"Oh Canada! Our home and native land ......." It's fun to watch Canadians sing their national anthem,
particularly when its a bunch of young folks - like at the Olympics!! I like to see the smiles, the huge maple leaf waving back and forth and the obvious pride the singers have in the accomplishments of their countrymen. I mean, we tend to get a little on the "lusty side" when we crank up for our own anthem and it always makes me feel good. But I can still enjoy seeing others come together in shared emotion - not just 'nationalism' but brotherhood and
sisterhood. Good stuff! Actually, while we're on the subject, I was surprised a while back to read that, although it had been written in the late 1800s, "Oh Canada" was not officially adopted as the national anthem until July 1, 1980. (Keep that date in mind) But .. its a part of
the country we know and appreciate - whenever it became "official." OK, we left Minnesota and the U.S. but not Lake Superior. As it has in the places we traveled over the last week, the presence of this enormous body of water affects residents rather
dramatically here. Things that are
a natural part of life along a rugged coastline are at once utilitarian and works of art and this "dual identity" never fails to amaze me. The shoreline of the lake is over 2,700 miles - much of it rocky and dangerous for ships. To protect those vessels, more than 70 lighthouses provide their reassuring guidance. The one in the picture on the right is the "Split Rock" light and the one below, on the left, is "Agate Bay Breakwater light. (Two Harbors actually has two lights and this one sits at the end of a "breakwater" built around 1905 to protect the inner harbor from pounding surf.). While
we're talking size - the surface area of the lake is a little over 37,000 square miles, almost exactly the same size as..... ta da .... South
Carolina!!!! And then... no sooner do we start talking about our wonderful Palmetto State than we pull into a roadside park to stretch our legs for a bit and there we saw this rock. It was immediately familiar so we took a closer look and lo and behold it was ..... a huge amethyst - the "state gem-stone" of South Carolina!! How about that for coincidences!! And then we really started looking around and realized that we were in a truly hallowed
place. There, a short distance away, was a memorial to a young man
who is one of my heroes and who has become the epitome of courage - not just for Canadians but the entire world. Let me say that I have been a 'runner' for some years - although not as consistently as I should be - or once was - but have enjoyed it most of the time. I also completed three marathons and am here to tell you, that is an extremely grueling experience. In 1977 Terry Fox, a Canadian youngster, underwent surgery for amputation of his right leg six inches above the knee due to a form of cancer known as "osteogenic sarcoma". While in the hospital Terry thoughtfully observed the people who were
struggling with cancer and resolved to do something about it. An athlete for much of his young life, Terry resolved to take on a modest challenge - to run across the entire huge country of Canada and to raise one dollar for every Canadian along the way. After a little minor "prep work" such as learning to walk with a
prosthesis, learning to run and then running more than 3,100 miles to get himself in shape he figured he was ready to go. So - on April 12, 1980, with almost no media attention, Terry stuck the toe of the shoe on his prosthesis into the Atlantic ocean at St. John's, Newfoundland and started running - planning to eventually stick that same toe into the Pacific. For the next 143 days he ran, and ran, and ran, averaging nearly twenty six miles (the length of that grueling marathon I described) EVERY DAY!! Sadly, on September 1, 1980 after completing more than 3,300 miles of his quest, Terry was forced to stop - near the very spot where we were standing - because of a recurrence of cancer in his lungs. (Remember the earlier date? Yep, right smack in the middle of Terry's run - after waiting 100 years - Canada adopted it's National Anthem. Cosmic coincidence?) Although he died June 28, 1981 at age 22, Terry Fox was never defeated by that
despicable disease. He was a winner to his final breath. From his 1980 run he raised more than $24,000,000 but, since his death, runs during the month of September commemorating the matchless courage of this incredible young man have raised more than $550,000,000 for cancer research in his name. Amazing!! We have a lot more ground to cover but we'll pause to reflect on the legacy of the many wonderful people who worked so hard to make our world a better place. We'll hit the ground running when we return so, rest up and get ready. See ya.
