Today was a relatively easy paddle down the Richibucto River from above the Bass River down to our cottages just above Rexton. I wanted to make sure that I was done by 5:00 so that we could be ready our dinner invitation with the Vautour family at 6:00. Although the whole area is tidal, being away from the gulf helped to keep the winds light. It was really amazing how many summer cottages there were along the upper part of the river in contrast to how unpopulated the area looks from the roads. Even with all the cottages, it still was a very pretty area.
When I reached the Big Cove/Elsipogtog Micmac Reserve, I was overwhelmed by the size of the spiritual needs. It would have been nice if the Micmac man that I met yesterday morning could have been there to meet me, but I didn’t expect him to be there on a weekday. In the main village area, I only saw one small dock that didn’t look very used or public. So I kept going until I found a boat ramp further on. I pulled ashore for a lunch break and was soon joined by a couple of boys that I had seen swimming nearby. Stanford and Leonard were quite friendly and wanted to have rides in the kayak. I didn’t think it would be wise to turn them loose in a big kayak without child-size lifejackets, but did give them each a turn sitting in it. I kept them in about a foot or so of water so that they couldn’t get away. They asked if I could bring my children to play with them sometime, but I had to say that wouldn’t be possible since they’re in Bathurst. In a couple weeks, Victory Baptist will be having a native evangelist from the Iroquois Six Nations to do an outreach at Elsipogtog. I encouraged the boys to try to go to hear him.
One thing that I’ve liked in the past about this area has been the covered bridges. Unfortunately I discovered last year that the one at Mundleville was gone. As I was paddling I got a view of the remaining one over a tributary creek. I also paddled under the new bridge construction at Mundleville up to where the St. Nicholas River divides, before returning downstream. One surprise in the area was coming upon an abandoned church on Chapel Point. Sure would be nice to see it brought to life again. There were also two little islands several miles apart that made nice breaks (although one was actually connected to the shore by marsh grass).
In the evening, I was able to get online to update the blogs and check email. One nice email was a link to the article that was published on Friday in the Miramichi Leader newspaper, with a shorter version reported province-wide in the Telegraph Journal. It was good also just to be able to relax and tell stories for a while with our new friends.
Partner church: Victory Baptist Church
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