I thought I'd blogged about her before, searching the blog, apparently not.
So I'll tell you about this person, famous local personage whom everyone knows and whom I met shortly after moving to the area. Maybe before I moved to the area, on one of my frequent trips, coming via the ferry to Nelson in my old Volvo 240 DL. Best car ever, although not so good for prospecting...
Anyways, a rainy May long weekend, coming from the Balfour terminal towards Nelson and what should I pass but a Circus Clown. Genuine. Bona Fide. Giant Clown suit, oversized clown shoes, clown make-up, tiny umbrella. There's no way I'm not picking her up. The only thing that could make this better would be a bloody hatchet in her free hand, but - you take what you can get and I've learned to compromise.
Pull over, she puffs over and tries to get in, once, bounces out, twice, bounces out, third time's a charm. Turns out the Clown suit is a tight fit.
Drive towards Nelson. We chat, she introduces herself, explains the clown suit. I didn't ask, didn't think it polite, you see a lot of way out outfits out here, but I'm just straight enough she thinks it necessary.
So she's a clown, off on her way to do some clowning.
Now, having lived here a few years I recognize her as a local personage, she's quit clowning and tried politics (a natural evolution I've come to recognize), still pass her once a week in town or on the highway.
Anyways, long story short - this isn't the clown I'm talking about.
No, this is about the Valley Shaman. Friend's told me about him before, I'm pretty sure I know who she means - I mean, how many Shaman can there be in the Valley, but - as it turns out - you'd be surprised. So the Shaman had been invited to her workplace to do a cleansing. Lots of Shaman stuff. Sage, smudging, dowsing, pegs thrown down in corners, rocks, chanting, drumming, more dowsing, minor pyrotechnics. Friend is impressed. How could you not be?
Anyways, friend is discussing Shaman with co-worker, who - as it turns out - knows him. Co-worker is not the person in the first story above.
- "Yeah, me and '....(shaman)', we graduated from Clown school together back in...."
And I'm thinking. You know what I'm thinking. How many clowns are there out here?