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3 Steps to Perfect Planters
$4.99 May 2021
Vol 33 • No 12
First Fish in Space
7 Signs of Spring Gear Up for May 24
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life is better Published monthly in St. John’s by Downhome Publishing Inc. 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 Tel: 709-726-5113 • Fax: 709-726-2135 • Toll Free: 1-888-588-6353 E-mail: mail@downhomelife.com Website: www.downhomelife.com Editorial Editor-in-Chief Janice Stuckless Assistant Editor Nicola Ryan Editor Lila Young Art and Production Art Director Vince Marsh Illustrator Mel D’Souza Illustrator Snowden Walters Advertising Sales Senior Account Manager Robert Saunders Account Manager Barbara Young Marketing Director Tiffany Brett Finance and Administration Junior Accountant Marlena Grant Accounting Assistant Sandra Gosse Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney
Warehouse Operations Warehouse / Inventory Manger Carol Howell Warehouse Operator Josephine Collins Retail Operations Retail Floor Manager, St. John’s Jackie Rice Retail Floor Manager, Twillingate Donna Keefe Retail Sales Associates Crystal Rose, Jonathon Organ, Elizabeth Gleason, Erin McCarthy, Marissa Little, Elizabeth Gauci, Kim Tucker, Heather Stuckless, Katrina Hynes, Lynette Ings, Stef Burt, Ashley Lane, Sarah Bishop
Subscriptions Customer Service Associate Cathy Blundon Founding Editor Ron Young Chief Executive Officer/Publisher Grant Young President & Associate Publisher Todd Goodyear General Manager/Assistant Publisher Tina Bromley
To subscribe, renew or change address use the contact information above. Subscriptions total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $45.99; ON $45.19; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $41.99. US and International mailing price for a 1-year term is $49.99.
Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #40062919 The advertiser agrees that the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space actually occupied by the portion of the advertisement in which the error occurred, whether such error is due to the negligence of the servants or otherwise, and there shall be no liability beyond the amount of such advertisement. The Letters to the Editor section is open to all letter writers providing the letters are in good taste, not libelous, and can be verified as true, correct and written by the person signing the letter. Pen names and anonymous letters will not be published. The publisher reserves the right to edit, revise, classify, or reject any advertisement or letter. © Downhome Publishing Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission of the publisher. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Printed in Canada
Official onboard magazine of
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66 road trip
Contents 92 business buzz
MAY 2021
40 Dearest Diary Dennis Flynn chats with Kyla Miranda about her “Nan’s Journals” project.
56 First Fish in Space Learn more about the mummichog that made big leaps for fishkind. Todd Hollett
66 King of the Road A summer spent travelling the province, just a man and his cat in an RV. Connie Boland
92 Busy Bees Industrious honeybees, dedicated keepers and local farmers show that working together makes the sweetest results. Nicola Ryan
www.downhomelife.com
May 2021
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Contents
MAY 2021
homefront 10 I Dare Say A note from the Editor 12 Letters From Our Readers Fun in the snow, ethereal visitors, and Schrodinger’s cat
20 Downhome Tours Readers explore
12
just chillin’
Cartagena, Columbia
22 Why is That? Why do people throw salt over their shoulder, and why do pigs roll in the mud? Linda Browne
24 Life’s Funny Hide-a-Key Ida (Collier) MacKenzie 25 Say What?A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth 26 Lil Charmers Sweet Siblings 28 Pets of the Month The Nose Knows
20
Columbia bound!
30 Reviewed Denise Flint reviews Michelle Butler Hallett’s new novel, Constant Nobody
32 What Odds Paul Warford goes off script
34 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose chats about Baby Eagle with Matthew Hender
28
sniffin’ around 4
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60 sure shots
features 44 Behind the Curtain Costume designer Marie Sharpe has dressed so many of our favourite players on stage and on screen. Ed Seaward 50 Legacy on the Line A Bonavista family’s efforts to safeguard their built heritage Kim Ploughman
60 Sure Shots Featuring photographer Scott Udle
explore
72 ode to a trail www.downhomelife.com
72 The Skerwink Trail David Rex 76 Rural Murals How a local businessman and a local artist teamed up to put their town’s history on display. Paul Bonisteel May 2021
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Contents
MAY 2021
80
spring is in the air
80 Seven Signs of Spring Celebrate the season of new beginnings, with help from readersubmitted photos. Nicola Ryan
home and cabin 86 Stuff We Love May 24 Ready Nicola Ryan
88 Ready to Renovate? Marie Bishop
96 Todd’s Table Baked Cod in a
86 100 gear up
that’s bananas!
