I woke up at the ungodly hour of 7:00 AM, the remnants of an oddly forgettable dream still fading from my memory. A new day had begun, and despite the frustratingly inconsistent cell coverage that tricked me into thinking I could be productive while lazing in bed, I managed to begin my day.
A morning battle ensued between myself and a troop of pesky flies, my trusty bug zapper in hand. The morning also brought some amusing revelations. Koa woke and shared with me a fascinating dream about him and Corbin pretending to be dinosaurs. Ah, the simple joys of a child’s imagination!
The morning rituals followed – the long walk to the outhouse, the art of making coffee where water boiled before the grinding finished, and acknowledging the dwindling Jackery battery, down to 45%. The day was unfolding, and soon, it was time to get on the move.
The Jeep was loaded, and I headed off to Dapp Corner for fuel, making a quick stop at the trestle bridge in Fawcett. Here, my trusty 1Dx Mark II camera with the 28-300 lens failed me, and I had to switch it out.
Not one to let such hiccups ruin my day, I got the drone up in the air to grab a few shots before I continued my journey into Fawcett.
Fawcett held a special place in my heart – it was where I spent many childhood hours in front of the old bar, or at the corner store where I would run errands for my parents and splurge the change on little trinkets that caught my eye.
But, as time does its relentless work, things had changed. The school was now an empty lot, and the Fawcett Husky had transformed into a Petro Canada. A quick pitstop at the Petro Can to clean my windows and solar panel, and I was back on the road, now heading towards Flatbush.
My journey took me past my childhood home and towards the Chisholm fire tower, a place of fond childhood memories.
A photo stop later, I found myself flying my drone around my old home and the Smith bridge, a trip into my past like none other. A quick stop at the local store for some nostalgic chocolate milk, a staple that hadn’t changed in 35 years, and I was on my way again.
The rest of the day continued in a similar vein, cruising past Baptiste Lake, trying to remember where my high school friends lived, and making a quick stop in Westlock to stock up on breakfast essentials – more raisin bread! The rush of Friday’s long weekend traffic accompanied me as I headed back to the lake, just in time to set up for a party.
As the day turned into night, we ate, laughed, and watched the kids play in the lake. The darkness brought with it a musical session with BJ and Breanne, our tunes filling the night air until it was too dark to see the guitar strings. The campfire provided the perfect ending to the day – the quiet crackle of the flames, the flickering light, and the soft murmurs of friendly banter around the fire. Bedtime found me at midnight, the peaceful sleep punctuated by a dramatic thunderstorm that rolled through the night.
Yesterday was a day filled with the past, the present, and the simple joys of life. As I look forward to another day, I carry with me the memories of old, the new experiences, and the anticipation of more adventures to come.
