I have had the comment made to me that I should have chosen a different title for the writing in this newspaper. Their comments have been spurred by the fact that my sights often range much farther afield than just around town since oftentimes I have written about things and places other than just around this town/village. I have to, in some ways, agree with them but on the other hand my vision extends to the global village, not just my own back yard. This wandering vision, I have to admit, is somewhat my own but was also spurred on by my high school social studies teacher whose aim was to get us looking far beyond ourselves and view our beings as residents of the world and not just of one specific locale.
In this outward view I have often extolled the great beauty that is here to be seen in this wonderful province in which I was born and to which, after a few excursions into other areas of our country, I have chosen to return. Again this past week, Brenda and I, along with one son, one daughter-in-law and one gorgeous granddaughter, ventured out to spend some time kicking back while enjoying the beauty that is ours to enjoy within a short driving distance of our home. This trip was, for some of us, a return to places visited before, but to our daughter-in-law, who was born and raised in Vietnam, and the little one, it was a new adventure.
To give you a perspective, this young lady was born in a city (Ho Chi Minh City, in fact, otherwise known as Saigon) which has a population of roughly eight and a half million. She comes from a family who did not have the ability to afford much in the way of leisure and thus the idea of traveling around just to visit the country is new and novel. Sitting in front of a campfire is something she had never experienced before.
Our travels took us to the west end of the Meadow Lake Provincial Park which is just one of the treasures that we have here in this province. It was at Pierce Lake that we spent most of the time but we did venture out exploring from there.
Again, as in the past, I will show my disbelief that some of the residents of Saskatchewan have never seen very much of what this province has to offer and yet have traveled the rest of the world. On this trip we partook of scenery that is equal to any that can be seen anywhere else in the world. This was accentuated for us by having this daughter-in-law with us and watching her as she took in the scenery through which we traveled while exploring the park roads. When you can stand in water up to your thighs and see your feet as clearly as on dry land the pristine nature is fantastic, and watching someone who has never in their life had the chance to experience this heightens the experience.
On the one trip we took exploring while there we traveled to Lac des Isles where we (actually Gramps and Granddaughter Dallas) ventured into the water to play and enjoy the beauty that is so close to our doorsteps. We also had the chance to see a deer browsing along through the forest only a couple of meters from us while we watched. Then, as we drove along, a young bear, probably in his second summer, ran out of the bush just in front of us.
Yes, I know that these are common things here in Saskatchewan but I am amazed at how many residents of this province have never taken the time to go that short distance to where you could see these. We also came over a hill to find ourselves looking at vistas that are breathtaking and all we had to do was drive a short distance from home to see them. Yes, that is why we own a small trailer and explore rather than just park ourselves in the same place over and over again, folks. And yes, I am always looking over the next hill for the next miracle that my home province has to offer.
Again, I challenge others to take a look around and experience some of this great beauty that is right here at their fingertips. One word of caution though, when you look at maps that show paved surfaces be prepared to see a little dust as you go, since some of those roads are not what the map would lead you to believe. For example, the map we had showed Highway 21 north of Paradise Hill up to Pierceland as being fully paved, since it was the same colour on the map as the other main highways in the province. Guess how we found out that it is, for the greatest part of the way, gravelled surface that is quite soft in some places? Even so, if you take your time, it is worth the exploring.
Quote: "The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is to at last set foot on our own country as a foreign land." Gilbert K. Chesterson.
