Newfoundland Labrador

Seagulls seem to be everywhere and there are times we wish they wern’t. This is a photo our son texted to me as he was out for his morning walk.

Personally, I think this is a beautiful picture. The two seagulls standout, although there are other things that might catch your attention.

I have had some frightening experiences with seagulls especially during breeding season. A number of years ago, I was trouting, in a pond, about a half hours walk off the Trans Canada Highway. near Soldier’s pond. For those who may not be familiar with Newfoundland, it is a pond about 15 kms west of St John’s. See map below.

The pond is just below Butterpot hill and I believe it is called Var pond. It was a nice sunny afternoon and as I approached the pond I realized that there was a number of seagulls around the pond. As I walked around, they began to dive bomb just above my head. It was a little scary as they came very close to my head and I would continue to duck down. As I continued to walk around the pond it got worst. Eventually, I had to turn back and retreat. This was not my first interaction with seagulls but this was the most aggressive time that I have seen them. The numbers were much higher so I guess this was why there were so many dive bombing incidents on that particular day. I realize that they were protecting their nests

Youtube video discussing seagull attacks and management

The Newfoundland Railway, a historic railway system in Newfoundland, Canada, ceased operations in 1988. The railway played a crucial role in the economic and social development of Newfoundland during the early to mid-20th century. However, due to financial challenges and the emergence of alternative transportation methods, the decision was made to close the railway.

The Caribou as it was known was referred by those of us who rode and saw the train called it The Newfie Bullet. You can read more about the history of the train by following this link.

The closure marked the end of an era for rail transportation on the island. The last train ran on September 30, 1988, and the tracks were subsequently removed. The railway’s closure had a significant impact on the communities that were connected by the rail line, as it was not only a means of transportation but also an essential part of the local economy and culture.

While the Newfoundland Railway no longer exists, remnants of its history, such as old railway beds and some infrastructure, can still be found in various parts of Newfoundland. Additionally, the former rail line has been repurposed into recreational trails in certain areas, providing a different way for people to explore the landscape.

This is a section of the trailway in Long Pond. The train would stop here and drop cars on the siding, filled with cattle from PEI. I recall helping the Metcalfes move the cattle by truck or drive them down the road to their slaughter house and auction site. It was about three miles from the siding.

Trailway in Seal Cove. Part of railway line

Kike many people around the world, we are hoping and praying for the safe return of those who are on board the submarine. As of this hour they have about 20 hours of oxygen left.

The weather in this area, (Avalon Peninsula) has been drizzily with heavy fog; however, it is supposed to clear tomorrow, the first day of summer.

Latest update

Sadly, the Titan submarine had a catastrophic implosion and those on board are missing and presumed to have not survived the implosion. Our thoughts and prayers are with family members.

Beyond Infinity

I’ve always wanted a dory but it never happened until a week ago.  Some background about me and my desire for a dory. I was born in Creston South, NL way back in 1948. There was only a dirt road connecting Creston to the other network of roads throughout Newfoundland.  There were a few cars or trucks but most people had a dory or some other type of boat. We had a yellow dory.

In the fall and winter, the dory would be hauled up on our property, turned over and we would crawl underneath and use it as a hiding place. In the spring and summer we would row the boat around Creston Inlet and sometimes we would venture out into the channel. It was a pleasurable adventure for us young children.  The memories of a childhood in Creston South are etched in my mind. They were good times.

Then we heard the news from our parents that we were moving into  St John’s . We were happy and sad. There was talk that we would move to Toronto. I was 9 years old. Our furnishings were shipped by coastal boat and we took various forms of transportation into a house (more like a cabin) in Manuels. My brothe Sam and I travelled with our aunt and uncle. Their car was loaded down with stuff and we were squeezed in between. Twenty something flat tires later we arrived at our new home.  It took us 24 hours to complete an eight hour journey.

Alhough we never had a dory or a boat my fascination with dories never wavered. A couple of years ago, our daughter and her husband bought a cottage on the river in Terra Nova Village. We spent a lot of time there and we would go trouting in an aluminum boat. I wanted a dory to trout from and to row around the river and the lake.

About a year ago, I saw an ad for a dory for sale and went to look at it. My mind raced and I wanted to buy it but it was too big and heavy for me. It looked bigger now then when I was a child. I asked him if he could make a flat.  He said yes and that’s  all I thought about it. On Apr 8th he called me and said he had it built and did I want it. My wife and I drove to his house and it was exactly what I was looking for.  Below are a couple of pictures. I will be taking the dory/flat to Terra Nova for the spring summer. Looking forward to the trouting and relaxing while rowing up and down the river..

The dory/flat                                   Terra Nova sunrise

The builder, Ernie

Dory tour of Bay of Islands

I have travelled to many parts of the world and I’m always amazed at the number of people who call me a Newfie. A few days ago I was on a facebook group and I mentioned that I was from Newfoundland. The moderator said, “oh a Newfie.” I knew he was not using it in a demeaning way. Most people use it as a term of endearment but there are some who use it to degrade Newfoundlanders.

