Around here

With the miserable weather around here the last several weeks, my husband and I have kept our walking close to home. Most of the time we encounter rain without the benefit of an umbrella because the wind is too high. As long as we’re warm, we manage.

Dramatic skies are often present as weather fronts move into the area. With some of the autumn berries along the shoreline, a view of the lighthouse almost looks festive.

By this time in the autumn, the trees are bare, even in sheltered areas. 

Some mornings, snow lingers along the trail as overnight temperatures are too low for rain.

For the next few weeks, juniper, also known as tamarack or larch trees will lose their yellow needles which are quite lovely now.

The ducks which call Prince Edward Island home for a few months every winter have taken to the waterways around the island. Surf Scoters are on the bay in Summerside and are a nice addition to the avian population.

Meanwhile, the usual residents are busy too, like this Bald Eagle which we’ve seen numerous days hunting from sand bars at low tide. We always enjoy these birds.

Recently after our walk, we drove to the head of the bay to see the geese which frequent that area. American Wigeons and Common Goldeneyes floated around, many with their heads nestled under their wings while the Canada Geese were quite unconcerned. 

We have seen several rainbows this autumn, but I haven’t always had the camera to take a photo. This is the best photo I’ve been able to manage of the elusive arcs.

Finally today, meet BB and his pal. 

They are among our crow friends who visit us every day. BB has a broken beak, hence the initials. That bird has adapted to the broken beak and learned how to pick up food in spite of the partly missing appendage. BB requires longer to feed and will drive the other crows away when he is eating and they’ve already finished their portion. We hope BB will be able to survive the winter! 

 

Two blue sky days

We have had two weeks of rain, temperatures in the low single digits and high winds. Sometimes the rain becomes sloppy, wet snow. We haven’t been able to have any picnics and we’ve confined our walks closer to home. Most days, we walk between the raindrops. 

The skies are occasionally dramatic with heavy cloud cover and this recent deep blue with the clouds looked foreboding though beautiful. It was the bluest cloudy sky we’ve ever seen.

On the last beautiful blue sky day prior to the change in the weather, we drove to a beach which is new to us at Tracadie, on the central northeast coast of the island. Tracadie Harbour sits among sand dunes, an area constructed by the sea itself, without the fortification of sandstone cliffs.

In the harbour, the sea is surrounded by flats of sand exposed at low tide and dunes which are farther inland as time and the sea add more sand. The red sandstone cliffs elsewhere on the island are noticeably absent.

Cormorants stood along the shoreline in the harbour, enjoying the October sun, probably anticipating the long flight south.

We walked towards the beach which borders the Gulf of St. Lawrence and a Bald Eagle caught my eye in the distance. It sat surveying the area from atop a dune along the Gulf coast.

Along that coastline, the pristine beach stretches out to the west and appears to go on forever. 

This coastline is not developed although an occasional house/cottage dots the shoreline. To the east, the entrance to the harbour is marked with two buoys. 

The remnants of an old wharf stretch diagonally across part of the beach, some of it submerged at high tide. 

Besides the eagle, 

three other people were on the beach that day but a restaurant near the parking lot was attracting people for lunch. We enjoyed our picnic lunch nearby. 

Tracadie is a place of rare beauty which is peaceful and natural in a modern world. We will be back.

Just beachy

One of our last picnic outings for this fall was to the beach at Brander’s Pond on the central north shore of Prince Edward Island. It was a rare day, not a breeze in the autumn air though the sky was overcast. The area is home to cottages which are mostly empty this time of year, closed after more than two seasons of beach living for those lucky enough to have a cottage there.

Brander’s Pond flows into the Gulf of St Lawrence 

but part of its attraction for me is the sea stack on the eastern side of the beach. 

This beach, maintained by the cottagers, is pristine. As usual, various species of gulls hang out at the mouth of the stream. As my husband and I approached the stream, the gulls took flight briefly and moved farther away,

though not without expressing their displeasure.

We walked the beach slowly, taking in as much of the day and the setting as possible. The rhythm of the sea is comforting and as I walked I wondered how many other such days were left this season. However, those thoughts soon disappeared to the joy of this present.

In the water, Red-throated Loons enjoyed a day on the water.

