Edible Wild Rose Hips

© September '11   photo by smck

This fruit of the wild rose that grows along the shore in profusion in many places - this particular photo being taken at the Mointeach - ripens to an edible fruit in September.  I am not certain but I believe that this is 'Rosa Rugosa' originally native to Asia but long ago introduced to North America.  The 'hip' is quite tasty and I eat them by the handful - but you must be very careful while eating them as the center seed mass is surrounded by very prickly fine hair like growths (which when dried and crushed have often been sold as 'itching powder').  The rose hip is exceedingly rich in vitamin C.  For those who like to make jelly and jam this is a good candidate.

The following web site refers to Rosa Rugosa: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_rugosa

A Driftwood Tree bleaching in the sun

© September '11   photo by smck

In the upper left hand corner you can see the narrow gut of Grand River emptying into the ocean.  The bleaching tree and root system seen above could quite possibly be a spruce that had eroded away from the hill in the 'Red Head - from the Mointeach' posting below and then gotten swept up onto the top of this bar by a strong gale. 

Summer's End

© September '11   photo by smck

Grand River looking north from near the remains of the old fishing pier at the old mouth to the ocean - the kind of day that at summers end makes Cape Breton in general and Grand River in particular one of the greatest places that I've ever been. 

Shore Birds blend in with background

© August '10   photo by smck

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 There are at least thirteen shore birds visible in this picture.  You can make the photo larger by clicking on it.

Duckless Duck Race

 August '10   photo by smck

The Grand River Volunteer Fire Company holds a Duckless Duck Race in the summer as part of their fund raising activities. The scene above shows the multicolored floating balls each of which corresponds to a ticket for the hopeful winner.  They are released all together upstream and then the vagaries of fate determine their journey down and into the 'V' of the net - and of course there can only be one 'first' through.  Many people always attend the summer festive day and can readily view the travel of the Duckless Duck balls as they come down stream.  The river is much shallower in this scene than in the same view in the Post 'Grand River Running Full' when the river was flowing very full - the volunteers cheerfully wading in the water are not upset at the slower current