We’re in a hotel in Osoyoos. The wind is pounding so hard it sounds like ocean waves. Very deceiving. Today was a rough travel day. We had snow right out of the gates in Victoria. Apparently record snowfall there. Two inches I think. Ironically, things were pretty good until Hope, BC. Then we hit HWY 3 towards Princeton and it got ugly. Icy, Snowy roads. There is never much chatting going on when the travel is like this. Just some tunes in the back ground and some silent hope we don’t spin out of control into the 10 – 20 foot drop off that is the ditch. Coming around a bend I saw headlights, barely, peeking up from way below. We pulled over to suss it out. A family had ditched. Hard. Everyone was ok. They travelled on with another good samaritan and we went back on our way. We stopped a bit later at a hotel to call a tow truck for them. No cell services where the crash was. We saw a few other tracks that seemed to drive over the edge into the night. You don’t get far fast at 40km and hour but we made it here alive. We were thinking about pushing on and then decided to stay here and find food and rooms. During supper our waitress pointed out that we had a flat tire. Good thing we decided to stay, it’s a tall climb over winding roads between Osoyoos and Rock Creek. After food we hit the hotel and are chilling. I’ll deal with the tire in the AM. It’s too nasty outside to think about it right now.
Our island trip was fun as always. Beautiful Tofino, Parksville and more. We had our first gig at the Arli in Port Alberni and stayed at a scary, sketchy band house. Total horror movie shit. We were sure the zombie apocalypse was upon us. Good news though, it wasn’t. Last night we played in Victoria for the first time. What a pretty city. I look forward to visiting in the summer when it’s in full swing. We played a joint called the Upstairs Cabaret. Formerly the infamous Harpo’s. This place is legendary. EVERYONE played there….BB King, SRV, Robert Cray so many of my hero’s. We knew all about it’s rich blues history before we got there. I was stoked. I love places like that. If the walls could talk!!!! After the show we found out that some of my hero’s from other genres also played there…Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Mookie Blaylock (pearl jam) Nirvana….Crazy thick rock juice on those walls. Now, after last night there is a little bit more. Pity it’s a dance bar most nights now. Ain’t that the way. We had a great time and rocked for a real great crowd. Big up’s to the Victoria Blues Society and Deb Rhymer for being so cool to us. Can’t wait to go back!!!
Here’s the view from the bar:
so Cool!!!
After the show we had some drinks to celebrate our Victory over Victoria. Now we are trying to navigate our way to Elkford BC for a Wednesday night show before we hit up Alberta again for some farewell gigs. Looking forward to it all. Well, except for the snow covered roads in the kootenays that is!!
Stay good, talk soon.
MB