Although September 11, 2001 will always be memorable for the catastrophic events that happened in NY and shook the world, I still vividly remember September 10th for the "calm and peace" that was before it. I was spending time at a very good friend's cottage in Algonquin and scheduled to return home last of the group.
The 10th was the last day of the group's stay and each began to filter home. I took the canoe out early that morning on a smooth glass-like lake covered with mist from the back to school September crispness in the air. Before the days of phones with cameras, I had my bulky yet digital camera with me (surprisingly) and a symmetrical scene with the tip of the canoe in the foreground was captured by one photo that I still have today, and framed.
On the 11th, there was just myself and good host and friend Derrick that were the last to leave. The start of another beautiful and sunny Ontario day, we took out the Sea-Doos that morning until the early and much warmer afternoon, not realizing the events that occurred earlier in NY including the evacuation of downtown Toronto office buildings and thousands of commercial planes grounded immediately in the most unlikely of smaller towns throughout Canada. Again, days without phones that do everything...nor reception.
Coming back that afternoon, we were shocked to discover what we had missed all day. Even after stopping back at the cottage for some "beverages" before heading back out on the quiet lake for the remainder of the day. Shock lead to silence as we made and consumed our dinner that evening and were consumed by the images of the American news feeds.
But I still remember that photo on the 10th as an example of you never really know what is going to happen no matter how much you know, enjoy and live the moment
