The Calm Before the Storm - Shediac, New Brunswick

Whenever snow, storms, blizzards are coming our way, the media is all over it. Conversations are dominated by the topic of what is expected. Comparisons are made to storms of the past and predictions are made for the one coming.

Right now the first blizzard of 2015 is brewing outside my windows. At 8 am, the air was still, no snow fell. Within a half hour the view out my living room window had changed considerably. The snow had begun and the wind had picked up. 

We have electric heat, so the most that can be done to prepare is to run off some extra water and bring in the camp stove. I don't react well to a loss of power, but a cup of hot tea or coffee can go along way to a better attitude. After all these years together, my husband knows this well. 

Our antidote to an impending storm is to head to the beach. Saturday was spent exploring the sands and wharf of the Shediac - Pointe du Chene area. As always, I took my camera and my husband exhibited extreme patience as I stopped and clicked and oohed and oohed more. He carried driftwood and feathers after my pockets were full and helped me push huge chucks of ice into the current and we watched as they floated and crashed and broke up into smaller pieces.

Shediac Beach

Looking toward Pointe du Chene

We met some other like minded folk walking and biking and even had a gentleman in an ultra lite fly just over our heads and wave! My photos don’t convey it well, so you will have to believe me that by times the sun was glorious. 

It was an incredibly restful and fun day.

off the Pointe du Chene wharf

Pointe du Chene Wharf

Shediac Beach

Walking the Trails in Moncton, NB

Rejean and I have tramped or biked pretty much every trail in the Moncton and immediate area. We always try to find something appealing or attractive about each one we go on, though to be honest, some of these trails are more utilitarian than beautiful. It really does depend on the time of year you visit them, I find. Some just don’t shine in the heat of summer and some do. Some are more attractive in fall when the leaves and grasses change color and the contrast of the blue sky enhances the golds, oranges and reds.

Such is the Humphrey Brook Trail, a 5 km walking, biking path that crosses a small section of the east end of Moncton. We have travelled it several times and yesterday, we walked to the end and back, an approximate 10 km trip. We actually didn’t see many people out on it, which surprised us since it was such a beautiful 19 degree day. The trail crosses behind several sub-divisions, and the city has added benches placed in several strategic spots as well as a much welcomed bathroom facility since we were last there. It does follow a lovely little brook and the area is in Phase Two of an environmental enhancement program as the city commits to providing green space and negotiable trails within city limits.

The wind blew just as I took this photo with my iPhone, but I like it even with the blurs