September on the island

It was a busy week during which we did some of our usual September activities. Of course my husband and I also walked the boardwalk some days too. Each excursion had highlights which made the experience memorable, like the planters at Arlington Orchard.

One of our family activities in September every year is a trip to the apple orchard. 

Our daughter and grandchildren always enjoy apple picking and the old folks tag along for the adventure. It rained in the morning that day so we didn’t have the usual picnic lunch but we enjoyed time with the family nonetheless. The day ended at the zip line, followed by ice cream.

Early last week, we discovered a young fox along the boardwalk. We watched for several minutes in two locations as the fox observed us. We took dozens of photos, but these are my favourite, a smile, 

and the soft look of the fuzzy fur.

The next day we drove to nearby Tyne Valley. The hilly trail, unusual for the island is one I find challenging. One area has a stream running through, and the water reflects the trees and the sky.

Another day on the boardwalk, two Great Blue Herons were fishing in Bedeque Bay at low tide. We watched them fly around in the bay and took lots of photos, including this favourite I call blue reflection.

Cousin’s Shore on the north coast is a favourite beach of our family where the grandchildren love the stream. 

Just off-shore that day, fishers in a scallop fishing boat were busy bringing in their catch.

A small flock of Semipalmated Plovers and Sandpipers rested in the sand. This perfect little Plover stood a few feet away as I admired it.

At Brander’s Pond nearby, we did our seasonal walk on the beach by the sea stack. I never tire of this scene, especially this year since the Cormorants were perched on the stack. 

They have been missing in recent years. Meanwhile a Bald Eagle was standing watch on the cliffs though I didn’t get a good photo of it. 

When we walk west on the beach, the eastern coastline comes into view. This scene is one of my favourites on the island.

On the beach, closer to the sea stack, a lobster trap has washed ashore, leftover from the spring fishery. I hope a fisherman will collect it for use next year.

It looks like another great week of weather on Prince Edward Island this coming week and we hope to be out and about to enjoy our island home.

Waning days of summer

It is that time of year again when many of the tourists have left the island for another year. A few remain but cruise ships will bring thousands of voyagers for daily excursions over the next two months. Autumn is knocking on the door and we are enjoying these waning days of summer at some of our favourite places and one place which was new to us.

We’ve watched the fishing boats in the bay this past week as the lobster season in this part of the province continues. One day, gulls stayed close to a boat, expecting offal to be cast away which they could eat. 

Another day, we saw a trap coming out of the water. 

Fresh lobsters are a common meal in homes and restaurants this time of year.

Meanwhile, along the shoreline, a Great Blue Heron was fishing too.

On a visit to Cavendish for a walk and a picnic, we watched a squirrel chasing a chipmunk which disappeared into a tree. The chipmunk poked its head out as we watched, hoping it had escaped the squirrel.

Nearby, a fallow field has become a mass of Queen Anne’s Lace and Red Clover. It is mesmerizing, in a good way.

At the Oceanview Lookout, 

newly built since Hurricane Fiona destroyed the previous one, one can see the length of Cavendish Beach nearby.

We visited the Borden wetlands last week as well. This area is new to us, but is an area popular with birders on the island, especially at low tide. We saw Semipalmated Plovers and Sandpipers. I was happy to see this juvenile Caspian Tern. 

The Canada Geese coming in for a landing were a beautiful sight too.

The wetlands and beach are in the shadow of the Confederation Bridge, which connects the island to the mainland of Canada. The curved line of the bridge is a massive structural wave high above those of nature.

On the way home, sunflowers were the highlight. They can grow tall, as you can see by these specimens growing beside this old Volkswagen van.

Also along the way, the sunflowers in this patch were facing the morning sun. We find ourselves doing the same as we enjoy the last few weeks of the summer spectacle.

Have a great week!

The look of late summer

It was cooler this past week, without much humidity and its layer of discomfort. We have walked the boardwalk, picked berries and been with the kids on several adventures we always do before school starts every year.

There have been a few windy days, wind enough to turn Bedeque Bay into what resembles chocolate milk. The rough seas from high wind stir up the red sand in the bay and voila, chocolate milk!

