There have been many times, mostly on cold, drizzly days, when I've wondered why our forefathers didn't just keep on going. Sure, there's fish everywhere! I've seen lots in warm and sunny places where the heat is enough to knock you over all year long. Now, that'd be my kind of fishin'!
Certainly this summer, the summer of 2015, I've found myself grumbling a lot. As if the weather wasn't bad enough, the runway at the main airport was shut down for awhile in July and dozens of flights in and out were cancelled. Trapped we were. Trapped here on an island, bobbing around in the middle of the North Atlantic. Forget watching the reality show on TV, we're living "Survivor"!
Mother Nature, is sure lucky we tend not to hold a grudge. Nope, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are blessed with the shortest memories of all humankind. One sunny day and all is forgiven. Although it's going to take many, many sunny days for me to forget having to wear my long johns in July. I had the car seat warmer on just about every morning that month on my drive to work. I remember comforting a coworker of mine when she winced at the single digit temperatures in the forecast. "Don't worry," I said. "Summer will be over soon." We took to calling it Julember. It was the same way we joked about "Fogust" the year before and "Junuary" the year before that. So you see now why our collective patience has worn a bit thin?
This past weekend, a reprieve. Now, it wasn't what *I'd* call warm (I'm comfortable when it's hovering around 33 degrees Celcius) but it was sunny. And if you tucked in by the side of the house, out of the easterly wind, it was glorious. The evening sky was clear and blue and the yellowy rays of that golden hour, just before sunset, lured me out with my camera to take a stroll around. I was in Trinity, on the Bonavista peninsula, working on some radio stories. The town was stunning. I was snapping photos all over the place and even though I'm not religious, I dropped into the local church to thank them all, the father, son and the holy ghost, for this wee bit of true summer that had arrived at long last.
Trinity, Newfoundland.
Trinity, Newfoundland.
I rounded the harbour and watched jellyfish dancing close to the surface in the silvery waves. I chuckled to myself as I recalled a simple comment someone made to me years ago in Makkovik, Labrador. It was one of the truest statements I think I had ever heard about Newfoundland and Labrador. There we were on a television shoot. We were on board a speed boat, zipping out through the harbour past dozens of icebergs with the sun beating down. Our guide, Randy Edmunds, turned around and said "It's some nice, when it's nice, isn't it?" And that sums it up, I s'pose. For all the grumbling, it's pretty hard to beat a beautiful day in good ol' Newfoundland and Labrador. Yes, Randy, I'd have to agree, when it's bad it can be torture but when it's nice, it's *some* nice.
Trinity, Newfoundland.
Trinity, Newfoundland.
Until next time,
Enjoy the sunshine and rove on.
Jane