Feb. 27 (Day 2):
It’s a day of new and unfamiliar. After breakfast at Mike’s (traditional Quebecois bacon, eggs, hearty side serving of baked beans), we head over to a small craft shop. The beaded moccasins and seal skin mitts are beautiful ($180), more practical would be the moose hide leather gauntlets ($229) but my budget is toy sized only. The dollsized snowshoes are exiquistely made however, and I can’t resist. A few postcards and thread for a tamarack goose craft project complete the purchase.
Next stop is a hunting and fishing store .The simplicity of a folding crooked knife appeals compared to the usual heavy leatherman or busyness of a swiss army knife. I have no idea what it will useful for but I’m trying to get with the program – if all else fails, it can be a gift for Ron. The next stop at Tim Horton’s is familiar stomping grounds - I quickly belly up for a double double with maple glazed donut to go. Shopping makes me so hungry! A beautiful museum (Shaputuan Musée), with explanations mostly in French and Innu, explains traditional Innu culture. More interesting is watching M. Vollant’s personal collection of DVD’s of a caribou hunt in the Menihek area. After dinner, we gather for a gear orientation (exactly how do you wear snow shoes anyways?) and a general overview what to expect. It’s hard to think cold and snow when its been raining all day….
