Back to Bonshaw

We looked forward to our first walk and picnic at Bonshaw this year. It is one of our favourite walking areas and we like to visit it at various times from spring through fall. We hadn’t been there since post tropical storm Fiona blew through late last September and we knew the area had been damaged, but we were not prepared for the devastation.  

The playground area is deceptive. There is little visible damage around the open space and equipment in that area and one would think all is well at Bonshaw. 

One has to look closely along the perimeter to notice tree stumps. Entry to the main trail breaks the illusion quickly however. 

My husband and I were quiet for a long time as we walked the main trail, taking in the sight before us. An area which once had shade from the canopy even before the leaves come out, looked as it it had been clear cut. Words escaped us.

On both sides of the trail, it was the same, an occasional tree survived but most had not. Some trees now make lean-tos with the survivors, prevented from falling by the more stalwart individuals. Other trees took the root systems with them as they toppled, making pancakes of earth and roots which stand vertically now taller than we are. 

People had worked hard to open these trails again, as trees across paths had been cut and left along the margins. It will be generations before this area returns to its former glory. Autumn certainly won’t be the same with the canopy destroyed as it is.

Update:

I am undergoing physiotherapy for my left arm and shoulder, injured when I fell off my bike. I am doing better this week but it is slow going. My husband suggested I have a new electric three wheeler however I am not ready to give up the two wheels yet. Now, I realize aging is a reverse of childhood when one is eager to go from three wheels to two. Reluctance is the dominant feeling these days though safety will win the day.

Finally this week, the leaves are almost out on the trees and blooms are out on the trails. Overhead, the blooms and blue sky remind us to enjoy what is!

A chorus

The audience was moving, riding through a theatre with a tree lined stage which was full of performers, many unseen. 

Their voices were varied, some familiar, many not. My husband and I were part of this audience, in front row seats on a calm spring morning as we rode our bikes on the Confederation Trail from Summerside, Prince Edward Island.

The performers were feathered, in a chorus singing their hearts out as we rode by. 

The voices of the Song Sparrows were recognizable as were the Blue Jays. Robins hopped along the sides of the trail on occasion but didn’t stop long enough for photos. Occasionally we could hear them in the chorus. If only we could have identified all the songsters.

A hawk cast a shadow on the trail while Black Ducks took to flight as we rode by, quacking as they went.

Riding along, we could hear the choir as we rode into and out of the songsters’ positions. Thousands of performers put on their best show.

                                                                Snow still fills the ditches in places.

We smiled the entire time.

Frosty

Looking out the bedroom window as I closed the blinds, it looked like it was snowing. I watched the street light for a minute. Peculiar. Not snow but fog, an unusual visitor on a still night in winter. 

The next morning, everything but the air was white. A thick layer of radiation or hoar frost covered the branches and trees, created by nature’s paintbrush as the air cooled and deposited the water vapour in crystalline form on the twigs and branches. It left an impressive canvas.

After breakfast, we dressed quickly for a walk in the frigid air since the sun was already warming the east facing branches. The boardwalk was our destination of choice but we stopped along the way on a street with giant senior trees, 

so pretty in this frost.

Many along the boardwalk had cameras and one could understand why. The frost hung in the air as we looked out to the lighthouse. 

Along the trail, the trees and grasses were frosty, 

creating a magical though nippy cold atmosphere. 

Everyone we met remarked how beautiful it was to walk in those conditions.

As is typical this winter, it looked like the sun wouldn’t last long as the blue grey clouds spread over the scene. 

However it lifted our spirits to experience the phenomenon with so many others in the setting we know and love.

Picnic in the grove

The October sun is warm and the gentle breeze feels like those of August which is strange for an October day. We had cycled on the Gulf Shore Parkway and worked up an appetite. We headed to Cavendish Grove in search of a picnic table to have a leisurely lunch.

We found two tables side by side at the edge of the grove so we could sit in the sun. 

It is perfect. A few people are walking the trails but nobody is eating there. Our crusty bread, meat, cheese, olives and pickles are delicious with a mug of black tea. Lunch is memorable in the October sun.

Later we walked around the grove to take in the sights. The shade in the grove is one of the attractions of the area in the summer, but this amount of shade won’t be around too much longer.

