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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Miscellany

Published: 03 June 2017

Hits: 2007

I forgot my phone, a shame, this would have been a great photo. In at the Superette, down the road, picking up my ration. And across the street - the highway, a beat up old truck, two guys get out...one tall, other short, both dressed like they're homeless in warmer climes, torn plaid shirts and jeans, mid fifties maybe, beards grown halfway down their chest, one tall and lanky, the other, shorter, one arm, his sleeve blowing in the wind, his other hand balancing a cardboard flat of empty beer cans and water bottles, both running across the highway, lanky one has a couple of boxes of cans, the short one-armed one, he's been beaten up, black eye, limping, the expression on their faces, they're down to party, they'll exchange these empties for a couple of beer...

I'm looking on, beside myself, cursing my lack of phone, the checkout clerk, he's seen it all before, there's no novelty to this, now the guys are in the beer aisle and I'm laughing, it's like out of a movie, only better done...

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Miscellany

Published: 03 June 2017

Hits: 2305

• Kaslo,
• Rockhounding,
• Rock,

Thursday, day off, into Kaslo for a bite to eat. Check the thrift shop, nothing, across from it a new consignment shop, filled, more or less, with the kind of stuff people have left over after a 3 day garage sale. Upstairs to the "boutique", however, and I find some treasures:

If you can see past my reflection, on the left some black tourmaline, various quartz crystals, one big one, what looks like a selenite or desert rose, a stalactite (probably from the Cody Caves, or the mineralizations near Ainsworth Hot Springs)...

And this:

Blue/Green Tourmaline in Quartz, and (not pictured), a fine rhombus of Icelandic Spar.

Now this is exciting for me, because recognizing the quartz specimens as similar to ones I've found I'm pretty sure that the rest of the rocks are local as well. The lack of preparation suggests they weren't storebought at a rock-shop. And Tourmaline is a major constituent of rocks here, and I've found dogstooth spar (a different varietal of Calcite, not quite as pretty), and it gets me salivating...

I'm not going to buy any, a rock to me is generally only as good as the finding...and I want to quiz the proprietor to see if she knows where they were found - but I suspect - if like me - they'd be a little cagey about specifics...Nevermind, I got maps.

And finally, the bookstore:

It's a gem, open - like a few Kootenay businesses, whenever the owner darned well pleases. An interesting selection of old books, esoterica, a well-read proprietor, but it's not open today.

After this, to the Fish & Chips kiosk, tasty, Halibut and Poutine, then home, a bear in a field (they're everywhere at the moment), snap a couple of pictures but he's too far away...

Details

Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Miscellany

Published: 28 May 2017

Hits: 2210

• Garage Sales,

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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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Miscellany

Published: 27 May 2017

Hits: 1870

$100 Deposit, $25.00 Membership Fee, I'm a new member. As a new member I immediately attempted to vote against the membership fee and the $100.00 deposit, to no avail. Apparently they don't check with your other banks, I think I'm in pretty good standing at the ATB, although my account is rather empty, but first steps...got a job, got a bank account, now all I need is a place to live and I'll be set. Closer to town would be ideal, in town would be perfect (but a bit of a drive to work, work, however, is only a necessity until I find the gold, which is nearer and nearer every day...)...