Winter at Cavendish Beach

It was one of those days when winter invites you outside. Without a breeze and 2 degrees Celsius, my husband and I headed to the beach at Cavendish for a walk. Georgie, the golden grand-dog accompanied us. She enjoys the area too but to be honest, she enjoys everywhere.

The boardwalk to the beach at Cavendish was empty as we approached. This was one of the rare times this has ever happened since locals visit the beach in the off season. The wood against the backdrop of the snow and sky gave us pause. 

The boardwalk disappeared behind a sand dune giving the sense of a walk into the unknown. Georgie was anxious to go while I wanted to take in the scene for a few minutes. She won!

Along the way we could see through the dunes that the sea along the north shore was not frozen this year as is usually the case.

The stream across the marshland and behind the dunes hadn’t frozen either.

From the top of the boardwalk overlooking the beach, the dunes were frozen and snow covered while the beach was frozen past the low water mark. 

It was possible to walk along its length.

Dogs are allowed on the beach in the winter and without a soul in the area, we let Georgie off lead to run between us as she always does. 

I heard a buzzing which sounded as if it came from the sand dunes. Above, a drone flew over the dunes as we watched. 

                                          A drone looks like an insect above the dunes

A few minutes later, what I think was a juvenile bald eagle flew over, scanning the beach for lunch. The feathered flier was my favourite.

Off shore, pans of ice were visible in the distance. Unless we have consistently cold days for an extended period, the north shore will not ice up this year. So far this winter, we have a few cold days, then the temperature rises to hover near zero for a day or two. We have had a significant fall of ice pellets this year too which was unusual. Winter, as ever, is hard to predict.

Lunch at Northport

It is a tiny strip of land which juts into the water at Northport. Every year my husband and I visit this place and have a picnic. We are early this year. The far western portion of Prince Edward Island still has lots of snow, so our picnic was among the melting drifts. While the breeze was cold, the setting was invigorating. 

There is nothing like a cup of tea in the great outdoors. Today, the heat of the mug warms our hands. We enjoyed our sandwiches as if they were a gourmet meal, the bread made the previous day. We listened to the lap of the water and the birds. No need for conversation.

The gulls were busy around the water, talking to each other while we enjoyed lunch. Normally, we watch the boats go by too, but we are a few weeks early this year. In the distance we can see the activity in the port around the wharf as fishers prepare for the season.

Then a group of three juvenile bald eagles take our attention. The eagles circle the area, scanning for any movement on the sand or in the snow. They cross the water and disappear on the opposite shore for a few minutes but come back again. Two circle each other closely in what could be an aggressive move, then disappear in the trees nearby.

One reappears and plays with a sea gull. They circle each other high above us and take turns chasing each other. They glide on the breeze sometimes, in an effortless use of the air currents. They are birds at play.

You couldn’t pay for the experience.