Through the leaves

This past week started at the Dunk River Trail in central Prince Edward Island. The trail is one of the most beautiful on the island and draws us for a walk there with the changing seasons. Our autumn visit is our favourite for obvious reasons. We always park near where the Dunk flows out of Scales Pond, which looked particularly serene last week.

The entrance to the trail is deceptive. The trees at the entrance were green still, which is hugely different from what one encounters after passing under these green sentinels. The trail was leaf covered with promises of more to come. 

Overhead, the blue sky was a perfect backdrop for the reds, yellows and oranges clinging to their mother branches. 

The river moved to the rhythm of the earth as it rippled through the shadows, 

the remaining leaves casting a red glow here, yellow there. We stood in awe at the scene. AI did not generate this wonder.

We also visited the Cavendish area again last week for a picnic in the Grove on a sunny autumn day. Although the wind was blowing a gale, the Grove is sheltered and peaceful. The photo shows the view from our picnic table.

Later we drove along the coast to North Rustico where several huge flocks of Canada Geese greeted us in several locations, this one in the harbour at North Rustico. 

We had an abbreviated walk along the boardwalk there but the wind made walking difficult. You can see from the grasses and bushes in the photo the strength of the wind.

Along the boardwalk in Summerside this past week, one day was particularly calm and we watched the gulls and crows argue over food the gulls drop from heights to break the shells for the morsels inside. I fully expect the crows to start gathering and dropping the shells like the gulls though their beaks may not be able to do it. Crows are intelligent enough to know what to do however.

A Solitary Sandpiper is still feeding in the salt marsh and a male Red-winged Blackbird gathered seeds left along the bridge by walkers. This is late for both species to be here on the island especially since temperatures have plummeted the last few days.

One common winter species here, Black-capped Chickadees, are busy in the trees these days and it is common to see groups of them gathering seeds, like the one below.

Autumn is a great time for fungi too. We have seen numerous mushrooms which we sometimes can’t identify. This Tinder Polypore on a tree trunk is easy to identify though since it resembles a horse’s hoof.

I’ll close this week with a photo of a pumpkin left at the entrance to the Dunk River Trail. The sunlight filtered through the leaves and cast on the tree make an ethereal body for the pumpkin.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

The view from here

This past week was busy and on several occasions we walked between the raindrops. However it was a lovely first week in October although a bit cooler than last month.

We met up with our friends, Helen and Frank, again and this time we drove west, stopping at Northport. The view from a wharf there is classic, 

the sea, lighthouse*, cormorants, and fishing boats. Some boats have already been pulled ashore for the season.

We continued our drive along the coast to Tignish Shore where the low tide revealed sea glass along the shoreline. Helen’s keen eyes found browns and greens which eluded me. Thank you, Helen!

At the far eastern end of the beach, we saw the nesting holes of Bank Swallows although the birds left the island for southern regions weeks ago. 

I hope winter doesn’t erode the soil, destroying the holes for the birds on their return.

At North Cape, we saw seals in the water, their heads poked out between dives, as they observed the people along the shore and the rock reef.

The reef, the largest of its kind in North American, is formed where the Northumberland Strait and the Gulf of St. Lawrence merge. People were walking on the reef, the first time my husband and I have seen people there.

Erosion is obvious along this shoreline with the collapse of the arch roof forming this sea stack. A hole in the stack will probably undermine the stack itself over the next several seasons.

We had a leisurely picnic lunch at North Cape and enjoyed the time with our friends.

This past week, as always, presented some interesting sights along the boardwalk. One day, from the gazebo, we observed a Great Blue Heron, Black Ducks and Mallards along the shoreline by the salt marsh.

As we watched, a lone Black Duck came out of the bulrushes in the marsh and started quacking insistently. Many of the ducks in the bay headed into the marsh, 

some waddled, while others flew. 

Once there, the ducks dispersed around the marsh.

It was fascinating to watch how one duck could marshal the others as it did. We can only wonder the reason for the action of one and response of the others. Meanwhile, the Heron caught some fish which you can see from the bulge in its long outstretched neck as it swallowed.

Also along the boardwalk, Common Grackles were their usual loud selves as the chatted in the trees. 

I love how the shape and colour of the feathers are visible in this photo. They are late migrating this year.

A male Northern Flicker, a species of woodpecker, was busy digging in the ground. The markings on its feathers are impressive.

The autumn colour has begun, as the trees, including many Red Maples, are beautiful again this year.

Along the shoreline, the Asters stand out among the seed heads and changing leaves.

The view never fails to amaze us!

*The lighthouse was decommissioned and is now in private hands as a summer home.

P.S.

I walked with my friend, Lucy, at Brander’s Pond this past week. It was a sunny day and the coastline look different from the same scene last month.

