You think of St. John’s and images of the colourful row houses on steep streets come to mind, but there is another St. John’s close by:
  
  
There’s money in this old town!

If you’ve ever had a kitchen renovation done you know what Andrea is living through!

A wall taken down, a patio door repositioned, new cupboards and appliances, and a much larger island installed – except at the moment only half of the old double kitchen sink is hooked up, the new counter tops still a couple of weeks away so there’s nowhere to lay stuff.

The hardest job – finding the “right” place to put all the kitchen STUFF you boxed up before the renovation began.

Yesterday we went to Kent to pick up a 4 x 8 piece of plywood for a temporary cover for the island – finally a place to lay things. This is the second go at finding the best place for dishes – they were in a corner cupboard before and while the dishwasher isn’t yet hooked up, Andrea thinks above the dishwasher is a more convenient location for glasses and dishes.

The kitchen is slowly coming together – in the last two days Charles has painted the ceiling (one coat), and put the bathroom and closet doors back up. There’s still work needed on the deck – a day’s work perhaps. The hardwood floor in the family room still needs to be selected (the plant that makes the flooring is closed for the next two weeks for summer holidays), ordered, delivered, and installed. The walls need painting, mouldings restored, new light fixtures put up, and the last of the electrical outlets hooked up and the kitchen will be done.

I think I need to book a return flight to see the finished kitchen – sometime in November?

Andrea and Charles are bikers. Charles spent a good part of the day today trying out his new bike in anticipation of a two week bike trip he’s planning with friends to mainland Canada and into the US northeast.

When he got back from his local jaunt this afternoon Charles asked if I was interested in a ride. Why not! Andrea outfitted me with jacket, gloves, and helmet and off the three of us went, Andrea on her bike, Charles and I on his, avoiding supper time traffic by sticking to roads in the neighbourhood.

Several things I discovered – you have very little view as passenger. Although the passenger seat is a bit higher than the driver’s, I’m too short to see much straight ahead. Also, if you’re older and have any hint of hip degeneration (which fortunately I don’t have), the passenger position with hips well turned out could be quite painful. I didn’t experience any discomfort but I know I’d be more than a little stiff after an hour or so.

Still I enjoyed the ride. All part of my Newfoundland experience.

  
OK – I watched whales from the ocean-facing hillside on the headland beyond Trinity, encountered moose on the highway in the vicinity of Clarenville. Finally an iceberg in the distance at Logy Bay.

The iceberg was reflecting a bright sunshine when we arrived at the bay, but before I could get my phone out of my pocket and walk nearer the water’s edge, a passing cloud cast its shadow. That iceberg was a long way out…

Said “Kitti – Viddi” – The harbour is an old fishing village within the precincts of St. John’s. Still an active fishing community (if small), with quite a bit of recent housing construction on the hillside and a busy pub at the waters edge.

  

The harbour itself is long and narrow and once inside boats are sheltered from the ocean swells.

The early evening sun gave the harbour a golden glow. And what’s a Newfoundland harbour without dorys!