Winnipeg, Manitoba
On the Trail of Spirits
Yesterday, I asked a resident, and my host, Amie, how to get
to the nearest trail. We stood in front
of her home on this gorgeous clear-sky morning while she gave us directions. The location is one of those swirly-street neighbourhoods
in the suburbs.
"Turn right, then left, then right..." she said,
with a ‘this’ and a ‘that’ added on. It
got complicated. A crow flew over our
heads.
"How about I follow that crow?"
"Follow the snow," she said half-assertively and half-humorously.
So I followed the crow, and after making two turns the crow
was just waiting, like a guide, perched on a street lamp post. On the second flight, he led me to the
trail. "Caw! Caw!"
Today, in Winnipeg, I found myself at an entrance of the Sentier
Bois-des-Esprits, or the trail of the woodland/forest spirits. This well-worn path is majorly blessed with
stones (not asphalt), is off-white in colour, and has many sub-trails adjoined
to it, muddy and dark. Deer are aplenty
here, yet it appears that the grey owl dominates. It can be heard but not seen. At least a couple of pedestrians and I both
stood, looked above to see if we could spot the source of the spooky
sound. "Hoo Hoo Hooooo!"
My trekking today came after much prep-work with Vrnda and
Daniel for organizing an upcoming leader's meeting in British Columbia, and it
occurred just before night-fall. The
entire day was over-cast except for a mere seven minutes when the sun was just
about to set. It spread this red glow
over the tree tops to enhance the moment.
Birches, oaks and other forest beauties had captured a touch of warmth
before darkness put them to bed.
May the Source be with you!
5 km
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