Sunday, February 5, 2023
You can’t be a Newfoundlander and not brag about Newfoundland, and when I bragged about Newfoundland, I would talk about Dennis. He was a breed of Newfoundlander that has all but disappeared around the island. I would joke that if all the grocery stores in Lewisporte closed, Dennis wouldn’t give it a second thought, he’d look at you, “G’wan by, sur you don’t need dat stuff”
He grew his vegetables, made his jams, bread, canned rabbit, moose, salmon and anything else he could fit into a canning jar. Smoked salmon and kippers, freezer full of moose, caribou, fish, squid you name it.
I’m pretty sure the only reason he ever bought beer or a bottle of rum was to have the bottles for his next run of home-brew and hooch.
I left home pretty young so coming home to Donna and Dennis’s was a treat like no other. I still say no one can cook like Dennis (sorry Mom). I would leave to fly back to the Mainland with every piece of clothes I owned wrapped around bottles of precious goodness hoping they’d make it back in one piece. I saved every jar for a special occasion.
Dennis was always good to everyone, he would give the shirt off his back. But, for me it was more than that. He never knew it but he was like the big brother I never had.
I will miss him a lot….going home will never be the same.
