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The outing that proves the rule. I tend to race out and wander back. We were going to have tea with Particia and family down in Portugal Cove South as I was dragging my mum down to see them.

However since we never got to document anything returning, it would be a slowish journey down stopping when the feeling moved us – again with the idea of documenting again the snaps that were fogged I particularly wanted the Ollies sign just off the Cappahayden Barrens.

We left at 11AM my mother in her customary place in the middle of the back seat. I in the role of tour guide coupled with places we could have stayed when we have to leave Martin and Gabrielle’s, started out with Petty Harbour.

This was to be the churchyard run as it seemed where there was a churchyard we stopped. I blame it on Baleful the intern and my mum who has this interest in them. We slowly inched our way down the Southern Shore. Stopping for some considerable time in Bauline East, Brigus South and Cape Broyle.

All three showed promise but for different reasons. Bauline East because of the crated Artic Cat ski-doos that were in neat piles by this shed, there was also a bit of formalism with a house and some of the stuff around it. there was an attempt at photographing some clothes lines but it was at an awkward angle.

The digital came out to photograph George who was reattaching the DFO sign and the couple from Massachusetts who saw Baleful lock the doors so forcefully at Cape Race.

In Brigus South it was things left and I think I finally got a decent snap of a doll in a window of a fishing shed.

Cape Broyle looked to be a one image town for after I did the customary nearly mandatory churchyard snaps, thinking I saw a church I headed by Stan Cook’s shop with a slew of coat hangers on the outside of it. Pouch Cove – pipe house. Cape Broyle – hanger house.

Stopped with ‘Bira to make a real snap of it – well quite a few when – a window shade is pulled up and a lady looks out.

I wave and prepare to make another when she says that the kid is being potty trained. Not wanting to be indiscrete, I walk around the front of the shop and enter.

Meet Stan and Nancy Cook with their grandchildren. I get the history of the shop – owned by an O’Brien, some things were kept, we keep chatting and I race to the machine to pick up my book of snaps to show but it was really an excuse to get the digital.

A half hour later we leave. It is now 4PM

Peckish I ask Stan where to eat and he chooses the Riverside. The choice was great not on my case for the food – cheese omlette – but for the lounge.

First thing I noticed was the draught beer. But the second was the dance floor ceiling which was covered in baseball caps.

So I am thinking here that if I had been a normal less hyper traveller, I would have missed this. If I had been speeding down Route 10 as I am want to do I would have never seen this – or the coat hangers on the façade of Stan Cooks shop – or the history of the place. I think to myself that there is a reason for trying to go slowly and then I think of all the places I tend to miss.

Philosophically when playing tour guide, one wants to think that it is good to stop many times at the same place as things do change, but one really hears “not again”

In Ferryland while she was photographing the whale bone entryway to a house I was looking at the lights shaped like a tree that I am sure was used at Christmas. While she was photographing the colony of Avalon, I wanted things formally. This is fine.

I am sure that the intern liked the salmon run at Aquaforte for the waterfalls, I was glad that I didn’t want to race through it and stop someplace else for what would she know because of the Bud Light beer ornament and the neatly hung towel and t shirt under a cliff by the falls.

Stopping in Fermeuse for the enormous erratic by the church – I got to photograph two lads who were in the way of Baleful the intern’s potential picture and being a yank was too timid to chat them up to ask them to move.

There was a debate on whether we should continue to Portugal Cove South or turn around when we finally get to Ollie’s as we were stopping yet again in Renews. It was after all six now.

The compromise was to photograph Ollies then race through once again the Barrens to Portugal Cove South. The mantra we practiced was “we have to leave before dark as there are moose on the road” we kept repeating it.

We were scolded for not coming sooner or letting them know we were coming so they could make us supper. Actually Patricia was out walking Max. I went out to look for her – of course when I did see snap or two I would stop and make it.

More coffee a home made cinnamon bun warmed. The continued attempt to make an excuse to leave fell on deaf ears.

Duckish when we leave we race up route 10 to St. John’s – except for the stop to photograph Baleful’s first moose.