ANOTHER MEMORY REVISITED - Old Woman Bay, Lake Superior Provincial Park.

Another memory. Some years ago we travelled up to Lake Superior Provincial Park in late October, or maybe it was early November.  I do recall that we encountered snow in Saulte St Marie, and had to slip slide our way into the park, and up to Wawa where we stayed for a few days. One morning we headed into the park to sketch stopping off at Old Woman Bay. It was really quite cold, and there were a few flurries in the air. But, we'd come for me to do some sketching so I found a place on the shore and sat down in the sand, and sketched. Later, a couple of years later, a cold morning back home reminded me of that cold morning in Lake Superior Provincial Park, and I wrote....

NOVEMBER 3, 2018

Early this morning, 

early that is for me,

I went outside and stood,

enjoying the freshness of a November morning. 

The air was cold, and was tinged 

with the smell of wood smoke. 

Signs that warned that winter would soon,

too soon for me, 

make its unwanted appearance. 

My mind wandered for the moment,

back to a similar morning years ago, 

spent sketching at Old Woman Bay,

up Lake Superior way.

It was cold that morning as well. In fact 

it had snowed, 

not much,

just a few flurries. The wind 

coming off of the lake

was bitter cold. Still, 

I had no choice,

I had come to sketch, and

sketch I must. So,

I pulled out my sketchbook, and

sitting at the side of Old Woman River, 

with the waves roaring onto Superior’s shore,

I made a sketch. 

Sketch made,

fingers frozen,

I stumbled to my feet,

brushed the sand from my jeans, and

sought shelter. 

A memory well spent,

I went inside, found my sketchbook,

and once again

found my way home.  

Old Woman Bay  2015    Pencil Sketch

Old Woman River  2012  Ink Field Sketch

Old Woman Bay  Pencil Field Sketch   2015

Old Woman Bay   Watercolour Field Sketch  2015

Old Woman Bay  Pencil Field Sketch  2010

As you can see Old Woman Bay has been for me, a favourite place to grab a sketch, or two, when visiting the park. If you, the reader, should ever find yourself up that way, do stop and make a sketch, a memory to last a lifetime.