Truly, no one, no one in the world, had a better Sunday. It’s not possible, no. Mario goes as far as saying that he believes this was the best day in an expedition of the history of the Foundation, dating back to 1996. Not too shabby! Let me tell you how it was.

We woke up at Pointe-à-l’orignal (Moose Point) under blue skies, no clouds in sight. Blue as the Belvedere packs my brother in law was smoking back in 1983. Outside the tents, warm breezes, the smell of sizzling bacon, greet us to the joyous music of the buntings, woodpeckers, grosbeaks, swallows and consorts – a welcome change from the crows of yesterday morning. The water shimmers announcing a nice day to come. After wolfing down a lumberjack-sized breakfast, we howler our team cry, scaring off a group of boy-scouts nearby. We redeploy the canoe teams and we’re off. Sara breaks into the song M. Cannibale. Bertrand does the “back vocals”. Bertrand, when you read this, remember not to give up your day job as a Certified Child Life specialist at which you’re so good! Thanks for your understanding.

Céline, Alain’s sweetheart, says she’ll see us at noon. She is waiting for us in a clearing full of butterflies dancing around a myriad of goldenrods. Céline treats us to a super hot meal, cold sodas and yogurt with strawberries, freshly picked. The strawberries, that is, not the yogurt.

In the afternoon, the sun really bears down. It seems the youngsters are affected: their muscles grow lazy. A head wind consumes our energy. So, after only 1.5 kilometers, we stop at a beach we call Windy-point, AKA No-mosquito-beach or Happy-beach. It’s 2 p.m. and canoeing is replaced by volleyball (Falcons 21, Lynx 15), football (Jenn, less than 100 pounds, out throws JF), ultimate Frisbee, swimming, lounging, and observing this beautiful stretch of river. In short, it’s paradise.

From afar, I watch the scene. To my surprise, I break into a laugh. It’s more than a smile. A smile would be too weak to express my joy. So much beauty. So much laughter. So many good vibes. We are privileged. I think of those poor soul writing blogs on American politics…

The day ends with huge hamburgers on toasted buns, a superb moon crescent, and Martin who with his magic wand launches a game of Loup-garous, our favorite. What a beautiful slice of life! Once again, it’s magical: as the youngsters recall this perfect day around the campfire, fireworks illuminate the sky. They keep coming. Unknown to us, Alain sneaked away after the meal. Earlier in the day, Céline had provided him with the ammunition. I tell you, the best day ever in the history of the Foundation expeditions. The truth, only the truth, nothing but the truth.�
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Photographs of Mistassini 2008 and other photos of the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation are available at the following URL:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pointedespieds