Almost out of Ontario...

So my last post was some time ago...I'm really not so good at keeping this whole blog entry thing up; although I hope to improve in the future.
I would like to begin this entry by establishing that Ontario is very large...really...and quite amazing also. Breathtaking actually. I experienced a moment quite recently, of being reduced to something so totally inconsequential in the presence of nature's awesome grandeur, something which I dont recall feeling often in my life, if at all, and I assume with some of the most powerful landscapes existing in our country still to come, that the sensation will return to me at the very least once more. This feeling which moved me to such lengths arose at the beginning of a descent outside Marathon, ON, along the northernmost shore of Lake Superior. As we reached the peak of our ascent and began our journey down we began to gaze around in amazement at the shear awesomeness of the vista with which we were greeted. At the top of our km+ descent we were sourrounded by green walls on either side shooting upwards with thick foliage, and at the farthest range of our vision the highway, dissapearing around a bend, curving to miss a wall of rock adjacent to a shimmering lake. At that moment, one which we all remarked as being amazing, we were totally lost in nature (that is accept for the highway) and could have been several places in the world...the Rockies, Andes, perhaps even the Alps. It was this loss of location, orientation if you will, which most amazed me and moved me to the emotion here described. Each climb worth every second....
Now, (with little time left to write) at the end of Ontario I have enjoyed a visit to Christine's cottage in Sturgeon, finally a visit home to the Island after almost six months and a chance to spend time with my parents and go sailing!, riding rapids...on a frisbee, chilling in the Blind, and at the Water Tower Inn in the Sault...what an end to a 6 hour ride in 40 degree weather thanks Don, seeing lake Superior for the first time, swimming in it, and camping some feet from its shore with the sun receding behind a shimmering horizon, climbing hills above and beyond 2 and 3 km, being eaten alive by blackflies as a truck with a trailer marked 'live bear trap' drove by...twice...its absence punctuated by gushots, chilling in the TBay with Alexandra and Laura and getting locked on the roof of Roxy's, and being most thankful for the hospitality of all the people who helped us along the way...so numerous to list but all equally important, they truly make our trip the wonder that it has thus far been. Now to sleep with the promise, or rather hope, that subsequent entries will be made with more care...

eeeh freezing...

Quarter to twelve, Pembroke/Pettawawa ON, the LaFrance residence. I feel so fabulous in contrast to how I felt some few hours ago...entirely thanks to the overwhelming hospitality of Mrs. LaFrance...and these wonderful inventions of civilization...houses! This morning's rainy and frigid start in Renfrew continued in a miserable fashion despite the slight rise we were given by encountering a few random Leaf fans at the Timmies where we ate our meager breakfast and gloated about the Sens loss. Finally reaching Pembroke at about 4, our goal for yesterday, after one minor crash and 51 lost horses (refer to Rainer's latest entry for further details but I'm pretty sure thats a record), we consumed, with great pleasure, our tuna lunch in the McDonald's seating area at Walmart...maybe more people will randomly eat healthy food in McDonald's and set an example, but thats besides the point. Our great talent and skill at wasting time while breaking in warm sourroundings...I think this is our strongest point on this trip thus far, and the drizzly view of 2 degree rain outside instigated a re-examination of distances and schedule resulted in our re-solicitation of the LaFrance's for a place to stay not to far from where we had stopped. Thus with arrangments made, and dinner purchased we set out for our destination, and with only the much welcomed interruption of Mrs. LaFrance making sure we were on track we arrived without further delay at the most wonderful of accomodations thus far...and perhaps never to be outdone.
As my toes warm with my heart as has so often been the case thus far, I go to dream of sweltering prairies and hazy mountain peaks...