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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
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Days off, spent prospecting - East Shore, looking and not finding. Have to return to the Smoky Quartz place, there's a bonanza there - but where precisely?
Up the Forestry Service Roads, nothing of interest.
Digging in the East Shore Lake gravels - Brad had mentioned some big garnets, but not here, not where I'm digging, and prying him to be a little more precise only to find that he's not so familiar with the East Shore, vague instructions like "by the old store" or "it's near a village..." don't narrow it down for me, but when I get the jeep back I have some Ideas...
One trip to Revelstoke, a few sideroads near there, but the jeep is overheating again, plumes of antifreeze gusting from the radiator, and I'm forced to take it easy or I'll be rolling baby back home again. That said, the discovery of some what I suspect to be "Tantalite" crystals in feldspar, rare enough, and curious enough that it might be worth finally staking a claim.
Saturday Mornings, Garage Sales, few enough, this year most people have decided merely to update their free piles. Thrifting, a fine pair of antique candlesticks, a new shape to my collection, if you saw them, unremarkable, but - see a few hundred and you start to recognize those that are distinct. A Patek Philippe - fine knock off, self winding, cobbled together features of different watches - dials, skeleton backs, logos, all under the "Patek Philippe" logo - clearly a knock off and I have to buy it, it reminds me of a Patek Philippe/Seiko I spotted trekking in Nepal, somebody was unsure which watch was the more expensive and so decided upon some ghastly hybrid that sported both logos. This year, so far, has been fine for watches.
Cottonwood Markey buying local, - dandy-lion jams, pickled spruce-tips, lilac jelly's, $25 Hot Sauce - WTF? I can't conceal my shock - goddamn, do you snort it or eat it my man? I should have asked the price first...!!!
Days off in the happiest place on earth.
***
Work, unpredictable. Indoor dining has resumed. The weather, sunny, nice, the patio full, tables scattered on the beach. The owner's son helps out, then takes a break to go upstairs and "work on the new menu".
"If your busy just call upstairs" he says.
What he means is:
"If your busy AND you see a meteor AND a giant dragon-lizard rises out of the lake AND a giant gorilla rises out of the other end of the lake AND they start to fight AND you see the ferry capsize THEN call me upstairs....".
He really doesn't want to be there. Nothing worse than having a family business that nobody in the family wants to run or work in.
The customers are good. Generous. Maybe because so far it hasn't been so crazy that I haven't been able to give good service. Maybe because finally having a place to live in Nelson means they're not noticing the pungent aroma of sleeping in a hammock. Maybe just because it's finally nice to see a familiar face. Or, what with the masks and all, it's easier to enjoy their meal without seeing my face.
The Jeep, needing yet another radiator, thermometer, clutch fan, in the shop for a week. A week overlapping 2 weekends, meaning more time at home, less on the road. Work, leave early because the buses are intermittent. Sunday's nonexistent, stick out a thumb, 2 consecutive rides get me there 10 minutes quicker than the bus.
This jeep, I've found my Kootenay Gold-Mine, only you need to be a mechanic to see the profits.
***
When it's slow Chris and me ride Ken. "Zoophilia" I ask Ken, by way of explaining his horse-play, "Ponyamorous" counters Chris. Brilliant.
This devolves to Ken being a "Neigh-sayer" and not-very-"Neigh-borly" and "Neigh-gative"....
Ken wants us to move on, but I'm thinking we haven't even begun to scratch the surface. And his birthday is coming...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
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Monday, day one of an unexpected 3 day "weekend" - Unbox Stormy Scrolls. There's a shit load of scrolls and assorted other rubbish, including (but not limited to):
- - A guardian "Travel" angel statue
- - 2 withered beyond repair Xmas oranges
- - Small bag of cashews
- - 2 lollipops.
- - Some previously enjoyed chewing gum
- - 1 Sweet Potatoe
An unbelievable amount of unreadable books, a travel bag filled/coated with jam, (presumably for ease of dining, sadly no crackers provided), and - of course - the obligatory scrolls.
This is all rubbish. Not scrolls.
Partially done. Rubbish and scrolls.
Just the scrolls, please. Rerolled.
In the end, very little worthwhile - 100+ scrolls of cartoon women with big bazooms looking like they'd been steamrolled, like what happened to Coyote with Roadrunner, bazooms aiming east and west, quick sketches, no real effort, he just has to get it out. These I will sell in the "Stormy Gift Shop" for the very reasonable price of $10-$20.00 Apiece. While it doesn't look like much it takes hours to look at each one and reroll it - and separate it from the rubbish - the garbage to be returned (and he will tell me "but it was Marilyn's favorite...." or "It was for Noah/Eve/Ms...".) Bollocks - I drop it off at his place, he can take it back to the free pile from whence it came, only - and I'm getting a phobia of calling round - there's more rubbish.
I'm getting smarter, I pick out the scrolls, leave the rest. Bloody hell. That's almost an entire free day gone going through his "art".
Finish the day with a quick trip to the thrift shop - discover an antique mantel clock - Belgian - $5.00 - "It doesn't keep time" they tell me, why it's so cheap.
I hate the dial, but love the case. From the innards and case I can do something interesting, but first to wind it and make sure it's not working. I'd hate to destroy a perfectly good clock on somebody's say-so, or for one of my many ho-hum art projects.
Wind it to discover that the clock is working fine, chimes "Oranges and Lemons" or some such very recognizable melody on the hour, out perhaps 10 minutes per day - a minor adjustment, and now I'm stuck with it. When it winds down I'll pull the face, paint over it, give the clock some life and color, and then live with it.
And that's Monday. 2 days off left...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
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Out on the corner having a smoke. Kootenay Landlords. I'd promised not to smoke in the flat, on the property, but the landlady had called from the Sunshine Coast to tell me that - even as I was enjoying my cigarettes across the street - the smoke was getting caught up in the gravel pad in front of the house.
