In the green

Last week was a windy one and the open areas along the boardwalk were cold enough to require a jacket. Among the trees on the trails of the Rotary Park in Summerside was quite lovely though, as was the River Trail in Tyne Valley. We had a picnic in Tyne Valley, about a thirty minute drive from home. We also took our first bike ride last week.

The trails through the forest in the Rotary Park are glowing with new green.

The leaves overhead are also open now and spread adoringly before the sun which they worship for the next several months.

Along the boardwalk, nesting Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are sometimes visible as an adult pokes its beak through the hole in the tree. 

On the River Trail, evidence of Sapsuckers abounds and we heard numerous woodpeckers as we walked the trail. I spotted a male and female in the same tree.

Two apple trees among some huge pines on the Rotary Trail are in full bloom.

The blossoms were abuzz with huge bees flitting among the blooms.

Along the River Trail, apple blossoms were numerous too.

At one location, near the beginning of the trail, petals randomly covered the soil, leaving white speckles on the red sand.

In some areas of the River Trail, the plants almost created a tunnel, except for a few beams of light which managed to break through the leaf cover on a windy day. 

The river in Tyne Valley flows gently along, not in a rush to get anywhere most days. In this area by a bridge, the water and reflection resemble a watercolour painting.

Later in the week, smoke from the fires in western Canada joined the fog in Bedeque Bay. The lighthouse across the bay couldn’t distinguish between the two. 

We had heavy rain this past week on several occasions. How I wish we could share the rain with western Canada. So many people are out of their homes in northern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Rain is urgently needed.

The last photo of the day is a Mourning Dove looking down at the world. I understand that look.

Finally, this past week, while walking the boardwalk, we chatted with a gentleman about the beauty of the day and the pleasant surroundings. He was so pleased to be there, unassisted, at 92 years old, enjoying the setting and the day. We were thrilled for him!

Enjoy your day!

  

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.

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Country road

The road is deep in the red dirt.

 

My husband and I were here last October when the leaves were almost spent, the red and orange remnants falling around us as we passed. Today, the dominant colour is green as we walk with the golden grand-dog, Georgie.

 

The Millman Road is in the center of the island, a heritage road which cuts through farmland over rolling hills. The canopy was magical. 

 

The sound of the earth on this day is the wind in the trees while the sunlight dances on the road as it filters through them. It is a feast for the senses.

 

Blossoms are falling today, not leaves. Mountain ash, 

 

pin cherry, chokecherry 

 

and apple trees

 

are in mid to late bloom and in places, petals cover the road. By the side of the road, lupins are in bud or blooming.

 

The forest floor is covered with Wild Lily of the Valley and Bluebead Lily but the blossoms are miniature in this setting. 

 

Their leaves are the dominant feature of the forest floor.

 

Robins land on the road and hop ahead of us until Georgie decides to run towards them. She soon learns how senseless is that endeavour. Woodpeckers have had their way with the trees along the road, as evidenced by the many holes left in the old wood.

 

At the top of a hill, you can look out over the countryside, past the fields planted with various crops, including potato. The countryside below is bisected by the Southwest River which flows into New London Bay on the north shore.  

 

At the end of the road, someone has a garden whose beauty matches what nature provides on the remainder of the road. We walked slowly back to the car, absorbing the essence of the earth as a world of green.