My son’s father-in-law, Mark, and I have become great friends. Lucky for me, he has ties to Newfoundland, not to mention a beautiful home in Cheticamp, Cape Breton. I have enjoyed his home in Cheticamp for many summers but always expressed a desire to go to Newfoundland. This past summer he took me to The Rock. We were going to camp, but our first night in a tent ended with a driving rain that left us cold and wet, along with all our of our gear. In Stephenville we came across our saviour – Mike, the owner of the Canadian Tire outlet there. He allowed us to use one of his car wash garages to sort out and dry up our equipment. He generously took our wet clothes and sleeping bags to his home where he popped them in the dryer and later returned them to us. He gave us coffee and even offered us dinner at his home. During that Saturday afternoon, we learned about Mike and his life in Newfoundland, and he learned about our lives in Quebec. The experience made a great impression upon me. Mike truly went out of his way to help us – two strangers. Mark said to me, “Welcome to Newfoundland, Steve. This is the way people are here.” Indeed, everywhere we travelled we came across wonderful people: Jerry in Norris Arm, Elizabeth in Gros Morne, Sarah in L’Anse aux Meadows, just to name a few. I will always remember my trip and your absolutely beautiful province, and I will never forget its generous people. Here’s to you, Mike; meeting you was a tonic for my soul.   Submitted By: NULL