The Blessing of Bon Echo

We woke up yesterday to the promise of a sunny, mild day so we decided to drive north to Bon Echo Provincial Park to see what we could see. This Winter has been frustrating for seasonal activities because of relatively warm weather with more rain than snow. It was different above Highway 7 and at the park there was still plenty of snow. We'd taken cross-country skis, snowshoes and our Sorel Winter boots to keep our options open. 

We chose to ski in, even though the park is officially closed and a staff member at the main office assured us that the ice of Mazinaw Lake was still sound enough to support us. We made our way through the pines and mixed hardwoods to the lake, then across and along the high cliff which makes this park unique. Last October we were there on the last day before the park closed and paddled along the rock face so we could see the petroglyphs, the red ochre Indigenous paintings which are centuries old. Yesterday we were making our way along on skis and while the petroglyphs seemed to be hiding (below ice level?) the setting was spectacular. And the silence! During several hours of exploration we didn't see another human, and there were virtually no human sounds.

We took some moments to acknowledge the Creator while we were there. We don't take our freedom to make spontaneous choices for granted, nor our health in these retirement years. Failing to give thanks for the beauty of that place and this country would have been a sin. 

We are attempting to get outside as often as possible during Lent in keeping with following the For the Beauty of the Earth devotional guide we're working through with others at Trenton United. While its good to contemplate the God who brought all of Creation into being wherever we are, we want to receive the blessing of the outside world .