At the service for Mom, I spoke and told one of Wanda's stories. With the emotions of the day, I am not certain I got it across the way I had hoped for. So for those who heard me speak and might be a bit confused and those of you who were not able to attend, I am going to give it a second go here.
About 15+ years ago, I took on the role of Mom's driver and nature companion. Living in Bruce Mines, she had a need to go for drives throughout the region to explore and view nature. It was a habit and souce of joy she had developed many years earlier while living in Hornepayne and raising her family. Perhaps a drive to Nagagamisis (the narrows) for a pinic and swim or to pick blueberries near Becker or to view (and pick) Tiger Lilies in June or visit friends/relatives at their camp. There were many trips off in all available directions.
Those car/road trips became fewer when our summer home/camp went up at Second Government Lake. Not putting aside the hours on that road in the fall hunting partridge. But boat riders, paddle boat trips or canoe trips would get her to some interesting places, including up the Dead River to look for moose or blue flags. Viewing her loons on her lake was the source of countless hours of joy for her. On occasion she would get to take a flight with Uncle Muck or Terry and view the wonders from the air.
She insisted that I take on the role of driver and partner because, in part, my life circumstances had changed and I chose to live with the folks on the water at Bruce Mines for the short-term. I was no longer working at a career and was free to serve her needs. She would say "What do you think I had you for?"
Drives became more and more regular with the white-tailed deer of Desbarats and St. Joseph Island being her main target. Wild Turkeys had recently been released on St. Joe and in a number of townships on the main land, they were a bonus. The albino white-tailed deer which lived and raised young near K Line and Huron Line on St. Joe was a favourite quest. We explored the river east of Iron Bridge for Bald Eagles during the salmon run and attempted to find/view the elk herds north of Iron Birdge and near Neebish Road. The "flocking up" of the Sandhill Cranes in fall and their arrival in the spring and courtship dances were also special.
With time, I became the photographer on these trips and attempted to document what we were coming across. Birds of Prey or raptors became a focus for us and we sought out eagles, hawks and osprey during summer months and then owls during winters. We became regional birders and widened our goals to all types of birds. We even have become a part of the ONTARIO BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE annual report in 2014 when we discovered a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher north of Desbarats ... far north of its normal range in Texas.
That is the backdrop to my telling of her story.
We shared countless hours together exploring from Elliot Lake, through untold backroads up to Agawa Bay. Mom would tell me stories about her past and her life experiences (without an editor, there were some I should not have heard).
The most common story she would share (on perhaps every third drive) was about being a teenager in Foleyet where she looked after her grandparents with her sister Maureen. She talked about Uncle Joes and others, what they taught her about the bush and enjoying the moment by living in it.
"A Fall Wak" - She described the sound of the fallen leaves crunching under her feet. The smell of the damp soil and the sound of the wind in the trees. The sight of mushrooms growing almost everywhere. How a partridge could be stocked by the sound of their steps on the dried leaves. Then the warning sound of the hen as tried to get her near full size young to get hidden.
While telling this story, each and every time, her voice would change ever so slightly and her eyes would widen. The joy that would radiate from her while she went into deep recall and lived the experience over with each telling, was a blessing for me.
It would end with her talking about the taste, smell and sound of her first bite into the apple which she had been carrying in her pocket ... with amazing joy. A sandwich (cheese or bologna) would be taken along for energy when she took longer walks which might be hours and many miles. Strong legs and her own teeth.
The simplicity of the experience but yet, the intensity of living in the moment. What a gift she shared! "Get outside .... get out into nature and enjoy the simple joys."
