December twilight

 

Last week was a quiet though enjoyable week for us here in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Early last week, I drove my friend to an appointment in Charlottetown, about 60 kilometres away. The difference in the weather in that distance was noteworthy as we drove through blizzard-like conditions with snow and drifting. There was lots of snow on the ground in Charlottetown. Meanwhile in Summerside, up to Christmas Day, we didn’t have snow.

However, the early part of last week, there was still a great deal of ice in the bay. One morning, we spotted the Canadian Coast Guard Icebreaker, *Ann Harvey in the bay. 

She is a light icebreaker and we usually see her in port this time of year prior to the arrival of a cargo ship. Sure enough, a cargo vessel, the Oslo Bulk 3 came into port that night and stayed over Christmas. The vessel blends in with the dock in the muted December light.

On cloudy days, twilight is a good description of the light we have when the sun doesn’t shine. It creates conditions perfect for crepuscular rays through breaks in the clouds which were visible as we walked the boardwalk on Christmas Eve. Seeing the rays always reminds me of the hymn Silent Night, particularly the line, “glories stream from heaven afar.” It was lovely to see the rays on Christmas Eve.

The Bald Eagle pair was enjoying the area last week too, one in its sub-let from the Osprey 

and another along the boardwalk near the marsh. 

These were two different birds, according to the eye markings present in the first one and absent in the second. Sadly, another of the trees the birds frequented has succumbed to the high wind in the last week.

While the snow returned Christmas Day, the wind was off-shore again, taking ice out of much of the bay. It will be back shortly if current conditions continue.

The Blue Jays along the boardwalk entertain walkers every day. They especially enjoy 

peanuts and always have a sentinel watching to alert others when peanuts are left for them.

We had a quiet Christmas and rested up for festivities this coming week. Our grandchildren will be staying overnight tomorrow and we will celebrate with the family on New Year’s Eve and Day.

Have a great week. Enjoy the celebrations, if you partake.

Peace!

*The ship’s namesake, Ann Harvey, was a young girl from Isle aux Morts, Newfoundland. Ann, with her father, brother and the family dog, rescued passengers and crew from two distressed vessels near their community in the early 1800s.

A mild week to Christmas

It was a busy week. Christmas shopping is complete including groceries. I managed to get things done in spite of a painful hip. The hip in question is not the one I’ve had issues with for years but the same exercises, which helped the other hip, help this one. It is a work in progress.

Our daughter and I went shopping one day and picked up R to have lunch with us at our favourite Japanese restaurant. It was nice to share a meal with our young woman, a busy wife, mother and nurse. 

It was her birthday recently too. The day she was born in central Newfoundland, there was a snowstorm. Coincidentally, her husband, from Prince Edward Island, was born one day earlier than our girl, also in a snowstorm. The weather conditions for his birth continued east to welcome our baby girl. The two storm babies met years later. They celebrate together each year now.

Every time we three are together, someone quotes my mother. Mom had a saying for everything and one of us will speak as Mary would, to which the others will say, “Yes, Mary.” It is comforting that we carry Mary with us to this day. To me, she represents all those who went before, those who touched our lives and even those long gone, whose names are lost to time but whose genes we carry. They are part of us and I appreciate them and this life.

On the Winter Solstice yesterday, we walked the boardwalk at sunset. 

There still is ice in the bay although the snow is gone from the land after warmer temperatures last week. The boardwalk was bare though icy in the cool evening air. 

We walked on the rocks and grass to be safe as we watched the sun disappear below the clouds.

Orange from the sunken sun spread upward into the blue.

It disappeared as the darkness deepened. Patches of open water in the bay reflected the clouds, 

dramatically in places as we walked to the car.

We are scheduled for snow later this week so these mild conditions are temporary. However, we have learned to appreciate/accept what is, while it is. It makes life so much more enjoyable. 

Have a great week everyone and for those who are celebrating, Happy Hanukkah, or Merry Christmas.

The colour of sunset

During a chance encounter on the boardwalk this past week, my granddaughter and I met a young man who had taken photos of the sunset that evening. I had picked up our eldest grand-girl from band practice and we had noticed the beautiful red-orange sky. However by the time we stopped on the way home, the light was gone.

The young man, Nick S., saw us taking photos post sunset 

and shared his beautiful sunset photos with us.

