Why Don't We Spice Things Up A Bit?

Here at The Bayside Bed and Breakfast, we love to cook!

And that's any time of day. Breakfast is part of our name and all of our guests enjoy a hearty breakfast in the morning, but did you know that we also serve evening meals as well?

When people come to visit Newfoundland, they expect certain things. Certain foods, that is. Crab, cod, mussels, moose...the local stuff.

And we are pleased to be able to offer that on our menu. Mind you, it helps that Port de Grave harbour is just up the road. The guests that do take advantage of the supper option are never disappointed. The moose pies and burgers are home made with moose that Basil was able to nab himself. The crab is caught by our local fishermen and the sweetest that you'll find anywhere around. Basil even manages to catch a few of the cod himself. He prepares a light batter for the cod. And for some who want something a little lighter, we have a baked cod with a tasty Panko coating. This year we've added Fish Tacos to the menu. Yum! 



But the one thing in common-- all of our evening meals feature various spices that we obtain from a local business called Newfoundland Seasonings.

Their slogan is " Bold yet friendly like a Newfoundlander" The spices are all natural, and they use the highest quality of local and imported spices. We discovered them the first year we moved here at the local Bay Roberts' Songs, Stages and Seafood Festival and have used them ever since. So many of our guests have tried to coerce Basil into giving out his secret recipes but the only thing he'll admit to is that Newfoundland Seasonings an important part of the blend.

We've even started selling small packets to our guests. They make a great gift to take back home. They're small and light and you don't have to remember a t-shirt size! We carry the Moose Spice, Cod Spice, Steak and Burger and a unique blend called a Taste of 'Ome. If you see them in your travels, pick up a package. Or better yet, stop by and pick up a package or two from us! 

You can see all of their products right here:

Newfoundland Seasonings

They're Back.....

This is Bob. Bob is a seagull. He is a clean seagull and he is well fed. Why is Bob well fed?

Well, he lives on the island of Newfoundland. In the village of Bareneed if you want to be specific. Right next to the fishing community and harbour of Port de Grave. 

Bob probably eats fish and a lot of it. 

But, Bob eats a few other things and not always at the harbour.

Bob also eats at The Bayside Bed and Breakfast. 

And he eats well, can't you tell?

Bob first started visiting last spring. I think he was intrigued by this 'lady' that got up very early and moved back in forth in this room right by these big windows. (um, the kitchen Bob)

Well, this lady (me!) noticed Bob and decided that she would give him a few leftovers from the day before because she loves animals. And birds. And Bob is a bird so I kind of liked him. 

At first, he wouldn't let me get too close to him but I think that you can see by this picture at the right, he's not too shy right now.

Actually, Bob started getting a little impatient with me at the start. If I wasn't quick enough for his breakfast, he would land on our skylight and start pecking on the glass. I guess not too annoying except that he would do it at 6:00 in the morning when our guests were still probably asleep. I actually had to start lobbing my oven mitts at the skylight to scare him off! Can't have grumpy guests!

So, he pretty much behaved himself. And then, he decided that he wanted to share in his bounty, so....

Billy Bob! 

Now, I know that this could just as easily be Roberta and not Bob. And as best as I can ascertain, and I'm not a professional birdwatcher, I believe Bob is a black-tailed gull. The females look very much like the males, so I really don't know and they haven't said.

Bob and Billy Bob have become such a hit around here, that guests actually line up at the dining room window so they can take pictures of these handsome fellas when they come in and have their breakfast. Some will even leave a piece of toast or a bite or two of one of my muffins so that these two don't go without. Some may be insulted that their baking is not demolished by the paying guests, but I'm not offended. Saves me from defrosting my bread out of the freezer!

                                                                                   

If you'd like to keep up with Bob and Billy Bob's

exploits, check out my Instagram posts at:

thebayside

#baysidebob

Isn't he a handsome fellow?

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!

The Adventures of Cole--Snow Cat in Disguise!

This is Cole. My handsome, little boy. (As 

opposed to my big handsome boy, Basil)

Not too many people have seen The Bayside cats and that's because they're not allowed in the guest areas in case anyone has allergies or for those people that are afraid of cats. He's also strictly an indoor cat so you wouldn't see him hanging around outside. But let me tell you--he loves the outdoors! He is a part time escape artist that will dart out the backdoor before you can say, "Have you seen Cole?" So, today, I thought because we were having such a nice snow day, I would give him the chance to experience what all Newfoundlanders do this time of year. 

