So... moderate wild intro to winter in the mountains. Up before the sun and grabbing coffee on the outskirts of town. I've got about three hours to get to the television studio in Kamloops. This should be plenty of time out of Kelowna. I'm going to scoot across to Merritt and up the big road. Maybe a few more miles at higher elevation, but all divided highway— and a quick ride if the weather is good.
These are always fun to do and— unlike big city TV— people will be coming up to me all day saying "I saw you on TV!" You don't need 15 minutes here. Seven and a half will do.
The weather is not good. Well, it's patchy. I drive quickly in the good spots to make up for the extra slow pace where the road is fogged, snow covered, and slippery.
There are a bunch of wrecked cars and trucks in the ditches to keep me honest out here. These are fresh wrecks. Ditch divers. New pickup trucks smashed all to hell. Could be me with this Lincoln. It's a big, heavy brute— but I haven't done enough winter miles in her to know what she'll really do in a pinch. Caution is the main word. Me and this car are going to get there. Easy. Take it easy.
Soon we're good out here again, and it's not long until I'm at the studio and ready to play.
These are always fun to do and— unlike big city TV— people will be coming up to me all day saying "I saw you on TV!" You don't need 15 minutes here. Seven and a half will do.
After Midday there's time for a short lunch break. I look out over the valley. Strange little mountains here— humpy things. Pretty nice to look at.
Next stop is Long and McQuade for my workshop/masterclass. I never know what to expect, but that's part of the fun. The staff are always great, and Kamloops is no exception. While the usual manager is away on a family emergency, Grant takes good care of me, and I'm set up in no time. It's a quiet day, midweek late afternoon. I play a few tunes. Show some folks how to play in open G, demonstrate fingerstyle guitar, talk about the blues.... I'm done. I'm looking at recording gear. I'm thinking of picking up an Mbox or somethng similar I can use to record to my laptop on the Tour. There are some pretty interesting packages out there. Ultimately I can't decide and leave empty handed. I want whatever I buy to be ProTools useful, and to (perhaps) be useful beyond my hotel room. I want 2 balanced lines in— is that asking too much? No. It just depends what you want to pay for the outboard gear. Gosh... cassette machines were never so difficult to decide upon! I'll drop by Longs in Surrey, BC and look again.
A quick bite and it's off to Grinders, where there is a local jam tonight. I couldn't buy a gig in Kamloops, but I have a great time sitting in and meeting a whole bunch of talented local players. Thanks for the hospitality Perry, Stella, and all the players! Fun night! "Angola Prison Rodeo" was really fun with three drummers, bass and harp. Thanks, Wolf Child! I was wishing I had a guitar with a pickup so I could sit in on more stuff. Now the Hotel Lincoln is ready, and parked within wifi distance of a Starbucks...
Your mention of vehicles in the ditches reminds me of a hairy trip we took from Calgary to Kelowna on Xmas Eve five years ago. Scott was driving smart and cautious, but the roads were terrible through the mountains and a lot of drivers didn't have the sense to slow down. We saw many of their vehicles, which had passed us a few miles before, in the ditches. In one, the occupants' dead bodies were completely covered by blankets. We were pretty relieved to reach our destination but the experience was enough to convince us never to drive through the mountains in winter again.
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