On a calm day, we spotted a Great Blue Heron among the bulrushes in the salt marsh. I am fascinated by these birds and I suspect it is the same one which frequents this area as it often visits the same spot.

The bird was far enough away for it to feel safe. At one point it looked to be trying to mimic the bulrushes. 

Then it looked my way.

It stretched its neck as if to get a better look. 

I smile every time I see these last two photos.

We also saw some of the migrant birds last week including, a Black-bellied Plover, 

Semipalmated Plovers 

and a Solitary Sandpiper.

My husband and I always enjoy berry picking, a common activity of childhood in Newfoundland. This past week, we made several attempts to pick high bush blueberries with our daughter and the three children. Finally, after a few days of rain cancellations and ripening delays, we headed out. 

The last of the berries were available and I enjoyed the time with the other four, one of whom, ate more than she added to the containers. My husband entertained the golden grand-dog, Daisy, while we picked.

Time at Cavendish Grove this time of year involves a picnic and squishing apples which are past eating. 

Then we played fetch with Daisy until we were spent though she still was eager to fetch.

Also every year, the grandchildren have their photos taken hanging from a specific tree branch in the grove. With the traditional activities checked for this year, they are ready for school.

While summer has been lovely, we look forward to this month which heralds autumn and all its beauty. 

A busy week in August

It was a busy week. Besides our walks along the boardwalk, time with family and friends this past week has kept us busy. It included time on one of the most beautiful beaches on the island, at Thunder Cove on the north shore. It ended with a sleepover for the grandchildren, always fun, though exhausting.

There are certain expectations with a walk along the boardwalk, depending on the time of year. The Great Blue Herons which summer on Prince Edward Island are often visible in Bedeque Bay. 

The bands of colour and texture at low tide on a sunny day in the bay make us stop to take in the scene as one of the large birds feeds in the tidal pools.

By late August, shorebird migration has begun and some of the birds stop in the bay on their way south. Yellowlegs are common visitors and this one was alerting the animals to the predator sitting on the bank of the stream.

I managed a photo of the Red Fox running into the bulrushes. It was a few minutes before the bird stopped its alert!

Another day, sailboats were out on the bay as they often are but sails were furled. The wind was high that day.

At Thunder Cove, fun at the beach was the order of the day. The expanse of shoreline is a great place for sand castles, lying in the sun, a walk

or a frisbee. 

The local colony of gulls was watchful for morsels of food and were entertaining, as usual, as they explored areas vacated by beachgoers.

At sunset, the beach took on a glow in the diminished light. 

As the sun settled lower, the approaching night has a look of its own.

We headed back over the dune path, looked back at the peaceful scene and were thankful for our good fortune to live in this time and place.

Beauties of an August week

The last month of summer is shaping up to be a bit cooler and less humid than the previous month. We have stayed close to home, walking on the boardwalk and the Confederation Trail. We did one 40 km round trip on our bikes to the neighbouring community of Wellington however, where we had a picnic.

The highlight of this past week was the wildflowers. I cannot pass a flower-lined trail to the beach without following it to the water.  

There, just off-shore in Bedeque Bay, Bonaparte’s Gulls looked at home. They are common visitors this time of year. 

A Great Blue Heron visited the area near the salt marsh as well.

Down another such trail, someone took the time to make and install the Boardwalk Inn for squirrels and birds alike. The Inn is in a prime location.

Along the boardwalk, the wildflowers are so tall they tower over our heads. 

This Joe Pye weed approaches three metres high at least!

This ball of fluff was at the end of a lead held by a woman walking a fast pace.

It was everything the little dog could do to keep up with the owner. As the dog passed, she looked over at my husband and me, panting as she went. The little dog was giving it her all! Adorable!

A horse was in a farmyard along the Confederation Trail. This one had a visitor.

At Wellington, during our bike ride, we had lunch at the park by the Grand River.

The area was quiet with a few children at the playground and workers doing some repairs on one of the buildings. Sitting there having lunch in the sun, it was peaceful, far from the worries of the world.

Finally today, my husband’s cousin visited this past week. He is a bike enthusiast and came by on his Harley. 

It is a beauty, though a bit too big for my husband who couldn’t hold it up. If he ever gets a motorcycle, which is his dream, it will have to be a three wheeler. 

I wish you peace this week!