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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
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And, living out here, too far from anything and I'm becoming a bit too .... how shall I say? Inert?
The days - some cold, colder, and I have no incentive to just go walking up the highway. I want to be looking for something. I need a raison-d'etre. I have one, several, but they all keep me inside, and I'm restless.
I've done a few big walks along the rail tracks North of Procter - abundant pegmatites, some black tourmaline, but - well, snow, short days - as they lengthen I'll get farther along and maybe - just maybe - I'll find something good.
Wednesday last, windstorm, power out, here, only for a day and a half and I'm worried about the food in the fridge spoiling. I shouldn't have - by 24 hours in the temperature inside matched that outside, head to town to charge your phone, by the time I'm back the powers back on. Only 36 hours out - which - compared to other places that had to wait until Sunday to have it restored - is pretty good. Along the highway, for a full mile, every line downed by trees, flattened, these localized windstorms, how to explain them? Microbursts? And then, another 20 KM along the highway and everything's fine, then another microburst, trees, power poles, lines, everywhere.
Sunday, Snow, a thin white blanket over everything.
Too slippery to walk far, but at least there's power.
This week, befriending the local Blue Jays, more accurately "Steller's Jay", there's been a pair outside the deck every day, I leave them some breadcrumbs, pumpkin seeds, almonds, Tuesday there's 4, Wednesday I count 6 waiting for me outside at 8:00 AM. This could get expensive. They walk along the rail and try to catch my eye, wake me with their cawing - scold me if they think I'm late and if the bowl is empty they squawk and stare me down from the patio.
And so that's been it, the reason I haven't been writing - no reason at all, really. Now, a beautiful day outside and I must go and get some exercise - when I come back I'll tell you all about "The Invisible Machine", which is as unbelievable as the Medium channeling Little Timmy and Silver Cloud, but I should be making hay while the sun shines.
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 483
I've seen her kicking around, proper Kootenay gal, she hangs out at Oso and hovers in my general direction, socializing, talking about love, making uncomfortable "meaningful" and "soul searching" eye contact. This morning she's wearing a tan leather jacket and trousers, looking for all the world like Daniel Boone or Davey Crockett without the fringes or coonskin cap. In her hand she's clutching a broom, but a proper broom like they sell in Crawford Bay, a Harry-Potter Quidditch broom, the Nimbus 2000, and in the crook of her arm she's got a Tibetan Singing bowl and her pottery coffee mug. It's an armful for sure, and something gives and her mug falls to the floor and shatters into a hundred pieces. She looks helpless for a minute, then yells "I have a broom! I have a broom" and begins to sweep up the scattered shards. One of the baristas grabs a dustpan and helps her to gather the pieces - "do you want to keep the pieces?" he offers helpfully, they know her here, not in a good way...
Another Barista steps in to ask she put on her mask, masks are required while waiting in line, and she begins to argue: "I have a medical condition...I have an exemption..." and the barista's not having any of it, she orders, then slips her sweater up over her nose, then pulls it down to complain and explain, when her coffee comes she takes it outside where she can sip it mask free.
Now, a note, there are only 2 possible exemptions to wearing a mask, they are stupidity and entitlement, and neither are acceptable.
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
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So, I've been far and wide and upon returning found my sofa sublet in the great Kootenay Sofa shortage. No computer and the past couple of weeks have been living out of the back of my jeep (still) - without a computer, which makes for an erratic blog.
My apologies.
Last trip to Calgary, some jewelry making supplies, a cheaptastic tiny laptop, I'll attempt to catch up now...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 557
The Jeep, no sooner is the radiator repaired then I need to get the brakes done. The brakes, grinding, nigh onto failing, and given the places I am this is not an option.
So, back into a shop, Kaslo this time, to get the brakes done.
It proves to be a 2 week (still in the shop) job, almost (verily!) $5000 job, there's a helluva lot more wrong with it than just the brakes.
I should really just go back to Alberta, find another, but time here, I'm out of it, there's no time and so I OK the repairs, pray I get a couple of years trouble-free motoring.
