Sailing in Newfoundland

Conception Bay South, NL

View of Bell Island in the distance

July 17, 2013

 I lay back onto the deck and closed my eyes, relaxing all of my limbs, becoming even more aware of the gentle nudging of the waves. The sun was warm on my face, but not too warm. The breeze fluttered along my cheek but didn't chill it. It was a perfect day for sailing. 

I opened my eyes and allowed my gaze creep up the length of the mast. Beyond it, the brilliantly white clouds provided a fine accent to the azure sky. 

We had been out on the water for about three hours, and were now on our return voyage. My cousin, the captain, was inherently comfortable on the open water. His Dad, my uncle, instilled his love affair with sailing into his family, but I think to my cousin most of all. This, of course, trickled down into my cousin's own daughters, one of whom was joining us on this excursion. The two of them made a good team, easily interpreting orders while raising the sail, and providing feedback on where to drop the anchor. 

They had collectively decided it was a good day to moor at Kelly's Island, one of the three islands in Conception Bay South. It was quite a thrilll for my kids to sail onto the doorstep of this mass of rock that until now provided only a backdrop to numerous walks on the beach. The layers of sedementary rock formation are visible from land but downright captivating to observe close up:

As we made our way along the island's beach we had to stay a safe distance from its wall of rock for fear a shelf would give way! I felt like an explorer as we ascended the one safe path, excited to reach the top and see what it looked like. Of course, with its spruce trees and tall grass,  it resembled any other mass of forest in Newfoundland. But blend in the ocean view and distant community coastline and you know you're somewhere different. 

I had read in a tourism post somewhere that the ocean didn't bring icebergs this summer, but there were lots of whales. I reminded my boys of the whales we'd watched from the shore just a couple of evenings prior. So then, of course, we all began studying the rippled water for the chance to see one up close! And we weren't disappointed... we were treated to several sightings of whales as they gracefully surfaced. I captured a couple of them wth my 300 zoom lens but put it down soon after to ensure I also experienced it through my own lenses.

As that coastline became larger, I thanked my cousin for this incredible experience, and commented that I know he gets to do this whenever he wants (suggesting our elated reactions must seem excessive). But he smiled and said while that may be true, he still appreciates the thrill of being out here! I guess I knew that already but hearing it made the experience even more enjoyable for me!

A Decorated Wide Open Space

I shot this jaunty array of daisies just as the sun was setting on Conception Bay South, NL. Like a beautifully mismatched bouquet of flowers you'd pick for your kitchen table, it grows however it wants  along the top of the rolling expanse of beach rocks. 

They have the best view of Kelly's Island and the Bell Islands and the gulls that soar above them all. They can sway romantically in the evening summer breeze as they watch the sunset tinting the clouds a lemonade pink. They also have prime seating for the whale show that is on display this time of year that we were lucky enough to witness. It was neat to see this many whales sliding up out of the water at such close range... you could even hear them exhaling as they surfaced! It was an awe-inspiring display. And while I didn't have the right camera to capture the whales, I was able to capture a few flowers to remind me of how peaceful it was on the beach that night.

Current Swell

IlluminAqua - July 5

Because I love music, I had secured the opportunity to volunteer in the green room at a recent IlluminAqua concert in Welland. I had the pleasure of working with two charismatic women who made it their plan to spend Friday concert nights in that well-appointed office. It was the first leg of the folk festival, and we were tasked with ensuring a comfortable space for the members of Street Pharmacy, Jon and Roy, and Current Swell.

There was magic in my air that night.  I loved that all three bands were collaborating in a board room cleverly disguised as a dinner hall! I imagined the conversations they must have been having: Street Pharmacy sharing stories about their host town, all the reminiscing about various concert tours, and everyone exchanging ideas about their wonderfully expressive chosen profession.  

It was intriguing to observe the artists up close and relaxed before the show... a guitarist nonchalantly strumming around the corner, the strings behaving like extensions of his fingers to reveal the melody... sketching out schematics to illustrate their ideas for the lighting technician... and kicking around the hackeysack which seemed a fine outlet for connecting and blowing off steam before a show!