This is taken fron wikapaedia ,Newfie (also Newf or sometimes Newfy) is a colloquial and (especially in Québec) derogatory term used by the rest of Canada for someone who is from Newfoundland. Newfoundlanders consider “Newfie” as a slur used by American and Canadian military forces stationed on the island.

There are a myrimad of newfie jokes, stores and newfie souvenirs.  Many of us as Newfoundlanders, have been the butt of some of those jokes and yes, some of us glory in them. I have, what I would consider to be a good sense of humor and I can laugh at myself and at some of the dumb things that I do or that I have done. I will not tell a joke or relate a story that embarrasses or degrades another person, group or nationality.

How do I feel about the term newfie! It depends on the context of how the term is being used. There are those who use the term to refer to us as hard workers, competent, truthful and friendly. I have heard it said, “I love my newfie friend because…” Then there are those who because of the ignorance of a few, refer to us as dumb and stupid. That makes my blood boil. In every society there are those who take no pride in their country or in their heritage,

I will never forget, on our honeymoon trip to Bermuda, back in the seventies.We were picking up our luggage and waiting for a taxi, when this burly man shouted to a baggage handler. Heh, Nigger.” My wife and I were horrified and we looked at each other and at this man in shock disbelief. It was so degrading.  We have never forgotten it.

I’m proud to be a Newfoundlander and I will at all times lift up my province, Newfoundland Labrador. It is my home. If people refer to me as a newfie  with respect, then I will accept it as a term of endearment..In contrast, if I’m referred to or I hear others demeaning Newfoundlanders by a negative use of the term newfie, then I will challenge the individual.

Here are some links about the topic.

‘Newfie’: Offensive or endearing? A McMaster researcher dives in

Newfoundlanders upset over use of offensive term in Anthony Bourdain’s show promotion

Province reacting to ‘stupid Newfie’ comments in latest 

 

 

I will be adding to this post.

 

Comments are welcome.

 

Omega3 fatty acids doesn’t sound like something we should take, however; it may be the best and most essential of all nutrients that we can take. Being upfront, I’m just a normal individual who is trying to live a healthy life style. I have started to take seal oil capsules for the following reasons.

The reason for choosing the seal oil capsule, over others, was from a personal perspective. Seals eat fish of all kinds and therefore they should have more  omega 3 then fish. They eat cod, salmon, shrimp, herring, squid, crustaceans, molluscs, flounder, hake etc. A study has revealed that the harp seals’ diet consists of at least 67 species of fish and 70 species of invertebrates.

Link to what seals eat

In my opinion, there are too many seals and something has to be done to cull them. Unfortunately animal rights groups and their supporters have destroyed a way of life and a rich food supply for many people. This has had the negative affect of decreasing fish stocks. I recognize, the fact, that something had to be done with the inhumane ways that seals were being killed. It may be time for governments to re-visit their decisions and not be influenced by anyone who is for or against the seal hunt.

Now that I have finished my rant let’s see the value of seal oil capsules, how they are made and where the seals are harvested.

Where does the oil come from for seal oil capsules? The oil comes from the blubber of many species of seals. Most of them, to my knowledge, are harvested, under government control and regulations, in the north atlantic. Alaska and Northern communities, that have access to the Arctic ocean, also harvest seals.

The capsules themselves are made from gelatin and water. They are filled with the seal oil that has been rendered from the seal blubber. The process of rendering out the oil is simple. I would recommend checking this out yourself as I would not want to give information that could harm you. Just query a search engine with how to render seal blubber or something similar.

Listed below are some of the benefits of taking omega3 seal oil capsules as published on some supplier websites, I just started {Mar 18,2020} taking the capsules so I have no background history.

One report says that it helps reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and aids in heart health. Before taking the capsules, I  had a checkup and my heart tests were excellent

I get gout and apparently seal oil capsules helps to combat inflammation for those who may have arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Gout is a form of arthritis. Hopefully it will help as I prefer not to take perscriptions.

Helps the functions of the central nervous system and cognitive abilities like memory. I need memory help.

This info was taken from a Harvard study. Link in blue People in good health. If you’re healthy and at low or average risk for heart disease, chances are you don’t need an omega-3 supplement, provided you eat fish often, says Dr. Manson. You should eat at least two servings a week of fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, or herring. Aim for fish that are high in two different omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), each of which provides unique health benefits.

The problem we have is getting good fish. Personally, I am not a fan of farmed fish, especially from certain countries.

As mentioned I had a perfect check up in March 2020, I’m 71  years old, a non smoker and I try and keep myself in shape through physical work. I do eat fresh fish, when available and I take one omega3 seal oil capsule supplement daily.

Check with a physician to ensure that this supplement is something that would benefit you

Seals on a rock in Rock Hr, NL. Photo credit: Clyde Hooper

 

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His name is George but I call him the shoveling man. He is in his early eighties, has had a heart attack but has the energy of a much younger man. His wife has to call him in when he is shoveling snow.

