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Sunday 24 September 2023

The north shore

We have walked between the raindrops for most of this summer. Now as autumn falls around us, we hope for some dryer days to have more picnics before rain becomes snow. Our visit to the north central shore of the island last week was a nice break from our boardwalk routine.


The beach at North Rustico was busy with walkers some of whom were tourists enjoying the warm September day. Just below the parking lot is a stream which crosses the beach 





and Bonaparte’s Gulls were enjoying the water. The little gulls, the smallest of the species, always make me smile. You can see them on this short video here.


We continued along the coast to Rustico which we hadn’t visited for years. Possibly the oldest dwelling on the island, Doucet house, is there. 





The main beams of the house date to 1768. It was moved from its original site and restored in this beautiful location by the Rustico Bay. 





Our picnic by the old fence meant we could watch the oyster fishers 





busy at the oyster farm nearby. 





We could imagine the days when bread was baked in the garden oven and slathered in homemade butter thanks to the family cow.


After lunch, we stopped at New Glasgow to shop at the Island Preserve Company where I bought some lingonberry jam, known as partridgeberry jam by Newfoundlanders. We usually buy some in the fall and it is always a treat to visit the garden at Island Preserve.


The garden is a beauty 





but workers were there doing some fall clean-up so I was limited in the photos I could take. This worker did accommodate all photographers however.




It was a lovely day and a great picnic by Doucet house. This coming week may be a dry one, so we will be out and about again, enjoying a picnic and a walk on Prince Edward Island.









40 comments:

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Bonaparte’s Gulls are enchanting!

Debra She Who Seeks said...

That is indeed a beautiful garden!

DJan said...

Your island is just a treasure. I'm glad you escaped much damage from the latest hurricane. Thanks for the great photos. :-)

Anvilcloud said...

Looks like a fine visit with good views too.

Jim and Barb's Adventures said...

That Doucet House is amazing. It would be interesting to walk through it and see how it was built. Our daughter has a house that was built in the late 1800's and they have some peg nails that were used to hold the beams together.

Danielle L Zecher said...

Those are great photos! I especially love the ones of Doucet House. I hope you have lots more nice weather to enjoy more outings before the snow starts.

Ginnie Hart said...

So very glad you didn't suffer terribly from Hurricane Lee, Marie, but, still, so much rain does take is toll. When you can, I love that you grab the good days allowing you to get out-n-about, to show us what you see. This is the joy of the World Wide Web!

Sandi said...

"We could imagine the days when bread was baked in the garden oven and slathered in homemade butter thanks to the family cow."

Oh, that sounds delicious!

Granny Sue said...

Oh, that old house. What pleasure it would be tonsit in there a while, and just listen. Beautiful photos all.

photowannabe said...

Delightful!!
Beautiful day and the sights wonderful. I love that bee collecting pollen..his pollen bag on his leg is full.
I would love to watch the ouster fishers while having a picnic .
Sue

Bill said...

The Doucet house is absolutely beautiful. The garden is very pretty to see. Beautiful photos, Marie. I enjoyed seeing them plus the video. Nice post!

Debbie said...

the gulls are so cute and so busy, that was a great little clip!! the doucet house is charming, with it's rustic beauty...it's always nice to read that these dwellings are respected and restored.

this sounds like a really nice outing, enjoy your jam!!

and that garden is gorgeous!!

Hena Tayeb said...

I hope you get some dry days.. it's been raining here for three days straight.
Such lovely photos.

Elephant's Child said...

You live in a very beautiful part of the world. Thank you for generously sharing that beauty. I do hope you have dry days and picnics (and that we get some much needed rain).

Helen said...

Such a lovely day enjoying a wonderful corner of the island. Fingers crossed for more sunny days before the chill of winter.

Maebeme said...

Wonderful photos, as always! That garden is spectacular. Having a picnic by the water sounds so lovely to me.

Joanne Noragon said...

The Doucet stop was lovely.

Red said...

There's nothing like being out with the plants and critters . And oh yeah. Find a good place for viewing.

William Kendall said...

The old house has a life to it.

Black Knight said...

Such places are a jump in the past when our lives were easier and healthier.
Far from the noise, the traffic, the pollution, the crowd: this is the heaven!!!!

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

We experienced just the opposite - mostly a dry summer but so far we've had a wet fall with nothing but rain the past 4 days and chilly too. It's 57 right now. Your photos are lovely and the little house reminds me of a Quaker type simple house. The garden is beautiful.

MARY G said...

That's fascinating, and I love the house picture.

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Nice walk, the area has a lot of interesting things.
The old house is so simple, imagine a whole family in that small space.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

What a wonderful location for a walk! There's something about small birds on a beach that always brings a smile - Sanderlings always do it for me. Rustico is a splendid name and the old house fits it perfectly.

Liz Hinds said...

Different and lovely photos. Is that old house in use at all?

Marie Smith said...

Liz, the house is a museum now, open during tourist season. We have been inside but not recently. We will do it again next summer.

Glenda Beall said...

As usual, I loved this post. And the clip of the little gulls was precious. Thanks for taking me on your walk. I love your island.

Pam said...

Love the Doucet home. I follow a page on FB called, "love of old homes", I am so amazed the homes posted. Some were built in the 1700s. I can't get over the fact they have been around that long and the craftsman ship that went into them without power tools.

John's Island said...

Hi Marie, As always, wonderful photos! And I love the short videos you often throw in, like the Bonaparte's Gulls! (I may steal that technique from you! :-))

Spare Parts and Pics said...

The log across the stream looks tempting, but I'm sure my balance wouldn't be good enough. Your photos of Doucet house are wonderful!

baili said...

loved the lovely gulls dear Marie

so glad you had such a wonderful time exploring different part of the island this time
view are awesome and house is stunning
loved the island garden what bliss wow

Shammickite said...

Gosh, am oyster farm. I wonder how many oysters are harvested here, and who eats them? I've never tasted an oyster, and I would have no idea what to do with one if I had to cook it. Or perhaps they are eaten raw????

Marie Smith said...

Shammickite,

Many people eat oysters raw. I have tried them but I wouldn’t eat them again. I have had them cooked in a recipe called Oysters Rockefeller. They were delicious.

Marie

At Home In New Zealand said...

Love all your photos. You certainly have some beautiful places to go and visit :)

Breathtaking said...

Hello :=)
Beautiful photos, My arm is killing me Bye for now.

Tabor said...

Must must must visit that lovely area again before I leave this earth. Oyster farming is something I know a little about!

eileeninmd said...

Hello Marie,
I was sure I left a comment on this post. Pretty images of the garden and the flowers. The first photos is lovely, I like see the beach and flocks of gulls.
The house looks great, they did a wonderful job on the restoration. Take care, have a wonderful week!

margi said...

What a lovely area. The garden is beautiful!

Rose said...

I would have loved to visit your area...still would...but know it is not going to happen. Still, it has such appeal!

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

The Doucet House is wonderful. I love places like that. I also always enjoy pictures of your island. With all of the rain I have been seeing reported up in the north east, I’m not surprised that you’ve been seeing a lot of it. We really could use some here. It has been dry and hot. This past week it was up near 90°. Fall is here, I’m ready for cooler weather. I mean really ready. I nearly succumbed to the heat out on the deck when I was pulling up plants.