A brilliant autumn sunset over Lake Kaminiskeg in the Madawaska Valley. © BCP 2010
Our all-too-brief sojourn in the near north took us to Algonquin Park, as readers will have seen in my last two posts. But we put the miles on our car, getting to the park the long way — by going via the Madawaska Valley, first. We were blessed with the perfect weather for leaf peeping, as it turned out. And perfect for sunsets.
I wandered down to the lake just at sunset on our first night — Ack! The sun is setting so, so early now! — just in time to catch what I call the pink flash. I’ve been watching sunsets on this lake in the Madawaska for a long, long time. And in my experience, the pink flash is relatively rare. You can see it a bit, in the top photo.
A mourning cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa) settles on the sand, surrounded by white pine and red pine needles. © BCP 2010
The next day, I wandered down to the beach to see what I could see, and luck favoured me with a beautiful butterfly that fluttered by. It was a mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), and I got a good long look at it as it stopped to nectar on the flowers growing along the water’s edge — mostly New England asters (purple) and bushy asters (white), I think.
Then the mourning cloak settled down on the warm sand and stayed there for quite a while. It was drawing warmth from the sand, giving it energy. Wings like jewels, right there before me. Another unforgettable moment in the Madawaska.
© BCP 2010
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