"Buried Secrets" by Mike Martin

This month's review is about Mike Martin's eleventh book in the Sgt. Windflower mystery series. Buried Secrets continues the story of Newfoundland RCMP Sgt. Winston Windflower.

Mike's mystery books are different from most police-based novels. The reader gets to know the officer as a family man in addition to his official duties. And the rural Grand Bank, Newfoundland, setting gives an additional hometown feel.

While each of Mike Martin's books can be read as a stand-alone, it's helpful to read the series in order. References to previous cases and family activities have more depth if you do.

In this book, Sgt. Windflower is investigating the death of a retired minister. The case draws Windflower back to Grand Bank from a special duty assignment (Book 10) in St. John's, the capitol. Covid also plays a minor role in the story. As Winston delves into the buried secrets surrounding the minister's demise, he encounters several societal issues including drug abuse, human trafficking, embezzlement, vehicle-moose accidents, and sexual harassment within the ranks of the RCMP.

On the family side of the story, we follow along as Winston and his wife Sheila raise their two young daughters. Each night they read the girls bedtime stories. One was Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. When I taught kindergarten, it was a favourite with my students for it's repetition and colourful pictures.

You can find Buried Secrets in print and Kindle e-book formats at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, !ndigo and Ottawa Press. If you are a Kindle Unlimited reader, it's available there as well. Speaking of Kindles, Wayne and I just received our new Paperwhites. Our old 2010 Kindles that have served us so well are losing their cellular download capability. I'm proud to stay that Buried Secrets is the first book to be read on my new device.

One last bit of news. Mike just released a post on his Facebook page about his Reading Equity Program. You can read more about it here. I applaud Mike for giving away twenty-five free books to individuals who cannot afford to purchase one of their own. As the Children's Literacy motto goes, "Reading is Fundamental." Good for you Mike. -- Margy

Book Review: "Christmas in Newfoundland" by Mike Martin

Christmas is approaching, so I'm sharing a Christmas book written by my favourite Canadian author, Mike Martin. I discovered his Sgt. Windflower mystery series through Linda at Crafty Gardener. Here's a guest post Mike did for her blog.

Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries is part of the Sgt. Windflower series. It includes heartwarming stories with the series characters, and personal memories about Christmases past.

The theme of each story is the wonder, spirit and caring of the Christmas season. I enjoyed hearing how Sheila and Sgt. Winston Windflower celebrated the season in Grand Bank, but I found the chapters about Christmas remembrances from the perspectives of children and seniors who lived in Newfoundland the most interesting. I'm pretty sure some came right from Mike's own life.

I've been to Newfoundland twice. I've been to St. John's but never Grand Bank. It was heart warming to read about how families celebrated this special time of the year in times past and small towns.

I'm an only child and grew up in Compton, California. We always traveled to Modesto to spend Christmas week with my grandparents. I loved visiting their country home and learning about our family's Swedish and Norwegian heritage through foods and traditions.

Christmas Eve is very special for us. Wayne and I were married in front of the Christmas tree at my parent home in Sun City. What could be a better present to give and receive?

Mom and Dad taste testing the turkey in 1990.

Wayne made a childhood Christmas dream come true soon after we were married. As a child, I always hoped to find a pony on the front lawn. At 35 years of age, Wayne walked me to the stable near our Pomona home on Christmas morning to introduce me to my very own Christmas horse, Misty. What a huge surprise.

Thanks Mike for inspiring me to think back to Christmases past to find and relive the joys they brought in my own family.

Enjoy the season by curling up with an inspiring Christmas book. You can find Christmas in Newfoundland in print and Kindle formats at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.  -- Margy

Newfoundland and Labrador Camping Trip

Last week, Wayne and I went camping in Newfoundland and Labrador. We packed our gear and personal items in two large rolling duffel bags, a suitcase on wheels (a must), and a smaller carry-on. We flew Air Canada from Vancouver with a transfer in Toronto to St. John's, Newfoundland. It was a long flight, but the transfer made it easier.


We rented an SUV and after one night in St. John's, started north to the Malady Head campground in Terra Nova National Park. Wayne made reservations in advance, but all the parks had a few empty sites.

We set up our tent (impending rain made this the highest priority each night), then went for a hike. Everywhere you stepped there were bright red Bunchberries carpeting the forest floor.

