Land and sea

On a lupin quest this past week, early one day ahead of the smothering humidity, we headed around Bedeque Bay towards the Indian Head Lighthouse on the shore opposite Summerside. As we neared the south side of the bay, a Great Blue Heron flew across the road about five meters ahead and above the road. Such a sighting was a great start to the day.

Along the way, fishers and farmers were busy. In the bay, on the south side of Holman Island, oyster fishers grasped the shellfish between the teeth of the tongs they held over the side of the boat. 

On land, the first cut of hay was underway in one field but cows nearby weren’t ready for breakfast.

In another field, an elderly farmer used an old tractor in his field near the road. I missed that photo and on our way back, he had stopped the antique and left it in the field. Tractor without farmer isn’t quite the same.

However, lupins lined the red dirt road near the lighthouse. 

Our first look at the breakwater was one of surprise. Had the breakwater been damaged by storms, removing some of the huge rocks along its length? 

After the requisite lighthouse shots, I walked out the road to see the lupins. The sight of the blooms in this seaside setting, though high above the waterline, is a favourite of mine.

The pinks, blues and purples, the mixes of colour along with an occasional white, always make me smile. 

Overhead, Bank Swallows flew their usual erratic way catching insects. They are an important part of the aesthetic of this place.

Islands by their very nature are linked to both land and sea. Earlier in human history the sea was our only means of transportation to and from an island. The sea also provides food as does the land of course. The vistas before me on Prince Edward Island are a combination of land and sea which I have known all my life on my island homes.

I wouldn’t want it any other way.

The wait

Two degrees Celcius and the sun is shining. The frozen bay is spread before us! My husband and I are dressed for the cold as we park by the boardwalk in North Rustico on the central north shore of Prince Edward Island. We haven't been back here since July and everything is covered in its frozen shroud. We are curious to compare the scenes of summer with winter in North Rustico. 

The Acadian monument is partially buried in the snow now, waiting for its time to remind visitors of that proud heritage. The shrubs behind the monument are mere skeletons of their former selves.

 

                                             

 

Only vestiges of some plants, such as Queen Anne's Lace, remain now, the stalks and seed pods having survived the worst nature can dispense.

 

                                                   

 

The entrance to the bay is the only open water in the March setting.

 

                                                                      

 

Winds have taken their toll on the patriotic display at Court's Wharf.

 

                                                                    

 

The pine trees have lost their brilliant green as a result of the decrease in daylight hours in the cold season.

 

                                                         

 

Ouside the bay, the breakwater is encased in ice and snow.

 

                                                                                   

Activity on the bay is different now, snow machines replacing human power.

 

                                                            

 

                                                           

Yet, some things never change. The lighthouse stands vigil as it has for almost a century and a half, though it might be ready for spring. We are!