Cast Iron Skillet Todd Goodyear
100 Everyday Recipes Gone Bananas!
106 Down to Earth Designing a planter Kim Thistle 6
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116
first adventures
reminiscing 110 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places 112 Visions and Vignettes Adventures of two young scalawags in a fictional long-ago outport Harold N. Walters
116 Summer of ’63 Isle aux Morts was the place to be for this young university student on his first big adventure. Victor A. French About the cover This striking photo of the Tablelands is one of many photos of Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly his beloved west coast, that the late Aiden Mahoney submitted to Downhome over the years. Aiden passed away in 2020, at age 75.
120 Race Against the Ice A field of ice pans could have spelled the end for this boy and his uncle. Aubrey Barfoot 122 A Trip of a Lifetime Mom, dad, grandmother and nine children in a 1957 Pontiac Rose Noel
Cover Index Three Steps to Perfect Planters • 106 Road Trippin’ • 66 First Fish in Space • 56 7 Signs of Spring • 80 Gear Up for May 24 • 86 www.downhomelife.com
126 Puzzles 138 Classifieds 140 Mail Order 144 Photo Finish May 2021
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You’ll go bananas over these recipes! p. 100
? ? ?? ? Puzzles Got You Stumped? Sneak a peek at the answers at Downhomelife.com/puzzles.
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May 2021
Bet your summer job wasn’t as adventurous as this fella’s, exploring the southwest coast in 1963. His story begins on p. 114.
Like the reader-submitted photos in this issue? Browse thousands of them whenever you want at DownhomeLife.com.
1-888-588-6353
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Submission Guidelines and Prize Rules
You could WIN $100! Every reader whose PHOTO, STORY, JOKE or POEM appears next to this yellow “from our readers” stamp in a current issue receives $10 and a chance at being drawn for the monthly prize: $100 for one photo submission and $100 for one written submission. Prizes are awarded in Downhome Dollars certificates, which can be spent like cash in our retail stores and online at shopDownhome.com.*
Submit Today! Send your photo, story, joke or poem to
Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 or submit online at: www.downhomelife.com *Only 1 prize per submitter per month. To receive their prize, submitters must provide with their submission COMPLETE contact information: full name, mailing address, phone number and email address (if you have one). Mailed submissions will only be returned to those who include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Downhome Inc. reserves the right to publish submissions in future print and/or electronic media campaigns. Downhome Inc. is not responsible for unsolicited material.
Hidden somewhere in this issue is Corky Sly Conner.
Can you find him? Look carefully at all the photographs and in the text of the stories. If you spot Corky, send us your name, address and phone number, along with a note telling us where he’s located. Your name will be entered in a draw and the winner will receive a coupon worth 25 Downhome Dollars redeemable at our store, or through our website.
Send your replies to: Corky Contest
Congratulations
43 James Lane St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3
to Don Dalton of St. John’s, NL who found Corky on page 42 of the March issue.
mail@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com Deadline for replies is the end of each month. *No Phone Calls Please. One entry per person
www.downhomelife.com
May 2021
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i dare say
Same place, new time. Today I returned to the place I sat last year to pose for a photo for the May column. Like last year, it was sunny, a little breezy and cold. Back then, the pandemic lockdowns were new and everyone was talking about the coronavirus. Today, there are still COVID-19 restrictions everywhere, and we’re all still talking about the coronavirus. But a lot happened between then and now. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have worked hard to crush every wave of the pandemic so far, and we’ve been spared the worst of it. Still the losses do wear heavy. People have continued to step up in their communities, helping their neighbours and supporting local businesses. Students and teachers deserve a special shoutout. No one has had their work/school and personal lives turned upside down more than them. In particular, I think of those Grade 12 graduates, classes of 2020 and 2021, who didn’t get to celebrate in style with their classmates; the students who missed out on the real first-year experience of university or college; and the elementary students absorbing what they can through a screen. A lot has been said by adults about the pandemic, but what do the kids think of it all? We also have a new premier since the pandemic began, and we endured the longest “voting day” in our history. Let’s hope there are lasting lessons from that once-in-a-lifetime experience. In a year it has become second nature to keep a safe distance, connect with loved ones online, wash our hands and wear our masks. Seeing someone’s full face in public now would be as shocking as seeing someone topless. And who would have thought in May 2020 that we’d be already vaccinating people against COVID-19 by May 2021? Whereas last year it was hard to see the path ahead, we now have laid enough track behind us to believe we can ride this whole thing out. In the words of our beloved Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, “Hold fast.” Janice Stuckless, Editor-in-chief janice@downhomelife.com 10
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A lot has been written this past year about living with COVID-19, mostly from adults’ point of view. But what do our young people think of it all? We’re offering anyone under 20 to share with us their view on the pandemic by writing a story or poem about it, or drawing or painting a picture that tells us what this past year has been like for you. What stands out? What has affected you most? What will you remember about this when you’re all grown up? We’re accepting your stories, poems, paintings and drawings – anything creative really – until June 30, 2021. We’ll publish them online and in upcoming issues of Downhome. Entries will go into a draw for a free one-year subscription to Downhome of your very own (one drawn in May and one in June). At the end, there will be a grand prize draw from all entries for a special gift pack!
