Natural New Year

You would think that this photo of me on skis was taken in the wilderness somewhere but it is actually Second Marsh, not far from Bowmanville. I was out with my son and future daughter-in-law just before Christmas. Ruth and I ventured out again in the wind and snow of New Year's Day. Not a good plan. The wet snow formed ice on the bottom of our skis so we ended up shuffling and scraping along the trail. When we got back to the car a freight train was blocking the parking lot from the Wilmot Creek exit. Hey, you win some...

We have a history of outdoor activities on New Year's Day. One year in Sudbury we drove to Dreamer's Rock near Manitoulin Island. It is a traditional "dream quest" spot for native youth so we climbed up to the rock on a frigid but crystal-clear morning and made our resolutions. Another time we went with a group of church folk to Killarney wilderness park and snowshoed up a ridge to gain an exceptional view of Georgian Bay. We built a fire and ate our lunch.

The year we entered the new millenium we put a canoe in the Northwest Arm of Halifax and paddled on what was a calm, glistening beginning to the year. The New Year's before we left Halifax we convinced the owner of the small ferry for McNabb's Island in the harbour to transport us out there for the day. We took our cross country skis and battled some whopping snow drifts the length of the island, several kilometres in all, with no one else around. In the tranquility we looked across the water to the busiest maritime city. McNabb's has since become a provincial park.

We realize that this connection with the natural world, the world of the Creator, is at the heart of who we are and our faith wouldn't be complete without it. Even on the blustery days. As I said, you win some...