Under the rain in Meziadin Lake Provincial Park

in ,

The rain on my face, hiding the tears as I stand on that black pebble beach, hair dripping. I wash my empty coffee mug in the clear freezing cold water. I feel myself melting into the landscape. The mist, the cloud covered mountains and the weather matching my mood. I stand there a long time, taking in the magic of this place I love so much.

I distractedly caress a smooth rock between my fingers, lost in toughts. The puppy's playfulness contrasting with my heaviness. He barks at a rock, paws at the water, and his antics make me smile.

As I scan the horizon for grizzlies, I notice that the clouds are slowly lifting, reavealing even more beauty. I exhale. The clouds always lift.

 

Down the Cassiar

We arrived at Meziadin Provincial Park after 30 hours straight in the bus. We had slept in a rest area in the rain and only JF had stepped out to fill up at the Cassiar Junction. The girls and I remained bundled up, cold and sick, our bodies responding to the grey weather outside.

We had great memories of that Provincial Park and hoped to find plenty of thimbleberries like we did 2 years ago at the same time.

The sweet smelling air brought a smile to our faces as we ate dinner outside by the lake.

We were too late for the thimbleberries, but there was a perfect sunset walk on the shore, an eagle feather found, rocks made into knives and a bear cub passing through the campground. Morning brought crepes eaten with homemade cranberry sauce (from the highbush cranberries we picked in Alaska), dinosaurs swimming in the lake and more shore exploration.

Just what I needed to be reminded of the reasons we have chosen this life on the road.