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Nelson - Garage Sales V Thrift Shops
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Thrift Shops
- Hits: 1186
In one of those curious perversions of Capitalism, Nelson Thrift shops are ridiculously expensive. Think "High End" Consignment Shops in Calgary. Garage Sales, by comparison, are startlingly cheap - finds I missed this weekend (not missed, wisely decided against) included a Sailboard, with Sail, in good working order, with another complete Sailboard thrown in for parts, $50.00 OBO. A Paddle board, near new, $120.00. And countless other treasures - the fun thing about Nelson Garage Sales is you can still find treasures even if you're late, or the next day.
Calgary, on the other hand - has reasonably cheap thrift shops, where money is abundant people don't like to buy used and so the prices are kept low. Nelson, by contrast, people generally don't have as much money, so thrift shops tend to be a lot more trafficked, driving up prices.
...There might be an opportunity here...
Ridiculously Early Mornings
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 970
And mornings come early and earlier. The guesthouse, lined up with the first rays of the morning sun, if it's cloudy I can sleep in, if not I'm up with it. 5:30 now and earlier, no possibility of napping until it's raised itself above the window, by the solstice I'll be up at 4:30 every day, not a problem, if it wasn't for the fact that I'm working until 11:00...
Still, the mornings here are the best times, every bird in the forest is singing, a hundred different pitched conversations, clouds gently rising up from the valley, silkworms hover in the sunlight, little gossamer curtains with glistening dewy beads, sit outside on the shaded step and watch the day begin...time, at this hour, for fa hundred, a thousand plans to be laid and revised...
Axe Wound
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Images
- Hits: 921
And, chopping wood, impossibly fine splinters, the landlord can't seem to start a fire, needs finer and finer kindling, and so what happens?
I chop the entire heel of my palm off...a bloody mess. Quickly reposition it, tape it on, for the next few days I can't shower until it crusts and scabs, and even when I do the amputated heel wants to peel off.
After a couple of weeks it started to look better.
A few more weeks, better still, it appears as if it's reattached at the top...
And finally, now more or less completely restored. Although it feels a bit odd, crinkly, like I'm feeling it through a piece of wet cardboard. To be expected. But I didn't lose it - which I thought was certain, it grafted completely back on, which is proof you don't need stitches for trivial things. Although at the time, with all the blood and nerves laid bare it didn't look that trivial, I gotta say...
Ymir - May 28 - Garage Sales
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 1737
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...
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