We were slow to return to our excursions around the island after Fiona. Trees are down everywhere and trails are slowly being cleared. Two weeks post storm, we returned to the boardwalk and later to beaches where we love to walk and have picnics. My husband and I will enjoy autumn as much as we can since we will be limited by the weather soon enough.
On one recent outing we went to the north central shore, first to the New London Lighthouse which I have featured numerous times on this blog. The old sentinel made it through another storm unfazed by the look of it.
Not the beach and sand dunes however. In June this year, you can see the extent of the beach across the channel.
Post Fiona, the dunes are greatly reduced and the sand washed out to sea. It will be a slow return.
Closer to the lighthouse, the storm surge destroyed the Marram Grass and dumped sandstones over the area.
We walked the beach towards the cliffs where our daughter fishes for bass. We had never been to this area before and on such an autumn day, it was the perfect time to check it out.
The red sandstone stood out against the natural blues.
The faded October grass and wildflowers at the edge of a farmer’s field cling to the red soil as long as possible, hanging over the edge as more soil washes or falls away.
A lone tree nearby shows the direction of the prevailing wind and withstood the wind speeds brought by Fiona.
A sea stack, difficult to see in its entirety from the path, is beginning to become a sea arch. If you look closely, you can see two glimpses of sea blue through the sandstone.
Anglers park along the cliffs and take a path down to the shoreline below It is too treacherous for these old legs to attempt such a walk. We will return when our daughter is fishing there one day.
The wind was cold requiring gloves and a hat so we decided to have our picnic in a more sheltered area. On our way to North Rustico, we passed a flock of mallards enjoying the day at French River. I hadn’t seen mallards in some time, so it was a treat to watch them for several minutes
and meet a new friend too.
The gazebo at North Rustico has a view of the harbour and is a great place to have lunch. Our turkey soup hit the spot, warming us to our toes.
Our excursions will continue as long as possible this autumn and a hot picnic lunch will be on the menu.