Under the sugar maple

The past week was a busy one and there’s lots to share. My husband and I only made it to the boardwalk twice last week. The bitter cold and high winds made it too cold for extended time outside so the treadmill and the stationary bike had to suffice. 

We lost the power for 2 1/2 hours on a particularly cold day as I shared last week. There was a problem at the sub-station which serves Summerside and the western portion of Prince Edward Island. The issue is not yet repaired and we have lived with the threat of rolling blackouts if islanders could not conserve power. The blackouts haven’t been necessary as of yet. The hope is the sub-station will be back in service soon. 

One sunny day we drove to Cape Egmont, just west of Summerside in the Evangeline region of the province. It was good to be out and about though the side roads weren’t in great shape. We didn’t have snow shoes with us so we couldn’t visit the sea stack which usually draws us to the area. We could see the lighthouse from the nearby wharf however.

The photo below shows the wharf area as we see it from the lighthouse every summer.

On this occasion however, we were at wharf level where the wharf is heavily laden with pans of ice. 

This ice was thrown up by the high seas before the ice froze solid along the shoreline of the Northumberland Strait.

Some of the pieces are quite big and one can imagine the damage to the wharf under that weight. 

We also noticed undulatus clouds overhead. 

These wave clouds which we haven’t seen in recent memory, are formed when air is forced upwards and cools. 

They added another element to the photos. Nature puts on incredible shows if we but take the time to notice.

Daisy, our daughter’s golden retriever was home on her blanket on the couch one night recently while the television was on. A program about wolves came on and Daisy left the couch for the ottoman in front of the tv and gave it her full attention for the duration of the program. She likes nature programs as much as her humans do.

Finally, there is a movement in this country to buy Canadian rather than imported goods from the U.S. This is in response to the threat of tariffs which are looming early next month. I have done some research and have discovered the difference between Product of Canada and Made in Canada labels on products. We support this movement and are buying local as much as possible. We will buy products from other countries, such as Mexico, too.

Furthermore, there are a number of Canadians who are cancelling their vacations to the U.S. this year. Some who own vacation homes in the U.S. are planning to sell them as well.

Our national anthem says, “True patriot love in all of us command.” In my lifetime, I have never seen such expressions of patriotism from Canadians. Besides, doing something feels better than just waiting for the worst to happen. 

A bridge so near

Having lived almost 60 years on an island without any easy or economical access or egress, moving to Prince Edward Island with its bridge link to mainland Canada was a huge difference. It’s not that we have gone to the mainland via the bridge often since we have lived here. It is the option to be able to do it is a privilege Newfoundlanders do not enjoy on that island.

The bridge, located southeast of Summerside is visible from the boardwalk many days, when the weather permits.

Now, when the Northumberland Strait between the island and the mainland is ice covered, my husband and I headed to Borden Carleton, to take some close-up photos of the bridge. The scene didn’t disappoint.

It was a busy weekday morning on the bridge with transport trucks bringing goods to the island. 

Islanders rely on mainland North America for most of their needs. The sunny day without high winds meant that traffic was flowing freely, unlike days with high winds when the bridge is closed to high-sided vehicles.

The ice offshore moves east with the current, and travels under the bridge as it flows. The bridge at 12.9 km or 8 miles is the longest bridge over ice covered water on the planet. Close to the shoreline, the ice is solid, not as affected by the current as you can see here at the wharf near the bridge 

and in Bedeque Bay in Summerside.

Along the way, we stopped at the Red Bridge to see the open water which flows into the mouth of Bedeque Bay. There were a few Canada Geese, Mallards, Mergansers and Black Ducks in the area, though more of the area was frozen this year than in recent years due to the bitterly cold weather we have had.

It is noteworthy that by this time next month, clocks will have sprung ahead and this is a short month. The increasing daylight lifts my spirits. We hope that more of our walking will be outdoors as the month progresses. Spring is just on the other side of that bridge and moving this way!

P.S.

We have had two major power outages on the western end of the island in the last few weeks, the second of which continues this morning. We have a generator to use so we’ve kept the fireplace on and are warm. It feels like -20 C this morning. We will have lots of company if this continues.

Spring around here

These days, my husband and I are on the boardwalk any day the weather permits. Since we are not seeing our grandchildren, family or friends, except via technology, the outdoors and exercise are more important than ever.

Since pandemic isolation keeps us physically away from others, keeping up with fellow bloggers is important too. The signs of spring in your blogs are spectacular as bulbs erupt and bloom and trees blossom. Even the autumn looks of Australia and New Zealand are filled with colour. As we walk here, we look for signs of spring around us, though they don’t involve colour. Here, disappearing ice and snow signal spring. These photos were taken just over a week in time. They show the melting ice, shifting and thinning sea ice and melting snow. 

From the bridge, looking out to the harbour, 

the snow covered ice gave way to clear ice 

which then melted.

When it’s windy, the sea ice moves around. The Northumberland Strait 

which was full of ice a few days ago is now open, with ice predominantly along the shoreline of the island.

Along the walkway, 

the snow is disappearing as well.

While there aren’t any blossoms or blooms, our time in the spring air as the temperature rises gives us hope for the colour to come and the end of the pandemic.

Out of the ice

My usual poetry is rhyming verse for the grandkids. They love scavenger hunts and I write the rhyming clues which result in giggles and scurrying. Inspired by the Confederation Bridge, I wrote this poem about my winter experience of the bridge. No rhymes involved.

It rises out of the ice and snow

Which blankets the Northumberland Strait...

Thirteen kilometres of defiance.

Ingenuity and design determined

How to span the distance

And withstand nature’s icy breath.

We stand and watch as vehicles

Traverse the distance on this winter day...

Concrete defying winter’s embrace.

Arches are reminiscent of Roman aqueducts,

 

But traffic flows here above the water

As sons and daughters come home to visit.

Economics keeps traffic moving too 

Though nature can stop everything

When the weather dictates.

Soon ships will travel through the arches.

Then tourists will join the regular traffic

As those who watch continue to marvel at its beauty.

Ice island

It was visible from the boardwalk by the harbour, a mass of ice in the Northumberland Strait between the Summerside Harbour and the Confederation Bridge. 

We observed it for days as we walked the boardwalk in Summerside. My husband and I decided to try and locate the area to have a better look.

We decided our best vantage point was from Seacow Head. From there we’d see how far to go east or west along the coast for a better view. Seacow Head was accessible on foot which gave us a nice walk on the sunny but cold day.

We were both surprised to see the ice island just off shore, though greatly diminished,

probably caught on a sand bar. Just three weeks ago the scene would have looked different. 

Now, pieces of the ice which had broken from the island, floated with the tide. 

The next day, the island looked to be floating closer to Summerside. 

The temperature increased too so in a few days the ice will be melted. Just a curiosity of spring, it will be gone for another year.