So I've taken my filthy habits to the corner.
While there I watch the neighbor. The lady on the corner is walking about with 2 wireframe record stands, a TV dinner table. Taking them inside her corner house. Probably a find from a Nelson Free Pile.
Think nothing of it. An hour later, out again for a cigarette - who should I see but the lady in the corner house - bringing in 2 wireframe record stands and a TV dinner table.
Curious. "A Glitch in the Matrix" I'm thinking to myself.
This morning, out for a cigarette, on the corner. And who should appear, dragging 2 wireframe record stands and a TV dinner into her house.
Here's a mystery.
Days off, thrifting - some finds. I make a list of what I'm looking for, a Dremel, Patio Table, Desk, various odds and sods. And - for a laugh, I top it with "Watch". It's a laugh because always I am looking for watches, I hardly need to make a note to myself, but, for a laugh.
And, what should I find? A 1957 Gruen Precision, Mint condition, beveled crystal, $20.00.
I'm laughing.
The other finds, a heavy old antique mirror, perfect for above the fireplace, an old cupboard door with leaded glass insert, broken, but I rather like the twin hearts motif.
And presents for Ken. The two signed "Star Trek" celebrity photos, a Chef's shirt, XXXXL - so it should fit, and a book from a free pile on "Boundaries" because -- well, it's always fun to accuse others of what one is most guilty of.
Ken, he likes the photos - he tells me "I've met them both" and I don't have the heart to ask why - or how. I tell Chris - "Ken speaks Klingon...", and he readily obliges by - saying something in Klingon.
I hate that he confirms my every prejudice so good-naturedly.
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
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The restaurant, largely dead, the weather conspires against us daily.
Not just the weather, of course, lockdowns, restrictions, pandemic, construction on the Ferry landing, there's a myriad of reasons we're not hitting our targets, and frankly, I don't care. I'm largely exhausted, 10 hour days on my feet, doing little to nothing, polishing glasses, tables, floors, meaningless work so to ever-so-slightly mitigate the pain of my salary. The slowest it's been by far, and I'm enjoying "The break".
Days off, finally catch up with Stormy. He's not doing well, cognitive decline, you can tell - well, see it in him that there's not so long left. Compared to others his age he's slowly checking out. Forgetting things, tired, this scooter, prescribed by his doctor to alleviate the pain of walking on a broken hip, it'll be both his life and death, his lack of activity is catching up to him. It's the balance of age, at what point does the pain of existence justify it's continuance? But comfort is death.
I've a few hundred scrolls to unpack, but these long days at the restaurant don't leave me the energy to view them.
Deal with bureaucracy, pay bills, vaccines, days off are consumed with trifles. Prospecting - next days off, I've art projects to plan, writing I should be doing, supplies to be buying, shopping, groceries, and, god-damnit! Vodka to be drunk! But to fit all these things into a day demands better time management skills than I have.
Thrifting, today, a few treasures left unpurchased, a few treasures found. 2 Signed fan-photos of Councilor Deana Troy (??), the "Empath" from "Star Trek - The Next Generation", (her holding the hand of a little Klingon Child), and another fan photo of some pretty alien with head-bumps, both signed in glittery gold markers, perfect gifts for Ken.
Ken likes girls and while he's never told me I'm pretty sure he knows these two. We were talking about movies at work and somehow or another the conversation worked it's way into sci-fi - (Chris recommended I watch "Gentlemen Bronco's) - and from there it worked it's way to "DUNE" and here Ken began regaling us with quotes, non-stop, "DUNE" is apparently his Shakespeare...
So I can both give them to him and do a good turn and then take the piss out of him incessantly afterwards. Clearly this is what they call a "Win-Win".
I need a glittery gold marker of my own to sign things with. And an abundance of cheesy photos of myself.
Otherwise, lovely days and evenings in Nelson, although my time here is too scant to appreciate it - living in Nelson, ideal, working in Balfour, not so much. The irony of paying rent for a beautiful space that I am too seldom here to enjoy is not lost upon me, the summers - too busy to find time to be creative, and time spent creative is time away from prospecting. The balance here is not of days or weeks but of years, summers - prospect, make notes, work work work. Winters, - well, they should be the time of creation but the remoteness of Ainsworth, the poverty-budget of EI and CERB, they suck the creativity out of you.
So it goes.
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
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Maybe it will, all of a sudden, but it seems unlikely. The days drag, slow, where the Pandemic hasn't conspired against us the weather has.
The patio, cold, windy, intermittent sunshine that doesn't last, ....
BC, the COVID numbers dropping, 800, 700, 600...
Alberta, the numbers rise, rise, rise again, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300...
This Pandemic, it seems it will never end. Maybe, given the vaccination numbers, it will. All of a sudden, all at once, and the Covid will just disappear. But it seems unlikely.
Now, the latest, BC recommends, requests Albertans stay home, shelter in place, even if they have a BC residence.
It doesn't matter, the take out orders still come, Alberta area codes.
Maybe it will just end, but I doubt it, it seems more likely that it will be somewhat contained for the summer. Those that are inclined will get vaccinated. This will take a couple of months. Alberta's numbers might plateau, with their new lockdowns, BC's numbers will likely continue to drop, the borders will remain closed to all but "essential" travel, but how is this determined?
And come the fall the fourth wave, all of the anti-vaccers, the forty-odd percent of the population that knew infinitely better than all the doctors, it will be their turn to be infected, and the lockdowns will come again, only this time it will be natural selection, and my sympathies will be exhausted.
This is the never-ending pandemic, the Pandemic without end, and, a year and a half in, seeing everyone's reaction, our political will, I've almost come to rooting for it...