The Island

Wild horses couldn’t tear me away.  This thought lingered in my heart as I drove away from my childhood home once again.  A summer visit of great significance, things were different this vacation.  I witnessed the knitting of the north to my eldest two’s souls; and realized with their connection made, I was even more bound to this land, in as much as is possible while on this temporal earth.

Daddy watched the little ones and I took my ten year old daughter and eight year old boy to the island for a night.  The creek runs through my folks bottom field.  A couple miles down that creek is the lake and on that lake is the island.  This was the island that I shared with girlfriends, and camped on independently of adults.  Dad  pulled my canoe gently over with his little motor boat and as the wind whipped my face I cried… spotting the island for the first time in years could have had something to do with it too.  I couldn’t believe the sense of importance that filled my guts, I realized I was finally going to share some real BUSH adventure with my very own children.

Once free of the ever helpful men we set to work.  The old fire pit was repaired and filled.  The tent put up and the canoe safely put on shore for our trip home.  My children proudly went about doing chores that would have been greeted with ‘ohhh maaaaan’ at home.  Eager hands gathered dry fire starter branches and logs for the fire.  The kettle was filled for tea, the pot was filled with stew and we all watched with glee as the fire burned strong and made us supper.  As I expected the kids thought everything tasted so amazingly better then normal.  Plates where licked clean and I watched in awe as they fought over who got to do clean up.  So was the remainder of the trip, my children where able to find great joy in all the things needing done when camping.

Work quickly done by cheerful hands and we had time to swim before bed.  How brave they where at trying rock ledge swimming, no beach here, just a deep swimming hole.  Getting them out was more of a challenge once they realized how pleasant the water was.  I believe they popped in and out of that swimming whole at every opportunity for the rest of the trip!

Daddy and the little ones arrived for lunch the next day and then Garnet and I packed up our four kids, camp gear, and our selves of course, into one faithful Canadian tire canoe.  The return voyage was very successful.  No tipping and even some sing along as we paddled and practiced ‘I’ll Fly Away’ together.  I tried hard to not shirk off at my share of paddling but I couldn’t get over wanting to take in what a charming sight we must have been!  Four little blondies having their first canoe ride, one lady at the front and her well bearded man at the back, then camping gear crammed in everywhere possible.  Smiles, questions and 6 sets of eyes wide with a growing appreciation for adventure!

Take me home 🙂

TTFN
Always Lady Mac an Rothaich