Many cottages on Georgian Bay have windmills. Now we know why. The wind has been blowing nonstop for two days and we have to revise our plans. Will our participants be able to paddle the whole way as planned? Will they have enough energy to face this challenge? There is a team meeting.
So, we go back to the Foundation’s Mission Statement. We remind ourselves that these kids are fighters and that they’ve been through much worse. We remind ourselves that our wish is for these youths to face a challenge, to set new limits for themselves, to become prouder and more self-confident, that they should come out of this expedition with an enhanced sense of accomplishment. The decision is unanimous, we launch and we will continue the trip as planned.
We face the waves once again. We take advantage of an east-to-west bay to bring the crafts together, set up a sail and enjoy the wind pushing us ahead for a while. Alas, this was to be short-lived! As we gat to the other side of Point Burritt, the winds are even stronger than before. Without hesitation I can tell you that we used all the proteins we had taken in with our eggs and bacon at breakfast
Our efforts are rewarded by a super ice cream snack at the Dillon marina, a small hamlet of some ten homes, which is the sole human settlement we will encounter during our trip. After a well-deserved pause, we return to the Northern tip of Franklin Island, a site that could well be called ‘(excellent) blueberry point”, with our apologies to the residents of Saguenay and Lac-Saint-Jean.
Except for the wind, the weather is wonderful. Yet, the wind prevents us from being “baked” by the ever-present sunshine. Yet, cirrus clouds have shown up during the day and the wind is shifting. There will be a heavy rainstorm before Friday.
In the meantime, the moon is nearly full and engulfs our camp in a pallid light as the clouds have disappeared from the sky. After first sitting on a stony point, our young friends retreated to the kitchen tent away from the bugs. From a distance, I listen to their conversations. Their laughter is refreshing. Their happiness is contagious. The loons seem to join in the laughter.