Heading North, Ellen!

In the last post we were at Corner Brook and Port Saunders. This post we are driving through Port aux Choix and Flowers Cove.

Ellen is modelling one piece of the travel knitting. She's not fussy about modelling mohair in the summer, but one quick picture was acceptable. It's a lacey mohair/silk scarf - for Fall/Winter. Simple pattern that I made up along the way. When it's complete and I get proper photos, I'll post the pattern.

Greeter at Port aux Choix

Entering Port aux Choix

Major piles of firewood

Lobster pots on shore after the season has ended.
The plant between the lobster pots looked like wild rhubarb.
It grows all along the roadside on the Great Northern Peninsula.

Seagulls in the fog.
If you look closely you can barely see a man walking his dog onshore in the fog.

Fish drying on a flake

Close up of fish drying

This scene caught my eye while driving through Flowers Cove

Close up of house in above scene

Close up of other building.

Travel knitting - mohair/silk scarf to be.

That Was a Fun Road Trip, Ellen!

Last week Ellen took the week off (she said she needs vacation too you know!) while John and I went on a road trip across Newfoundland. Both John and I have always wanted to go to L'Anse aux Meadows (where the Vikings landed 1,000 years ago near St. Anthony at the northern tip of Newfoundland), but we've never actually made it that far until this time. It's a long drive! By the time we got home on Saturday we had driven over 2,400 kms. 

I did take several knitting projects with me: the silk scarf that I've been working on (plus the pattern for it), a mohair scarf for the Fall, a pair of mittens and face cloths for Pretty (who seem to run out as soon as I send a new shipment). The two scarves; I am still working on. The mittens got ravelled twice (so no mittens to show) and the face cloths are now being blocked. I'll photograph all of that for next post. 

So, the next couple of posts will be filled with photos from our road trip mixed in with travel knitting and projects that I completed before we left but didn't have time to post.

This is my first summer not working for a corporation in 25 years, so needless to say, I'm having a fun summer - filled with doing household things I never had time to do when working, knitting, and as many vacation days as time will allow! I have not retired - just going to work for myself from now on. In the Fall I hope to open an online store filled with one-of-a-kind knitwear, mostly based on a Newfoundland lifestyle theme.

Back to the road trip!  On Saturday (July 14), we travelled to Corner Brook to see friends who live there. Then, Monday started travelling up the coast toward St. Anthony. We had a couple of days of rain so didn't get the full photographic potential of some towns the way we would have liked. Seeing we can't always count on having sunny weather when travelling in Newfoundland, we make the best of whatever we get. Some days we took pictures in the rain and fog. :-)

Salmon fishermen on the Humber River (photo taken from a bridge)

The other side of the bridge

To the right of the bridge

Shipyard in Port Saunders

Close-up of above boat
I thought the dried salt mixed with peeling paint made an interesting photo

Port Saunders from the wharf

Port Saunders - See the fog bank in the background?

Port Saunders - lobster pots stacked on a wharf

Gentleman taking a break from splitting wood

We saw several boats in fields

Crow paparazzi 

There were piles of cut firewood "everywhere"

And wild roses everywhere. They smell so nice when you pass them.

A Whale of a Tale, Ellen!

Today John and I took a run to Cape Spear to photograph something that I can show you in a couple of weeks. Along the way we saw whales playing and it reminded us of a boat tour we took at St. John's a couple of years ago. On that tour a whale stayed with our boat and played around us for what seemed like half an hour. I took over 400 pictures - couldn't help it. We never saw anything like that. The boat tour operator told us that the whales become familiar with the sounds of the boats and don't mind hanging around and entertaining. That day we were totally entertained!!

Heading toward The Narrows.
In the background you can see the Supreme Court and behind that The Rooms.

Neighbour on the water

First whale jump

He/she started by waving at us a few times

Then the entertainment began!

Cashmere Mittens, Ellen!

I thought yesterday was going to be a sleepy kind of day - until John asked if Ellen and I would like to go out somewhere. Of course we did! He never has to ask twice!

We decided to go to Port de Grave. We go out there for a look around every few months. In Newfoundland I find that one can go to the same places over and over and you'll always find something different than last time you were there. Besides, the weather is so changeable that every day looks different anyway.

I brought along the cashmere mittens that I knit last week. Yes, I know it's summer, but I came across a pattern for mittens and thought I'd give them a try. They turned out very nice and even in summer you still want to try them on or pet them! They are hand knit with Mongolian cashmere. Enough said.  :-)

While in Port de Grave we went looking for the miniature pony we met there last Fall. To our surprise and delight we found that she has a little one! Their pen is near the road and they are super friendly. We stopped to say hello and after a little coaxing, they both came to the fence to allow us to pet them and take their pictures. The little one kept wanting to bite the lens of the camera. John even got a kiss from him/her. We don't know if it's male or female. They are both adorable. We think their owner lives across the street because that's where the barn and other outbuildings are and there's sheep there also.

Then a little further down the road, we found a slipway next door to the Fishermen's Museum. Great place for Ellen's photo shoot. It's a small area, but proved to be very interesting. Lots of pictures this time. Everywhere I turned something caught my eye.

Momma

Closer view looking left

Closer view looking right

Fishermen's Museum in the background

Mmmmmm..... cashmere

Seagull paparazzi

If you look closely you can see the seagull nest at the top of the
tallest part of the rock.

Newfoundland flag

Hardy flowers will grow anywhere!

This greenery is actually under water! The ocean is so clear here.

Parts of the slipway - also under water.

Graffiti - how did it get here?
Did someone paint it while standing in a boat?  Hmmm?

I took this picture because I liked the colour of the kelp against the bright green grass and wood.

Wild roses spilling all over the road