Life changes

Where do I begin? Suddenly life changes and reality takes its toll.

Monday night I took my husband to the hospital. R had severe upper abdominal pain which could have been a heart attack. Over a period of 8 hours in emergency, they determined it wasn’t his heart. An MRI showed stones in his gall bladder and blocking his bile duct. Another discovery, unrelated will be dealt with later. 

Surgery happened late that afternoon and problems resulted. On Friday, I took him for a procedure in Charlottetown which was unsuccessful. He is still in hospital.

I’ve had a cold for a week. This past week, I started treatment for a genetic condition which I’ve had my whole life, without my knowledge. At one point, we were both being treated in different parts of the hospital, our daughter running back and forth between us. There are definite disadvantages to being an only child.

Meanwhile we had freezing rain requiring cleats on boots and salt spread around. The next day, we had snow, enough to require shovelling. With our daughter and son-in-law’s help, I managed.

When it rains it pours!

I haven’t watched the news this week because we have enough to deal with. I am focused on our circumstances and thankful for the strength to handle what has happened thus far and I hope, for what lies ahead as well. 

Spring on the horizon

We ventured to the north shore of the island last week. Several rivers along the way had running water where ducks gathered. It was a treat to see ducks again since frozen conditions in Summerside have driven them away from the area. American Black Ducks and Common Goldeneyes 

filled a stream near the fishing shacks at Malpeque where ice still fills the basin.

We also passed two Ring-necked Pheasants which were feeding along the side of the road. They were difficult to photograph and flew off despite my best efforts to capture their beauty.

On the landward side of the sand dunes, exposure to the elements hasn’t been kind to the coniferous trees which struggle to survive there.

At French River, open water was home to Common Mergansers, disappearing below water to feed.

At Yankee Hill, the lighthouse stands vigil through the long winter. 

The bulrushes stood tall against the March wind, somewhat protected by the dunes. 

On the other side of the dunes, the channel has some open water, unlike Malpeque Bay at Summerside. 

The same scene last May

Meanwhile, along the boardwalk, one of the Bald Eagles is back at the sub-let from the Osprey. 

Finally this past week, undulatus clouds were the harbingers of a change in the weather as snow changed to rain with milder temperatures.

Have a good week!

The sky is the limit

 

We had a terrible storm last week which covered much of eastern North America over several days. Afterwards, it took our city three days to clear a path on the boardwalk so we missed some time outdoors. However, when we did walk there, the setting did not disappoint. Our first day back, the clouds winked at us. 

Bands of blue cloud in an overcast sky have come to signal that bad weather is on the horizon. The day before the storm, the sky foretold what was to come. Watching the sky is a winter pass time now.

One day, two crows in conversation in an old tree, made me stop and listen. They were happy to have walkers back on the boardwalk for some easy snacks.

Another day, two American Black Ducks skated around on the frozen stream. They looked ready for the spring thaw too.

We saw kite-boarders on the ice covered bay this past Saturday. 

Three kites took boarders along the bay in the breeze that day. 

At times the boarders were high above the ice surface. 

It looked like a perfect day for the sport.

Finally, this past week, we saw one of the neighbourhood foxes as it hunted one morning, crossing through the back yard. It stopped briefly under our oak tree before heading out as I photographed it through the kitchen window.

In a world which is more dangerous by the day, I wish you some peace of mind in your life this week.

 

Eagles’ wings

We haven’t seen the resident Bald Eagles around the boardwalk for a number of weeks since Bedeque Bay froze solid. I look forward to seeing the birds when spring thaw opens the bay again. However, I have some Eagle photos to share today, photos I took in June of 2018.

Our daughter picked up the girls from school that day and headed to her favourite fishing spot with the three children. We went along to enjoy some outdoor time with the children. As always, I had my camera, though I planned on human photos only.

We were just setting up our chairs and snacks when a Bald Eagle flew over with a huge fish carried in its claws…Sea Bass from the nearby bay.

I missed that photo but was pleasantly surprised when the bird landed on a tree stump on the opposite side of the pond. My small Nikon camera was not meant for such a distance, but I clicked away regardless. 

The photos aren’t great but you can see what transpired when the Eagle called its mate and then refused to share its meal.

The bird was thoroughly enjoying the meal and held it with its claws against the stump on which it was standing.

