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Leaving Eastend (March 9th, 2009) It's
4:00AM... and I am up and working!
I'm a musician, not a farmer!
I fell asleep around 10PM last night,
so I got my minimum 6 hours sleep. Thoughts had been racing through my head all night about all the things I still need and
want to do. I need to clean the house; I need to record some songs; I need to photograph "Scotty The Dinosaur";
I need to get posters from the show I played, and then I need to pack. That's just a sample of the activities I have to accomplish
before I can relax, and do the rest of the things I feel are necessary in the final day at the Stegner House.
A few days ago - I went to The T-Rex Museum to see their exhibit on several dinosaurs (including "Scotty The T-Rex"
- found right here in town, and the sole reason the state-of-the-art museum exists in a town of only 600 people). I was so
busy preparing for the show, I forgot my camera, and I also forgot the extra money I needed to buy things at the gift shop
there.
So I return for a few minutes.
Every kid loved dinosaurs at one time in their lives, and
I was one of them. I used to draw them all of the time. Many of my friends have kids now, and they love dinosaurs too! It
would be a shame if I did not take a bunch of pictures, and buy some gifts here and there.
I have brought a banjo
with me out here to Eastend to record music I have written for the record for "Return To Big Rock Candy Mountain",
and many of those songs I played at the concert for the first time. It would be a crime, if I did not record the folk song
that got me going on the concept - the same song that inspired the book by Stegner. I got a crazy idea of using some of Stegner's
voice off of the video tape here in the house. On it - he recites a spoken word verse of the song. It's supposed to be a happy
song about a hobo, but when he delivers it... it sounds like a eulogy.
I think he got it right actually. I tape
the song off of the television, and then transfer it to my lap top recording studio... and then play the music over it.
It was 18 degrees below zero when I woke up. It is now around the balmy temperature of -2 degrees! The sun is shining,
the wind is low... a good day to travel. I was thinking of staying overnight one last time, but I would have to leave around
8AM (just after dawn) and a snow squall is coming in overnight, so I decide to leave today.
I call Ethel on the
phone, and tell her goodbye, and thank her for taking me out to dinner when i arrived last week. She sounds sad to not see
me one last time, and I confess that I feel the same. I assure her I will be coming back soon with my wife, to celebrate our
20th wedding anniversary in less than 2 years.
I take out the garbage in the back yard, and I snap a picture
of the water pump that has been restored. The car is packed, and idling, and I take a few pictures of the porch, and the front
entrance. I make one last idiot check, and decide one more picture needs to be taken.
I slowly drive away, and say goodbye
to Big Rock Candy Mountain. I'm doing it in reverse today. Sort of.
After the rough ride I experienced
outside of Climax last week, I decided to take a different route on my way home. Shaving 20 minutes off of my drive, but much
of that on gravel or dirt roads.
At least they are maintained roads.
For the part of my trip that goes
past Robsart, I experience nothing new. I pass the ghost town, and then head towards Consul.
Arriving in Consul.
The road splits to either Alberta, or to Montana. Neither are paved, and neither have much traffic, houses... or anything!
But there's plenty to see. There's nothing in the way. I see a prarie dog! It's just the two of us out here in this
part of the world.
I'm nearing the US Border, and after my last go around with the border officials
in Canada, I was a little more relaxed. I have nothing to hide. But still, I always end up feeling interrogated. It's their
job, and I respect that. I just hope they respect me.
The temperature reads around -2 degrees as I pull up to the
gate.
I am greeted by a serious-looking gentleman, with an important job to do.
"what were you
in Canada for, sir"
I hand him my passport card, and the poster for the show
I just played.
"Business?"
"More like a vacation."
"Any firearms?"
"No, sir."
"prescription
drugs?"
"Nope."
"Alcohol?"
"I left two cans of Guinness behind me that I brought in last week."
(smile)
"any fruit?"
"Just a couple of snack packets"
"are you carrying any cash over $10,000.00?"
"Nope.
(I wish!)
"so what do you do for a living, Scott?"
"I'm a musician."
"mind if we search your bags?"
"Go right ahead."
The windows and lift gate have been
open for awhile and it's freezing cold. I'm starting to get a little bored. It's around this time that I decide to earn a
little official respect, as I recently took a part time job back in Hadley, Massachusetts, but usually don't bust this fact
out on people... until now.
"I also work at the US Department Of Fish &
Wildlife Services."
"Woah."
The man looking
through my stuff immediately stops, and stands straight up. He's fairly impressed by this news.
"It's no big deal, I just move a few boxes and sweep up a bit around the offices."
(the
questions stop - they are all done with me here)
"Good to see you sir. Have a good day."
Descending
into Havre... I get some nice mountain shots.
"Mountains come out of the sky... and they stand there..."
Tomorrow: I will get back on the Empire Builder (in a light snowstorm, with wind chills of -35) and head back home
to Massachusetts (via Chicago). I plan on upgrading to a sleeper car, and that will be the last part of my story. This has
been an experience to remember for a lifetime! I have been welcomed back to Eastend anytime I want, and the Stegner House
is mine to live in when that time comes.
That time will come soon enough!
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