2006: Spirit Journey

A chance comment from Mom as we are planning her upcoming 80th birthday party – “I’ll probably never see my sisters again” - prompts the idea. An epic journey evolves. A condensed three province circuit to revisit her hometown roots and see as many of her extended family and friends as possible. Especially those on the invitation list that can not come due to considerations of time and distance. Ken, renamed Sherpa, will be the chauffeur, equipment maintenance, luggage handler, charged with keeping to the itinerary.

Mom dubs it – Spirit Journey 2006.

Day 1 - Leaving the Island on the first ferry for the grueling 12 hour run from Vancouver directly to Calgary. Weather conditions are rain, sunshine, fog, snow, and in the darkness eastbound from Golden – more wind and snow, road construction and heavy truck traffic. A glimpse in the dusk navigating another high mountain curve of towering cement pillars topped by cranes. What major project is under construction - here in the empty vastness of the mountains?

Arriving in Calgary late in the evening, our hosting is in the home based Buffalo Museum owned and operated by Mom’s godson Normand. Norm and I are ‘diaper mates’, born a month apart and spiritually close our whole lives. It’s been a tradition for me to call him on his birthday and remind him – he is a year older than I am for the next month.

Day 2 - An early morning departure scooping Mom’s eldest sister, Matante Leonie (89) from her retirement home, we travel eastward through the prairies watching for a glimpse of the elusive pronghorn antelopes. There’s the long view of the prairies, grasslands with the occasional cattle herd, dotted with oilfield pumpers and pipeline valves. Something new – a wind farm – tall slender structures with four arms, windmills lazily turning generating power harvesting the wind.

A short stop in Piapot; to visit Ken’s roots and the cemetery where his father was put to rest. A few minutes is all it takes to tour the entire town, only the school and the curling rink still appearing operational and a very few houses still occupied. Traveling onwards into the farmlands, we have a late lunch in Swift Current with my Dad (84). An emotional reunion, he has visited on the Island but not for several years.

Then we are off on the final leg to Ponteix, Mom’s hometown. A quick stop at a service station in a very small prairie town, on the way, to inquire about a childhood friend, is like stepping onto the set of Corner Gas. The retirement lodge has suites for visitors; we are a huge surprise to Mom’s sister Lise (83). Our Sherpa, Ken, gratefully retires to his suite for solitude and to watch the football game. A nostalgic tour includes the church, the school, the old home, the creek, lots of ‘remember when’ reminiscing about family, neighbors, friends and long past events.

In the late afternoon, on main street, most of the store fronts are closed, most permanently. It’s sad to see the erosion of time, the decline of population. Machante Matante Lise invites us to dinner; after again cruising Ponteix’s main street; we sup at the only open restaurant. In the evening there’s another emotional reunion with Mom’s beloved cousin, Uncle Louis (83) and Tante Margaret. An unplanned bonus. Due to failing health, this may be their final visit. Farewell hugs are intense.

Day 3 – An early morning goodbye, hugs and good wishes - we are off for breakfast with friends at Lake Pelletier. Although it’s many years between visits, the bonds of friendship with Gary are still there, along with his familiar laugh and sense of humor. There are the childhood memories of the times at the lake, the summers spent boating and swimming, the summer camp, the dances at the pavilion. Leaving the lake, there are several sightings of mule deer and a lone coyote.

Onward, returning to Swift Current to greet more cousins and spending another couple of hours with Dad. He is disappointed that we have already breakfasted. He makes me the custodian of the ‘key’, showing me the tools and antiques he treasures. Looping back to Calgary, there’s another stop. A friend, Lorna, is meeting us at the 121, traveling an hour from Leader. Coffee and pie is stretched over an emotional 2-hour visit. Traveling westward in beautiful prairie sunshine, enjoying the long view to the horizon over the grasslands, now the pronghorns, those elusive prairie antelope are present in herds along the highway. Returning Matante Leonie to her home, we proceed to friends, Gus and Marsha, for the evening. In high hilarity we spend the evening relaxing, catching up on each others lives, feasting and playing shuffle board.

Day 4 – Awakening to an Alberta blizzard, inches of snow on the vehicles and more wind driven snow and ice. Witnesses to the Calgary intersection ballet of sliding vehicles, it is tense driving conditions. The one hour Northward journey to Innisfail takes … not forever perhaps; we are very grateful to arrive.

The highlight is seeing the twins again, Craig and Keith, soon to be 3, birthday mates to Daz. Double trouble – not. These two adorable blond blue eyed boys are active, shy and very well mannered. Karen and Holly share preparing a meal, caring for the twins and expound on future career plans. It becomes a mini-reunion with unexpected, to us, arrival of extended family. Holly, checking road conditions, advises us that travel is not recommended, and with typical prairie hospitality invites us to stay over. ‘On the road again’ - conditions are Alberta blizzard 101. Apparently the weather advisory is not a concern to the hundreds of other drivers on the highway today. Great concentration is required; visibility varies through the blowing sleet and snow; wheels turning over plowed snow, ice and slush. After an interminable time, we arrive safely in South Edmonton at Stacie and Brent’s. Ken flexes his hands and manages to release the steering wheel. He is dubbed ‘Sir Sherpa’ for ‘Above and Beyond the Call of Duty’ for keeping to the itinerary of Spirit Journey - 2006. What a relief! Welcome hugs and relaxation. We are home, for a night.

