This place we call home is full of heartwarming stories and tales of epic kindness. Always a fun moment that ends on a humorous note. We always make the best of a horrible situation and see the bright side of almost anything. Best known for our humour and wit we as a people are resilient and know how to land on our feet. I mean where in the world do you get a snow storm where the streets are shut down and we light a fire in the street and have a block party. There are not many places in the world that would stop to ask strangers if they need a hand or a ride somewhere and there are definitely not many places that you would invite strangers into your own home. There are so many tales of random acts of kindness that I think I literally can write a book on it. Lol

Staycation Summer 2020 was full of interesting stories and the StaycationNL community served as a platform that shone a bright light on our province when the future seemed pretty grim. A few posts really stood out to me but one that really resonated with me was a story about two strangers driving through Musgrave Harbour who heard a song playing at a nearby house and jumped out of their vehicle to dance in the street. The song was Grey Foggy Day. A traditional song sung by many artists over the years and it was my fathers go to jam as we would say. He dabbled in guitar picking and after a couple of whiskies you would hear the strum of the guitar and the off tune singing of Grey Foggy Day. So when I saw that particular post it struck a nerve with me and my heart sunk a little as I pictured him strumming his out of tune guitar and humming the old song. So I reached out to see if I could find out more about this amazing couple who jumped out of the car to dance like no one was watching.

Irene and Larry are second time around sweethearts living life to the fullest and loving life each day. Recycled teenagers were her exact words. I love that. Irene from Newfoundland and Larry from Oregon met when Irene started spending her winters as a snow bird in Florida. She loved to dance and so did he. A match made in heaven. From dancing to kayaking to sail boating and exploring she says if you are not living on the edge you are taking up too much space. I love her spirit and zest. When the pandemic hit our country she was still in the US and had to make her way home. WITHOUT LARRY! He had planned to come at a later date then the borders shutdown. A couple of months later and after many ups and downs Larry finally was permitted to enter the province. They would be together again. Irene was ecstatic.

Like us all when the time came to rediscover our province and show off our natural beauty Irene was ready to take Larry on some local adventures. Driving through the small town of Musgrave Harbour they heard the music blearing. They turned off their music in the car. Jumped out and started waltzing. 2 ladies from the house started to video them and once the dance ended they introduced themselves and invited them in to the party. Lol. They even invited them to stay the night. Irene and Larry were lucky enough to find alternate accommodations that night and did not make it back to the party but she was humbled that Larry got to experience Newfoundland hospitality at its best. It was a proud moment for her as she had told Larry of such acts of kindness of her home land and was happy that he got to experience this first hand. She recalls as a child her mother giving up her bed to strangers and reminisced about a childhood full of fun and laughter. Once they arrived at their hotel they poured a drink and sat in the gazebo to relax and plan their next adventure. Such a sweet story.

Take a look at this video. Feel the fun loving vibe from this sweet couple. It wil definitely put a smile on your face

Much love

Lori