Friday was my last day at the Meno-Ya-Win and at the Extended Care Facility. Sharon, Courtney, and Margie presented me with a thank you crib board to remember all the times I got skunked while learning the game. The board had a special message on the bottom just for me. Sharon also gave me a card chalked full of all the pictures she'd taken during our time in Sioux Lookout. The BBQ at the Extended Care Facility was a great way to wrap things up, eating burgers outside with Sharon and Francois made me realize how much I'm gonna miss my workplace.
The weekend was spent at a cabin in Cedar Bay, the cabin was built in the 70's by the Sioux Lookout Katimavik group, and Katimavik groups continue to use the cabin to this day. Our Saturday to Monday was spent away from the community reflecting on the program and tying up the loose ends for us as a family. We had a series of activities to reflect and to commemorate the experience. We selected beads for each group member, each bead to describe the qualities of them, and strung them together as a charm of reminder. We shouted one word answers in unison to Sarah reflective questions, are answers jumble into a cacophony of speech that rang out over the desolate lakes. We cried, we laughed, we talked, and we had fun.
While we weren't busy reflecting we were building fires, and playing in the woods, but the most popular activity was fighting off the 500 billion mosquitoes that rained their horror onto our camp site. My legs would suggest that I either have a skin disease, or that I am a heroin addict. These northwestern Ontario mosquitoes are the most barbaric mosquitoes I have encountered in my 18 year of intensive outdoor life style. That have no mercy, they never leave you ear drum, and there always ten of them in your sleeping bag.
Tuesday will be allocated to clean up, a couple games, and packing. I'm trying to shove all my memories into a bag that was full when I left. Advice for future Katimavik participants: pack a few things you don't mind leaving behind, or don't pack you bags full, you'll want to bring the memories home.
Wednesday will bring doom. Flight at 8:20. I'm flying to Thunder Bay, to Toronto, to Vancouver. I don't want to think about the time zones but I'm getting in at 6:30pm. Yuck! I don't want to leave.
You may not want to leave, but we can't wait to see you! Safe travels and don't worry, Katmavik has given you the beginning, it's definitely not the end!
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