A week in October

The past week we had a picnic day in the Bedeque region across the bay from Summerside. We also walked the boardwalk and the Rotary Friendship Park trails which we especially enjoyed due to the autumn colour. 

The ferns are beginning to look rusty as they pass their “best by” date.

It was a sunny day but the wind was high when we visited the far side of the bay. The Indian Head Lighthouse and the breakwater which reaches for it, were pounded by the sea that day. The breech of the breakwater was obvious at high tide.

Later that morning, we visited the Seacow Head Lighthouse which stands on a headland from which one can see the Confederation Bridge. 

People jump off these cliffs,

necessitating the signs against swimming on days with whitecaps in the water. 

Further east along the shoreline we stopped at the park at Chelton Beach, which was closed for the season. From our lunch spot outside the gate, we watched potato harvesters in a field across the road. 

The fields are dry this year and dust blew away with the breeze. The potato truck driver must have been happy to be on his way from the field.

I walked through a field to an area overlooking the beach. In the distance, Seacow Head was visible through the foggy mist. 

The beach is inaccessible 

due to the absence of stairs at this time of year so it kept me from exploring further.

Our last stop was at the lookout further along the coast at St. Peter’s Church at Seven Mile Bay. The bell is an interesting addition to the scene.

I like the softness of the foreground of the following photo as the bridge rises out of the foggy air.

The wind is a significant factor affecting life on the island. When the wind is on-shore from the south as it was on Wednesday, the sea is rough. 

When the wind is from the northwest, off the land as it was on Thursday, the sea is calm.

The same setting can look different at low tide too.

And everywhere we go, the red maple leaves are reminders of our country. It is an important part of our Thanksgiving celebrations with family later today.

To fellow Canadians, have a great Thanksgiving! And no matter where you are in this amazing world, I wish you a wonderful week!

This past month

It’s almost a month since I last posted or spent time visiting blog friends. I am glad to be back today and look forward to catching up with everyone. Hope the last month was good for you too.

My brother and his family visited in September and it was wonderful to catch up with family and spend time together on Prince Edward Island. Islands are part of our DNA and it felt natural to spend time on the beaches and trails by the sea, even bass fishing. 

We spoke of our parents and shared great memories of them, our grandparents and our lives in Newfoundland. We realize our good fortune to have our spouses, children and grandchildren. While our family is small the bonds are strong and formed from love through the generations.

There are many photos to share from the last month, as walks continued on the trails and beaches. Most tourists are gone now and many cottagers have closed their beachside retreats for another season. Our visit to the beach at Brander’s Pond with family was on a beautiful mid September day where feathered friends greeted us by the stream.

The sea stack, one of my favourite island scenes with the coastline in the background, made the walk along that beach memorable. 

My brother and husband stayed home the night the women went bass fishing at Cousin’s Shore. Our daughter and her husband joined us there and their expertise helped us catch three bass, though undersized and returned to the sea. 

This is the fish caught by our twelve year old granddaughter, the first of the night. 

She loves fishing and has been known to stay until midnight happily fishing with the adults. She may have inherited some of those fishing genes from her  ancestors, like her mother before her.

Another day, we picked peaches at Arlington Orchard, just west of Summerside. The peaches are a new crop for that orchard which grows numerous varieties of apples too. A dessert of peach crisp was so good at a family meal that evening.

We also visited the lighthouses at New London 

and Victoria by the Sea 

as well as the beach at Mont Carmel just west of Summerside. At low tide, the beach appears to go on forever.

Through the entire month, birds charmed us too. The Great Blue Herons in Bedeque Bay entertained my brother and me one day as the rest of the family walked the boardwalk.

Another day I watched as one of the giant birds fished for a mid morning snack in the salt marsh.

One of the feeders near the western end of the boardwalk is frequented by a Ruffed Grouse. My husband and I always consider ourselves lucky if we see it.

In the salt marsh this past month, a pair of Wilson’s Snipes spent some time as they prepared for their journey south. 

Nearby, the vacated Osprey nest was enjoyed by the pair of Bald Eagles which live in the area. The male is the larger bird on the left and the one I have photographed numerous times.

Meanwhile, along the trails now, the autumn colour gives me pause. Along the trails at the Rotary Friendship Park in Summerside, the ferns provided such interesting ground cover as their autumn transformations are well underway.

Many trees vie for attention. 

Along the Dunk River Trail the sound of the river and the beauty of the scenes are captivating and make for long walks with many pauses.

Everywhere now, the red maple leaves stand out among the vegetation, reminding us of our flag and our country. Autumn is such a beautiful time of year.

I hope you have a wonderful week, be it autumn or spring where you live! Enjoy!

September hiatus

This is a particularly busy month for our family. We have visitors and work being done at our home. I will be taking a blog break of several weeks and hope to return in October. 

This photo was taken at the beach at North Rustico, Prince Edward Island last week. 

Enjoy the remainder of September.

As autumn approaches

It was a busy tourist season on Prince Edward Island this year. My husband and I stayed close to home during the season but look forward to excursions around the island again soon. With school starting this week, the tourist numbers always drop in September as families get back to the school routine for another year.  

Meanwhile, as summer draws to a close, mid morning has long shadows on the boardwalk as the sun sinks lower in the sky. 

Trees are showing early changes from such a dry summer and approaching autumn.

We started the week with the golden grand-dog, Daisy, while her family was camping. We take her to the Confederation Trail most days, where she can run free when there are no other walkers. A chance photo one day looked like a crow was on the dog’s head.

We discovered a field of sunflowers on our way home one day and stopped to take some photos. This sign at the entrance to the field was such a lovely gesture by the owners. 

            Please take just what you can enjoy/use.

The centre bloom came home with us. In the field, the overcast day saw many of the blooms with their faces pointed upwards for maximum light. 

Birds are busy along the Confederation Trail these days as the shrubs and trees are bearing fruit. The European Starlings are busy among the Mountain Ash berries 

while a Common Yellowthroat flew to the trees from the newly harvested fields. 

We saw the Bald Eagle above the boardwalk again this past week, once in its usual location. 

The second time it was further west on the trail in a new location. 

Again there were feathers in the salt marsh, likely the remnants of an Eagle’s meal there.

It is interesting to see the Eagle sat in the old trees. When you’re the apex predator, you don’t need the cover provided by leaves. 

Our grandchildren stayed overnight last week too. As always, we go to the boardwalk for a walk and to feed the animals with them which they really enjoy. 

Their grandfather had a hoverboard for them which everyone enjoyed. I was the only one who didn’t try it out. He also made an ice cream cake for them which I did try however.

One day, various species of birds, Ducks, Yellowlegs and Sandpipers were feeding at the mouth of the stream. 

It is  always fascinating to see the various species get along as they go about their business. There is a lot we can learn from them.

Also late last week, the Great Blue Herons returned to Bedeque Bay. They have been missing for several weeks, I suspect because they were molting.

One day, we counted 19 of the beauties fishing at low tide, stretched across an area of the bay which parallels the main street. 

I could only manage a photo of 12 of them in one shot. Groups of them in silhouette had to suffice.

Finally this week, a nod to the Hickory Tussock Moth, a relative newcomer to Prince Edward Island. On the boardwalk last week, 

I was fascinated with its symmetry as it walked along ahead of me. I later learned the hairs can cause skin irritation in some people so I was glad I had merely photographed it.

I hope this week you have some time to notice the little things. By the way, it might not be a good idea to touch them.