Its been too damn hot to sit in front of the computer and write anything lately. Thankfully its cooled down a bit the last couple days. I saw a note on The Packet twitter feed about Clarenville Days, and of course it reminded me about the old Clarenville Day from years back.
I really recall less than I should, but I do believe, like Regatta Day, it was held on a Wednesday rather than making a long weekend of it. I’m not sure I ever understood that logic, but hey! Of course, I may be mis-remembering….
I was never a big participator, nor had a lot of interest, I think my dislike of crowds started early, but there are some good memories for sure. Memories of fries in the grey cardboard box from the old stadium canteen. Custard cones at Nikki’s Nook, Fish and Brewis from somewhere! And of course moose burgers! I could eat about a million of those.
The big attraction of course for many were the dory races. I remember being down by Jack Duffett’s bar (does Jacks still exist?), or up on his patio watching them. I don’t have any recollection of knowing who rowed in any of these races, but I can clearly remember the dories, painted bright colors, with the old names on them like Handy Andy and Chain Store.
While I never got overly involved, I think the biggest fun for me was to spend a day with Dad, a non working day for him while I was a boy home from school for the summer.
Raised in outport Newfoundland in a town of 65 people, I pursued a post secondary diploma in Information Technology right out of High School.
I’ve always been a geek at heart, but yet I love the rural life I grew up with. Fishing, hunting, camping and the great outdoors are still loves of mine, even if I don’t pursue them as often as I once did. Sports were always a big part of our lives, and I played many (badly) and loved them all.
