I have a room all to myself; it is nature.
— Henry David Thoreau
NOTE: IN ORDER TO BETTER SEE PHOTOS IN THEIR FULL 1600 PX. RESOLUTION, VIEW THEM IN THE ALBUM FORMAT BY CLICKING ON THE LEAD PHOTO OR ANY PHOTO IN THE POST. This is especially true for landscape shots. Thanks to Mark for the idea of adding this alert so the photos can be seen at their best!
Before we knew it the weekend was over and it was time to leave.
Two days and two nights went by so quickly!
One of Wayne's brothers laughed when he loaded his portable 2 room shower tent into the boat, but no one was laughing when they got to rinse all the sweat and dirt off in privacy with warm water.
Of course Vader was happy to just take his bath in the ocean.
What remains of the boardwalk
Remember the remains of the boardwalk along the shore in St. Anne's? I found a picture of a similar boardwalk from Dunville that gives a good idea of what it probably looked like. Dunville is just a 10 minute drive from our house, so a cool find for two reasons!
Credit: The Rooms archives https://www.therooms.ca/
I learned that I needed a better pair of rubber boots for outdoor life in Newfoundland with all those low shrubs and wet marshes.
And I learned that unless I was on an ATV road or the East Coast Trail that I might want to wear long pants with my hiking boots even in the summer...
bruised and scratched, but happy
I don't remember if the wind was at our back when we made our way back across Placentia Bay, but the sun was out and it was less windy than on our way in so we made good time and saw more wildlife.
They call Cormorants "Shags" in Newfoundland
We even saw a few Puffins, though I still want to return to Ellsworth to see them there again.
I know we have a lot of work to do out there, but sometimes work is fun and I can't wait to get back!
When we approached Green Cove the first thing we noticed was a chimney out on the hill.
Might as well have been a magnet on that chimney, right? So I set off along the beach, taking time to admire the local scenery along the way.
This time I wore my Keen water sandals and splashed along in the salt water, enjoying the crunch of the rocks and the soothing coolness on my hot feet.
Lots of pink in the submerged beach rocks
As I made my way around the cove the angle of the light changed the color of the water.
Wondering what the logs are about? Jim told me that was where the boardwalk that circled the cove was located. I bet that made walking from one cove to the next much easier than picking over the rocks like I had to do!
There were abandoned lobster pots on both of the points I visited as well as stacked up near the cabin.
Lovely purple Harebells (Campanula rotundifolia) blowing in the wind by the lobster pot
An opening in the trees just past the lobster pot led me up onto the hill where I got mesmerized by these views:
And from the top of the hill I could see down into Anne's Cove, where Wayne's father grew up.
The chimney and foundation that still remain are all that's left of the schoolhouse. How many kids went to school there? Who was their teacher? What resources did they have so far off the beaten path?
Only 21 households in St. Anne's, remember? St. Kyran's and St. Leonard's had their own school, (which you can find in my post from last year) so not many children at any given time. What did it look like in those 2 small coves with a school and 21 houses?
A look at Anne's Cove and the remains of the school while we ponder those questions:
Up next, our hike from the wharf in St. Kyran's out to the Church of the Assumption and meeting up with other visitors in St. Leonards.
Out in St. Anne's I went wandering in 3 different directions our first day there.
St Anne's to the left from hill above Green Cove -
Little Goat Islands and Presque Harbour to the right
Of course the first order of business was finding out what was behind the hill behind the cabin. Vader followed me to the top of the hill, but when he saw that Tom wasn't joining us he turned around.
A moose path led up over the notch between two hills, where I struggled to keep ahead of the flies.
Then when it leveled out I found myself on a marsh, or more aptly a wet meadow really. Why is my backpack on the "mash" so far from where I took the picture?
Because I was wandering around picking a few late bakeapples! Bakeapples (also known as cloudberry) aren't the sweetest of berries, but I discovered that the overripe stragglers were sweeter than what I was used to sampling. Prepared for the possibility of berries with a margarine tub in my pack, I got as many as I could for later.
M is for mash, Or marish or mish, A wet, grassy spot where your rubbers go squish. With blackflies and bog Aunt Bertha will grapple Whenever she goes there To pick the bakeapple.
-A Second Newfoundland Folk Alphabet
Green Pond
Just past the bakeapples I pushed through a few more trees to find myself at the edge of a large pond shimmering in the hot sun. Twenty second video of the pond below:
You know I took off my hiking boots and cooled off my feet!
Nothing like brook water after a hike
After returning to the cabin I filled up a cup of brook water just steps from the door. I went for a walk around the shoreline toward Anne's Cove but I'll share those tomorrow. When I returned the men had some concoction on the stove filled with stuff I wasn't fond of, so for me it was a can of Bush's beans and a spoon.
Beans and boots!
