Autumn glory

The Dunk River has one of the most beautiful trails on Prince Edward Island. This trail which we visited last spring was on our list for an autumn visit. It was overcast when we arrived at the river but that didn’t matter as we headed out.

The Dunk is a popular fishing river and someone had an earlier start than we did that morning.

While my husband and I aren’t fishing enthusiasts, it is easy to understand some of the reasons people enjoy fishing in such a location. I love how the trail is full of the river sound and while one can usually see the river, in the minutes when it is not visible, its essence still is.

We were slow to walk the trail, stopping often to take photos. The leaves were in various stages of colour and glimpses of their beauty gave us pause. 

The senses come alive in such a setting, a heightened awareness of all as one’s brain attempts to take in everything. At every turn, the scenes were more lovely. From a multi-coloured veil of leaves at eye level

to drama overhead, there was much to absorb. Then the sun came out.

Shafts of light filtered through the trees and highlighted some of the beauty. 

Some light even managed to reach the river. The trees screened the sun in some areas and the water reflected the colours above.

Each new scene was more perfect than the last. 

We saw mushrooms feeding on fallen trees 

and a maple tree with a branch of red leaves and the remainder still green.

For lunch we went back the way we came and drove to Scales Pond on the opposite side of the road. There, a familiar picnic table sat among the trees where a veil of leaves screened the pond below. 

We had homemade chilli for lunch which we quite enjoyed. 

While we ate, a visitor stopped by, looking like it was securing material for its drey in a nearby tree. 

Chickadees sang among the trees as they flitted about oblivious to the visitors at the table.

After lunch, we walked the path along the pond. On the water, a tree dragon stood above the surface of the water, 

while a Great Blue Heron, invisible along the bank, took flight as we approached.

Across the pond, the hay, cut and baled, waited for delivery to the farm. This scene alone is one of my favourites in a day of many.

Finally today, meet Daisy, our new golden grand-dog, just 10 weeks old. Our daughter’s family is enjoying life with Daisy and we are lucky enough to share the joy of a puppy. Daisy is adorable and you’ll be seeing more of her for sure.

Back in the saddle

It’s taken almost a year but I am back on my bike again. I am fortunate it’s an e-bike because I doubt I’d be able to ride a regular bike without pain. However, the throttle takes away the need for peddling, so I can enjoy biking again with my husband. We rode the Confederation Trail twice last week. It is the old rail bed which except for one area along the coast, goes through the centre of the island. 

The trail goes through farmland which is being harvested currently or will be in the coming weeks. Farm equipment was out in some fields, cutting hay in this case. 

Gulls were busy in the hay, not averse to leaving the shoreline behind to forage in the freshly mown fields. 

In some areas, the hay is already baled. By chance, the bale in the centre of the photo below looks like it has fireweed poking out of both sides. 

You never know what’s in a shot until you see the result.

Most fireweed is gone to seed at this point of the summer. The fuzzy seed is easily carried on the breeze and distributed everywhere.

The last section of trail we rode is newly resurfaced. We turned around at a new bridge constructed over a marsh/pond area. 

A cloudless sky was reflected in the surface of the pond, a mirror which created a rich deep blue.  

A reflection of a clump of grass 

looks almost as real turned upside down.

Riding along the trail surrounded by nature, with the wind in your face, provides a glorious sense of freedom. This month crickets add to the ambience. You can hear them through the breeze all along the trail, as if to summon autumn which is waiting among the trees.

The trail is well maintained across the island and is used by islanders and visitors alike. This cyclist is glad to be back there.

Autumn on the trail

It’s a scene from a dystopian novel, a farmer’s field with a hedgerow where a gap with an invisible portal takes all who enter to another dimension. Of course, getting back to the present is the problem. My mind worked overtime as we rode the Confederation Trail recently from Emerald to Borden Carleton and back. The gap in a hedgerow in this area is large and it inspires me. I always stop near the “portal” for a few minutes and mentally write another chapter of the next great dystopian novel.

This section of trail is a favourite of my husband and I. Ponds near Kinkora have ducks again though the sunlight on this beautiful autumn day doesn’t allow for great photos. Ducks all but disappear when they moult but look to be in fine form again as far as we can see.

Autumn on the island means the apple trees are bearing fruit again. The trail has lots of apple trees but most of the apples are small. Such is not the case with these huge ones and it looks like those which were reachable have been picked.

Near Emerald, Sumacs are putting on their best autumn show. Some leaves are already flaming red and the berries are plentiful.