Day 5 – The blizzard is over, it is a winter wonderland. Stacie has taken the day off to spend the morning with us. An afternoon welcome in St. Albert at Renee and Derek’s. How that Daz boy has grown! Ahhh … grandmotherhood and great grandmotherhood -how precious it is! Just whose journey is this?? Of course - we share this Spirit Journey …. Mom’s family is my family; her roots are my roots. An afternoon of playing with play dough, sheer bliss. After work Georgina, beloved daughter-in-law, comes to fetch Mom for a quiet interlude over the next couple of days. She will have much needed rest, solitude through the day and recuperation. Bath time with Daz!

Day 6 – Halloween. Ken’s (Shepa) birthday. He is with his family, his grandson and his daughters, their chosen – his sons-in-law. Is there a better birthday present? Daz is just too cute in a panda costume. Off to pre-school, then shopping and just hanging out.

There’ a visit planned with our foster daughter, Cory. One of her many creative talents is cake decorating, so of course, there’s a request to make a very special birthday cake. Dragons and dragon lore is a shared passion. This is very rare opportunity to have the 5 dragons [Scorpios] together. Ken has always been known as Papa Dragon [Oct 31]; Stacie is Baby Dragon [Nov 1]; Derek was named Dragon-Son [Nov 1], Daz, of course, is the Littlest Dragon [Nov 18], Great Grandma Clem is the Dragon Elder [Nov 22]. Watching the creative decorating process was incredibly interesting. And visiting with our honorary grandchildren - Hannah (3) (born on the same day as Daz), Derick (4), and Alexandra (13). For Halloween, Hannah is truly a fairy princess Cinderella, Derick lives and breathes Spider Man, Alex dyes her blonde hair charcoal to be Kiss. Door duty to hand out Halloween treats; it’s bitter cold with a wind blowing; parents stand out on the sidewalk shepherding their little ones about.

Day 7 – Happy Birthday to Derek and Stacie. Tonight is the birthday extravaganza. More play time with Daz, reading, play dough art, shrieks of laughter with the upside down game. There’s shared kitchen time making Derek’s family favorite, vegetarian lasagna. In the evening, the family assembles; Mom is returned, Grandma Butts is fetched and Georgina and Shelly join in. ‘The cake’ is oooded and ahhhed, each dragon choosing their dragon for keepers.

Family photos are one of my priorities. Yes, alright, with no previous warning. Seize the moment. Definitely my motto. Celebrate life. Do it now, for tomorrow may or may not come. Reluctantly cooperative, every one poses again and again in a variety of groupings.

Day 8 – Ken and Derek go out and about. With Renee, Mom and I are in full immersion Daz time. It’s a leisurely day, chatting, playing, reading, play dough art and watching children’s programs on TV. Bath time with Daz!

A serious accident is on the news about a 4 tractor trailer unit pile-up on the Yellowhead highway near Jasper. Weather watching for our departure day is serious business.

Day 9 – Another leisurely kind of day, just hanging out together. How wonderful that Renee and Derek have arranged this time off to be with us. And already, it’s time to move back to Stacie and Brent’s in the late afternoon for the weekend. Time is flying by as always. More greetings, hugs, welcomes, power visiting; sharing our lives, filling in the day to day gaps of work and play.

Day 10 – After a leisurely breakfast, Stacie takes me to the historic White Avenue district. A nostalgic tour, seeing how different and the same it is. More extended family greetings in the evening with Brent’s parents joining us for supper. Sharing news, feasting, laughter, the evening zooms by. Leaving in the wee hours the next morning looms in my mind. So very very quickly these power visits are over.

Day 11- Rudely, the alarm rings at 4:30AM. We’re off, back to St. Albert to fetch Grandma Butts, who is returning with us for a week’s visit to the Island. On schedule, we are ‘On the road again’ traveling west from Edmonton by 6AM. Weather is decent, roads are winter good.

Ten minutes West of Jasper, we come upon an accident – a vehicle hauler has rolled across the highway. Pieces of truck and new cars litters the road and ditch. The cars looking like crushed tin cans. We wonder if even the tires will be salvageable? Back on our way after a ½ hour wait for the tow trucks to pull the debris off the roadway. Very sobering. Another 10 minutes down the road there’s another highway tractor trailer unit in the ditch. This one looks like it just laid down on its side for a nap with no damage visible. Heavy fog on most of Highway 5 to Kamloops slows us down more. We can’t pass slow moving traffic ahead and are concerned about faster traffic overtaking us from the rear until there forms a lengthy convoy.

The temperature varies from -9C in Jasper to +15C in Kamloops in the space of a few hours. The best road conditions of the entire journey are over the Coquihalla, traditionally the most challenging of high mountain roads with snow and ice. Heavy rains and heavier traffic greet our return to the coast. Gridlocked traffic entering Vancouver on Sunday afternoon is unexpected. There’s the oh so familiar wait for the ferry. Home by 10PM at long long last. It been a long long 16 hour travel day. Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.

Top | Back to Celebrate Life!