Monday Morning Musings
Posted on April 20, 2015 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet
Getting pumped in Wyoming
( Peter MacDonald photo )
“Another one bites the dust.” Queen
Two trips. 16000 km. Open roads. Traveling with your son…. Priceless!
Peter and I returned home after our latest sojourn across the continent. After basking in the warmth and the vibes of Vancouver Island for four months, Peter is back in the province to crank things up again with Mac and Hawes. We had a quick, intense and thankfully, uneventful trip . We left Vancouver on Saturday , April 11th. and on Thursday night ( 16th. ) arrived at my brother’s place in Amherst at 8:00 p.m. We took the Northern U.S. route through Washington State, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. We crossed the border at Windsor , Ontario and completed the remainder of the journey in Canada.
There wasn’t a lot of time for sightseeing, but we did manage to see a few things including Mt. Rushmore. ( see picture at the bottom of the page ! ). Peter might be going back to Victoria next fall and we’re already talking about doing the middle America route ( the I-70 ). Even though this last trip was a tad crazy, we still managed to learn a lot. Being able to easily access history with a cell phone and Wikipedia, we learned about Custer’s last stand in Eastern Montana and many, many other things. It’s easier to visualize history when you see where it happened with your own eyes.
What was the highlight of the trip for me? A visit to St. Mary of the Lakes rehab center. We stopped in to visit a relative in Kingston, Ontario who was involved in a terrible accident 7 months ago. If you want to get a strong grip on reality, go to a rehab center and thank your lucky stars. Makes a winter of shoveling snow seem quite attractive. Among the shattered bodies and shattered lives, I saw determination and grit that was so inspiring. It was an emotional and uplifting experience.
We were hanging out with three of the residents while they enjoyed a smoke break on a chilly, but sunny afternoon. I got to chatting with Les who lost everything in a terrible motorcycle accident 5 years ago. Well… almost everything. He didn’t lose his perspective or will to live despite the fact that he is a quadriplegic and will spend his remaining days in this facility. We chatted and we shared a few laughs. Tomorrow, you will get to see how the conversation went in a story I wrote on the weekend called “Les is More.” I plan to share my stories with Les on a regular basis to help him pass the time. He doesn’t have any family close by.
One last thing about the trip. Do you have any idea how exasperating it is to drive for 14 hours, check into a hotel at 11:00 at night and not be able to get on their wi-fi? And with a story deadline the next morning? Some of you already know about me and computers ( go to my website and enter “ ctrl.alt.del” in the search bar to refresh your memory.). Fatigue and computer problems are a toxic mix. I don’t have the proper title for the story but it will come to me. Coming soon at week45.
I am hoping that some of you will be able to come to the SaltScapes Expo later this week at Exhibition Park in Halifax. I will be at an Antigonish booth selling books and promoting my speaking business.
Please keep May 9th. in your busy social calendar if you are going to be in or around Antigonish. I have been asked to be Emcee at a fundraiser at Piper’s Pub for a little 4 year old boy who has cancer. More details to follow.
Please, count your many blessings.
And have a terrific week.
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