My First Time...

The one who made my first time incredible was Mr. Coffee. Yes, that was his name, the guide that would lead me and my dear friend Soko to memorable days on the waters of Algonquin Park. 

It was in 1996 when Soko approached me about doing a four day canoe trip deep inside the legendary park. I was living in Ottawa at the time, and he was living on the other side of the river in Gatineau. We had spent a lot of time together over the last couple years as two single guys in our mid twenties, but that was about to change for both of us!

I agreed to his proposal without really knowing much about the tour outfit we would be using, nor the route we would be taking. I was just glad to finally enter the park I had heard so much about, and test my rudimentary paddling skills. I had visited and camped for weeks at nearby Scout camps in Haliburton, but never crossed the park limits. I had also done hours and hours of canoeing during years of camping in my youth, but it had been a few years since I had touched a paddle... so a little nervous I was! Luckily, Soko was an excellent paddler and all-around talented outdoor person. To this day he is super active, in excellent physical shape, and never turns down an adventure on the water. 

I'm sharing my 'first time' because it opened my eyes to Algonquin Park's magic and awesome natural environment. And it was the first spark that led to the inspiration for my first work of fiction - Mystery in Algonquin Park. It was on that first day of our canoe trip back in '96 that I visited the Tom Thomson Memorial Cairn on the shore of Canoe Lake. It is the lake where Canada's most famous painter mysteriously died over one hundred years ago. And it was on those subsequent days that we paddled rapids, swam in cool fresh lakes and rivers, ate amazing food like Coffee's carbonara pasta, talked by small fires each night, tried to ignore the flies, and flipped our canoe with all the gear (and us) floating down the river in embarrassment. Most importantly, it was an adventure to remember.  Thank you for this gift Soko... and Mr Coffee!   

When I wrote the story of Jayme and Binnie for Book 1 of the Series, I remembered the countless days I have spent outdoors. I'm blessed to have experienced the power of nature at a young age and excited about future adventures with family and friends... like the canoe trip inside Algonquin Park that I will do later this year. I can't wait!

I hope you find that The Jayme Adventure Series captures the spirit of adventure and power of discovery. I thank all readers for their support and hope it inspires you to do your own adventure... however small or big it might be!
​dd.