Late April in Eastern Kings

April 24, 2024

With the spectacle of the total solar eclipse now behind us, life on Prince Edward Island has returned to its usual quiet and uneventful pace.

Yesterday was a lovely April day, which I started at the beach:

Blue sky, red cliffs – Basin Head beach

Pier reflections – Basin Head beach

When the wind picked up I traded the chilly shoreline for the sheltered lanes of the nearby Confederation Trail:

Endless lanes – Confederation Trail

American red squirrel – Confederation Trail

Squirrels are very common along the trail, and this one was very vocal as I walked by. Always brings a smile to my face 🙂

Total Solar Eclipse over Prince Edward Island

April 9, 2024

The greatest show on Earth came to Prince Edward Island yesterday, and Marije and I had the amazing luck to see it in all its glory:

The Total Solar Eclipse shines down on Prince Edward Island

For almost 3 minutes, we saw a piercing white ring of light in the sky above, while all else went dark and the horizon glowed a rich orange, an otherworldly sight that words and pictures simply can’t do justice.

On the beach where we took it all in we were practically alone, the only sound to accompany our eclipse experience was the gentle lapping of waves, along with our cries of purest joy… Can’t wait until the next one!

Spring is in the air

March 22, 2024

It’s that time of year again, spring is in the air! Snow is melting away and any new snow that falls doesn’t last very long. On the trail, birds are back, with some even checking out suitable nesting sites.

Here are a few pictures from PEI National Park from this week:

Pale colours of spring – PEI National Park, Greenwich Dunes

Red-shouldered blackbird in the reeds – PEI National Park, Greenwich Dunes

Nest inspection – PEI National Park, Greenwich Dunes

Pine grosbeak – PEI National Park, Greenwich Beach

Snow is in the air – PEI National Park, Greenwich Beach

This last shot shows the temperamental weather of late March, with dark snow clouds racing overhead. A very bracing day at the beach!

Digging out

February 8, 2024

Last weekend we had a 3-day blizzard that left us snowed in. It took quite some work to dig ourselves out again.

When the weather cleared on Monday, we started tunneling through a large snowdrift that was blocking our front door. Because this door opens outward, we had to take out the door window to shovel through the door at first.

On Tuesday afternoon, after moving about 10 cubic metres of hard-packed snow, we reached the driveway.

Marije digging out – Fortune

By Wednesday morning, with the help of a friendly tractor driver, we were finally able to leave home and drive to work again.

It will take some time before all the Island roads are cleared too, this morning I still encountered several places that were single-lane only, like here near East Point:

Single-lane road after the snowstorm – East Point

Weather stats from CBC – February 2024

Apparently this was the biggest snowfall since 2015, with about 60-90 cm in our area, and even more on neighbouring Cape Breton.

Frozen apple snack

January 26, 2024

It’s been a while since I posted anything here, not because it’s cold and slippery outside, but because I’ve been indoors resting my leg after an injury. I hope to be outdoors again soon, and maybe do some snowshoeing after we get a few more snowfalls.

Until then, here’s a squirrel enjoying a frozen crab apple:

Red squirrel enjoying a winter snack – Points East Coastal Drive

This photo is all the way back from our first winter on Prince Edward Island, when I spotted this little fur ball by the side of the road near the East Point Lighthouse.

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2023

Merry Christmas and an adventurous 2024 everyone!

Merry Christmas

Here’s our annual Christmas card, this year it’s a winter sunset on Prince Edward Island. 🙂

Beach, Forest, and Dunes

November 23, 2023

It’s been a while since my last post, as I’ve been quite busy with our move from Souris to Fortune. After the first few weeks in this new location I’m happy to report that we absolutely love our new home, which is both cozier and easier to heat than our old home.

Now that my computer has been unpacked and set up, here are some pictures from this October and November, not from our move but from my walks on nearby trails:

Gulls on the beach – Little Harbour

Lapping waves – Little Harbour

Red reflections – Little Harbour

Morning frost – Confederation Trail

Forest ferns – Harmony Junction

Forest floor – Harmony Junction

Boardwalk trail – Greenwich

Cresting the dunes – Greenwich

Dunetop viewpoint – Greenwich

Shadow selfie – Greenwich

Those were some lovely days to be out on the trail, let’s hope we have a few more before winter shuts everything down. 🙂

Some fresh air on the trail

October 13, 2023

We’re in the middle of our move out of Souris right now, so we’re living among cardboard boxes and bundles of disassembled furniture. My computer is the next thing to go into a box and before that happens I just wanted to update the blog with a few pictures from my walk on the Confederation Trail yesterday:

Peaceful forest – Confederation Trail near Souris

Some fall colours – Confederation Trail near Souris

Forest lane – Confederation Trail near Souris

These quiet moments in the forest are all the more important during times of stress, and while I won’t be able to share my time outdoors for the next few weeks/months, you can be sure that’s where I’ll be when all these boxes try to get the better of me.

We’re moving out of Souris

September 28, 2023

Today I have some bad news to share. After 7 years in Souris, our landlords have unexpectedly served us an eviction notice. They’re moving family into our home.

What can I say. It’s turned our world upside down.

There is an affordable-housing crisis on Prince Edward Island so we’re going to have a hard time finding a new long-term home.

For the time being we’re moving into a short-term vacation rental. We can’t stay there forever, but it’ll be our new home for the next little while.


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Late summer greens

September 19, 2023

Over the weekend we had a small storm come through (Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee), and thankfully we have zero damage. Even the Confederation Trail is pretty much unscathed, still very leafy and green:

Quiet and green – Confederation Trail near Souris

Green forest – Confederation Trail near Souris

Fern – Confederation Trail near Souris

Starry moss – Confederation Trail near Souris

Puffball – Confederation Trail near Souris

Last year we didn’t have much of a fall season because of the severe fall storm Fiona, but maybe this year we’ll see some colours again. 🙂