gallows cove

I’m backtracking to March – when Chris and I walked the Gallows Cove Trail in Torbay. The snow had barely gone, in fact at the time, there was still snow and ice in the shade of the woods.  Regardless, the sun had come out and it felt glorious to be outside.

I only heard about this trail a couple of years ago when my friend was visiting from Ottawa and we were in search of an iceberg. In case you don’t know where it is, you’ll see the sign for Gallows Cove Road just after you drive by Foodland (if you are coming from town). Turn right and you’ll end up at the trail. 

Looking back on these photos, I can almost smell the fresh, clean, crisp, air. I LOVE the deep blue of the ocean and the gradient blues of the sky.

We only walked for a hour or so – but I heard you can walk all the way around the harbour.  I’ll have to go back and find out more at a later date. Happy Trails.

kent’s pond

One of the best parts about living in St. John’s is that I get to see my family. I joined my sis and her fam for a  walk around Kent’s Pond last week. I had some time to myself so I checked in with M2 and when she said they were going for a walk I grabbed Rocky and we joined them.

I haven’t spent much time on this trail but lately I’ve been there a few times.  It’s so close to my house and I drive by it almost daily.  It is such a little gem amidst regular life.  It’s easy to forget it is there when you are focused on the to-do list of life.

It was the perfect time of the evening for the sun – it was getting ready to set. You know how amazing the light is at that time of day.

The light through the trees was gorgeous.

I’m going back soon.

capelin in capelin cove!

While I often tout myself as a proud Newfoundlander, I have something to admit.  As of last week this time, I had never seen the capelin roll <GASP>.  I know – the shock is horrifying.  Perhaps this makes me a poser ;-).  I recently told my husband about this, and even he didn’t realize I had not experienced rolling capelin.   So suffice it to say, this was on my bucket list to see for myself. I mean, can I really call myself a true Newfoundlander without this experience???

We spend a lot of time in the summer in Hant’s Harbour, Trinity Bay and the tiny quaint community next door is Capelin Cove.  A presumably perfect spot for capelin.  Usually the capelin roll in June, but they were late arriving this year. Along with the capelin comes the dreaded capelin weather – lots of rain drizzle and fog. I think I can speak for most of us here – we are ready for that to be gone!   So getting to see the capelin roll is good for lots of reasons.

We heard rumblings that capelin had been in the night before, so Sunday night we headed over to the cove around 9:00 in the evening. As the tide was coming in, you could see the shadows of the little fish in the water. Sorry for the dark photos, but between the lack of light and my iPhone, this is all I could manage.  

At first when the fish came in – it almost looks like big rain drops on the surface of the water. Some people were using their hands and picking them right out of the water, a few had dip nets and one group had a big cast net that half-filled their cooler within seconds of throwing it out and dragging it back to shore chock-full.

We weren’t catching any – just watching. Check!  Now I’ve seen it. Hopefully we will have better weather and I can move on to other things I haven’t yet done.

oh what a hike!

We’ve had a really cold start to summer. Some are blaming it on the capelin being late rolling, some are just chaulking it up to living in this unpredictable place. Regardless of the reason for the cold, when we finally do get a good day, you have to take full advantage and get outside.

One day last week we arrived home from work and it was warm and sunny (well, it wasn’t completely freezing).  So we headed to Quidi Vidi Gut and started up the path for the Sugarloaf hike.  This hike takes you from Quidi Vidi all the way to Logy Bay, but we only did the first part of the hike, up to the lookout at the top of the stairs.
At the beginning of the hike, it is not easy to determine the exact path to take.  There are a few options it seems, but you can’t really get lost.  By the time you get higher up the hill, the path is more clearly marked.

The view gets more and more stunning, the higher you climb (perhaps that goes without saying but it seems worth mentioning as we kept stopping to take photos and just soak it all in). The trail has a variety of lovely paths – some sections take you through the trees and other sections are on top of the rocks where you look down on Quidi Vidi, or out towards Cape Spear.

