The last few days

It has finally stopped raining and my husband and I have begun our picnic excursions again with the fine weather and diminishing number of tourists around the island. We had two weeks of high temperatures and humidity this summer. Then we had rain every second or third day. It has been a wet summer.

I’ve had camera problems and finally purchased another camera though I was reluctant to buy one  which was heavier than my Nikon P900. I bought a Nikon P1000 and I am enjoying it immensely. Today I am sharing photos I’ve taken with the new camera the last several days when the weather has been lovely.

We’ve continued to walk the Summerside boardwalk daily and I took this shot of the lighthouse at low tide. 

The shorebirds continue to stop along the bay as they journey south for the winter. The Solitary Sandpiper hung out near the Lesser Yellowlegs in the salt marsh.

This young squirrel was eating seeds at the base of a feeder. 

The wall of wildflowers looked particularly lovely against the blue sea.

We took a picnic lunch one day which meant we could take our time along the French shore where we stopped at the church of Notre Dame du Mont Carmel, built in 1898. The church was open so we went inside. 

The marble pillars were particularly beautiful, standing the test of time. You could almost hear the prayers rising upward with them.

We continued along the shore to the beach nearby where some Ruddy Turnstones were feeding along the shoreline. 

Nearby, Ring-billed Gulls stood into the breeze. 

In the distance, you can see the Cape Egmont sea stack. We walked the beach and enjoyed the sun and the breeze.

There is a Lost and Found stand in the parking lot by the beach.

This was a unique find… so to speak!

Cape Egmont was the busiest we’d ever seen it with tourists from the United States and around Canada. However, the sea arch looks to have weakened to near collapse.

The Cormorants are oblivious and enjoy their perch high above their feeding grounds. 

Notre Dame du Mont Carmel stands out in the distance.

We had lunch at a nearby park and enjoyed a stroll around the area. Cabbage Whites are numerous and everywhere this year. 

They flit around the wildflowers, and stop briefly on a bloom.

I am enjoying the new camera and it is good to be having picnics around the island again.

Blooms and birds

There is always a surprise along the boardwalk in Summerside. This past week, my husband and I found sunflowers in various stages of development, from immature buds to full flowers in the area of the salt marsh. They captured our attention!

The first one we saw was visible from the gazebo, our first stop of the day.

It’s shining face was turned to the east, greeting the morning sun. We couldn’t resist walking to the beach to have a closer look. Often, people will pick a sunflower which grows along the shore so it might not last long if the past predicts the future.

How did this bloom and the others which are in bud,

happen to grow along the shoreline? We suspect birds drop some sunflower seeds which walkers leave at the many feeders along the boardwalk. Another possibility in that some seeds drop into the stream and are deposited along the shoreline. Either way, the plants are a wonder of nature.

The younger plants have buds of various sizes which expand as they near blooming. The buds have so much potential for beauty. 

Further along the boardwalk, more wildflowers are beginning their brief and glorious days in the sun. Now goldenrod 

and Joe Pye weed are coming into blossom. 

In the scene below, the newcomers join roses, Queen Anne’s Lace and Sow Thistle. Nature is an amazing florist!

Lastly today, I want to share a brief video of the shorebirds which stop by the same place where the sunflowers bloom. You can see the video here.

These birds are on their way south after weeks spent nesting further north. They stop over in Prince Edward Island in preparation for the long flight to warmer climes for the winter. This day, the tiny birds resemble ants scurrying around in the seaweed.

It is a joy to watch them.

Notes from the isle

Leaves are tired now after a busy two months. Many are dull and looking spent, ready for the burst of autumn colour and a quick requiem. I always feel sad as the glory of the summer leaves fades. 

We had an extended period of heat and humidity this summer. Thankfully it was windy most of the time, making the heat bearable. An electrical storm and rain last week changed the weather however. Since then, it’s been windy and cold, with temperatures below normal. Warmer clothes are the norm now.

There is a bounty of vegetables from the garden this summer. Every day we eat tomatoes. Cucumbers, yellow beans, and peppers are on the menu often. Cabbage is ready to be picked as well as onions. I will preserve some tomatoes since we have too many, even after sharing.

This time of year the shorebirds are busy along our coast as they prepare for migration. I enjoy watching these creatures as some skirt the waterline. Others blend into the rocks and sand along the shore and you can’t see them easily until you watch quietly for movement. Such a simple, wonderful pleasure in life is comforting during these troubled times.

We have had some tourists here this summer, but limited to other Atlantic Canadians where the Covid virus has had minimal impact thus far. Here on Prince Edward Island, we’ve had 45 cases due to travel with one not recovered and without hospitalizations or deaths. The damage to the economy is huge however and recovery will be slow. And that is without a second wave which could be more devastating than the first.    

The children are headed back to school next week and anxiety levels are high. Our two granddaughters, in Grades two and four are in different cohorts, with 30-40 students each. This will mean huge exposure if an infection occurs. This insidious disease which is asymptomatic for days can spread far and wide from one case at school.   

The research about the virus, its long term effects such as neurological or cardiac impairment and the possibility of re-infection are scary findings. Masks and the other precautions are a way of life now and into the foreseeable future. 

My husband and I lead socially diminished lives, restricting ourselves to our grandchildren and our daughter. For now anyway. With school re-opening, we may lose them again as during the first two months of the lockdown. At least my husband and I have each other even though there are times when the house isn’t big enough. It is good we each have ways to keep busy. However, staying physically active is a must and the physically distanced communication with other walkers along the boardwalk is a lifeline for us and many other seniors here.

There will be many apprehensive people in Canada and beyond this autumn.