On this lovely early spring day, I spent three hours hiking by scooter through the woods and out to the tip of Pt. Pelee's National Park. On the trails through the forest I met only four hikers, so no human voices disturbed the sound of waves crashing against the eastern shore of the peninsula and the symphony of birdsong overhead. Signs of new growth were somewhat hidden under dead leaves and twigs, but obvious when one looked. Snow was only evident on the western side of the peninsula where the sun was blocked by trees and brush. But because the trees in the forest were still unleafed, today's warm sun blazed unobstructed, inviting me to stop often and raise my face to receive its tender touch.

On my way back from the tip of sand that extends into Lake Erie--the southernmost point on the mainland of Canada--I ran into Deirdre and Mark, a wonderful couple from Windsor whom I'd not seen in over three years (two of those years they were in Germany). During that time Michael, their second child, had grown into an almost-four year-old and Greta had joined the family two years ago. Jane, now six, was at school so I missed seeing her. My memories of Deirdre and Mark include their helping me get La Lucha, my original scooter, in and out of my car and charged up during the four days and nights in June 2000 that I stayed at the flat they rent to my friend Joan. Looking back, I see those four days that I participated in the Organization of American States (OAS) protest demonstrations and teach-ins in Windsor as essential to my growth as an activist. And I couldn't have done it without Deirdre and Mark's help.