September 2, 2011 Chautauqua

From the Editor's Computer

   This summer Mom and I took some road trips around the area, venturing off the beaten (mostly paved) path.

    On one adventure, we headed over to the west side of Gull Lake.  In the course of our drive, we viewed the lake from a boat launch, found the Cumming's Sawmill Historic site and then the Parkland Beach Store.  We drove by the Asker Lutheran Church and ended up at the Calmut Hall before making our way home.

   On the return trip from another adventure, that took us all the way to Crossfield to visit long-time friends, we slowed to view an old abandoned pioneer homestead in a coulee and then spotted a blue heron on the road in front of us.  It was a surprise as there was no standing water where we were driving.  On the same trip, we got up close to a number of crops as we meandered through a field - yes, we were still on a legitimate gravel road.  After the crops, we shortly found ourselves practically at the base of one of the giant windmills southwest of Trochu.

   For a change of pace, we decided to head east one day after church.  We ended up in Donalda where we had a great visit at the Gallery with a View.  After lunch at the Drop In, we continued on our way and drove through the coulees.  We ended up touring the Diplomat Mine site and  Big Knife Provincial Park.  As we drove along south we drove through a tunnel - a very British-looking touch on the prairies.  As well, we saw four miniature horses.  On our way back from Stettler later that evening mom challenged me to find a road I’d never been on before (just so you know, all roads from Stettler seem to lead to Ol’ Macdonalds Campground).  I accepted the challenge and before long we were driving up to the Union Hall, and after that, the Tail Creek Cemetery.

   The best road trips involve travelling down roads that look interesting because we can’t see exactly where they will lead.  Often there is a hill or a bend in the road.  It is the unknown that lures us down that route to see what we will find and where we will end up. 

   So why do we want our journey through life to be straight and narrow with very prominent road signs to guide us? 

 

Beth

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