SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES

Tuesday, July 18th, 2023

Thunder Bay, Ontario

The innovative idea to go rock hunting happened before the pandemic and was a big hit for the youth bus tour as it was today. There are not many places on the globe where you can gather the semi-precious stone amethyst, but at the Panorama Amethyst Mines near Thunder Bay, it is possible. There are thirty of us, and all but myself went for the collecting of this gorgeous Violet stone as gifts or ornamentation for home altars.

MANORAMA, THE YOUTH BUS LEADER, BEARS HIS PRIZE OF AMETHYST.

Where I did participate with the group was in delivering some of my poetry at the back end of Flying J’s Truck Stop. I think the favourite piece was “Loose Tongue Monster” on the topic of gossip damage. We spun off into a conversation citing examples from the Puranas of this ill habit by some characters of the Vedas. Basically, we came to the conclusion that we should try to avoid the backstabbing tendency within humans. That's a good idea.

It was at the front entrance of Flying J’s that I met a cyclist from Digby, Nova Scotia. Naturally, I admired his marathon efforts as he recently crossed the halfway mark of the Trans-Canada highway going West to British Columbia from his eastern home.

“How did you make out with those north Ontario hills?” I asked him. To that he rolled his eyes as if to say they are a challenge, which I know from meeting other bicycle marathoners I met in the past while on my pedestrian pursuits.

At Marina Park Where the bus group and I held kirtan, I got acquainted with the senior couples of Finnish background. They were in awe of our young men and women chanting away. I managed also to squeeze in one of those Gita Chats on Zoom in the park. Finally, I met Ryan, a yoga teacher who frequents the Thunder Bay temple to do some chanting.

AT THE NORTHERN MOST POINT OF LAKE SUPERIOR, I STAND PROUDLY WITH THE BHAGAVAD-GITA.

MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU!