August Days

For me August was always the important month of summer. The first days of summer heat are gone, the mornings are breathing a little cooler, and yet it is delightful during the days. Many flowers are first starting to bloom now, apples and fruits are growing bigger every day and we go harvesting raspberries and even later blackberries. Many days are crystal clear and it is fun to take the camera and hunt for those nice photo opportunities. Yesterday I was intrigued by the bright colours and went south on the island. My first stop was at Mulholland Point where I took a few shots with the Mulholland Lighthouse and the Narrows. A boat was running up against the violent tidal current. They had the engine on full throttle, the bow came up high and the boat was producing a great wake behind. It was a very quiet Sunday, with little traffic across the border. Was it the long weekend we’d had last week which made people stay put? Anyway, time to brush up on the history of the lighthouse: Built in 1885, Mulholland Point Lighthouse served as a guide for the many small coasters, passenger ships, and freighters traversing the narrow Lubec Channel en route to or from the United States or Canadian ports on Grand Manan. Although the lighthouse is not open to the public, visitors are free to walk around the structure and to enjoy the picnic site next to it. From the picnic area at Mulholland Point are views of the FDR Memorial Bridge, Lubec, Maine, the Channel Lighthouse, and the islands and waters of Johnson's Bay. Often, harbor seals can be seen swimming just offshore in the Lubec Narrows. Lighthouses remain an important cultural feature in the Maritime Provinces and have become a unique appeal to an increasing number of visitors each year. I drove on to the other side east of the bridge. I met a few cars but when I reached Cranberry Point I was all by myself. Here we can look out towards the east and Grand Manan. It is a lovely inviting view. Most island visitors never get to see this. They seem to be in a hurry. For what? Whoever comes to Campobello Island needs to have time to take it all in. This is not a Mekka with tens of thousands of tourists swarming all over. It is rather a “best-kept-secret” a tip of an insider to a lonely wanderer who wants to take a few reflections over nature and life itself. I was looking for that lonely bench up on the rocky shelf. It is a place for worshipping nature. A few gulls out there, the gentle lapping of waves against ancient rocks…. That’s all there is to it. Thanks for stopping by again!