It is with his permission I share the four photos here.

Nick took his photos at 4:28 pm. 

                                                                       

                                                                 Holey Mackerel     

Fifteen minutes later, this was the scene.

The ripples on the sea show the slushy ice on the water.

The hint of colour is all that remains.

The next evening, my husband and I walked in the bitter cold at sunset 

as the sun slipped below the horizon. 

The bay was iced over that evening, and the orange hue lingered above the horizon behind the lighthouse. 

In other news, this past week was a busy one with Christmas shopping on the agenda. While I’m not finished, I have a good start on the shopping and managed to get parcels sent via courier. I will finish this week if all goes according to plan.

We also had a great day with our grandchildren when we did our annual decorating of the tree. We had hot chicken sandwiches for supper that evening and cranberry sauce made the menu as well. One of the girls loves making the sauce and really enjoys it with chicken or turkey. R made an ice cream cake for dessert which everyone enjoyed.

The kids each have specific decorations they look to hang on the tree. We talked about how they will divide their favourites among themselves when Nanny and Poppy no longer need them. They will keep our tradition going.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Icy waters

The latter part of last week was snowy, windy and cold. On such December days when the harbour begins to ice over,

the damp cold feels like it reaches one’s bones. 

The week didn’t start that way. It had been cold and windy but the snow was minimal and nothing stayed on the ground. Ice in the bay wasn’t a possibility until Wednesday when temperatures plummeted  and changed everything. Schools were closed, roads were treacherous, the wind howled, snow fell and drifted while ice formed in the bay.

The boardwalk, though plowed and salted, required one’s attention, watching for icy spots as we ventured forward.

We had Daisy, the golden grand-dog visiting for a few days and we walked with her one day, in spite of the cold. 

That day, we saw the boardwalk’s resident male Bald Eagle, 

sat in the Osprey nest it is subletting for the fall and winter. 

Further in the bay, a cargo vessel which has been in port this past week, looks as if it may require the work of an ice breaker if it stays in port much longer. 

The December sun, hidden behind the cloud cover, gives the impression of twilight to the late morning scene.

Meanwhile, at home, a Red Fox which resides in our area, was busy one morning, hunting in the snow for a morning snack. 

We usually see it on our security camera as it hunts at night. A day-time sighting is a real treat.

I hope to do my Christmas shopping locally this week and get parcels in the mail. I hope you have a great week too.

November light

We had a sprinkle of snow overnight late last week which made me curious about previous years. I found this photo from November 24, 2018, showing snow on the ground and ice in the harbour. We have a cold, snowy week in the forecast so I expect we will see more of scenes like this…

                                                                      November 24, 2018

The November light was the highlight this past week, as cloud cover, which sometimes teased us with sun trying to break through, made for interesting skies. From Bedeque Bay looking out into the Northumberland Strait, sea and sky made a painting which was a testament to the skill of the artist. From the sparkle of the water to the texture of the cloud cover amid the shades of blue, the beauty of the setting caused one to pause to take it in.

Meanwhile, in the salt marsh by the bay, an American Black Duck puffed its feathers against the cold air.

Another day, my husband and I visited the National Park at Cavendish where we parked in Cavendish Grove and walked to the beach and back.

It was another cold day and overcast but without wind. The November light resembled twilight but in the late morning.   

The Lake of Shining Waters, as described so beautifully by author, L. M. Montgomery over a hundred years ago, sits behind the dunes in the soft light, framed by the conifers, grasses and rose hips.

On the way home that day, we passed several flocks of birds resting in the plowed autumn fields. Gulls in two fields and Canada Geese in two others, were in no rush to do anything that day.

We walked in the Rotary Friendship Park last week where it was interesting to see green deciduous leaves framing the entrance to one of the woodland trails. These are the only such leaves we’ve seen in our area recently.

Along the boardwalk later last week, the resident Bald Eagle landed in the area it often frequents. It was a wet windy day and I didn’t bring my camera though R took two good photos on his cell phone. 

I really like the detail visible on the wing feathers in this photo.

In the salt marsh yesterday, two Mallard pairs made interesting patterns on the surface of the water.

Finally this week, yesterday, a male Woodpecker found its way into our daughter’s house through a briefly opened door. She and the children worked to capture the bird safely and release it successfully. It was an exciting time for everyone involved.

Happy December, everyone!