It's not too long a drive today from Grande Prairie. I can't find breakfast, and I spend considerable time in a Canadian Tire parking lot– purchasing and adding fluids for the Beast. Oil, washer fluid, antifreeze, fuses... The air suspension has frozen into the low position again, but she perks up when I gift her some new fuses. Compressor kicks in, mutters, and the car rises. We're still several feet lower than the trucks parked around us.
Find a gas station and fill up. More fluids. Expensive morning. More than I made last night pouring into the Lincoln. The windows, as the rest of the car are almost totally obscured by a thick, greasy dirt. It's a messy, messy drive on these highways. The side windows are almost obscured, and it's a good deal of work to get them cleaned off, much less the windshield, headlights, brakelights. I set to work with a squeegee and paper towels, and eventually the grime is cut down to safer levels. Tires are good. I'm into a Tim's for coffee and on the road!
A dull sort of day. These flaming stacks can be seen here and there from the highway. Burning off sour gas, I'm told. There's plenty of debate between the ranchers and the oil people about the environmental safety of these burning beacons.
Here's the venue! Wow! Right at Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway! Not many buildings like this one left on the modern prairie. They've done a great job converting this one into a museum and public galleries.
Nice, eh? I will play right in front of the giant Christmas tree. Very festive! Everybody is nice. I get set up, and have a nasty fall on the ice outside. Shook up. But OK. I'd hate to break a wrist or an arm at this point! Bruises I can live with! My hosts take me out to dinner, and then it's showtime.
An early start and an early finish here tonight. A good, friendly crowd. I'm able to meet quite a few people. The evening ends in an encore and, of course, not before awarding the Tour jacket to a lucky concert goer!
Back to Dave's house for a scotch and some conversation, and then it's time for a big sleep. A pretty nice day.
I'm rolling out of Dawson Creek this morning, not too early, not too late, very well fed by Dave, my host. We've talked politics, boats, cars, and now I'm back in the Lincoln tooling out to look at this high prairie once again.
Coming down the main street downtown it is kind of quiet. There's a sprawl of ugly strip malls and chain stores along the highway.
There's the Lincoln in front of the landmark Alaska Hotel with it's Dew Drop Inn bar and saloon. The owners came out to my show last night and even MC'd the Gallery Concert. Nice folks. We chatted a bit and they invited me to visit the Alaska. Nice room downstairs. I notice that my friend Tim Williams has played here. Maybe I will, too. It's a very friendly town, and big enough to suggest a return visit.
I don't need shoes today. Actually, I want boots– western boots– Tony Lamas to be exact. So I need a good western store. This is really oil country now, more than cowboy territory. Lots of country music on the radio, but lots of rock as well. And enough folks pouring in here to enable roots artists like myself to follow. I notice that Fred Eaglesmith, Valdy, Ray Bonniville (did I spell that right?), and even Guy Davis have been finding their way up into this frontier, boomtown area.
Here's where one big road starts. I'm not going to ride it too far today, but I'll get a taste. The Lincoln purrs, waiting.
OK, I'm off! I get an extra big coffee from Tim's, and point the big car north. It is a little greasy today, but I'm taking it easy and haven't got too far to go. Couple of hours of drive should do it. Not much traffic at this moment either. That's good. These northern roads are surprisingly busy with big, commercial truck traffic. That means stones, water and ice thrown up from the road constantly. I've been through buckets of washer fluid, the car is caked in dirty ice, and the windshield has been broken in three places. Next northern trip I will budget for a new windshield right off the bat. We lost one last year on the road to Prince Rupert under similar conditions, so I guess it's just the price of passage for southern wheels.
Looks like this today...
Yeah, getting steep!
Curved bridge! Wild, eh?
Peace River valley, I believe. Big plans to flood this for hydro electric power. Big fight. It'll all be underwater in a few years time if the big guys get their way.
Here's the gig! It's a small, but friendly head shop-bookstore. I stand by as display cases are moved and the place is converted to a small concert space. It's a good, if quiet night. The big, Canadian football game is on tonight. The Grey Cup. We suffer for it, but the folks who are out are with me!
After the show we do a little jamming. This was really neat! When was the last time you saw an instrument combo like this!? Yup, he's playing a saw, with a bow. He's got little dampers and things on it. Amazing Grace never sounded so good! Home Routes will have to start running in both directions.
