A week in November

The weather this past week has been an interesting combination of clear skies, wind, rain and minuscule snowballs from above. My husband and I walked through it all, enjoying whatever nature offered us, revelling in our ability to do it. Every experience in nature has something new to offer and we continue to look for it and enjoy it as long as we can.  

This view of North Rustico was on a windy day at low tide. The high wind made it difficult to hold the camera steady though the scene was peaceful.

The Millman Heritage Road is a place we visit seasonally. The road is cut deep into the red soil in an area where homesteads once thrived. The road is lined now with deciduous trees, providing a natural border for the fields which continue to be farmed. In more protected areas, leaves still cling to the trees for another few days. 

This year, silage grew in those fields and was recently harvested.  

From the Millman Road we visited the New London Lighthouse, where the path to the beach always draws us onward. 

Since lobster season is long over, most of those boats have been pulled out of the water by now. However mussel boats still can be seen pursuing their trade for another few weeks before the sea freezes for this winter. Here at New London lighthouse, the boats steer into a channel close to the shoreline where the channel is deep.

There, on an overcast day, the light breaking through the clouds gave the impression that the sun is drawing water as is the common saying. It was difficult to photograph however.

Another windy day, we stopped at the mouth of the Wilmot River where it empties into Bedeque Bay. This is a favourite area of birds, especially at low tide this time of year. Thousands of Canada Geese and various species of ducks were enjoying the protected area. 

American Wigeons were a new species for me.

Later that day, we stopped at the Malpeque basin on our way to Malpeque and watched gulls and ducks in the bay. On the opposite shore, what looked like an observation deck had two people watching a flock of ducks as they took flight. 

At the wharf at Malpeque, several mussel boats were tied up. 

We walked to Cabot beach and watched another boat make its way through the sandy channel into the harbour.

The colours of the sand and the autumn Marram grass make a beautiful backdrop for driftwood on the beach. 

On our way home, we stopped at a field where a donkey grazed near the road. It was curious and watched me as I photographed it. 

My last photo today is of the salt marsh along the boardwalk where we walk most days. It is snowing in this photo which shows as faint lines over the water areas especially.

Island news:

In a troubled world which causes so much worry these days, there are times we are reminded in our own lives how fortunate we are. This message popped up on social media on the island this past week. “Notice! Two cows running east on Kilkenny.” It can be quite dangerous suddenly to come upon a cow on the road. This is what we have to be on the lookout for on PEI, roaming farm animals. We smile and appreciate our island home.

On a personal note:

My husband’s Aunt Marie died this past week. Marie was more like a sister to my husband as the youngest of his father’s siblings. The two had some great childhood memories together and we were close through most of the years since.

Marie was a single mother who worked hard and raised a wonderful son. She had a super daughter-in-law and two handsome talented grandsons. Marie died after a short battle with cancer.

We miss her already!