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Chapter 9 -- Carla, 06:21:09 03/10/09 Tue [20]
Sarah’s brothers come with the news that her mother has died, bringing Reverend Eldridge, a Methodist preacher who has converted almost all the people on Pinchard’s Island who sits forgotten on the boat for an hour while they deliver their news.

The minister preaches in the old fish store and converts over the course of the week just about every person in Cape Random. Lavinia and Ned hold out until the last minute and Mary, ever her own person, refuses to even listen.

The Tern arrives skippered by Capt. Brennan and carrying salt for the summer’s fish making and news from St. John’s.

Lavinia has a recurring dream of being the only one carrying rock after rock from a field to build a stone wall only to have all her work undone by an unseen presence. Sarah Vincent tells her it’s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hag">“The Old Hag”, a supernatural figure from various cultures, and brews camomile tea. Annie and Rose are also having bad dreams.

There are other unusual happenings in the community and on the water: giant squid, strange lights and an overall feeling that something is out of joint. The children see “the stranger” repeatedly and give him the characteristics of the devil. With the onset of fishing season, things go back to normal.

Lavinia is no longer part of the children’s group, having withdrawn from them. She feels stuck between the worlds of child and adult. She finally ‘hears’ the conversations of the women around her. Still, Lavinia wants time and the world to stop, as she feels too much is happening.

The women and children go berry-picking towards the end of summer and once again Fanny sees the stranger watching them from the woods. She tells Lavinia, who forbids her to tell anybody else and hurries them all back to the houses claiming it’s about to rain. When Fanny tells the other children what they saw, Lavinia denies she saw him but that night records the sighting in her journal.

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Chapter 8 -- Carla, 06:02:10 03/09/09 Mon [14]
Here are some links to info on the early seal hunt; it was dangerous and dirty work for very little money, with men often spending 12 hours walking on the unstable spring ice. Sealing history

There have been many sealing disasters, with hundreds of lives lost over the years. Perhaps the most famous occurred in 1914 when 252 men from several ships were lost in a single storm. Even now, ships are often stuck in the ice when the wind shifts and blows pack ice into their path.

A ship probably very similar to the one the men of the Cape would have been on to go sealing

The men return from sealing (swiling) in rough shape, especially Josh who is unable to walk. We see the fear of strangers or outsiders which is so common in the outports when the children don’t recognize the men at first glance.

Lavinia notices an almost domestic moment between Frank and Annie. Lavinia and Fanny are not really a part of the happy group welcoming the men home.

Lavinia muses on the lack of change in Mary and the glimpses of her temper the people on the Cape have seen. Lavinia finds herself feeling a sense of loss at the happy reunion of Ned and Mary and thinking about Thomas.

Fanny tells Lavinia that someone has been watching from the woods.

There is a party, with the men distributing hard candies they brought home as a treat for the children. Ned tells stories, but when the boys say they will one day go sealing, Josh says no and tells them the truth of how brutal sealing is in reality.

Lavinia reflects in bed that night on the couples in the village and realizes she is inconsolably lonely despite having chosen to be alone. She gets up and, sitting by the fire, discovers that another link to Weymouth is gone: her store-bought boots have rotted and are completely useless; she burns them. Meg joins her later and asks her to be a schoolteacher to the children, especially her son Will for whom she sees a future as a preacher and gives her Hazel's boots.

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Random Passage Chapter 7 -- Carla, 07:11:28 03/08/09 Sun [21]
This is the quay side in Weymouth, which is on the southern shore of England in Dorset County.

To give you an idea of how big cod fish can be, here's a picture of a man gutting some on a wharf.

Lavinia cuts her last ties to Weymouth – taking down the picture of shepherds her mother had brought from their flat there and ceasing to write of the place in her journal.

Frank Norris arrives with his cousin Angus Hounsell to build a new house for Franks’ wife Ida. The men and boys of the Cape spend the evenings helping. One evening a skiff comes into the harbour loaded with household goods the like of which have never been seen by the inhabitants. In shock, they stay away from Frank and the house, except Thomas.