Nearby, a flock of Red-breasted Mergansers dived for brunch. 

 By the turn-around, I watched a young Herring Gull catch and slowly eat a crab.

At this point, the sun broke through after previous attempts had failed.

On the way back, I watched a small flock on Sanderlings which are among the last shorebirds to stop by the island on their migration south. The little birds fed along the shoreline and stopped to stand on one leg periodically. 

By the time we were back down the beach, the moody sky was replaced by blue and the late October sun provided some warmth. It was a perfect beach day!

Autumn glory

The Dunk River has one of the most beautiful trails on Prince Edward Island. This trail which we visited last spring was on our list for an autumn visit. It was overcast when we arrived at the river but that didn’t matter as we headed out.

The Dunk is a popular fishing river and someone had an earlier start than we did that morning.

While my husband and I aren’t fishing enthusiasts, it is easy to understand some of the reasons people enjoy fishing in such a location. I love how the trail is full of the river sound and while one can usually see the river, in the minutes when it is not visible, its essence still is.

We were slow to walk the trail, stopping often to take photos. The leaves were in various stages of colour and glimpses of their beauty gave us pause. 

The senses come alive in such a setting, a heightened awareness of all as one’s brain attempts to take in everything. At every turn, the scenes were more lovely. From a multi-coloured veil of leaves at eye level

to drama overhead, there was much to absorb. Then the sun came out.

Shafts of light filtered through the trees and highlighted some of the beauty. 

Some light even managed to reach the river. The trees screened the sun in some areas and the water reflected the colours above.

Each new scene was more perfect than the last. 

We saw mushrooms feeding on fallen trees 

and a maple tree with a branch of red leaves and the remainder still green.

For lunch we went back the way we came and drove to Scales Pond on the opposite side of the road. There, a familiar picnic table sat among the trees where a veil of leaves screened the pond below. 

We had homemade chilli for lunch which we quite enjoyed. 

While we ate, a visitor stopped by, looking like it was securing material for its drey in a nearby tree. 

Chickadees sang among the trees as they flitted about oblivious to the visitors at the table.

After lunch, we walked the path along the pond. On the water, a tree dragon stood above the surface of the water, 

while a Great Blue Heron, invisible along the bank, took flight as we approached.

Across the pond, the hay, cut and baled, waited for delivery to the farm. This scene alone is one of my favourites in a day of many.

Finally today, meet Daisy, our new golden grand-dog, just 10 weeks old. Our daughter’s family is enjoying life with Daisy and we are lucky enough to share the joy of a puppy. Daisy is adorable and you’ll be seeing more of her for sure.

On the trails

We have had some miserable weather again this past week with rain and high winds. Prior to this latest weather misery, we enjoyed several of the trails around the island as autumn colour began.

West of home, my husband and I walked the two new trails in Tyne Valley one day and especially enjoyed the hilly terrain of one of those trails. That trail is well groomed, without roots to slow one’s progress or to trip over.

The trails cross a number of streams 

and have new bridges traversing them. 

The leaves were beginning to show some autumn colour though green was the dominant colour at that time.

We bought our Coleman stove with us that day and cooked bacon and heated homemade baked beans. It was a delicious lunch with a cup of tea.

A few days later, east of home, we walked the trail at Breadalbane where a furry sentinel greeted us as she hunted for mice among the ground cover.

Puss accompanied us for a time, leading the way on occasion.

This trail has older bridges which cross streams through areas of forest which were beginning to show some fall colour.

Part of this trail is root covered and requires one’s full attention. Another section is on the Confederation Trail where the going is easy. In this more open area, the leaves have already reached their peak colour.

Along the way, we happened upon a Hairy Woodpecker, as she searched for food. 

Later, we had our homemade beef stew near the entrance of the trail. 

As we ate, a silk thread wafted through the air between us and a spider appeared on the thread which must have reached from the trees across the road. We watched as the breeze took the thread and its maker onto the goldenrod nearby which had gone to seed. It looked like a safe landing for the arachnid.

On the way home, we passed some Puddle Ducks in a watering hole for the cows grazing nearby. The scene depicts the peace and tranquility we enjoyed both days!