring the island (this weekend will be their last show, in Corner Brook), and they stayed with us while doing a fundraiser in Green’s Harbour for the Acreman Elementary School and Community Playground. They all stayed in the Cranberry – squished would be an understatement, as it normally only sleeps four, and their group, by the time they showed up, had grown to nine!
Beyond being a great family and their service to the community, they were a real treat to have around, because they kept spontaneously bursting into song and you could hear them everywhere. Thanks to this musical family, the bays were alive with the sound of music!
Screeching In!
Well, we’re not experts yet, but this weekend we hosted our first Screech-In, and MC Joe Friday did a great job, if I do say so myself! Shauna and Geoff from Kingston were our first targets, followed by Ron and Sheryl from Toronto (apologies for the blurry photos – I’m still getting the hang of taking shots is low light!).
Screech-Ins are of course a Newfoundland tradition that, if completed by Mainlanders (by, among other things, downing Screech and Newfoundland ‘steak’ and kissing a cod or cod-like substitute), confers upon them unofficial Newfoundlander status. It’s a rite of passage for any intrepid traveller to the island, and we were more than happy to share it with our guests (and Murphy, who wanted in on the action!). It was a lot of fun, and we’ll be doing another for guests later this week – who asked if they could pay for it, but that’s hardly the Ocean Delight way!
Joe Friday, usually loathe to be the centre of attention, loves his new post as Master of Ceremonies!
Geoff is now branded a Newfoundlander for life – gotta love it!
Sunday Church Blogging: United Church in La Scie
I’ve been so excited about the food fishery and to have the A Wake at Last operational and at the service of our guests that I’ve been neglecting Sunday Church Blogging – but no more! Here’s Zion United Church in La Scie, part of the the most easterly conference of the United Church of Canada, and one of 5 churches in that community.
La Scie is a beautiful community on the Baie Verte Peninsula, with a long history with both the Basque and the French. ‘La Scie’ means ‘saw’ in French and refers to the jagged – and stunning – cliffs surrounding the area. I keep saying it – Newfoundland is a day trippers’ paradise (and Ocean Delight a great starting off point for those day trips!)
Our First Testimonial, From LeighAnne
Here’s LeighAnne and Brandon (BJ), guests we’ve enjoyed hosting so many times that they’re starting to feel like family. We always look forward to their visits, and, as their feedback shows, so do they! Their last email to us was so touching, that I asked if I could share on our blog as our first testimonial. Here it is (written by LeighAnne):
“It was so true what I said about (Ocean Delight) being our Oasis. We absolutely LOVE it there. If it wasn’t for going broke in the process, I would be out there every weekend! I tell everyone about it all the time. We can’t wait to spend our 5 year anniversary weekend out there. We have traveled around to many cottages in this province and never once have we experienced the hospitality that we experience EVERY time we’re there with you. We love your cottages, we love the hospitality, we love you guys… we love everything about the entire experience. I guess that’s why we keep coming back again, and again and again… and will continue to do so!
Thanks so much, we both really, REALLY needed that on Thursday evening.
LeighAnne and BJ”
Happy Guests = Happy Jerry
If you follow this blog you know I rave about this new life and all the opportunities to meet new people. Here’s another perfect example – our wonderful guests Gail and Rhonda, two fun and fun-loving gals we recently hosted. They loved the Blueberry Cottage – with all its color coordinating and complementary accents, it is a warm and inviting place. And they took to calling me and Joe Friday, ‘Buddy Wasisname and the other fella’ – too perfect. 
Of course I had to take Gail and Rhonda for a ride and picnic on the A Wake at Last. I wanted their week to be ‘freedom plus’ from all the stress of the city – and I think it was. They told us they didn’t want to leave! I told them we have long term rentals!
Shag Rock or bust!
Raising the Flag
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If you can’t hear me over the wind, I’m saying “raising the flag for a new tourist season – this is gonna be a good one!”
Like all Newfoundlanders, I’m proud of our flag, introduced in 1980, but I have to admit I may be prouder to have such a great spot to fly it!
I also have a soft spot for our pretty unofficial flag, the Newfoundland Tricolour. Tourists, it’s why you see lots of green, white and pink items on George Street!
The Berry and I are excited because tonight kicks off the Spring Hare, with dinner theatre at Brown’s Restaurant followed by professional entertainment. Tomorrow will be a free afternoon of story-telling and poetry. You can click on the brochure on the right or on our ‘Current Specials‘ tab to learn more about it. It will be our first, but I have no doubt it will be nothing less than extraordinary – nothing out here is. And if you can’t make it yourself, check back for updates!
At Your Service!
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! 
Jackie, Dave and Sally Ann
Meet The Fergusons, just like I had the pleasure of doing this weekend as they took advantage of our April Special. They enjoyed themselves at The Osprey and on our ATV, and we enjoyed having them.
Jackie and Dave checked out Sunday morning, on their way to the Salvation Army Church in Twillingate, which recently celebrated its 125 year of ministry. Their regular church is the Pathway Community Church in Paradise, which has services every Sunday at 11 o’clock at the Rotary Paradise Youth Centre.
The Salvation Army has a rich history and great tradition of helping out the poor of this province, and while I am not a member I certainly respect what they do, and was happy to meet these soldiers (church members). In researching this blog post I learned that Newfoundland boasts the largest per capita numbers of Salvation Army soldiers in Canada, and they still carry out outreach work today.
I’ve always been a people-person – that’s why I’ve excelled as a business- and salesman. I have been more than thrilled that my new job as Happy Innkeeper allows me to continue to meet people and hear their stories on such an intimate level. I can’t wait til the summer for our high-season to really kick in.