Putting it All Together: Quidi Vidi Field School Preparing for Presentation to Community

Happy Saturday, folks!

This morning we're all at Quidi Vidi Plantation and are busy preparing for our final presentation to the community tomorrow. There's no shortage of tea and snacks today as we discuss how best to condense our three week experience into a several minute video. We've been wrangling amongst ourselves about what absolutely needs to be included- not an easy feat, considering all seven of us have had many experiences in the time we've been here. Luckily we've become great friends and as of yet, I'm happy to report there have been no major disagreements- besides, of course, what music we should be playing in our tiny workspace.

Over the course of our time here, you've been given a daily glimpse into what we're up to. I guess with this final post, we really just wanted to collectively say thank you to everyone who has helped make this field school come together- in particular, the Department of Folklore, the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland, the City of St. John's, the Quidi Vidi Village Foundation, and of course, the wonderful residents of Quidi Vidi Village. Three weeks ago, I don't know that any of us could have imagined just how much we were going to have learned and we are excited to have the opportunity to share it with you.

Please join us tomorrow evening at 7pm at the Quidi Vidi Plantation where we will be presenting our research to the community. We look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,
Quidi Vidi Field School 2013
Kayla Carroll
Christine Blythe
Adrian Morrison
Xuan Wang
Klara Nichter
Kari Sawden
John LaDuke

l-r Adrian Morrison, John LaDuke, Xuan Wang, Kayla Carroll, Christine Blythe, Klara Nichter and Kari Sawden 

Forever Hometown

        From the day I set up from Beijing International Airport till now, time has passed one month precisely. However I felt that I have left my home over one year. Can’t imagine, field school nearly draws to the end. I felt so worried about it when I still in China. I know I do poor English writing, but I still have to express my feelings by it in blogger. I was nervous when I was in my home- I just cannot speak English well, what about interview and investigate local people- I ever thought that quidi vidi people had totally different ethnical language compared with English and we need translators!… So far, I have done well. That’s what I feel comfort to myself. That is because of my friendly and helpful classmates; that is because of conscientious and considerable teachers; that is because of lovely and self- giving quidi vidi people…

        I learned so much in this precious period, not including the field investigation experiences I have added. I drew first professional building draft in my life; I interviewed a totally foreigner for me in one hour; I talked with two Newfoundlanders over 4 hours… As well as joining a banquet in a heritage building nearly 200 years, dancing and drinking in a wholly Newfoundland style kitchen party, “screeching” in the Inn of Olde for becoming a honorary Newfoundlander… Maybe after screechin, I definitely became a Newfoundlander and had same sentiments with the people and understood them profoundly. I learned many fishing common sense and knowledge of stage. I let waves from Atlantic Ocean wet out my pants and shoes when I was bumped till left to right in Frank’s boat. Right in that moment, I thought the waves would capsize the boat!

        So many precious memories… let me begin with my first English interviewer Peggy Magnone. She is so kind that she speaks slowly and tries her best to understand me and response me. To this intelligent and generous old lady, I don’t know what to say in this moment. Her tears nearly dropped down when she talked about her hardship period when she was young. I can’t imagine that a lady so optimistic still owns memories about hardships. I completed my interview smoothly in the help of the considerate old lady. But she looked so sad to let us go. I remembered her hardy face when she said goodbye to us- she even did not dare to look straight to us. I felt her strong sentiments of sorrow and pity that she knew that we did not belong to her from beginning to the end. I felt sad these days when I remembered her words and face. She said that you can come to see me interview or not interview… You can call me whenever you want… People in quidi vidi are so sentimental that I can’t help laughing and crying altogether with them.

Peggy Magnone and I with little Comet- Photographer: John LaDuke

         I interviewed John and Anne the day before yesterday. I know that Johnny has always waited for someone to interview him- he is so enthusiastic to field school and he and Anne love us so much. Interview completed as I imagined same as Peggy, but beyond my imagination was that we chatted nearly 4 hours after interview… From family fairs to political events, we chatted like old friends. They were so frank that they ask my advice for their private fairs. And I put myself in their position to the best of my ability to comfort them. They are so kind people that when I think of them, tears nearly running down. They trust me rather than I trust them. The trust is what kind of a good feeling! Today, they gave me a postcard by the hand of Christine. I was shocked again. Blessing and sentiments are flowing and going on. They taught me be grateful and be kind to everyone everything.

