Wilderness

July 16 Wednesday 6.30 PM

After work i stopped at Jack's jewellery workshop. I liked to observe how he shaped, polished and soldered metal, changing it into rings and pendants.
Jack working long hours became recently irritable and jumpy.
My super boring job in the bank with many hours of overtime and corporate routine made me disenchanted and uninspired.
Not truly together as before the wedding only a year ago, we were both stressed, tense and tired.
Brian - our long time friend and Jack's business partner convinced us to take a week off. "Go camping. Go to the Algonquin Park, far from the noise, phone calls, TV. Forget about the world for a while! There is nothing better than fresh air, peace and quiet and a nap under the tree!"
That evening I called my boss to arrange time off, pulled camping gear from the closet, packed some clothing and dragged all to the car. We decided to go next day after work. We never camped in the wilderness before and never only two of us. For the urbanites busy campgrounds close to Toronto and always in the company of our friends, were more appealing. I was wondering how it will be this time, hoping for sunshine, warm water in the lake, long walks, romantic evenings and minimum contact with the civilization.

July 17 Thursday 6.30 PM Arrival

We didn't talk much on the way, just listened to music and sometimes sang along, but it wasn't much fun. 3 hours drive seemed to go forever.

Campground office located in the simple log house had a huge map on the wall. While Jack was completing the registration i browsed through the brochures and pamphlets about the animals, plants in the park and survival techniques. I grabbed one "How to survive encounter with a Bear". I put it in my pocket to read later.
I heard Jack negotiating with the Ranger: "No , No, please, not this, we need something remote, quiet, with no people, cars or tents nearby."
"This area" the clerk pointed to the map" is vacant at the time, find yourself a spot, come in the morning to the office and tell me the site number. The weather was not the greatest recently so it is not busy".
As we were at the door the guy called to us "Don't leave your food and garbage in the open or in your tent, pull it up on the tree or keep in the car! There are special trash boxes near the exit. The animals.... you know, eh?"

The road to the farthest lake in the campground was absolutely stunning - natural path twisting and turning between tall pines, the early evening orange gold sun piercing through the crowns of the trees and absolute stillness. Beautiful!

"Will you make the tomato salad and some sandwiches? I am hungry. We will cook sausages on the sticks and later marshmallows... and we will hike all day tomorrow...." Jack was more himself already.

Suddenly the sun setting down over the distant forest and a serene sapphire lake, illuminated fairytale like spot covered with lush green grass, surrounded by young birches and emerald bushes. "Here we are" Jack said with a smile turning engine off and getting out from the car. "Finally silence, and the air, the aiiiirrrrr..... It will be wonderful!" Seeing my husband alive again and excited made me content.
Jack put up the tent and chopped the wood, I prepared supper, unpacked our clothing, sleeping bags, air mattress.
"Do you have some paper, i forgot the fire starter" Jack asked. I pulled the 'Bear pamphlet' from the pocket.
"Oh my, wow!. Did you read that? Two people were attacked by the bears in this area, young couple, woman didn't survive, and that is horrible... so they have bears here in the Park! ...Our snoring tonight will scare them away!" We laughed. I was less confident than Jack, but said nothing.

10.30PM In the tent

I checked the flashlight and a car keys in the side pocket of the tent. I put up on the tent pole glow in the dark clock. Jack was asleep already.
Listening to his breathing, the frogs, distant, faint sound of the highway, some barking far, far away I was slowly slipping into the dreamland, I felt secure with a head on Jack's chest.

5.30AM In the tent

"Wake up. Julie wake up.!" Jack whispered squeezing my arm. "Do you hear that?"
I did. There were heavy thumps, loud, irregular doo- doom, doo- doom on the ground near our heads, back and forth, closer and farther away. Air mattress replicated and intensified the sound. At the same time something was scratching the tent's tarp just above and we heard branches breaking under the heavy steps in the little distance, perhaps where the bushes were.... It was morning grey not a black of the night, I could see that Jack's eyes were wide opened and intense. My heart was beating fast and louder than ever, terrified I wanted to run away, felt trapped in the flimsy tent.

I grabbed car keys and showed them to Jack. He nodded. Swiftly we freed ourselves from the sleeping bag, sat up and reached for the entrance zippers. We opened the tent and darted out, sprinting toward the car. My heart was still pumping blood frantically. I turned away.... and stopped astounded by the picture.

On the jade grass near the tent - were our heads would be just seconds ago, there was a family of Hares or Rabbits, some adults and few smaller, grazing, moving from spot to spot, jumping, standing up, observing us.

Small twig that probably fell from the tree at night was moving slightly with the wind, hanging from the top of the tent, brushing against the tarp.

In the near distance where the pearl - white young birches grew, a majestic Moose was chewing something methodically, minding his own business, totally ignoring our presence.

All that was set in the pink tones of the early morning sun, sweet smelling air, myriads of diamond sparkling dew droplets, bird arias and a tranquillity of the lake covered with the veils of the ascending fog…..

6:30AM Park Office

We greeted the Ranger - the same young guy, who registered us yesterday.
Jack said firmly."The spot was great, but we want something close to the office, highway, and people"
The guy smiled looking at both of us - it was a friendly smile, a smile you offer a child or an older person when helping them across the street. He pointed through the window. "This one?"

Jack exclaimed "Perfect – we'll take it!!!!"

We had great week, returned to the city refreshed and… never camped in the wilderness, we settled for nature on the leash, manicured and well behaved.


July 29, 2014
1137 words