Before I forget as it is already getting hazy.
I went out early yesterday as Mack was awaiting a phone call. At first I thought that I would wander with the digital as I needed more pictures to piss off the people below the 49th parallel, however with the walk almost over I decided to get the Deardorff out and walk more slowly it seemed that I was seeing a lot of Newfoundland formalism and I wanted to get it on film before I forgot.
Passed Jessica who was in Kris's car they were escaping to the other side Bonne Bay for the day. We both did the usual “stop by”.
With the Deardorff, I became braver as I started asking if I could photograph people’s laundry lines. IT was strange but strange enough to allow me access and make other snaps. The camera keeps drawing remarks as a person who pulled out of the driveway across the road asked all sorts of almost technical questions.
Minor accomplishments please me, was happy that I could walk after the long climb yesterday out of Green Gardens, but legs and back felt fine. It also seemed that I finally had carrying the Deardorff down pat. I wasn’t any faster using it but it was more comfortable carrying it around.
Stopped at another house with an empty line and again asked a woman who was sitting out back on the deck. She yells in the house “it is a man who wants to take a picture of our…” when Fred walks out. Chat a bit with him make a snap of the wash line and then another of the garden.
Turned the camera on him and let loose.
We are talking the entire time that I am working and when finished he asks me up for a coffee. Don’t refuse. Back down there I would have. I would have been too busy, had things to do, but here this is “things to do”.
Left the camera in the garden and had a seat on the deck where we talked about the area, the Canadian Forces the yellow ribbons on the cars up here – brought up by a yank – the sightings of killer whales in the bay yesterday and others this morning.
While chatting Kendra finished with the phone call and seeing the camera parked on the lawn, joined us. He brought out a photo album to show us the area, mentioned winter here when he pulls out the skidoo and heads up in the trails. Mention that I want to photograph both him and Doris so he goes to drag her out.
After two snaps of them, we pressed on to just around the turn when the process was repeated, this time Dorothy came out to look under the camera to see the image. A pattern was emerging I went for the laundry line but would make some other image when I was through before taking leave,
George passed me for the second time and stated to Kendra we all have our crosses to bear.
Along the water a couple of the Seabreeze closed, one of George’s boat on Bonne Bay, one between Stan’s and the building beside it – pure formalism that and one of the Butts building – Mr. Butts coming out to have a look under the camera but couldn’t see anything as he didn’t have his glasses on. Bruce Martin passed for the third time.
Walking by the café we see Elaine inside so we stop in to talk about the preparations for the evening and to tell her that I won the boat tour so now we have four hours accumulated on the Sarah Elizabeth.
She is sitting with two people – the people with the Florida plate we have been seeing all over town. It seems that the woman is a Newfoundlander and is related to Clyde Rose – it came out in a roundabout way as she mentioned a relative in St. John’s – where – 100 water street – that is around Breakwater Books – it is Breakwater Books, say that I know Clyde and Ray she knows Ray wonders how I know both. The Duke. They have a place in Shoal Brook.
They leave and we joke around with Elaine, talking about the evening who will drive over to Trout River when we are coming back etc. None of us are night people and having to wait around until midnight when the music starts is going to be likewise when to leave. We wee thinking up codes.
It seems that I am being ordered about as her daughter – Amanda – comes in to order as she cannot leave Pete’s, I go in the kitchen to place the order then when out of a bread race over to Pete’s to see what she would want as a substitute then back over again to deliver the sandwich much to the embarrassment of her daughter.
Had brunch there then pressed on so that I could do my Parks Canada duty.
But I didn’t know what that entailed. Early in the morning I moved the area where I was making the platinotypes and it seemed to have help things considerably, I was actually making inroads on the backlog. I had used up – almost my allotment of a box of film to-day so technically I could stop. I like this method as it means that I am not constantly prowling with a camera which is a great change.
Decided to walk the road to Glenburnie.
Cheated and left the Deardorff at home and took Ubirajara and some film. Looking back don’t know why as I had just stated the nice thing about large format is that it makes photography and active choice – I cannot marl with it. I had just stated – which came from my first time in Pouch - that it is nice to not be making photographs yet I took a camera anyway.
Good thing. As we were walking – not a particularly great walk, some oddities along the way, some nice views etc. - curious about a shipyard, we turned down a road and ran into Darlene the person who had won the five dollar bill that had the dart holes in it. I wanted to photograph her the night that she won but it was one of the rare occasions that neither Kendra or I had a camera.
