Newfoundland

I attended university in St. John's for five years. No one believes how beautiful the island is and how interesting the people are until they come here. Then they try to convince friends back home that people eat fish for breakfast and the top rock band has an accordion player.

It's easy to fall in love with this place, although winter can certainly test that romance.

 


Finnegan the Newfoundlander Dog, St. John's, 1994<br>With webbed paws for swimming and gripping a beer bottle. Harbor Fog, St. John's, 1999<br>It can be as thick as.. as.. if only there were an expression comparing this fog to a type of soup. Marina Boats, St. John's, 1998<br>I never got lost in St. John's. All you have to do is remember: stagger<i> away</i> from the direction of the water! Autumn Tree, MUN, St. John's, 1996<br> I suppose if I had to face a St. John's winter outside I would turn bright yellow from fright as well. Signal Hill Signs, St. John's, 1996 <br>"Oh, it's 3<i>2</i>00 kilometres to Dublin, Brian. We better take <i>two</i> paddles." War Memorial Statue, St. John's, 2000<br>It really annoyed me to see kids skateboarding over this statue. It needed speed bumps. View from Boat, St. John's, 2000<br>I never get seasick. I think I was meant to be a sailor. Perhaps after the first day it gets harder! Fluvarium, St. John's, 2004<br>Ancient fish fossil, Fluvarium. A victim of an ancient fish 'n' chip dinner, maybe! Lemarchant Road, St. John's, 1999<br>For those evenings when you feel reflective. Moss on Signal Hill, St. John's, 2000<br>Also known by its Latin name, uh.... <I>smallus spikae plant-us.</I>  Look, I majored in English, not Botany, alright? Burton's Pond, St. John's, 1999<br>Heated artificially over the winter to keep the ducks happy.  It would be nice if MUN had spent that much to keep us comfortable. Fort Amhearst, St. John's, 1994<br> The day I realized there wouldn't be many beach swims. St. John's Downtown, 1994<br>All the cars seemed so new. It's because after five years of sea salt and ice they're chunks of rust. WWII Gun, Fort Amhearst, St. John's, 1998<br>Rusty but operational. Kind of like some of my professors. St. John's in December, 1994<br>I used to ride a bicycle up and down these streets in winter when I lived downtown. In your twenties you still think you're indestructible. Basicila Front, St. John's, 2004<br>Beautiful, grand church. And look, they dedicated it to the architect! "The beams should be <i>this</i> wide." Juuust joking. Signal Hill at Night, St. John's, 2000 <br>It's a time exposure. When you get ten minutes without rain in Newfoundland, that's a luxury. Signal Hill Edge, St. John's, 1994<br>It really is the edge of North America.. and it was fun to celebrate the millenium before anywhere else. View from Coughlan House, 1998<br>It took a long time to cross. If I only had some cafeteria grease, I could have slid! Sea Lion, Ocean Sciences Centre, St. John's, 1997<br>It must be interesting doing nothing all day, sleeping and eating fish. But enough about life in first year. Snowbirds, St. John's, 2000<br>A wonderful show, though it wasn't snowing, and birds know better than to fly so close together. Regatta Day, St. John's, 2000<br>One of the oldest sporting events on the continent, and some of the hot dogs are even older. Iceberg, Quidi Vidi, St. John's, 2000 <br>They told me this was a <I>small</I> iceberg. The larger ones must have their own postal codes. Arts & Admin Building, MUN, 1994<br>I realized recently I have very few pictures of the actual campus. Were they all ruined by rain? Northern Bay Sands Stage, 1999<br>I got a weekend job as a roadie for a folk festival. Not for the faint of heart. Them girders is steel. View of Downtown Harbor, 2000<br>The downtown had business and nightclub zones. You can guess which one was empty Friday nights. Corner Brook Winter, 1996<br> The west coast of the island. Ken's tip: you can tell because you smell pulp all