Notes from the isle

The weather has been unusual these last few weeks. Just when we thought the colder than normal freezing temperatures were here to stay...surprise! It warmed up to double digits. My husband and I have been on our bikes again, though not as often. We’ve enjoyed the bonus days of cycling though it looks like our days of riding the trails are over now as the temperatures approach zero again.

Atlantic Canada has had a bubble over the four eastern Canadian provinces for the last number of months with restricted travel from the rest of Canada, requiring two weeks isolation on entry. Now, Covid cases are on the rise in the other three provinces in this bubble, while Prince Edward Island continues to be free of community spread. With the shopping season in full swing, Christmas on the horizon and university and college students headed home soon, that bubble around us is looking fragile. 

We continue to practise Covid protocols and hope that other islanders continue the measures which have kept us safe for the previous months. We trust our Chief Public Health Officer to keep us informed and our government to impose further restrictions if necessary. We live in dangerous and scary times.

One day recently, as my husband and I walked the boardwalk, we noticed something unusual in the Summerside Harbour. Fishing season is over in our waters for this year but we occasionally see a fishing vessel off-shore.

This fishing boat was in the Northumberland Strait cruising around as we thought. Then the vessel cruised into our area, opposite the Indian Head Lighthouse. It looked like people were fishing. I zoomed in with my camera and though blurred, could see what looked like crab pots being handled on the boat.

As we walked on, we noticed a small Coast Guard craft headed out from shore further in the harbour. When we looked back at the other boat, it was headed out into the Northumberland Strait again. At this point the Coast Guard boat returned to port.

Crab season is long over on the island. Someone must have reported the illegal activity which was visible from shore. This was the first time we have seen such a scene play out.

Soup season is upon us now and we are enjoying bowls of hot homemade soup with crusty bread or biscuits when we return from our walks and rides. Often the soup is vegetarian, such a squash, mushroom, tomato or potato. Prior to leaving the house, I cut up the vegetables, add them to the stock and let the pot come to a rolling boil. Then I turn off the burner but leave the pot in position on the stove. When we come home, the vegetables are cooked in the residual heat and still hot.

I made turkey soup over two days, the stock on the first, then cooked the vegetables the same way the second day. I added the cooked turkey the last minute. 

It is so good to have hot soup ready within minutes of arriving home! It keeps us from eating crackers and other junk while we wait for lunch. Leftovers are consumed the next day or except for potato soup, frozen. By the end of winter, we will be tired of soups but for now, they are a delicious way of life.

And finally, I follow several journalists from the island on Twitter. One posted recently about a bull which had broken out of a farmer’s field and may have been on the roads in the eastern county. We smiled when we heard this news. Compared to some of the news in this world, we’ll take a bull on the loose any day. Such is life on the island!