To the west

We were prepared to put our bikes away but a rare November 12 C day enticed us to go cycling again. My husband and I continued westward on Prince Edward Island, beginning at Portage. No need for warm clothing this day. The slight southerly breeze was warm and fall clothes were sufficient. The sun never exposed itself for the day, merely hinted at an appearance.

This section of trail has many flat straight stretches through areas of bog and farmland. The bogs are rimmed by juniper/larch trees which are pretty as their needles respond to the darker days and cooler temperatures. 

The deciduous trees are naked, spent leaves covering the woodland. Grey branches and trunks predominate and contrast with the browns of tall grasses and bulrushes.

White birches stand out in this setting.

The bare branches expose wasp and bird nests, curiosities now that their former residents have moved on. 

A cat stops to watch the two seniors approach on bikes. 

Further along the trail, a Ruffed Grouse follows a companion across the trail. I stopped for the first one, and while I waited for my husband, the second one sauntered across as well.

It was well camouflaged in the vegetation along the trail.

An old house on Jack-a-Point Road has seen better days. The roof could provide a roller coaster ride. The house doesn’t look that old which poses the question as to what caused its current curvaceous shape. 

One also has to wonder about the name of the road. 

On the way back to the car, we stopped for a breather. We had cycled thirty kilometres and were tired as we looked around. The light was typical of November but the stillness of the day was not. It was perfect!

Remember

Normally this day is filled with gatherings of solemn ceremony, the day we remember our military dead who died serving our country. The pandemic has changed the traditional ceremonies however, with many moving on-line, with virtual spectators and reduced personnel around local cenotaphs.

Several small communities in central Prince Edward Island, supported by a local service group, decided to do something different this year. Their efforts have drawn people to see four hundred small white crosses placed in front of the cenotaph in North Rustico at the Veterans Memorial Park. Each cross has a poppy and the name of a local resident who served in the Canadian military, covering the period from 1899-1953, including the Boer War, World Wars 1 and 2 and the Korean War.

We visited yesterday and I found it to be an emotional experience. It is amazing to see the number of crosses, each representing someone from these small communities who served their country, some of whom gave the ultimate sacrifice.

The same can be said of communities all across this country, so many people were willing to sacrifice everything for their families, friends and fellow Canadians. People from the villages, towns, cities, bays, harbours, coves, mountains, prairies and from Arctic to Pacific to Atlantic answered the call.

Seeing the crosses and the visitors in this place, it is easy to imagine how the enlistment and service of a family member affected the family left behind on the farms and fishing villages of this island. One could imagine the impact in the home communities when so many of the young people were killed in battle. The trauma suffered by those who survived and carried their visible and invisible wounds with them for the rest of their lives were almost reality. It is a place of reflection and appreciation.

A special thank you to all who worked on this wonderful tribute!

Lest we forget.

Home again

We were focussed on cycling so it’s been a while since we saw our animal friends along the boardwalk in Summerside. On a cold morning, after a sprinkle of snow overnight, we headed for a walk in our favourite place. It was good to be back home.

The animals were active in the morning cold. A single Canada Goose floated in the harbour near the gazebo.

It must have abandoned the flock swimming further along the shoreline. Meanwhile nine American Black Ducks swam around in the stream which was looking like a pond. The saltwater marsh is flooded.

Chickadees were about and would probably take seeds from one’s hand. They are accustomed to people feeding them.

Blue Jays were noisy among the trees and active around the feeders where people placed seeds. They chase off the smaller birds.

Squirrels approach and if you encourage them, they will walk up your leg. My husband and I watched as parents and their two children placed a peanut down for an approaching squirrel. 

A blue jay, watching from a nearby tree, swooped in, scooped up the peanut and flew off.

I watched a single European starling among some branches. Rarely do we ever see these birds on their own. It was a young bird with beautiful markings. Was it lost? It was calling as if shouting to a friend.

Further along the boardwalk, people had placed a beautiful double bird feeder in memory of a family member. 

The little birds love these feeders. Black-capped Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches have a feast while Blue Jays look on. 

It is good to see the smaller birds feasting rather than being driven off by the jays who watch everything.

Wonder what the squirrels think of this new feeder?

It’s cold outside

Picture it, a sunny day with wind gusting to 40 kilometres an hour and a temperature of 3 Celsius. Two seniors were determined to ride their bikes and layers of clothes were required.

She wore long underwear, a hoodie and lined pants under a winter jacket. The hood was thin enough to fit under her helmet. A fleece face shield, a pair of gloves, sneakers and wool socks completed the outfit. Warmth not fashion was her concern. On the way, she opened the window in the car. Riding the trail was a colder experience.