We saw a lot of Newfoundland and Labrador in one week. Our next stop was Berry Hill campground in Gros Morne National Park. Two lane Highway 1 (TCH) is an excellent road with lots of passing lanes.

We purchased camp chairs, pillows, and an ice chest upon arrival. Because of extra baggage charges, we donated them to Value Village back in St. John's. For simplicity, our dinners were deli items and BBQ meats, no camp stove.


Each morning we packed (letting the tent dry in back) and drove to a roadside spot for breakfast. Before leaving home I put together a compact "meal kit" using thrift store utensils, plates, bowls, and cups. Including the zipper case it cost about $5.00.

Our third day brought us to the Labrador Ferry. We are used to riding ferries in BC, but they cost a whole lot more. Our passage for the car plus two senior passengers was under $30.00. The Apollo is an older ship of a style suited to rough waters.

The front opened like a huge mouth ready to swallow it's prey.

Next will be our Labrador portion of the trip. -- Margy

Southern Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador comprise one of Canada's provinces.

By referendum, they joined the Canada Confederation in 1949. Two other choices were rejected, to remain under British control or set up an independent government. There was even discussion of a union with the United States.

The Newfoundland Labrador ferry actually docks in Blanc-Sablon, Quebec. To get to Southern Labrador, you drive several kilometres north along the coast.

Traveling long distances each day became tiring, so we camped for two nights at the Pinware River provincial campground. From here we explored the Quebec and Labrador sections. There are about 150 kilometres of paved road from Vieux-Fort, Quebec, to Red Bay, Labrador. Beyond that it's gravel. 

The land is a mix of tuckamore (wind and ocean stunted spruce and pines), moss covered exposed granite, rugged shoreline, and sandy beaches. Ponds large and small are everywhere, making this excellent mosquito and black fly territory. We saw three woodchucks, but they were too quick to capture on film.

Coastal villages ranging from 6 to 600 have a strong link to fishing and their whaling past. Visiting in summer you don't get a feel for how harsh winters must be. But there are hints, huge stacks of firewood. Cutting occurs far inland during winter with snowmobiles dragging logs to the roadside. There it's cut and stacked to dry, ready to transport to homes and businesses. People honour each others woodpiles even though they may be far from home.

Wayne and I relaxed in camp with pina coladas. Actually rum, a strong local version called Screech, has a long history in Newfoundland. A trading partnership with Jamaica resulted in the exchange of salted cod for the fiery drink.

Next, the Vikings come to the new world. -- Margy

L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland

L'Anse aux Meadows with recreated Norse site.

The Vikings from Norway were the first Europeans to reach North America. A seafaring people, they crossed the Atlantic to Iceland, Greenland, and finally Labrador and Newfoundland, expanding their range of occupation.

Thick walls of peat blocks insulated the living quarters.

They came in large, seaworthy boats called knarrs propelled by sail and rowing. Can you imagine crossing the open ocean in such a craft? Because Greenland's resources were being depleted, and a cooler climate made farming difficult, the Vikings set out for North America in about 1000 AD.

Living quarters with fire ring and benches for sleeping.

The first was probably a merchant named Bjarni who was blown off course on the way to Greenland. A decade passed before Leif Erikson explored the areas called Helluland (Baffin Island), Markland (probably southern Labrador), and finally Vinland (Newfoundland). They built sod houses and overwintered in the rich meadow lands.

Work area attached to living quarters with loom on left.

Subsequent exploration led to temporary settlements lasting two or three years, but never permanent.  Records show that L'Anse aux Meadows became a temporary home to about seventy-five sailors, carpenters, blacksmiths, labourers, women, and possibly slaves.

Backsmith shop where iron was smelted from local ore.

The sod structures included living quarters, work areas, storage rooms, a forge area to smelt iron from ore found in the peat bog, some farming, and raising of sheep and goats. Summer was used to explore farther south and into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Occupancy lasted only a few years and the Vikings most likely returned to Greenland from whence they came.

Storage room with sod walls and roof.

The Viking Trail tourist route begins at Deer Lake and follows Highway 430 north to St. Anthony. It also crosses the Strait of Belle Isle to Labrador and follows Highway 510 north to Battle Harbour.

