All I Can Say Is "WOW!"

Newfoundland never ceases to surprise me. Over the last few days, Arctic pack ice has been pushed onto the shorelines, coves and bays of the Northern Avalon of Newfoundland. Since moving down here, we've only heard of the tales of people jumping from (ice) pan to pan, usually in relation to sealing -- so when we heard of the ice floes starting to come into Conception Bay, we didn't really know what to expect. 

Except we woke up to this: 

Pretty amazing, isn't it? This was the view from the back of The Bayside at about 7:30 this morning. As you can see, there is a little free water close to the shore for the few ducks to paddle around in, but it was completely filled in by lunch time. 

We also drove down the road to catch a few more shots:

Ha, ha. Just my foot. But trust me, I was doing none of the jumping that others were attempting to do! Needless to say, all that ice has put a decided chill in the air. My thumbs were just about froze off taking all my shots!  Even the protected harbour down in Port de Grave hasn't escaped the flowing mini bergs:

"What comes next?", you may ask.  Well, this is perfect iceberg ice harvesting time. And, you can be sure that Basil and I will be along the shoreline picking up some choice morsels for our freezer so that our guests can experience a chunk of an iceberg in their summertime drink!  

We're booking up pretty quickly for June and July but there's still a few slots open along with August and into September. Just click on the link below and it will direct you to our webpage where you can make some great memories!

The Bayside Bed and Breakfast

Bay Roberts Needs Your Vote!

This will be short and sweet! The Town of Bay Roberts   
urgently needs your vote!

Every year the good folks at Kraft team up 
with the NHL and the NHLPA to give small towns
across Canada the chance at a cash prize that is put towards improvements to the local community arena. It's in these buildings that every day, children, teens and adults of all ages come together to celebrate community. And Bay Roberts is no different. But the Bay Arena is no mere hockey arena. It is a community centre. It is the heart of this town on the Northeastern  Avalon. Not only do they play hockey here, but community events as diverse as car shows, dance recitals, seafood BBQs (more on that another time), and such are held on a regular basis.  

But as with most small communities, the facilities have a hard time keeping up with everyone's demands! The arena is in need of some tender, loving care. In fact, a fire last year shut the arena down for almost two months. If not for the selfless sharing of neighbouring communities, there would have been many disappointed players.

And even now, with a leaky roof, games are postponed, delayed and even cancelled! This should not be!

So, you're asking yourself, what can I do to help? 

Glad you asked! Due to some tireless effort on the part of some civic minded individuals in Bay Roberts, they are now on a short list of qualifiers and are in the running to be named Hockeyville 2017! Ten arenas across Canada have the opportunity to win the top prize of $100,000 to put towards repairs or improvements, plus, the chance at hosting an NHL game this fall! Now, every arena as it stands will be awarded something--at least $25,000. But hey, Bay Roberts  is holding out for the big one! 

So now what you need to do is vote. Vote! Vote!

Starting at 9:00 a.m. EST tomorrow and until Monday night at 11:59 p.m., all you need to do is click on Kraft Hockeyville and cast your vote. Just click on that link. I've made it easy for you.

Vote and vote often. You need to be  at least 13 years of age and all voting must be done online. Open the window on your tablet, your laptop, your computer and keep voting. That's really all it takes. Help Bay Roberts make it into the final top two. They both get $100,000 BUT they really want that NHL game! 

So come on!

We need all the help that we can get!