Another paddle around Heckman’s Island.

We had annual rituals when we lived in Scotland.  In May we would cycle from Glen Fearnat down Glen Tilt to Pitlochry and home. Then there was the cycle round Loch Rannoch and yet another trip from Kirriemuir to Edzell and back via Forfar.

Here in Nova Scotia we like to make an annual outing around Heckman’s Island. We can leave from various points, but last week-end we started out from the inlet past the Cranberry Farm.

The weather was perfect. The farm you see is actually at the end of Second Peninsula.

It’s boating season and everyone had their yachts in the water.

Nice reflection.

This deck had a golf cart for some reason! To get from the house to the boat?

There are simple cabins

and permanent homes.

This is the road bridge onto the island. We have to paddle through here and along Tanner’s Pass, between the island and the ‘mainland’.

We stopped for a break at a boat shed we admire. This would make the perfect house site, but the road to it would be impossible.

I am always taking photographs of the rocks around Stonehurst, I find this landscape so amazing.

These cormorants had just been sunning themselves, before flying off. I could have done with a better camera, but am always afraid that my Canon will end up in the water.

We landed on the little beach near the Cranberry Farm.

We’d had a perfect day, watching eagles, ospreys, cormorants, terns, seals and otters. We’ll have to wait until next year to do that trip again.