It's a relatively short run today from Kamloops to Enderby. I put the hotel Lincoln in order, go to Tim's for breakfast and a shave. No need to rush, I kill off a little time at the City Archives. My great-uncle Courtney Forsythe MacLean lived here in the 1950's, and I'm trying to trace what became of his family. I'm shocked to discover that he started his family relatively late in life and had two children— roughly the same age as myself. A trip to the school board archives, and a little directory work traces the children to Vancouver, to the late 1970's. Then the trail runs out... I gotta go. Still time for a relaxed drive to Enderby!
Always fun to load into Lorenzo's back door! I really like Lorne and his staff and the folks who come out to shows here. Usually it's a good time, a little bit of a party. A social. I'm hoping for a pretty good crowd here tonight. I could use the money after not making any in Kelowna or Kamloops. There's been a fair amount of press, so I figure that chances are pretty good we'll have a decent night. And it's a Friday, too.
There's the little Doc store, ready to go.
There are big shows scheduled here for both Saturday and Sunday, and it is the Halloween party weekend. Lorne tells me that Valdy will be here on Sunday— and that one is sold out. He wonders if people will go out more than one night of the weekend. I'm wondering that, too, as showtime rolls around. The place is pretty quiet. A few folks drift in and tell me about the new provincial drinking and driving laws. Nobody seems to know exactly what they are, but there is some kind of more than one drink zero tolerance tow your car away kind of thing going on. Apparently the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) are stopping people aggressively. Lorne says it may spell the end to places like Lorenzo's Cafe. It is pretty quiet. I wonder if he's right.A couple of guys from South Africa come in and order drinks. I get to work and entertain them and Lorne's dog. Later, after they've gone, we get a phone call at the bar. There's an RCMP roadblock just outside of town— and they are stopping everybody at the bridge. Too late for our guys. The place is empty. I guess the day of riding the backroads home is over as well. I wonder if I'll ever do another show here. I hope so. But I wonder. Change is in the wind. I pack my gear up. Early start in the morning.
Disappointing.
ReplyDeleteQuiet time in the valley all and all. Sort of between seasons. I don't know if I should tour the mountains during this time of year. Summer or winter, or maybe early spring. Fall shows are always a challenge in the mountains, and clearly there is going to be a period of transition as British Columbia, it's lawmakers, police and citizens sort out how the new drinking and driving laws are going to work, and how this will impact the venues in which I often am presented. I'll be considering this in planning next year's National Steel Tour.
ReplyDelete