She noticed me as soon as I noticed her. Went over asked about the fiver and she pulled it out. Like paparazzi we started photographing her and the bill. I then bought it from her for…$5.00, remarking that considering the holes in it it probably only worth about $4,95.
She, her brother and others were making a racing car to be put on the bicycle for the Bonne Bay regatta next week. We chatted was offered a beer and her father came and showed us his workshop.
Again it was nice to slow down and chat and not feel rushed, nothing was pressing the initial shock of being here was over routines were established and it seemed as if I were in a continual present. There was always to-morrow to finish do something and this was helpful for me as I found out more about the place.
Was glad that I took ‘bira along as it meant the continuation of the people met series. Here it looked promising and since I can develop them here I will be able to tell the people that they came out (or not).
After a while continued on more walking than photographing and since we wee moving there was the continuation of some running conversation that we have been having for the past couple of days. They rotate perception, meaning how we are perceived, showing, culture v. Culture and misreadings when one wanes another gather steam.
Losing steam quickly – blame it on the beer – Cohr’s Light – everyone drinks Cohr’s Light guess that no one is Canadian, we make it to Shoal Brook and then turn around.
IT starts to rain and we are picked up by the Floridians who were at the Café earlier who are related to Clyde Rose. Dropped us off at Pete’s so that I could buy tortilla shells for samosas – great food to combat hangovers – for later.
First time that we had to have supper inside due to the rain which could have been a blessing as I don’t know how much Irish sounding music I can take. The heritage centre had its doors open.
Then the long wait. Three hours before we could head out, I made more prints and became more and more tired and not wanting to go.
Headed down to the Seabreeze to wait for Elaine to get off work, the usuals were there. Steve from Corner Brook saw me lugging the Deardorff and started to ask questions luckily Kendra had made books for George and Elaine and I diverted him towards those and her.
Said hello to Sid. Sat and chatted with the Floridians who were at the bar – showed them the digital camera made some snaps of them to show them how it worked.
Kendra had befriended Ralph and in doing so a beer came for her and then seeing me for me also. Went over to say thanks.
That was a mistake. Ralph was 18 sheets to the wind and kept saying how when people enter he says hello and buys them a drink. To which he downs his whisky and orders another blue for me, I have yet to drink from the first one. I plead with Elaine to get me out of this by not giving me another. Ralph will have nothing off it saying drink up as he holds the beer to my mouth. We high fived everytime he heard the chorus to I never promised you a rose garden.
Luckily Kendra came over to talk to Sid and fell into the trap. No high fives there pure groping. Luckily Elaine was off and so were we.
We had to though as we didn’t last Saturday using St. John’s as an excuse. To have a bit of fun since Elaine is related to all of Trout River it seems, we would enter with Kendra our Daughter from an time of passion when Elaine was in Toronto. She had Elaine’s hair and my chest. I had come to the rock to reunite her with her daughter whom I had raised.
We went up to the bar ordered drinks and somehow Kendra pointed out her “daughter” when asked who was the father, walking away I said I was.
I didn’t think that jaws could drop in unison. We kept it up all evening long, when she danced with one of her hundreds of cousins she’d go to Kendra and say that don’t get angry I’m not cheating on your father.
Kendra in the meantime was seated by Paul – her date. He was there when we arrived. To make the evening more surreal Kendra goes next door to get Amy only to be almost mauled by the dog belonging to her sister.
Prefer the Seabreeze, more light can talk the band was so loud and the place so dark that we couldn’t see anymore – worse neither of us could make snaps. I couldn’t hear Paul’s nurses kept wanting to dance, Kendra was being chatted up by a 22 year old who said that he was 25 while Paul started to fume.
I was sitting on Elaine’s bad ear to so hear what I was saying she would have to turn her said which made it look like we were sharing intimacies. I cannot wait to read the Humber Log this week.
The other problem came with a table where there were, 6 people. 6 rounds on top of the 2 at the Seabreeze we all wanted to stop but bottles kept appearing.
When they slowed down we took our leave and made the way through the Tablelands back to Woody Point – me remembering all the moose sighting stories I had heard in the Rusty Jigger.
I heard told that the dance went on until 6AM.
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