In May 2011, after four years of life on McNutt's Island, we moved to Montreal. This blog remains, though, as a (sort of) daily record of our time on the island, and a winding path for anyone who would like to meander about among its magical places. For additional perspectives and insights I recommend Greg's book, Island Year: Finding Nova Scotia (2010), and my Bowl of Light (2012). I'll continue to post once in a while. If you do want to read this blog, one option would be to begin at the beginning of it (which is, as we all know, in blog-world, at the end), and read forward, concluding with the most recent entry. It's a journal, really, so it does makes more sense if you read it that way. But, you know, read it any way you like.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Island of ferns

For the next few months the island will be covered with ferns. They will wave gently along the roadsides and soften the raggedy look of the skeleton forests. Already they have begun to spring up along the stone walls. They are chartreuse now; they will become darker shades of green over the summer and finally turn toward warm browns and coppers after the frost. Mostly they are Bracken and Hay-scented Fern, I think. But there are other varieties, too.
One tall fern grows up in large mounds along roads and paths. Ferns that grow from mounds like this are the Royal Fern, the Interrupted Fern, and the Cinnamon Fern. I think this one is the Cinnamon Fern. It is not as bright in colour as the Bracken and Hay-scented Fern, but it is certainly more imposing. It is beginning to unfurl. 



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