The beach near Brander's Pond

Brander's Pond is mere meters from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A river flows from the pond onto the beach and into the Gulf. As my husband and I neared the trail to the sea, we paused and looked at each other.

 

"We won't be able to have lunch on the beach today. The sand is blowing around," he said.

Approaching the beach, we realized it was not sand but ground fog. It emanated from the damp sand, just inside the waterline.

 

Then the wind blew it further on-shore where it quickly dissipated. It created an ethereal look to the beach. 

 

We walked in the fog, watching it rise around us. The air was cold and the breeze made it necessary to wear gloves. However, it was fresh, clean and invigorating. Walking there, I forgot about my aching hip and knees, feeling like my younger self for a few minutes. The brief experience of that younger body felt good.

 

This area of coastline is shallow. A sand bar is visible under a thin layer of water. The waves, which were high that day, broke a distance from shore, creating white water. The ocean sounded powerful.

 

Faces were everywhere, carved by that power, etched into the soft sandstone. 

 

Every year, the faces change with the erosion of the cliffs.

 

This year, they were more obvious than ever before.

 

We were the only people on the beach and walked for almost two hours. We had lunch sat on a huge piece of driftwood as the fog rose around us. It was a dining experience, as if from a mystery novel. Every day on this gentle island brings new wonders.