Angus comes to the stage the next morning and spends an hour gutting cod and talking to Sarah. Angus and Ben change places – Ben goes to help build the house and Angus goes fishing with Ned. Sarah explains that it’s Ida’s family who supplied all the luxury items, Frank is just like them.

Lavinia is shocked to find out Angus regards her as a possible wife and treats him rudely when he awkwardly approached her. Why do you think Lavinia is so afraid of ‘growing up’ and becoming one of the women?

Sarah, Jennie, Meg and Mary form a welcoming committee for Ida Norris, only to discouver she has been left mentally ill by her ordeal the previous winter. Mary is jealous over all Ida has and angered by the unfairness of life.

Meg has a baby boy, but develops childbed fever and her milk dries up; Meg recovers but the baby dies; Meg has Thomas baptize her dead infant.

Mary finds a patch of rich soil and the next spring plants her own, secret garden. She and Ned have a son and Mary dreams of a future where they are ahead, rather than beholden to the merchant at the end of the season.

Jennie looks down upon the settlement and around at the land and realizes for the first time in her life she is truly happy. Mary’s secret is discovered and when Sarah confronts her – the first time she ever goes on a tirade – she dies of a heart attack in the middle of her speech. In the end, the garden is divided with Mary getting the best portion as she insists without her nobody would have thought to plant there.

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Random Passage Chapter 6 Synopsis -- Tracy (), 07:37:59 03/07/09 Sat [14]
Just a collection of different photos today! I wish my Newfie photos were digital, but I didn't have a digital camera on my trip. I should probably get to scanning them soon.

The first photo is Southport,the second is Signal Hill and the third is the flag.

Lavinia is tucked away in her little corner sleeping, but is awoken by screaming. She discovers it is not pirates but Ned chasing his son Isaac around the room. Everyone is awake and watching.

Mary and Ned are both stark naked and Isaac is throwing wood pieces at Mary. Mary throws ice water and hits Ned in the family jewels and Isaac in the face. Lizzie grabs Isaac and off to bed they go.

Meg Andrews hauls Ned and Mary over the coals and tells them they will be married.

The next morning it seems as if nothing happened. There is discussion of who will marry them and of building partitions.

We learn that Ben is quite the carpenter and spent time on Pond Island learning the craft and his confidence grows.
He is building his own boat.

The wedding preparations begin with everyone involved except the bride, Mary. On her wedding day, Mary wonders if she should go through with it.

A fight breaks out between brothers Peter and Young Joe. Peter feels resentment toward Joe and has been miserable since Joe’s return. Peter does not want to give back the dog as he has become quite attached to it.

Joe dares Peter to chop off his finger. Peter chops it off! Mary sews it back on and then she marries Ned.

The sewing of the finger sets Mary in the place of medicine woman on the Cape. In time, she learns about Sarah’s remedies and adds her own with nature’s ingredients and also presides over births and deaths.

The chopping off of the finger hardly affects Joe. It does affect Peter but how so will not be known for a long time.

The first photo is Puffin Rock and the second one is a Puffin

I have had an absolutely wonderful time doing the summaries this week. I hope they weren't too long as I was a bit rusty. I adore Newfoundland and thank you for coming along this week with me while I revisted some places in photos. I'm only half-Newfie so I am really looking forward to Carla's week as she is the full-blooded Newfie here!

Last edited by author: Sat March 07, 2009 08:02:45 Edited 5 times.
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Random Passage Chapter 5 Synopsis -- Tracy (), 20:04:13 03/05/09 Thu [26]
This is Western Brook Pond in Gros Morne National Park. It is the most gorgeous place I have ever been. Gros Morne is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It’s almost the second winter on the Cape and only Lavinia longs for Weymouth and the money she earned, the job she had, her friends and the smells of her home.

Thomas tallied up the work of everyone. The work the women did was credited to the each man’s household. While he was doing that, Mary decided that she would marry Thomas because he was in control of the money.

Originally, Mary worked hard throughout the summer because she wanted to earn money in order to build herself a house. She contemplated marrying each of the men on the Cape, but decided that she could do better all by herself. It seems as though Mary was perturbed that her work was credited to Josh’s household, hence; deciding to marry Thomas.

