P A T H S

Morning all:

 

Marcia was busily sweating away as she created a path in our garden using the Canadian limestone we dragged back from our vacation. Mud on her hands, one of those “aha” moments flashed across, one she shared with me—can I share this wonderful little moment with you? First a sip of coffee though, and then her insight.

 

A marvelous couple of weeks have started the summer. Weeks filled with new “paths”. And as Marcia realized in that flash, these were days discovering paths of differing hues, joys, pains, and intensities.

Adrianne’s path started shortly after we said our goodbyes and left on the family vacation. Her Peace Corps assignment finally began. Twenty four hours of travel and sixteen time zones away found her in Nuku ‘Alofa. Here a two years course of professional and personal growth have begun, even while providing a service to a remote peoples. What a fantastic path she has embarked on.

 

Our vacation at Cummings Lake really began with niece Jacqueline becoming engaged to her boyfriend Daniel. A new bliss filled the cabin. All this lasted until a frantic call over a walkie-talkie alerted all that Daniel had miss-stepped while climbing the 200 foot high rock-slide of nearby “Rock Candy Mountain”. A new “path” down was sought and 1½ hours later Daniel complete with a nasty ankle break started heading on a new direction, the hospital in Sault Ste. Marie.

 

Paul, Joel and I literally built a route—800 feet of it, carved through solid forest. Paul’s property just begged to eventually have a cabin on a 250 foot high knob overlooking the lake, and “a’carving” we did go. Eventually an eight foot wide track allowed for the ATV to bounce through to a spectacular overlook and site of a future “Camp Kik”.

 

Kirstin and Vince took a different direction. Their path was taken along with thousands of others all flowing out of the Ontario northlands at the same time, thereby causing massive overload for the border customs officials. A normal 20 minute event turned into a 1½ hour overbearingly long delay—and a missed flight home. All of this caused Derek, normally a wonderful little guy, to lose out on his schedule and therefore seek parental payback. The passageway mom Kirstin found herself on was one to the rear of the plane accompanied by a not very happy little Derek wearing one very “poopie” diaper.

 

Cathy and Jason found themselves on yet a different lane—the very slow lane. Approaching Wolverine on the way home an enormous bubble on a tire forced them to drive 200 miles on a “doughnut” spare. Luckily, by now their little Marin was more accepting of the constraints of the baby seat and had become a traveling “pro”. At exactly one year of age, he is able to sign to his parents; along with signs for more, and food, there now is a new one; “check tires”.

 

“Ok”, “ok”, you say. All this must be leading up to a Grand Finale for Dirk and Marcia. And this is correct, there is a “blow out” ending. Not for our travels, boring. Not for any road adventures, boring. For the two of us the “Grand Finale” is the insight that new courses and paths greet us every moment and every day; to ourselves, and to you, walk these trails with anticipation, explore the new possibilities encountered on them.

 

We had a wonderful vacation. Now reality, Shang needs a walk. I do believe that this dog is meant for walking.

 

Have a great week.

Dirk

 

P.S. Thanks so much Paul and Dia