The Sandpipers are Here

Semipalmated Sandpipers to be exact.   They are yearly August visitors to the Fundy coast as they continue their  migration from the Arctic to the South America.

The Sandpipers stop in Fundy to feed on small shrimp that are abundant in the mud of the Bay at low tide, and stay until they have consumed enough to double their weight and energy stores for the long flight south.  They will not stop again until they reach their Winter home in Brazil.

Millions of birds will stop in region of the Hopewell Rocks. We saw the leading edge of the migration, a small band of Sandpipers resting on the mud in the salt marsh at our camp ground.

Their soft murmuring to one another was musical.

When they took flight, their acrobatic swoops seemed choreographed.

I can only imagine the delight of seeing thousands at a time.

 

Wildflowers of Canada



We are enjoying seeing more flowers and wildflowers in Canada.  Orange Day Lilies, Daisys and Queen Anne's Lace fight for space with wild roses and Fireweed in roadside ditches. The Lupines are almost done but their furry purple seed pods are everywhere.   Wild Sweet Pea with its purple grapelike flowers vines around everything .  St Johnswort  pops it sunny yellow flowers up in the mosy unexpected rocky places.   Thistle  is in full purple bloom. It is so appropriate for Nova Scotia and even appears on the provinces Coat of Arms.  I have never seen Yarrow in anything but white, pink or yellow. Here it is pale purple.   There are many that I don't recognize.

The flowers seem to thrive in the coastal air. I wonder if it is because of the fog that rolls in every evening and burns off mid morning.  Do they  enjoy that moisture after a day in the sun and wind?

 

Here are some of the flowers  we have been seeing on our daily walks.

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Kitchen Sprout Garden

Traveling full time in our RV is the lifestyle that we want to live right now. There are some things that I miss, like having a kitchen garden. I am not willing to travel with plants and pots of dirt. We move too frequently to make that practical.

We went to a Farmers Market in Albert, NB last weekend. I met a vendor there that makes and sells her own line of fine mesh bags in all sizes. She calls them HYP-Bags. That stands for Help Your Planet.



Hyp-Bag and Mustard seeds

They are meant to be used for storing bread and vegetables, as reusable tea bags and for growing sprouts.

We spent quite a while Chatting about the different seeds that she offered and how the simple growing process might fit into our mobile lifestyle.
I chose two bags, one full of mustard seeds and she gave me a tiny one full of broccoli seeds.

We have a ( very tiny) kitchen garden!
The process is quiet easy.
Place one teaspoon of seeds into the Hyp-Bag.

Soak the bag in water twice a day and hang it to dry.

Sprouts will be ready to eat in 5-7 days.
Tonight we are having broccoli sprouts in our dinner salads.








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Where are the Moose?



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Traveling through New Hampshire, Maine and now Canada it is
not uncommon to see Moose warning signs along the roads and highways.   They are like the deer crossing signs that
we see at home in New York a nice reminder to be aware of wildlife entering
traffic.

I thought it would be cool to see a moose in the wild and
began to pay closer attention to fields and water so that I might spot one or
two.

Most people that we have spoken to about wildlife have seen
them in their back yard, along the road or wading in a stream.

Go out at dusk, they said. 

You will see them at dawn, they said.

Moose like the salt marsh in the evening, they said.

Be careful along the highway Moose will run right into the
road, they said.

Moose like the National Park, they said.

These are our moose sightings so far.

Flat Moose

Maple Moose

Moose Mints

Moose Coffee

Soft Moose
 

Shabby Moose

Rooftop Moose

I am beginning to think that moose are like Unicorns, mythical creatures that tempt the imagination.

Color me hopeful.



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Golfing in Hillsborough NB, Canada

On Tuesday morning, July 28th I said to Bonnie it was time for me to play some golf. Earlier last week Bonnie & I visited the Hillsborough Golf Club in Hillsborough New Brunswick and enjoyed a great lunch of burgers & fries.

So off I went for a round of golf. Had to drive up route NB114 for about 20km to the course. 

It was a very nice sunny day with temp's in the mid 70's. Got to the golf course visited with the Pro-Shop person and got set to play. I was only going to play nine-holes today. So off I went too the front nine and first tee box. Par score for the front nine is 36. 

Hole #1

Had a great tee shot. 

But my second & third were bad, so had to work and settle for a bogey 5.  One over par after one hole. 

Hole #2 

This was a nice Par 3. My tee shot was just short of the green, chip-up but missed a long par putt of about 20 feet so I had a bogey 4 again!!

My score is 2 over par after two holes. 

Hole #3 is dog-leg right Par 5. 

Had a good tee shot. Better second but again my third shot was very bad. 

I had to work very hard to just get the bogey 6. 

So I'm 3 over par after just three holes. 

On the way to Hole #4 I had to stop and wait for the group up on the tee to finish. I was sitting by a small pond. Found this little guy just enjoying the sun & morning air.

Hole #4 

It's very long(513yd) dog-leg right Par 5. 

Bad tee shot to start is hole. 

But I did have very good second and 

third shots but was still off the green. Made a bad chip shot and then three putted for a Double Bogey 7.  

So now I'm 5 over par after four hole.

Hole #5

Put my first shot in the water. 

Hit my next shot(3) to within 2 feet of the flag. 

Made the putt for a very nice bogey 4. 

Score is 6 over par after five holes. 

Hole #6 

Great tee shot to start this hole. On my way down the fairway I saw this little guy enjoying the sun & flowers. 

I was on the green in two. 

Two putted for my first par of the day. Remain 6 over par after six holes. 

Hole #7

Good tee and second shots. 

