Christies’ Bluff (August 31)

“Christie’s Bluff was a towering island almost ten miles out from our side of the Bay. Its peak was a beacon for anyone who ventured onto the open water. It watched over us all year long… In return we never disregarded it. All whose plans required fair weather commenced their day with a nod to the Bluff. And if a storm threatened to blow in before a family’s men were back home, wives or sisters would glance in that direction from time to time…

“As expected, my parents would hear nothing of it. They had little sense of how dangerous the weather over that body of water could become. But as soon as Granny was able, she took pains to spare me that failing.

“‘One day you’ll be old enough to go wherever you wish on the Bay. You might even find yourself all the way over to the Bluff. Until then, you’ve got plenty to learn.’”

There’s a tendency to populate empty stretches of any wild landscape with imaginary spirits believed to attend to the well-being of ordinary mortals. And when, as in the case of Christie’s Bluff, its warnings are so often accurate, the myth can become more and more persuasive. So each in their own way, the Bluff, the Prospect, the Wash, and the blackbird- and blueberry-blessed promontory behind Grand-père Leduc’s farmhouse could enjoy almost magical status. They were more than mere places. They were guardian presences.

And such features are not restricted to the Georgian Bay region. Every district has its share. Maybe you could post a note about your favourite example in the Reply box below.

Pp. 65-6

(Illustration generated by A)