Vol 35 • No 04
$4.99
September 2022
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Wonderbolt Circus Turns 40
Archaeologist for a Day 6 Delicious Apple Recipes
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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 Account Manager Barbara Young Account Manager Ashley O’Keefe Marketing Director Tiffany Brett Finance and Administration Accountant Marlena Grant Accountant Sandra Gosse
Warehouse Operations Warehouse / Inventory Manager 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, Erin McCarthy, Marissa Little, Kim Tucker, Heather Stuckless, Katrina Hynes, Destinee Rogers, Amy Young, Emily Snelgrove, Brandy Rideout, Hayley Rogers, Zoey Gidge, Alexandria Skinner
Subscriptions Customer Service Associate Cathy Blundon
Founding Editor Ron Young Chief Executive Officer/Publisher Grant Young
Operations Manager, Twillingate Nicole Mehaney 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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see the sites
Contents
SEPTEMBER 2022
50 Forty Years of Clowning Around With his Wonderbolt team, Beni Malone has been bringing the joy, whimsy and wonder of the circus to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians for decades. Linda Browne
58 A Delicious Success How Port Blandford’s apple trees fed into its annual fall festival. Janice Stuckless
64 A Grandfondo Time
50 the show goes on www.downhomelife.com
Dennis Flynn’s experience biking the BonRexton, a 140-km tour of food and scenery.
100 Down to Earth Raising Gardeners Kim Thistle September 2022
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Contents
SEPTEMBER 2022
homefront 8 I Dare Say A note from the Editor 10 Letters From Our Readers Beautiful sights, west coast memories and The Sharecroppers
18 Downhome Tours Our readers explore Newfoundland and Labrador
20 Why is That? Why do they say to wait an hour after you eat to go swimming? Linda Browne
10
a look back
22 Life’s Funny Them’s Fightin’ Words Judy Power 23 Say What? A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth
24 Lil Charmers Budding Bookworms
20 tick tock
26 Pets of the Month If I fits, I sits 28 Reviewed Denise Flint reviews Urchin, Kate Story’s latest young adult novel.
30 What Odds Paul Warford on the streets of Halifax
32 Fresh Tracks Wendy Rose reviews Amanheceu by Brazilian artist Ana Luísa Ramos.
36 Adventures Outdoors My First Big Game Hunt Gord Follett 40 A Swing in Their Step Time in the Hall Square Dancers, kicking up their heels since 2012. Phil Riggs 4
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70
a great escape
features 46 Pet of the Year Meet the winner, an extraordinary animal friend!
explore 70 Escape to the Sea This gorgeous oceanside retreat provides a quiet space to soothe your spirit. Nicola Ryan
76 can you dig it? www.downhomelife.com
76 Hands-On History The Colony of Avalon welcomes you to come dig for a day and help preserve 400-year-old history. Dennis Flynn September 2022
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Contents
SEPTEMBER 2022
92 keep the doctor away
home and cabin 82 Stuff We Love Blowin’ in the Wind Nicola Ryan
84 Living and Learning Interior designer Marie Bishop’s tips on creating an inspiring study space
82
catch the breeze
88 Todd’s Table Poached Cod Todd Goodyear
92 Everyday Recipes Apple a Day!
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112 days gone by
reminiscing 104 Flashbacks Classic photos of people and places 105 This Month in Downhome History 106 The Saving of Buddy Wasisname Tom Rissesco 108 Visions and Vignettes Adventures of two young scallywags in an imaginary outport of days gone by. Harold N. Walters About the cover This unique angle on the Rising Tide Theatre in Trinity was taken by Dennis Flynn. See his story about touring the Bonavista Peninsula by bicycle, beginning on page 64.
Cover Index Pet of the Year • 46 A New View • 64 Wonderbolt Circus turns 40 • 50 Archaeologist for a Day • 76 6 Delicious Apple Recipes • 92
112 Growin Up Railside Memories of living at the Northern Bight train station. Lester Green
118 Dammit, I Won! Cyril Griffin 124 Puzzles 136 Colouring Page 138 Classifieds 140 Mail Order 144 Photo Finish
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September 2022
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i dare say
You learn something new every day. It’s a cliché, but that doesn’t make it untrue. I only just learned yesterday, from reading about Sir David Kirke in Dennis Flynn’s Colony of Avalon dig story (p. 76), that “the clink” was a real prison! The Clink Prison in London was one of England’s earliest and most brutal penal institutions, dating back to 1144. Also in this issue, I read about a new way to see the Bonavista Peninsula. The BonRexton Granfondo takes you past familiar sites but from a different vantage point – a bicycle seat (see p. 64). I was inspired to see Colliers through a new lens, by paddle board, in Escape to the Sea (p. 70). I learned that Port Blandford has a lot of apples and scarecrows (see p. 58), and that Rick Mercer was once a clown’s assistant (p. 50). And finally, our Pet of the Year Contest really made me rethink what I knew about chickens (meet Polly on p. 46). This month, my husband learned that I am the last person you want to help you destroy a wasp nest. I was supposed to be holding the light while he sprayed it after dark. I got scared when a wasp started buzzing around me, dropped the lamp and ran. “Sorry, honey! You’re on your own!” He will not be nominating me for a bravery award. Thanks for reading,
Janice Stuckless, Editor-in-chief janice@downhomelife.com
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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 43 James Lane St. John’s, NL, A1E 3H3
mail@downhomelife.com www.downhomelife.com Deadline for replies is the 25th of each month.
Congratulations to Frederick Gullage of Corner Brook, NL, who found Corky on page 54 of the July issue!