Mary sets out to woo Thomas but after a few months Thomas thinks Mary is either blind or simple-minded. This gave me a bit of a chuckle. Sarah tells Mary that it is no use trying to attract Thomas and she should set her sights on Ned instead, but Mary disagrees.

It is February and on a rare but lovely day, everyone is outside and Sarah spots Young Joe alive after being missing for one year.

Young Joe explained how the fog had rolled in and they had decided to lie in the boat and wait until morning. When morning came, they discovered that they had drifted down into Indian Harbour. After about 2 weeks, they came upon an Eskimo family who took them in and they traveled together for 4 months. Young Joe and Ted finally made it to his Nan Vincent’s place on Pond Island, waited for a ship and then took it to the Cape.

Ezra, Sarah’s brother-in-law, told of families whose homes had been burned and supplies stolen by either an English or American crew. They were forced out into the cold and stumbled upon Pond Island. Ezra wants everyone on Cape Random to pack up and go with him to Pond Island in order to become a larger community more able to fight off pillagers.

Both families saw Ezra off in the morning-they had decided to remain on the Cape.

Mary asks Sarah to put a charm on Thomas. Mary offers Sarah a “small circle of purple and blue stones that twinkle” because a witch never does anything for free she thinks. Mary pins the brooch to the inside of Sarah’s coat but Sarah says she doesn't know how to a charm.

A ship is spotted off shore and everyone prepares for the worst – they go to sleep cold and tired but ready for a signal to rush to the shore and fight any strangers.

Mary is the only one not sleeping. A man comes to her bed and slides in. She thinks it is Thomas. She learns in the morning that it was Ned.

The Tablelands in Gros Morne. They are made from rock that was part of the earth's original mantle and these rocks can only be seen in Newfoundland.

Last edited by author: Thu March 05, 2009 20:10:01 Edited 1 time.
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Random Passage Chapter 4 Synopsis -- Tracy (), 17:57:03 03/04/09 Wed [33]
I am posting a wee bit early because I have a big day tomorrow with teaching, Punkin and her "new" needles and night school.

Here are fish flakes in Qidi Vidi

The chapter opens with Lavinia wondering if spring “will ever come to this God-forsaken place.” She abandons her journal for April and May and finds herself concentrating on the sea and with playing with the children in dress-up on the beach.

Lavinia and the children discover several objects while on the beach. One day they find cards, show them to Meg and she throws the “devil’s device” in the fire. The children agree never to show anything to the adults.

One day the children find themselves up on the rocks looking down at their home. They notice a creature crouched below that seems to be hiding but knows the children are watching. Patience said it was “a bogey man”.

The children find a protected area that they call “the place”. They hang out in the hollow now. Upon discovery, they found flint, arrowheads, burned wood and charred bone. The only adult who knows of this place is Thomas.

Mary has plans to leave the Cape but until then plans to be inconspicuous and useful while adding to her possessions.

Sarah Vincent states that she is a witch as was her mother and her grandmother.

Mary is attracted to Josh as how he cares for his family appeals to her.

Another ship the Drake arrives and brings news of politics, the government and Red Indians.

Before the fish are expected in, the women begin clearing a garden for vegetables. The men work on closing in the house. Then, the caplin come rolling out of the sea onto the beach.

The men go out to fish and the women work the flakes. Building credit with Caleb and their food for next winter all depends on how much fish they can catch and make now. “There is no laughter, no easy talk. Words require energy they cannot spare.”

In August, the Tern with Alex Brennan arrives. He brings news that Young Joe is lost. He had gone out hauling lines and the fog rolled in unexpectedly and didn’t lift until the morning, but by then there was no sign of Young Joe. Alex gives the children the puppy that had been Joe’s.

A Newfoundland Dory and a Newfoundland Dog

Last edited by author: Thu March 05, 2009 11:17:49 Edited 2 times.
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Random Passage Chapter 3 -- Tracy (), 06:20:23 03/04/09 Wed [14]

Here comes Mary "Bundle" Keane on the first boat the families have seen in 6 months. Lavinia writes that seventeen-year-old Mary is “the nearest thing to a savage any Christian soul is likely to see”.

