Touch, See, Feel

Lorna Jones

Apr 5, 20193 min read

Updated: Apr 14, 2019

Life in Newfoundland

I slept well in little M's pretty pink bedroom. After a shower and a bite to eat, Cheri, Miss M, and I were ready to roll. We hooked up with Sue (Cheri's mom) and headed off to Terra Nova National Park Visitor Centre. So much to See! The best part - a touch tank. I figured if a little girl could do it, so could I. We held starfish and urchins but Cheri was the only one brave enough to handle the huge crab! There was a gorgeous, indigenous, birch-bark canoe, an ancient wood and rock anchor, a gift shop which featured handcrafted gifts and Newfoundland books, and outside = the skeleton of a whale. I'm so glad we popped in there.

Terra Nova National Park Visitor Centre

A Little Place called Salvage

Now it was time to go to Salvage. I'm not sure what I expected from the name, but when we arrived, I fell in love with the place. It is a town of between 100 - 200 inhabitants and there's a sheltered harbour at its centre. Cheri parked the car and we started a small hike up to a view point. The seascape from the top was amazing and I was glad I'd huffed and puffed up the steep incline to take in the vision before me. Below us, the calm sapphire waters shimmered in the sunlight. Above us, the clear blue sky was punctuated by white fluffy clouds in the distance. Serenely sandwiched between the two, was the rocky terrain dotted with tiny dwellings and bright red boat houses.

There was no store or restaurant there, just a peaceful feeling and the soothing sound of the waves. At the slipway, there's a sign regarding the User Pay System - honour is everything in these small communities. I think the locals are aware of most everything that happens. We noticed a few heads peeking out to see what we were up to. If all else fails - wave enthusiastically!

Sandy Cove Beach

Our last stop of the day found us surveying the luminous turquoise water of Sandy Cove. It was early in the season so the beach was fairly deserted. We settled ourselves on some blankets and Cheri's little girl enjoyed running back and forth to the waters edge, finding small treasures, and digging in the sand. It felt good to just "be still."

Breathe.

Take time to talk, laugh, and relax. I suddenly realized that Sue was sitting back, close to ridge, trying to shield herself from the wind. She looked frozen. I took my shawl and wrapped it around her hoping it might help. If she just had more meat (fat) on her bones like me, she wouldn't be chilled. I should be so lucky to have that problem!

It was cooling off (even for Cheri and me) and so it was time to end another perfect day in Newfoundland and retreat to the comfort and warmth of Cheri's home in Clarenville. One more day of adventure with my dear friend and then I knew I needed to continue my Happy Adventure across the country.