A friend recently said that his uncle only went “Down” to Greenspond, Newfoundland & Labrador on a Northerly wind. Given the width of Bonavista Bay, we nodded in agreement, thinking this made perfect sense since he would likely make the entire voyage with only a single change in sailing direction – heading eastward to the furthest extreme before tacking on a western course that would guide him directly into their snug little harbour.
Can you imagine our surprise when we discovered he was driving a pickup truck!
“… imagine our surprise…”
To truly appreciate this story, you must understand the important factor wind plays in nearly every aspect of our daily lives here in Newfoundland & Labrador, for it is ever constant and we experience gale (hurricane) forces at least a hundred days throughout the year. This is where the frigid waters of the Labrador Current meet headlong with the tepid thrusts of the Gulf Stream, and these massive energy systems create a tumultuous weather environment that is best defined by wind – and the benefits it bestows on those who embrace its power and the need to change the conversation.
“… massive energy sysytems…”
It is preferable to moor a boat in the “lun” of the wind, but if no shelter is available then you’d best secure a heavy anchorage with good swivels. Vehicles should always be parked “nose on” to the wind with a reminder for passengers to “hold on to the doors” when they exit. A house is never built facing the north east and the onshore squalls that steal it’s heat. We double tar our roofing shingles, deck wharves with round poles, and store boats “bottom up” to mitigate the wind’s effects on important infrastructure.
“,,, obviously familiar with wind,,,”
We are obviously familiar with wind and its many nuances, but there was no plausible explanation for the Uncle’s decision to only drive on a “northerly”. So we asked.
“Never thought about it really. The drive is mostly heading up or down so I suppose you wouldn’t get blown sideways. There was no air conditioning back in those days and it would be a nice cool day for driving with the window cracked and the vents open. I don’t really have an answer, but I know nothing good comes with a northerly wind – so what else were you going to do? Blows long enough he’d become so idle they’d have to venture down that way eventually!”
“,,, idle enough,,,”
You really must love Newfoundlanders and their propensity to talk. Perhaps the boys in Vancouver will now understand our standard response when they’d ask what we missed most about home;
“Aside from conversation? Don’t know if we miss it so much as we notice, there’s not a draft of wind out here – let alone a new weather subject to discuss on tomorrow’s elevator ride! ”
