The Insectarium

We pulled out of the Cow Head campground heading south and passed back through Gros Morne National Park with its beautiful mountain and water vistas. We stopped for a short hike through a balsam fir and white birch forest to the top of the Southeast Brook Falls where the stream flows through a billion-year-old granite ridge and plunges 40 meters.

Further down the road in Deer Lake, we stopped for lunch at a Tim Horton’s. We tried their Beyond Meat (plant-based) cheeseburgers. The meatless patties were good but the rest of the sandwich was mediocre.

Next, we stopped at the nearby Newfoundland Insectarium & Butterfly Garden. In the Butterfly Nursery housed on the first floor, chrysalises from various species representing various countries were hanging waiting for adult butterflies to emerge. The Butterfly Garden was around the corner and housed in four greenhouse bays with luscious vegetation and colorful butterflies fluttering around. We spent awhile mesmerized by this colorful spectacle. Next, we proceeded to the top (third) floor where the spiders were housed. (I know, spiders aren’t insects but they apparently are too intriguing for entomologists to ignore). There, we viewed lots of mounted specimen and terraria with various living spiders including huge tarantulas. The middle floor was the main insectarium. Again, it was full or mounted specimen and terraria of various insects from leaf-cutting ants to walking sticks to beetles. The insect diversity on display was amazing, “small wonders, big memories”.

We made friends with the founder and director, Lloyd Hollet, also a retired forester. Lloyd was an accordion player, so we discussed music, too. He gave me a CD and a DVD of Eric Bogle, an Australian who sings Irish style ballads. And, Lloyd’s wife Sandy’s maiden name is Frampton. It’s a small small world after all.

We then proceeded to the Kinsmen Prince Edward RV Park near Crooked Brook and set up  on the edge of a large field. We enjoyed a relaxing Saturday afternoon and evening including working another of the puzzles with listening to the Eric Bogle CD and a Jigs & Reels CD that I had purchase earlier.