"Just let me stick my nose out for a bit"

"Hey, what is this stuff? Looks like a neat white carpet to me! I'll bet you can really see my black hair on this, hahaha!!"

Yes, Cole is famous for his soft, puffy tail and

he just loves to leave his long, luscious hairs on all of my white t-shirts.

But somehow, that white carpet didn't  feel quite right to him. In fact, it was a little too wet. And cold. And all of a sudden, going outside didn't seem to be such a great idea after all.

Spending a snow day indoors isn't such a bad idea. Smart cat. Mind if I join you?

*Please be advised, that our guests do not need to poke their nose outdoors to check on the weather. They can look outside from the comfort of our common room while the fire is burning in the wood stove.

Green Point Lighthouse - Pleasant Way to Spend an Afternoon

Make a drive to Port de Grave a part of your Newfoundland island tour. 
Basil and I have been here over 2 1/2 years and we've barely scratched the surface of what there is to see in our little neighbourhood. Now mind you, every once in awhile, we do drive down to the Port de Grave harbour to look at the boats. Immaculately kept and well maintained, they are a treat to look at. Looking at these longliners, you can see the pride of ownership--many decorated with personalized paintings of scenes and family. 
But one thing I've never done is gone down to look at the Green Point Lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula, right at Hibbs Cove.

Whenever any of our guests let me know that they like hiking or walking trails, I've always recommended the lighthouse but had never gone myself. Basil has gone down quite often while I've kept myself busy cleaning, cooking, etc. So, the other day when all four of my rooms were staying two nights or more (no rooms to change over!), we jumped on the ATV and took a little drive for some us time. Now, you can drive with your car to a certain point, but as you can see, you'll have to park and do the rest on foot. But it's well worth it. This just looks like it's a road going to nowhere, but that's definitely not the case.

Built in 1883, the lighthouse was originally powered with kerosene and later converted to electricity in 1931.  A few years after that, it was decided that there was no longer a need to be manned and became automated. And today, it runs off solar batteries.
A unique feature of this lighthouse when it was first built, was an additional bank of lights that were to shine on some of the dangerous rocks that were located just offshore.

And even though dangerous to oncoming vessels, the area sports its own unique beauty with the rock and craters filled with sea water, seaweed and sea creatures.

We found ourselves a smooth boulder lodged along the edge of the cliff and just stared out at the ocean.

It was a relaxing afternoon and I sometimes take those for granted. We saw only one other person on our little adventure. It was like we were the only two people on the island.
And those afternoons are few and far between during our season. But, the next time I can get out of the laundry room and out to do some touring.....

You can be sure that I'll jump at that chance!

Our season has quickly filled up but we still have some openings available in July and August. Come for a visit to The Bayside Bed and Breakfast and discover your little out-of-the-way places.

The Bayside Bed and Breakfast

Once Upon A Time

I'm so fond of old Newfoundland buildings. Basil is too. I don't know how many times that we driven along somewhere and one of us will say to the other, "Look! Perfect picture!"

I'm by no means a photographer. I wish I could say it was a hobby, but I don't even spend enough time on it to make it a hobby. But I do love to take pictures. And, one of my favourite subjects is old Newfoundland buildings.

But I especially love old doors.

I have a long wall in my upstairs hallway that is a blank canvas that I'm determined to fill with pictures of old doors. 
However, it must be done just right and I need more old doors!

I'm sure I'm not the only one around that likes these old doors. 
I'm always thinking about the families that would have walked through these portals.

Where are they now?

Did the children all move away?

Do they live nearby?

With some of them, you can see the detail that went into installing them. 
What was once vivid colours, have now faded.
Wood worn with age, carved by the ocean wind. Cracking, splitting.

What would their previous owners think about them now?

Some of these doors haven't been abandoned. 
The one on the left is still used in the summer months when the previous occupant 'comes home' to visit. 

This is our neighbour's door.

Mr. Batten lives in Ontario now, to be closer to his daughters, but he still feels the pull of his family home. 
If all goes well, we hope to see him again soon. And of course, he'll come up the hill to have breakfast at The Bayside!

And then this last one.....


......is still being used daily!

Don't you just love it?

I sure do!















Why not walk through our door at The Bayside Bed and Breakfast?

Summer is quickly filling up so don't delay! Check our online availability today and book with us. Or, give me a call at 709-786-1500. I'll be happy to help you plan your escape to Newfoundland.

The Bayside Bed and Breakfast Online Availability