Meachum to Wynyard

OTESHA PRAIRIE TOUR JOURNAL - MEACHUM TO WYNYARD (JUNE 7TH TO 12TH, 2005) COMPOSED BY SOFIAN BENAISSA

June 7, 2005

We departed Meachum early in the day for Humboldt, where an afternoon assembly presentation awaited us.  Shortly after leaving Meachum, we turned into a stiff headwind.  Spirits flagged, but we biked on, rolling into Humboldt in time to do a delayed presentation at 2:00 in the afternoon.  Since no one else was available, Mark and Sofian donned the pink dresses, providing the Prairie tour with its first all-male Mothers Earth.  Props rose wonderfully to the task, almost jumping off their bikes and into the skit.

The day just kept getting better, with a delicious spread at the Westminster United Church – our temporary home while in Humboldt, provided by the generous Minister Brenda Curtis. A community potluck, presentation, and energetic,engaging discussion brought the evening to a satisfying close.

June 8, 2005
Another packed day, whew!  We started the day at Saint Dominic's, in the music room, where we managed to squeeze in an assembly presentation in between playing the xylophone, the piano, the drums and the guitars. Then back to Humboldt Public School and the cheerful smiles and greetings of students and teachers who had seen us the previous day; there we did our first ever Wacky Worlds workshop. Fun was had by all when we took the grade threes through fives on a journey around a strange and sustainable galaxy.

Our evening dinner was brightened up by the visit of Duane Guina of Earthcare Connections, there to talk to us about his organizations communal land trust project – a true revolution in agriculture and land ownership is starting in the region.

Another pleasant surprise awaited us in our evening meeting.  A small party of gnomes arrived – they had heard of us from our mutual friend the dragon, who had refrained from eating all of humanity earlier in the tour.  They were eager to sit with us and share some of their stories, and express their earnest hopes for our world's continued sustainability.

June 9, 2005
A delicious, nutritious, all-around perfect day. After a late morning, and humongous pancake breakfast, we had a nice easy 10 km ride to St. Peter's Abbey in Muenster. That afternoon we were treated to a tour of the Abbey, highlights of which included a visit to the dungeons where we were shown the grisly pickled remains of the Abbey's many vegetable victims, and Brother Anthony's inspiring story of his journey out of wartime Vietnam.

But the day was not complete without a little work exchange.  So we adjourned to the gardens, where the rest of the afternoon was whiled away hauling potatoes, planting tomato plants, and moving straw bales. Too much cannot be said of Mike's efforts in the kitchen producing delicious chocolate cakes for our hosts during this time.

Tired and itchy with straw we joined the monks for Vespers.  After filling our ears and hearts with an antiphonic canticle, we joined them for dinner and filled our hungry bellies.

June 10, 2005

A strange and complicated day.   A team of five brave voluntolds went out early to Watson to deliver Media and Consumption and Card Climate Change workshops to their grade nines through twelves.  A surprise assembly presentation followed at the public school, which was in turn followed by an Enchanted Forest presentation. The day wound up with a high school dance at Watson High School; the team felt free to make fools of themselves on the high-school dance floor. It seems the musical content of high-school dances hasn't changed over the last ten years.

June 11, 2005

Ride on to Wynyard my friends!  A fun, fast ride for many, to arrive discovering we had the run of the school. Unusual livestock was the theme of the ride, with visits from a Bison herd and some Elk bucks. One of our longer and more labyrinthine meetings followed dinner that evening, owing to the need to free all from the need to meet on Day Off!

June 12, 2005

Day off began with… a presentation! (At Wynyard Gospel Church).  Our reception was positive, and many tour members joined the congregation in barbecue for lunch. We reconvened for a delicious homemade vegetarian perogie, cabbage roll, and borscht dinner provided by Jack Maluga, ending the day with full bellies and pleasant conversation.