Submit your entry today! (little kids will need a parent’s or guardian’s help): By email: editorial@downhomelife.com
By mail: Downhome Pandemic Pictures 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3
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homefront lil charmers
Sweet Siblings My Girl Ian and Eva pose with an iceberg at Cape Spear in June 2014. Phyllis St. Croix St. John’s, NL
The Dock of the Bay The submitter’s grandkids, Ty & Reese Rideout, check out the waterfront in Corner Brook. Gail Rideout Corner Brook, NL 26
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Walking Along Camren and Reagan pause at a scenic spot on the hike to Chambers Cove in St. Lawrence. Michelle McCarthy Burin, NL
Stand by Me The submitter’s nieces enjoy the sunshine in Ship Harbour, NL. Nicole Power St. John’s, NL
www.downhomelife.com
May 2021
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life is better A calm day in Burgeo harbour Kimberley Keats, St. John’s, NL
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Submit your favourite photos of scenery, activities and icons that best illustrate the down-home lifestyle. We’re looking for a variety of colourful subjects – outports, wildlife, laundry lines, historic sites, seascapes, hilltop views, and so much more – and photos from all four seasons. This is your chance to get in on our most popular reader contest and try to woo the judges into choosing your photo for the 2022 Downhome Calendar. These calendars are seen by tens of thousands of subscribers and displayed all year long.
What are you waiting for? Submit today, using one of these ways:
by mail: Downhome Calendar Contest 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL A1E 3H3 online: www.downhomelife.com/calendar Must be original photos or high quality copies. Digital photos must be at least 300 dpi, files sizes of about 1MB. We can’t accept photocopies or photos that are blurry, too dark or washed out. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want your photos returned.
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OVER $20s in saving ! by joining
Now more than ever a Downhome membership is a great value. Not only do you save over $20 off the cover price, you receive: 1 Year (12 issues) OF DOWNHOME
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* Valid in Canada on a 1-year term. Total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $45.99; ON $45.19; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $41.99. US/International $49.99. ** Valid in Canada on a 3-year term. Total inc. taxes, postage and handling: for residents in NL, NS, NB, PE $114.99; ON $112.99; QC, SK, MB, AB, BC, NU, NT, YT $104.99; US/International $140.99.
Send to Downhome, 43 James Lane, St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3 or call 1-888-588-6353
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FOR SALE
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Contact: 709-634-5729
Your Chance to Own a Well Established Business!
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FOXTRAP ACC ESS ROAD
FOR SALE
Foxtrap Access Rd, Civic #28 Conception Bay South, NL Level Land. Mature Trees. 5 min. from three saltwater marinas and shopping. 15 min. from St. John’s and Mount Pearl. Asking: $239,000 Contact Paul: 709-682-9142 paulbdawe@hotmail.com
LOG HOME Brigus Junction Only 35 min. from St. John’s.
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Side-by Side Included!
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Cottage For Sale King’s Point All seasons, custom design log cottage sheltered setting at top of bay. 2 bedrooms,1 bathroom, wheelchair accessible. $249,000 www.propertyguys.com/listing/nl/king-s-point/104494 Contact: 709.632.7194 | 709.640.0070
Five bedrooms, three bathrooms, garage, heat pump, Pacific Energy woodstove, artesian well, developed basement and just 3 minutes from TCH.
$449,500
Call Dean 709.689.4228
Licensed to do Business in Ontario.
Mortgage Agent # M18002662 FSCO# 12728
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Marketplace
Building For Sale 5 Main Street, Deer Lake
Downhome Real Estate
Call: 709-636-1230
Book your ad today 709-726-5113 1-888-588-6353
4800 Sq. Ft. on Two Levels. Built in 1989. Zoned Commercial and Residential. Business Optional. $150,000
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The Ulster Accordion Band have been playing accordion music in Toronto since 1954. We are looking for mature individuals who can play or are willing to learn how to play accordion or drums. To join us please contact Roy Emberley 416-759-0164
June 2021 Ad Booking Deadline April 23, 2021
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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
The Hanged Woman’s Daughter
Long Overdue: S.S. Beverly
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- Nellie P. Strowbridge
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Rock Recipes 3
The Foresters’ Scribe: Remembering the NL Forestry Companies Through First World War Letters of Reg. QM Sgt. John A. Barrett - Ursula A. Kelly
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Dictionary of Newfoundland & Labrador - Ron Young #34047 | $19.95
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Prices listed do not include tax and shipping
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NL Flag Towel #79656 | $17.99
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GREAT GIFT IDEAS!
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photo finish
Practice for May 24?
If you’re camping on the May 24th weekend in Newfoundland and Labrador, it could look something like this! “Camp Rainbow” was built and tested in March. Katelyn Burry Birchy Bay, NL
Do you have an amazing or funny photo to share? Turn to page 9 to find out how to submit. 144
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