Tuesday, June 20 - Lots to catch up on, as we haven't had wifi for awhile. But here we are in a little park near Charleston, south of Bonavista, and we are connected. So time for an update.

We have completed our mission: icebergs, whales and moose. Also puffins. So what can be left to do? No worry, as there's lots of stuff to do in Newfoundland, with something new around every corner.

Icebergs: many seen of all sizes around the tip of the Bonavista Peninsula, big small and medium sized, all shapes and configurations. Quite a sight to see, along with the pack ice that continues to plague the ports. Today we watched a smaller crab boat work its way out of Bonavista harbour through the ice, barely managing to get to open sea. The captain is a woman, whose Aunt just happened along to where we were watching, so we all  cheered when the boat got through the ice into open water. The Aunt is a counter, one who records and monitors the catches as they come into harbor. There's a strict quota system for all varieties of catches, she explained, so it's tightly controlled. The season is also restricted, so these folks have to do their best to meet quota during a relatively short season. But if they can get out, they can do very well because of the price of crab and lobster. Cod is also being fished, but pays only 45 cents a pound, so crab has really become the main target for many Newfoundland fishers.

" Whales: we lucked in, as we got out with Skipper Bob Bartlett, who is related to the famous captain of the same name from Brygus who sailed with Perry going to the North Pole in the early part of last century. He's quite likely related to our good friend Bill March, who is also related to Bob Bartlett. Neat coincidence. And we had a grand time in our weather gear, bucking the waves in quite cool weather out in a relatively small zodiac, 7 of us including 3 crew. We spent more than two hours watching two humpbacks feeding, often right beside us, and sometimes even under our boat. Even Skipper Bob was really excited, calling it 3 trips in one, as the whales were so close to us, rolling over, even breeching a couple of times, which is unreal. Great trip for us, as we usually have no luck on whale sighting trips.

And we saw a cow moose and 2 calves on our hike today. So that has finally happened. It was a quick glimpse, as she herded the young ones into the woods, having heard a guy yelling to a couple in front of us that there were moose to be seen. If he'd been quiet, we might have had a better look. However, mission accomplished. We've finally seen mooses.

Some coincidences. We went to a craft brewery in a small village a couple of days ago, and got talking to a retired RCMP guy who lives in St. John's, but has a cottage nearby. We had a great chat. Turns out he had done 6 years in Whitehorse as part of his career postings. Did he happen to know an ex-teacher from Picton who started the first MacDonald's in the north? Lived down the street from the Karps, 6 doors away.

At Bonavista Lighthouse, we met a guy in the parking lot who has a place here in Newfoundland, but also lives in Smiths Falls, where we started teaching. Did we know Ross Walton? Of course we did, as he and his wife Carolyn were good friends.

Waiting for an ice cream near the lighthouse, and the guy behind me and I got talking. "Where is yous from", he asked. We told him. "Oh, I worked for CP 30 years, so I knows where yers to."  Little guy who's been retired for 10 years, so I asked him what he does to keep out of trouble now that he's been retired for 10 years. "Chase women," was the response, with a big laugh. Had a fun conversation, as he really had the Newfoundland lingo goin'.

Last night we went for a walk, and  spent quite awhile chatting with a crab fisherman, who was up on the point near Elliston with his wife and another couple, enjoying a bottle of wine. We learned a lot, and loved listening to his true Newfoundland accent. He isn't hurting, as he sold his crab quota for 3.5 million. He did a degree at Memorial way back when, but decided fishing and the sea was what he wanted. A good decision, it would seem. He still fishes, mostly for fun, going out 200 miles to set his crab traps. Crab brings $4.45 per pound, and he may come back in with as much as 20,000 pounds. It's been a tough season here for many fishermen, including his lobster fishing friend, but he's certainly not hurting. Very jovial guy. Could have spent the whole evening chatting.

So we're still having a good time, despite the black flies and the potholes. We left our site two days ago at the nearby Provincial Park, which is on a gravel road. The guys in the office told us there were icebergs on the west coast. Only 11 kms. Took us way over an hour, as it's the worst road I've ever driven on. Makes highway 49 look like a dream. We had to literally crawl through potholes in idle, to avoid damaging the vehicle and emptying cupboards. Gail calls it "Larry's Folly". But we made it, and lo and behold, there were icebergs. So it was almost worth the effort.

At the lighthouse yesterday, I was asked to take a photo of a family of 5. A big man was in a wheelchair, fairly young guy, travelling with his girlfriend, 2 of his sisters and his mother. They were doing a bucket list trip, and having a great time, all the way from Manitoba. They were so full of good feelings, it was really neat to meet them, clearly doing their best to make the young man have a good experience, as he seemed a little quiet and down. Travel is freeing!

We've now booked on the long ferry from Placentia, for the 3rd, so will arrive in North Sydney on the morning of the 4th. We'll put in a couple of days in NS waiting for the kids to arrive. The ferry only runs on the 3rd and the 6th, so not much choice. It means a little alteration of our plans, but they were so day-to-day, it matters little. Tomorrow we're heading to the Burin Peninsula, new territory, so should be fun. After that, who knows? We plan to be in St. John's for Canada Day, that we do know.

That's enough for now. We did a tough hike today, along a beautiful coastline (shrouded in fog for a good part of it, unfortunately), so the bed looks pretty inviting. Will try to post some photos when next we have wifi, now that I've figured out how to do it. Slow learner, me!. Meantime, thanks for listening, if you got this far. More later. Stay tuned.