Back to Bonshaw

We looked forward to our first walk and picnic at Bonshaw this year. It is one of our favourite walking areas and we like to visit it at various times from spring through fall. We hadn’t been there since post tropical storm Fiona blew through late last September and we knew the area had been damaged, but we were not prepared for the devastation.  

The playground area is deceptive. There is little visible damage around the open space and equipment in that area and one would think all is well at Bonshaw. 

One has to look closely along the perimeter to notice tree stumps. Entry to the main trail breaks the illusion quickly however. 

My husband and I were quiet for a long time as we walked the main trail, taking in the sight before us. An area which once had shade from the canopy even before the leaves come out, looked as it it had been clear cut. Words escaped us.

On both sides of the trail, it was the same, an occasional tree survived but most had not. Some trees now make lean-tos with the survivors, prevented from falling by the more stalwart individuals. Other trees took the root systems with them as they toppled, making pancakes of earth and roots which stand vertically now taller than we are. 

People had worked hard to open these trails again, as trees across paths had been cut and left along the margins. It will be generations before this area returns to its former glory. Autumn certainly won’t be the same with the canopy destroyed as it is.

Update:

I am undergoing physiotherapy for my left arm and shoulder, injured when I fell off my bike. I am doing better this week but it is slow going. My husband suggested I have a new electric three wheeler however I am not ready to give up the two wheels yet. Now, I realize aging is a reverse of childhood when one is eager to go from three wheels to two. Reluctance is the dominant feeling these days though safety will win the day.

Finally this week, the leaves are almost out on the trees and blooms are out on the trails. Overhead, the blooms and blue sky remind us to enjoy what is!

Acadian forest

We are always looking for new trails and we found one close to home this past week. The John Hogg Trail is off the Confederation Trail in a neighbouring community of Kelvin Grove, just twenty minutes away. My husband and I looked forward to exploring this trail and it did not disappoint.

The small section of Acadian forest is located in the midst of farmland. 

It is a mature forest with hardwood trees at the start of their fall colour and beginning to shed their leaves. It was a perfect time to visit.

The trek into the forest winds its way through a field which is slowly progressing into forest.

Georgie, the golden grand-dog enjoyed rolling in the scent of some previous visitor to the area.

The height of the trees was impressive.

In some areas of the forest, the canopy darkened the forest floor. 

The colours overhead varied from green,

to a mix of greens, reds and yellows. 

In other areas, light shone through to abundant undergrowth. 

Ferns were in various stages of colour 

and young seedlings added touches of red and yellow to the forest floor.

Ground hemlock is a healthy undergrowth in this forest too with patches of it spread throughout the area. There is a clearly defined patch of the hemlock in one area.

                                 The patch of ground hemlock is dark green.

Some tree trunks look old. 

Some have curious growths.

One trunk grew around barbed wire.

Various birds calls, such as those of chickadees, bluejays and others we didn’t recognize, filled the air. We didn’t see any of the birds in the high canopy however.

This trail is not frequently used, judging from the condition of the pathway. It provided us with an hour of natural enjoyment, breathing in the fresh air, absorbing the sights and sounds of an unspoiled area close to home

We walked back the Confederation Trail and had our lunch at one of the many picnic areas along the trail. We looked over the countryside as we had our tea and sandwiches and Georgie munched on her snack. Another perfect day!

Heritage Road

The trees behind the parking area on Millman Road are a surprise. 

 

We are here to see the autumn reds and yellows, but the grays of the tree trunks,

 

darkened by last night's rain, are vivid in this light. I stand in the undergrowth and look up.

 

The artistry of nature!

 

The lane is lined with maple, birch, and apple trees.

 

There are rolling fields on either side and ferns add a bushy yellow at ground level.

 

It is windy and the trees rustle, shaking loose some leaves which have a tentative hold on the branches. The air around us is still as the leaves above us sing with the breeze.

 

Up and down we stroll, breathing in the fresh air, listening to the wind, birds and squirrels. 

 

In several places, the grays of the trunks predominate. 

 

In another area, coniferous trees stand back from the lane, while Queen Ann's lace, long gone to seed, stands guard.

 

The lane is inviting, drawing us onward to see more. 

 

Where the ground is covered with fallen apples, their scent is in the air. My husband squishes apples under foot. "It speeds up decomposition," he says as his inner child takes great pleasure in the squishing. 

 

We don't speak too much more, taking in the glory of the setting. 

 

We gasp audibly a few times, so taken with the scene, we stand together silently.

 

The scent of apple fills the car on the drive home.

Note:  Millman Road is a designated Heritage Road in Prince Edward Island. It is a red dirt lane, with native trees providing a canopy for a vegetative tunnel.