| Newfoundland 2005 |
| Tuesday, July 5th
Early to bed meant early to rise. Well, relatively early. I was up at 9:30 and out the door. I decided to have a bite to eat at the McDonald�s on Torbay Road, near Ken and Diane�s house. Ken and Diane were our first Newfoundland friends, also both Ham Radio operators. Ken has a couple different ham radio repeaters in and around St. John�s and he and Vic have helped each other in their efforts to get Newfoundland �hooked up� regarding IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project). IRLP is how we get to talk to Jim and Lillian and Ken and Diane often throughout the year. Classes of mine have also spoken with Jim by way of IRLP. I almost didn�t recognize the interior of the McDonald�s, it had really changed! I found out while I was there that the renovation had been 4 months working while the place was open and three weeks closed to finish it all up. At the table next to me, the manger was being interviewed about the new restaurant. She was so proud to have been able to give input on the design and materials. It was the first of its kind in Canada and she wanted the interviewer to know that she had made sure to use Labrador granite and Newfoundland slate in the design as well as using Newfoundland contractors and architects. Her pride in her homeland came through loud and clear. She was out to put Newfoundland on the map of happening places to be. They were still putting finishing touches up in preparation for the Canadian National McDonald�s Convention, which would be held in St. John�s later in the week. After finishing breakfast I went over to drive past Ken�s house. I had been past there the day before on one of my scoots and no one was home. I was anxious for Ken to look at my radio. I knocked it off the table on Sunday and broke the antenna. Jim had lent me one, but Vic said that it sounded like I may have jostled or broken an interior connection. Jim did everything he could to fix it but it kept slipping. Ken�s car was in the driveway so I parked and knocked on the door. Dixie, their cocker spaniel greeted me and then she ran up the steps to get Ken, who was working in the back in the garden. It was good to be welcomed and to sit and catch up on all the news. Diane had finally finished school and had a Master�s Degree! She�d been going to school for as long as I�d known her and hardly had any time for anything, trying to work full time and go to school as close to full time as she could. He said they now had to redefine what normal was and live life without term papers. They had already been working had in the garden, which had suffered somewhat during her schooling. Later, I accompanied Ken to the Swiss Chalet and we had a bite of lunch. He caught me up on the latest Alan Doyle/Russell Crowe gossip and other GBS gossip, which will remain offline for now. Funny how everyone knows what�s going on, but doesn�t make a big thing out of it. They�re just local b�ys made good and no one lets them put on any airs. I left Ken and went back home to find Jim battling with Apple Support - again. They were no support. We finally figured out he has to have an apple account to upload and so we registered him with my iBook to get him one. Then and only then were we able to enter the podcast into consideration. ARGH! Why couldn�t they have told us that in the first place? We�ve been four days trying to do this! Success was immediately tempered by the realization that the Republic of Avalon Radio site was down, so Jim can�t upload the podcast anyway. We celebrate our success and/or quell our frustrations by having a donair sub picnic on Signal Hill. Nice to be in my favorite place with two of my favorite people. It was beautiful sitting there, straddling the seat to see the sunset AND the sea from the same vantage point. Home to listen to music and chat. Early to bed again. |
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| Sunset over the harbour with a container ship leaving for parts unknown |
| Wednesday, July 6th
Got up on the early side and bought some gas since we were planning to be on the road later today. Lillian went into work for the morning and we were going to Middle Cove Beach for a picnic. I heard that the caplin were in and I had never been here when that happened. The coffee and cinnamon roll were good at Tim�s and I tried to find a two-day-old copy of the National Post for Diane. The other day there had been a front page article on Bono and she�s a U2 freak. But I couldn�t find a paper for her � I checked in 5 different places and they had all thrown out their old issues. Got back, chatted with Rose next door and her son Steve and waited for Lillian. Lillian�s famous tuna sandwiches were on the menu along with chips and bevies. Jim has gotten me hooked on Orangina. I had never had it before this trip. It�s one of Jim�s favorites and one day I just bought three, one for each of us. I am enjoying just chillin� here in St. John�s. Not in tourist mode or work mode, just chillin�. I could really learn to like this for retirement. I actually knew how to get to Middle Cove Beach. We went there last year and I got some great photos and talked with some interesting people. It�s a stone beach, like most in Newfoundland. I�ve heard there are sand beaches, just haven�t seen any yet. We pulled into the parking area and discovered it was full of cars. I guess the caplin story was true! When we got to the beach with our cooler, what a surprise to discover many people near the water�s edge with nets and buckets! People of all sizes and ages were here to scoop up the caplin. Caplin are a small fish (about 6 in.-15 cm) that spawn by the millions on Newfoundland Beaches each year. They are big news here. I even heard a term used to describe the weather the other day. �It�s caplin weather,� the woman said, on the foggy, wet, cold day, which seems to happen often in early summer here in Newfoundland. |
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