Month: August 2018

And yesterday was one such day!

We loaded up the kayaks on the speed boat and took them to Trump Island where we spent an idyllic afternoon paddling the shoreline.

A stop at the Split Rock on the way home for a brew where younger brother and I had our photo snapped in front of a very special wall. The wall is built from boards salvaged from my grandmother’s house in Back Harbour, a place where I spent many wonderful summer vacations as a child.

If this wall could talk, oh the fabulous stories it could tell!

Twice loved!  ‘Recycling’ at its finest!

There’s a lovely little shop in Benton that sells everything, kitchen sink included: antiques, curiosities and too many twice-loved treasures to name.

It was here I found the silver goblet though I purchased it black. Slathers of Silvo, some passionate rubbing and the goblet is restored to its former beauty.

Forbidden fruit, black roses, a string of pearls and curse of the Raven. The Dark Queen awaits!

A little early for Halloween but putting together a few things for an upcoming fall fair and this arrangement is one of a few.

There are six bicycles at the Pink House. All are twice-loved.

Two belonged to Little Bear. He has outgrown them and they are difficult to give away, much less sell. Perhaps I can find another use for them.

Little Bear regularly inherits his older brothers’ bicycles. Pop salvaged pieces from two cast-offs to create one good solid bicycle for our boy. He flies like the wind – downhill – and grumbles big time about pushing it back up! He has grown mightily in confidence since school closed. Perhaps next summer he will be ready to dispense with the training wheels!

Samuel’s bike was a curbside find. Pop stripped it down and painted it purple – the boy’s favourite colour. Sam sails down the road … and up! He is one with the bike and a bit of a daredevil at times.

The oldest had a new-to-you bike this year, purchased second-hand in the city. He still clings to his old one, finding the size and hand brakes of the new bike a little intimidating.

I agree! Yesterday I rode around Cove.  First time on a bike in fifty years for sure and my preference then was for the coaster bike!

No scuffed knees; however, and what a great feeling – coasting along with the wind whistling past your ears – not that I was going that fast. In fact, in places, I was like Little Bear and had to push the bike up the hill.

I may even have grumbled a little!

Bicycles … twice-loved …  good as new!

Me … not quite!

Twillingate is a small rural community found at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, on the northeast coast of Newfoundland. This little town hops in the summer and tourists come here from all over the globe to see our icebergs and whales, to taste our fresh fish, the cod, and to breathe deeply of air so sweet and pure and pungent with blackberries and salt water, it can only be experienced and never described.

There’s plenty to do and if you believe you are one with the universe or at the very least, believe you should be, Twillingate is where you need to be to recharge and rediscover what is real and important.

The locals invest heavily in creating a welcoming environment for our visitors. One new venture in town is a kayaking tour agency called Rock Adventures, owned by  Bobby and Marie.

This summer we did the tour. “Active meditation”, Bobby calls it. He is not wrong. Within a week, we had purchased three kayaks. I am not disappointed. My only regret is that I had never tried this before.

I’m no stranger to the water, but I’m a fair weather sailor and never completely comfortable no matter how skilled the skipper.

Paddling your own kayak, however, puts it all in your own hands. Independence.

I’ll be looking to purchase another in the spring but will watch for a ‘twice-loved’ for the second expenditure.