Early this morning, before dawn broke, I sat out on our deck in the dark, coffee in hand, to listen to the relative silence. Just as a smidgen of light began to appear on the horizon, our resident robin began to tweet, quickly joined by others of his ilk, making sure that other birds and people were awake, or at least, waking up!
It’s a scorcher out there today. Hot sun, very high temperatures, minimal breeze and wicked humidity. We are lucky to have heat pumps in our house so the (black) dog and cat can stay inside and comfortable – not frying tootsies out there on the pavement. When Harley needs to go out to ‘do’ his thing, he can go down the back steps right onto the grass – avoiding melting asphalt.
We decided that the best way to avoid too much heat was to head to St. Martins – a small fishing village (turned tourist haven) on the shores of the Bay of Fundy. It’s only about a 40 minute drive away and the combination of bay-side breezes, a hint of fog and a lower elevation makes it about 15º cooler.
The crescent-shaped beach is strewn with rocks of assorted sizes and the detritus left by the receding tide. The Bay of Fundy boasts the highest tides in the world so most of what you see here will be under water when the full tide rolls in.
Since it’s Monday, there aren’t huge crowds of tourists (yet) but a few hardy souls were exploring the famous caves at the other end of the beach. When the tide is in (and it had turned and was beginning to roll in before we left) the caves are not accessible. Again, most of what you see would be under water – the high tide line is on your left just below the beach-side café.
St. Martins, and the nearby city of Saint John, are always air conditioned throughout the summer.
The fog is hovering just beyond the headland, being sucked on-shore by the incoming tide.
As a kid, like these two boys, I always enjoyed playing at the water’s edge looking for treasures – or at least some unique rocks to stuff in my pockets and take home.
My other half, who is not fond of heat or direct sunlight, enjoyed a respite in the gazebo while I explored further with my camera.
Driftwood is always intriguing with its incredibly smooth texture and often unique shapes.
On a hot and sunny day, taking a break at the shore and enjoying the breeze from the bay is a wonderful way to relax – just remember your hat and sunscreen. The cool-ish air is deceptive and (true confessions) I’ve had some of my worst sunburns by being careless about such things. Not now, though. I’ve learned my lesson.
Back home in Sussex the heat continues to increase, the breeze is too light, and it’s a good time to enjoy that heat pump with the furry kids.
Take care and enjoy summer – it’s far too short!
Capturing Cherished Memories 