I haven’t heard of people picking the berries here but it is said they have a lemony taste without the tartness.

This past summer, the province opened sections of the trail to horseback riders. One such area is north of Kinkora where the trail has new signage. 

We passed several farms but nobody was out riding on the trail that day.

However that day, we discovered one way a horse scratches its back. We stopped to watch this horse and miniature pony 

when the mare lay down on the grass and rubbed her back around on the ground. We had never seen this before.

Not far from the horses, a view over the cornfield across to the hay bales was a pretty scene. The bales in autumn provide one of my favourite sights.

The Newfoundlander in me was shocked to see this Dogberry Tree, without leaves, loaded with berries, a mass of orange. You know what that means for winter this year!

Along St. Peter’s Bay

The trail along St. Peter’s Bay is one of the most beautiful sections of the Confederation Trail on Prince Edward Island, with the bay on one side of the trail and fields and cottages on the other. 

Wildflowers abound with the bonus of the sea as a backdrop.

Wild Madder lines the trails now while the huge, waist high Cow Parsnip pops up in places. 

In several areas, lupins are beginning to look worn but pretty.

Meanwhile, the star of the area, St. Peter’s Bay, always catches one’s attention. On the bay, crews were busy in mussel boats. 

We watched for a few minutes, thinking we haven’t had mussels recently. We’ll soon fix that situation with our favourite recipe involving curry and coconut milk. Fresh mussels are always available locally.

In some fields, workers were baling hay. 

I wonder what my grandfather, a fisherman-farmer in Newfoundland, would think of the location by the sea and the baling machine which rides over the hay and after several minutes ejects a wrapped bale from the back. 

Granda forked hay into a wagon and the old horse pulled it to the barn where it was stored. Gone are the hay rides we enjoyed every year.

It was fascinating to watch the precision of the operation these days, a long way in distance, time and tradition from the back-breaking work of yore.

Joy of cycling

Cycling is one of the positive outcomes of the Covid era for my husband and me. Looking for a way to expand our lives during the Covid restrictions, we took up cycling. This week our cycling experience of the Confederation Trail was longer than last week and I felt more confident in my ability. I had started weight training to make it easier to lift the bikes to and from the bike rack on the car. 

I quickly saw a benefit for the effort and was feeling confident when I started on the trail.

We passed one other rider and several walkers but otherwise we had the trail to ourselves. Feeling more comfortable on the bike this week, I enjoyed the physical experience of the exercise.

My husband and I stayed several meters apart on the trail so I could focus on the trail rather than having to avoid crashing into him. The day was cool and I wore a jacket which was perfect for the breeze. The sensation of the air on your face, the sound of your breathing in the quiet of your body as you push forward in tune with the bicycle and the beauty of the trail are a unique combination. Add in the dance of shadows where the sun breaks through the trees which overshadow the trail and the experience is perfect. 

Meanwhile the trail itself always presents something new though we are familiar with the area from walking there. There are lots of apple trees along the trail and apples cover the ground in some areas.

Harvest is beginning on the farms along the trail. One of my favourite scenes is the hay rolled into bales waiting for transport to the storage area.

This time we rode from the horse farm to a place where the trail crosses a road in Summerside and back. 

It was curious to see the horses social distancing in the paddock when we returned.

Everyone is feeling the negative effects of Covid but cycling has been a positive addition for us.

 

Autumn along the Confederation Trail

A walk along the Confederation Trail not far from home last week was a pleasant surprise. Some of the colour remains on the trees there, unlike many areas we’ve visited recently. It was a colourful trek with a favourite sight through the trees.

This trail was the railbed when trains ran across the Prince Edward Island. Now the trail is frequented by bikers, runners and walkers. It passes through the countryside, past fields, over rivers and streams, through towns and villages and the two cities on the island. It is flat and straight in many areas as it is in the area we visited. One can see for kilometres into the distance. 

The first portion of the trial has power lines on the south side. There are more leaves on that side because the trees have been trimmed due to the power lines. Trimmed trees sprout multiple branches and the leaves become thick over time and are somewhat protected from the wind, providing an autumn spectacle.

The fields on either side of the trail grew hay or straw this year.

Some of my favourite autumn scenes include bales of hay and trees frame the scenes along this part of the trail.

The shape of the bales, circular against the backdrop of trees, sea or sky are a contrast to other natural elements. 

The forest floor is covered with leaves which crunch underfoot.

Consequently the rich red soil is under another layer of leaves which will be broken down by microorganisms providing more humus to the soil. The cycle of life continues.