August’s bounty

The golden grand-dog, Daisy, adapted to life with seniors as we became her caretakers for the past ten days. Less than a year old, the pup has so much energy whereas we don’t. However she adapted and so did we.

The Confederation Trail was our go-to site instead of the beach some days and Daisy’s delight in the trail was obvious when we let her run free. 

We always put her back on lead if walkers or bikers happened by. The dog’s freedom on that trail was a glory to behold. She jumped and moved as if she was dancing.

We frequented a section on the trail I have come to call The Orchard since it is lined with apple trees on both sides. 

It is not unusual to see apple trees along the Confederation Trail, but the number of such trees along both sides of that section of trail in neighbouring Miscouche, is exceptional.

Not to be outdone by the apple trees, Mountain Ash trees are common there as well. The berries, which Newfoundlanders like ourselves call dogberries, are ripening now and are abundant. 

Old wives tales have it that abundant dogberries mean a harsh winter. Oh well, it gives us more reason to enjoy this month.

There is a barn in the area and occasionally we saw a horse there. The horse preferred the shade most days.

Along the roadways and the trails now, Queen Anne’s Lace or Wild Carrot is in its prime and the gardener who planted these wild blooms did a great job with this bed near the parking area by the trail.

Thistles have gone to seed and fluff is blowing around in the summer breeze. Goldenrod is in its prime too.

Sometimes the smallest things stand out in a large open space. We’ve noticed individual filaments hanging from the trees in some areas. Once a row of caterpillars hung on one such filament. They floated in the breeze as they clung to the filament. It was a surprise to see them hanging over the trail.

Meanwhile we are eating produce from our garden. Green beans, tomatoes, kale, cucumbers, green peppers, basil and garlic all grew well and we’re enjoying nature’s bounty. The vegetables go from the garden to the plate in a matter of minutes and are so tasty. 

August is sharing her bounty with us in so many ways.

Autumn on the island

As autumn settles in, the vegetable patch has done its job for another season. Swiss chard and the indestructible kale are still in production while the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and green beans are finished. Our tomato yield was low this year but we hope to make improvements for next year.

Our grandchildren had a school free day this past week so my husband and I accompanied our daughter and the kids to a new park. The kids enjoyed the playground, especially the zip line. 

We had a picnic in the beautiful September sun, then visited an apple orchard in the area. We picked several apple varieties for cooking and eating. Afterwards, the kids had great fun in the playground which wasn’t busy as it would be on the weekends.

It was a wonderful day!

We have Song Sparrows which nest in our hedge and serenade us every summer morning. We suspect they are the source of the errant sunflower which appeared at the end of one of our flower beds near their nest. I photograph the sunflower every day, admiring its sunny disposition which is a constant in any weather.

I always notice rose hips, their size and colours. Some we’ve seen this month are the size of crabapples. They are an autumn staple and probably would make great rose hip jelly.

This past week we walked the Bubbling Springs Trail in the national park on Prince Edward Island which is one of my husband’s favourite trails. The Mountain Ash trees were full of their autumn-coloured berries which stood out against the clear blue sky.

At the head of the trail, we had a picnic with the sun at our backs and the gentle breeze rustling the leaves around us. Chickadees were flitting through the trees and chirping as they do. We enjoyed homemade turkey soup in our thermoses and a cup of tea. It was peaceful and lovely!

We finished our day at the park with a walk on the nearby beach at Dalvay which is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. The gulls looked to be enjoying the day too! 

On the way home we stopped briefly at Covehead where the lighthouse was getting a touch-up. It is a popular attraction on the island and is well maintained. 

This coming week is looking like another week for picnics and trail/beach walking. Yay!

On the Trail again

It is almost a month since my husband and I rode our bikes. I had hit my hip on one of the gates on the Confederation Trail and finally, on Saturday, my hip felt better. It was a slow recovery but all fells well again.

Autumn is underway along the trail though it hasn’t arrived with any certainty in our neighbourhood yet. Maple trees along the trail are in their red autumn glory and caused us to stop numerous times along the way. 

The dark green of pre-autumn colour lines the trail where other trees dominate.

The Mountain Ash trees are loaded with berries this year, probably the most we’ve ever seen. The orange berries hang from the trees tempting one to pick a few though they don’t have much taste.

Some time ago, Judee at https://www.realfoodblogger.com mentioned Mountain Ash was also known as Rowan and has folklore associated with the trees which goes back centuries. 

I had only known Mountain Ash/Rowan as Dogberry trees. The only folklore I knew was the Newfoundland weather lore which maintains that a year with a lot of orange dogberries on the trees meant a bad winter was in store. By the look of the trees this year, there will be a terrible winter.

Further along the trail, the horses were out in the barnyard again and were too busy eating to pose for photos.

The last of the wildflowers fill the hedgerows. Asters and Goldenrod take up much of the area. 

However, the bright greens of summer are rusty now as darkness encroaches upon the daylight of summer.

