Rossport. to Kakabekka
I woke to the loud slapping of waves on the rocky shore. I thought about Stan Roger's "White Squall".
I tell these kids a hundred times
Don't take the lakes for granted.
They go from calm to a hundred knots
So fast they seem enchanted.
The wind was kicking up, forcing white caps on the shore. I looked at the sea and got moving. I can take a camp apart in fifteen minutes while boiling water for tea and oatmeal.
Bad weather was beginning to seriously annoy me.
It began to rain as I drove out of the Rossport campground. I had planned on spending several hours hiking up and down the trails at Rainbow Falls, but never mind. I was on the road again.
At Npigon, it was still raining. I parked the car in front of the library. It was closed but the wi fi was running. I read my e-mail for a while when the service suddenly stopped. I looked at the windows in the offices beside the library. Municipal clerks were peering at me through the rain, suspicious I suppose. I started the car and drove off.
Just up the road was the visitors' centre. Gary asked me to take another photo of the big wood carving "Paddle to the Sea" from the children's book he loved as a child. It had been on the deck a year ago, but it wasn't there now.
I went in to check it out with the two teenagers running the place: Cassidy and Charlie.
Cassidy is a senior in high school and Charlie is a university student. When I came in Cassidy was playing with the computer and Charlie had his feet up on the desk with his Tim Horton coffee and snacks at the ready. They were fun to talk to and really very informative. Cassidy seemed to be in charge. She got me the latest weather report: rain. Big surprise.
The "Paddle to the Sea" wood carving is put in the basement for the winter. It is far too heavy for the teens to bring up. The city crew were supposed to haul it up but still hadn't gotten around to it. July 22 was probably a bit late. I bought a copy of the book for Evan.
On I went. With so much rain it made sense to drive rather than sit around. I almost skipped Sleeping Giant Provincial Park entirely. It would be too wet to camp there, but I thought I would take a look anyhow for future reference.
I was almost into the park when a gangly big wolf came out of the mist and crossed the road. I am never good at having a camera ready and it went to fast anyhow. The park is full of deer so he likely ate well.
I explored back roads, getting the car muddy. The sides of the roads were tree lined with spruce and pine. The campsites are nicely secluded. Gary would love these little hideaways. I took photos to show him.
A couple of hours later I came out of the park. The wolf was there again. This time he stood his ground looking at me. Again, I forgot about taking a photo. I was lost in those golden eyes. I felt I should get out and pet him and give him an ear scratch. But that wouldn't be smart. We stared at each other for a few minutes until he dismissed me by turning and melting into the forest.
At Thunder Bay, I stopped at a McDonalds to get my bearings. Thunder Bay is divided into two section separated by countryside. I was confused. I decided to catch up on e-mail and get this blog written.
I sat in a booth facing an old man who seemed to be a street person with all of his belongings in a back pack. Every so often he laughed maniacally. In the booth behind me, a kid was impressing his girlfriend by telling her about the times he'd cut himself. He showed her the scars. He also had opinions about the stupidity of is parents and is teachers. They counted up their combined change several times to see if they could get a hamburger. The amount remained the same.
The boy started to make fun of the old guy and me as if we couldn't hear him. His girlfriend chimed in. Little did they know I was typing up their dialogue for use in a future short story. It occurred to me that the boy and the old man were the same person. As for the girl, she must have been desperate for a boy friend to stick with someone that crazy.
It was stereo insanity. Grist for the writing mill.
I woke to the loud slapping of waves on the rocky shore. I thought about Stan Roger's "White Squall".
I tell these kids a hundred times
Don't take the lakes for granted.
They go from calm to a hundred knots
So fast they seem enchanted.
The wind was kicking up, forcing white caps on the shore. I looked at the sea and got moving. I can take a camp apart in fifteen minutes while boiling water for tea and oatmeal.
Bad weather was beginning to seriously annoy me.
It began to rain as I drove out of the Rossport campground. I had planned on spending several hours hiking up and down the trails at Rainbow Falls, but never mind. I was on the road again.
At Npigon, it was still raining. I parked the car in front of the library. It was closed but the wi fi was running. I read my e-mail for a while when the service suddenly stopped. I looked at the windows in the offices beside the library. Municipal clerks were peering at me through the rain, suspicious I suppose. I started the car and drove off.
Just up the road was the visitors' centre. Gary asked me to take another photo of the big wood carving "Paddle to the Sea" from the children's book he loved as a child. It had been on the deck a year ago, but it wasn't there now.
I went in to check it out with the two teenagers running the place: Cassidy and Charlie.
The "Paddle to the Sea" wood carving is put in the basement for the winter. It is far too heavy for the teens to bring up. The city crew were supposed to haul it up but still hadn't gotten around to it. July 22 was probably a bit late. I bought a copy of the book for Evan.
On I went. With so much rain it made sense to drive rather than sit around. I almost skipped Sleeping Giant Provincial Park entirely. It would be too wet to camp there, but I thought I would take a look anyhow for future reference.
I was almost into the park when a gangly big wolf came out of the mist and crossed the road. I am never good at having a camera ready and it went to fast anyhow. The park is full of deer so he likely ate well.
I explored back roads, getting the car muddy. The sides of the roads were tree lined with spruce and pine. The campsites are nicely secluded. Gary would love these little hideaways. I took photos to show him.
A couple of hours later I came out of the park. The wolf was there again. This time he stood his ground looking at me. Again, I forgot about taking a photo. I was lost in those golden eyes. I felt I should get out and pet him and give him an ear scratch. But that wouldn't be smart. We stared at each other for a few minutes until he dismissed me by turning and melting into the forest.
At Thunder Bay, I stopped at a McDonalds to get my bearings. Thunder Bay is divided into two section separated by countryside. I was confused. I decided to catch up on e-mail and get this blog written.
I sat in a booth facing an old man who seemed to be a street person with all of his belongings in a back pack. Every so often he laughed maniacally. In the booth behind me, a kid was impressing his girlfriend by telling her about the times he'd cut himself. He showed her the scars. He also had opinions about the stupidity of is parents and is teachers. They counted up their combined change several times to see if they could get a hamburger. The amount remained the same.
The boy started to make fun of the old guy and me as if we couldn't hear him. His girlfriend chimed in. Little did they know I was typing up their dialogue for use in a future short story. It occurred to me that the boy and the old man were the same person. As for the girl, she must have been desperate for a boy friend to stick with someone that crazy.
It was stereo insanity. Grist for the writing mill.
No comments:
Post a Comment