I'm up bright and early, bright and squirrelly, off to the garage sales in Ymir. The whole town, the ad stated, starting at 8:00 AM, I'm on the road at 7:15. The morning, beautiful, not a cloud in the sky, not a ripple on the lake, the mountains perfectly reflected. This is paradise.
And, Ymir, 8:00 AM on the dot, park, get out and walk, it's that small, not a single garage sale, walk further, did I get the date wrong? But no, there are other people circling as perplexed as I am, walking, walking, finally...
Sporting goods. Count on sporting goods wherever you are in the valley. Fishing equip, $5.00 for tackle, rod & line, I buy, the chef at work could use, if ever he gets a day off. I could use, but I have back in Calgary in the locker, and there will be no fishing license until I've paid off a few bills. Then, fish, watch out...
A silver Mexican money clip, heavy, with the Aztec Calender depicting the end of days and a turquoise dancing figure inset, $2.00, I'll sell it on.
And now I'm out of garage sales, this girl, she's apologizing for the town, apparently they had a bit of a shin-dig last night in anticipation of all the money they'd be making on Garage Sale Day, everyone over-imbibed, ha-ha, looks like they counted their eggs before they hatched...or got them to market...
Wander around the town, take some pictures. Locals pop their heads out to tell me: "There's no garage sale here...".
(Above, Ymir Church, Hotel & Schoolhouse)
Most of the houses in Ymir ramshackle assemblages of motor homes, school buses, trailers, with built on makeshift tarpaper shacks covered in tarps, definitely it's own little hippy world, a stark contrast to the houses of Kaslo, say, which if you ever go exploring will pleasantly charm and surprise you.
But then I found this:
Which I love. Small garage sale, she's apologetic, husband probably went a little hard at the town party last night, hasn't got his stuff out yet, but I get a singing bowl for $5.00, good deal.
Then - onward and homeward, spot a bear beside the road...
Then Oso for a coffee, and home. Not a great morning's garage sales, but a great morning.
Driving through Nelson, down by the water, I should have gotten closer, how early is it? No, pretty sure I'm sober by now, just another day in the Koots...
