If you take yourself North of Saskatoon, it only takes an hour and a half of driving before the wheat fields end and the water begins. The further North you travel in this province of mine, the wetter and rockier it becomes. Over half of Saskatchewan is brimming with chain lakes and rivers cutting through Precambrian Shield.
Rocks. Lakes. Rivers. Boreal forest. Whitewater.
A canoeist’s dream come true.
And so,
it is easy to be a babe in the woods
strolling barefoot beneath the jack pines and birch trees
dipping in to cool dark waters
restoring the soul.
For many years I spent my entire summer at Christopher Lake, up North. I know it well. The lake is bright and cool (as all lakes are in Northern Saskatchewan), rimmed with thick forest and chock full of that great Northern sky.
In the morning, the loons call out.
At midnight the forest floor is lit by the big dipper and the Northern lights.
The water laps against the shore.
The clouds scrub the sky clean blue.
In Canada, we call places like this: The Bush.
We refer to the location as: Up North.
There’s no talk of cottages in these parts.
In the bush, up North, Canadians go to the cabin.
NOTE: This is not my cabin. My cabin is on Deifenbaker Lake. You’ll see photos of it on July 1 when we head there to celebrate Canada Day.
PS If you doubt the greatness of Northern Saskatchewan and think I’m being overly romantic about the whole thing, Jordan and Kate will certainly testify.