particularly when its a bunch of young folks - like at the Olympics!! I like to see the smiles, the huge maple leaf waving back and forth and the obvious pride the singers have in the accomplishments of their countrymen. I mean, we tend to get a little on the "lusty side" when we crank up for our own anthem and it always makes me feel good. But I can still enjoy seeing others come together in shared emotion - not just 'nationalism' but brotherhood and 
sisterhood. Good stuff! Actually, while we're on the subject, I was surprised a while back to read that, although it had been written in the late 1800s, "Oh Canada" was not officially adopted as the national anthem until July 1, 1980. (Keep that date in mind) But .. its a part of 
the country we know and appreciate - whenever it became "official." OK, we left Minnesota and the U.S. but not Lake Superior. As it has in the places we traveled over the last week, the presence of this enormous body of water affects residents rather 
dramatically here. Things that are 
a natural part of life along a rugged coastline are at once utilitarian and works of art and this "dual identity" never fails to amaze me. The shoreline of the lake is over 2,700 miles - much of it rocky and dangerous for ships. To protect those vessels, more than 70 lighthouses provide their reassuring guidance. The one in the picture on the right is the "Split Rock" light and the one below, on the left, is "Agate Bay Breakwater light. (Two Harbors actually has two lights and this one sits at the end of a "breakwater" built around 1905 to protect the inner harbor from pounding surf.). While 
we're talking size - the surface area of the lake is a little over 37,000 square miles, almost exactly the same size as..... ta da .... South 
Carolina!!!! And then... no sooner do we start talking about our wonderful Palmetto State than we pull into a roadside park to stretch our legs for a bit and there we saw this rock. It was immediately familiar so we took a closer look and lo and behold it was ..... a huge amethyst - the "state gem-stone" of South Carolina!! How about that for coincidences!! And then we really started looking around and realized that we were in a truly hallowed 
place. There, a short distance away, was a memorial to a young man
who is one of my heroes and who has become the epitome of courage - not just for Canadians but the entire world. Let me say that I have been a 'runner' for some years - although not as consistently as I should be - or once was - but have enjoyed it most of the time. I also completed three marathons and am here to tell you, that is an extremely grueling experience. In 1977 Terry Fox, a Canadian youngster, underwent surgery for amputation of his right leg six inches above the knee due to a form of cancer known as "osteogenic sarcoma". While in the hospital Terry thoughtfully observed the people who were 
struggling with cancer and resolved to do something about it. An athlete for much of his young life, Terry resolved to take on a modest challenge - to run across the entire huge country of Canada and to raise one dollar for every Canadian along the way. After a little minor "prep work" such as learning to walk with a 
prosthesis, learning to run and then running more than 3,100 miles to get himself in shape he figured he was ready to go. So - on April 12, 1980, with almost no media attention, Terry stuck the toe of the shoe on his prosthesis into the Atlantic ocean at St. John's, Newfoundland and started running - planning to eventually stick that same toe into the Pacific. For the next 143 days he ran, and ran, and ran, averaging nearly twenty six miles (the length of that grueling marathon I described) EVERY DAY!! Sadly, on September 1, 1980 after completing more than 3,300 miles of his quest, Terry was forced to stop - near the very spot where we were standing - because of a recurrence of cancer in his lungs. (Remember the earlier date? Yep, right smack in the middle of Terry's run - after waiting 100 years - Canada adopted it's National Anthem. Cosmic coincidence?) Although he died June 28, 1981 at age 22, Terry Fox was never defeated by that 
despicable disease. He was a winner to his final breath. From his 1980 run he raised more than $24,000,000 but, since his death, runs during the month of September commemorating the matchless courage of this incredible young man have raised more than $550,000,000 for cancer research in his name. Amazing!! We have a lot more ground to cover but we'll pause to reflect on the legacy of the many wonderful people who worked so hard to make our world a better place. We'll hit the ground running when we return so, rest up and get ready. See ya.
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