Summer breeze

After falling off my bike each of the last two years, I have been reluctant to ride again. However nervous I am, my husband is more so. He was behind me both times I went down and he can’t get the images out of his mind. Three summers ago, we rode across the island and back, a distance of 450 kilometres. The following year, I had the first fall.

I have worked up the courage to ride again however. My injury from the fall last April healed by the end of last autumn and I was ready. We started small, riding around a nearby neighbourhood during the day when there wasn’t much traffic. 

We added a few kilometres every day as my confidence grew. Then we tried the Confederation Trail again.

The day we rode on the trail, it was overcast but the sun was determined to break through the cloud cover. Summer light was bright but not brilliant as on a clear sky day. I concentrated on the riding, however it was impossible not to notice the green glow all around. We stopped to take it in, the wind rustling the leaves and the birdsong. Sitting there on our bikes, one felt at peace in a setting where worldly cares don’t exist. 

Riding along that trail, pushing through the fresh air, creating your own breeze in addition to the natural one is a great pleasure and privilege. You are serenaded by the birds and, if you’re lucky, you see the songsters cross the trail occasionally. Robins are frequent visitors. We’ve seen hares, foxes and squirrels too.  As I rode along that day, a chipmunk ran into its burrow along the side of the trail.

The above photos were taken with my husband’s cell phone. I don’t take my camera on the bike out of an abundance of caution!

We also walked the boardwalk near the marina in the harbour at Summerside this past week. 

The marina is busy again this summer. Beyond the breakwater in the distance, two sailboats caught the July breeze. 

Along that section of boardwalk, an apartment building is under construction along the shoreline. There are three huge shipping containers on the edge of the construction site. Wildflowers softened the look of the ugly containers.

People encroach on nature but she adapts…for now. Meanwhile we enjoy the summer breeze every chance we have and don’t take a minute for granted.

Summer heat

On the way to the beach at Belmont Park with the golden grand-dog, we pass Clarks Creek which runs through a cattle pasture. 

Where the creek crosses the road, a shady area is frequented by the cattle. On this particular hot and humid day, the cattle were in the same area on our way home from the beach several hours later.

Several farms in the area have horses as well.

A recent news story on the Prince Edward Island tells of the tails of horses being cut off overnight by thieves while the horses were in a field near a farmer’s barn. Luckily, these two escaped that fate. Such a theft is difficult to understand.

Around 5 a.m. one morning, my husband looked out to see this visitor in our neighbour’s garden at the back of our garden. 

We will have to be careful when the golden grand-dog visits again for a two weeks soon. 

During one of our walks along the boardwalk this past week we saw a Garter Snake along the way. As we watched, it must have sensed us there and headed into the weed and stayed there.

Did it feel hidden like that though its back part was exposed? We can only wonder…

A momma Black Duck is in the stream by the boardwalk with three ducklings these days.

We didn’t see the ducklings when they were smaller this year, until now. Maybe she had them out and about later in the day than we’ve been walking recently.

The area’s Great Blue Heron is back in the marsh again, 

though content to stand silently among the grasses on Sunday morning.

We saw our first Yellowlegs for this year as well. It was well camouflaged among the seaweeds.

Also this week, as we walked to the car from the boardwalk, I spotted this newborn. It was about 30 mm or 1 1/4 inches in length. From what we can determine, it was possibly a newborn mouse. 

It probably was taken from its nest by an opportunistic predator and dropped on the sidewalk. I hope at least momma mouse survived.

Finally, the succession of wildflowers continues this summer and with the rain and heat we’ve had, the blooms are thriving. I especially love the scenes of flowers with the sea behind them.

However, a field of blooms is pretty special too.

July beauty

The golden grand-dog stayed over last week and my husband and I took her to beaches for morning walks before the worst of the heat and humidity. It has been hot, humid and wet from bouts of rain between beautiful sunny periods. Farmers are loving it.

On the beach, 

Daisy, the golden retriever is in her element. 

Toss a ball in the water and that dog will return it endlessly. 

We always tire before she does. 

Driving through the countryside this time of year, one is struck by the bounty of food growing in the fields. Already the potatoes are in blossom, 

much earlier than I remember on my grandfather’s farm when I was a child.

Fields of grain are waving in the breeze. 

Yellow blossoms of canola and mustard spread across the countryside and make us smile.

Another day along the boardwalk, we noticed the raindrops cling to the vegetation after the rain stopped briefly. 

The drops are reluctant to leave too.

On the home front, a family of four foxes lives in our neighbourhood. When the young ones were finally out and about, we often see them near our house. I especially love this photo showing but two tails of the young ones and the red and black foxes which were more completely visible. 

The black variation of the red fox is commonly known as a silver fox.

July has much to offer which the rest of the year cannot quite match.

Early July on the island

Every summer we hope to spend a day with our daughter and grandchildren at Canoe Cove. It isn’t always an easy day to plan because of the month of vacation out of the province the family has every year. Then dance camps fit around those plans. Besides, you have to plan a Canoe Cove visit around the tide schedule.

The Cove is an indentation in the coastline along the south shore of Prince Edward island on the Northumberland Strait. We arrived just after high tide and in time for a picnic lunch in the park. By the time we’d finished lunch and the youngest two had enjoyed the playground, patches of sand were appearing in the Cove from the falling tide. A small flock of Great Blue Herons had settled into the inner part of the Cove below the fields.

The girls and I watched Cabbage White Butterflies as they flitted from flower to flower along the perimeter of the park. I took numerous photos and eventually managed this one which shows an eye and its proboscis, a straw-like tube which a butterfly uses to extract nectar from blossoms.

We established ourselves on the sand and before long the falling tide exposed sand patches and tidal pools around the cove. 

Off shore, one could walk out a great distance and still be knee deep in the water.

While the others enjoyed the water, I followed the shoreline to where I had previously seen Bank Swallows. Before long, I came upon the bank area where part of the flock is nesting this year. 

I watched silently from a distance as bird after bird entered and exited the holes. I captured several with the camera and while they aren’t great shots, I was pleased to have any photo of these great birds.

Daisy, the golden grand-dog was with us on the beach and she loves time in the water. 

The water in Canoe Cove is as warm as bath water so everyone enjoys going for a dip there.

Meanwhile, we walked between the raindrops several days last week. Early morning was a good way to avoid the worst of the humidity. It will be brutal the early part of this week as well.

And as always, the succession of wildflowers continues as we make our way through nature’s beauty.