Walkerton and back west

I'm in the airport in Calgary waiting for the plane to Vernon and trying to stay calm after having just erased all the blog text and pictures I had put together in the Kitchener airport and on the plane here. It's a minor first world problem. I'm over it already. Things are put into perspective by the memory of the news story I read in the Kitchener airport about the earthquake that struck Mexico City a few hours ago, on the same day as the one that killed thousands there in 1985. Jim, Jay and I saw the devastation of that one as we drove in a taxi from the north bus station to the south one on our way to Cuernavaca in early January, 1986.

The last week of my trip east was spent in the lush green land of Brockton. I was especially impressed by the peaceful beauty of the place after having spent a couple of hours on my way there in and around Union Station in Toronto. It was under restoration with scaffolding, tarps and plywood everywhere, nowhere to eat and homeless people on the street, two men barefoot and sprawled on the sidewalk within a block of each other and a young woman further down leaning almost unconscious in the heat of the sun against a wall holding a sign that read, "homeless and pregnant."

Cathy and Brian met me at the Kitchener train station just before sunset. We drove to Walkerton through fields of corn and soy beans. While I was there we went to the Tara fall fair, a Mennonite market and an apple orchard. We took walks and drives. One day we drove to Kincardine for our traditional lunch there. Mark took me to an auction of trees and bee equipment and on the ATV to see his growing bee colony at the farm. The whole family gathered there one afternoon for dinner. I felt at home.

Now after leaving and returning to Vernon so many times I feel I'm going back where I come from, especially as Jay will be meeting me at the Kelowna airport in about five minutes.







A monarch on Cathy's butterfly plant





Mennonites at the tree and bee auction





Cathy with some of Dave and Dana's farm animals





Jen, Mark, Cathy, Leah, Dana and Brian at the family dinner





Mark with Emily and Evan at the apple orchard






Brian with Leah





Jay welcoming me back to the Smokanagan.

Back in the hood

Albert met Caroline and me at the airport, we drove home, changed and drove to Grounded, Gabe's restaurant to join Don and Mela and other guests who had been invited to sample the new dinner menu, four courses from four regions of Canada. Among other treats, I had the best land shank I have ever eaten.

I went home with Don and Mela and had a good visit with them, walking all around my favourite spots in Britannia, visiting, eating, having coffee with Margaux and generally feeling at home.

Mela, Caroline and I drove to the gathering of the WWW (now more wonderful than wild) at Cordula's. Her place is still a work of art, both inside and out and of course one of the wonderful things about the WWW is the food we all make. Come to think of it we still have wildly funny conversations and entertain each other thoroughly.

Mela and Caroline dropped me at Barb Steer's that evening and thus I discovered why Annick, wanting to let Barb tell her own story, had only hinted that the moral was don't wash your own windows. Barb's leg was much improved by the time I saw it but was still noticeably swollen and well bandaged. She had been going to wash a window, carrying a ladder through ferns at a corner of the house where she hadn't walked in years when one leg broke through the rotten wood cover of an abandoned well, slicing her leg to the bone. Needless to say, the rest of the story is gruesome and painful, but after days of going to the hospital three times a day for antibiotic injections all is improving. Our visit was less active than usual but the weather was good and I was happy to sit on her lawn watching the river, drinking wine and chatting. I did swim for about two minutes in the Gatineau and it was not too cold at all.

Barb drove me to Chelsea where Caroline and Albert picked me up for the last stage of my return with them. Perfect. We had long conversations; ate well, at home,at Grounded, the Trattoria and their local Pita Palace and visited the amazing Mosaic Garden, built to celebrate Canada 150. Caroline and I had long walks and went to her garden. Albert helped me with matters I appreciate being able to discuss with him and, being the generous guy with the good gear that he is, gave me the most powerful mini flashlight on the market; I have no doubt.

My last stop on the reconnecting tour was the traditional Sunday dinner with all the Baughans. We had a hot tub, the usual feast prepared by Caroline and a great visit. It's good to be able to get together as we do and pick up so quickly where we left off.

Now I'm on the VIA train to Toronto and on to Kitchener, where Cathy and Brian will pick me up. At the moment we're on time. MILAGROS.










Don's art work in their garden








Margaux and Mela in their kitchen








Barb's front yard








Caroline and Albert at Mosaic




Me at Mosaic