Summer distractions

Last week was busy but lovely with many distractions. We walked the boardwalk, the Confederation Trail and enjoyed two provincial parks. Daisy was with us at Belmont Park and enjoyed playing in the water at high tide.

Most days were sunny with the wind blowing which made it perfect for picnics last week. The mosquitoes can’t compete with the wind which is always a bonus. 

Even when we don’t leave home for a picnic, we eat on our patio at every opportunity. We will have to move indoors soon enough when the temperature drops, the wind howls and the snow falls. Such is life in eastern Canada. For now though, meals are outside, under an umbrella or in a park under a tree. It is a beautiful time of year!

It was a great week in nature. Nearby a piece of land is for sale and the lot is covered in Queen Anne’s Lace. Walking past, with the breeze blowing the blooms, one is mesmerized by the white sea.

Along the boardwalk, in the salt marsh, Great Blue Herons drop by occasionally. This one looked to be laughing.

In Malpeque Bay later last week, this Great Blue had its mouth open too. Seeing two of these birds with open mouths was unusual, the second one looking as if it is in conversation.

Near the boardwalk is an Osprey nest which a pair of birds call home every summer. Early next month the birds will head south again, but for now they are raising their young which we expect to see any day. Meanwhile, the birds take turns watching the young ones and the mother had her eyes on something nearby as I took her photo from across the street. 

Twice last week we saw the same young fox on a lot between two houses across from the boardwalk. We wonder if people are feeding it.

The second time we saw it, two teeth were visible due to the way it was seated. We call it Boots because of its black legs.

One day, as I was stopped to talk to someone along the boardwalk, we watched as this adult Bald Eagle flew into an old snag it frequents. It flew off after a few minutes but not before I captured a photo.

One can see a tiny Black-capped Chickadee within minutes of seeing the huge Eagle. Birds are so varied, they make a wonderful study!

The island is alive with shorebirds now as numerous birds of various sizes stop on the island to feed in preparation for their journeys south. 

Yellowlegs are a common sight in the salt marsh and along the beach. They were joined this past week by Semipalmated Plovers, 

Black Bellied Plovers 

and Semipalmated Sandpipers. 

We will visit various beaches to see some of the avian visitors over the next month or more.

The scene at the wharf in Malpeque last week shows some boats still in the water although the lobster season is over in that area. Mussel boats are still active in the area.

We had a picnic at Cabot Beach and walked the shoreline as the tide went out. It is sad to see how much damage is done to the shoreline as the sand is washed away, leaving the vegetation to fall onto the beach. The rate of erosion is alarming.

I am happy to share some good news from the island too. Our daughter was Bass fishing last week and sent beautiful photos of the area on the north shore. She and her husband waited for low tide to walk to the sand bars. 

There were lots of migrating shorebirds there, including Piping Plovers. They are a threatened and endangered species which is increasing in numbers nesting on Prince Edward Island every year. 

I wish you a great week, filled with your favourite distractions.

April to May

Lobster season began recently and it draws us to the sea every spring. 

My husband and I went to the New London Lighthouse this year, 

one of our favourite places where boats are so close to land in the channel. 

One will always find Cormorants and Gulls in that area. One Cormorant flew off in front of a mussel boat which was headed to port.

We picnicked at Cavendish Grove that day, 

enjoying the beef stew I made for the occasion. Later we walked towards the coast, passing an Osprey nest which was occupied as its partner ate nearby.

Last week I saw my first Merlin, which was a thrill! However I have seen it since along the boardwalk and fear for the Song Sparrows in the area. Merlin’s can grab their prey right out of the sky.

One evening, my friend and I did another Owl Prowl without any luck. We did see lots of woodpeckers that evening near the Dunk River though. 

My friend and I will go another evening soon. The old dirt roads are waiting.

One morning, as my husband and I prepared for our walk, we saw a fox across the street. We don’t usually see them in the day, but this time of year, when foxes are feeding their young, we often see them hunting in the area in daylight. It was a foggy morning which affected the clarity of the photo but this fox has something in its mouth, probably food for its young.

