Wheels Pointed East

A break in the rain. It always seems to rain in Prince Rupert. I've never been here in good weather- I'm usually here in November or December. Fall storms rolling in. Rain. More rain. Snow. More rain. Wet feet. Why do my boots always leak here? Why do I park in puddles? I've been up since early. My room overlooks the Cow Bay Harbour. It's a mix of fishing boats, pleasure craft, water taxis. Beyond, the shadows of the ocean freighters form a long line. This is a growing international port- a sort of northwest passage for containers- but still has a small town feel.

Phone boxes like these are vanishing. I've been checking the road reports- there was quite a bit of snow over the last couple of days. I'm expecting flurries today, and slush covered roads. The good news is that the mountain passes are fairly low elevation. Still, I worry all the time now, and I'm heading out for an early start on what may be a long drive to today's show in New Hazelton, BC.

I bid good-bye to my hosts at the Eagle Bluff B&B. I've stayed here a few times now. Hands down the best place to stay in Prince Rupert. It's all about boats and the water here, so you might as well be in the heart of it. Cow Bay. The gig last night was pretty good- new faces and old. I met the local Cal Tire manager, and he invited me by the shop this morning to talk tires and snow. Apparently my tires are really good- not the greatest for very cold weather, but top notch for what I usually drive. We decide that chains would be a good idea, but nobody has my odd tire size in stock. My heart sinks. I do not want to head into the mountains again without chains. But off I go.

It's a little slippy, but there is not much traffic on Hwy 16, The Yellowhead, The Highway of Tears. There are some covered sections, but mostly it's better than anticipated. I take my time. In Terrace, I stop at a Canadian Tire, and find the tire chains I'm looking for. Tim's for coffee, and I'm back on the road.

Just dark when I reach New Hazelton. It's a house concert here. The woodstoves are fired up. Soup's on the stove. I have time for a little snooze before showtime.

A small crowd here tonight, but I have a very good time. I know I played well. We start early, end early, drink red wine. Again, life is good. I bring the Blues to Your Town. In the morning, I'll check the road reports again. I've got a long mountain drive to Prince George.