Kind John with a smile similar with the meerkat standing in the flowerpot

John pretends to be annoyed to Anne's superstitious habit to angel 

John, Anne and I hold Queen together- Photographer: Christine Blythe

     
        I have to talk about the Mallard banquet yesterday. The owner of Mallard Cottage Todd treated all of us in the old heritage building nearly 200 years. When I stepped into the house, I smelt a familiar flavour of burning wood. Yes, they burned woods in the original fireplace to make an old atmosphere. The whole old cottage belonged to us in the 3 hours. It was a bounteous meal including wine, salad, dish and desserts in exquisite procedures. I can’t remember the name of main dish… which harbour cod fea? Forgive me. “fi” is a local term means meal. I was full but dessert came. I was full further but the second dessert came…… Desserts were composed by two kinds of bread poutine and cream and blueberry sauce. Totally wonderful experience for me. The cookers and servers as well as the owner treated us with the utmost cordiality. Thanks a lot! Mallard Restaurant will open in October. Booming business!

        We will return back to classroom from field next week. But the faces of local people and the scenes will be engraved in our mind forever.  I deeply felt the love from local people to their hometown- quidi vidi village. And quidi vidi will be our hometown forever.Thank you all again and again and again…

Elegant Lisa and Adrian who  poses a gentleman in Middle Ages

A corner of Mallard Cottage Banquet

Old fireplace put warmth and feelings to us

Delicate tableware with carved pattern

Cheers! Everyone!

(Above photos all were shot by Wang Xuan except the ones illustrated)

The Many Faces of Quidi Vidi

When we arrived in Quidi Vidi, our first two weeks were, for the most part, full of bright and warm weather. Since then, it has been getting steadily cooler and wetter outside as the rain carries on and keeps most people inside for the day. At first glance, venturing outside even just into thick fog rather than the rain seemed uninviting as I looked at the gray, quiet waters of the harbor from the comfort of the dry, cozy room inside the plantation building where we worked, mugs of tea or coffee in hand.

A view of the harbor from inside the plantation building. Photo by Klara Nichter.

When I did venture out later that afternoon, however, it turned out that Quidi Vidi was as inviting as ever despite the lack of activity in the harbor and the ever-thickening fog that day. The fog only added to the striking nature of the view as I wandered out to Landrock to have a look at the rough waters that led most people to stay in and save their fishing for another day. Having come from a landlocked part of the United States, I was awed by the dramatic sight of the waves and struck by the calm of the waters by the time they flowed into the village harbor.

Quidi Vidi stages shrouded in fog. Photo by Klara Nichter.

The view as I headed out towards Landrock. Photo by Klara Nichter.

Crossing the rocky beach towards Landrock. Photo by Klara Nichter.

The end of the trail. Photo by Klara Nichter.

A view of the rough sea from Landrock. Photo by Klara Nichter.

More views of the waves from Landrock. Photo by Klara Nichter.

Heading back to the calm waters of Quidi Vidi. Photo by Klara Nichter.

As I considered how inviting Quidi Vidi was even in seemingly bad weather, my thoughts turned from the scenic surroundings to all of the people and their buildings that we have gotten to know over these few weeks. We have gone from strangers in a seemingly alien place to friends in a familiar one, largely thanks to the kindness and generosity of so many people who have welcomed us into their homes and stages and shared their lives in the village with us. Rain or shine, it seems that whenever you go out exploring here, there will always be something new and wonderful to be discovered.

When words fail

Knowing that today would be my last blog post, I have been trying to come up with something profound to say, but words, as powerful as they can be, are sometimes not enough. There is no way to adequately express my thanks and gratitude to everyone involved in this project. I could not have asked for a better introduction to Newfoundland than what I found here. 

The harbour on a foggy day. Photo by Kari Sawden.

Quidi Vidi Brook. Photo by Kari Sawden.

Quidi Vidi is always beautiful - rain, fog, or shine. Photo by Kari Sawden.

There are a lot of horror stories out there about the graduate studies and programs, especially concerning the competitive nature of academics. I am delighted to report that this has not been my experience; my classmates amazed me daily with their support, creativity, and knowledge. I continue to marvel how each of us could look at the same building and find within it vastly different stories, and I am grateful that this course provided opportunities to explore our unique perspectives.

