Monday, May 19th, 2014

Fort Frances, Ontario

The Marriage of a Monk

We bid farewell to our Thunder Bay host, Dr. Jani, and took a great drive up Highway 11.  With time zone change we gained an hour and it allowed for me to do some sporadic walking, for instance, when Michael would gas up, or just wanted to use his camera to capture the aesthetics of nature, I could then trail blaze.

It’s clearly beaver country out here, and at one of our breaks, being tempted, I dared to walk the edge of a beaver dam which would access fairly close to the beavers’ lodge, their home.  With grass grown over the dam’s edge, I thought it would be an easy effort.  But no, I was wrong; the train was just too uneven and slippery with Crocs as my footwear.  I wasn’t going to run the risk of getting plunged.  And being alone, and waters at temperatures just above freezing, I opted to turn back. Smartness and cowardice be married to each other. 

After hopping into the SUV with Michael and Karuna, we drove on and sighted deer, and also a pregnant porcupine.  Michael said it was.  I don’t know how you can tell.  Our destination was reached, the home of Andrew, a resident of Saint Frances, and at a lovely rustic home overlooking the wonder of lake land.  His friends came, they were curious about long distance walking, and perhaps, more so, coming face to face with monkism for the first time.  When Michael invited folks from town he discovered that there were misconceptions, “A monk is going to give a talk?  they thought monks don’t talk.” 

I sure did talk though, especially Theresa from the West End Weekly.  She rolled out her questions for an interview before I even got to a more formal-to-casual talk to the people that came.

A real highlight today was being reunited with Daruka from Winnipeg, and of course, his female Amazon parrot, Billie.  She still doesn’t like me.  She’ll always be dedicated to her one partner, Daruka.  Anyways,  as a monk you don’t fuss over any one person.  You are always partnered or married to the Divine and the mission. 

May the Source be with you!

6 KM