We learn more of Caleb Gosse - he owns the wharf, the right to any catch on this strip of coast, he hired Thomas after two minutes, wanted Thomas to shoot Red Indians who were stealing from him, has never set foot on Cape Random, and would not be happy that Thomas is keeping the families with him on the Cape.

Alex Brennan docks Gosse’s boat the Tern on the Cape and brings news of business in St. John’s, of Sarah’s family and of onboard supplies. Alex has salt, gear, flour and molasses and at this news, Thomas smiles and Lavinia records that in her diary.

Seamen are the gossips and the ones who bring news of families, births and deaths to people in remote places who would otherwise have no communication beyond their shore.

As an aside comment…it is hard to imagine nowadays not being in touch with family and friends for such a long time.

Alex tells Thomas about Mary, how she came to be aboard and that she has a baby. Alex suspects there is a reason why Mary does not want to continue sailing on other than her claim that the baby is ill.

Mary has three stolen gold pieces sewed into her shift.

Alex sails off on the Tern. Mary stays ashore and finds Lavinia and offers her the orange. Lavinia feeds most of it to Hazel. She hadn’t seen an orange since leaving England.

After the Tern sailed, Sarah realizes that Young Joe is missing. Josh reassures her that he is in good hands with Brennan and Joe will be back in a few months.

Sitting by the fire, Ned and Hazel share a moment and Ned cradles her in his arms. By morning Hazel is dead. The men take care of the grave and the women wash and dress Hazel and then sit around her body. The women share their happy memories of Hazel, which I thought was a lovely thing to do considering the last paragraph. It seemed so sad.

Here are links to some history about Newfoundland's lighthouses CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE

Last edited by author: Wed March 04, 2009 06:24:25 Edited 2 times.
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Random Passage Chapter 2 -- Tracy, 06:48:02 03/03/09 Tue [19]

This is a picture of Trinity Bay in the winter

In this chapter we meet the only family on Cape Random along with its founder Thomas Hutchings.

The Vincent Family Tree

Sarah – wife of Josh and mother to Young Joe, Annie, Peter, Charlie
Josh- husband of Sarah and father to their 4 children
Young Joe – oldest son
Annie – daughter
Peter – son
Charlie- son

It is now February (apparently 1823) and Lavinia writes in her journal about starvation and sickness. She wonders how Hazel has stayed alive for as long as she has. The chapter is thoroughly descriptive of life in an extremely cold and desolate environment with no running water, heat or enough provisions.

Lavinia longs for solitude – “to be alone in such a lonely place”. It’s a reason for why she sits and cares for Hazel. Lavinia believes that Hazel is dying.

The Vincent family is introduced. Both the Andrews and Vincents have come to like each other and friendships are formed, however; Lavinia is the outsider.

Thomas Hutchings is introduced. He is the bachelor storekeeper under the control of Caleb Gosse – the merchant in St. John’s who “owns the fish in the sea”. People on Cape Random catch and make the fish. Caleb picks the fish up and provides the 13 people with supplies for only 5-6 months at a time.

The winter is treacherous and the families wake hungry and cold and go to sleep the same. They eat nothing but salt fish, bread and turnips for weeks on end.

Lavinia states that she dislikes Thomas, but finds herself looking at him often and wondering if he too wants to be alone or what he would look like laughing.

Every night includes Ned’s storytelling and chunks of Thomas’ hard tack (hard bread biscuits). Just a tidbit….my mom used to give me hard tack when I was teething as no fear of me swallowing it or ever dissolving.

In March, seals are spotted and to catch them could cost a life. Lavinia realizes the danger with the “fragile floating ice pans” and the “deep, black water beneath”.

The men go out on the ice pans to catch seals. They manage to catch 5 seals but then Peter’s ice pan tips and sends Peter into the water where he clings to a smaller pan. Ned leaps across the pans, seemingly without a care, and saves Peter. The families are finally able to eat and they now have meat, fur, fat and oil.

This is an iceberg floating by Trinity Bay

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Random Passage Chapter 1 Synopsis - Lavinia Andrews -- Tracy, 06:50:43 03/02/09 Mon [24]
I would like to share some photos this week of Newfoundland. Here is one of Trinity Bay

I thought it might be helpful to have a family tree during our introduction to the characters.