Another day, when we arrived at the end of the boardwalk, two large hares were eating in the grass there. They were both brown except for their feet and lower legs which looked like white boots. Another walker with a dog scared them off before we could get better photos. 

It was a rainy day which required use of an iPhone for photos. Such circumstances almost guarantee we will see some interesting creature and struggle to take photos.

Finally today, I am struck with how adaptable seniors have to be to continue to have any quality of life. With diminishing senses and bodily functions, declining mental acuity and physical ability, life requires we adapt.

A friend told me recently she didn’t want to adapt. We talked about what she wanted for her life at this point in time. If she didn’t adapt, her life would get much smaller, confined to the house. By the next week, she had come to terms with the conditions she faces. She has adapted.

In some respects, we become invisible as we get older, an afterthought in society which bustles around us. However, we are here, adapting to life as it is for us at this stage. Just give us a few minutes!

September on the island

It was a busy week during which we did some of our usual September activities. Of course my husband and I also walked the boardwalk some days too. Each excursion had highlights which made the experience memorable, like the planters at Arlington Orchard.

One of our family activities in September every year is a trip to the apple orchard. 

Our daughter and grandchildren always enjoy apple picking and the old folks tag along for the adventure. It rained in the morning that day so we didn’t have the usual picnic lunch but we enjoyed time with the family nonetheless. The day ended at the zip line, followed by ice cream.

Early last week, we discovered a young fox along the boardwalk. We watched for several minutes in two locations as the fox observed us. We took dozens of photos, but these are my favourite, a smile, 

and the soft look of the fuzzy fur.

The next day we drove to nearby Tyne Valley. The hilly trail, unusual for the island is one I find challenging. One area has a stream running through, and the water reflects the trees and the sky.

Another day on the boardwalk, two Great Blue Herons were fishing in Bedeque Bay at low tide. We watched them fly around in the bay and took lots of photos, including this favourite I call blue reflection.

Cousin’s Shore on the north coast is a favourite beach of our family where the grandchildren love the stream. 

Just off-shore that day, fishers in a scallop fishing boat were busy bringing in their catch.

A small flock of Semipalmated Plovers and Sandpipers rested in the sand. This perfect little Plover stood a few feet away as I admired it.

At Brander’s Pond nearby, we did our seasonal walk on the beach by the sea stack. I never tire of this scene, especially this year since the Cormorants were perched on the stack. 

They have been missing in recent years. Meanwhile a Bald Eagle was standing watch on the cliffs though I didn’t get a good photo of it. 

When we walk west on the beach, the eastern coastline comes into view. This scene is one of my favourites on the island.

On the beach, closer to the sea stack, a lobster trap has washed ashore, leftover from the spring fishery. I hope a fisherman will collect it for use next year.

It looks like another great week of weather on Prince Edward Island this coming week and we hope to be out and about to enjoy our island home.

July beauty

The golden grand-dog stayed over last week and my husband and I took her to beaches for morning walks before the worst of the heat and humidity. It has been hot, humid and wet from bouts of rain between beautiful sunny periods. Farmers are loving it.

On the beach, 

Daisy, the golden retriever is in her element. 

Toss a ball in the water and that dog will return it endlessly. 

We always tire before she does. 

Driving through the countryside this time of year, one is struck by the bounty of food growing in the fields. Already the potatoes are in blossom, 

much earlier than I remember on my grandfather’s farm when I was a child.

Fields of grain are waving in the breeze. 

Yellow blossoms of canola and mustard spread across the countryside and make us smile.

Another day along the boardwalk, we noticed the raindrops cling to the vegetation after the rain stopped briefly. 

The drops are reluctant to leave too.

On the home front, a family of four foxes lives in our neighbourhood. When the young ones were finally out and about, we often see them near our house. I especially love this photo showing but two tails of the young ones and the red and black foxes which were more completely visible. 

The black variation of the red fox is commonly known as a silver fox.

July has much to offer which the rest of the year cannot quite match.