Uncategorized

Gravel Roads

I remember when Random Island first got pavement. It only came down as far as the end of Elliott’s Cove if I remember correctly.  We used to call it Election Pavement, because it was slapped down really quickly just before or just after an election call in 1972, with no road upgrading whatsoever.  Still though it was something I guess, a modernization.  Pavement came to the rest of the island in fits and starts over the years, but finally we all got it.

There was something to be said for the gravel roads though.  Of course a lot of those words aren’t meant for polite company, especially after the second flat tire of the day, or being choked with dust in the summer.  In later years, they used to come by and oil the roads, though what the “oil” was I don’t remember.  It did help with the dust, though with hindsight, probably was toxic too.

Gravel roads were fun as a kid though, I remember using the potholes like pylons and weaving through them on my bike.  Also hated when the grader came because it always made the road full of crushed stone and gravel, which was sure to cause a wipe out at some point.

Gravel roads were good for drawing hopscotch games in the dirt with a stick too, and of course there’s nothing like a real gravel road to get a real mud pie from when it rained.

This picture was taken in the late 60’s I believe. I was about 3-4 here.  In the background behind the church, you can see Apsey Brook’s old one room school.  The truck I believe was dad’s.  To the left is what we called the school garden path.  Across from the school was a beautiful garden we used to play on, and that path led to it.  Later on the land was sold or appropriated by the government, and used to dig out gravel.  A crying shame.

If you look closely at the path, you can see an old concrete pipe.  I blame that pipe for my slight claustrophobia, as I once got stuck in it.   Its also the path I remember from my coaster riding days, was a lot of fun to come down there and go across the road and down over the garden.

February 10, 2013 by Uncategorized 0

Wood for the Winter

There’s no heat that’s as cosy as a wood heat.  I posted before about the old wood stove, and how comforting a heat it gave off.  While the old stove has faded from use in favour of the electric range, many people still use wood for their wood furnaces or 24 hour burners.  Back home, getting your wood usually means do it yourself.  There’s not a ton of hardwood on Random Island, a few stands of birch and maple, so most people’s winter wood is fir and spruce.

Bucksaw (Picture by Eric Cooper)

Bucksaw (Picture by Eric Cooper)

Typically we’d go in in the fall of the year and cut what wood we needed for the upcoming, or perhaps even the next winter. We’d lay a few sticks length wise to keep the major portion of the wood above the damp ground, and then stack it as you see here to start the drying process.  We’d leave it in the woods until winter, as there was no easy way to get it out before.

Once winter came, we would hook up the horse to the old slide and off we’d go.  Of course the horse has been mainly replaced by the ski-doo and atv’s now, but the slide remains pretty much the same.  Once it was out, it would again likely be stacked closer to home, but left untouched till spring and summer.

Once it got warmer, we’d break out the old saw horse, and start cutting the wood into junks.  When I got older I used the chain saw, but before I was allowed to handle it, the old bucksaw had to do.  It was actually more fun, if slower with the bucksaw actually, just something about using it.

We’d then usually stack the wood outside again, maybe on a few slabs to keep it off the ground, and let it sun dry for the summer.  Once it was dry, we’d split the larger junks with an axe, and stow it all in the woodhouse.  Typically we’d have piles going right to the beams.  I can still remember dad’s admonishments to alternate big ends and small ends so it wouldn’t tip.

Am nostalgic for it now, but I have to admit it was hard work, and there was little I hated more as a kid than the chore of filling the woodbox and cleaving splits every evening. Oh yes, splits! Well I guess nowadays people call it kindling and buy it in bags at Irving! But back then we took slabs (a topic for another day) and propped them up and split them into, well splits for our kindling.  I actually enjoyed making those, just not so much bringing the wood in.

