Twillingate Rocks

I'm not sure why but I have always been fascinated by rocks. Big ones, small ones, plain ones, it doesn't matter to me; they all have a story to tell. There are so many variations a school friend once blurted out in biology class, as she often innocently did, that rocks grew and therefore must be alive. I hope she sees the error in her line of thought, but hey, it does make for great school stories.

The past summer I had the luxury of exploring some of my favourite spots and checking out in little more detail some of the local rocks, and to my surprise found out that Twillingate is home to some of the oldest rocks around. The White Granite rocks of Twillingate kept popping up in books, one of which is a rock guide I found at one of the local museums. I wish I had paid more attention in school or had taken formal class in University because all I can do is look at them, admire them, and pretend I know what I’m looking at. I really have no clue in the various types but would like to learn some day. I had actually brought home about 30 pounds of various samples in the truck of my car. That my two sons and I scavenged. It’s a good thing I guess that the Port Aux Basques port authorities didn’t check my spare tire well!

I will post a few of the pictures I had taken and if someone by chance discovers this small blog, and has a similar interest or actually knows what types of rocks these are, please let me know. Now, for all of those faithful readers, please don’t get discouraged, I will not turn the blog into a rock emporium, but I think there’s something to be said for the beautify of something so common and plentiful in the town of Twillingate.

Have you found any interesting rocks or minerals there? I do know of a limestone cave with small stalactites , rocks full of copper and lava ladders full of shiney mica. There is even a natural stone archway in Twillingate Little Harbour.

BTW, I mentioned in my last post I would post a picture of the small cave, Unfortunately the image was very blurry. I will try to sharpen the image a little and may post it to my Flickr account.

PS. I almost forgot. Yes, Twillingate does rock!

~2q

Twillingate Spencer's Park

I spent many days playing around the cliffs and beaches of Spencer's Park. At one time it was a maintained park with a playground, change rooms, washrooms, and a huge open concept building filled with picnic tables. Unfortunately time and teenagers took there toll on the park and now all that exist is the beautiful landscape. Just to right of where this picture was shoot is a natural cave carved into the rocks from years of crashing waves and beach rocks. I will post a picture of the small cave tomorrow. You could only make it into the cave at low tide and often my cousin and I would be caught with the waves closing in on us and the slick rock walls were hard to climb out of.

The cliffs to the right were often scaled without any climbing equipment but with plenty of stupidity and sheer determination. The waves in the picture were often used for our beachwood rafts. I recall taking a raft my cousin made from a picnic table and floats for a ride and had nothing but a long pole to paddle with. The tide kept pulling my out and I was getting quite nervous that I wouldn't get back into shore. The guys on the beach thought it was really funny seeing me struggle to get back in, but I made it. I think that same day on the way back around the point, my cousin and I with our shirts off began to splash our backs with the cool refreshing salt water. We soon found out that the scorching sun had badly burnt our backs. It was one of the most painful experiences I can recall as a kid when my back blistered with severe burns.

Welcome to Twillingate

I have many fond memories of the picturesque town of Twillingate. I grew up in the small town and enjoy returning most summers with my family. Unfortunately, like most small Newfoundland towns, there are many opportunities left for small fishing villages, and so the days of it being the "Capital of the North" are a faint memory for most of it inhabitants.

Through this blog I will try to paint a picture of life as I new it in Twillingate with snapshots of the way it was. Not only will we look at the past and the present, but we'll look into what the future may hold for such a quaint town, nestled in the Norte Dame Bay of Newfoundland.

Feel free to leave comments, suggestions and your own stories. If you have pictures I will be more than please to add them for all to enjoy. I hope that through this journey, you too can experience the joys of Twillingate, which is still the "Capital of the North" to me.

~2q