A wish

The winter light shines on the marsh

And sentinels of the scene,

Float around and hungrily feed,

There is no time to preen.

All along the winter way

The scad* of snow prevails,

But we walk leisurely ahead

It is a perfect trail.

Animals along the way

Greet us as we go,

Hoarding up their winter stock 

Before the wind does blow.

Squirrels, blue jays and the like

Are busy as can be.

Chickadees around here abound and 

A nuthatch leaves the tree.

The animals don’t realize 

Another year is through

They go about their merry way

Unlike me and you.

No worries here along the trail

Survival is the key

No concern for peace on earth

It’s peaceful here you see.

What do I wish for one and all

In the hope of a new year?  

Peace of mind and peace on earth,

Going forward without fear.

*Scad is a thin layer of snow on the ground, according to the Dictionary of Newfoundland English.

 

Peace to all

From our island home to your home, we wish you peace…

In your life,

In your country,

In the world.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays!

Looking for the light

The few hours of daylight this time of year can be depressing for some people, including me. Having time outside each day for a walk helps me handle the loss of light, especially if it’s a sunny day. Of course it isn’t always sunny and on those cloudy days the experience of the fresh air and the change of scenery help.

Sometimes an overcast day at our favourite walking area, the boardwalk, provides a glimmer of hope in that muted light of a wintery day. Of course, I notice the brighter spot in the heavy cloud and the faint hint of blue.

From the bridge, an almost imperceptible line of light catches my eye in a scene which looks cold but is one I love.

There it is again as my husband and I walk farther, shots of light and hints of blue! 

Further along, rays of light put a spotlight on random areas of the bay, highlighting how one can find beauty in the starkest of places.

And near the end of our walk, the Blue Jays in a tree are like players in a drama which will draw us back to another performance. 

Hope for the light to come!

By the sea

It sits at the mouth of the Westmoreland River in the south central area of Prince Edward Island. Victoria by the Sea is a working fishing village and popular tourist area which is quiet this time of year when visitors are back home and fishing season is over.

We visited Victoria recently on a lovely 4 Celsius day, when the sun was intermittent and the wind was calm. The latter is unusual this past month when wind gusts have made most outside activity difficult. My husband and I decided to make the most of this rare weather day.

The wharf in the village is home to two restaurants which are closed in the off-season.

However it is busy around them during the fishing season as the boat launch is nearby.

Colourful fishing shacks would brighten any scene. Boats are refuelled near the wharf and the catch is unloaded via hoists.

On the wharf itself two floating docks have found a home for the winter.

Ice would destroy anything left in the water over the next several months. The mussels attached to the docks are high and dry. 

Not far from the water, one of the local boats is grounded for the winter too. Others have been taken farther afield.

The lighthouse has a museum which is open during the tourist season. 

Beautiful historic homes line the streets.

Near the water now, a park, behind revetments, 

replaces an old retaining wall destroyed over time by the wave action. The photo below, taken in 2017, shows the area at low tide. 

 

Notice the headland on the right. Now there is a new home in that area. 

I wonder what it is like in that house during winter storms or tropical depressions?

We hope to return to this charming village during the winter freeze-up.

Soaring

Around him, others are enjoying themselves, revelling in the conditions. They take the challenge of the high winds and the higher gusts as a dare, to lift off in the maelstrom and control movement as if to take charge of the wind. All he can do is watch.

He stands a distance from the water’s edge, amid tons of seaweed and slowly inches his way towards the churning sea. Around him the waves occasionally splash upward as they end their journey along the shoreline. Bravery is not his strong point he thinks as he watches the others, wings spread, soaring on the wind gusts. He’ll be an adult soon and others will wonder why he doesn’t play anymore. Thing is, he never did, always afraid to throw caution to the wind and soar with it. Maybe today…

A couple arrived and watched too. He’s seen them numerous times before when they stop at the salt marsh. They watch the flock with interest as it lifts, floats and falls on the currents. They see him too, but move on watching other birds around the bridge. 