The Eagle stopped briefly to call to its mate who arrived within minutes. The new arrival watched for some time as the other bird consumed the fish without an offer to share the food.  

Then, the fish fell out of the Eagle’s grip

and the bird promptly picked it up and turned away slightly from its mate.

I stopped the camera for a few minutes. When I took photos again, the birds were ‘arguing’ over the fish.

I wasn’t prepared for this final shot.

The one that got away!

Meanwhile, this was the scene here last week.

Have a good one!

Eye of the beholder

 Our weather has been warmer the past week, and we had several days without strong winds. Pleasant winter days enabled us to enjoy the outdoors on our daily walks. The lengthening days are a sure sign that spring is nigh as well.

Every day, I take a photo of the mouth of the stream and the bay as seen from the gazebo. This was the scene on Feb. 14/26.

While it was warmer last week, it is nothing like the same day two years ago. In 2024, the bay was free of ice. It will be a few weeks before the bay opens up this year.

We walked in the sun a few days last week. Exposed ice surfaces shone brightly too.

The area of the bench which I also photograph every day, had a different look on a sunny day.

This was that setting on Saturday when it was snowing.

While we’ve seen tracks of snowshoe hares, we haven’t been fortunate enough to see them yet this year. However, a Ruffed Grouse is around again. We feared the Bald Eagles had found it. 

We haven’t spotted the resident Bald Eagles recently but we drove to the area of the Confederation Bridge last week and spotted this beauty along the way. It was surveying the banks of a river where ducks were gathered.

Finally this week, this is the Confederation Bridge which links Prince Edward Island to mainland Canada. 

The ice moves with the tide but the bridge can withstand the onslaught. To me, this is a beautiful structure, not esthetically as much as its significance. 

The bridge creates a physical link to the rest of Canada for islanders. Transportation to and from the island is mere minutes over the almost thirteen kilometres of bridge. To a person originally from an island which will never have a fixed link, I appreciate the freedom this bridge represents. A thing of beauty.

Have a great week.

Fresh Air

Last week was warmer, so my husband and I managed to walk the boardwalk more than we had the two previous weeks. Skies were overcast most days as you will see. However, the scenes before us made me stop to capture the moments and each day presented something new if one took the time to stop and look.

One day, the sun was barely covered by the lowest layer of a thick cloud. Along the horizon stretched a band of blue and a hint of twilight in the mid morning though a shielded sun was obvious.

Sometimes, clouds can stand in sharp contrast to the vast ice-covered sea especially when they appear to be blue. Again mid morning resembles twilight.

Another twilight morning, a band of blue cloud made a horizontal line across the sky in Bedeque Bay. It added a new element to the scene from the bridge over the salt marsh.

Snow overnight gave another layer of softness to the shoreline one day as the sky blue attempted to push up the cloudy blind.

Our breath of fresh air on so many levels! Hope you find yours!

 

Boundless

A few weeks ago, a fellow blogger*

https://pattietierney.blogspot.com asked about the most unusual thing my husband and I have seen on our walks around the island. After giving it some thought, and talking with my husband about it, we decided the most unusual thing is a horizonless sky. 

Such a sky occurs when, due to atmospheric conditions, sea/land and sky blend together and appear as one. Fog can cause such conditions, sometimes resulting in a white out or a scene like below:

I photographed this shot from Cabot Beach on setting day in 2018, as the fishing boats headed out to set their lobster pots for the season. A light on Fish Island hangs in the air as a bird flies above it all.

Snow can do the same as we see here on Prince Edward Island when drifts of snow cross the open fields.

So, we see horizonless skies periodically but the most unusual one was this shot of two fishing boats headed out Bedeque Bay in Summerside in April of 2017. The sea was calm and the cloudless sky reflected in the water. The wake of the boats disturbed the surface of the water behind them. But ahead…

To me, the scene is a symbol. The world ahead of the boaters is boundless, with endless possibilities and opportunities. Into the unknown they go, trusting in their experience, training and skill to handle what’s ahead. We are the boaters.

What do you see?

*Pattie’s blog features a wonderful combination of amazing table settings for every occasion, recipes, personal stories and beautiful photographs. The blog is an oasis in a troubled world. Check it out!

P.S.

I choose to see the world this way. The reality of the threats we face in the world today can be overwhelming. I am aware but choose to focus on a better future and work towards it.