Riding Mountain National Park

The highlight of my week of volunteering at camp had to be the evening that my fellow cooks and I took a walk down the road winding around Clear Lake. It was a lovely country road, unpopulated aside from a few other camps. The meadow was overflowing with native Manitoba wild flowers like tiger lillies, alfalfa, bright canola, wild roses, and a whole bunch that only Rose and Patti know the names to. I just know that it smelled really incredible, and was much prettier than any "perfect" garden I've ever laid eyes on.

We wandered down the road (that part of Manitoba has "downs" and not just horizontal "flats" like my part), exploring the flowers and breathing in something besides french toast, baked oatmeal, or shake and bake chicken.

On our way back to camp, something rustled just beside us in the grasses bordering the roadway. I looked up to see a beautiful lynx make its way back towards the forest. She stopped, turned around, and looked at us for what seemed an extraordinary length of time.

What an amazing animal.

A Cat the size of a Dog.

Now, how can I domesticate that?! (I know, I know.... don't send me nasty comments about their potential dangers, and all that. It's entirely theoretical. But would that not make the theoretically bestest house pet in the entire history of the world?!)

That kitty looked like the dog sized version of our housecat, Floey.

They are practically cousins.

And no, I did not have my camera with me at the time. Nor did Micah have the camera at archery when he saw a mama bear with her cub. Nor did the directer photograph the cougar coming up our drive in a low laying position, headed for the preschoolers playing in the sand of the volleyball court.

I'm not making any of this up.

And that, teacher, is what I did at camp this summer.