Confederation Trail near Homestead

     The famous Prince Edward Island Confederation Trail runs very close to the Jeffery Homestead.
     For more information regarding Confederation Trail see the following websites:
http://www.tourismpei.com/pei-confederation-trail
http://www.tourismpei.com/pei-cycling
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g155022-d265234-Reviews-Confederation_Trail-Prince_Edward_Island.html

     Above: new pavement on Centerline Road - this photo is taken going east - the Confederation Trail is just ahead as the road straightens.

     Confederation Trail, looking south - this takes you towards Rte. 2 in Alma and further to Alberton.

     Confederation Trail, looking north - this takes you towards St. Louis and to the end at Tignish.

Above: looking north down Confederation Trail.

     Above: Confederation Trail, looking north, a short distance in on the trail from Centerline Road - on the far left you can see the house and barn of Jeffery Homestead. 
     Below:  Jeffery Homestead as seen from Confederation Trail - using zoom lens.

     Below: looking back towards Centerline Road - its just ahead.

    Below: Entry gates to Confederation Trail.

Below map cf. http://superiorfootprints.org/2013/08/22/pei-a-haven-for-cyclists/

Below info cf. http://www.tourismpei.com/confederation-trail/tignish-to-elmira

Main Trail (Tignish to Elmira) - Main Trail (cumulative distance)

Tignish to Elmira	KM
Tignish	0
St. Louis	11.1
Alma	14.6
Alberton	21.1
Elmsdale	26.8
Bloomfield	35.5
O'Leary	44.8
Portage	59.1
Ellerslie	71.9
Richmond	82.9
Wellington	90.7
Summerside (waterfront)	109.3
Kensington	122.7
Freetown	131.1
Emerald	136.8
Fredericton	147.4
Hunter River	154.5
Milton	170.8
Royalty Junction	176.7
York	182.9
Tracadie	195.3
Mount Stewart	204.0
Morell	219.1
St. Peters	230.5
Selkirk	242.1
Bear River	248.9
Harmony Junction	257.6
Elmira	273.4

Sunflowers are blooming

     Here's a few photos from around the yard yesterday - the sunflowers are blooming, however, a bit later than usual.  The rose bush is still blooming as well.

We picked plums and pears from the fruit trees - there's a few tomatoes too!

Around the yard as fall approaches

     I was working in the yard yesterday and took the following photos - the plums, pears and apples are ripening.

Mom and Dad had a great garden this summer!

     Above to the left: Five blue spruce trees we planted on July 8th, 2011 to mark Mom and Dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary.  Below: here they are planting them - they're growing!!

Sunflowers are starting to open!

Today was a beautiful warm/hot summers day with little breeze!

Above/Below: a hearty rose bush Arnold gave Mom following a serious illness in the spring of 2007 - it's hearty like Mom!

     Below: a whirligig made by folk art brother Kerras.

     Below: the window boxes did well this summer - we planted miniature dalhias on each end with marigolds and pansies in betwee.

Below: the fruit trees are producing well.

Below: the new flower bed survived the warm dry summer!

Below: a plant called "Strawberry Sundae" - disregard the weeds :-D)

     Below: the birch tree is big - Kerras and Dad planted it 35 years ago - they dug it up as a seedling from the back woods.

     Mom and Dad planted these six maples in 2005 - they've done well, especially the first one on the right as it's near the septic field tile and its roots gets lots of moisture below.

     Above to the left: there's the little spruce tree planted in 2011 for our first-great child Ciara Jane Pitre, born on June 15, 2010.  It's a beautifully shaped spruce tree - it was very tiny the first couple of years but its starting to grow.  Here it is again below.

Below: Kerras folk art pig still watches guard over the place!

     Below:  on Sunday August 18th we planted two more trees for family members at the Homestead - first an "Empress Tree" in honour of our Grandmother, Empress (MacNevin) McDowell who will turn 94 on September 6th.   

     Also we planted a "Canoewood Tree" (aka. liriodendron/tulip tree) for our 2nd great-grandchild Charlie Christopher Clements born on April 24, 2012.   Here he is below.

     Both these trees are flowering and will grow fast and large to 60' high and 60' wide.  We still have to plant a tree for our 3rd great-grandchild Emma Christine Olive Pitre born August 16, 2012.

A Cabin in the Woods on the Centerline Road - 1860

     I came across the following note that Eva Jeffery had written-out to a cousin on July 12,           1977 to tell her family's history about coming to Alma.

     "My grandfather's name was Stephen Jeffery - his family came from England many years ago.  He set out from Bedeque for the western part of the Island, so i am told, and landed in Alma (1860) and built a little log cabin in the wilderness.  It was nothing but a forest at that time.  They must have endured great hardship to make a living for himself and his family in the wilderness with no cleared land.  I would liked to have written a History of the Jeffery family but did not think of it when my father and mother were alive as they had alot about the family - they are both dead now..."

Image cf. http://tonguekissesandtyranny.blogspot.ca/2010/09/little-about-me.html

     Settlement in the Alma area began early in the mid 1800's with settlers along the Western Road where they had easy access to the road - there was little settlement in the backwoods.  Older residents of the Centerline Road recall their forefathers saying that the Stephen Jeffery home was the oldest on the road.  

      Above: Stephen Emmanuel Jeffery (1830-1911) and his third wife Jane Collicutt (1842-1814) - they were married in 1868.  Stephen had 5 children by his first marriage to Maria Fields; no children from his second wife Mary Ann Lewis and 8 children with his third wife Jane Collicutt.  In total there were 12 children raised in this home - 10 sons: William, Albert, Spurgeon, George, Abram, Richard, Stephen, David, Joseph, Robert and 2 daughters: Elizabeth, Jane and Rebeccah who died at birth.

     Above: sketch by Carter Jeffery depicting the Jeffery homestead around 1890.  The house was built in the late 1860's and is today the home of Wilbert and Verna Jeffery - see photo below.