It had been raining for most of the day and the clouds were low and thick. Towards the evening I noticed some breaks in the clouds and so I set out to try to catch some interesting photos.
I was hoping to catch some photos of the Summerside windmills in the rain against a backdrop of will defined rain clouds but no such luck. While driving around I noticed a band of yellow on the Western horizon so I drove towards it, ultimately stopping at Belmont Provincial Park.
The park is a sizable finger of land jutting into Malpeque Bay. The roads leading to the park were lined with picturesque PEI landscapes featuring small farms and lovely views of Malpeque Bay.
A neatly mowed field, lined along its western and norther edges with trees and brush, predominates the small park. A nice little beach makes up the eastern edge of the park. I was grateful for the line of trees that surrounded the park as they seemed to shield much of the wind coming in from the bay. The difference between the shielded field and the small clearings in the trees where I took some of my photos was stark.
The clearings were buffeted by determined winds carrying salty spray. Stepping into one was a bit like stepping into a violent but tasty wind storm. Or at least it was for a complete landlubber like myself.
The long exposure photos (last two in this post) were taken with me pulling down as hard as I could on my tripod's centre post in an effort to minimize the camera shake due to the wind. The last photo, with all its blur and mess, perhaps conveys the situation best.
"Opportunity"
In the middle of the park stands a tidy green building housing pristine washroom facilities. Beside it was the only tree still standing in the middle of the park. At the base of the tree was a tiny flower bed. The tree, shaken by the wind looked quite lonely. I suspect it would've been happy to have friends around it sharing the burden of the bluster.
When I see an open field like this - especially one that seems to be mowed regularly - I see an opportunity to foster beauty and habitat. I would love to return to the park one day to find more trees, shrubs and perennials - and much less mowed grass.
"The Performer"
The lonely tree in the centre of the park dancing to the wind for its audience at the fringes. A tiny bed of flowers grows at its foot.
"Traveller"
A fallen birch slowly makes its way down the beach seemingly oblivious to the bluster around it.
"Break"
The sun finally broke through the thick cloud cover to light up the western edge of Malpeque Bay.
"Still Awake"
The sun peeks out from under a heavy layer of cloud as if lifting an eyelid one last time before bed with the mist on the lens catching the light.