Creativity and a little fearlessness are definitely assets. Xuan and Ed try to maneuver a floating platform into a measuring position with the support of Christine, Kayla, and Jerry. Photo by Kari Sawden.

Teamwork in action. Ed, Xuan, and Christine work on measurements. Photo by Kari Sawden.

That we were able to arrive in this community three weeks ago and be in any way successful is due to everyone who was working on this project long before we entered the picture. I can only imagine the amount of work required to make such a course possible. And the quality of education that we received is remarkable, made even more so given the short time-frame within which we had to accomplish everything.

Only a few of our many classrooms:

A splitting table. Photo by Kari Sawden.

The Plantation. Photo by Kari Sawden.

Underneath a stage with John and Adrian. Photo by Kari Sawden.

I remain in awe of the generosity and kindness of the people of Quidi Vidi who entertained us for three weeks with open doors, stories, tea, and much patience as we worked to master new equipment and techniques. Through this community I learned so very much and fell more deeply in love with the study of folklore. It is impossible not to when you are surrounded by such as these.

Memories of Quidi Vidi

Today is the hump day of the last week of the Quidi Vidi field school and this is my final blog entry. As such, I feel that it is only appropriate for me to reflect upon my time in the village. In the last three weeks I have been blessed with the opportunity to meet countless wonderful people. The fact that so many residents of this village have openly told us their stories and welcomed us (complete strangers!) into their homes, sheds, stages and boats, is amazing and heart warming. 

 

Peg Smith and her dog comet 

When I arrived in Quidi Vidi on the first day of classes I felt a bit like a black sheep. I was the only non-folklorist, in a group of folklore students, at a folklore field school. Nevertheless, I quickly felt welcomed by instructors, fellow students, and those within the community. While all of the people that I have met have been truly special, I would like to talk about some of my most memorable experiences.

In my first blog entry I wrote about meeting Randy, and how I couldn’t wait to hear more about his stories. Since then, I have had many conversations with Randy and his stories are better than I ever expected. His tale of breaking the 9:13 was gripping, and an anecdote about his father on the Irene B. Mellon was hilarious.

During the first week of the field school China came in to visit our class and share memories of his days fishing on the great Atlantic. The early fishery is one of my special research interests and I have read a fair bit about the subject. Hearing China talk about his personal experiences with the fishing industry truly made the topic come alive for me.

Mid way through our second week I met Peg on the road beside her home. From our first conversation I knew that she was a world traveler, and I was very lucky to experience her world class hospitably when she welcomed us into her home.

Ed Chappell explaining the ins and outs of architectural drawing.

I signed up for this field school because I was confident that I would learn skills that would help me in many ways throughout my academic career. I never imagined, however, that I would learn quite as much as I did. The expertise of John, Guha, Ed, Jerry, Lisa, and Dale has been absolutely inspiring.

John and Clara, my architectural drawing buddies.
 

Last but not least, I could not have experienced half of what I did without my wonderful classmates. They have helped me along the whole way.

To all those who I have met in the last three weeks, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Much love,

Adrian

"I feel like I've known you my whole life": the joys of fieldwork

Hey there lovely readers!

I held off on posting yesterday because I had planned on going out fishing today and hoped I would be able to write about what a great time I had. Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating with us in Quidi Vidi (does it ever?) and Christine and I are not able to go out. The next couple of days aren’t looking good either. Just another reminder that we’re at the mercy of the weather here in St. John’s, I suppose.

Ever the optimist, I knew there would HAVE to be something interesting to write about today. And though it’s still mid-afternoon, I’m happy to say that today I’ve been reminded of how enjoyable fieldwork is when you’re able to make real connections with people. If you recall from my last post, Xuan and I have been drawing the floor plan of Mary and Claude Ring’s house- an experience, thankfully, I’ve grown to at the very least, tolerate. This morning, I dropped by to ask the Rings some questions about the house and was hoping they would have a couple of photos to lend me. When I arrived, Claude sent me upstairs with Mary, where we spent the next hour looking through old photo albums. Although I didn’t know anyone in the pictures, I got to experience Quidi Vidi in a completely new way: through pictures the Ring family took while their children were growing up. Mary let me ask her a million questions and pointed out details I probably wouldn’t have picked up on. And what I had planned on being a half an hour maximum conversation, turned into an hour, and then an hour and a half, and then just as I was putting my jacket on, Mary said, “would you like a sandwich or something?”

