I had a heavy two weeks without the internet in Bella Bella. Lots of action, lots of busy time, little solo or alone or down time to think reflect and write. By the time it came to my vacation days I was all wound up tightly and ready to spin out. So I did that. A few nights to myself, some good drives, some solid sleeps in my camper. Some sun, some nice dinners with myself, and then some more driving. Ye gods, I love the driving.
 |
| flying to Bella Bella! |
 |
| Garden! |
 |
| The crazy lovely view |
 |
| These are more pink here than anywhere. |
 |
| Mooin the funny little dog friend |
 |
| Flying to Bella Bella. With headphones on! |
 |
| More view... so pretty! |
Friday
was payday and summer solstice so what that meant was lets go to the marina
pub to dance! I met too many people whose names I'll not
remember and I danced to songs I didn't know
just to dance. And people were too nice to me. At one point, when I
first sat down and was looking all nervous and sober, everyone went
for a smoke all at once. One of them came back for me, put her hand
on my shoulder and said, come on outside with us please. So I did,
and they stumbled muttering you, no you, then offered me a paper bag
of fireball. I squealed with delight as Id been so wanting to start
my evening off with that but didn't want to look like such a lush in
front of new friends, and they laughed cos they were afraid to offer
it to me... aren't we all so funny...
Caught
a beautiful flight home on Thursday. Sunny and clear. The light shone
off the ripples in the narrows between the islands. The forests rose
and fell like a crumpled blanket, and as we passed over a lake on one
of them, I watched its still surface crinkle up with some wind that
came up on it. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever
seen. Flying over a narrow gap, looking straight down, I thought I
saw a boat with a smoke stack spouting out a plume of smoke before I
realized it was a whale. Awed the whole way home.
Rested
a night in Bella Coola then called in for work. Got my camper sorted
I hope, with rubber foot wiping door mats underneath it, what an
ordeal getting that propped up and wiggled out from under and back
into. Left at 5:11, from Saloomt. The hill was nothing at all going
up. I hit gravel, and slowly pulled
the truck up up up. The drop is fantastic. The view tremendous. The
smell of forest made me jump inside. The gravel road number twenty is
the best gravel road I've ever traveled. I had no trouble going
eighty, and cruised along the ways, not much later I was at the top,
and beaming down the road to the place I camped on the way in, Dean
Lake. I had to pee like mad. I pulled the truck right up to the pit
toilet, and glad I did since as I got out of my truck, a mad swarm of
large mosquitos whirled around me. I ran to the back, grabbed the tp
out of the camper sink, and without stopping my motion, ran into the
little green room. When I got back into my truck, I spent ten minutes
tracking down the last of them who were buzzing around the cab, the
dumb ones who didn't leave when I opened the windows to swat them out
humanely. Murderous swarms!
No
way was I gonna sleep up here, then, and steered my truck back out to
the highway, waddling over the roots and a cattlegrate. The first
several towns came quickly and I decided to try to make it to
Williams Lake. As I drove on, and on, and on, the country alternating
between incredible and boring, I set my mind on Redstone for gas.
I've decided Redstone is the most beautiful valley I've ever seen.
When
I got to Redstone, I didn't stop. I don't know why I didn't stop, I
just didn't pull into the place. I didn't even hit the brakes. I was
at half a tank, I wasn't sure at all that that would take me into
Williams Lake, and I wanted to sit and stare at Redstone valley from
up there in the parking lot. But I didn't even slow down..
And
then I was at a quarter tank, with three pages of map to cross still.
And as I came to the next beautiful valley, their gas stations were
shut, each of them, well, all three of them, dark buildings in the
dusk. I still had a quarter tank, though, and as I got to the last
page of map, I still had that quarter tank. I stopped at ten for a pee
and a salad, and thats when the eyes started to burn, the darkness
really fell, the traffic coming at me began to blind me a little, and
I started getting REALLY nervous that I wasn't going to make it to
Willams Lake as the needle pitched suddenly way below a quarter and
closer to the empty side, the way it does.
But I had passed the last town on the map, no way in hell was I turning around, so I pushed it for the big bridge over the Fraser River, looking forward to coasting down the hill to it.
But I had passed the last town on the map, no way in hell was I turning around, so I pushed it for the big bridge over the Fraser River, looking forward to coasting down the hill to it.
I
think that hill is bigger than 'the hill' to Bella Coola, and I
definitely forgot how long long long the one back up the valley on
the other side was. As I climbed, my eyes were pinned to the needle
on the empty line, recalling that there is no reserve on this tank.
Twenty minutes, still going up. I turn off the stereo to listen to
the engine, as it is definitely going to expire any second. Not ten
seconds later, it dies, I yank the wheel to pull it off the road and
it stalls there. I am prepared for this, and I grab my light, pull
the jerry can out of the back, and pour it into the gas hole, feeling
all puffed up and like a pro. As I get back up to speed, I pass the
Welcome To Williams Lake sign, and begin the twist back down into
town. Still not sure how far five bucks'll take me though, so the
first stop is the gasbar. Then the WalMart to sleep cause I am
bagged! I sit in the back and eat salad part two, have a few sips of
whiskey, then pass the fuck out with my earplugs all snugged in.
Great sleep...
Today
a bumblebee came into my cab. I leaned over and let it out of the
window. Then I saw a fox, trotting alongside the road with a rabbit
in her mouth. Pretty things.
A
bumblebee is supposed to mean community, opportunity, and selfless
service.
The
fox I've already looked up, it's about finding a way through
difficult times, or finding a creative solution to a problem.
No comments:
Post a Comment