February 9, 2013 by Uncategorized 0

Settlements of the Past
Grave Markers

Grave Markers (Picture by Eric Cooper)

Just a short post to followup on my mention of the cemetery at the brickyard in Snook’s Harbour.  Years and years ago it appears there was a settlement here called Sooley’s Brook.  I can’t really recall it being talked about in my generation, but like a lot of things, the people who know about things assume everyone does.  The book Random Island Pioneers makes a quick reference to the community, but that’s all I can see about it there.  I did find this one link to transcribed data from something called McAlpine’s Directory from 1894-97 referencing a Moses Strong living there.

Eric took a couple pictures today for me of the site, which was apparently a Church of England graveyard, and couple of the old long markers we used to see on graves.  I really don’t know if those have meaning, but if you know please share!

I’m sure there are lots of other small cemeteries around back home too with their own history, if you know of any please share the pictures and stories with me!

February 7, 2013 by Uncategorized 0

Random Island Industry

UPDATE: Just found a link with some history of the Milton Brickyard, and comments on our own at clarenville.newfoundland.ws

Snook's Harbour Brickyard (Photo by Eric Cooper)

Snook’s Harbour Brickyard (Photo by Eric Cooper)

I’m sure many of the younger generation on the island are in the dark about the fact that in past years, there were, if not thriving, at least operating businesses, making use of local products.  Yes, many many people had sawmills and some even operated as a going concern till recently at least, and I’m sure I’ll talk more about mills later.  But back in the early 1900’s up till the early 50’s there were for a time two brickyards on the island, one in Elliott’s Cove and one in Snook’s Harbour.

I remember Dad telling me about his first job being at the brickyard, 10 cents an hour for 10 hour days.  Back in those days the owner was as much your bank as your employer too, Dad also told me the story of wanting a bike, so rather than actually buying it, his boss Uncle At Smith got it for him out of his wages.

The brickyard supplied brick for all the locals, I know our well was lined with brick from Snook’s Harbour, and our chimney was made from it as well.  Looking closely at the picture you can see shards of brick amongst the snow on the shore (yes I know its hard not to look at the view, see how tough we had it scenery wise?).

When I was younger it was easy to find full bricks, maybe slightly imperfect scattered on the shore with the Smith name stamped in them.  I had one as a kind of souvenir in our house back home, wish I had thought to keep it now, those keepsakes mean more as you get older I find. There were also remnants of equipment to be seen.  I’m sure more of this has washed away or grown over over the years.

The Snook’s Harbour brickyard area was also home to some people, I’m not sure it it ever had a name as a community, but there is a small graveyard near there.  I’m sure someone reading can give me more details (and I’ll try to look them up later).  I’ll update this if I ever get info.

View from Brickyard Area (Picture by Eric Cooper)

View from Brickyard Area (Picture by Eric Cooper)

Elliott’s Cove brickyard too had remnants, but were harder to find as that yard closed much earlier.  I’m sure its still worth a visit to the curious or nostalgic though.  Adding another view from the Snook’s Harbour brickyard here, just because.  Enjoy the view, and thanks Eric!

February 6, 2013 by Uncategorized 5

Hunters and Gatherers
2013-02-05 10.20.10

Food for the pot (Picture by Eric Cooper)

Growing up back home, meat and vegetables often came from your own provisions, getting to a grocery store became more and more prominent as I grew up, but most peoples families still subsidized the pot by whatever we could get on our own.  Nearly everyone had a potato garden, and some grew a few more things, carrots, turnip, cabbage.  I remember a lot of people grew the Newfoundland Blue potato.  I’ve seen blue potatoes since, but those all seem to have blue flesh too, the ones we had just had blue veins running through the white flesh.

Of course Newfoundland was famous for its fish, and we all had salt fish put away, as well as dried and smoked caplin.  Will have to post another day about those topics.  But we also hunted.  Hunting wasn’t and isn’t a sport back home, at least not in the terms of the big hunting lodges.  People enjoy it yes, but we also hunt to eat.  With the salaries, or lack there of, or even lack of jobs or work back home, people hunted duck, geese, moose, caribou, turrs, seal, pretty much anything to help fill our bellies, including the lovely rabbit shown here (Technically there are no rabbits on Newfoundland Island, or weren’t at least, this is a Snowshoe Hare, but rabbit is what we called it and I always will).