Recently, Jan 17/2020, we had one of the worst blizzards in history, with a snowfall exceeding 70 cms and winds gusting to 125 kms. I have seen a lot of storms, over my 71 years but this was the worst. It is so bad that The Premier has asked that the military be sent in to help. There is a state of emergency.

George had his shovel ready. I had been out since 6:30am with the snow blower, however; the snow was too deep in places,  The shoveling man came out at about 7:00 and was still shoveling at 11:00am. Finally, I had to tell him to take a break. Well I was getting tired and it would be embrassing for me to go inside and leave him with his shovel.

Snow Shovelling man Song

I have never seen anybody as neat as George in shoveling a driveway, He has to get down to the pavement.  His method of shoveling is completely different then the way that I shovel. He is very methodical and never appears to be in a rush. As mentioned earlier, he had a heart attack and I’m a little nervous when he doesn’t take a break. I’m amazed at the amount of snow that he can move.

George spent most of his working life as a fisherman, He hauled cod traps, lobster pots and hand lined for cod. He built houses and was able to, when he was younger, complete a house from start to finish.  I guess this is where he learned to work at a certain pace. There have been a few occasions where he has helped me with a few projects and although he never rushed, he was able to complete projects on time.

I have learned a lot from this man and it’s always a pleasure to work with him. It has begun to snow again so I guess George is getting ready for another few hours of shoveling.

Here are a few tips from my experience with George.

Take your time

Don’t lift more then you should.

Get a shovel that you feel comfortable handling.. George uses a lighweight hard plastic shovel.

I have notice that George pushes the snow and only lifts an amount that doesn’t put stress on his body.

Check this website for some good tips on shovelling snow. Braceability.

Do you think better early in the morning or at night? For me, it’s early in the morning. I usually wake at 5:00- 5:30 and am wide awake. I don’t need tea or coffee to wake up.

I have friends and relatives who are not morning people or as they say. “I don’t do mornings.

Today I came across an article, “are you an owl or a lark?” It’s an interesting read.

The link to Are You An owl Or A  Lark

Over the past few years I have noticed that grey color cars are more often the color that I miss when pulling into traffic or merging. I decided to check to see if there were any studies done on traffic accidents and vehicle colors.

According to one source the following colors are more prone to accidents

Black

Grey

Blue

Red

Green

I was very surprised that red was one of the worst colors.

The following car colors have the least accidents. What surprised me was that, percentage wise, white had the least accidents . Then I decided to do a further check and white was more accident prone.  Info here

White

Yellow

Orange

Gold

A link for more detailed info

Here is a link to another source and they say that white is the safest color. Link 

I presently drive a white van and as mentioned above I have problems picking up various shades of grey.

Have you ever crawled through alders and brush searching for hub caps? When we were children, we would walk for miles on a saturday, scouring the sides of the dirt roads searching for them.  Beer and pop bottles were a bonus find.

I believe this is a 52 chev hubcap

As mentioned above, the roads in our towns and communities were dirt, made from gravel or soil. The nearest paved road was over two hundred miles away. The roads were either dusty, full of pot holes or muddy. It would take quite the knock to loosen a hubcap but it did happen.

Most people knew the type of car or truck that a person owned so it wasn’t that difficult to find the owner. I don’t recall the dollar value of a found hub cap but it must have been only pennies.

My friends and I would would walk both sides of the road in search of those elusive caps. It’s surprising the distance that some of them would travel after breaking loose from the car or truck.  Some would be found deep in the woods or out on the marsh or barrens. I can only imagine the speed that some people drove on those roads. When a hub cap broke loose, at a high speed, it just keep rolling, either down the road or out into the woods.

There were three adult brothers who made some extra cash by selling hub caps. They had a sign put up, outside their house, ” hub caps for sale.” Those brothers were characters and were well known by most people in the area where we lived.

They were, lost and found, hub cap entrepreneurs. They would set up their find on the side off the main highway.  Their wares would be hanging from sticks, from tree branches or lying on the ground. It didn’t matter to them whether it was a chev, a ford, dodge or some other make of vehicle. If the cap fit they would try and sell it to the potential customer.

There have been many stories told about this trio. One was that as one of them was speaking to a potential customer, another of the brothers would sneak to the other side of the vehicle. He would pry off a hub cap and place it with their stockpile.  Then another of them would search through the pile and find the cap that the customer was looking for. It’s a believable story having known those brothers.

We have an older friend who combs the highways, around our suburban area. for recyclables. I don’t know if he makes any money doing this but every now and then he will pick up a wheel cover or for us older generation, a hubcap. We live in an area where the paved roads get filled with pot holes, in the spring, after the frost goes out of the ground. You hit one of those pot holes and you will either damage your front end, get a flat tire or lose a wheel cover.

I notice that one of the wheel covers on my van is broken..I wonder!