PEI

A much over due blog post written in the final days of September...

September you are speedy past, you kissed summer good bye promptly on the 21st. You continue to tease us with the warmth of your sun, but we find ourselves pulling on flannels and favorite sweaters in your shade and evenings.

September is always bittersweet for me, I miss those long days, I miss our family evening swims, I miss diving into the freezing ocean to find relief from the heat, I miss seeing my baby walking around in just a diaper and I miss the heat on my skin mixed with the salt from the sea. But I do love pulling on my baggy knit sweater and gathering around a evening fire, I love falling asleep with windows open and the cold crisp air as we cuddle under covers, I love sipping hot tea, seeing the leaves change, and fresh apple cider. All summer long we bike and swim as often as possible, but in fall we find ourselves in the woods and wandering fields. How glorious it is to be still warmed in the sun, but to find ourselves needing cozy things. 

We spent a long weekend in PEI (it is only 9 hours away, can you believe that!) at the very beginning of September. Already it seems forever ago...the semester was just beginning (I am teaching a design course this semester), the leaves weren't even thinking about changing and swimming was still part of the daily routine. As we drove North we saw the world shift a bit...the temperatures cooled, autumn seems closer and when we got to our destination is was as if we had crossed the threshold, summer was fading and autumn was coming. It was as if we were again celebrating Summers last hoorah.

The days were warm still, we camped right on the ocean and during Anna's afternoon nap we took turns jumping into the water and walking along the beach. But when evening came we huddled around the fire with sweaters and blankets. We spent our mornings, afternoon and evenings rambling through deep woods and open fields, wandering along bubbling brooks, shinning lakes and endless coastlines.

We constantly snacked on wild raspberries and apples that grew everywhere it seemed. We didn't bring a baby carrier or a stroller, so Anna was either on foot, hip or shoulders. Our walks were slow, stopping often to let Anna investigate this or that, to pick berries or climb a tree for a apples. (Anna loved all the apples, now every time we hike in the woods she asks where the apple trees are...thinking they should be here just like they were in PEI.) 

We traveled only in the Cavendish area, and everything there was as if the pages of L. M. Montegomery had come to life. It was one of the most magical places I have ever been, not because it was an epic journey with wonder and grandeur all around, but there was something to it, something so simple and poetic. It was peaceful. It was like taking a deep breath, looking into childhood stories about fairies and wood elves, like a gentle stroll through beautiful country. 

As the years pass, I hope we can make camping in PEI a regular family trip.