Katie-Lew, the Little Blue Cottage by the Sea

Rose Blanche harbour is protected by Rose Blanche Point to the east, Caines Island in the mouth of the harbour to the south, and a long narrow  peninsula to the West. The most southerly part of the peninsula is called Parsons Point. As the name suggests, the Parsons are long time residents of the point, and until recent years, there were four Parsons families there.

Parsons Point is a windy spot as it provides shelter for the harbour. The roar of thunderous surf breaking on the southwest side of the point is part of everyday life.  Accounts have it that in the winter, it can be a cold and windy place.

For the past 35 years, Lewis and Kathleen Parsons resided there on the somewhat sheltered northeast side, overlooking Crow Cove. At one time, the house was a two story place of the Biscuit Box style, but with the kids grown up and with less need for space, the upper story was removed. The remaining, is a small bungalow with one bedroom, spacious kitchen, dining and living room. The ceiling height remains low though at about 6' 3 " and somewhat deceiving from the outside due to the changed roof profile.

The view is toward the north across Crow Cove. On the far shore of the Cove, the rock rises steeply from the sea. Hugging the shore is a grouping of houses and a few fishing stages along Lower Crow road, then much higher up near the brow, there's another few houses along Upper Crow road.

Kathleen, the current owner of the little house, said "I spent 35 happy years in that house", but now a recent widow, has too many memories there, and the maintenance required is beyond her. As a result, she put it up for sale and moved to Port aux Basques. At the time of writing, we have an agreement to purchase the place, though there are still a few legal details to be sorted out.

Property ownership is often uncertain in Rose Blanche where people's focus was on the sea and less so on the land. Land ownership evolved organically there when often houses were built on a handshake or squatting rights. We spent time going through documents dating back to 1906, some handwritten and yellowed with language unfamiliar to us. There's the odd land survey around, but they are the exception.

The house will probably always be known around town as Lewis and Kathleen's place, and if we seal the deal, Marlene and I plan to name her Katie-Lew in their honour. So, barring the unforeseen, Katie-Lew, the little blue cottage by the sea will become part of our Newfoundland adventures for years to come.

Click here for the next story in the "Travelling with Steve and Marlene" series:
http://travellingwithsteveandmarlene.blogspot.ca/2017/06/la-scie-on-rugged-north-central-coast.html


or, Click here for the "Katie Lew, the Little Cottage by the Sea" blog series:
http://katie-lew.blogspot.ca/2017/07/katie-lew-little-blue-cottage-by-sea.html