SUNSET, NEW YEAR'S EVE, 2007

The brightest light is that on the bridge of an Exxon-Mobil shuttle boat. Prophetic, or what!!!

NATIVITY SCENE.

Spotted yesterday on a country road near Manuel's River. Good to know that the creche has not been replaced entirely by Rudolph, Frosty and those other denizens of the Godless marketplace.

YESTERYEAR.

Who can locate the trip-stick, and recall how it was used?

TREE ORNAMENTS.

The card is 111 years old. It was given to my great grandfather by his daughter, Caroline, 1896. My granny gave it to me when I was a young lad, back in those days when old cards and homemade decorations were used to trim the tree. It still finds a special place every year on my Christmas tree.

TIMES HAVE CHANGED BUT SOME THINGS REMAIN THE SAME.

STORMY DAY. (Today)

No big fluffy flakes, only wild drifting snow.

BLUE TRUCK

Through the snow lace on my windowpane.

YOUNG BIRCH AND KNAPWEED .

Battered but unbowed.

HAWKE HARBOUR WHALING STATION.

When I visited there, 1950, en route via S.S. Kyle, to Batteau, the surface of the harbour was covered with floating oil. This station was built c. 1904 by James Ryan Ltd. and operated under a variety of owner/management until 1951. It was one of the most successful of the many stations operating in Nfld./Lab. , 1898-1972

SLIPWAY, HAWKE HR.

Here the whales were dragged up on a ramp for initial flensing. Before the 1950s, whale oil was a very valuable commercial product. Mercifully, the introduction of petroleum and vegetable oils took the pressure of the hunt which otherwise might have resulted in the total extermination of the species.

FLENSING FLOOR. HAWKE HR.

Here the fat was placed in great cooking vats for rendering, and the meat and "offal" processed for fertilizer. Because of new markets for whale meat, the hunt continued in some other Nfld. whaling stations until 1972 when whale hunting was finally banned in Canada. The blue whale, largest creature ever to inhabit the planet , was hunted almost to extintion. Only c. 500 remain in the N. Atlantic.

FIRST DAY OF WINTER.

First lesson. Scene on Chamberlain's Pond, Friday, Dec. 22nd.

(Long telephoto shot.)

MAKING MEMORIES.

Bell Island in background. Skating on the pond was such a big part of Christmas when we were kids !

CHRISTMAS.

To all my blog visitors I would like to wish a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

DECORATIONS.

A TYPICAL BULLY BOAT aka JACKS.

Jackson's Arm, 1947. Measuring c. 35' in length and with a capacity of c. 25 quintals, between a skiff and a schooner, they were the tough little workhorses in the fishing fleet. Decked and manned with a crew of two (two-handed), they could venture farther offshore in rough weather during the fall of the year. Lance Cove fishermen used them to fish off the cape.

WHEN THE CAPELIN WERE IN.

A distraction for this stormy winter's day.

THE CAPELIN GLEANERS.

Only six more months to wait to witness this scene again.

ST. ANTHONY, 1951

Grenfell Mission Hospital. Steam plant in foreground.

ST. ANTHONY, 1951

Orphanage and staff residence.

ST. ANTHONY, 1951.

View of the dry dock, known locally as the Marine Railway.

ST. ANTHONY, 1951

The coastal boat, S.S. Northern Ranger, in port.

ST ANTHONY. 1951

View of what is now, West Street. Centre background can be seen the old Grenfell C0-Op store.

ST. ANTHONY. 1951

Moore's Drive. It's the road, I'm told, that now leads down to the government dock