Lake Superior

 

I saw T-shirts singing the praises of the Great Lakes with slogans like:

-          No salt, only sand

-          No sharks

-          Always fresh, sometimes frozen

-       Lake Superior is one massive lake.  We’ve travelled around it many times, and it seems it’s always something you travel around, and not stop to visit for long.  The more time you spend on the road around it, the longer it takes.  Apparently it takes 22 hours to drive all the way around it!

The first night we pulled in just a bit too late to enjoy the amenities of the KOA in Thunder Bay.  And as our cupboard was getting pretty bare, it was nacho cheese sauce from the nacho machine on our pasta!

The next morning, we were off again, not in a big rush. We ended up again at a familiar campground, in Wawa.  The scenery en route was breathtaking and we had to stop at many pullouts just to look at the lake.  In Terrace Bay there’s a lighthouse one can climb to look over the lake, but today, it was not much of a view. The lake was hidden in the fog!

We stopped at the food truck in Schreiber, made famous on the CBC show  "Still Standing".  

"Come hungry," someone warned us.  It was true.  One loaded poutine was enough for two.

The fog continued and by the time we pulled into Wawa, the temperature had dropped to +11 Celsius and it was a thick fog.  “Where are the fish?” said Dave when he went down to the river to throw in his line.  If you got one on your line you might not even see it!

The next day we continued on.

“How much fuel do we have?”

“150 km to empty.”

“Where’s Sault Ste Marie?”

“153 km away.  Oh oh.”

Fortunately, there was a fuel stop about 70 km this side of town and we were ok.  It was also a beautiful stop along Lake Superior to grab a lunch and sit on the shore. 

Then off to Michigan.

Sioux Lookout

 

Since we were already half-way to Sioux Lookout, we didn’t rush around.  For a stretch break and picnic we stopped at Egli’s Sheep Farm just west of Dryden, a first for all of us.  It has a wonderful woolen products gift shop and a farm to tour around to see all the sheep, goats, alpacas and other creatures.  We found a shady arbour for a picnic lunch of all the leftovers we could find in the fridge.

A perfect spot.

The drive to Sioux Lookout was beautiful with all the ditch flowers blooming amidst the rocks and trees. 

We saw first hand the effects of the spring flooding in the area.  The lake levels are incredibly high and at our campground the dock was destroyed and the beach was missing!  Last year someone had a wedding ceremony out on the sand spit on the beach.  Not this year.

We were a few days early, but since we were here, it was time to celebrate.  Our little Shiloh is one!

Falcon Lake

 

As mentioned in the previous post, life at the farm turned into a blur of activity as we prepared for Dad’s funeral service. It was great to be with family as we processed our loss.   To lose your Dad at 96 years it’s not surprising, but the timing is always unexpected.  But God is good, and really, the timing was perfect.

So back on the road again.

We convoyed with our kids back to Ontario.  But why rush? First we need some tractor and gator rides on the farm. 

  First stop was a splash park in Morris for a picnic lunch.  A perfect place to burn off some energy. 

We spent the night at Falcon Lake Campground.  In all the years I’d lived in Manitoba, I’d never been there.  It almost felt like a ‘bucket list’ moment: camping in the Whiteshell.  We had ‘basic’ sites – the kids with their tent and us with the RV.  It worked out really well.  We can ‘boondock’ in a campground too if we have to. 

Sunday

 

Sunday was a beautiful day.  Dave and I had the privilege of being together with Dad during his last few hours on this earth.  The music was playing softly and I read some of his favourite Psalms to him.  I tried to recite Psalm 121 in German.  He probably chuckled at my efforts. 

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth.” Psalm 121:1

That’s the kind of man he was, knowing his help came from the Lord. 

“And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

It was a peaceful, hopeful good-bye.

We celebrated the circle of life Sunday where, in the midst of this ending, we were celebrating new life.  The church hosted a baby shower for Mark and Terra’s little Ellie Mae.  His fourth great-grandchild was born just a few days before Dad’s 96^th birthday.  It was beautiful to see the love and blessings showered on this new family. 

