HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARK! WE HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY!
Day 63 – The low was 39 degrees and it rained hard all night. It only reached 42 degrees today, and there’s a frost advisory for tonight. Tomorrow is supposedly the longest day of the year. Does that mean it will clear up and start being warmer then?
When we first got to Fogo Island, the long-range weather forecast was for rain & fog for several days with clearing and full sun today & partial sun tomorrow. So we figured that we’d wait to go the Change Islands today. We changed our minds when it was still densely fogged this morning and the wind was really blowing. It was not a good day for a ferry ride. Who knows, maybe we’ll have better luck with sunlight tomorrow.
Instead of island hopping, we drove all over this island today looking for fish, specifically crab out of the shell. In 2019, we were able to buy lots of crab and it was so good! We drove south to Seldom, one of the small villages on Fogo Island. This is where we’d gotten our crab in 2019. It was foggy. No one was at the store located in the Fish Processing Plant. While in Seldom, we got a portable propane tank filled and got gas in the Honda. We’re going through lots of propane because it’s been so cold.
We drove through Seldom, Little Seldom, and Stag Harbour. It was foggy. We returned to the town of Fogo where the main Fish Processing Plant is located. It was foggy there, too. They didn’t have a store for selling to the public. They said that the village of Joe Batt’s Arm would have any kind of fish we wanted. It was lunch time. We stopped at Punch Buggy to see what pastries they had today and bought fresh Partridgeberry Scones. Back at the RV we made lunch and went back out to continue our quest for fresh Snow Crab out of the shell.
We drove to Joe Batt’s Arm. It was foggy. We found their Fish Processing Plant, and no – they wouldn’t be getting their fresh crab until tomorrow, and it would be in the shell. (Since we’re going to freeze it for later meals and due to the volume and space that crab in the shell takes up, this wouldn’t work for us.) They said to try Seldom, they would have crab. We told them that we had already done that and no one was there. They said, “They’ll be there closer to dinnah. What time is it?” We said, “1:45 p.m.”, and they said, “Go there now.” So we did, even though to us, it was not yet closer to ‘dinnah’.
Back at Seldom, someone was at the store, and yes, they had Snow Crab! Thirty pounds of it in one box, frozen, in the shell. Having very limited freezer space in the RV, we had to decline. After a day of running around searching for fish, it was time to go relax. Still foggy when we got back to the campground, Rob also gave up on his plan to walk the Brimstone Head trail. Again, tomorrow is another day.
Late in the afternoon/early evening, we took up our places at the dining room table and the screenless window. The tide was coming in, and it was time for the Northern Gannets to appear – and hopefully, a whale or two. Pixie was trying to help Rob take pictures.
Oh well. Unfortunately, the Gannets & the Whales did not make an appearance. We gave up and shut the blinds. Time to read our books before going to bed.
About Fogo Island:
“Fogo Island, the largest along Newfoundland and Labrador’s vast coastline, is home to eleven settlements, each with its own distinctive flair. Traditional craft is in abundance here. Settled in the 18th century, the village of Tilting is a National Historic Site of Canada and a Registered Heritage District.
In 1967, Island residents had to decide whether or not to leave their homes to resettle. Instead, the community-based Fogo Island Co-operative Society Limited was formed to build a sustainable economy around the sea and its natural resources. They built more boats, took over abandoned processing facilities, and sought new markets. A number of museums, such as the Bleak House Museum and the Marconi Wireless Interpretation Center, amongst others, celebrate Fogo Island’s unique history during the short summer season.
Coastal hiking trails will lead you to resettled communities and scenic lookouts – you may even catch a glimpse of the Island’s caribou herd. The Brimstone Head Hiking Trail, accessible from the Brimstone Head RV Park, leads you to a place identified by the Flat Earth Society as one of the flat earth’s four corners. Or for an easier walk, stroll the Joe Batt’s Point Walking Trail to see the Great Auk statue commemorating the now extinct bird species.” from the Newfoundland/Labrador Traveller’s Guide 2023
Thanks guys!