Normally among the trees it would have been warm enough with less clothes but the air was frigid. Many of the trees had lost their leaves and there wasn’t as much protection from the wind gusts. 

Winter had arrived with a “feels like” temperature of -2 C but the couple stayed warm.

She and her husband rode on, through the splashes of colour remaining in protected areas. 

At one point, they headed off the main trail through a stand of deciduous trees with fallen leaves over a root-covered trail.

She looked back at one point to see her husband fall over and the bike fall on top of him. He was fine except for bruised pride. They decided to stick to the main trail.

The only part of her which became cold was her left thumb. Funny how cold can invade the digits, leading to frostbite. Not today. She adjusted the thumb, placing it under the other fingers and it warmed nicely.

A few people walked the trail too but there weren’t any other bikers. No wonder. These two are reluctant to give up cycling but the reality of its necessity is clear. It took them hours to warm up when they arrived home. The bikes will be stored until next spring. 

There are a few 10 C days in the forecast however. Maybe...

Straightaway

It started out as a sunny but cold day when my husband and I cycled the Confederation Trail at Ellerslie and headed west. This section of trail only has two curves in twelve kilometres. In more protected areas of the trail, not as many leaves have fallen though the autumn colour is well established.

One of the bogs bordering the trail has a viewing stand where one can sit and relax in the autumn-tinged bog 

and the changing larch trees around its perimeter. It is a peaceful place to sit and observe nature.

In another area, we passed an old house, small by today’s standards. 

Today it is open to the elements and may not stand much longer. How many children were raised in the original four walls? Are there any descendants of the original owners of this structure? What was life like for those first inhabitants? Soon only questions will remain.

This scarecrow stood beside the driveway of one of the homes we passed. Its location makes me think it is a seasonal decoration and not to scare away avian garden marauders.

Bulrushes in one area had released their seeds into the air, blowing them around us as we look over the scene.

Meanwhile, wildflowers, gone to seed, stand tall among the bushes.

Oak trees are pretty enough in their regular attire but with the wardrobe change of autumn, they are worth a closer look.

Soon, with leaves fallen from the trees, tree trunks and branches become the focus for the next seven months. These birch trunks stand out amid the background fall colour. 

We will visit this section of trail again.

Maples

The trees on Prince Edward Island continue to drop the last of their leaves. In exposed areas many trees are bare. 

In more protected areas, autumn splendour will continue for another few days. Meanwhile, we continue to enjoy the show.

Maple trees are among my favourites. Part of my love of that tree is its connection to the Canadian flag where the maple leaf takes centre stage. However, the main reason is due probably to the display the trees put on this time of year. The Rotary Friendship Trail has such a display.

There are a number of varieties of maple trees. The maple leaf on the Canadian flag is from a Sugar Maple, with its sharp points and rounded notches. These leaves can vary in autumn colour from red 

to yellow 

and orange. 

There are also Red Maple trees. These leaves have pointed notches and turn red in the autumn.

Maple syrup is harvested from Sugar and Red Maples in the spring. It is our favourite topping for pancakes.

The trails and paths are covered in maple leaves in some areas.

I also admire the determination of the maple tree. The top is gone from this one but the trunk sprouted leaves anyway.

Even in old age, this Red Maple tree trunk along the Bonshaw Trail is quite beautiful. 

There is so much to love about these trees.

Cycling seniors

Last week we rode 88 kilometres on our bikes with our longest ride 25 kilometres. We are enjoying cycling, the countryside, the weather, the picnics and the people we meet along the way. It became colder over the week but we’ve had the right clothing and a cup of hot tea at the end of the ride always hits the spot.

Our final ride last week took us from Ellerslie to Portage and back. In Ellerslie at the beginning of the trip, we met a woman waiting for her husband who was riding west from Richmond. They are in their eighties. They cycled together previously but she has problems with balance now so she doesn’t ride any more. Instead she drops her husband at his starting location and waits for him at the next stop. He goes as far as he can on a particular day. She enjoys driving to the locations and talking to people she meets. Cycling is still a sport they continue to enjoy together.

At the end of the ride we met another couple riding the trail, completing their Tip to Tip for this year. It is a bike ride on the Confederation Trail, from one tip of the island to the other, a total of 449 kilometres. This couple completed the venture last year and was busy doing one of the last sections for this year. They take turns driving to the next meeting point or riding the trail. They were in their seventies.

Meeting these cyclers encouraged my husband and I to continue the sport. As it stands now, we both ride a section of trail and back to the car. We would like to do the Tip to Tip plus return next year. We’ll see what the next six months bring.

P.S.

I hope you have a better day than this poor woman we saw recently in Emerald.

Happy Hallowe’en!