Visiting the Norse site at L'Anse aux Meadows was a moving experience for me. My grandmother was born in Moss, Norway, and immigrated to the United States as a young child. As I stood in the recreated village, I could feel the bravery and daring of my long ago ancestors. -- Margy

Iceberg Alley

Our trip to Newfoundland and Labrador wouldn't have been complete without searching for an iceberg. The huge chunks (mountains sometimes) of ice break off arctic ice flows and work their way south on the current past along the Labrador coast and northeast Newfoundland. Iceberg sightings peak in late May and June, but do extend into July and August in the northern areas. There's a handy sighting map available at the Newfoundland and Labrador website.


Likely viewing spots include Red Bay in Labrador, St. Anthony and Twillingate in Newfoundland. Twillingate has build a huge tourist industry around iceberg and whale sightings and tours. We found ours on the road to L'Anse aux Meadows near St. Anthony. We continued on to Twillingate the following day, but there weren't any passing by during our August visit. Guess we were really lucky to even see one. -- Margy

Beaver Bed and Breakfast

Well, I didn't catch a glimpse of the beavers at Berry Hill Pond in Gros Morne National Park, but I did get a good look at their bedroom and dining room.

This is obviously an old, established beaver lodge. You can even see a large red elderberry growing right out of the top.


Nearby on shore, you will find the dining room. Trees have been girdled and cut down for food or lodge building.

Because this is an fairly large established pond, I doubt there is any beaver dam action. Because of a thunderstorm, we didn't make it all the way around on the easy hiking trail.

Thanks for visiting my Camera Critters post this week. For more great animal pictures click here. -- Margy

Road Trip

Tomorrow, Wayne and I are leaving on our first vacation away from Powell River since we discovered it in 2000 and especially since we got our float cabin in 2001. In the beginning, we were still working in Los Angeles, so we wanted to spend every vacation day we had up the lake. Now that we have our Canadian permanent residency, we feel we can take two weeks to explore a bit more of our new country.

One aid we will have on this trip is our new Garmin Oregon 300 GPS. We have Mac computers and sometimes companies like Garmin don't offer software compatible with our machines. But we were in luck, according to our friend George (Mr. GPS) at Marine Traders in Powell River. We purchased the Oregon to use when we ride our quads in the bush. But we also got the City Navigator North America road map software for our upcoming trip.

We're flying commercially from Vancouver to Montreal, then renting a car to drive to Newfoundland, camping along the way. I'm not sure if I'll be able to post about our adventures along the way. If I can find Internet connections, I will. A special thanks to Elaine (a Newfie by birth) over at A Scattering for the list of free library hot spots. I'll try to use one or more of them along the way. Stay tuned. - Margy

Day 1: Highway High Jinks

Our landing in Montreal was on time and we took a cab over to the hotel. Jet lag didn't catch us too bad, so we were up at 8:00 a.m. to return to the airport to pick up our rental car. Wayne had reserved one in advance at Budget through West Jet (I love that airline!). We were an hour early, so they gave us a free upgrade to let us get on our way. We ended up with a Dodge Journey (SUV). It turned out to be the perfect vehicle for us. There's lots of room for our camping gear and the back seats fold down. We could sleep inside if the weather gets really rainy. In honour of his heritage and colour, I've dubbed him Monsieur Argent.


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The first day's drive took us through green countryside over mostly divided double-lane highways. Because it was going to be our longest (distance and time) travel day, we drove straight through. Our path took us east, then across the St. Lawrence River at Quebec City to Riviere-du-Loup. From there we followed Highway 2 southeast to a small town on the St. John River called St. Leonard. Most of the towns are either St, Ste, St. or Saint in this region. Must because of their French ties. Even though every local we met spoke French, they were friendly and accommodating with our English. That's a lot different than I remember from our last trip to Quebec by airplane.

We camped at a private facility called Grande Riviere just outside of town. We set up our tent next to a small river. I could imagine a French trapper paddling his canoe up such a stream to catch beaver. We had reservations, but wouldn't have needed them. We were the only tenters and there were hardly any RVs either. It was a nice park with lots of green grass, a few shaded sites, restrooms with showers, and a pool. Quite retro. I'm sure it looked just the same when my parents passed through years ago. After we set up our tent we went into town for dinner at the restaurant at the Daigle Motel. Good home cooking for a good price.

