boats

The Mighty River Flows
by

The Mighty River Flows

Hail Brave hearts

Yes, it’s here, the spring has arrived, in snowy, blustery style,  In like a lion, with  heavy snow falls, March has ended the winter with a cold snap, that keeps us bundled up and happy.  Of course, the summer will eventually come, but now the trails are white.  The forest floor is covered, a late spring, with no drought in sight.

The itch is on, to turn the seasons, pull out the canoe and test the current.  Ice flows passing with the water as the melting winter turns to spring.  Catch us in our history, as we wave farewell to winter, the icy highways turn to melt waters and the dangerous ice flows temp.  No  more the sleighs to speed us along the slippery, white rivers, now it’s canoes and boats and water craft, to take our time away.

Go back, fine fellows, to days gone by, to times of yesteryear.  To the fur trade and the brave at heart the times of the voyageur.  A dangerous time of year, this is, when winter turns to spring.  The trails are wet, the rivers are thin ice and the progress becomes slow.  Take a nap and wait a week, a well deserved holiday.  The harshness of this difficult time, will melt the winter away.  Soon the canoe will be laden, with supplies to take inland.  To visit with the natives and to find a brand new land.  Off come the winter fur coats, hats and mitts are stored.  Onto another adventure, to the watery highways of this world.

A well traveled route, the St. Lawrence, filled with Coureur de Bois.  One of the most dangerous occupations of that lifetime, to travel, explore and trade in the great unknown wild.

http://www.patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca/rpcq/detail.do?methode=consulter&id=25887&type=pge     Trois Riviers, Quebec

The canoes are large enough, they carry several men.  All trained and skilled in many ways, to tackle the obstacle at hand.  Come from far away, in European style, to make a living the hard way, adventure, in the Canadian wild.  A fearsome, mighty river, the St. Lawrence is cracking up.  Pretty soon, it will be show time, pack your bags and liven up.  No more naps or holidays, the spring torrents are flooding.  It’s an adventure too dangerous for us,  spring break up is not even for the daring.  Icy flows and chilly woes, we’ll wait for another day.  This is not the best of times, for watery, river play.

But if you were an itchy voyageur, with bills at home to pay, perhaps the tempting season, would  cast him adrift anyway.

A lovely camping trip, with lakes and rivers to follow, the Canadian rivers of highway, still bind us to our past.  Traditions of camping and canoeing, following well traveled routes.  Today, we love this great wild land and praise the nations splendor.  Our ancestors did a very fine job, of protecting and implementing the heritage that we covet today.  A land of unspoiled wonder, with historical routes to travel.  This is our fine country we still travel in style.  From winter sleigh to summer canoe, the adventure has never left us.

written by Dr.  Louise Hayes

April 18, 2018

Northern Ontario Canoe Trip,  The Nat River

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6ie5jptrgY
Boats and Things
by

Boats and Things

Hail Bravehearts

To the ingenuity of early man. Praises to the brilliance. To the inventor, the genius who can’t stop learning. Since the time before humans, boats have been built. With skill and ingenuity, to cross the high seas, in search of discovery, new worlds, new beginnings, new adventure, new life, new home, a new land.
Brave homo erectus, 800,000 years ago, lashed together reeds to sail the high seas. An intelligent forerunner of the human, so daring and interested, to find out what lies beyond the comfortable domain of his estate. To hand to us the skills and invention of ocean going craft.
A daring adventure on quiet waters, poling a raft around the rivers. Caution and careful, trial and error, not to tip or fall into the water. The genius at work, preparing for a great day. A day on the water, maneuvering carefully, learning skills without a teacher. Teach yourselves, to build and propel, to drive the craft and to be in control. Time and again, the master at work, reading the water, for eddies and rapids and rocky outcrops, sand bars and current, undertoe and dangerous deadfall. What catches the craft and spins it out of control? Into the deep water, where the pole cannot touch bottom. Dangerous, yet thrilling! The raft moves on, controlled by the current, until, luckily it breaches on the rocky bottom. Victory! Another lesson learned, the hard way, but this is the only teacher they had. A longer pole, a larger raft, another attempt. Try again, to build and control, to master the water and to ride the seas.
The destiny will be to conquer the ocean and reach the land mass that lies beyond.

http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/~vaucher/History/Prehistoric_Craft/ sail the high seas.

A simple vessel, but not from a simple mind. The migration of the species to lands beyond is accomplished by the brave and the daring, the curious and the willing. Who would like to ride in the boat of simple reads, lashed together, and to take their chances on the high seas? The migration to the new worlds has begun and the pursuit of adventure and discovery is upon us. 800,000 years ago, the spirit of discovery is compelling. To new worlds, to seek new land, to discover more and more. Ancient as they are, the drive for discovery and adventure is in them. A new frontier to be explored. A quest which ignites the flame of power and curiosity. What lies beyond our own safe home? What is out there?
Brave homo erectus, who sails the oceans, the mighty waters couldn’t stop them. Only the discovery, the opportunity, the chance to answer the still, so often asked question. What lies beyond?

written by Dr. Louise Hayes
October 30, 2014