Bonjour from Ontario , Canada July 12, 2010

Hooray, Yukon would like to report about the latest travels.“After leaving Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba we crossed into Ontario and headed south at Kenora through the Lake of the Woods. I got a chance to view miles of beautiful lakes sitting up on the dashboard on the drive to Fort Frances. It got real exciting as JR and I watched Christa drive the motor home for the first time getting us part of the way to Thunder Bay. She even let me help her drive a bit. We spotted a grouse and a red fox while she was driving. JR took over at the steering wheel the rest of the drive to Thunder Bay on the edge of Lake Superior. Boy it sure was a long 525 km (410 miles) on the road that day.

I really had a great time in Thunder Bay at Old Fort William with the two of them enjoying the rendez-vous of the voyageurs arriving at the fort in the year 1886. There were French dancers, fur traders, the North West Company proprietors, trade craftsmen, Indians and rebel rousing with the voyageurs who transport cargo by canoe along the rivers from Montreal and Quebec to the fort.In the gentleman’s quarters I played a game of chest. There was so much to see and do at the fort. Christa was invited to dance with one of the voyageurs. I had fun bouncing around with her dancing to fiddle music. A high point was the grand welcome for the voyageurs coming down river and off loading cargo. The fort greeted them with the firing of the cannons, a welcome with the bagpipes, and toast from the North West Company proprietors. The youngsters at the fort joined in helping bring in the canoe and the cargo with the voyageurs.”
Tune in again for more updates.
Au revoir, Yukon 

                                    Fort William French dancers and fiddlers doing a reel

                                 Voyageurs loading trade goods up river to Fort William

  

Loading the canons to welcome the voyageurs canoe coming down river

                                 Boom... We've spotted the arrival of the voyageurs canoe

 

The birch bark canoe arrives at Fort William with cargo

 

    Bagpiper Sir McKenzie and the Northwest Company arrive

to welcome the voyageurs at the river

"Salute... We honor your long voyage and drink to you.

Welcome. Come dine with us tonight in the gentleman's hall."

 

                                   Fur skins traded from the Ojabawa Indians will be carried back
                         to Montreal by the voyageurs and sold by the North West Fur Company.

  

Ah, yes... We are getting richer with every voyageur canoe that comes

to  our fort. Time to celebrate. Let's go inside and make merry!

The voyageur interpreter asks the young lady to be his dance partner

 

Yukon enjoys himself in Christa's  backpack while the fiddlers play

a lively reel tune. These folks know how to make rivalry with their feet.