day instead of fish. Mining Logs, Buchans, 2000<br>It's a nice place and it was sad to see the town shrink away as the huge mines cease their work. About the only ones happy about it were the trees. Quidi Vidi, St. John's, 1994<br> These are fish stacks for drying fish. They tend to get a little soggy in all that water. What will people think of next! Raspberries, St. John's, 2000<br>Every July it was fun to hike up the hillside and eat berries. Depending on <i>what</i> berries you eat, you might even remember the trip! Blizzard, MUN, St. John's, 1997<br>Before you pack your bags, you might want to know about the <i>other</i> six months of the year. Harbor Sunset, St. John's, 2000 <br>A peaceful summer evening from the top of Signal Hill. It looks so idyllic, you nearly forget what's in that water. Basilica Statue, St. John's, 1999 Viking ship Planks, St. John's, 2000 <br>A replica of an ancient Viking ship, except for everyone yelling "Wunderbar!" Musician, George Street, St. John's, 2000<br>Ah, the places I've seen.. ah, the music I've heard.. ah, the bars I've been thrown out of. Signal Hill, St. John's, 1998<br>Which, in geological terms, is a... big bump. St. John's Row Housing<br> Like the housing I saw in London, it's not really a place for individualists. Old Dodge, St. John's, 1998<br>Well, when you go moose hunting in the forest you don't take your Mercedes. Burton's Pond, MUN, St. John's, 2004<br>Ducks at Burton's Pond. Never a shortage of wild life (sorry). Quidi Vidi, St. John's, 2000<br>Latin for, "Dead fish really smell bad." Well, it could be. Quidi Vidi Moss, St. John's, 2000<br>It looks sharp, but it's soft to walk on.  The secret: animals peeing! Winter Hoarfrost, St. John's, 1998<br>When water suddenly freezes to trees it can be beautiful. Even if you have to explain that <i>hoarfrost</i> is a real word over and over. Harbor, Dildo, 1997<br>And, man, if people start giggling when you say <i>hoarfrost</i>, wait until you say that this is really the town's name. Downtown Street, St. John's, 1999 <br>Most electrical cables are above ground here.  It's called the rock for a reason! Tourist Boat, St. John's, 1998<br> The water around the harbor looks so pristine and clean. That's the word.. <em>looks</em> pristine and clean. Moored Ship, St. John's, 2000<br> I wanted to work or pay my way on a ship home. I even said <em>arrh</em> a lot. Didn't work. Downtown Row Houses, St. John's, 1999<br>The colors can be very nice, but you haven't lived until you've slid down these streets in a cab in January. Blueberries, Signal Hill, St. John's, 2004<br>Sometimes I spent the afternoon eating them, hoping my body would forgive me for all the deep fried food. Signal Hill Thorns, St. John's, 2000<br>You know, I rarely saw people walking barefoot here. Signal Hill Shadow, St. John's, 1999<br>Suddenly, a black shadow crept over the homes of the unsuspecting townsfolk. Ocean Surf, Northern Bay Sands, 1999 <br>While roadying we thought we could stop for a swim. But look close and you can see the ice cubes! Rusting Mining Machinery, Buchans, 2000<br>The rust was definitely winning. But it might make a good set for a horror movie someday. MUN Campus, St. John's, 2000<br>Memorial isn't the most scenic campus, but not much decoration holds up in winter anyway. Ocean Sciences Centre, near St. John's, 1997 <br>Where my friend Tony the grad student spent all day with fish. Me, I prefer women. St. John's Harbor, Fall 2000<br>One of my last pictures in Newfoundland. I could only afford black and white film by then. Canoes, MUN Long Pond, St. John's, 1996 <br>Our dorm was a little isolated on campus, but it was nice to wake up to Long Pond. A trade-off for not being connected by a tunnel in winter. Lower Battery Houses, St. John's, 1998<br> "Let's build lots of flammable wood houses close together on the edge of a sharp cliff. What could possibly go wrong?"

 

 

 

 

This'll be the player
St. John's Harbor