I would take Ubirajara and the ten rolls of film and the Leiquinha for the post card series. I would head in the wrong direction as I wanted to photograph Ted Sullivan’s wood piles.
I look out the front door after while having coffee and see
Sharon pumping up her tyre with the same device said that I would need sooner or later.
-you think that you can ignore me. I yell out. She races over gives me a hug asks about my mother and fills me in on the gossip and goings on of Cape St Francis. Sharon owns the third best bit of property in Pouch – next door – well maybe there is some equal on the other side of Sullivans Loop but it is prime and since she owns down to the sea.
Invite her in for a coffee she refuses but even so we chat for an hour. While she is telling me about what has happened here, I complain on how expensive Pouch has become.
The tyre filled she heads off to St. John’s to pick up her aunt saying that Reg is back from the fishing. Sharon and me share that bond of making the only photograph of her and Jesse a month before he drowned. Like JB and me she is not one to hold her tongue so the three of us together can be quite frightening.
I gather up my cameras to head out only to find that her bitch is standing guard over the front door. There is no fear as she is quite skittish but strange that the dog would think that I needed protection.
It would be a typical Newfoundland winter’s day if the temperature was about 4C lower. There was a 50k/h wind blowing and thus I over dressed by using new age fibres and in no time was sweating.
Walked along the cliff to photograph the first of Ted’s wood piles then walked around the property as I didn’t want to walk through his now dormant potato patches. Made some snaps of his rooms, the boats that seem to be multiplying, two more wood piles and his gloves that were hanging on the line – note to self remember to photograph clothes lines. Ted Sullivan comes out and I wish him a Happy New Year.
Crossed the road to photograph Klunder’s place, then spit at the old Langmead (Henry) house –as we didn’t buy it – it is empty and looks a wreck – but a great view.
More wood piles, basketball hoops, clothes lines, and now caravans. Anything that seemed out of place.
Went behind the old Sullivan’s convenience where I realised how small the world was as while I was in Pouch my mother on a world cruise was being waited on by Camille Sullivan of … Found discarded Christmas Trees and moose antlers with a fallen basketball hoop.
A man yells out beautiful day. yes b’y I answer except for the wind it is marvellous I start to panic as Ziquinho is the camera of preference for photographing people, but I throw caution to the wind – another lesson learned in Bonne Bay. We talk of the tolt walks through Cape St. Francis. He is no fan of snow so this winter is fine with him. He asks me where I am staying and I tell him Rene Sullivan’s old place. He goes into his shed I head on
Down the main road – to photograph the Muir Woods of wood piles at yet another Langmead’s place – Ted I think it was this time. Turned up Conner’s Hill marvelling at a whole new series of motorcars that even relocated Californians wouldn’t buy. Look over at Henry’s place as I hadn’t been up early enough to catch him at Bruce’s getting his free coffee and returning his Canadian empties.
There he was in the window. I wave head over and try to make a snap but think that there was too much reflection.
Keep climbing Conners Hill, upset as it is a typical day for the Avalon, overcast with fog coming in. Not a day to make snaps to have everyone envious. Think about turning off on some of the lanes but no I am heading to the pipe house no diversions.
At the top at my front is the woods – mauzy - at my back the ocean turn down The New Road wanting to photograph the cars that are now all over, I find that I am now not photographing objects but placing many different objects in the frame.
Pass a house that has ‘SUPPORT OUR TROOPS” emblazoned along the fence and on the door. S&D Mulley. I turn up a lane because I see a laundry line with clothes on it and more wood piles.
A man comes up and asks if I am liking this weather. Yes b’y back in the Midwest this is considered Spring. He also tells me about walks about the Cape, how no ponds are freezing over, I ask if his name is Mulley. It is. Does he know Diane.
-come on in.
-what?
-she’s my wife and has been poorly, she just got out of hospital.
Say that I hope that she is ok and yes I’ll say hello.
We enter the back kitchen. He asks if she remembers me and of course she does for in the days before universal internet access I was fighting off the kids at the library to use the computers there. I also left two books with her. She had breast and stomach cancer but is in remission now.
- my hair came back grey.
- I wish that my hair would simply come back.
Am offered tea which I politely turn down. Am then offered rum. Again we catch up. He shows me images of Pouch when the fisheries were going strong and the flakes covered the road. Talked of the Pouch with six conveniences. The CN caboose out in Biscayan Bay which has been bought by artists – figures – and moved.
Asked of their son-in-law who’s a Texan, he moved back. Their son is heading toward Afghanistan he was in Bosnia so they have no love for either Bush or Harper.
Modern times have come to the Cape as now not only do mobile phones work but the phone company has brought in DSL. So here was Mulley in his wellies in front of one of his computers.
An hour later I am on my way. Photograph his basketball hoop and woodpile then back to more clothes lines as I head down Noseworthy’s Hill.
-Great day!!!
-yes it is yes it is.
-here on holiday
-naw am staying down in Rene Sullivan’s old place. been coming up here since 99.
-like it then do you.
-certainly do
-I’m Carl Noseworthy
I tell him my name. He is taking down the Christmas lights and we talk of the view as to break the wind he has put up evergreens that block the view of the ocean from the front of the house. He wife wants to kill him. He takes me around back to look at the view from his balcony. Stunning all of Pouch from the tolt out to Shoe Cove.
I ask if he is related to the Cabinet Minister.
-Proud that he is a Noseworthy but glad I am not related.
Tells me to stop back up. say that I will and head down the hill but first go out to the end of the lane to see what he says is a better view. From there I can see from Sullivan’s Loop over to the tolt but I am more interested in the clothes lines, the back hoe and other things left.
Equipment failure heading down the hill as the film rips but since I had made only one snap and I was still standing in front of the scene simply reloaded and headed out trying to remember that I had to wind on more slowly. Clear sailing from then on down Noseworthy’s it took me only ten minutes to pick up the keys from JB as it seems that he is also hearing about Lindsay’s show in Toronto.
I head out in the machine when a van pulls up with upper Canadian plates on it.
-oh I thought you were Jim
-what makes you think that I am not…
Change cameras drop off ‘Bira and pick up Ziquinho get more film and realise that this upper Canadian spoke to me so back to the pipe house sit down across from him and make his snap.
-I don’t mind but at least I could have taken off my toque.
-why it is called Newfoundland central heating.
Am invited to a soiree in St. John’s to-morrow. JB wanted to know if I fancied a pint at the Duke but other things came up.
Avril is on the phone from Toronto so I am handed it. she doesn’t know who it is as I ask what she is wearing. Finally she catches on and asks about Lindsay’s show at TPW it seems that the publicity is getting out. she wonders if I will be here in August when they are coming up. It looks like July for me. She offers the place in Kingman’s whenever I want it.
As soon as she rings off. Mike rings from Toronto and states the same thing but it is a longer conversation – MFA Chicago v Toronto, his radio programme, etc.
As I am leaving JB remember my phone demeanour, tells of a woman who was so angry at my comportment that when she was told that I was back on the rock she broke into tears of rage.
Just like being at the ‘tute but am a bit taken aback after all she has dealt with my evil twin.
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