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Margot Bishop
This hidden gem is a walk. Visualize this ramble: a nice 3km walk along the Gaspereau Canal. The trail is packed gravel and dirt that makes for a good surface. The ground is easy underfoot.
My friend Helen, and her Sheltie dog Rusty, re-introduced me to this track over a year ago. It is a lovely stroll with treats for all the senses. It is also a trail that can be used at most times of the year. The gentle breeze cools and caresses the skin. The calls of all kinds of birds tease the ears with their different warbles and chirps. The smells of meadow, forest, and water tickle the nose. After a rain, you can almost taste the smells of this wondrous habitat for fish, fowl, and mammal.
Along the track, milkweed attracts the monarch butterfly. We have even seen a blue swallowtail butterfly shimmering in the sunlight. In the canal, the fish jump, and a pair of geese are raising their young. There is a pretty little islet that just seems to be floating, it is so peaceful and calm. But be careful: there is poison ivy on both sides of the walking track.
After reaching the hydro fence, you can turn left by the plaque on the monument and take a forest path down to the Gaspereau River. The stillness of the woods is overpowered sometimes by the sounds of rushing water. The eagles swoop down for the fish when the gaspereau are running in the spring. There is a nest near. Their flights look so graceful when they are riding the thermals.
This walk is very visual, with colours and shades, and shadows. Whether you are a painter or a photographer, or just like to snap photos with your phone, this walk is a lovely experience. It is truly a treasure trove for the artist in all of us.
Photos courtesy of Margot Bishop.
