What I Did on My Summer Vacation

A few nights ago my wife and I had an opportunity to attend the Spirit of Newfoundland’s traveling dinner theatre production of the play, “Every Joan, Dick and Harry” and I have to say I’m eternally grateful that we did.

“Every J, D& H is a rousing two act play filled to overflowing with the music and songs of three of Newfoundland and Labrador’s greatest musical icons, Joan Morrissey, Dick Nolan and Harry Hibbs. It’s a romp down memory lane that I’m sure must have stirred the same feelings of nostalgia for everyone in attendance as it did for me. Scenes in a CN bus station, a chat about the Flier’s club in Gander, Ron Pumphry hosting the VOCM Open Line program and the wonderful music of those great performers could do nothing less.

The experience started me thinking back to when these fine performers were in their heyday. Being just a boy at the time, it reminded me of being in elementary school, more years ago than I care to remember. In those days, returning to class each September meant two things. The end of summer and being assigned, I suspect because the teacher was in the midst of recovering from some big Labor Day bash, the job of writing and essay on what I had done during my summer vacation.

Many of you have likely had the same experience and I suspect the ritual still exists in schools today. I don’t know how you felt about that little task but I can tell you with all honesty, I hated it with a passion. Honest to God it used to make my stomach churn and I can’t even begin to tell you what it did for getting the new school year off on the wrong foot.

Unlike many people in our area my Parents were not travelers, not at all, so while other kids wrote about their trip to Disneyland or visiting relatives in Ontario or Boston or some other far away place, I was forced to sit and think about what I’d done at home in dumb old Newfoundland. On occasion I recall even making things up so I wouldn’t look like an idiot. I’ve since stopped worrying about looking like an idiot as anyone who reads my column regularly will attest. Little did I understand about the time or place where I lived at the time. Little did I understand at all.

Boy what a difference a few decades can make to your attitude. Now, after having traveled throughout many parts of North America and as far away as the Orient I’ve reached a point in my life where I, like my parents before me, feel absolutely no need to travel outside my homeland for pleasures sake. In fact I can’t wait to visit different parts of this Province each summer. In addition to that, these days it actually feels good to write about it and why shouldn’t it?

It may have come to me decades later than I would have preferred, but I finally understand that the Colony of Newfoundland and Labrador is like no other place on earth. This year the Canadian government even admitted as much by naming it Canada’s Cultural Colony, err ah oops, I mean Canada’s Cultural Capital. I could say a lot more on that subject but since I’m in a good mood today I’ll just continue on with my original train of thought.

They say that you never really know what you have until you lose it. I guess it was that way with me. It wasn’t until I’d lived away from the Province for about ten years or so and wound up moving back that I realized what this place really had to offer. Since then I’ve tried to take every opportunity I can to rekindle my love affair with my homeland and believe me it has to be the easiest job in the world.

This summer our vacation plans include driving into the beautiful Exploits Valley to spend a few days with friends, maybe do a little salmon fishing and, I hope at least, to take a dip in the refreshing waters of Pine Camps. I remember as a child standing on the bridge over the river gorge there and looking down at the pure black water so far below that it looked about the size of a postage stamp. Unlike many others, I never found the courage to actually dive off that bridge and as nostalgic as I get, I doubt I’ll ever try to remedy that missing part of my childhood. You’ve got to draw the line somewhere after all.

Our next stop will take us a few hours down the highway to Grose Morne, where we hope to see as much as possible of this world heritage site. Our plans include taking the Trout River boat tour, hiking in the tablelands, walking on the beach at Cow Head and attending a couple of new plays being offered as a part of the local Theatre Festival.

After a few days in the area and if our schedule permits we hope to drive up to the ferry and cross into Southern Labrador for a day or so. I fished the Pinware River a few years back and I’d love nothing more than to try it again. It was an experience of a lifetime. I won’t even try to describe it to you because there is no way I could do it justice. When you catch sight of a salmon that has to be well over sixty pounds, words simply fail you.

To cap things off I’ll be back in the St. John’s area for the remainder of the summer taking in the sights and sounds of the countless festivals, concerts, museums, beaches, nightclubs garden parties and wonderful musical talent in and around the city. Of course I’ll need to leave a day or two free to catch a few cod, now that Ottawa was nice enough to grant me permission to do so this year. I wouldn’t miss that for the world. Oh, just in case I forget it later, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the fine folks at DFO for permitting us to catch a few of THEIR fish this summer.

There you have it folks. Newfoundland and Labrador may not be Disneyland, but who the hell wants it to be. Yes indeed, it should be a great summer. I wish you could all experience it with me. Well, not really since my car only seats five and besides, the wife might get a little ticked if a crowed showed up, but you know what I mean.

So, what am I trying to say today? Simply put, if you are fortunate enough to live in this place, please don’t ever take it for granted, not for a second. If you hail from away and have an opportunity to visit our fair land this year, you are in for a treat like no other. If you can’t visit us this year, then you might want to start planning for the next year and if you don’t ever plan to visit, for some unknown or misguided reason, it’s your loss, but don’t ever say I didn’t let you know about the place.

Wow, will you look at me! I’ve already written an essay on my summer vacation and it hasn’t even started yet. Just imagine how much easier things would have been for me as a child if I only knew then what I know now.