Tag Archives: Quebec Province

The Adventure is not Over

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After driving through the winds from Hurricane Lee, I safely made it to Moncton, New Brunswick last night. Whew. the winds blew yesterday. Along Highway 104 there were swaths of trees that had blown over in the forests along the way. I drive a high-clearance vehicle so I have learned to slow down and take breaks to relax between stretches of driving. Oh, and breathing is essential, long, slow, and steady.

This morning it is a sunny and lovely almost a fall day. I am waiting patiently while EmmyLou is getting serviced. She has been such a good rig this summer. Now it is her turn to get some love and attention.

Viewpoint of Fjord du Saguenay in Quebec Province

I am not finished with Canada. After my rig is serviced and I see a chiropractor (I am getting serviced too) I am going to be spending more time in New Brunswick as I head toward Quebec Province. I am once again going to cross the St. Lawrence Seaway. This time it is a bridge crossing. I am on my way to Sauganay Fjord National Park. I met several people over the past month who told me it is a must-see. I am already here so why not. I am looking forward to fall in the East. The colors had begun to change a little as I was preparing to leave Newfoundland.

I hope you will join me on my fall adventures in eastern Canada. It is fun to have someone to share stories with and share my photos.

I will remain in Quebec Province for a week before I once again head to the United States and begin to consider heading west. I don’t want to winterize my rig, although I know I can.

This morning is just a quick update.

Happy Autumn Equinox!

Puffin Along

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I was on a lighthouse island in the MIngan Archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Quebec Province, Canada for four days, from August eleventh to the fourteenth.

I went to a photography workshop with Christopher Dodds. I wanted to learn more about my camera and improve my wildlife photography skills. And I did. In four days, my photography stepped up a notch.

We stayed on the island in a house that was set aside for us. Each of us had our own room and a shared bathroom. My room faced the lighthouse which is electronically controlled. It did not interfere with my rest at night. We were served three delicious meals a day. It is amazing how much energy it takes to photograph wildlife.

What was I photographing? PUFFINS!! Oh my goodness, puffins everywhere. They were in flight returning to their burrows with fish for the young. They were flying. They were creating wonderful antics on the cliffs that I could photograph.

Here is a video of some of my better photos. It was so much fun.

There were four of us in the workshop. Charley from Chicago, Julie, and Reiner from Florida. We were a very compatible group. When Charley and I saw the first puffins we just started to laugh for the sheer joy of it.

When we weren’t shooting puffins there was other wildlife to photograph.

Semipalmated Sandpiper
Common Ringed Plover
Raven
White Throated Sparrow
Bay Breasted Warbler

Our typical day started at four thirty a.m. By five a.m. we were on the beach capturing the puffins returning from sea in the beautiful early morning light. Breakfast was at eight and then it was back to the beach for the rest of the morning. Lunch was at noon. We had a bit of siesta time and then returned to the beach to catch the puffins at sunset. Dinner was at five p.m. then once again we returned to the beach for one more round before sunset. Whew.

Shortly after we left the island all the adults leave for the winter. They go back out into the ocean and do whatever puffins do. Except for breeding season, they are solitary at sea. The young wait a few days until they get hungry and soon they also leave their nest and go to sea. Not all the young will make it through their first year. On this particular island as they leave there are seals waiting for the young. Nature can be cruel. Christopher told us that only five to seven percent of this colony of young will make it to adulthood.

After three nights I was ready to settle down and catch up. Following Chris’s suggestion I decided to take the Trans-Labrador Highway to Newfoundland. It is a bit like going through the back door. Whew. It is in the middle of nowhere. And that is how I found myself on the TransLabrador Highway.

Today I am thankful for opportunities that present themselves, I am thankful for good Photographers who are willing to teach others their knowledge and skills.

Today I am thankful for the joy of Puffins.