IS THIS THE LAST BLOOMER??
It always amazes me.....the persistence of certain plant species that continue to bloom well into the cold seasons. This is one that grows along the shoreline. I took this picture no more than a week ago (when I was in Totman Cove). It is in the Mustard family, and may be a Wild Radish. I have some trouble identifying these plants, many of which look very similar. My hat goes off to it, however, for its ability to blossom and survive in weather that normally brings an end to a fruitful season. I also see patches of Queen Anne's Lace and will try to come up with a picture to prove the fact.

We still haven't had more than a few snow flakes up here. Wind and rain have been interrupted by beautiful but chilly clear days. I went down to view a sunset on Joe's Head and nearly got blown away! That wind can really make you lose your balance, and crashing waves can send spray on your camera lens. These days, the sun is setting quite far to the south. The rain earlier in the day had been blown away, leaving these skies for us to enjoy. The picture was taken at about 4:15PM.

I've started making wreathes again this year, with 4 under my belt so far. I gather the balsam from the transfer station where people deposit trimmed and cut down trees. I placed an enormous wreathe up on our new garage, despite it being a bit early. It required a ladder and two men to install!

Thanksgiving is here and we've so much to be thankful. I can't imagine living in a more beautiful place.....close to nature, sitting on a peninsula that reaches out into the ocean. Yes, there are still hunters out trying to get a deer for their dinner table. So far, there have been about 130 shot so far, but the days are running out. I am thankful there are deer surviving on the campground as we head into winter. There was ice on the roads today. After it melted, and roads were sanded, I headed over to explore the north end of the island. I flushed a buck out of the woods, and found more deer tracks in the sand than those of people. Most hikers stay on the south end for outings these days. I climbed the shoreline and maybe you will recognize where this shot was taken. I watched as several lobster boats cruised into the harbor with their catches. The waves were breaking on the shoreline so I imagine there was a rolling sea to contend with. Later I checked out the activity at the wharf and there are still good amounts of lobsters being brought in.......for Thanksgiving dinners?!

I was disappointed to learn that the lobster pound will not be stocked this year. The price of lobsters has not come down enough to assure the success (financially) of that endeavor. I did learn that the shrimp season starts on December first, and I look forward to that. In fact, in my next report, I will focus on lobstering in November with pictures of my last stop at the wharf.

As we count the things we are thankful for, I count you readers among those cited. Sharing the beauty of the natural world is a joy.
11/24/07 Thankful Ronnie