The trail through the glade is particularly beautiful, 

especially with the yellows of the Striped Maples in the area.

Further along the trail, the area used for weddings and photos isn’t busy. 

However, a plough is working in the field behind the chapel.

Back in the grove, this tree trunk is impressive. 

Above, the leaves range in colour from green, to red, yellow and orange. Nature overshadows much human-made beauty.

The apple trees in the grove have dropped most of their crop at this point. I wonder if it is safe to sit on that bench now?

Part of a tree came down in the last wind storm. It is sad to lose any part of the old guard in the grove. I hope they all make it through this winter.

Two weeks

The third of our three visits to the Millman Road, a Heritage Road on Prince Edward Island happened this past Friday. The series of photos, taken May 22, May 29 and June 5, show how dramatically the setting changed in just two short weeks. This time of year sees incredible change on this island.

In those two weeks, trees went from a dormant-like stage, 

 to unfolding leaves,

and are now open for business.

On our first visit, my husband and I were in awe of the walls of grey. 

The grey had begun to disappear a week later. 

At the end of two weeks, walls of green had replaced the grey. Tree trunks looked black more than grey, shaded by the canopy.

It is interesting that the sun was shining on the last day as well, a great welcome to the leafy reality of summer.

Walking down that road now, one walks in a green glow through a tunnel in many places. 

The birds are singing or calling to one another but are invisible among the leaves. It is busy under the green canopy.

Watching nature express herself the last few weeks has been good for the spirit in these trying times.

One week

We visit some Heritage Roads every season. The old red dirt roads pass through the countryside and highlight various aspects of Prince Edward Island’s geography and history. While I love the changes from summer to autumn along these roads, the spring to summer changes are just as remarkable.

One of our favourite Heritage Roads, the Millman Road is in the centre of the island. My husband and I walked the road on May 22nd and took photos at various vantage points along the way. Then we returned on May 29th.

A scene which resembled a tunnel of grey walls with a red dirt floor on the 22nd, 

was alive with the new green of late spring on the 29th.

Each repeated scene was the same. The grey 

was replaced by the glorious green.

From the landmarks, you could tell it was the same area, 

but the green changed the look completely.

Trees are busy opening leaves so they can do important work over the next four months. We will return later this week to the scenes and compare them to last week.

Summer is nigh.

Trails at Bonshaw

The provincial and national parks are closed in Prince Edward Island because of the Covid pandemic but the trails of Bonshaw are open to hikers. Bonshaw and the adjoining trails at Strathgartney are two of our favourite hiking areas so my husband and I headed out this week.

The parking lot was almost full. Steady movement of people through the lot showed how eager people were to be out and about in these times. It was sunny, windy and cold, but among the trees it was comfortable.

The earth is beginning to yield new growth now as plants push their way through the humus. The trees have buds which are growing, giving the promise of the new green of spring in a few weeks.

The coniferous trees are becoming a vibrant green again as the hours of sunlight increase. Ferns will soon appear on the forest floor.

There are mountain bikers this day, sharing the pathways with walkers without any problems. There is plenty of room to move aside for walkers and riders. However, hikers and bikers spread out over the kilometres of trails are hardly noticeable.

While I love a walk on a beach, it is equal in comparison to the sense of well being I feel in such a woodland setting as the trails of Bonshaw.

 

The height of the trees alone is enough to take me out of myself and feel a part of something greater. The light through the trees casts shadows which dance over the ground with the sway of the trees in the wind. Light plays hide and seek with visitors. The air is fresh and clean and reaches deep inside as your breathing slows while you take in the setting.

Though one must be careful of the roots along the trails as they can be dangerous under foot, they make me smile. They are so important to the forest and I always tread lightly around them. The roots remind me of the unseen part of the forest so essential to its well being and ours.

While the picnic area was closed, we had a table and chairs with us and set up on the grass near the car. It was good to be back at Bonshaw for another year. 

Even this early in the season, the benefit of our time in the forest is obvious!

 

The prose of a tree trunk

When the leaves are gone, tree trunks are exposed and beautiful!

 

They grow to the sky in their own unique ways.

Each has a story

 

 we can read at our leisure!