And for dessert...warm bakeapples on top of Purity Tee-Vee cookies. Can't get more Newfie than that!
While the fellas were eating their supper I followed another moose path and climbed the hill above the cabin. Third walk of the day, talk about a dream excursion!
As I walked along I had great views of the hills on the opposite shore that I had walked before supper.
As well as views of the harbor entrance we had traveled to get there.
My goal was to walk out the point toward Goat Island, and enjoy the early evening light and the cool breeze.
Goat Island is home to St. Anne's departed. Why was a rock in the middle of the water chosen for a cemetery? Can you imagine what a funeral was like when the departed must have arrived by rowboat? Jim said there wasn't ever a bridge as far as he knows. St. Anne's was never largely populated, (the 1935 census shows 20 dwellings, 4 of which were vacant) and by 1965 the remaining 3 families opted for Resettlement. In 1935 Wayne's father, Jim, was 17 years old and living in his parents' home there in St. Anne's. I wish he were alive to ask him those questions.
When I got out to the point I turned around and saw Jim peering out at me from the cabin. Time to head back.
The light was beautiful on the hill, but I sure did wish I had changed out of my rubber boots and back into my hiking boots! Lesson learned, and new rubber boots bought shortly after we returned, you can be sure. Here's a 46 second video from my perch above the cabin:
Last year when we came home we hired a boat to go out across Placentia Bay to see the place our ancestors called home. That trip took 3 1/2 hours each way, I was terribly sick the whole time, and to pay someone to go out costs a shocking $800-900 round trip. Because it is 7 hours of just sailing we were left with only a few hours to explore. It was a great experience, but a bit pricey to do often.
Jim and I waiting for our ride
Now we have our own speedboat, and yes, that means we can get there faster! We set out this past weekend from Placentia for 2 days and 2 nights. We were generously loaned use of a cabin in St. Anne's (a 5 minute boat ride from St. Kyran's) so the entire trip cost us $80 for fuel and was 3 1/2 hours round trip instead of each way!
Harold and Tom arrive to load up the Nomad
While we waited for Wayne to arrive with a few last minute supplies we started loading up the boat. No electricity or running water out across the bay, much less a supermarket!
Using a friend's boat as a bridge to load
Without a wharf to load from we used a buddy's boat that was tied up at the sea wall as a bridge. The heaviest and hardest item to load was Tom's dog, Vader. For 5 months old, he's a big fella!
Vader is a Labrador/Newfoundland mix who seems to have gotten more Newfoundland in him than Tom bargained for. Mild tempered and easy to train, Vader has become almost a part of our family too. Wayne goes over to walk him often, so he gets to enjoy the fun parts of dog ownership without having to buy the food or be there for ALL the times he needs a potty break.
Good Dog!
Here's a video of us going out the Northeast Arm and under the new Ambrose Shea bridge which was completed in 2016. Feel free to skip the first minute, I've been having trouble with videos uploaded from laptop having distorted sound so I uploaded directly from my iPhone and then was unable to edit after it was published. Any tips for this problem appreciated!
The ride out took 2 hours because we got a little sidetracked in the fog. I was only mildly groggy and nauseous after taking 2 motion sickness pills, and Vader slept most of the way.
As we neared our destination the fog lifted and green hills greeted us.
Our home for 2 nights in St. Ann's
Not having a wharf to tie up to turned out to be quite the dance once we motored into the cove. Jim hooked the rope hanging from the cliff to tie up the bow, but that was only the first step.
Jim hooks the rope
As we neared shore, I wasn't the only one feeling the mounting excitement.
Time to get out and play
Getting the boat tied up just right turned out to be quite the production, taking at least half an hour and maybe longer than that. Tide was high and having enough slack to account for the lowering tide without the boat drifting into rocks was a concern.
Vader wants to help!
While the Sailors dealt with those issues the Landlubber wandered the shore and looked longingly at the hills waiting to be explored.
Sand dollar on the shore
Once the boat was secured the gear was unloaded and brought into the cabin. With my sensitivities and allergies in mind I packed a tent in case of any mildew odor and as expected I ended up pitching my tent on the beach rocks. This issue gave us the opportunity to plan ahead for when we have our own cabin and how we will combat the problem, and we are busy considering options. I could stay in the cabin for short periods but wasn't risking overnight exposure that might impede my adventures the following day.
They tried, but too breezy for a shelter for the propane stove
I was pretty excited to sleep outside on the shore, but beach rocks do not hold tent pegs so I walked back to the cabin to get some gear to put inside the tent to keep it in place.
Of course I wasn't quick enough and a gusty breeze sent it sailing right past the door. Tom let out a shout and gave chase but the hill stopped the tent from going too far.
Finally the moment arrived when I was released from duty and allowed to wander! Stay tuned for some stunning views!
