We recently visited one of our favourite lighthouses at New London, Prince Edward Island. A picnic by the old lighthouse was in order before the tour buses returned to the area again.
I met a young woman recently who grew up in French River, near this lighthouse. She referred to it as the Yankee Hill Lighthouse. I knew the reference from my previous research of the area.
The Yankee Gale as it was known, occurred in 1851. I wrote about it previously
here.The Americans were buried all across the North Shore of the island. Some are buried on the hill above this lighthouse, hence the term Yankee Hill Lighthouse. The unidentified Americans were buried in unmarked graves near the Pioneer Cemetery which we visited last year.
On this day, as we had our lunch by the old lighthouse, tucked in behind the dunes, we could hear the boats motor past as they headed into port.
On the left, last year’s cattails swayed in the breeze. Numerous male Red winged blackbirds flitted around, sometimes landing on the seed heads.
The birds balanced themselves with their wings, sang songs and made their unique whistles as the pods swayed.
Overhead, we watched confrontations between the blackbirds and crows. The crows appeared to pose a threat to the blackbird nests among the cattails. Any time a crow approached an area of cattails, a blackbird or two dived towards it, warding off the crow. It was a lesson in bird protectionism.
Around the lighthouse, vegetation sprang to life, taking advantage of the extra daylight and warmer temperatures. The area was full of life if one looked and listened.
Though the old light has been automated for years, some things haven’t changed. Nature goes about her business as people come and go. Looking down over the old lighthouse from the hill is a beautiful resting place.