Bridgette and I stayed at the Compass Rose Bed and Breakfast on Grand Manan, and woke up to a beautiful morning overlooking the ocean. It was Sept. 28, the day of the AGM, and we had been invited to participate in a field trip to the Seven Days Work Cliffs later that morning.
Since we had a couple of hours before the field trip, we thought it would be a good time to explore the Thomas B. Munro Preserve. The starting point was only a short drive down Whistle Road to a small lighthouse.
Since we had a couple of hours before the field trip, we thought it would be a good time to explore the Thomas B. Munro Preserve. The starting point was only a short drive down Whistle Road to a small lighthouse.
We quickly discovered that this was a real gem of a hiking trail. It was such a peaceful morning and the path meandered up through the woods following the edge of the cliffs. In some spots along the trail there were signs to take caution as a lookout point drew near. Many of these offered a great opportunity to take a peek through the trees and see the rocks and coast line below. I am pretty sure that my first painting here should be one of these views looking down from above.
We often came across some deadwood with lots of twisted, gnarly branches. It was a feature that stood out to me since I was thinking about interesting painting subjects. If you look closely in the photo to the left, you will see a sign in the deadwood that says, "Use Caution". This was just one of the many signs that Bridgette and I found along the way. Here, we contemplated edging out a bit more to get a better look. In the end, we heeded the advice of the sign and chose to venture out well shy of the small coniferous tree you see in the right corner of the photo. It turned out we were standing above the point called The Bishop. Our first view of it had been through the trees in the photo above.
After taking in the view, we checked the time and decided we should head back and prepare for the 11:00 AM field trip. If we had continued, the trail would have taken us to Ashburton Head and eventually to Whale Cove (which is actually another nature preserve).
The next morning when we were leaving Grand Manan on the Ferry, I was able to zoom in on the cliffs and find The Bishop. In the photo to the right, the arrow is pointing to the same tree that we wisely chose not to wander past the day before. This is a trail that I definitely want to revisit next time I am in Grand Manan!
The next morning when we were leaving Grand Manan on the Ferry, I was able to zoom in on the cliffs and find The Bishop. In the photo to the right, the arrow is pointing to the same tree that we wisely chose not to wander past the day before. This is a trail that I definitely want to revisit next time I am in Grand Manan!