Mary and Claude Ring in their kitchen

The next thing I knew, Mary and I were laying out things for lunch and having a grand ol’ chat. She made us each a toasted ham sandwich, and we had a cup of tea, a fruit cup, and some chocolate cookies. A lot nicer than the crackers and cheese I had planned on eating! As we ate, Mary told me about her courting days with Claude, when he would walk from the village up to John Street in downtown St. John’s (“a long ol’ walk, b’y, I was cracked,” as he joked with me) and back again just to see her, and then about each of her seven children and what it was like raising them here. Mary stayed at home with her children until her youngest son turned 12, when she returned to work at the Department of Finance in Confederation Building. Though she has since retired, she still works today from September-December and from January-April, teaching tax courses and doing taxes for H&R Block. She even has an office upstairs in their home, she proudly told me. I was struck by her good nature and sense of humor and didn’t feel like I was “in the field”; honestly, I felt like I was visiting a friend and chatting about old times. I think she felt the same way, though. When I was getting ready to leave, she told me I’m going to have to come back and visit her after our time in Quidi Vidi is up. But she also said a somewhat cliché thing that before this field school, I wouldn’t have thought twice about: “I feel like I’ve known you my whole life.”

Lunch is served! Mary Ring pauses for a quick snap

When I began this field school, I knew that 1) I really wanted to end up in a boat, and 2) I really wanted to cozy up to some wood heat in someone’s shed. And I’ve done both of those things. But honestly, I really just wanted to meet people here that in three months or three years time, I’d be able to sit down and chat with and it wouldn’t feel forced or like it was a requirement for a course. Because that’s where I find joy in studying Folklore; it truly is a field dedicated to telling people's stories and capturing their way of life.

What a Wednesday it turned out to be afterall!

Kayla Carroll

Lessons from Quidi Vidi

These past few weeks have gone by in the blink of an eye. Everyday has been a totally different experience. As our adventure comes to a close, it is a good time to reflect on some important lessons learned by our experiences here:

1. Do not come to Quidi Vidi with a full belly. Every resident and their dog will offer you a meal.
2. Do not walk through town if you're in a hurry. You'll get into more conversations than you can count.
3. Seagulls are perhaps the most vicious animal to walk the face of the earth. Throw a piece of fish into the water, and you'll swear they are piranha.
4. Bring every piece of clothing that you can think of. The weather goes through all five seasons in one day. It may be cold and clear one minute, then windy and hot the next. I half expect it to be raining frogs tomorrow. 
5. DO NOT call the villagers townies. While technically Quidi Vidi is part of the St. John's now, the village does not consider itself a part of it.
6. Always bring a camera. There is always something worth taking a picture of here, whether it be the scenery or the people.

A misty day in Quidi Vidi

These lessons were hard earned, and some took time to sink in (the first one especially). For anyone who plans to spend some time in Quidi Vidi, this list can go a long way in preventing some headaches. I'm sure there are more things to be learned in this small village, but I would need a lifetime to discover them. 

And so our journey closes...

The first day of our last week and the pressure is on. To bring you into the experience, I’ll share with you what exactly we’ll be undertaking this week.

Transcribing 5 minutes of a one-hour interview recorded earlier last week

Creating an interview log

Measuring and drawing floor plans for an assigned building in the community

A 500-word text to accompany that floor plan

A 500-word text to accompany the floor plans of a building measured and sketched            earlier last week.

Sort through 100s of photos to identify the 50 best

Create an excel work sheet for meta-data (The bane of my existence)

Complete a field notebook

Write a five-page tradition essay

And Finally…

Prepare a public presentation

So here I am, surrounded by a pile of field notes, sorting through photograph after photograph, while intermittently listening to an interview I recorded last week.  And while I should be crumbling under the workload, (as any respectable graduate student does when rounding the end of a course) I’m actually amazed . . .