We had a bit of rain overnight, but today dawned sunny and warm. The mosquitoes were out last night, but I think the rain kept them to a minimum. Don't think I have any bites to show for my outdoor experience yet.

We stopped in Fredericton to find a hot spot. That's easy in this town because it has Fred-e-Zone or free citywide wireless service. We are sitting in Wilmot Park downtown under a tree to check e-mail and make this post. But I better get going, our destination of Halifax is still a long ways away. -- Margy

FREE HOTSPOT WATCH: Fred-e-Zone is Fredericton NB's free citywide wireless service. Excellent bandwidth, Wayne watching TV on Slingbox.

Day 2: Big City Lights

Day two of our Maritime adventure was another long driving day.


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After we left Fredericton NB (an extended hot spot stop in the provincial capital of New Brunswick), we got back on Highway 2 heading southeast. That will be three provinces in two days of driving! Our new Garmin Oregon 300 GPS has been quite a help. We've also learned a bit more about how to use it. We set in a destination of Halifax via Highway 2. When we exited at Fredericton, the GPS gave us the routing needed to return to our original route. Nice!

Back on the highway, I saw the first white-barked birch trees. Those few gave way to large groves in some sections. You always hear about birch bark canoes being used by First Nations peoples here on the east coast. You can see that they were in ready supply.

The road to Halifax was doublewide all the way. The climate seems drier here and the terrain in rolling hills interspersed with flat coastal plains. One section had a toll of $4.00. It was short, so they must have been collecting to pay for more than that little bit. Just north of town we turned off onto on Nova Scotia Highway 2 and headed to our campground for the night, Laurie Provincial Park on Shubenacadie-Grand Lake. It’s a small rustic camp, but the sites are nice in the shade of evergreen trees. We were lucky to get one on a bluff overlooking the lake. By evening, almost all of the spots were taken. Here there are more tenters like us.

After putting up our tent, we headed to Halifax for dinner. We entered town from the north through Dartmouth. There are two high bridges crossing the harbour, both of them toll bridges charging 75 cents. Must be the way Nova Scotia pays for transportation services. After a bit of fumbling at the tollbooth, we were on our way to the wharf area downtown. Cars were parked everywhere on the one-way streets, but we found a public lot just a few blocks up. I was surprised at how touristy it is. The boardwalk was very crowded, with lots of street musicians. We found a harbour view restaurant and had a much needed meal. We passed on the overpriced lobster for the Captain Catch plate and a cold brew. Double yum!

Using our GPS, we headed back to the campground. A glitch in the software took us to the wrong location, but our “cookie crumb” trail helped us rectify the situation and get back “home” for the night. That’s enough civilization for me for a long time. It helps me remember why I traded in the big city for Powell River. -- Margy

Day 3: Oh What a Mournful Sound

Day 3 was from Halifax to Mira River NS. Not such a bad trip considering the last two days, but it still took us over four hours driving time.


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After our exhausting drive back to the campground (our GPS at first led us to the wrong destination), we turned in right away. It was a good thing we put up our tent before we left. As I was sliding into my sleeping bag, I heard a loon crying in the distance. We were surprised to hear one this far east, but the lake environment is perfect for them. We got a mournful serenade as we tried to drift off to sleep. And just when we were almost successful, we heard another mournful sound. Well, if it had been in the distance it would have been. But since the campground was right next to the railroad tracks it was a bit more loud than mournful.

Our first stop (after breakfast at Tim Horton’s that is) was Don and Marilyn’s house. As I’ve mentioned before, it is a small world. Our good friends Helen and Ed from Powell River were originally from Halifax. Helen’s brother still lives here so we stopped by to say hi and get some pictures for Helen. It’s been quite a few years since they’ve seen each other. Don and Marilyn live on two gorgeous acres northwest of town. Don does all the mowing, but I’m sure Marilyn has a hand in all the beautiful flowers. It was a quick visit, and then we were on our way north to Sydney and another provincial park camping spot.