Photo of me in the middle of fairway for hole 7. Had to wait for the group up ahead. Chipped up on to the green. Miss about a 10 feet putt  for par. Had to again settle for a bogey 5. 

Score is now 7 over par after seven holes.

Hole #8 is a Big Dog-leg Left Par 4

Great tee shot over the top of the trees on left side of the fairway. 

Second shot was on the green. Miss the birdie putt of about 25 feet. But made the 8 feet putt back up the hill for a par 4. This is my second par of the day. 

Score is still 7 over par after eight holes. 

Hole #9 Is Dog-Leg Right Par 4

Great tee shot. 

Good second shot on to the green. 

Missed the down hill birdie putt going by the hole about 12 feet (Very Bad). Par putt was just 3 inches short. Tap in for a bogey 5 after my second three putt of the day. Bad finish on the ninth green. Finish 8 over par. I had 2 pars, 6 bogey's, & 1 double bogey for a final score of 44. Not to bad for my first time on this course. I stopped by the bar/lounge met a few guys from the area. Had a Molson Canadian beer, ordered lunch of burgers&fries for Bonnie & I. 

Hillsborough Golf Club 

Course Layout:

New Brunswick, Canada

I liked this golf course. If we come back to this area, I would play this course again. I talked with the club pro, he did say the back nine is a little harder and also a little more prettier with some great views.  So again if you are in this area of Canada, I would recommend that you give this course a try. I think you will like it too. All in all it was a very nice day. 

Thanks and enjoy your next round on the course. 

Fred

Fundy National Park, New Brunswick, Canada

View from the overlook at Dickson Falls Trailhead.

Fundy National Park in New Brunswick is located on the eastern border of the province along the Bay of Fundy.  The park covers nearly 80 square miles and includes 25 hiking trails, 2 dozen waterfalls, a covered bridge, forest, beaches and bogs.  Here you will experience Fundy's incredible 50 foot tidal changes that allow you to walk the ocean floor at low tide.
The Fundy National Park has campgrounds, a golf course, a heated saltwater swimming pool, fishing lakes, and playgrounds.
The Park is home to bear, moose, bobcat, marten, coyote and ruffled grouse. We did see a ruffled grouse and a variety of birds, but no Rocky or Bullwinkle which disappointed me greatly.
Fundy's protected lands serve as the core of the Fundy Biosphere Reserve and it has been designated a Dark Sky Preserve.
The closest settlement is the Village of Alma on the northeastern edge of the park.

Fred and I drove through Fundy National Park on our way to Hopewell Cape. That exposure gave us a great overview of the layout of the land.
We visited again on Saturday to walk some trails. We chose 3 short walks that gave us a look at different areas of the park. The 3 trails that we walked Dickson Falls, Point Wolfe, and Herring Cove Beach are all considered moderate.

Topographical Marker at Dickson Falls Overlook 

Dickson Falls is a 1 1/2 km loop that winds through a forest of evergreens and birch.  It is very close to the water. There is an overlook at the trail head that allows a spectacular view of  "where the ocean meets the forest". The first thing that we noticed as we started walking the trail is the wonderful scent of fir trees combined with the salty smell of the sea. It is like Christmas at the ocean and is a scent that I will always associate with Fundy.
The trail is a combination of root filled dirt walkways with staircases and boardwalks to cross water, scale cliffs and to protect more delicate areas. It is very shady. Moss and ferns are the primary ground cover.  The pathway follows and crosses over the Dickson Brook so the sound of water running over rocks accompanied our walk. 

Moss covered rocks and a babbling brook.

The falls consist of one long drop that breaks into several smaller falls before disappearing into the brook. The moss covered rocks and falling water make a beautiful environment. It is an enchanting place and one that we will want to visit again.



Dickson Falls

Point Wolfe trail begins at Fundy's covered bridge.  There was once a Sawmill and logging town located here and you can still see remnants of an old dam below the bridge.  The trail is a combination of staircases and dirt paths.

Fred and Rascal on the Point Wolfe Trail.

There are beautiful views of the forest leading down to the sea. We were there at low tide and saw acres of beach covered by Fundy's red sand and clay.

Fundy's Red Chairs are great for a little rest.

Fundy National Park Service has recently placed red Adirondack chairs at observation points throughout the park where beautiful views are meant to be enjoyed. There are a pair of them near the top of the trail and we had a nice little rest that soothed our souls as well as our soles.
At the trail end you can choose to turn around and retrace your steps, or walk back to the parking area on the paved Park Road.

Herring Cove Trail is a beach. The trail leads down the cliff to the water via another wooden staircase. It is best to visit at low tide. I usually walk barefoot at the beach but there are a lot of rocks here and being that it is the bottom of the ocean 50% of the time, they are covered with barnacles. Don't wear your good shoes. The beaches here are a mixture of red sand and clay and that mix discolors them.  The beach is a great place to walk. It is interesting to see the crabs and snails in tide pools and to see what the water has left behind.

Disturbing Beach find.

 We came across a creepy heavy clay covered rope tied into a circle that looked like a noose.  It really made me wonder!


The rock formations remind me of melting chocolate

My favorite part of the beach were the rock formations at the sides of the cove. The red sedimentary rock looks like melting chocolate oozing off the cliff.

Cliff caves.

There are shallow caves that have been worn into and behind the rocks by the force of the water. 

To return to the parking area you may climb back of the staircase or walk a dirt and root filled path that meanders along the cliff and crosses a brook with its own tiny waterfall.

Fundy National Park is a National treasure of Canada. We are enjoying our visit and hope to get back to the park for another longer hike before heading to Nova Scotia.