Greetings from Seeley’s Bay, Ontario! I arrived in Canada last Wednesday. My brotherin- law John picked me up from the airport. My sister Beverly had to stay at home because my youngest sister Dee arrived at her home just as I was scheduled to arrive. My visit was a surprise for her birthday and anniversary. The surprise involved a great deal of lying on my part and everyone else to keep the real reason for the gathering a secret. Everyone did a marvelous job, and about 30 people surprised Dave and Dee for their anniversary, including me. Congratulations to my niece Tina Hopson for pulling off this tremendous gift of love for her parents.
Dee’s granddaughter Ashley Meness and her partner Dawson Smith arrived to show off the new boat Ashley had bought. Ashley just completed her first year of teaching at a remote Indigenous school in Pikangikum. She loves her job and her students. She will be returning to far northern Ontario and will be teaching cultural studies. Amongst her many talents, Ashley is a gifted hoops dancer. She is an intrepid young lady. She hunts, fishes and cleans her own kills. She drives a small boat across a rough lake to get to the reservation where she teaches. Her last boat would often take on water from the waves. This new boat she purchased will make that journey less hazardous. The young man she is dating is with Parks and Wildlife Management. Dawson lives about nine hours away from her, which in the backcountry is no distance at all. They are well suited, so perhaps my next visit will be for a wedding.
Please pray four our country and our divisions. United we stand. Pray for our sick, our government, and our precious troops away from home. Congratulations on the super Fourth of July celebrations in Richland Springs. Maybe next year we will have pig sacking again. See you in a couple of weeks. Don’t forget the Saturday Market and the Preservation meeting on the 16th.