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...