Superior Travel Tales

Dearest Birdie.
We have finally left Ontario, who knew it was so big. Admittedly we did detour via several US states but still, the province is never ending. We left 'The Soo' as they call it and headed for Thunder Bay, both towns not really worth a mention, but the drive between was heavenly and our stop en route breathtaking. I always thought they called it Lake Superior for it's size but I'm convinced now it was for it's beauty. We stopped overnight at Neys Provincial Park, a stunning location where our site was right on the beach overlooking the Lake (or ocean as we found ourselves calling it, seriously can you call something that big a lake, really?) Had the thought of another Ontario winter not convinced me other wise I don't think I would have left. I found myself experiencing an inner peace and happiness rarely available in normal day to day suburban living. I had found heaven and it was Superior! Regrettably we had only booked for one night and had already booked our next destination. I told myself that familiarity breeds contempt, so it was better this way. Now more than ever I know ocean front (or very big lake front) living is for me.
So I have a confession. Whenever people talked about the prairies and how flat they are, I got it. Not so hilly, no big mountains, a lot of fields.  But holy moly are the prairies flat and not only that, but the minute we crossed from Ontario into Manitoba the terrain changed. One minute endless slow up hill climbs and scary, seriously Honey brake, no, brake now, no, brake HARDER, down hill amusement park ride descents. The next, one gear, one speed and absolutely no chance of seeing a bear. At one point the boy pointed out a city on the horizon and we all relaxed a bit thinking our journey nearly over for the day, tea and biscuits here we come. An hour later we were still driving towards the city in the distance. That's how flat the prairies are. I was a fool and I now understand.
We did finally arrive in Winnipeg and are now at Bird's Hill Provincial Park. Another beautiful place to stay, huge, well maintained and full of wildlife. We have seen white tailed deer, what we think are marmots?(cross between a groundhog and a rat/squirrel) and yesterday a falcon flew down to umpire our tennis game. Tomorrow we will explore Winnipeg then head into the northern reaches of the park where the rangers tell me I have a good chance of seeing a bear. I believe they are renting a bear costume as I speak to keep the Canadian conspiracy of bears in this country alive. I have been in this country for 14 years and have yet to see one, I'm beginning to suspect a hoax!
I'll end, Red Bird, with an amazing story. En route to Winnipeg we stopped overnight near Dryden, Ontario. After setting our tin can up for the night, our boy, after having read through the small leaflet on the park, stood up, headed for the door, slipped on his shoes and turning to us said 'There's free WiFi if you ask at the office, I'm going to the office'. He then promptly walked out the door. We sat dumbfounded. Can you believe that, I mean who was that boy? For anyone else reading this, this is a tremendous thing. My boy doesn't understand people. He has trouble reading facial expressions and body language, takes everything literally and is, what they call a rigid thinker. Therefore having a conversation with someone is very confusing. He can't predict what they might say, he can't read between the lines and we, as humans, rarely say what we mean in plain and simple terms. We infer, shrug, turn away when we talk and answer questions with questions. To him it's like being in a foreign country yet he understands the words, just not what you're trying to say. He will do everything he can to avoid having to talk to people.What was his explanation for this incredible feat? 'It was a matter of life or WiFi'! We'll have to remember that next time we set a social challenge! We took a risk taking this journey, our hope was that exposing him to the world would be more beneficial, socially, than keeping him in school. This and an encounter in the library (a story for another day) have helped to quell our fears a little that we made the right decision. Progress, Red Bird, is very satisfying.

Always yours
Sparrow

*Correction, they were not Marmot's but Prairie Dogs,kinda obvious really seeing as we were in the prairies. Did not see a bear btw.