The Bear

The Bear, by Claire Cameron; © 2014, Doubleday Canada

Shortly on the heels of finishing All the Broken Things, I was given another book that featured a bear, this one written by Claire Cameron. Where Kuitenbrouwer's book depicted an appealing beast that you couldn't help feel for, Cameron's black bear was anything but. Her animal was wild and extremely dangerous, and the start of a terrifying ordeal for two young children.

Five-year-old Anna is on a camping trip with her Mom, Dad and little brother Alex, affectionately known as Stick. Things have been difficult in her parent's relationship as of late, but a late-summer portage trip seemed just the thing to smooth over troubled waters. That is until an overnight stop at a small island  leads to tragedy. A black bear sniffs them out and attacks, but not before Daddy stuffs little Anna and two-year-old Stick into a Coleman cooler for protection.

While Coleman saves Anna and Stick from the bear's deadly claws, they can't stay in the metal box forever. And once Anna kicks them to freedom, the next step is more than any five-year-old can fathom, that of making their way to safety in the wilds of Algonquin Park alone. With nothing more than a box of cookies and the dying words of her mother to give her direction, Anna must take responsibility for Stick and their lives. Their canoe gets them off the island and away from the bear, but where to go next is beyond little Anna. How to survive is another matter entirely.

Written in a first-person narrative, the reader travels along with the children as they struggle to find shelter, food and a way out of the wilderness, with the meagre skills that their youth allows. The choices they make are terrifying for an adult, let alone for two children with no experience in how to take care of themselves. Cameron masterfully sets you on edge though, as you internally scream at the children to not touch this and stay away from that, to no avail. As a parent, I wanted to scoop them up and take charge, soothing the children with promises that it would all be alright. But only Anna had the power to ensure that.

If you like to camp and have a young family, this book might not be for you. It strikes fear into every worst case scenario that parents put themselves through in relation to their children. If you are curious to see how Anna and Stick make out in the wilds of Northern Ontario without an adult to guide them though, then this book is a well-written tale that will have you flipping pages to the end.

That end you will have to read for yourself though...

Shadow Friend

Racing shadow friends

You hurry to toe the line
jumping jack
twisting back
on sunny days so fine

forever tied to me
a friend when none are found
quietly chasing me around
my joy to see

on the playground
at the park
the tiniest sliver leaves a mark
honestly, you do astound

my racing shadow friend

These shadows are a memory,
but today's sun made new shadow friends to play with

Affirmation

No slap on the wrist necessary. We are all fallible. Goal-setting is important, whether we reach the final mark or not. Sometimes we need to test things out before we figure out if it is a good fit or not. Or if our objective is even attainable.

Is my objective attainable? Well, with my attempt to write about What's On in London, the answer is possibly, but not probably I suppose. In theory it should be easy! I wrote articles for a client every Thursday highlighting what was going on around town, but I had it scheduled and, more importantly, charged for that service. I felt a certain level of responsibility to ensure that those posts went live when they were supposed to. 

As far as me writing them for myself and others here (for free), my will is slightly softer. I do want to do that, but life gets in the way. Paying clients come first. A given, as they help pay the bills. Children require a certain level of attention, as does my partner. I try to fit in personal goals, like hitting the gym, grocery shopping and occasional coffee dates with friends. My needs aren't high. But apparently neither is my drive.

So today I remind myself that - That is ok!

I can do whatever I set my mind to. If it doesn't get done today, maybe I'll do it tomorrow. Or maybe it's not worth doing at all...

~

a half-full jar

fills moments with joy and bliss

to balance sorrows

Get Outside This Weekend

So I promised to start a new feature on my blog the other day, and here I am making it happen. There is always so much to do in London, Ontario, and not only am I thrilled to be up on the know, but I love to share with others about the exciting activities around. The hope is that this process will get me, and possibly a few of you too, out of the house this weekend.

This may be my first take, but I hope it won't be my last of;

What's Going On in London

So what is there to do in London this weekend? Plenty! Why not try one of these cool activities?

Kinsmen Sugar Bush 2013

Many area sugar bushes will be opening the doors to their local sugar shacks starting this weekend. With temperatures expected to stay decidedly wintry until at least mid-March, you probably won't see an awful lot of flow in the lines, but you can replenish your stock of maple syrup at the very least. Grab a pancake breakfast at Fort Rose Maple Company, McLachlan Family Pancake House or Kinsmen Fanshawe Sugar Bush. Buy maple syrup and other maple products at Jakeman's, Rolling Ridge or Crinklaw Maple Products. For those so inclined, there are also educational tours at Kinsmen, McLachlan, Fort Rose, Crinklaw, and Catfish Creek Conservation Area, in order to learn more about present and past collection and processing procedures, and the way to make delicious maple syrup. Yum!

I don't know about you, but I've got my sweet tooth on now! Don't sweat it though, as this 100% natural sweetener has less sugar than corn syrup, honey, white or brown sugar. Plus it is a great source of calcium, iron, potassium, and other minerals. Get your griddle smoking!

Hit the Slopes with Bob at Boler

If maple syrup isn't your thing, you could get some fresh air over at Boler Mountain. That's right, 102.3 BOB fm will be at Boler Mountain on Sunday, March 2nd from 9 am - 4 pm for BOBfm's Boler Bash. They will have prizes, snacks, face painting, celebrities (like Anna & Elsa from "Frozen"), and a great deal on lift tickets! If you've never been to Boler before, not only do they have 4 lifts and 15 snow-covered trails, but they've also got a wicked tubing park too. If you don't have equipment, don't worry as helmets are included in tubing tickets, and ski or snowboard equipment is available to rent in their chalet as well.

Skate Trails at Storybook Gardens

You don't need to spend a lot of money to have fun in London. Soak up the scant sun (if we're lucky) and breathe in the crisp air at one of London's many outdoor ice rinks this weekend. Skating is a great family activity that is fun for anyone. Don't be ashamed of your wobbles, as you are bound to have company at the Victoria Park or Covent Garden Market free rinks. If your excuse is a lack of skates, you can rent them at Victoria Park or Storybook Gardens. While you have to pay admission at Storybook (adults $4.25, children $3.25, rentals $6.00) their skate trails are lovely. This is the last weekend they will be open for the season though, so make it there before 5 pm on Sunday to enjoy!

How do you like to spend your weekends? What are your family's favourite outdoor activities?

What's Up London?

One of the blogs I used to write for was a local real estate agent in London, Ontario. I wrote articles about house and home related issues, real estate tips and tricks, and stuff to do in and around town. I have to say that the entertainment-related portion of In Your Neighbourhood was a favourite of mine and many readers, both on the blog and the corresponding Facebook page. Now that I'm no longer writing about what's going on in London this weekend, I kind of miss it.

So I have decided to change that.

What better way than to host a "What's On" portion of my own. I think it is something lacking in my neck of the online woods, so I am going to work on a brief look at what's going on in #LdnOnt this weekend. That will keep me aware of fun stuff to do with the kids, as well as be up on the know of interesting things to perhaps check out without them in tow. With March Break in less than two weeks, I figure it is a perfect time to start this little project.

Images of London, ON

Stay tuned!