People also weren’t into things for money either.  If you had plenty you shared, and got shared with in return.  I remember lots of trades of food over the years.  A quarter of moose for some vegetables from Bill Smith (Bill was the king gardener back home, probably still is, even if he is in his 80s!), some rabbits for a leg of mutton from Jim Phillips, and so on.

The meat and food was healthier too, wasn’t sitting in a cage being force fed to get fat, most of our meats were really lean, and our vegetables were fertilized with manure, seaweed and fish offal, not manufactured chemicals.

But really, we never thought about that, we just thought about fun in the outdoors, and getting food to keep us all through the long winter.  I’d give a lot to be sitting down to the smell of that rabbit smothered in onions wafting from the roaster now.

February 5, 2013 by Uncategorized 4

Cabins in the Woods

As adults we all know the lure of the cabin in the woods, to be able to relax, no electricity, no phones, nothing but birds and relaxation.  But as boys we too seemed to have a fascination with cabins, or at least we did back home.  I can’t even begin to count how many were made over the years.

The most elaborate I remember was mainly built by my brother Keith and Lorne Patey in by the brook in Apsey Brook.  They picked a flat piece of land, that was near the woods path that went in across Uncle Ingham Smith’s garden, we just had to scramble up and down over the bank.  I really don’t remember how old we were, but I remember they knocked down logs and used as a base, and built a floor upon it.  We had a 45 gallon drum with a stove pipe coming out for a stove, and they at least ( I don’t think I ever slept there, or was allowed, or something) had hammocks hung to sleep in.  Yet my biggest memory somehow seems to be looking at our old collections of hockey cards in there.  We had many a full set all kept in special cardboard lockers that were issued for each season. I’m not sure what became of it, maybe the cabin is still there, but more likely it washed away at some point.  And if it hadn’t before, I’m sure hurricane Igor did the job on it.

The last I remember was built up in the woods behind our house, not far in, but not on any path either.  It was basically a shack with a sloped roof, but was always a fun place to go and sit and chat with friends.  I’d say that one has tumbled down long ago as it wasn’t nearly as sturdy, but it was fun, made of planks likely from Dad’s old mill, a door made for it, using pieces of rubber nailed to it for hinges, and a wooden knob pivoting on a nail to keep the door shut on the inside, and a bar and slot to keep it closed when we left.  Not that snow didn’t blow in underneath anyway!

And then of course as we got older, Barry Cooper had a great couple of cabins in Snook’s Harbour down by the water.  I can’t comment on the building of those, but they were much better built than those we built as boys. He had a big wooden table and a couple of bench seats pulled from an old car somewhere.  We’d head there and play cards, have a few beer, and generally use them as our party location.

Another fond memory of growing up.  Do kids back home still make cabins anymore? Of course there aren’t 2 or 3 sawmills in every community now either, so supplies aren’t as easy to come by.

February 3, 2013 by Uncategorized 4

Tunnels and Forts

I grew up, well as much growing up as I did anyway, back in the 70’s and 80’s.  We had a pet rabbit back then, named Flip Flop, because of his habit of flip flopping which ear he had up and which he laid flat.  As he was terrified of being out loose, my dad made this long cage for him to run, and it was connected to our woodhouse with a little hole to an inside cage in the warm.

In winter Flip Flop would make tunnels in the snow in this cage and you could see him running flat out through them.  Us kids too loved to make tunnels in the snow, I was a small brat of a boy, and didn’t need a lot of snow for them, but it also seemed we had more snow back in those days.  I can remember wiggling through tunnels in the snow banks both short and long.