Close up, they were all polite - genuinely appreciative of the space and amenities provided to them, mellow and down to earth. On stage, they exploded out of their quiet personas to properly occupy the entire floating stage and engulf the entire block in music! It's awesome what a microphone and some well-timed lighting can do to amplify talent.

The boys appreciate their fans. I spied the lead singer of Street Pharmacy occupying the merchandise booth, happily signing CD's and t-shirts. Current Swell acknowledged those audience members they knew came from Ridgeway, from Sarnia, and from as far away as Boston to see their show. They then proceeded to play a song so many people were requesting and thrived on eliciting outright elation among them!  They acknowledged those people taking in the show from their kayaks, a sweet benefit of being afloat in Welland! 

At the end of the evening, I walked home with a smile on my face and some great new CD's in my purse with a complete set of autographs adorning them. There was no question about whether I would do it again. The WRCC was thanking me for volunteering, but I kept thanking them for the opportunity to be a part of it all!!

Striving to Achieve the Big "S" in New York City

Come for the Shoes

I've not been inside the walls of this footwear establishment nor do I have any idea about the quality or longevity of its offerings but a store with a name like this surely speaks to shoe-horny women everywhere.

Even those who aren't seeking sole satisfaction can appreciate a title like this.

I am in the latter category here - when it comes to shoe shopping, that is. I have to make a genuine effort to outfit my feet and I expend as little energy as possible doing the deed.

On occasion, I do feel the urge to embrace my inner Carrie Bradshaw and try to experience the euphoria of purchasing an exquisitely crafted, impossibly elevated, shamelessly expensive, and delightfully impractical new pair of shoes.

After all, I do love fashion and wearable art and I get it: the jaunty way they stand with their perfect matches, perched seductively on the shelves in rhythmic order. I like seeing them on models stepping all over the pages of Chatelaine and Vogue, and I marvel at real women who can sashay alluringly around the ballroom or the bar or the mall properly elevated and confidently upright. There’s something so alluring about a woman who is comfortable in her Blahnik’s (or her Jessica’s if that’s your arena – like all facets of sex appeal, it’s less about the cost and more about working with what you have). I appreciate the sensual effect of a high-heeled shoe, how it arches the feet in a way that just doesn't happen when feet remain parallel with the floor (although the barefoot approach does have its place). There is that slinky, stimulating shape and clever construction that defies gravity and demands attention.

But generally, I avoid the whole exercise - the ordeal of shopping for them, trying them on, paying for them, even storing them. The less time I have to spend before rows of shoes seductively whispering  "buy me" - even though they are out of my league - the better. As long as I have something structurally sound protecting my feet, I am good to walk. And since I am not afflicted with height-envy, I am okay with where I am. I don't need to walk in anyone else's shoes - I'll just be content to appreciate what other women do with theirs.

Red and White in Niagara Falls

 Canada Day on Queen Street in Niagara Falls, ON

As my son made his way over to the reptile exhibit with his camera, I held his place in the seemingly endless line for the inflatable slide. As I stood there, inching forward at a pace that would cause a child to bounce around long before reaching the compressed air, my eyes wandered among the crowd. I enjoyed the widespread display of Canadian spirit - residents and visitors came to the party in all their red and white glory. They sported flags dancing from their headbands like antennae and flags waving from sticks shoved into the taut hair of their ponytails. There were flags embroidered onto their backpacks, decorating the bands around their hats, and painted onto their cheeks. One guy even sported an actual Canada flag draped across his shoulders. They donned red and white striped socks, red and white t-shirts, and wore red and white streamers woven into their hair. Their offspring were carted along wearing red and white onesies as they focused on red balloons high overhead dancing from their strollers. Even the playground equipment at the end of Queen Street appeared patriotic in its fresh coat of red paint. And why not - it's such a great colour even on the other 364 days of the year!

In the Middle of Somewhere

Labrador City is situated in the middle of this Google Map satellite image.

