Car Camping! So great. This was our first time tenting it with Carley. Test run.




















She was a bit overwhelmed by it all at first, but she adapted pretty quickly. She had a tough time relaxing and I'm not sure how much she slept at night, but overall, I think it was a success. She got to go swimming whenever she felt like it and roll around in the dirt afterwards, and we didn't even care! There were lots of cheeky squirrels to chase and the mosquitoes weren't too bad at all. Our site was really big and private so she didn't feel the need to trespass on other people's sites, and we had our own private ocean beach, plus a little babbling brook. Lots of shade. All in all, a perfect place to spend a few days! I even tried to go swimming, but I only got as far in as my knees. Does the ocean warm up during the summer, or is this as good as it gets, I wonder. Considering there are still gigantic icebergs floating all around, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the water is a tad frigid.































































The perfect afternoon snack. Smoked herring!





































And after some lunch, a good book. Then, lots of swimming...for Carley, not for us. We're wimps.

























































































And then: a perfect fire.























































Another swim in the evening, just for good measure.

Summer is here. You wouldn't know it today [cold, foggy, rainy...] but in general, summer is here. If the rain and fog ever let up we might even get to go camping tomorrow. This will be our first trip with Carley, so it should be eventful. I don't think she'll want to come back home when it's all done, but we shall see.


Now is the time for eating salads....



















...and delicious dinners cooked on the grill [which are made even better if someone else cooks them, in my opinion. Tonight's menu consisted of succulently sweet corn on the cob - SO good lately, Darcey's Cucumber & Dill-icious Salad, grilled asparagus...and STEAK. We are not big eaters of red meat around here, but sometimes you have just have to do it, you know?]...



















And just look how happy this dinner makes Darcey. He calls what's on his plate the Ultimate Love Triangle. I would have to agree. They're all so tasty, which do you eat first? My plan of attack was to eat the hot corn really fast so it didn't get cold and nevermind the bits of corn shrapnel that were flying everywhere, and then spend some quality time with the steak and asparagus. The cucumber salad is so creamy and good it can almost count as dessert. Almost.































...and now is the time for placing fresh cut weeds flowers on your kitchen table. So cheery.































It's a little early to be eating vegetables from the garden, but I did pick some spinach the other day, and the herbs are of course always ready. I'd forgotten how good it feels to eat something you've grown yourself. Other than a few containers on fire escapes, I've never had my own garden. And what I planted this year can hardly be called a garden but it's something, at least. Hopefully next year we can expand it.

A nice row of what I think is Butter Crunch [or some such] lettuce has been steadily growing for a few weeks now.































Here is some red leaf lettuce trying to make it in less than desirable soil conditions. I'm not giving up hope yet.



















So far the peas are doing great. I'm looking forward to eating them the most.

Last week I was a tourist in my new province. Two friends from the mainland came to visit and we toured all around. The sun was shining every day. Total miracle. First we drove out to the west coast [of the island, not the country - this always confuses me for a second because I still consider the west coast to mean BC]. We stayed in Gros Morne National Park, which is just such a breathtaking place. Such varied scenery. Here is a brook near the cabin where we stayed the first night. It had a loft! Guess who got to sleep up there. Yours truly. I have a thing for lofts, and boardwalks.






















































The next morning we headed up into mountains to do a really great hike.











































It's called the Green Gardens hike, and once you hike it, you'll know why. It starts in the tablelands, which is a strange moonscape of rocks that are supposedly toxic to a lot of plants, which is why it looks so barren.






















































After a meandering rocky trail, you come to a viewpoint. Here you can see the landscape changes on the other side of the hill. Now there are stunted dwarf trees and scruffy underbrush. As you hike down into a little valley there are little streams trickling and bubbling along.































After a while, the vegetation becomes denser, the trees get taller and you realize you are entering an enchanted forest - complete with lush ferns, magic mushrooms and soft soft moss. The babbling brooks gather speed as they make their way to the ever nearing ocean...






















































...at which point you descend down a rickety staircase and are free to explore a rocky beach that is surrounded by a cliff of pillow lava. So crazy.



































There are lots of colourful objects on the beach...






































































































































































The next day we headed slightly north to Western Brook Pond, which used to be an ocean fjord but is now cut off from the sea and filled with fresh water. This water is apparently so pure that not much can survive in it. And it's 420' deep in places. And very cold. Yikes. Don't fall in. To get to the boat launch [which is the only way to see the pond], you hike over an ancient bog [on boardwalk...].






















































































































We camped for two nights at Lomond campground in the park. Very scenic. Evidence of bears nearby...but no bugs. I guess it's a trade-off. Anyway, we survived and Shauna perfected the Steamed S'mor. Delectable. I look forward to trying this method myself soon, and then maybe [with Shauna's permission] I will share the recipe with you all.




















After that it was back to Central Newfoundland for some historical towns sight-seeing. First we headed up to Twillingate for an evening of cooling our feet in frigid water and then, dinner theatre.



































Next morning, bright and early, we caught the ferry for Fogo Island. Just a short 45 minute trip, but what a difference in topography. Lots of...rock. And lichen. It looks like caribou heaven - and apprently there are actually a lot of caribou on the island.










































We clambered up Brimstone Head, which is considered by the Flat Earth Society as one of the four corners of the world. [Apparently Bermuda is also one.] And although Twillingate is considered the Iceberg Capital [of the world? I don't know], we ended up seeing a lot more ice in Fogo.






























































































































































































What a lovely week.

p.s. Happy Summer!