Appledale

In reading Big Sur, I'm reminded of my own beatnickish past of bumming round Winlaw and that great little city called Nelson, years back with Fraser and that Shtinner dog of his. Him always with guitar in hand and me with tea. Sleeping on the cold old cabin floor huddled next to nothing and dreaming of East Indian girls in my sleep.. And running into Tara on the streets of Nelson, her tall and beautiful. talking about a party she is going to in the valley, that turns out being the very floor on which I've been sleeping in that cold cabin out near Winlaw. Fraser's brother has gathered jars of weed and guys and girls and is unannouncedly bringing them to surprise us in the day of cold spring, When we rendez-vous back out the valley with open bottles of wine and Nelson's best tall beers Fraser's old Chev with armstrong steering slowly bending way through the Koots with van loads of people in tow, rounding the same corners wondering why Fraser's driving so slow, him with Shtinner licking his face standing tall in the middle of that bench seat breathing fog onto the window and me trying not to get too much of his hair on me hoping to get close to one of these beautiful girls of the Kootenays. Blowing harp into the warm West Koot evening with the fire blazing and the little condemned cabin busting at the seams with joy and happiness and Fraser lands some honey while strumming that old guitar as people sing Grateful songs and night falls deep as morning rounds the corner all but I have partnered up and I sleep dreaming of East Indian women. The smell of burning tea and coffee in the morning and slow moving people arise to the new day blessing the spring morning sun we run to the river and I jumping in on March 26, and swim two full strokes beneath, arising to turn solid pink on the frozen edge of the Slocan River down in Appledale not far from that condemned cabin that by nightfall will be cleared of all other than Fraser, that Shtinner dog and I, as people have all hitched rides back to that grand little city of Nelson with bellies full and minds at ease. I stoke the fire as Fraser asleep on his bed and I nestle into my corner huddled next to nothing, to dream of my east Indian Goddess.