One black bear, one blue heron, white-tailed deer.  Still no moose.  We may have to just take  a picture of the ‘Beware of Moose’ crossing signs in the absence of the real thing.

We didn’t post last night because yesterday was a 10-hour drive and your scribe was exhausted; today was different.  It was only a 12 1/2-hour drive and here I sit writing in Dante’s 10th Circle of Hell (there are only 9 but I decided to make another one up for self-torturers).  We almost didn’t find accommodations in Wawa, home of the giant goose, because there is some kind of event going on in town and all hotels/motels are booked and the town is overrun with teenagers. We were lucky to get this pretty little motel room just out of town. It comes with an outdoor jacuzzi just for us.  We’ve decided that the weather, although reasonably warm during the day, is too cool for hot-tubbing.  Oh, and that black bear hanging around the back yard might decide he wants to join us and that just won’t do.

Last night we stopped in Kenora, one of the most beautiful places we’ve been on this trip.  We got a great deal at the round inn that’s situated on the water.  Our room had a beautiful view of Lake of the Woods.  You’ve got to love a town where there are boat docks at the grocery store.  If you want to go to Safeway you can walk, drive, or boat.  Very cool.  I remember this place.  We stayed here when I was a child on one of our road trips. The little salmon coloured motel cabins we stayed at are gone but I did recognize the point on the water where they were situated.  If Dad were here I’d ask him if he remembered the place too.  This is one of the ways I miss him.  I’m sure he would have said yes, he remembered staying here.

Same goes for our little visit today to Kakabeka Falls, just west of Thunder Bay.  We’d stopped here briefly on that same trip (it was just off of the highway which is the only reason why Dad let us have a look – it wasn’t too far out of the way). It’s a very pretty spot.  I have a photo of myself, sister and brother with our backs to the camera and staring at the falls. Today I tried to duplicate the scene with my own kids but little Jaybird will not stand still for anyone, especially someone who’s pointing a camera at her.  Why stand still when you can dance?