My dear friend Laura at Vitamin Sea has challenged us to "Play tour guide, and photograph your neighborhood or parts of your geographical area that you would like others to see." She's got a bunch of links up to people who are doing just that. I thought I'd play along ... so:
To get to where I live, you have to cross a bridge. And not just a teensy little bridge. This one is close to ten miles long over the Northumberland Strait between Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick, and Borden, Prince Edward Island. If you look closely just above the water in this pic, you can see the Confederation Bridge. (You may have to click on the image to enlarge)
Once you cross the bridge, you're in some incredibly beautiful green rolling hills. In summer the greens are breathtaking, both in the sheer amount of green and the million different shades:
And beaches? Why yes, we do have beaches - the entire North side of the Island is one long 120 mile white sandy beach. Liberally sprinkled with scenes like this:
But Laura wanted us to go out and take photos, not just grab ones we had sitting in a file on our disk. So this is my 'hood, taken in the last hour:
From my woodpile, which is about halfway towards being safely stored in my shed after spending the summer seasoning, toward the garage (and further to the house):
Our apple tree, an ancient thing that bears very tart apples, perfect for pies and crisps and crumbles but sour enough to make you make a funny face if you bite into one right off the branch:
I have raked probably four bushels of apples off the ground and still, after a windy day like yesterday, this is what I get:
But there is a certain beauty in an apple on a tree. I can see this one from my office window. Today. Tomorrow? Well, Allie's making pies ...
Your stomping grounds are pastoral bliss, from the rolling hills to the old apple tree. Is all of this covered in a blanket of snow in the winter, with frozen ponds and tinkly icicles clinging to the branches of the trees? Sigh.
Posted by: Ortizzle | September 30, 2006 at 05:39 PM
Wow. I'm putting you on my list of blogfriends to visit as soon as I kick WTF Disease to the curb.
Posted by: Susie | September 30, 2006 at 07:20 PM
oooh...seriously, wow. You really live in that picture perfect postcard?! I'm jealous!
Posted by: Sandy | September 30, 2006 at 09:30 PM
You know, I have to drive over a seven mile bridge to get to our city, and the bay itself is very beautiful. But when I finally exit the bridge we're led onto an ugly stretch of roadway lined with strip malls and traffic jams for the entire 30 minute drive to the Gulf.
I much prefer your version! This was just beautiful Nils. It looks like paradise. I also didnt know you had apple trees!
Posted by: Laura | September 30, 2006 at 11:00 PM
Wow...*your* puppy pictures drew me in, but the pics of where you live...wonderful!!
Home, not where I go to school, is apple country and is it ever easy to be drawn into taking pictures of those beauties!
I've been on that bridge, so of course I could recognise it, even faintly in the distance. I happen to really like your province, and would, if life gave me a little more time, drive there and help you find a home for one of those puppies!! (I was thinking of getting one anyway--too bad Ottawa isn't all that close!)
On vacation last summer my brother and I got some great photos of your Island.
If you're a LOTR fan- there are some fun/interesting names there!
Posted by: Naomi | September 30, 2006 at 11:19 PM
Wow, Nils... What truly beautiful, beautiful scenery. If I drive a bit, I can find countryside like that here in Illinois, but the picture with the lighthouse takes my breath away.
I'm with Susie -- I'd love to visit your island.
Posted by: CircusKelli | September 30, 2006 at 11:52 PM
i'm back. I still can't get over how idyllic it looks. Even the grass is greener and softer looking than ours.
Are pictures of Charlottetown out of the question?
Posted by: Laura | October 01, 2006 at 12:05 AM
Oh yes, Nils! More! Plleeeeaasseee...
Posted by: CircusKelli | October 01, 2006 at 12:15 AM
Oh dear god, the bridge. I have a bridge phobia. I don't know if I could ever cross that bridge without having a full-blown anxiety attack.
But the rest...lovely.
Posted by: candace | October 01, 2006 at 04:04 PM
i MISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS the Maritimes. i'm stuck in God forsaken Calgary where we don't have beaches (well not natural ones anyways). i've visited and lived in many different countries, but - there's no place on earth like the East Coast of Canada.
ps- i love the apple tree too.
Posted by: nadia | October 01, 2006 at 06:28 PM
Beautiful!!
Just Beautiful!!
I've always wanted to go to the land of Anne of Green Gables!!
I'm here from visiting Laura at Vitamin Sea...this was an awesome idea!!
:-D
Posted by: Tammy~Kentucky Gal | October 01, 2006 at 09:17 PM
Such beauty! No wonder you write so well...you're surrounded by inspiration! Sorry I've been away for the last few days. Perhaps I'll try this photo meme as well.
Posted by: wordgirl | October 02, 2006 at 09:13 AM
Oh how pretty! I remember reading about P.E.I. in the Anne of Green Gables series. It's a place I've always wanted to visit since then. Just lovely! And how lucky for you that you have an apple tree!
Posted by: InterstellarLass | October 03, 2006 at 12:00 PM
My hubby and I drove over that bridge--it was loverly--EXCEPT for the fact that there was a torrential downpour the whole time we were crossing and we couldn't see over the guardrails...poopy! We didn't cross back over it--we took the ferry instead to Nova Scotia...we wanted to just STAY in PEI--such a beautiful province...
What was the most interesting was the visit to a lighthouse at the tip of PEI where the Atlantic meets up with the Gulf of St. Lawrence--and the currents crash against each other!
Posted by: Effie | October 03, 2006 at 01:20 PM
Wow, you live in such a beautiful area!!
Posted by: Katherine | October 04, 2006 at 03:34 PM