Long, Long Ago

I have been getting a lot of interest and good comments regarding my Ocean Falls chronicles. Today I was thinking of the year following our arrival back to civilization and what an adventure that was. At least at the time I, thought it was.
We had our pockets full of money and we were newly released from a life in isolation and a life of immobility. I thought it quite natural that we purchase a car and do some driving. So we bought a new Mazda 808, some camping equipment, and set out for a trip across Canada. It was exhilarating to be able to go where we wanted and not be restricted by boat or plane schedules. Not having to show up for work was also wonderful. But what I recall most about that trip, which lasted 5 weeks, was that it rained all the way there and all the way back. The new canvas tent was a messy, mildewy, rotted good for nothing rag when we got home. I think we counted 3 full days of sunshine on the trip and those were blistering hot and humid days on the Niagara Peninsula staying with Lis's cousin while the blown head gasket on my car was being repaired, on warranty.
Another thing I remember vividly were the nausea incidents travelling with a pregnant wife. Being inexperienced in these things, I was always very concerned but after a while got used to it and realised she was not ill, but only experiencing symptoms of being pregnant. There was the time in Batoche, the site of the gun battle near Duck Lake Saskatchewan during the Louis Riel rebellion. We were in the old school house which was a museum at that time, looking at some old photos, when Lis swooned, and sort of fell into my arms in a dead faint. I held her up, as if in a loving embrace, and the feeling passed before anyone else noticed. And the time when we were at the old Expo '86 site in Montreal. Lis was falling down and I could not keep her up this time but was able to gently let her slip to the asphalt. I propped up her head and tried to give her a drink of water when two middle aged women came by and got very concerned. They asked if they could call an ambulance. I assured them that the young lady in my arms was fine. She is pregnant, said I. Their expressions changed and became very sweet and motherly and they fawned over Lis until she was revived enough to continue on our journey to 'Habitat for Humanity'. They congratulated us and actually followed us around for the next while to make sure 'we' were OK. At times like that, I wondered if we should be travelling, but we kept on going and Lis was feeling better every day. Our daughter was well travelled even before she was born.