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Wednesday 19 October 2022

The north shore

We were slow to return to our excursions around the island after Fiona. Trees are down everywhere and trails are slowly being cleared. Two weeks post storm, we returned to the boardwalk and later to beaches where we love to walk and have picnics. My husband and I will enjoy autumn as much as we can since we will be limited by the weather soon enough.


On one recent outing we went to the north central shore, first to the New London Lighthouse which I have featured numerous times on this blog. The old sentinel made it through another storm unfazed by the look of it. 





Not the beach and sand dunes however. In June this year, you can see the extent of the beach across the channel.




Post Fiona, the dunes are greatly reduced and the sand washed out to sea. It will be a slow return.





Closer to the lighthouse, the storm surge destroyed the Marram Grass and dumped sandstones over the area.




We walked the beach towards the cliffs where our daughter fishes for bass. We had never been to this area before and on such an autumn day, it was the perfect time to check it out.


The red sandstone stood out against the natural blues. 





The faded October grass and wildflowers at the edge of a farmer’s field cling to the red soil as long as possible, hanging over the edge as more soil washes or falls away.





A lone tree nearby shows the direction of the prevailing wind and withstood the wind speeds brought by Fiona.





A sea stack, difficult to see in its entirety from the path, is beginning to become a sea arch. If you look closely, you can see two glimpses of sea blue through the sandstone.





Anglers park along the cliffs and take a path down to the shoreline below  It is too treacherous for these old legs to attempt such a walk. We will return when our daughter is fishing there one day.


The wind was cold requiring gloves and a hat so we decided to have our picnic in a more sheltered area. On our way to North Rustico, we passed a flock of mallards enjoying the day at French River. I hadn’t seen mallards in some time, so it was a treat to watch them for several minutes 





and meet a new friend too.





The gazebo at North Rustico has a view of the harbour and is a great place to have lunch. Our turkey soup hit the spot, warming us to our toes.  





Our excursions will continue as long as possible this autumn and a hot picnic lunch will be on the menu.



34 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Sad to see the damage.

Boud said...

I like the idea of a hot lunch in the colder weather. It looks as if your scenery is pretty weathered. Evidently the ducks didn't mind.

DJan said...

I'm glad to see the lighthouse fared well through the storm. Your pictures tell the tale of Fiona. Thanks for all the great information.

Jim and Barb's Adventures said...

Interesting how that sea stack is transforming into an arch. The red stone is truly beautiful against the blue of the sea. Good to hear that things are getting back to normal!

William Kendall said...

What a cute doggie.

Beside a babbling brook... said...

Another sea stack to watch change...

Think others were damaged by the storm...

Warm lunch! Yesssss!

Enjoy the Autumn while it lasts. Winter is long, as we know.

🍁🌰🌻🍂🎃🍂🌻🌰🍁

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

Marie,
Your photos are lovely and you tell your stories beautifully. I especially liked the red sandstone and the photo of the dog. Have a great week.

Rhodesia said...

Lovely photos. Nature can be very cruel but mostly it also has a natural recovery. Keep well Diane

Elephant's Child said...

I do love your documentary photos - and am very glad that the sentinel still stands.

Bill said...

Love your photos and your new friend. Turkey soup sund great!

At Home In New Zealand said...

Warming up with a hot picnic lunch on an autumn excursion sounds heavenly to me :)

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

Lovely photos. The autumn excursion sounds marvelous.

eileeninmd said...

Hello,
Beautiful views of the lighthouse, the sea and sea stack is cool. I can see the arch. The beach is a favorite of mine, it seems so peaceful. I like your new friend, very cute dog. I hope to make turkey soup after our Thanksgiving meal, one of my favorites to make. Take care, enjoy your day!

photowannabe said...

I love how you and your hubby walk and discover together and always have a yummy lunch in a favorite spot.
What a perfect way to enjoy an autumn day.
Sue

Anvilcloud said...

That is a very Group of Seven looking tree, and that lighthouse looks so forlorn in that light. The sandy coast still looks enticing.

DUTA said...

Turkey meat is my favorite.
I like the picture of the solitary tree, and am impressed by the red rocks against the deep blue of the sea.

peppylady (Dora) said...

Hubby was talking about doing chicken soup.
Coffee is on and stay safe

Glenda Beall said...

So sad to see the damage from Fiona. Hurricanes leave a wide swath of change in their paths and your photos captured it so well. It makes me feel sad, and that is what we want to do as writers, create a feeling in our readers. But you lift my spirits with the dog photo and the lovely contrast of the red stone and the blue, blue water. I love the idea of taking the warm soup for your picnic. In many ways your stories bring back memories of when my husband, Barry and I used to seek out new and interesting trails here in the mountains. Thanks for sharing with us.

Joanne Noragon said...

Quite the change. The ocean doesn't know.

Maebeme said...

How sad it is to see the damage. AND that tree. It seems to me it epitomizes the wrath of the storm.

Red said...

Fiona will have left many things to see for years to come.

Billie Jo said...

Enjoy your fall. The lighthouse photo is beautiful, and the water so blue.

Helen said...

A chilly but blue sky day to be out and about, checking on your favourite haunts.
The damage is harsh, especially for the downed trees. Hopefully, the dunes will make a recovery, albeit a slow one.
So glad that on this occasion you were able to walk the length of the beach at New London.

Debbie said...

i'm so glad they are getting to clearing your paths and cleaning up the boardwalk. i am as excited about your hot meal as you are. pretty images today, the red sandstone is so pretty against the blue sky!!

Lea said...

Great photos!
The red sandstone does make an amazing contrast to the blue water. Really beautiful!
Have a wonderful weekend!

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Lovely color contrasts, and ocean views. Your new friend has a hungry gimme turkey soup look. :)

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

How lovely that you can continue this all of autumn. I'm curious as to what is going to be on your "hot picnic lunch" menu.

Pam said...

Beautiful. What a nice walk that would make. Wishing I had a place like that to walk. We have lakes but not enough area near them for walking like this...and they are also surrounded by homes, boat docks and all sorts of things.

Liz Hinds said...

Oh my, the storm did wash away a lot of sand. And marram grass is sturdy usually. It will take a while to recover.

Beautiful colours along the coastline.

Sherry's Pickings said...

what a gorgeous pup, and what about that tree? Phew looks like it's had a hard (and windy) life. It's nice to get the cobwebs blown away when walking out in the fresh air. We are having a deluge this weekend - flash flooding warnings etc. so grey and rainy and windy ...

margi said...

The new friend is cute! I like the idea of autumn excursions. Have a nice week!

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Fiona has certainly left its mark on the Island, Marie, and I am sure you notice changes to the landscape, especially at the shore, wherever you wander. Nature is a powerful force and is probably only going to get more destructive unfortunately. We have no choice but to adapt to the changing patterns of wind damage and beach erosion, and enjoy them as best we may.

Lorrie said...

These are beautiful images of your island, Marie. Fiona did a lot of damage. It's so good to enjoy these autumn days knowing that winter will soon limit outdoor excursions. Have a good week.

jozien said...

Thanks for sharing, i love the before and after.