When we arrived at the top of the staircase, we could even see an iceberg in the distance.  My iPhone camera did not capture that very well, but it was a little extra treat for us!

We both absolutely loved this trail.  I had done it a couple of years ago, but it was Chris’ first time.  It is his favourite hike so far.

We want to go all the way to Logy Bay next time, but that will take a little more time and planning to drop a car off at the other end.  Definitely do-able though.  Can’t wait!

signal hill lupins

The lupins are out!  I love, love, love lupins. We saw these on Signal Hill behind the interpretation centre – you can see a little of St. John’s Harbour in the background. They don’t last long, but are so pretty while they are in bloom.

the grand ‘ole duke of york

Staircase #2 on the North Head Trail is the toughest for me. When I hike the North Head trail, I try to do this staircase without stopping, because frankly, if I stop, I may never start moving again. So to keep my momentum going, I sing “The Grand ‘Ole Duke of York” in my head.  I’m pretty sure the song is from my Girl Guide days. Don’t worry – I don’t sing it out loud, but if you step on each beat of the song, you have to sing it 3 times to ascend the staircase, with a couple extra steps left over at the end.

So next time you hike this trail, at Staircase #2, think of me and The Grand Ole Duke. You’re welcome.

 

d’iberville trail, trinity south

Last weekend we did a hike we have been trying to do for ages.  We had a stellar day and it was the perfect opportunity to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather.

The hike leaves from Custards Head in Hants Harbour (down by the lighthouse) and goes along the shoreline to New Chelsea, the next community down the shore (or up the shore, depending on your perspective).

Most of the hike is through the woods with groomed trails and lovely staircases.

Early on in the hike, there is an off shoot of the trail to a lookout with an incredible view. Warm gentle wind and the heat of the sun felt glorious, especially after all the cold weather we have been having!

Around the half way point on the trail, you can look back and see Hants Harbour.

We took our time and had a picnic lunch on the way so it took us over an hour to get to New Chelsea, but if you were straight hiking it would likely take around 45 minutes. The end of the path comes out in front of the church. So pretty!  We walked back along the highway which was not scenic at all, but we had fun anyway.  Apparently this is only part of the D’Iberville Trail – we definitely need to experience more sections of it soon.  This combines my favourite things about Newfoundland – the ocean, hiking & spending time with my family.

greek traditions

When dh and I were university students, we traveled to Greece after one of my work terms in Europe.  What we both remember most about the trip, is that every day at sunset, the entire island stopped to watch the sun sink into the sky. I literally mean everyone.  Tourists and locals alike, all stopped in their tracks for the quick few minutes it took for the sun to disappear. We love that ritual. There is something so peaceful and calming about it. Hearing the waves crash onto the shore while the sun sets, is even more magical. It makes you feel so fortunate.  And complete somehow. Summer is here.

love birds

Aunt Hilda used to call us love birds. I was 23 when we got married and I was totally and completely over-the-top in love.  We used to have a silent signal to tell each other “I love you” when we were in a crowd. I knew in my heart that we were soul mates – meant to be. Young, silly, sticky sweet love.

Things have changed. Two children, parenting, career changes and life decisions tends to tone things down just a little. We haven’t used that signal in years. My definition of true love has shifted, over the last 20 years. Now, I am fortunate to witness him be an incredible Dad to his children, a fun playful Uncle to his nieces and nephews and still a loving partner to me. I love how kind he is and thoughtful of others around him. I love that he still makes me laugh and sometimes I am the only one laughing at his jokes.  (Sometimes I am the only one rolling my eyes at his jokes too). Being with him still makes me happy.

Happy Anniversary to my love.

 

summer is here

Summer is truly, finally, here. Friends from Ottawa came to visit and we pretty much went straight from the airport to our paradise in Hants Harbour.

The lupins are out! Love the pinks and purples!

We walked over to Caplin cove and were skimming stones.

We had a fire on our beach.

Small and wonderful things. Summer is really here.