Blue Bronna Ride-a-thon.

Though it is late in September, it is still warm. So is my memory of this past weekend. I want to write it down before it becomes cold.

Louise and I drove up on Friday afternoon. The wind blew warm from the south. The colours were astonishingly bright, yellow aspen and dark green spruce. What a weekend to go riding! The dust was thick on the 12 miles of gravel road, but still there were the Fall colours. We met cows, placidly watching us from the ditch, and breathing in our dust. Small groups of tents and trailers indicated others camping in this Willow Creek wilderness.

We arrived eager to meet our friends again. Cyril used us to figure out the easiest way of collecting the sponsorship booklets and money. Martha was busy in the kitchen. She did not do the cooking this weekend. That was done by members of the board.

Louise was going to sleep in a tent, and I had chosen a bed in a cabin. It did not take long to put my feather bed on a lower bunk. Some of the beds were occupied by the staff who had been there all Summer. What a life!
While waiting for the hamburgers I talked to Dwayne Bradley from Calgary, the pastor and speaker for the weekend.
So far I had not seen any campers that I knew, except some staff members. Louise renewed her friendship with Justine, and I with Martha.
Jim and Martha had moved their family to Three Hills. The older boys would be going to school there. It was a difficult decision.

Picture: I see Josh and his friend sitting on their horses, waiting for the long string of riders to pass by so they can close the gate again. They lean on their saddle horns, and look like they just stepped out of an old Wild West movie!  Josh is a real cowboy on the largest ranch in Canada, south of Kamloops. He came back from the ranch for this special weekend.

That evening we all gathered around the fire. John had his guitar, and I my recorder. A violin joined us. And then we sang! Hymns and choruses. Dwayne closed the evening with a talk about seeding. We must always throw the seed, not to worry about where it falls, just sow the seed.

Walking back to the cabin in the dark was another marvelous experience.The starlit sky was clear, showing  the milky way. "O God, how great Thou art!"