leaving from Penticton

Ho!

Here we are in Penticton. We spent time in Squamish, cooked a dinner, had it with friends, and that is like a red wax seal on a goodbye letter to Canada, so good. We then drove to Penticton where Bryce's family lives. He has met my family several times over so I guess it makes sense that I meet his, and also eat their food. Mmm. Lots and lots of homemade pizza.

David and Katherine are two people travelling with us. David's a cheesewright and also many other things, and Katherine's a nanny and many other things. We are going to beat it down to San Francisco in 6 days to be there by the 16th, on account of David's got a family reunion. It's the only deadline we have, and I find myself comforted by it.

Besides that, our trip is sewn rather loosely, like a burlap sack. It may tighten into a recognisable fabric as we see places, understand where we need to go to learn, work, earn money, buy food, work, be paid in food, warm up, cool down, fall in love with places, with people, with dogs, with gypsy caravans, etc. I'll let you know the vibe.

Nate Kaplan is also travelling with us. He's a magical man whose most recent occupation was brewster, so I'll call him that. We spent the evening last night drinking magnificent illegal closet-brew and filtering veggie oil for Leslie, Bryce's van. It's an greasy hallelujah of a process that involves a lot of pouring and squeezing. Feels far better to do than sticking a nozzle into your tank and you don't even see the gasoline ever. If we're going to be burning it for 1500 km, I'd rather get it on my hands first.

plus bryce tells me our work is valued at 120 dollars an hour, calculating from the price of the equivalent amount of diesel fuel.

Me and Bryce have been in the following places over the last few months:

The Ecovillage in Shawnigan Lake, the Cowichan Valley.

Occupy Victoria in Centennial Square, Victoria, sleeping in a tent.

Pat Henneberry's house on Mayne Island in the Salish Sea, building a cob.

Quest University, in Squamish, up the coast from The Vancouver City, building a cob.

My family's house in Nanoose Bay, mid-Vancouver Island in the Georgia Strait.

hitchhiking inbetween all these places and playing copious amounts of accordion and ukelele. We have been playing this song a lot, if you listen to it imagine us walking along the side of the road belting it.

All in all it's been a good fall,

I can infer it'll be a good winter.