It is difficult to describe one of the experiences we had during that recent ride. We were on the home stretch and noticed dark coloured birds ahead on the trail. I thought they were European Starlings which usually travel in a flock. We approached the birds but they stayed as they were which was strange indeed. My husband rang the bell on his bike and the trees around us came alive with birds, which flew over the trail, then ahead of us along the trail, as we followed them and those which had been on the ground. After thirty seconds or so, the huge flock disappeared into the trees again.

On closer examination of the photos, we discovered they were Common Grackles. I couldn’t take a photo quickly enough but it was a phenomenal experience to have the large flock flying ahead of us as we rode along. Later, we realized our daughter was the runner visible in the distance in this photo.

It is good to be back on our bikes again on the Confederation Trail with its wonderful surprises.

  

Picnic under the birches

Birch trees with their grey/white trunks make a pretty setting any time of year. However, the shade provided on a hot day is reason enough to have a picnic under birch trees. Besides, the leaves trembling to the breeze create a sound I love to hear and can imagine later as I fall asleep. Birches are a wonder of nature.

We have found several stands of birches on Prince Edward Island and my husband and I visited one recently in Green Park in the northwest part of the island. Of course a picnic was in order and we sat in the birch-provided shade on a hot day with the wind blowing through the branches. Perfect.

While we ate, we watched the fishing grounds in the inlet across from our location. 

There, fishers went about their day at the mussels beds. 

On the far side of the inlet, the floats of the oyster beds were visible on the surface of the water. 

Below the water, cages of oysters hang from each float where they are left to grow until October. Then the floats are sunk and cages fall to the sea floor as ice covers the inlet. The floats are drained in the spring, oysters checked for growth and redistributed to cages and hung from floats for another season. Three years growth produces marketable oysters. 

After lunch we walked along the shoreline where the erosion is obvious. 

The birches and other trees are falling into the sea at an alarming rate. It is sad to see these trees disappear down over the bank as the rich red soil is washed away. 

Camp cabins along one area of the shoreline are available for overnight rental in the privately run part of the park. Some people like these better than a tent for camping. 

Two Greater Yellowlegs walked ahead of us along the beach 

and Tall White Asters almost two meters high lined the trail back to the car. 

Overhead, the Mountain Ash trees were full of berries, known as dogberries in my native Newfoundland.

Time at Green Park is good for the spirit.

 

Blooms

Leaves are on the trees and hedgerows are blooming. Blooms line the roads, trails, banks and shorelines of streams, ponds and sea. 

Sometimes the blooms are unidentifiable in a distant row of trees 

separating fields. 

At times, blooming trees line the trails 

and one can identify some of them. The pink-white colours of the Wild Apple blooms make them easy to distinguish.

Pin Cherry trees are everywhere and are covered in blooms.

Mountain Ash is blooming now as well, its leaves reminding one of the orange berries to follow.

Sumac is distinctive too, clusters of creamy blooms erupting from rose coloured buds. 

On a rare occasion, an old homestead has lilac trees along a trail.

Some of the prettiest blooms right now though are on the Choke Cherry trees which are everywhere as well. 

My favourite photos were from the boardwalk by the sea.

Nature in late spring on Prince Edward Island is a feast for the senses.

Question from the post on Thunder Cove by Boud at https://fieldfen.blogspot.com/

Does the sand stain the way red clay does? 

The red clay of the island does stain sneakers and clothes. We use an old towel or blanket sitting on a red sand beach, especially in the wet sand. However, not all beaches are on the island have red sand, such as the beach at Cavendish and white sand beaches on the south shore of the island. The colour of the sand depends on the rate of erosion in an area. 

Country road

The road is deep in the red dirt.

 

My husband and I were here last October when the leaves were almost spent, the red and orange remnants falling around us as we passed. Today, the dominant colour is green as we walk with the golden grand-dog, Georgie.

 

The Millman Road is in the center of the island, a heritage road which cuts through farmland over rolling hills. The canopy was magical. 

 

The sound of the earth on this day is the wind in the trees while the sunlight dances on the road as it filters through them. It is a feast for the senses.

 

Blossoms are falling today, not leaves. Mountain ash, 

 

pin cherry, chokecherry 

 

and apple trees

 

are in mid to late bloom and in places, petals cover the road. By the side of the road, lupins are in bud or blooming.

 

The forest floor is covered with Wild Lily of the Valley and Bluebead Lily but the blossoms are miniature in this setting. 

 

Their leaves are the dominant feature of the forest floor.

 

Robins land on the road and hop ahead of us until Georgie decides to run towards them. She soon learns how senseless is that endeavour. Woodpeckers have had their way with the trees along the road, as evidenced by the many holes left in the old wood.

 

At the top of a hill, you can look out over the countryside, past the fields planted with various crops, including potato. The countryside below is bisected by the Southwest River which flows into New London Bay on the north shore.  

 

At the end of the road, someone has a garden whose beauty matches what nature provides on the remainder of the road. We walked slowly back to the car, absorbing the essence of the earth as a world of green.