Last night was windy and I thought I heard rain hitting the bivvy. In the morning there was only the wind. The day promised to be hot but that wind, which made breaking camp a challenge, kept us cool.
Before turning in yesterday I went to see Paul Lapointe’s studio north of Batoche. I liked his art, especially the woodcuts of ravens, and the miniature horse foals in his corral stole my heart. Their mothers were cute, too.
We’ve been walking on pavement today. Yesterday the gravel and dirt roads didn’t bother my blisters, and I thought I was past the worst, but the pavement today has aggravated them, so I’m taking a turn driving a support vehicle. I’ve learned, again, how important it is to prepare for these walks, and what happens if you don’t.
We ate lunch at a church on One Arrow First Nation, but another twenty minutes of walking brought us to Batoche, where the new visitors’ centre has a canteen. I suppose our picnic was more nutritious than burgers and fries, but at least one of us indulged in pie and ice cream and a cold drink. We didn’t have enough time to explore the site, but I’ll come back for a longer visit.
Our goal today is St. Laurent-Grandin, on the other side of the South Saskatchewan River. We’ll be staying in the old rectory, which means a shower for this smelly pilgrim. We’ll be there two nights, and there might be a communal supper tomorrow night. I hope so.
