portugal cove south

in hindsight i should have headed over to the gravel pit parks -as i was told that the government was closing them. but i thought that was in the planning stage and the closings wouldn’t happen for some time

some time is 11 august when everyone has to be out.

i headed down the southern shore, trying to ignore the dread but also trying to find a place that would have the hints of habitation that i was looking for. i was heading down because it was heritage days in port kirwan and i was told to check it out. i did but felt odd and in a even with returning families, the affair was - understandably - small. it was painful getting as far as port kirwan - as a rule people were driving ten clicks under the speed limit. it was the northern version of the parade of octogenarian floridians out for a drive.

stopped at brophy’s to calm down so that i wouldn’t floor it now that most of the traffic had gone. no one seems to go past fermeuse.

newfoundland has entered the wind farm fad with four windmills in fermeuse. typical tepid move, here is this impressive brilliant manner of not depending on (newfoundland) oil and instead of putting up 50 as it seemed in gaspésie or dozens in p.e.i., there are four. and four close to the road.

again it doesn’t seem to matter whether the road opens up or not for as soon as i found a diversion i was on it. i was in the barrens and photographing the cabins along old shoe cove road. walking along the route 10 because here not only where there not verges - off the road is a good 3 metre drop - but no guard rails. took advantage of cabin country and the space.

stopped at the aerial for the coast guard for cape race, here and there an empty machine, at times in the distance someone fishing the streams.

decided that portugal cove south would be a fine town to photograph as it was inhabited,had a working port, and while coomb’s convenience had closed, was in the process of minor gentrification.

parked at patricia’s who didn’t recognise me, promised to come in for a mug up when i was finished and headed off after i photographed marcia with her father as he was off away to work and he didn’t have a snap of them together.

again i was made aware that while i was thinking that i needed to go to places that had significance - once again i was on my way to st shott’s - other places were in the same situation. i thought portugal cove south would work out as it was a community meaning that while there were objects to photograph, there were occasions when i could confuse the frame.

this really didn’t happen as houses were farther apart than usual while there were some fences they were more ornamental, they neither divided property nor did they keep animals in.

chatted with the mayor a bit there seemed to be a bit of boosterism as every time i mentioned the resettlements - i asked about the drook and other places on the way to cape race - he would bring up stories of people here who had resettled from p.c.s. to trepassey.

i think that the image of the day will be of a hockey net on the ocean but worry as the sun was coming off the water behind the net.

the weather has been strangely cooperative for the avalon which at times isn’t a good thing. it has been sunny and in the mid 20’s but in situations late in the day at times i would like some of the avalon grey so as to be able to aim the camera in any direction.


as usual when i sat down for tea with home-made table butter made by marcia - careful it is really salty - i ended up staying too long. the sun already low meant that i would have to mind my shadow. wanted to see if grace’s take out was still on the beach. headed up toward trepassey a bit before turning and seeing all these other potential snaps - remnants of a branch of the newfoundland railway, a memorial along side of the road, the perfect outhouse stranded in the barrens, drying nets in cape broyle. i try to ignore them, attempt to speed by but while i manage to pass up the first few, i give up and then all it lost. i was composing my apologies to ange for not stopping by that evening.
it was then that over the cbc came news about the closing of the gravel pits parks.