to-days page is sponsored by paul kennedy who left so much food at martin and gabrielle’s that i may never have to go to dominion.

even though it is threatening rain it is a glorious day. have my just us fair trade coffee and am looking out over the ocean from martin and gabrielle’s.

up early at the school to have some and to stare out the window at sullivan’s loop to find some sort of movement over there. i didn’t room with paul as he was trying to write and this place is distracting enough. saw the door opened and raced over – stopping to chat with henry at the corner of main road and sullivan’s loop he was off to bruce’s as he is everyday.

paul was cleaning up and getting ready to catch the noon flight to toronto. every time he would look out the window he would whimper. not good for his image. i can imagine it now.
- i’m paul kennedy and you are listening to ideas ooohu.
it happens david was saying how he wears dark glasses heading through security so they don’t see the tears with luck he won’t go back as he is here through the winter.
i go numb. it is when i arrive that i go all teary the first sight of the rock has me humming the ode and fishing for my dark glasses.

paul left again hoping the threatened thunderstorm will delay the flight at least a day.
dave offer to mess with the brakes of his kia spectra. i found a nail. but no after one last whimper he headed out to route 20 and st. john’s.

am now ensconced and again that feeling of ecstasy hit unawares. it happens at strange times this time it was hanging out the wash clothes and remembering to fasten them well so they don’t get a second rinse in the ocean.

yesterday was a quiet day recovering from the hangover without coffee, i went to the park on the ocean to make notes then headed over to where the morning group meet to write the blog.

was afraid that i wouldn’t finish – afraid but not worried. percy came over to chat. i had photographed him last year looking out of his car. this time however it was a long chat as he came over to look out at the ocean. introduced himself as strugnell born that way and has been struggling all his life.

great two hours – he’s 82 born in pouch – one of the families. there is strugnell’s marsh behind the school, was a fisherman, worked for the u.s. base in goose bay labrador, and worked at the university in st. john’s. has 95 year old relatives in boston and others here in pouch.

he then proceeded to go to every outcropping along the water and give it a name tell me where the stages were, that at one time flakes were so plentiful that they were built over the main road where traffic drove under them. pointed out the old cod liver oil plant which i can see from here and would make a great place to live as it is alone on the hill on the south side of town with nothing but ocean in front of it.

we were occasionally stopped by tourists, trying to find the water park between here and bauline. we took turns giving directions. love the fact that they ask if either of us are from here. a floridian family in their winnebago having just passed bruce’s asked if there was anyplace in this town to get an ice cream. gave them directions so that they could head back in the right direction that they ignored the chose to wedge their winnebago in the intersection of main road and noseworthy’s hill.

talked about skipping and the deaths, how thick the cod were, and whales while someone was cleaning out his boat and traps just below us off the coast guard building. another ex fisherman drove up the second time and percy went over to have a chat with him. i finished took a quick walk out pouch cove road to photograph the tolt where it looks the most impressive planning to climb it again when it is brilliantly clear.

on the way back, two workers at the holiday inn in st. john’s stopped by me at pouch cove road and town circle and asked why i was photographing
-do it every year and in fact you have made the ultimate sin. now that you have spoken to me i have to make your snap (sound of peeling rubber as they don’t even stop at the main road i hear no no no).

while in st. john’s posting the blog, buy the globe and the post at auntie crae’s hope to find some decent bread but they are sold out – my week-end ritual – and guiltily buy some chips at ziggy peelgood’s

coffee at the dominion which wouldn’t take a traveller’s cheque – am i the only one who still uses them? – was in the wrong queue for it. no worries as i have my coffee and am well prepared for everything now.

to-morrow’s holiday everywhere in canada except here – here it is saved for the regatta on the pond at quidi vidi which i think is tuesday.