RAK 85 - Remembering Our sweet Aunty Helen

March 26

Today was a sad sad day.

The warm and loving Rachar corner of heaven received it's newest member early in the morning as my Aunty Helen passed away peacefully while surrounded by so many of those who loved her most.

Times like these ALWAYS makes us go back in our minds and remember the times we shared.

The first memory that flooded back to me was the time, in 2010, when my Aunty Helen and Uncle Lloyd joined my family at our long time favorite camping place out by Nordegg - a place called Chungo Creek.  We call it Chungo for short.

My family has spent many a night sleeping in tents out by the old trapper's cabin on the bank of the creek - about 5-6 miles away from the nearest road - quads being the only way in, and the only way out...

As we became softer in our older ages... we would camp in campers just off the nearest road, and ride quads in and spend the day fishing in the best spots along the creek that we had come to know so well over the years, and seeing some of Alberta most beautiful and untouched terrain.

Chungo was my brothers MOST favorite place.  No one could maneuver the muskeg on a quad with a trailer full of camping supplies quite like him.  He knew every fishing hole along that creek, and had a funny fish story to go along with each one.  Chungo is where he was most peaceful, it is where he thrived.

When My brother passed in 2000, we created a monument there in his honor.

 Wes was also very special to Lloyd and Helen.  He lived with them for a time while he was working and going to school in the town by where they lived.  They really wanted to go in and see this special place.

 They both hopped on quads and prepared to travel for over an hour on rough terrain, and through 12 creek crossings to get to where we needed to go

little did we know at this pint that my dad's quad would stall in 5 of the deepest creek crossings.

 After the 12th crossing, we climbed the bank of the creek, and you could finally see Wes's rock.

We quadded up as close as we could, and then Aunty decided that since she travelled all that way, she better manouever down the hill to see it right close up.

After spending some quiet time with them at the rock, we quadded a short distance across the meadow to the trappers cabin...  We had to share the whole experience. :)

Today's random act was to openly share and honor these memories.

Memories of how these two amazing and adventurous people hopped on the back of a quad, in their eighties, to share in something so special to our family.  They had heard about what we had done out there, and they were determined to see it.  Once they set their mind, there was no stalled quad, no bumpy road, no deep creek, no down pouring of rain, and no steep inclines that were going to stop them.

I get a lump in my throat as I type.  I don't know if there is any way I could possibly express how MUCH this meant to us.

Dear sweet Aunty Helen thank you for your kind and thoughtful ways, your generous heart, and your adventurous spirit... you are SO greatly missed.  We love you...  Be sure to give my brother a hug from us all when you see him.

Lovingingly,

Coreena

On behalf of the Kornel/Peters Family.

forever.