Andrews Family Tree

Mother – Jennie Andrews
Father – Will Andrews deceased
Ben – first born, son of Jennie, married to Meg (they have 3 girls-Lizzie, Patience, Emma and 1 boy-Willie)
Ned – second born, youngest son of Jennie, married to Hazel (they have 2 children – Isaac, Jane)
Lavinia – third born, daughter of Jennie, nickname Vinnie
Hazel – married to Ned
Meg – married to Ben

Lavinia Andrews a “clean, decent girl who can read, count and scrub floors”, but also “a girl …husbandless, friendless and penniless…”

Lavinia is the only member of her family who can read and write. She begins writing her story in a book on the last page “writing toward the front of the book – toward a future she does not dare to imagine.”

Lavinia and her family have come to Newfoundland from England (in November in the late 1800’s) because of something her brother Ned did. Lavinia is certainly not happy about leaving Weymouth, England, the voyage across the ocean, nor her new home in a new country.

In England, Ned and Lavinia worked for the Ellsworth Brothers. They owned ships and controlled the salt fish trade in Weymouth. Ned worked on their ships and Lavinia as a maid.

Richard Ellsworth accused Ned of stealing time and space on his ship and of making money on the side. Ellsworth evicted the whole family from their flat.

Immediately upon eviction, Ned looks for a ship that is set to sail and Ben sells their horse and cart. Although Ben is the oldest, it is Ned who makes the decisions, who is charismatic, the favourite and a storyteller.

On the sea, Hazel, Ned’s wife, goes into early labour and their baby is stillborn. Jennie makes Ned bury the baby at sea. Others suffer from seasickness.

After five weeks, the Andrews family arrives in Cape Random, Newfoundland. Another family is waiting on shore for them.

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Random Passage - Prologue Discussion -- Tracy (), 13:53:30 03/01/09 Sun [27]

Here we begin our dicussion of Canadian author Bernice Morgan's novel Random Passage. Bernice lives in St. John's with her family and has also written short stories along with the sequel to RP, Waiting for Time.

Prologue Synopsis

The story begins with Ejew sitting beside a fire and her grandchild on her lap. We know that they have arrived on the coast, “this holy place”, after a long and arduous journey. Her family is set to stay for 5 days or so in order to catch seals and will then move inland for caribou.Through Ejew’s memories we learn of stories about spirits such as the Widdun – the men without souls. Ejew did not believe in such stories of strange creatures until last fall when the Widdun set fire to her son and daughter-in-law’s canoe killing her.

We also learn of female and male traditions around hunting and preserving seals.

The prologue ends with Ejew’s grandson, Toma, and the stick he found on the beach. They discover that the stick does not break, nor burn. He thinks it will be a helpful tool but when Ejew touches it she feels “distaste” and orders her grandson to throw it into the sea. He does and the stick sinks.

Here are a few links for you to enjoy photos of Cape Random and of Newfoundland.

CLICK HERE for K.Bruce Lane Photography

CLICK HERE for the mini-series info with character bios etc

CLICK HERE for a map of Newfoundland. You will find Trinity on the east side of Newfoundland just below Bonavista.

CLICK HERE for a map showing Newfoundland in relation to the rest of Canada and the US.

A little tidbit for you....In New Bonaventure, Trinity Bay, Cape Random was constructed in 2000 for the filming of the international TV mini-series "Random Passage". The site offers visitors the opportunity to imagine the life of their forebearers in a typical fishing community in the early 1800’s. Trinity was also where they filmed The Shipping News.

Last edited by author: Sun March 01, 2009 13:59:11 Edited 2 times.
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Cape Random schedule update -- PeggyB, 19:29:48 02/28/09 Sat [3]
***FYI***

I just updated the schedule for Cape Random.

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- While I'm here, I added another question on Lymond's Chess Board. Lynne's answer is similar to what I was thinking but always looking for other ideas. (NT) -- PeggyB, 19:31:07 02/28/09 Sat
- Thanks Peggy! That would be my fault that it changed....but it's all fixed now! *g* (NT) -- Lil, 19:51:27 02/28/09 Sat

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