Amazed at what I’ve learned- literally, in a matter of days

Amazed at the relationships I’ve formed throughout the community

Amazed that it’s almost over, and that one morning next week I’ll be sitting at a desk rather than walking toward a foggy and perfectly serene harbor

So, while today’s post isn’t overtly about eating cod tongue or ovaries, gutting fish, jigging cod, feeling nausea out on the open sea, kissing a birds bottom (a story for another post), climbing a hill side, measuring 200 year old homes, having hour long conversations with residents about their families, homes, and traditions or dancing with Linda in the dim light of the Quidi Vidi Inn of Olde . . . I thought I would write this post in appreciation for both the experience and joy of fieldwork, but also for a realization and appreciation for what comes next… recording our experience and enabling others perhaps a century from now to experience this moment not simply through the eyes of an American folklore student, but also through the voices of our new friends themselves. I feel honored to have been part of this project.

Center: instrument used for line fishing 

Instrument used for sealing

Front to back: a jigger, a saw used shave bark from wood,
instrument used for jigging cod

A jigger (now illegal)

Real challenge

        The week began with a busy and challenging day. In this week, we will complete our field school, and hand in perfect or imperfect assignments. Most importantly, making presentation to the community, and let the people who ever helped us to measure whether our work well done… Big pressure to all of us, especially for me. If I have the chance to report to the community, I think it would be a great practice to my oral English and courage.

        Last whole week, we learnt how to draw a house and measure it. All of us completed Mallard Cottage and elevation of a stage. I completed Ring’s house as a group with charming Kayla, and completed John’s shed by my own with the help of my partners Kayla and John LaDuke. I think they were very fantastic experiences for us all. You can see a house alive in your draft paper, about its history, atheistic and life. There were many problems took place in the process. Even so you handled how to measure something accurately and rapidly no matter in scale or reality. It practiced your patience because there were many corners and details need to measure and draw. You became good at drawing and your observation became profoundly. You will notice some details you have never done before. For example how many layers of wall and how many timbers it has- some details looked meaningless to others but the crucial figures to you. It was a process I enjoy most.

       Another thing I learned was team work. You know, measuring a building need partners actually. One holds tape, one reads the figure, one draws. No exception. So, being humble and learning to cooperate with partners is the most important part to field school.

Paradise

Sea gulls scramble for abandon fishes

The working fishermen and hungry sea gulls

        Today morning, John interviewed Peggy, I accompanied with him as his partner. Even if I did not help a lot, I learned something from it. Peggy is a legendary lady in my words. She is over 90 years old. In her long span of life, you can see some wisdom shining still. John Barne said that she was a very smart lady. She owned the mallard cottage as an antique businessman many years. When she passed over store to her daughter and granddaughter, she began living in the house opposite to mallard cottage. I am curious about her own life, so I put forward to interview her again. She is a very humorous old lady, let me remember an old lady I ever interviewed- she is intangible heritage inheritor of Yugur ethnic group. I think humor is important merit of human. Being humor can maintain optimistic and young. Peggy told us “Don’t laugh at old. You all will be old one day”. Peggy gifted us some presents. John got a sea bear made by whale bone; I got a shell-inlaid jewellery box and a book called Chinese Mythology… Peggy is a very knowledgeable and amiable lady. I hope I can interview her smoothly. But till now I have not prepared well my questions. It’s hard for me even if I do interview in my hometown freely. I have to conquer that and communicate naturally with people. I’ll try.

Peggy is talking history of quidi vidi

 In the end, I will put up a little poem from Peggy when she was young.

Thoughts on mallard cottage, Quidi vidi during restoration

Peggy is lost in thought carrying comet in her arms

The years dissolve miraculously

Two centuries come alive for me

Beneath my probing tools

Old ghosts arise and share my chores

I ask them “Is this mine or yours”?

They smile their enigmatic smiles

That beckon me across the miles

Of hopes and dreams and endless toil

That caused this house to be

The joys they shared with family

And, too, the hours of misery

As I climb the steep worn stairway

Up to my cosy bed

I ponder on the families

Who trod where now I tread

Who carved these Roman numerals

On sloping boards of fir?

So slowly now revealed to me

“Neath paper layer on layer

Each pattern chosen lovingly

By “Mallard” women kind

Without a thought of heritage

That they would leave behind

Layers that helped to insulate

Against Atlantic cold

And winds from Quidi Vidi Gut

Through winters all untold

Who forgot the firetongs

Boarded beneath the stair

Of the staircase to the bedrooms

For me to find them there?

The fine old centre chimney brick

Begins to crumble dust

Revealing a soldier’s button

Without a trace of rust

How did it come to be wedged away

For me to wonder on today?

