By Linda Browne The stockings are hung by the chimney (or electric fireplace) with care, Nan’s in the kitchen mixing up the Christmas slush, and the dustbuster’s going full tilt as you try in vain to keep the floor clear of all that tinsel. Love it or loathe it, there’s nothing like those sparkling…
We may not be the North Pole, but we here at Downhome like to think we have a link to the big guy in the red suit. Earlier this fall, our team called on kids and kids-at-heart to submit their letters to Santa, and boy, did you deliver! Our mailbags were overflowing! Stay tuned in…
By Gord Follett If there’s such a thing as “a natural” in fly tying, Dennis Quigley fits the bill quite nicely.The 38-year-old lifelong resident of Fleur de Lys on Newfoundland’s northeast coast started tying flies and fishing for salmon just four years ago, but he’s gone “all in” to the point where he doesn’t hesitate…
by Gord Follett “Remember that May 24th weekend back in the early ‘80s, Gord, when the fox ate all the fish you caught?” my old friend Terry asked. “Ahh… it’s vaguely familiar,” I replied. “Was that up around Placentia Junction?” “No b’y, Witless Bay Line,” he answered, “not far from where your Follett grandparents had…
By Gord Follett Any time we notice fluorescent tape markers indicating rabbit snares in an area where we plan to hunt rabbits with our beagles, we move to another location. If we see or hear that hunters and dogs got to an area ahead of us, again we move on. And on the handful of…
A few years ago I visited two friends who were shearing their sheep. They had the sheep up on the table and asked me if I could come and help them. I said yes, what do you need me to do? They asked if I could hold the sheep sack, so I said yes. They…
By Gord Follett The Canadian Oxford dictionary defines camaraderie as “mutual trust and sociability among friends,” though in the outdoors of Newfoundland and Labrador, it’s simply “a time with the b’ys.” The people of this province love seeing friends getting along, exchanging friendly banter, laughing, having a drink together, singing songs, pulling pranks, frightening…
On any given day in this province, the weather is a guaranteed to come up in conversation, whether it’s about the current conditions or the forecast. Old wives and salty dogs alike swear by certain signs of upcoming weather, and our lore is so rich there are even rhymes about weather omens to help us…
This rug was hooked by our mother, Lucina (Daly) Hearn, when she was 20 years old – about 90 years ago. At that time, it won second prize in a rug-hooking contest in the Avalon area. Lucinda Daly was born in 1913 in Mall Bay, St. Mary’s Bay, NL. There her family raised a few…
Why do some people write “Xmas” instead of “Christmas”? By Linda Browne It’s that holly jolly time of year once again! The festive tunes are ringing like bells, children eagerly wait (at least, some of them) to get their picture taken with Santa, and folks are spreading that holiday cheer by sending cards wishing each…