Later, when the couple returns, they notice his absence from the seaweed. Meanwhile, along the shoreline, the flock continues to soar on the wind. Is he there with them? The couple likes to think so. 

To the Grove

The national park on Prince Edward Island received a great deal of damage from the storm known as Fiona. Recently, after much work by park personnel, a few areas of the park, including Cavendish Grove, were opened to visitors. The last several weeks, high winds with lower temperatures have precluded picnics, but on a cold day, with less wind, we took a picnic and headed to the park, anxious to see for ourselves what was left of one of our favourite places on the island.

My husband and I stopped at Cavendish Grove to see how the old trees in the Grove fared with the storm. We had a quick look and decided to return there for lunch since, to our surprise, many of the trees in the Grove appeared to have survived. 

The overlook at Oceanview in Cavendish is open in spite of damage to the viewing area. We could see Cavendish Beach in the distance, but people are not permitted on the beach due to the damaged dunes. 

Off-shore, birds which I couldn’t identify at a distance provided a challenge for the camera. However, later looking at the photos, I saw Long-tailed Ducks, gulls

and Common Eiders.

We continued along the Gulf Shore Parkway to MacKenzies Brook where the sea arch, seen here in late October,

became a sea stack last month. The arch was weakened by the storm and it was only a matter of time for the top to collapse.

We drove on to North Rustico where down by the lighthouse, the damage from Fiona is evident.

Back at Cavendish Grove, we cleared the ice from one end of a picnic table and covered the bench with layers of towels against the cold.

The beef stew was delicious, piping hot and with the hot tea, warmed us to our toes.

A walk to the beach followed. The damage to the trees along the way was sad to see. 

This trail used to be beneath a canopy. It will be different next summer. However, along the way, shots of colour from the wild flowers and shrubs lifted our spirits.

Nature does her best in the harshest of conditions.

The beach is closed to visitors but some dunes were visible through the trees. 

The Lake of Shining Waters was shining with a skim of ice over its surface that day. 

We only saw two other people in the park that day but it was good to see that the park will continue in spite of the damage.

Southwest to the Cape

Autumn is a dual season with weather reminiscent of summer with that which heralds the beginning of winter. Before that change this autumn, our last day exploring the southwest shore of Prince Edward Island was a lovely adventure on a beautiful day.

We drove along Route 14 towards Skinners Pond and spotted birds in a pond by the road. Of course we had to stop but it was a bad location for parking. We pulled in up the road and walked back to see them but of course the birds flew further up the pond. 

This pond was a wonderful find with the Hooded Mergansers 

and the American Wigeons in the foreground of this photo, neither of which I had seen before. The American Black Ducks are always an interesting find.

Meanwhile these two beautiful horses across the street came to the barrier to see the strangers looking at the birds. They wanted their photo taken too. Such curious creatures!

At Skinners Pond we walked the path to the beach, where the damage to the dunes in the distance was obvious. We later drove to Norway, Prince Edward Island, the site of the wind turbine farm hardly visible in the distance on the photo below.

As we left Skinners Pond, we passed the Stompin’ Tom Centre where shows in the summer celebrate the life and music of the Canadian singer/songwriter. Tom spent part of his childhood at Skinners Pond. One of his most famous songs is Bud the Spud.

We eventually stopped at North Cape, at the western tip of the island. Here the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence meet the Northumberland Strait. That day, you could easily see where the waters meet. The Gulf waters are above the line which extends from the sandbar, water from the Strait is below.

On that sand bar, cormorants and gulls hang out together. It was late in the season for cormorants to be about. Most are gone to warmer climes much earlier.

We had lunch near the start of the nature trail and had a good view of the lighthouse. 

We walked along the coastline above the beach where a gully had eroded a great deal since our last visit, 

as had the sea arch, which could collapse any time.

On our next visit to North Cape, we will walk the trail to the sea stack near Norway. Our next excursion will be closer to home however.