The shoreline was barren granite rock as far as the eye could see. The colour of the rock varied from place to place, grey, white and sometimes salmon pink. Speaking of fish, there were a few fishermen out bobbing in the gentle swell fishing for cod, but we weren’t fishing, we were heading for Cecil and Dorothy’s cabin about 12 kms away.
Some readers may remember that we just finished replacing Katie-Lew’s bridge. The old one was rotted beyond repair but the old wood was still suitable for firewood in the cabin stove, so we had it all safely stowed in the bottom of the boat.
Cecil made sure we got an early start so we could take advantage of light winds and the gentle ocean swell. The forecast was for significant westerly winds by afternoon and of course the Atlantic waters would respond with choppy waves on top of an unfriendly swell. Some of you might remember one of my previous experiences in these same waters that has left my confidence shaken.
But, without incident, we made it to Garia Bay where the waters calmed even more as we made our way deeper into the shelter. Along the coast, we passed a number of cabins. All appeared well used and beautifully maintained. Cecil and Dorothy love their little cabin and told stories about spending a month at a time there in past years, and totally relaxing in the peace and quiet. Now, I have to say, it’s pretty peaceful and quiet in Rose Blanche, but I guess it’s all relative.
Other cabin owners, including their son, use their cabin not only as a season residence but also a base for hunting and fishing. The cabin front yard is piled with lobster traps waiting to be covered for winter and ready for next Spring’s harvest.
We got the firewood unloaded and then rested in the cabin a while before it was time to get back on the water. Cecil pointed to a few moose tracks in the yard suggesting one those moose might just get shot in a couple of weeks come hunting season.
On the trip back, we were heading into the westerlies that had increased somewhat but didn’t pose a problem. We dropped into Petites, a community that was resettled around year 2000. Marlene and I had visited there before, but it was nice to hear Cecil and Dorothy recall the people they knew from there and who had lived where. Many of those folks relocated to Rose Blanche. Here’s a link to the story from our resettlement tour a couple of years ago. Take a look ... Community Resettlements
I was happy to help them load and unload the firewood, and delighted to see the wood from the old bridge get one last duty to heat their cabin come Fall. More so however, I really appreciated the trip along the Granite Coast at sunrise, and to visit their cabin where they go from time to time to get away from it all.