Ric’s Almost Daily Blog – January 3, 2012

The Christmas season has now come and gone. As usual gifts were given and received, copious quantities of food were prepared and consumed. Unusually warm temperatures made playing outdoors a major part of the season.

At the CRCO Christmas party, held again on the longest night of the night of the year, we solved a mystery that has been bugging historians for several centuries. As part of our evening’s entertainment we worked through a murder mystery. Who really did kill Jean Wadin on that fateful day in 1781? Historians know his body was found out on the ice of Lac La Ronge. It is generally assumed the murderer was Peter Pond. But did he really do it? All present at the party became characters from that time period. We had fur trading partners, country wives, real wives, a general from the US Army, rival fur traders, and of course Peter Pond was present. Being that Wadin was already dead – I represented him. Solving the mystery was enhanced by mulled wine, regular wine and quality Paddockwood Beer. The dog got involved when some smoked turkey got dumped on the floor. In the end the murder was solved and all of us went on to more serious things like eating, drinking and conversing.

I wish all an awesome New Year filled with paddling and camping in the best canoe country in the world – northern Saskatchewan.

Ric Driediger