*No Phone Calls Please. One entry per person
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September 2022
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life is better Sunrise at Spillars Cove, Bonavista, NL Barry Langdon, Bonavista, NL
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homefront lil charmers
Book Report RJ learns about NL before visiting with Nan and Pop in Fleur de Lys. Jaime Sue Walsh via Downhomelife.com
Budding Bookworms Page Turner Dexter loves reading Downhome at Nanny and Poppy’s house. Sheila Thorne Fort McMurray, AB
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Cover Story Addie Pardy adds a copy of her favourite magazine to her shopping cart. Elizabeth Pardy Clarenville, NL
Bedtime Reading Evelyn gets cosy with a Downhome story with her stuffies before bed. Meghan Gambin Torbay, NL
www.downhomelife.com
September 2022
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Available at Auk Island Winery and aukislandwinery.com. Select wines available at Newfoundland Liquor Corporation.
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features
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In the spring of 2022, Downhome launched our
first Pet of the Year Contest, asking for stories of current pets who’ve changed the lives of their owners. We received a wide range of entries and read inspiring stories of cats, dogs, horses, even a cow and a dove! These beautiful animals offered emotional support, taught lessons and brought comfort, and all their stories were heartwarming (read some of our favourites on DownhomeLife.com). However, this is a contest and we had to choose a winner. For her patience, her exceptional friendship and the remarkable influence she’s had on a young boy’s life, we chose Polly. Here is the extraordinary story of Polly the Chicken and her best friend, Fox.
It may seem pretty strange for a fox to be welcome in a henhouse, but this is the story of an exceptional case.
Polly the chicken lives on a farm in Erickson, Manitoba. She is part of a flock of threeyear-old Leghorn chickens with fluffy white feathers and red combs. Her best friend is six-year-old Fox, a boy who lives on the farm with his mom, dad, brother and sister. Fox and Polly do everything together, and even though they’re very different, the friendship they share is a joy to witness. Fox has always been fascinated by chickens. “When he was really young, when he was only a baby, we would bring him over to the family farm,” explains Fox’s mom, Jillian Winstone. “He would lose his mind over them! The chickens, and their movements, were really funny. Fox always laughed; he always thought it was so funny.” Fox has a unique way of looking at the world. “We always kind of knew he was a little bit of a different kid, since he was probably six months old. The way his mind worked was pretty amazing,” Jillian says. Fox www.downhomelife.com
Fox and Polly the chicken
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eventually was diagnosed with autism in 2020, when he was in kindergarten. He had a hard time in social situations, he would sometimes get overstimulated and he struggled to regulate his emotions. Fox was about three or four years old when Polly and the rest of the chickens arrived on the farm, bringing Fox a sense of calm in a world that often felt overwhelming. “We got him his own flock and it helped him immensely. It was worth the stress of taking care of chickens and all that because of how happy they made him,” Jillian says. “He comes up with these names,” she continues. “All the Leghorns, that’s the breed of chicken Polly is, they’re all ‘Pollys.’ We have other breeds of chickens, but the Pollys are the white ones.” Fox’s particular Polly is distinguishable by her unique red comb, and, Jillian says, she’s more sociable than the others. Fox loves spending time with Polly 48
September 2022
and his other feathered friends. “He’ll sit outside all day with them, just sit with them and talk to them,” Jillian says. “When he’s with the chickens, it’s like everything’s just chill. It’s such a positive thing with my son.” Jillian says Polly and the chickens brought Fox a sense of acceptance that he sometimes found difficult with other kids his age. “They’re really therapeutic. I think it’s the fact that they would just sit and listen to 1-888-588-6353
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him, and listen to whatever he wanted to talk about.” The relationship that blossomed has had a noticeable, beneficial effect on Fox. “Since Polly came into his life, he has learned so much about himself,” Jillian says. “He’s a very outspoken kid now. You would never know a couple of years ago, but now he’s outspoken and so smart, such a smart little boy.” Fox has also learned a lot about caring for chickens and loves to share his knowledge. “He incubates his own eggs and hatches his own chicks. He knows the life cycle of a chicken. He’s almost seven, but you’d think he’s 15.” Fox would bring Polly everywhere if he could, or if Mom and Dad allowed it. He loves to tuck Polly under his arm and always makes sure she feels included. They make a super cute and comical pair. In his kindergarten graduation photo, Fox is beaming and holding Polly, who wears a matching graduation cap crocheted by Jillian. In another, Fox and Polly sport matching Christmas sweaters. “I made a chicken Christmas sweater!” Jillian recounts, laughing. “He’s holding the chicken for his Christmas picture!” Fox brings Polly to school for show and tell, tucks her into his warm jacket for ice fishing in the winter, and even sets sail with her out on the pond. “Chickens don’t swim!” Jillian laughs. “Polly just sat on the edge of the boat.” Polly is docile, patient and trusting, and Jillian says chickens are underrated animals. “They are a lot smarter than people give them credit for, that’s kind of what I’ve www.downhomelife.com
noticed over the last few years with them. I think she tolerates Fox, and I think they learned a lot from each other. I mean, the chickens are so good with people. They’re free range here on our farm; sometimes they’re up on the deck or on the step. Anytime anybody walks out of the house, they come running.” The sweet relationship between Fox and Polly is difficult to describe. “I don’t know how to explain it; you’d have to see it for your own eyes almost,” says Jillian. “You know, I get it. You see dogs, cats being therapeutic. But for Fox, it’s the chickens. He loves them.” She continues, “Polly is perfect for Pet of the Year. These birds don’t get enough credit for how amazing they are; so much patience and kindness they can show is pretty incredible to watch. I’m so thankful that Polly came into Fox’s life!”
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