Residents of the Robson Valley don’t get household mail delivery. We have to go into McBride to the Canada Post Office to pick up our mail. The fact that everyone has to get to the post office means that it becomes a meeting place for people. The other day, when I was in the post office, I ran into an acquaintance I will call “N” (not her real initial).
N grew up in Europe, and immigrated to McBride in the 1980’s. She is a spritely and fit retiree, who can be seen energetically striding down the sidewalks with her daypack for shopping. She lives in a senior apartment complex in McBride. I remember reading an article about her a few years ago, about her going for a “polar bear” swim I think in Horseshoe Lake, at the beginning of whatever year that was.
Since this was the beginning of a new year, when I ran into her at the post office, I asked her if she did a polar bear swim this year.
She shook her head, and sadly said, “I couldn’t find anyone to cut a hole in the ice.”
Trying to come up with a witty response, I asked, “Why don’t you just roll in the snow?”
To my surprise, she answered, “I do. I usually wait until everyone in the complex is asleep, then I put on my bathing suit, and I sneak outside and roll in the snow.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. N is one tough lady.
To see how my current painting, "Birch Bark" is proceeding, go to my website and click on "Current Work".
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