In respect of Sandra Simpson (Founder of Families for Children) and a summer adventure.

I had the honor of meeting and working with Sandra through several summers at a children's camp for inner city children. One of her son's was an African American teenager of about 16 or so. I was tripling up as camp counsellor, camp nurse, water front director, and horse wrangler. Come to think of it that's more than triple! Gee, I was busy.

This is one adventure that occurred that long ago summer.  The camp was quite a way north of most of the civilization in Canada. Children from inner city programs went to spend a week or two and learn social skills, get fresh air, good food and hopefully, hear a message about God and love and changing one's life for the better. Most of those children were already hard cases..

As you can imagine, between doing the nursing job, the waterfront life guard job, counselling some of the 'harder' young people and managing the horses, and spending as much time as possible with my two little girls, I had very little spare time that summer.

I was a single mom with two little girls who were then 2 and 5. I traded my work in exchange for a summer at the lake, room and board and what ever adventures we could create for ourselves. Those knowing the 'wild Indian' child can imagine some of them. (Flying the youth Pastor's underwear, dyed a pretty shade of pink from the camp flag pole was only one of them!)

So this one night, when I had some unexpected free time, this young gentleman (who had exquisite manners, 'yes ma'am and no, ma'am all the time), well, he offered to take me canoeing with him. I was having a hard time learning that danged 'J' stroke, but I could paddle at the front of the canoe forever! He sat at the foot of the canoe and I took the point. So we decided to go canoeing out in the lake. It was a later summer night in Ontario in August. High humidity, A bit of a breeze, and too many mosquitoes!

As we slipped over the water, there was almost absolute silence, except for the gentle sounds of the water, and the whisper of Brother Wind and the voices of the children singing Evening Service. The camp was situated up on a hill,  and the children's voices singing Amazing Grace and other songs echoed across the water.  We could hear the Brother Wind rustling through some of the woods surrounding the lake and the camp. The air smelled so fresh!

Well, seeing this small island, about 3/4 of a mile from camp, we decided to go hike around the island and see if we could find us an adventure. The trees were first growth forest, and VERY tall. All the vegetation had to grow way high up to reach any sun.

There was only one place we could put the canoe ashore. The rocks surrounding the island were tall, too big to climb. It took some time to find a landing place, but that gave us time to go all around the island and inspect it.

There was a slightly worn path leading into the trees.. looked as if no one had been ashore for many years. We started walking slowly up the path. I noticed that some of the plants looked very familiar, but I couldn't quite put my name on what it was. Three leaves.. pointy... Oh well, I thought, I suppose I'll remember later...

After about ten minutes hiking, we found an old trappers cabin, all deserted. We wandered through the old log building, marvelling that people could actually live in such small quarters. We saw remnants of an old outhouse a way off from the cabin. The tall chimney was still standing, and many of the log beams from the ceiling were still in place. There was part of an old iron cook stove inside, and the floor was still solid. We walked slowly for there were still lots of snakes in these parts and we didn't want to disturb them, but we saw no sign at all of them as we explored the cabin. There was a closet, and what seemed to be a sleeping loft, and part of an old cradleboard still on the west wall. We made up stories about who might have lived here and what their names were, admiring the strength it took to live in such a place, even to get TO it in the first place!

Leaving the cabin and going further into the woods, we found an Eagle's Nest way up one of the larger trees. Eagles are sacred to  many Native American Peoples so I shared a couple of stories about Eagles and how they came to be in this World of Physical Things.

Saw some really cute gray squirrels with big old fluffy tales~ Now I don't hold with the thought they are 'just rodents' and a nuisance. I think they're cute, smart and lot of fun to watch. So we found a huge red colored rock, and sat down to watch.

Her son (who's name I can't remember after all this time, but I can still see his beautiful face, bright white teeth and a grin that lit up where ever he happened to be). We were chatting, sharing stories. I was amazed at his life and that of Sandra and her family. I wished I'd 'grow up to be like her' and have a Rainbow family someday. Guess you could say I did!

As we left to return to the lake and our Canoe I marvelled at how tall Sandra's son was  for his age, over six feet. His legs and arms kept brushing up against the leaves. I was much shorter and didn't brush much against the shrubbery, and, with all the training my Grandmother had given me,  walked softly anyway, doing my best to leave it untouched. I was barefoot. So I tried to show him how to walk 'softly'. We made a game of it as we hiked back.

At that point the family  had 20+ children, but only 15 were at the camp with her. Sandra was the first person I ever met who had such a Rainbow family! And she had so much FUN!

Well, back to the story. We had a good hike, and decided to get back to camp before dark, and canoed back watching the sun set over our shoulders, and the molten rays flowing across the beautiful blue waters of the lake. Have you ever seen a late summer sun set over a big old patch of water? All the reds, and oranges, and liquid gold, moving gently with the motion of the waves? And reflecting off the metal canoe, the warm rays touching your skin, warming it against the cool of the night? Can you hear the loon calling? Hauntingly? Look, there's one on the edge of the water now.. bobbing up and down, up and down?

As we approached the camp, the children were singing 'Day is Done' in rounds and their voices sounded absolutely heavenly. A light breeze was  gently blowing and keeping all the 'skitters' away. (Those of you who have spent time up in Canada know what a Blessing that is!)

Then it was back to the 'real world' and all my duties. Just in time to do my evening rounds of medications, put my girls to bed, check on the horses, and play a few board games.

About three in the morning, I was awakened by a terrible, loud, persistent knocking at my cabin door. Thinking it was some medical emergency, I quickly threw my clothes on, and ran towards the door. The closer I got , I could hear a loud moaning. My mind came up with many imaginative horror stories in the time it took me to get there. Anyone ever had that? Time dilation? Where time just slows down (or speeds up)?

I threw open the door, expecting to see someone bleeding to death, or had been mauled by a bear, or fell out of bed and broke a limb or something.

Grandmother Moon was in her full Glory, round and white. Her rays flooded into the cabin. There was Sandra's son, in absolute agony, with huge welts all over his arms and legs, scratching and scratching and moaning; "Ms Deedee!!! Make it STOP!"

Just at that moment, my brain kicked into gear and I remembered where I'd seen those pointy plants? VERY Tall POISON IVY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We made a fast trip the infirmary for Benedryl, Calamine lotion and cold compresses. I spent a goodly part of the night helping him get comfortable. He was so concerned about his mom, he didn't want to wake her up so he came to me. He worried that she ' worked so hard for so many' he couldn't 'be a burden to her."

Now me? It figures.. I'm not allergic to the dang stuff. Never have been. Can lay down in it and role around and have NO reaction. There was this time my ex-husband was showing off to his much too young (younger than his daughter) girlfriend.. and got it all over his.. well, ....maybe best leave that story to another time.. and he deserved it anyway!

A few days later, Sandra's nice young son, ever thoughtful,  made a hand painted sign, on a big old stick. We took it back and pounded it into the ground at the only place a canoe could land on that island, warning everyone about the giant poison ivy!

Maybe that sign is still there.. what do ya'all think? At least it pleases me to think so..

Now did I tell you the one about the Youth Pastor, his wife and a big old bull frog