Day Thirteen - Saint Michael's on Willow Creek Road

Woke up early the next morning and pulling aside the blinds covering the balcony door there wasn't the faintest glimmer of light over Lake Winnipeg.  A short phone call to the coffee shop downstairs to confirm they were open...yes they were.  After ordering a breakfast sandwich I dressed then rode down to the main floor on the elevator.  Considering it was only a little after 6:00 a.m. there was already a small crowd of mostly "over-60's" drinking coffee and shootin' the breeze.  I was still half asleep so decided to take my order back upstairs, catch up on some emails and wait for the sun to rise.

The sky was turning pink...what in heaven's name am I doing sitting here?!  I quickly put on a few more layers of clothes, grabbed my camera and dashed down the stairs.  Was at the seawall within a few minutes enjoying the sky turn from pink and mauve to brilliant orange and gold.  What a great way to greet the day!  Back in my room I looked through my early morning photos and decided to post one for my readers...they too could share my good fortune.

By the time I was organized and packed up for my day trip it was nearly 10:00 a.m.  That meant it was time to get rolling but one thing first...I wanted to make a phone call to a dear friend's sister who lived just down the road.  Even though we'd never met we quickly established a good rapport.  We made plans to meet up for lunch in a few hours.

In the meanwhile I explored the area west of Gimli where I came across the lovely Saint Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church and Cemetery, photos of which are interspersed between dialogue passages in this post.

After an hour or so enjoying the grounds of Saint Michael's it was time to meet up with Anne for lunch in Winnipeg Beach.  We spent the next several hours chatting, partaking in a light meal and enjoying each other's company.  What a lovely way to spend an afternoon!  Our visit together was definitely the highlight of my day (and I hope hers as well).

After saying our goodbye's she went home and I toured the countryside for a few more hours.  Drove back into Gimli just as it was getting dark and after a stop for gas was soon having a lie-down in my room.  An hour later I was out the door and faced with a big decision: where to eat?  There were three restaurants just across the street from the hotel...Chinese won out.  A big bowl of wor wonton soup hit the spot.     

Photographed near Gimli, Manitoba on October 20, 2022.