No square corners- no level floors

Latches instead of knobs on doors

A cache of bottle ‘neath the floor

Been there a hundred years or more

 Stand now in sparkling to today

Repairs become more like excavation

And each new find a revelation.

Strong ceiling beams- so very low

Small window- panes in moonlight’s glow

How many women have waited there

Watching, listening and wondering where

Menfolk and children are today?

Some things are constant anyway

Like birth and death this house has known

And seeds of kindness gently sown

Old house you live and breathe like me

And hold your place in history

A heritage of Newfoundland

Helping us to understand

Those pioneers from Ireland

So far across the sea

The story of a hardy folk

And how ‘we’ came to be.

By Peg Magnone, Mallard cottage,  winter 1989

（The material source is MUN DAI）

All of the photos above were shot by Wang Xuan except the last one

Learning in Stages

Yesterday, we continued to learn how to document buildings from expert Ed Chappell. This time, the group project was to measure and then draw an elevation of Barry Pittman's fish stage. Since an elevation is a representation of the complete view of one side of a building, creating one involved a great deal of exploring the stage in order to get the correct measurements and drawing on paper, from banding together to measure beams from a precarious floating dock to crawling underneath the stage to fill in all of the rocks that form part of the foundation that keeps the stage above water.

Barry Pittman's stage. Photo by Klara Nichter.

Ed Chappell, Wang Xuan, Christine Blythe, and Kayla Carroll work on measuring the stage. Photo by Klara Nichter.

The reason that we should still learn to draw an elevation of a building rather than just take a picture of the same view, we learned, is that measuring and drawing the building leads to a greater understanding of it. As I scooted slowly along the edge of the fish stage, shepherding the tape measure from pole to pole, I began to experience the difference myself. I had taken photographs of the stage, but it was not until I was on the stage to measure it that I really stopped to consider the distinctive nature of this structure. The striking combination of the poles at the front of the stage, fashioned from logs still rough with bark, and the smooth boards of the deck where I worked led me to reflect on the particular makeup of the fish stage, a new structure that mirrors past stages in Quidi Vidi due to its construction using the traditional design. Though there are many new buildings in the village, the old ways appear to be alive and well right alongside them in the form of stages such as the one we documented.

The front of Barry Pittman's stage. Photo by Klara Nichter.

One step at a time

As our second week draws to a close, it has become clear that fieldwork is a very complex endeavour. In order to capture the most complete context possible, multiple methods are utilised including our own field notes, audio and/or video recordings, building documentation, photography, and secondary sources. Not only are all of these forms intricate in their own right, but they must, in the end, be woven together to provide a coherent glimpse into someone’s life. And, at times, it is all rather overwhelming. But, as I was reminded yesterday, I need only take it one step at a time.

Yesterday was the first opportunity I had to see the Gray brothers’ stage that I was assigned to document. Because it can be only reached by boat, it requires a little more coordination to view it, but I was fortunate that Wendell Gray was more than willing to shuttle me back and forth between his stage and the Plantation. And as I was making my way down the ladder into his boat (determined that I would not be the grad student who falls in the water), Wendell’s sage advice was to just take it “one step at a time”. So that is what I did, and what I continued to do today as I tried my hand at drawing the plan for one of the buildings on his stage.

The Wendell brothers' stage. Photo by Kari Sawden.

This week I discovered that, for me, one of the hardest parts of building documentation is knowing where to begin. Even though I am armed with a good eraser, plenty of time, and patient team members, making that first line is daunting. Yet, if I can get it drawn, taking it one measurement at a time, I soon discover that everything slowly comes together. And all of a sudden, with a little luck, the lines join up and there is a building plan on the page.

The focus on small steps continued as Ed Chappell reviewed my drawing this afternoon. Instead of giving into the perfectionist urge to redraw the entire thing to ensure that it is beyond immaculate, I learned to identify the specific parts that need a little adjusting and how to go about doing so. Sometimes, all an area needs is a little clarification provided by colour or a bit of detail to flesh out the story of the building.

So as I go into the final week and work to put everything together, I shall try to focus on each step along the way, knowing that it will all come together in the end.

The view from the Gray brothers' stage. Photo by Kari Sawden.

Wendell Gray with some of his fishing tools Photo by Kari Sawden.

The following are a few pictures I took yesterday when Wendell graciously took me out in his boat to see a little bit of the coast. The weather was absolutely gorgeous!