People and Spirits

Holed up in the trailer at Cedar Lake in central/western Manitoba….. We are utterly alone, the only indication of human presence the few bits of trash that we have already incinerated.

We have been here two nights so far and I have been outside pretty much only once…to enjoy the gigantic fire Henry built against the cold and drizzly rain. 

We have the beach to ourselves… pelicans migrate overhead and gulls dive offshore… but whitecaps punctuate the water’s surface; my feet are blocks of ice and I had uncontrollable chills in the night.  

We are here on a quest.  Henry has never found amber in a natural setting before, and his research indicates it is possible on the shore of this lake.  Hopeful that tomorrow the rain will cease, the wind will die down, and we can take the canoe or ATV out and hunt for the precious substance.

The inhospitable atmosphere does not depress at this time; instead, it enhances the memories of the extraordinary warmth and congeniality of the people we have spent time with over the last week or so.  In no particular order, other than chronological….

We met Lynn and Stephen last year on the Queen Mary (maybe the best part of that cruise!) and decided to touch base with them when we were near Edmonton, Alberta.  Stephen is a (mostly) retired public servant, politician and former mayor of Edmonton.  In spite of our last-minute contact, they took us around the city that they helped invigorate and clearly love, including a visit to the largest mall in the world.  

Later on the road….. Sarah was minding her own business in her beautifully-manicured yard in rural Alberta when Henry hailed her from across the lawn.  Originally from Ireland, her family moved to this property when she was 7 years old.  Her parents raised 16 children here in this house constructed in stave-lock design. 

Now a single lady of 100 (!), Sarah is glad to meet us, and excited to let us know that nearby lives a neighbor with an airstrip.  We were able to print a copy of our photos to give her, and promised to fly over if at all possible.  (Here is her neat-as-a-pin property from the air the next day.)

Murray and Vicky were having a cup of coffee on their porch when Henry’s curly white head poked through their shrubbery to ask about the farm with the airstrip.  We ended up spending a while on their porch talking about…. everything!  Murray took us around the area – gorgeous rolling farm land and pastures…

Vicky prepared a delicious dinner (one of the first home-cooked meals we’ve had in a while), including rhubarb pie.

We spent the night in our trailer on their front lawn, and awoke to beautiful early morning light.

Jim and Francey were quite busy the next day with chores at their grain farm.  Warned by Murray, they were happy to let us take off from their well-tended turf airstrip…. And Jim joined us aloft in his fixed-wing airplane, giving Vicky a flight-seeing as well.

Once again, amazing courtesy extended to us…… lunch with Francey and Jim, a look at his tractor-pull machines, and fun with their animals – dogs, cats and horses.

(Spent several hours the next few days making thank-you hot pads, which are on on their way to the folks above…. merely a token of our gratitude for their kind hospitality.)

This adorable fellow (Gabriel) and his pony (Beauty) caught Henry’s attention near Marcelin, Saskatchewan.

Shortly we were surrounded by curious young men in caps and suspenders.  They were quick to offer help when Henry mentioned that the trailer’s axle attachment needed some welding.  They led us to their nearby farm – a colony of Hutterites, not unlike the Amish, who live simply and communally in accordance with their religious faith and social dictates.

While one from their community was busy welding, they wanted to see everything on and in the trailer, with dozens of questions about how things worked, where we had been and where we were going.  The children were inquisitive too, but also very sweet and gracious.

Henry could not help but support them by purchasing a vast array of sausage made on their farm! 

We have discussed before a desire to distance ourselves from the rest of humanity, especially with the divisiveness and indignity of politics in our home country; the violence that appears to feed on itself; and the fact that articulate discussion and mutual respect seem to be things of the past. 

Here are kindness, generosity and curiosity… due in part to the rural spirit, and perhaps also to the reputed politeness of the Canadian character…. but in any case a welcoming blend.  If only we could attain this level of caring within our own society…

……… Back to Cedar Lake, a few days later …….

We finally left Cedar Lake, after abortive attempts to find amber.  A visit to the local First Nation township provided some insight into a thriving lake fishing business……

along with a warning from the local fisherman that Sasquatch sightings had been reported in the area where we camp.

Later that evening, we were visited twice by more folks from the township… the first fellow was not positive about our search for amber, and moreover did not discount the Sasquatch rumors.  The second group of guys (supposedly seeking moose) advised us that the site on which we were camping was a spiritual place of the Iroquois people, and we should not be surprised to hear strange noises in the night.

Hmmmm…. didn’t feel good about this place to begin with, and while the locals have not told us to leave, they have not encouraged us to stay.  Plus, it’s a miserable business looking fruitlessly for amber on these shores in this weather.

The weather breaks just before we leave…..

… but we have resolved to start wending our way south back toward the USA.  Henry’s old and battered kettle will remain behind….. a small offering for Sasquatch and/or any other ghosts or spirits that witnessed our sojourn here.