This is my summer, busting my ass at the restaurant to finance my second home on wheels, only home, really, but I'm finding the goods, if - and when - I find the time to make something of my finds next summer will be a damned sight more lucrative and I'll be doing a helluva lot more prospecting...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
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And so, Monday, another day off, Chris (Co-worker) wants to come prospecting and I'm running out of ideas...Lots of places I want to go and check out, but I'd like him to have a bit of success and so it's once more up the snow-bound mountain, looking for Quartz Crystals. This is my fifth attempt. Along the way we stop at the abandoned marble quarry, another year, another layer of graffiti.
He's intrigued, it's a cool destination for sure. Here I'm just guiding.
Then on, past the Troll of the Meadows, North, we stop at a couple of creeks, do some panning. Feet wet, my boots stink, they're done.
Then onward up the mountain.
The snow, largely gone, we're in the free in clear. Eventually we run into a downed tree that blocks the road, grab our packs, it's time to get out and walk anyways....
We walk about a kilometer along a mostly level path. He's not too enthusiastic, but I'm seeing traces and signs, and eventually we find it. And it's good. Better than good, I've watched a lot of YouTube videos of people digging out crystals all over the world, I've taken the kids to Crystal Park in Montana to look for them, to New York to look for the Herkimer Diamonds, and this, this beats them all. Chris soon shares my enthusiasm.
Citrine on Quartz boulder.
Vug, or Pocket of crystals, to scale the ones at the top are about 4 inches across, and, when brushed off, perfectly clear.
Notice the points coming out of the side.
Side of pocket. Crystals Crystal Clear, water clear, like the finest Swiss crystals...
Ugly, but if you looked closely...
A cleaner crystal pocket...
Clusters found by Chris...
We take about 3 hours, fill our bags, there's everything here. Japan Law Twin Quart Crystals, Scepters topped with Citrine, Needle quartz, all the rarest specimens, and all - when lightly cleaned - of the highest quality. Every pocket is it's own Kaleidoscope of crystal beauty. Meanwhile, the bugs have found us, there's deerflies, horseflies, midges, wasps, blackflies, even the occasional mosquito. We're being devoured alive and I left the "Off" in the jeep.
5:00 and time to go. We've filled our bags, mine, a hundred pounds, his probably the same. The long walk back to the jeep, the long drive back down the mountain, then on to Nakusp, he needs a vehicle, he's arranged a viewing.
All the way, the setting sun, he's excited, so am I, this is a great spot, and I muse aloud that I would consider claiming it, and he quickly chimes in that he wants in on it. We could be partners, 50/50.
And I'm thinking, as I knew I would, because I've had so many offers like it...I did the work....slept rough, read the maps, learned geology, studied, learned more, found nothing and then - slightly better - and better, and better, year after year...I drew the map, put the "X Marks the Spot" on it, picked you up, drove you to the location, made you walk then told you to dig, and you found something, and now - now we're partners? Mother of God...
***
The vehicle, like so many used cars in the Kootenays, an older crackhead selling a Toyota 4 Runner for 3,500$, it wants only $5,000 worth of work to be roadworthy, a '93, it's a bust, he should be sued even for bringing us out here, brakes are gone, brake lines are broken, there's struts, shocks, every single fucking thing wrong with this piece of shit, he's negotiable, whatever price you pay you'll just add more to drive it to the wreckers...
***
After which we grab dinner in the old hotel by the lake, a beautiful view, patio, the same menu every like restaurant (mine own included) offers, burgers, wings, onion rings, chicken fingers...varied incompetent servers, but, leave it, the night is fine...
After, chasing the sun the whole way home, but it's beat us, perfect photos always up the mountain, the light is going, going, gone.
Exhausted, long drive home, Kootenay Co-op radio fills in for conversation with Philip Glass, "Metamorphosis". It's perfect. I drop Chris off. It was the perfect day, less the company, nothing wrong with him but there are moments that should be shared with children or lovers, and this was one, this day, not with a random co-worker, it's bittersweet.
The finds: