Sunday, July 30th, 2023
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
'Saskatchewan' means 'swift flowing waters' in the Cree language. It is a scenic body of water being referred to – the South Saskatchewan River. According to the mayor of teh city, Charlie Clark, whom I had the pleasure to chat with at the Chariot Fest, the people of Saskatoon really treasure the river. It is deceptive because the current of the water looks like a sheet of bevelled glass, but when you look closer, it moves at quite the speed.
From the local Hindu temple, the chariot (from Calgary, trucked here) marked the starting point of the procession which grew in dimension. I was seeing Mayor Clark having the time of his life in the midst of people who were bubbling over with enthusiasm. They were indeed like kids in a candy shop. And that excitement persisted throughout to the final destination, a park by the river.
I was happy to see Chief Officer Tory Cooper once again. The citizens of Saskatoon love him, and he he seems to love the festival every year. He walks with us.
I signed my book, The Saffron Path for Judy of the First Nations. Her attire was stunningly beautiful. Kids loved the magician. The food (prasadam) I hear was good, but as usual, Vivek, and family prepared something special. This year, he said it was 'eastern'., so we indulged in sushi.
Perhaps a highlight was the chanting from the stage at the end. Hundreds followed the moves I projected. But there was one more 'high light', and that was the almost full moon suspended over the shining waters of the South Saskatchewan. It was absolutely magical where it was. It offered me a perfect end to the day as I walked the shoreline trail for a perfect wind down.
MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU!
2 km