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The adventure has begun...


The first weekend after school was very busy, packing up my home of 26 years and saying good bye. I couldn't have done it without the help! Thanks to Jannie, Emma, Lea, George, Donna, Richard, Jean, Cait, Kevin and Patricia, I became homeless in a gentle way. Thank you everybody!


 

 I got by with a little help from my friends...  (click here)

On Canada Day, Kevin and I went to Rattlesnake Point, Crawford Lake and the Royal Botanical Gardens. What a lovely day! From July 2-5 we went camping with the O'Neill kids at the Pinery. What a beautiful beach, and even though we got sunburned, we both enjoyed being with the kids.

While waiting to acquire my Chinese Visa in Toronto,  I stayed in luxury at Stephanie's house. This was the pillow on the bed. It was perfect. 

When I got the visa, I took the Ontario Northland to Sudbury for a love-in with my Mom and my paddleboard. Mom helped me reduce my backpack load by 15lbs! It is now a manageable 48lbs, after a strict and rigorous diet (only half the coffee beans and half the age-defying body lotions!)


Northern Ontario is breathtakingly beautiful. 
I hopped on a train at Sudbury Junction and came here to Winnipeg. I don't really want to advertise for VIA rail because it was 5 hours late into Winnipeg, but the trip itself was amazing. I saw hundreds of lakes, poplars, tamaracks, spruce, white pine and a tiny bit of cedar. We went through long tunnel-like sections, where cliffs of rock darkened both sides of the train. The little girl in the seat in front of me has restored my faith in humankind. I saw the reflection of this unspoiled child, looking out at the unspoiled wilderness and I heard and saw her say, "Wow" expressing just what I was feeling, and then she thanked her mother for taking them on a train. Later when she saw a cabin, she said to her mom, "Imagine if we lived there; that would be a good home." This child and her brother were deviceless, entertaining themselves by looking out the window, playing with toys and reading actual books. I sat on top of the train car in the skylight deck where I enjoyed conversation with an Old Order Mennonite named Minerva who comes from outside St. Clements.


In Canada...   (click here)

I've spent the day here in Winnipeg. The Fringe Festival is on and so I went to a play this afternoon called "Yeat's Ghosts" about W.B. Yeats and his wife George, who received messages from the spiritual world and began "automatic writing". These messages received by George allowed Yeats to construct a symbolic system that inspired his later poetry.
Further reading:
W.B. Yeats A Vision
(Yeats' first-hand account of the automatic writing sessions and his explanation of the poetic system they inspired)

Soon, I will attend a BlueBombers game vs. Ottawa Redblacks and head for Yellowknife in the morning. The adventure has certainly begun!

(P.S. the Bombers game was really fun. I became friends with Bobbie and Garry, who are season's ticket holders, when I sat in one of their seats--very far away from where I was supposed to sit. There is a group that cheers like crazy in that section, making the game really fun. The Bombers won 31-1.)


Comments

  1. Steph Carr22 July 2019 at 05:54

    I’m loving this update. So glad to hear you’re having such a fabulous time already! xo Steph Carr :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown22 July 2019 at 07:08

    Wow! Everything sounds great so far Lynne! ❤️ Martha

    ReplyDelete
  3. Diane Iovanov22 July 2019 at 10:02

    So happy for you Lynne!! The train view is a Wow!! I too love hearing children's expressions of Joy. ❤ to you!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ryan Hockley22 July 2019 at 16:15

    Glad you are having a good time and meeting new people.
    hope the rest will be just as fun.

    ReplyDelete
  5. DK22 July 2019 at 19:27

    Just the type of newsy/artsy/outdoorsy update I love! With photos and video! I couldn't ask for more. (I can't quarrel with leaving behind the age-defying body lotions but cutting the coffee beans to half??!!) Enjoy and be safe. On the edge of my seat for the next chapter...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Unknown25 July 2019 at 18:08

    Hey mom! Love you. Sounds like you are busy with cool new things every day, that is so awesome. Proud of you xoxo
    Fraser

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anca and Jill2 August 2019 at 10:40

    Anca here....This is fun to follow, looking forward to each update! Anca and Jill

    ReplyDelete
  8. Unknown2 August 2019 at 12:25

    I'm glad that your trip is off to a great start, Lynne. I look forward to more updates. Enjoy the NWT.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown2 August 2019 at 12:26

      That last comment was from me, Pattie Bender.

      Delete
  9. The Adventures of Lynne2 August 2019 at 14:28

    Hi Pattie! Welcome aboard.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Dakmelas5 August 2019 at 06:13

    Wow, Lynne - congratulations on living your dreams. Not everyone has the hutzpa... Enjoy and safe travels to you, and thanks for sharing your experiences. I can see that bamboo tree growing and it's beautiful! :)

    ReplyDelete

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