MAY 31ST, 2020
By JOHN LILIES & LANA CARBON
[John] So... here we are, one year after our big roadtrip and we are finally trying to finish up our series account of the (mis)adventure.
We have realized that we get a little Carbon Lilies writing burnout after pushing through our 31 Movies for 31 Days of Hallowe'en, then 12 Movies for the 12 Days of Christmas... we seem to crawl into our den around mid-January. We usually emerge in April and begin our writing again as we greet the world but this year, well the world is a bit different and it's taken us a little while to adjust to a new way of working every day and being home all the time. So, we are only now getting to the fun work and hence you can finish rolling along this bumbling adventure with us.
Click here to review where we left off oh so long ago as we had arrived in North Bay, making the unwelcome ride towards home. We were really only excited about seeing a few more places on our way home and being able to spend some quality time with a good friend within our strange little family.
So settle in, buckle up, and get cozy for the next little stretch in this wacky trip of ours...
May 29, 2019... Leaving North Bay...
We knew there wasn't much we wanted to check out in North Bay on this trip, so our main focus upon leaving the hotel, was to find coffee and the Nibiising Giant Carved Head that should have been at highway 11 & Seymour. We went straight there and found... nothing. We had previously looked at pictures of this carving and we were able to figure out where the sculpture should be, based on the background of the photos. When we couldn't find the carving, we drove around a bit to see if it had perhaps been moved nearby - there was a lot of construction going on in the area and the spot where we were sure the sculpture should be, was completely torn up from construction so we thought maybe we'd find the carving close by. No such luck for this misadventure crew. We found nothing. Well, we did get coffee. Not great coffee, barely good coffee, but coffee-ish.
[Lana] Perhaps it was a bobble head and it rolled off beyond our search area. That is the only explanation that makes any semblance of sense in hindsight.
[John] Yes, that is the only explanation to make sense, indeed.
[Lana] Obviously.
[John] Yep, mhmm.
So... making our way out of North Bay (sans bobble head) and down to Huntsville, we didn't have many stops planned along the way. We knew we were meeting our dear friend, Marc Remiere, in Burk's Falls for the afternoon so we didn't want to lose much time on the trip down. We did, however, stop in South River at the Visitor Information Centre so we could see the Northern Heritage sculpture. Thankfully, the sculpture was there even though the Information Centre was closed (we should no longer be surprised at things being closed when we arrive, really).
From there, we basically made a straight shot down to Burk's Falls to meet Marc; we were scheduled to meet at the local Tim Horton's. We spent a short while there having a fantastic chat, as we typically do. Marc is one of those people who makes talking really easy and our conversations tend to run the gamut of every unexpected topic imaginable (would you imagine it if it's unexpected?).
[Lana] Mind blown!
[John] This day was no different. After a short while here, we stopped ourselves so we could go to our favourite shop in the neighbourhood, Circling Hawks.
Some Circling Hawks love.
We have previously shared with you our deep affection for Circling Hawks and I must say that our love has not weakened one iota. I think we spent at least an hour in this tiny heaven, piling our goods on the store counter as we browsed. It requires great restraint to not empty our bank accounts in this wee shop, and though our dear friend lives a short while away, she shares in the difficulty of exercising will power here.
[Lana] Twelve bags? You call 12 bags restraint?
[John] Yes, Marc could definitely have left with 20 bags instead of only 12. *wink wink*
After we all spent time in the beautiful backyard gardens, taking photos and enjoying some quiet meditative moments in the various parts of this spiritual oasis, we made our way on to Screaming Heads.
Screaming Heads resident… Gandalf the White.
This is a place with which Marc is well acquainted and a place Lana and I had been aching to explore. This is a land unto itself; a place where nightmares and prophecies merge with fantasies and aspirations. A place where coincidence does not exist and awe is the main course.
[Lana] Speaking of coincidences and maybe even prophecies, for being the first time the three of us had visited this location together, it was incredulous that we found a sculpture (which we were all drawn to) with three hand prints together that just happened to fit our hands perfectly. If one of our hands had fit, or maybe even two, it would have been more believable as coincidence but all three? That just seems curious.
[John] One piece of advice... along with your sense of adventure, take insect repellent when you visit during bug months. We were eaten alive while wandering and though it did not take away from our incredible experience, I know we all would have been happier without being swarmed and repeatedly bitten.
[Lana] %$@#!&* BUGS!
[John] I'm honestly unsure of how to accurately describe Screaming Heads. Hopefully the pictures can provide some idea but they won't do it proper justice. The enormity of the creations here are beyond my imagination and they are clearly from a deep place of heart, inspiration, and dream. There are so many pieces here and each one has a level of meaning so intense that only the creator could truly grasp. Intention is thoughtful. As an example, one of the stones has carved into it (and we hope we deciphered it correctly as time has taken a toll on the legibility):
12 inches 1 ft
5280 ft 1 mile
5880 x 10 to the power of 12 = 1 light year
76 light years to Alpha Centuri
Add that to the many distinctly thought-out statues and carvings and you realize just how special this place really is.
The artist and creator of this magnificent site is Peter Camani and as long as the gate is open, visitors are welcome to walk around and enjoy the site. This is the artist's own land and home and while there is no formal cost associated with viewing and walking around, there is a box available for donations and it is most certainly worth your money.
There is magic here. You can feel it in the air, from the trees, and from the sculptures themselves. The guard-peacock certainly aids in applying an eerie shrill to the land but seriously - this is a beautifully unique site that feels like a different world. Even with the bugs, I could spend hours and hours exploring and taking in the energy. This artist is special and we will definitely return.
[Lana] Even though we have added some pictures of our time at Screaming Heads, it really is somewhere that you need to experience for yourself to appreciate the genius - and the madness - that is found in this magical place.
[John] After our time exploring, we returned to Marc's home to spend some more time together before Lana and I had to move on to the hotel in Huntsville. I think we may have entered a black hole of conversation because time disappeared as we jumped from topic to topic; when the three of us hit topics of sincere interest, apparently we can happily go on for quite a long time. Even Lana, who is typically fairly quiet and makes me do the talking for us both, was quite chatty and excited to hang out.
[Lana] I'm not quiet.
[John] Well, it is true that your volume button does tend to be stuck on LOUD when you speak out.
[Lana] Pffffft.
[John] Can't even try to defend yourself on that one, eh?
We finally had to bid farewell to Marc, though it was so hard to have to leave. It's always so difficult to say goodbye (or in our case, "see ya later") to those with whom you have a strong connection and with Marc this is definitely no exception. But, we did finally continue along the short ride south to Huntsville and settled into our hotel for the night.
This was our last night on the road before the final stretch home. Stay tuned for that last piece; we promise we are working hard to get back into a writing routine. We have some things planned for alternate (mis)adventures this summer, as we suspect our usual wee roadtrips need to look a bit different this year.
As we leave you for now and we prepare for the next part of the journey, we want to know how you are all doing. So, please indulge us and tell us:
How are you - really? (Yes, get deep and real with us here if you want to.)
What have you been up to these last few months?
How are you coping?
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Thanks for hanging out with us! We hope you are well and we will see you again soon!
