Green Achers of Wabigoon, ON: Pappy's Cafe

Still cold today. -32. It's been a big day. This morning the car was, as expected, dead. I had another go with the vice grips. There's a little rod that has to be turned to release the thing holding the bottom of the battery. I simply can't turn it with my vice grip wrench! I end up calling the Auto Association for a boost. Yep, she starts right up with a little help from a good battery. I drive back across the street to Canadian Tire. I'm so cold now I'll pay them to take out the battery! I've had enough. Except that the garage is closed today. So I'm on my own after all. I've left the car locked and running outside, but knowing that I'll need to shut it of eventually, I buy some heavy duty jumper cables. I used to own all this sort of stuff, but it was all lost in last year's wreck.

After breakfast in the Husky Truck Stop I've got to turn the motor off to buy gas. Good thing I have the cables! I need them! One of the guys working the gas station gives me a jump off his truck, and I'm off. I'm going to Wabigoon, hours early, to hang out and stay warm, get my guitars inside... Manager Suzanne, has a socket wrench set in her truck and it takes us all of four minutes to change out the battery! The Lincoln fires right up with the new kicker in place. The day is looking better!

It's cold, cold, cold. The roads are ice covered. And it is snowing. I'm told that there is an Elvis impersonator playing Dryden tonight, so I may not have a crowd out here anyway...

All set up and ready to go. Every travelling musician in Canada stops by this place sooner or later. It's right on the TransCanada highway. You can't drive across the country without driving past this little cafe. I've had some good shows here. People driving in from places like Sioux Lookout, Ear Falls, Red Lake. Downtown Wabigoon, ON. Tonight I've got maybe ten souls composing my audience. I give them what I believe to be a great show. I've got a good front row- what more do I need? These people have travelled on dark and icy roads to be with me- and I really appreciate that. Note to myself: NEVER forget to appreciate that! I know people who are out there tonight going through the motions with far larger crowds.

Outside it's even colder than before. Pappy's owner, Bruce, locks the place down and we both head off into the night. Nothing moving out here except the occasional semi. It's so cold the smoke from their stacks hangs in the air in long trails behind them. They are like dragons, growling along with so many bright eyes, so many expressions, so many complaints. They trace the ice road, and I wonder how I'm going to join them in the morning. About 400km of slick, ice highway to my show in Thunder Bay, ON. Still snowing, too. Back to my motel to call up the road reports- as if that will make a difference! The short drive to the motel is dark and slippery. I plan for an early morning, and a long day on the road.

Damn Cold- Really!

The seven year old battery in the Lincoln would not begin to crank that big motor this morning. Dug her out. Jumped her from Dave's truck. Took a long time to warm up as well. It's down at about -27, and there is more snow on the way- so I decide to get an early jump on the weather. Tomorrow I'll play Wabigoon, ON, just east of Dryden, ON. Today, I'll try and do 250 km of icy roads. Plan is to beat the storm and get in early. I'm going to take my time. Well, there is no choice. You'd think they would of cleared the TransCanada by now. But apparently not...

Dave and I have had a big time playing with my old National amp- and with the new copy he constructed from the blue prints for this amp. Pretty cool little rig! His has also got a tone control. National, Supro, Valco, and Gretch all used the same basic circuit for this little, one speaker amplifier. We also played around with a tobacco can pre-amp that Dave had recently constructed. Exactly what my new cigar box needs to sound boss through this small amp, low volume set-up. Big gain at low volume, and filter down that treble side! My CBG is not actually playable yet, but I'm looking forward to having her join the show once she's ready! Every time I hang with Dave I learn a little more about amplifiers and the parts which make them work. He plays with circuits and parts the way some guys play music with guitars.

Canada's national highway. A mass of ice with a bare spot down the middle. An Australian company has been given the contract to maintain this section, but they won't lower the plough blades beyond a certain point- they want to save money and reduce wear. You don't see a whole lot of commerce coming down this road today. And I'm thankful. The semi trucks have enough weight to hold the road at a higher speed, so they'll tailgate the cars, bully them into the ditches as if nobody else has a right to be out here. Some "bad weather- no pass" trucking laws might save more than a few lives. And pretty much every day sees a serious truck wreck somewhere between Kenora and the Sault. These boys can't actually go as fast as they think. They'll slide, too. And hard.

I reach Dryden early enough to visit Canadian Tire and buy a new battery for the Lincoln. These guys want a full hour of shop time to install it for me- $90- plus taxes on the labour. I pass, and buy some vice grips on sale for $9.99. I'll change it myself in the parking lot. It is -30, and I don't have gloves or real winter clothing- and my leather cowboy boots on the ice are cold, believe me! It's so damn cold that the car is covered in frost just sitting there. As the sun goes down I'm wrestling with the battery- it won't come out! What gives here? Frozen right in? Nah, there must be a clamp under it somewhere! Damn! I can't get the battery out. I'm frozen now! And the garage is closed. Thankfully, the car starts on the old battery, and I drive across the road to check into a motel. I take the new battery into my room to keep it warm for the night, and I google up Lincoln battery removal... I still can't feel my thumbs or toes. I put my feet up on the window mounted heater and blast it as hot as it will go.

