Cliffs, Two Versions

Cliffs I, 10x10


I KNEW WHEN I LEFT Wachapreague that wind was likely to be a problem here in Newfoundland. I just hadn't realized how much of a problem it might be. My second day painting in the Bonavista area, there is no fog, but the wind is mighty. An easel would be useless, so I open the side door of the van and station myself there, sitting on the van floor, the canvas inside. Even at this, it is hard to paint. The wind blows the canvas, blows my arm, blows the little knife, shakes the very van. It's hard to stand up, even! Woody, our smallest dog, would have blown away. 

In a series of challenges, I've chosen cliffs. It's hard for me to paint them, to get the sense of massive bulk, to get the sun, the shadows, and now, water. I like the first one (above) but get an idea halfway through and decide to do a second painting. 

By the end, I am thoroughly exhausted, from painting, yes, but mostly from fighting with the wind. Little did I know, this was just the beginning of the experience! 

Cliffs II, 10x0








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 Root Cellar Capital of the World


IN JULY 2000, Elliston, Newfoundland, was declared the root cellar capital of the world. At that time, there were 133 documented root cellars in the town, according to its website.  Some have been destroyed since, because of construction or renovations to private property. 

Root cellars are free-standing storage areas built above ground or dug into hills or hillocks. Inside, they are dirt or wood or stone, and some even have bits of steel as part of their construction. 

A well-maintained root cellar, according to the website, can keep a summer's worth of root vegetables safe and edible. It's basic refrigeration at its best, using the stable temperature of the earth to chill the produce in the summer, and keep it from freezing in the winter. Elliston got electricity in the 1920s, but Maberly didn't get it until the 1960s, so the root cellars were very much in use then. 

To read more about the history and folklore of the root cellar, to read a poem about root cellars, and to see a cool drawing of one, please click here to see the town's website.




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Dog of the Day


Nice doggy! Nice friendly little doggy! If he could reach my ankle, he'd bite it... 

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A Final Thought

"Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God." 

- Kurt Vonnegut




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