North Woods River Runner: February 2021

Written from an outing on

Sunday, February 14, 2021

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It was cold, no doubt about it. Between the temperature and slight wind, apparently it felt like 20 something below zero. I was a good boy and corrected some school work first, and then I began gathering my gear together to head outside. Today I’d have the woods all to myself.

My son and daughter-in-law Emeris are heading to Kenya, Africa this coming Saturday. It was around this same time 4 years ago that Todd and I had talked and began making arrangements to go to Africa together. It was a monumental trip that was life changing in some ways and memorable in others. I thought about these things as I packed and drove out to the river bottomlands here in the Illinois-Wisconsin Stateline area.

Todd and Emeris are flying into Nairobi, Kenya, and then driving down to Kijani Farm; just north of the village of Maili Tisa and the Tanzania border, under the shadow of Black Hill. Our friends Brian & Heather Dellamater are in the midst of their fifth year establishing Kijani to help provide water, care, and a community with the Maasai tribe that live in that area. Todd & Emeris are going together as a couple to see the ministry first hand and contemplate possible roles they may be able to take to assist in the endeavor.

In honor of this undertaking, and to that end, I chose to use things from Africa within my polar vortex adventure. I dressed with an underlayer, and then topped that off by wearing both my Kijani Farm T-shirt and sweatshirt. Since it was cold enough, I also wore a scarf around my neck that I had purchased from Africa.

The snow was powdery in the frigid temperatures. Almost nearing 20 inches deep, I used my traditional snowshoes; a necessity in the backwoods this year. Once I was back off the beaten path (which itself was actually non-existent), I settled in alongside my river of choice. I packed down a circular area, collected some firewood, and then dug down to the ground level to create a space to build a fire. As a fire starter I used my familiar steel striker along with a rock I had brought home from Africa. I had picked up several of the same kinds of rocks one day while walking some of the wild areas around Kijani Farm. I had discovered the rock's ability to make sparks quite by accident those years ago when at night I had emptied my pockets outside of our tent before going to bed. Upon tossing them at the base of a thorny acacia tree next to our tent, a shower of sparks were thrown off when they collided against each other. It was one of these kinds of rocks that I used with my steel to start the fire on this freezing cold day, but in reality, I could just as easily struck the rock against another similar rock to gain the spark that would provide the necessary warmth.

	For my meal, I used a hand crafted knife from Africa; the sheath is of dyed cowhide.  Typically I come to the woods with my food already cut up, but for this outing I used the knife to cut up the potato, meat, and cheese.  It worked great, but it was at about that time that I realized that I had forgotten my frying pan.  I had washed my old Teflon one, but while it had been drying, I had considered whether I should haul out my cast iron skillet instead.  Apparently the decision had been made to not bring either of them, but nobody had consulted me on that choice!  So instead I poured the water that I had started boiling in my pot, back into a thermos, and used that old aluminum pot to cook my brunch.  It didn’t work too bad, but the cocoa I had later was a bit chunky and contained some extra protein.

While it would have been fun to sit and contemplate the world and perhaps write in my journal, the temperature wasn’t really going to let me do that. At negative 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-20° C), and the afternoon waning under cloudy skies, it was only going to get colder and my toes were already becoming numb. I needed to start moving. Besides, it was Valentine’s Day and my wife Cindy and I were going to get something to eat and watch a movie that evening.

I repacked my supplies and gear, thinking of Todd and Emeris as they prepare to travel to the flip-side of the Earth. While we are freezing here in the Midwest, the Dellamater’s have said that it’s in the upper 80’s there (°F). And while we have had a lot of snow this season, southern Kenya has actually gotten some rain during what usually is their dry season. Things will look green for them on this trip. In addition, the experience will most likely bring perspective. Africa can do that. Not a perspective that’s better or worse, just a perspective of clarity in the midst of what can sometimes appear cloudy. It’s probably like the cold, crisp air that surrounded me on this day, and filled my lungs; it’s acuteness demanded my attention and focused my awareness.

It was with that line of contemplation that I kicked out the fire, strapped on my snowshoes, and began hoofing it out. The air and snow, while cold, certainly was beautiful, and I enjoyed looking back over the winding trail I was leaving through the trees and frozen backwater ponds. I smiled to myself as I turned back and remembered the various items I had used on this adventure that were linked to Kenya, Africa and Kijani Farm. It was a perfect African Winter Outing as I reflected on my own experience in Africa, the purpose of Kijani, and the trip that Todd & Emeris are about to embark upon.

See you along The Way…