The drive to Sydney was through green pastures then back to the mixed forest. There are more deciduous trees here than in Powell River. I guess that’s one reason they are so well know for their fall foliage. When we got to Cape Breton we had to cross the Canso Causeway across the narrow stretch of ocean that separates it from the rest of Nova Scotia. Just as we arrived the traffic stopped and the small bridge at the end rotates to allow two sailboats to pass. The canal they used wasn’t large enough for anything larger than a fishing boat. Large commercial boats must have to go all the way around the north end of the island.

Our first stop was for dinner in Louisbourg. It is the site of the historic French Fortress. Wayne found us a restaurant that wasn’t too touristy (The Grubstake) and then we went down to the docks to see the skookum fishing boats. Then it was back to the Mira River Provincial Park to camp for the night. We got a much-needed “bath” swimming in the lake and then were off to bed early. People have been coming here for generations. Here's the famous song "Out on the Mira" telling all about it.



Tomorrow we catch the ferry from North Sydney to Newfoundland so it will be an early start. - Margy

Day 4: Time to Spare, Go by Ferry

Living in the ferry dependent community of Powell River BC, Wayne and I understand the problems with ferry schedules and service. Today we are getting a taste of it Newfoundland style.


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We woke up early, but knew we had to call the Marine Atlantic ferry to check on the scheduled departure for Newfoundland. They've been having ferry problems up here for a week and everything has been backed up. They thought they would get back on track earlier, but it hasn't happened. Our 10:00 departure was first pushed back to "after noon" then to 5:00 and now to 7:00 p.m.

So we stuck around the campground until the 1:00 pm checkout time. That worked out well, since it rained early this morning and was forecast to stop at noon. And at three minutes before twelve, it stopped. Just like clockwork. We were able to pack up our tent without getting drenched.

We headed over to North Sydney even though we had lots of time to kill. We found a nice restaurant called the Clansman not too far from the terminal. If you go there to eat, watch out. The portions are humongous! Then we drove to the ferry lineup to wait another three hours for loading. While we waited there was a musical group playing Nova Scotia and Newfoundland tunes for the captive audience. As I recall, the orchestra played during the sinking of the Titanic. I hope it isn't an omen (just kidding). -- Margy

FREE HOTSPOT WATCH: North Sydney Marine Atlantic ferry terminal in the ferry lineup. Not bad considering how many people must be online killing time!

Day 5: The Granite Planet

Elaine (a Newfie by birth) over at A Scattering has been following my trip to Canada's east coast. She's on her way here as well, but we'll miss each other by a few days. "The Granite Planet" is her nickname for this magnificent Newfoundland.


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Our ferry from North Sydney to Port-aux-Basques was nine hours late in leaving. The biggest problem, we would arrive after midnight. That meant we would have to stay in a hotel in town rather than camp as originally planned. On top of everything else, when the ferry docked it was foggy. Wayne called ahead, so we had reservations at the St. Christopher's Hotel. Good thing, a steady stream of cars followed us there. But it wasn't all bad. I got an unexpected shower and shampoo!

This morning we got up and drove north on T.C.H. (Trans-Canada Highway) 1 to Gros Morne National Park on the west coast of Newfoundland. The drive was through forested areas, but the trees here are much smaller. When we pulled into Corner Brook, we drove past the pulp and paper bill. All of the timer stacked for processing was small and short. But if you are grinding it into pulp, I guess the size doesn't matter. From Corner Brook we took Highway 450 to Lark Harbour. It is a beautiful drive along a fjord with little fishing and resort villages along the way.

Back on Highway 1 we headed for the national park and our campground for the evening in Trout River. It is next to Trout River Pond. Here they call a fjord cut off from the ocean a pond. I guess that makes our Powell Lake a "pond" as well. It seem funny calling such large bodies of water a pond, but who am I to argue with a Newfie.

We just finished having dinner in the Town of Trout River at the Seaside Restaurant. It was the best meal we've had so far on this trip. It faces the ocean side of the isthmus between the pond and the sea. Wayne and I tried the caplin fish, a local delicacy. They are a small fish like a smelt that cod and whales eat. We took our turn feeding on their rich flavour. Not bad. Now we are heading back to our campground. Maybe tonight we'll get a chance to sit in our chairs and relax! -- Margy

FREE HOTSPOT WATCH: Seaside Restaurant in Trout River and the Gros Morne National Park. Have a great dinner while you connect!