Somewhere Else

We like to take back roads to see places that don’t all look alike. So much of America is strip malls, chain stores, and look alike housing developments.

So far, not Newfoundland.

The land on this western peninsula is pretty much conifer forests, lakes, streams and bogs,

or rock. The land and the harsh climate shape the communities.

Life obviously centers around the sea. Even the fishing boats look different to us. They are short compared to the superstructure, and ones we’ve seen up on land have very deep keels. The whole boat is as tall as it is long. I call them bobber boats and I’m guessing that they may not be real comfortable in heavy seas, but they are probably very safe in all kinds of weather.

There is so little dirt that signs and even utility poles are sometimes planted in rock filled cairns.

That may be why so many of the houses are a story and a half. They probably have only partially dug in basements. The homes mostly boast simple straight lines. Any large window areas are divided into smaller panes. There are no extras for curb appeal; these houses are built to provide shelter in cold weather and strong winds.

Styles differ, but straight lines, dark colors and bold bright trims predominate.

These neighborhoods have their own curb appeal.

Another thing we noticed is that the roads are lined with stacks of cordwood. I met a women who grew up around here and she told me that’s wood being dried for winter; and no, as far as she knows, no one ever takes wood that isn’t theirs, even though it’s often right along the right-of-way. Later it will be moved to woodsheds.

Perhaps strangest of all to us are these little garden plots we see here and there along the road. They are fenced and most are planted to potatoes. My local source said if folks don’t have soil at their house and want a bit of garden they look for a likely place along the road to make one. Mostly they grow potatoes or maybe some cabbage. And no, no one steals from someone else’s right-of-way garden.

The western peninsula of Newfoundland is definitely somewhere else, and that’s what we’re out here to see.