Growing up, there was never any concern about the religious beliefs of foreign countries, the possibility that a quiet twenty-something might take his frustrations out on innocent people, or the threat of being assaulted on your way home from school. Feeling safe and secure weren't even identified as benefits because we didn't know anything else. We were just growing up and enjoying life. Aside from the very real threat of frostbite and the occasional black bear wandering into city limits, there wasn't much for us kids to be concerned about growing up in the mining community of Labrador City, NL.

We appreciated the pristine, natural world that stretched out endlessly beyond our town boundaries and sought many of our leisure activities within: hiking, cross-country skiing, camping, skidooing, fishing... We instinctively took care of that massive expanse of spruce and rock and water long before it was socially and environmentally correct to do so.

But just as we respected the dry, frigid temperatures in winter and the relentless black flies in summer, we respected the power of fire. When your whole world is a 40 square kilometre settlement tucked within 295 square kilometres of forest, you tend to respect such natural threats.

I remember the impact a distant raging forest fire had on our community. I suppose it would be similar to those who live in other areas similarly at nature's mercy - the threat of flood waters drowning your world or of earthquakes shaking it to pieces. My Labrador City world was never devoured by fire, but it frequently knocked on our door, letting us know it was there, reminding us of its potential. I remember people in nearby communities being evacuated, and others refusing to accept such an order, opting instead to remain tenaciously aboard their ship, coating it with a steady stream of protective water from their garden hose. I know people who have lost cabins, Newfoundland's word for cottage, a universal family refuge from responsibility-laden houses and time-dependant routines.

There is a fire raging in Labrador right now, close to town. Labrador City's neighbouring community of Wabush was recently ordered to evacuate due not to the threat of being incinerated, but to the poor, smoke-infested quality of their air. Like any event that necessitates an evacuation, those residents in the safe zones opened up their houses, churches, and cultural establishments to the ones displaced. It's a tense, uncomfortable, unsettling situation, but one that illustrates the generosity of neighbours.

Nature's fury imposes her will all the time, anywhere she chooses, as powerfully and as relentlessly as she chooses. It's a common story populating the newsfeeds and Twittersphere. But when she threatens the very place where you innocently spent the first twenty years of your life, you pay close attention. You feel the trepidation of its current residents, even at 2000 kilometres away. You can picture the pillows of smoke that smother the clean blue sky and flow past their television screens on the local news. You can smell the burning wood and moss and lichen and you remember that a dampened version of that smell will linger eerily along the highway for weeks after it has been extinguished.

One can only hope that temporarily poisoning the town's air is as far as the fire's assault reaches in Wabush. At last review, residents were permitted to return to their homes even as the fire continues to burn and the potential for another evacuation order remains. Even so, I imagine there is a wave of relief to return to their unscathed homes. Because regardless of how long you've been away from your home, you never forget what it looked like the day you left.

What home would have looked like the day I left twenty years ago.

One Passion Captures Another

One Passion Captures Another

Some might argue that it's unnatural or even unsettling to find oneself underneath a bridge. After all, the main reason for a bridge's existence is to enable secure passage over water. But on Welland's recreational waterway, it's perfectly acceptable to pass underneath one - several of them, in fact. This one is the historic Main Street lift bridge that, aside from the spirits of historically-inclined individuals, no longer lifts at all. But it does add to the character of the canal, whether or not you appreciate its structural stature.

And while the bridge does safely transport motorists over the canal, there aren't any motors whirring beneath it. Only non-motorised vessels are permitted, providing a welcome calmness for those who like to glide along in their canoes and kayaks on a mellow summer evening.

I happened upon this eclectic team of rowers one evening while I was exploring the eastern edge of the waterway. It was rather exciting to encounter, actually: a refreshingly dynamic subject to photograph compared to the motionless lightposts and monochromatic brickwork along the shore. Not only that, but the lime green and violet and royal blue of the rowers' jackets were like drops of paint against the combined greyness of the cement canal walls, the steel bridge, and the rippled early evening water.

You don't need to be a part of a team to experience the water in this way. Anyone can indulge in their flatwater inclinations on the old canal thanks to the rental program at the Welland Recreational Canal Corporation.  It's a great way to perhaps try out a new activity and to see the bridges one drives over all the time from a completely different angle!