July 8

The week rushed by in the flurry of activity in preparing a memorial service for Dad.  Here is the link to the obituary and the service. 

https://www.wheatlandfs.com/obituary/Victor-Koslowsky

Killarney

 Small prairie towns have certain similarities – a wide main street with stately brick facades, a Co-op, the ubiquitous Chinese restaurant, and maybe some other coffee shop/gathering place.   As we traveled from Asessippi Park to the Koslowsky farm near Killarney, we took a stretch break in Wawanesa.  We walked up and down the main street and found an eclectic little coffee shop where all the locals hang out.  We walked in and got the ‘you ain’t from around here’ look. We ordered our coffees and peered around at the various offerings:  hardware, gifts, garden seeds, and office supplies.  

We’ve been boondocking at my brother’s farm for the past number of days, and that comes with the wonderful perk of getting to enjoy his wife’s delicious cooking.  It’s good to be back on the home place again.  We also are here visiting with Dad who, at 96 years, despite many health challenges still has an indomitable spirit and great sense of humour. 

The reason we’re on the farm is because the campground in town is full as Killarney is hosting one of their biggest Canada Day events in a long time.  Of course, we had to go check it out.  We went early enough to find parking closer to the venues and then walked everywhere.  It was a beautiful day to be outside.  We enjoyed a food truck lunch, 4-H kids doing a musical ride on their horses, and watched other youngsters excitedly heading to the beach for waterslides and swimming.  Later Dave did some fishing while I did some sketching and reading, and then enjoyed  coffee with a friend, listening to the bands warm up for the evening’s concert.  The headliner:  Hunter Brothers.  

 You know you’re from a small farm town when the

 sponsors for the concert don’t just have a banner, 

they park their combines and sprayers to frame the stage!

We didn’t attend the concert, but were outside the fence and enjoyed it at a distance: not because we were too cheap, (ok, maybe) but because we were at another event.  How did the Class of ’77 get to be a group of old semi-retired people?  Yikes!  About 20 of us classmates gathered to reminisce, tell stories and make new memories together. Canada Day was a mix and mingle.  Saturday continued on with a leisurely boat ride on the lake and an evening’s quiz night.  Our team, “The Forgetfuls” actually didn’t come in dead last!

Canada Day ended off with a beautiful display of fireworks.  Happy Canada Day!

Lake of the Prairie

  

Dave was feeling off so I was the driver and he was the navigator.  He followed his phone’s GPS and we may have taken the shortest route, but, my goodness, it was the roughest pavement, and then miles and miles of gravel with the road getting narrower around every bend along the Assiniboine Valley.  Finally, we saw the Shellmouth Dam and we knew were almost there!

Where? We were at the campground at Asessippi Provincial Park, nestled in the trees right alongside the Lake of the Prairies in western Manitoba.  Upon arrival we were treated to a delicious fish fry courtesy of our fisher friends, Phil and Marie.  Dave was excited to join in the fishing as soon as possible. That evening as we sat around the campfire, we saw crazy clouds, but thankfully nothing much happened where we were.  

Unfortunately, a health hiccup and a rain day set the fishing back a few days.  Instead, we had time to explore the little town of Russell.  The town wide garage sale was in progress, but when the showers became real rain, Marie and I joined the guys at the coffee shop; but not before scoring a few good deals.

Love the name on this coffee shop:  It's owned by some farmers who have 21 bins.  This, is Bin 22. 

Russell is a typical farming town  The old wooden grain elevator is now mostly just a landmark.  I love photographing elevators as we travel and have amassed quite a collection of photos.  These wooden structures used to be the landmarks of the prairie.

 

The  next couple of days were some excellent days for fishing.  Everyone was catching.  I'm not the fisher but I went along for the ride, and then hung out at camp.  I wasn't too sure about going for a walk when I saw a couple of black bears near the campground.   When some other friends came to camp for the night, another fish fry was in order.  

Phil is the master of open fire cooking and on the last night barbequed our steaks on a wonderful oak-wood fire, followed by biscuits steamed in a Dutch oven.  What a delicious end to a few days of camping together. 

Next stop:  Koslowsky Farm

Boondocking

 

To get to the Lake of the Prairies, is more than a day’s drive so we booked a boondocking site.

Boondockers Welcome is a web-site you join and similar to Air BnB, people can post their places as available spots for a night’s stay and you book them in advance.  As the definition of boondocking implies, there is no charge (unless perhaps they offer services such as power and water).

This was our first experience with boondockers – out in the pasture.  We arrived just before sunset, in time to enjoy our burgers and sitting outside with no wind, no mosquitoes and just the sounds of nature (and maybe a few vehicles going by on the highway a mile away). 

In the morning it was hard to leave such a quiet peaceful place, but the fish are calling so on we go.