Come walk with me along that brook
And share this day with me.
As carefree children once again
We live in memory.
Bonnie Grant
As I write this from Magna Bay overlooking Shuswap Lake I want you, dear reader, to come along with me. One of the good things about pretending is that you don’t have to worry about mobility problems. We’re all in the same boat so to speak and can even travel in pijamas if you’ve a mind to but you’d feel better to be dressed for the occasion.
The first stop we’re going to make is to a family reunion at a home by Loon Lake. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know anyone or that you haven’t been invited. This is just part of using our imagination.
As with any trip much of the joy comes from the anticipation and preparation. What should I bring? What will I wear? What is the weather going to be like? Once you’ve figured the essential things such as meds, address book, cell phone fully charged, comfortable clothes that are colour coordinated for rain or shine you are relieved everything fits nicely into a small suitcase. The first leg of our trip will take us just past Clinton on Highway 97 to Loon Lake. It had been some time since I was there and had forgotten how long and winding the road is, but fascinating to see many homes perched along the shore. Being July there is a good deal of traffic. Boats humming on the lake, people walking and jogging with dogs.
The reunion is a real eye opener. Young people, maturing, changing, you have to ask names to keep everything straight. With everyone bringing a dish for the potluck dinner it’s not such a load on the hosts and provides opportunity to share. One of the highlights was a ride on a large inflatable pontoon boat where we could relax and sail down the eight mile length of the lake. Even the two dogs who came for the ride thoroughly enjoyed this.
The potluck dinner had something for everyone’s taste. Pork roast and vegetables done on the barbeque and a collection of salads and desserts. Prior to that trays of fruits, vegetables, munchies provided an opportunity for people to mingle to catch up on family news.
The next morning we headed off down Hwy 97 again as far as Cache Creek, through Kamloops to Chase for a quick visit with family then on around to the north side of Shuswap Lake to Magna Bay. This road too is busy with tourists but having a place to go overlooking the lake provided just what we needed.
A time to rest, visit
with family here and enjoy what nature has in store.
We decided to extend our stay another day so that we could make a quick trip to Salmon Arm. Now there’s a bustling little city that I’ve always liked for some reason every time I‘ve gone through.
Our trip took us to the industrial area for a mechanical part, but we had no reason to do any other shopping so made our way back to Magna Bay.
Tomorrow we would be packing up and heading back to Quesnel.
I hope you have enjoyed your brief armchair travel with us and find some comfort in knowing you don’t have to unpack, do the laundry and catch up on things that have been put on hold.
Thank you for coming with us.
Ruth Scoullar is a
seniors’ advocate and regular Observer contributor.