Just to the left of this picture would have been a clothesline stand dad had made, attached to the woodhouse, climbing up a few steps nearly to the roof, with a clothesline mounted a pole from it, with a pulley to string out the clothes.  In winter this would usually drift in, and it was my favorite spot to tunnel.  I could dig a hole under the bottom step, and get under the wooden stand, digging it out and wiggling myself into a cozy warm little house.  Being a loner even then, I could spend hours in there making my plans for world domination in my captain Nemo submarine, with my underground fortress buried in under Granny Walters Hill.  Somehow that fortress still needs to take shape 🙂

Don’t forget being a kid folks, go play in the snow when you can!

February 2, 2013 by Uncategorized 1

A quick thank you!

Just wanted to send a quick thank you to Caroline Latham for the beautiful header.  She does beautiful photos at Eagle Photo.  Thanks soooo much!

February 1, 2013 by Uncategorized 0

Newfoundland TV

Newfoundland has a great tradition of entertainment, from our own magazines such as the Downhomer and Decks Awash to wonderful TV shows like Tales from Pigeon Inlet, Codco, Wonderful Grand Band, and Up at Ours.  I can remember many a Monday evening busting a good laughing at Dickie on WGB and their take on things.  Who doesn’t remember Leo Budgell saying “My son the best friend you got in this life is your wallet!”, (you can hear it in the song posted on the left) or their take on the soaps with “I love you Dennis.  I hate you Paige”.  My personal favorite had to be Dickie in school, with the priest asking him his name “Dickie Fadder” and the priest saying there are no Dikies in this class, only Richards.

My favorite show had to be Up at Ours, where Mary Walsh ran a boarding house, Ray Guy played the permanent lodger who could always be found reading comic books, while Kevin Noble played Dolph, the taxi driver.  This always brings me back to more musical entertainment, because it reminds me of Joan Morrisey singing “The Boarding House on Federation Square”

And of course I can’t forget Ted Russell’s Yarns from Pigeon Inlet.  These were made for TV, but I remember the books and plays most of all.  We read the Hangishore in class in grade 11 with yours truly as the ‘angishore.  I remember Wade Bowring was the magistrate and I made him crack up when I leaned ahead, looked him in the face and said “Yer ‘onor? what is a ‘ole?”

I’d give a lot to have those old shows on DVD now, I think I’d still split a gut laughing at Greg Malone and Tommy Sexton.

Besides the comedy’s and variety shows, we also had some kid’s programs, like Skipper and Company.  I think that I remember a class or group from Random Island went to visit the lighthouse once.

January 30, 2013 by Uncategorized 5

Goin to de time de nite?

One of the traditions of outport Newfoundland was the “time”.  Havin a time seemed to die out over the years, but I do remember many held at the old one room school houses back on Random Island.  Most of these buildings had a stage for little community concerts and recitals.  And they mostly all had home made hardwood floors.

What was a time? Well it was a combination of food, dance and music generally, often held as a fund raiser for the church, women’s group, cemetery  or to help someone out. Someone likely had a guitar, or accordion or some musical instrument, and sometimes someone might even sing a tune or two.  They’d gather on the stage, or more likely around the old pot bellied stove, we’d push back the tables and desks, and we’d be thumping our feet and dancing jigs around the place.  Was a tame time if someone didn’t accidentally get thrown into a wall.

The night might have started off with a soup supper, or bean supper, or a pot luck (god I love pot lucks!) where we’d stuff our faces, and need the dance later to work it off.

And of course there were a few drinks involved too, but generally they were home made; home brew, moonshine, lemon gin, blueberry wine, and of course, the next best thing to paint thinner, dogberry wine.  You’d see people in later years at least go outside for a smoke, or drink or just to cool off.  I can remember blasts of frost coming in through the door now, and people yelling “Close the door!”

Eventually everyone would stumble home, walking generally, times were pretty close to home usually.  Next day, with big heads, I can hear us now, “Some time at the time last night wha?”

 

 

January 29, 2013 by Uncategorized 3

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