Storm Rider to Kenora, ON

I do hate to roll out of Winnipeg when the weather is doing what it's now doing, but it's my time- and I got to go! Here's a very Canadian, Manitoba scene. It's -25 and blowing up a storm. Roads are shutting down, and I'm driving into the storm as it blows in from the southeast. Damn. I've been trying to put a house concert together for tonight, but it's a casualty of the weather. I feel I've got to head east as far as planned today, because if the weather worsens I may not get to the following shows without this head start. Cheapest gas I've seen on this Tour. That's for a litre- about a quart- of gas. Tim's provides the caffine and a breakfast sandwich. I'm off!

High winds push and shove at the Lincoln. Good-bye to the prairie flats. I'm trying to go east. This would be about two and a half hours in good weather, but today...

It doesn't get better. But I'm thinking that if I do make it to Kenora I'll head on down to the Bijou Club. Edmonton's Bill Bourne is supposed to be playing a show tonight- and if he doesn't make it through the storm, I'll try and scarf the gig for myself!

Rolling into Kenora on worsening roads, just as it is getting dark. The highway is bad- but the local Kenora roads are worse. Humpy ice ridges and deepening snow. I can feel the tires slipping and sliding underneath me. It would be bad to ditch dive at this point, but better here than out on the TransCanada 17. I'm going to stay with my good friends Cathy and Dave, and to my relief I make it up the side road to their house. Hello! I'm parked safely. I'm inside. It's warm. And Buddy, the dog, seems to remember me.

Dave phones down to the club to see if the show is still on. Yes, and apparently Bill is already there. Oh, well, no gig for me tonight. I decide to go to the show anyway, as a number of people have asked me if I have seen the featured artist- suggesting that I do so. Of course, I bring along a guitar. I know the promoter, and the owner of the venue, so I'm thinking perhaps I'll be invited to play a little half time set. But I'm no rock star this evening. I'm to pay $20 for a ticket, $8 for a glass of wine. And I'm to sit through a set that lasts for two hours and fifteen minutes. Bill Bourne is a veteran performer, an interesting guitarist and storyteller with a comfortable stage presence. I can certainly understand his popularity, but we come from different worlds. I've enjoyed the night, but I'm glad to get back to my room. A little warmth. A little solitude. And a big sleep.

Blue Tuesday in Winnipeg, MB, La Garage

I just can't get enough of this blues town. I'd love to get here in good weather again- but what can you do? It's pretty damn cold- something like -30 BEFORE the wind chill factor. There's snow and ice and sand on the road, and when you walk it sounds like breaking styrofoam. The silver lining to down time in Winnipeg is simply the great number of fine players that live here. Having visited with Big Dave last night, today I'm catching up with his former harmonica player, Gord Kidder.

Back about 1973, when Colin Linden and I were an aggressive young blues duo, Mitch Podolak invited us to play at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. The first people we met were Big Dave McLean and Gord Kidder- an aggressive young blues duo from Winnipeg. I think we all played extra well that weekend, as none of us wanted to come out second best! We did become friends and- as some of you might know- have played in different combinations over the years. I don't remember whether or not that was the weekend where an even younger Colin James followed us around for guitar lessons... I'm thinking it's now been about 35 years since I last played the Winnipeg Folk Festival. It now costs money to ask them if they would be interested in having you on the bill! So unless I get an agent, a manager, a record label, or pay to attend a conference with them- all pretty unlikely- I will probably never appear there again. Barring some health crisis or accident I've probably got about 15 years left as an active performer- so I suppose there is still time.

Sam Chatmon didn't have an agent or a manager and, so far as I know, neither did Bukka White, or Blind John Davis, Roosevelt Sykes, or Martin, Bogan and Armstrong. But whatever. Tonight I'm hanging with Gord Kidder at Debra Lynn Neufeld's place, and we're playing records from his collection. The Winnipeg Folk Festival couldn't be farther from our minds.

Gord is one of my favourite harmonica players anywhere, anytime. It's a real pleasure to hang out, play these records and talk about the parts, the players, the instruments. I don't get to do this often enough anymore. Most of us are on the road all the time, or playing with Muddy. I miss days and nights like this one.

But these things come to an end. By eleven o'clock I'm on stage at La Garage. My friends Rockin' Ronnie Lindsay and Dancin' Lou are in the audience, so I play a couple of requests for them. Great sound in this room! Ronnie has hosted Winnipeg's number one blues show for over 25 years. He knows his stuff, and I'm always honoured that he will come out on a cold and snowy night to hear me play. I'm extra honoured that he showed up wearing one of my Tour jackets. Guys like Ronnie are the glue that hold the blues scene together, keep it alive, keep it growing.

High and Lonesome- Winnipeg with Big Dave McLean

We were not high or lonesome- always great to hang out with my pal Big Dave McLean. We've done about 300 shows together from coast to coast, and have known each other for over 40 years! Another fun night- hard to go wrong with Joanna Miller on drums and John Scoles on bass. The Doc and Dave adventure will eventually be on the road again...

This is a club where people can wear housecoats. Owner/bassist John Scoles demonstrates Times Changed fashion. There is a big rack of coats visitors can choose from.