Drivin to the coast: part one

Mary woke me up this morning at 5:45. I had asked her to do that and so tried to sound happy about it. But sheesh that is early!

She had made coffee; we said good-bye and Mary was gone. Another good-bye.

I finished a third cup of coffee in her hot tub, over-looking the lake and listened to the sounds: birds, a breeze and her horses. It is so lovely at Mary’s anytime, but the mornings are especially lovely.

I dressed in my cleanest dirty clothing, packed up and was on the road to meet Mike’s sister in Kelowna. I want a visit, to catch up. She wants to go to a free Doc Walker concert. I can do that.

To get from Mary’s you drive along Koocanusa on the dirt track, the Baynes Lake pothole filled bitumen road, past the old school and a sign that warns you to watch for turtles. I turned right at the red flashing light there at the intersection and connected to Highway 3, which would take me right to my parent’s house in Madeira if I didn't have a stopover in Kelowna. There is a sign to watch for badgers, how cute is this?

I decided to stop in Jaffray and see if Mike was home yet. He wasn’t. Maybe still with Adam. He and Adam had flown to the coast to fish for Halibut: Monte drove the truck. I am pretty sure it is not a fear of flying but an optimistic expectation of returning home with pounds of fish. He is to meet Chris and Nicholas in Hope tomorrow, on their way to the Island to pick up Adam. Maybe we can connect.

Another 35 K along the road and maybe seven deer and a watch for caribou sign, I am in Cranbrook. It has changed, grown, and yet is still the same community I remember when mom would take us there as kids for A&W Root Beer, from the cabin at Tie Lake. There is a Wal-Mart now and a huge Top Crop, a Super Store, Winners, a Staples and a whole lot more. Last year there was no place that served Sushi and now there are three.

I stop for a big breakfast at the ABC and more coffee.

I go 60 past the 60 K sign, and 80 at the 80 K sign and on to 100 k and the open road… if you don’t get stuck behind those red and white plates of some Albertan. Ya.. we are a little racist in B.C. My son learned about racism in grade three and announced that I was prejudice.. against Albertan drivers. "Hell ya", I say! "They slow down for a corner, of which there are many here in the mountains, and then speed up the minute you get an opportunity to pass!"

I see a bumper sticker on a truck, “Keep BC beautiful, shoot an Albertan.” Hey, it’s not just me!

As I drive, I am listening to CBC radio: but it cuts out before Yak. I always think of the “I’ve been to "Yak and Back” T-shirts. It was funny at the time.

I stop in Creston to get some cash for the kids and drop off some stuff the Adam left behind: a pair of socks, his WHOLE BAG!? I'm glad for the opportunity to hug Paula again and pass some cash into Nicholas’s hot little hands. I’ll miss them…. Again.

And I am back on the road, thinking about how much I love this trip. I stop at the top of the highest pass in Canada right now, beside Summit Lake. The Creston Salmo is 1774 meters high and joins the East and West Kootenays. I have been here hundreds of times and appreciate it more each time. Although, I am just glad it isn’t snowing!

I start my decent and just about ram into a big horn sheep: yup..full curl Ram, and flash my lights at the oncoming traffic.

There is bridgework on the Blueberry/Paulson. I remember sitting here years ago with Adam. In the -40 degree weather of LaCrete I had stuck a piece of cardboard in front of my radiator. Back south, and having the car work hard in the almost +40 summer heat, I had forgotten to take it off and we overheated. But it was fun, and Adam was, as always, patient.

My next stop is in Christina Lake: a low fat latte at the bike shop and directions on the shortest route to Kelowna. I can’t stop yawning. The fellow says to turn left at Rock Creek, it should take 2 ½ hours.

Grand Forks has good Borscht. I keep going.

Greenwood is beautiful.. in the summer. The buildings are old, in a rustic really cute sort of Arkansas way. The town looks like a great big old yard sale.

I remember coming through here in a snowstorm. We were forced to stop at the only motel in town. Even the owner was surprised to see us, hesitently offered us a room and said the sheets were probably clean, but the last people said there were bed bugs. We continued on to Grand Forks.

Rock Creek: Vas knows Rock Creek: home of the best breakfast ever, with a real 'down home" feel - bikers, woodsmen.. The trees are tall: the creek is cold. I turn right, off highway 3 and on to some sort of connector to the Connector.

The road twists and turnsby lakes, old wooden homes, suspicious fields: old hippy country. The radio cuts in and out… I supplement it with a few songs of my own.

I finally arrive in Kelowna. It is a lovely modern city on the lake. Feels like summer holidays!

I haven’t seen Margaret for a while: she looks good and drags me to a free concert. They are making a video. Country music in three D! "Why would they do that" I wonder? Last time I went to a concert with Maggie, it was the Rankins. This was as good as that.

Only this time we are outside, which is nice. It is a pleasant evening, sitting on the grass in a mob of middle class white people listening to the country and western tunes of Doc Walker. I recognize one song: "Tonights gonna be a good night.. tonight's gonna be a good, good night" And it was. I have the pictures on my cell phone.

You'll just have to wait until I can figure out how to get them off my cell phone.

And where are my car keys?