My Piece of Heaven
Sandra Walters
At the end of the lake lay my next and most difficult task. Bucky tried to explain to me the whole "Portage" thing and to be quite honest, I certainly didn't understand how difficult it could be. He carefully made sure that the large food pack was position just right on my back before rolling our canoe up to his shoulders. He led the way while I was left to follow. The weight of the pack was torture to my shoulders, the previous rains left the path muddy, and I was unsure if I was going to make it. Each new step brought a new challenge and by now my guide, Bucky, was out of site. Balancing the pack on my shoulders and stopping frequently to rest, I came upon a marshy area that required great caution in passing. Carefully and gingerly I made my way through the muck only to find at the very next obstacle myself sliding down a hill with my pack still attached to my back. To tell you that I picked myself up, brushed myself off, and continued on would be a lie. I sat down and did what I believe most normal people in that type of situation would do and that was to cry. Obviously my tears were heard by no one making the need for my sympathy cry obsolete. It was at that moment that I realized that I had to get up and move on.
The rest of the portage seemed uneventful however my back by now was tied in one giant knot. The backpack that was so carefully positioned on my back had now slid down below my waist and along with it came my pants. I was so glad that Bucky wasn't there to see me fall apart or to see that Quetico was seeing more of me. I wanted desperately to be perfect and make no mistakes, but Bucky new that everything that was happening was making me stronger each day.
At the end of the portage we once again put our canoes in the water. No sooner did we take a few strokes of our paddles when Bucky told me to put my fishing pole together. He knew that all of my experience with fishing couldn't compare to the strike from a Northern Pike or the thrill of pulling a huge Walleye from the depths of the crystal clear waters. I believe that his excitement in watching me was greater than the thrill he could ever get from catching his own fish. (Okay, maybe that's stretching it a little bit!)
