Cavendish revisited

Just off-shore, two fishers work to flush oysters. The tasty molluscs grow in brackish water which is often sandy. Sandy oysters wouldn’t be marketable so fishers immerse them in clear sea water for a time to flush out the sand before the morsels are sent to market. 

We could see the cages with the oysters. This area is in New London Bay, tucked behind the sandspit at the western end of Cavendish Beach.

My husband and I had loaded our bikes and headed for the national park at Cavendish in Prince Edward Island. It is one of our favourite places to cycle and we visit often. There is always something different and interesting to see as we ride. This oyster cleansing was a first for us.

On the way to the Homestead Trail, we pass a patch of giant Cow Parsnip, 

which is at least waist height now. It resembles Queen Anne’s Lace which we haven’t seen yet this year.

Overhead, the contrails are back. 

Skies above Prince Edward Island are usually full of air traffic from across the Atlantic and the rest of North America. This past year, the contrails have been missing. Seeing them this day is a hopeful sign about returning to pre-Covid life.

The Homestead Trail is bumpier than we remember but it adds a new element to the journey. The canopy covers the trail in places and the bumpy downhill ride through light and dancing shadows makes us laugh when we compare experiences at the bottom of the hill.

Wildflowers abound, 

a succession of colour and variety, so we stop often. Beautiful floral faces reach for the sun. Rose bushes line a picnic area. 

Was a homestead here at one time?

Wild Madder is everywhere along the trail. 

Also known as Smooth Bedstraw, early settlers used it for mattress stuffing. It is also a source of dye and today pharmaceutical companies research its bioactive ingredients. Of course, it was used in traditional medicine.

Later, beside the Lake of Shining Waters, lupins reach for the sky too, with the dunes of Cavendish in the background.

Meanwhile, we notice the sea arch at MacNeills Brook is widening. How long until a sea stack is formed? 

Geological succession is fascinating too. 

A day at the park

We’ve spent time in the National Park here on Prince Edward Island recently and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Besides time at Cavendish Grove, we walked some trails and had our grandson with us one day. We will return again soon.

It was great fun to have the three year old with us, to share his joy in life and to see life from his perspective. He observed the three pairs of geese who live in the Grove this time of year, watched a squirrel feeding nearby and listened intently to the peepers and other frogs as they continued their serenade. Strangely, the frogs were quiet for a few minutes as we ate lunch before they started up again. A pair of the geese were unconcerned about us dining nearby.

We watched as crows flew to the bank to gobble up some frogs to which our grandson said, “That’s not very nice.” 

It takes some thought to explain the food chain to a three year old. He listened and moved on to the next experience.

He rode in his wagon and his grandfather and I took turns pulling him over the trails or joined him as he hopped with enthusiasm over fallen trees in the glade. We had Georgie, the eleven year old golden retriever with us too and she sniffed every blade of grass along the way. It was a leisurely walk on a cold but sunny day.

It was especially fun for our boy to ride on the bridge over the Lake of Shining Waters, otherwise know as MacNeills Pond,

located just behind the dunes at Cavendish Beach. 

We watched mallards on the pond as I took some photos. I love this area.

Recreational fishing season started mid month so except for one other visitor, we were alone in the park that day. Meanwhile, every pond, stream and bog hole on our way to the park had anglers busy casting for that big one. I don’t understand that quest but the quiet time in nature is appealing of course.

To the beach

During our recent visit to Cavendish Grove, after a picnic, my husband and I walked to the beach. A trail from the Grove to the beach runs through the trees and takes you near the Lake of Shining Waters. From there it’s a short walk to the shore.

The trail passes through an area where the trees provide a canopy and shadows dance on the path. 

In an open area of trail, 

trees are in bloom as apple and chokecherry 

display their spring beauty. Along this path, forget-me-nots appear through the woods, 

providing a gentle hint of blue through the undergrowth. Where they line the path, their tiny blue and white flowers are easy to remember.

Bees are plentiful on the apple blossoms and on the last of the dandelions before they go to seed.

Before long the sand dunes and the floating walkway on the Lake of Shining Waters lie ahead. 

From there it’s a short walk to the beach. Since we had the golden grand dog with us, we didn’t go on the beach because dogs aren’t permitted this time of year. We had a look though.

In this stage of the Covid opening, public bathrooms in the park are not open. I hope the next stage of opening rectifies this problem, otherwise park personnel will have a different concern.

We walked back to the car at the Grove and watched a Mallard and her ducklings for a few minutes before we left for home. 

It was another great visit to one of our favourite places.

,

Wildflowers

It’s that time of year again when the roads, fields and waterways are full of or lined with wildflowers. Among my favourites are lupins and Blue-flag irises.

Lupins are not native to Prince Edward Island and are considered an invasive species. They are native to western Canada and somehow made their way to this island on the east coast. They line the roads and hillsides is their variously coloured glory although purple is the dominant colour.

Driving down an old country road cut deep into the red soil, the lupins add colour to the roadside. 

The purples outnumber pinks and whites 

but all are enjoyed by bees and other pollinators. 

The lupins by The Lake of Shining Waters, also known as MacNeil’s Pond, line the foreground with the dunes of Cavendish Beach in the background. This scene is a seasonal treat.

Blue-flag irises like water and grow along river banks and ponds. They are a native species on this island and remind me of my home island Newfoundland. These irises grew by the river in Maddox Cove when I was young. 

The flowers are interesting in all their blueish-purple glory. The bud is royal blue and the sepals on the flowers have yellow and white markings. 

An individual flower is beautiful but a patch is mpressive in its natural setting.

While summer has much to recommend it, among its best attributes are the little things such as the wildflowers.

A gaggle revisited

A return visit to Cavendish Grove to visit a gaggle of geese did not disappoint though we didn’t see them until we were ready to leave. When we arrived, we checked the basin and the pond where a goose had nested, then the upper pond where we had seen the geese during our last visit. No geese. 

My husband’s mother was visiting from Newfoundland and we brought a picnic lunch with us which we enjoyed in the burgeoning green of the grove. 

Afterwards, we walked to Cavendish Beach. It was a lovely sunny day with a bit of a cool breeze, perfect for a walk.

On our return to the car, the four geese and eight goslings were in the pond where the nesting island is located. 

We were delighted to see them and quietly stood at a distance to take some photos. The geese were wary of our presence nonetheless. They left that pond and crossed the path to the basin. 

The goslings are growing wings now and their colour is darker with each day. They ate the reeds they pulled up from the water and swam around with the adults.

We will return to look for them again.

Update:

We visited twice since then. The first time there was a gaggle of geese, two adults and nine geese, not the group we had seen before.

The second time, there weren’t any geese.

The Lake of Shining Waters is within walking distance of these small ponds. Could the adults, who would be molting now, have led the goslings to the large gaggle which always congregates there?

We plan to visit the lake to look for goslings.