Wet to the bones, September 1975: Nelson BC

Wet to the bones, September 1975: Nelson, BC
By the beginning of September the rainy season seemed well entrenched. Parts of British Columbia east of the Okanogan Valley while not suffering drenching rains were cloud covered most of the time and if not actually raining there was constant moisture in the air. Having spent most of the past six weeks staying in a tent, myself and belongings were thoroughly damp. I was feeling the need to move south to a dry climate. The picking season was dwindling. This meant that any remaining work would likely not be lucrative and because of the weather carried out in adverse conditions. The small wages I made during good harvesting times was spent. So, I headed off with empty pockets, knowing I would be observing a fast of sorts until I got to warm dry weather. If I had any wishes, they would be for a can of chewing tobacco to keep gnawing hunger at bay and dry socks to provide physical comfort.
My first ride was provided by an elderly man, who expressed gratitude when I agreed to give him a hand. His story was that after a lifetime working on his own farm in Saskatchewan, he tired of driving up and down the same section planting identical crops each year. Selling his farm, he used the proceeds to move to BC and purchase an old mine. With it came large piles of tailings. These he contracted with the provincial government to crush and provide them with gravel. He had purchased a large mobile conveyer. He was going to retrieve it and needed help raising it up and hooking it to his pickup. This is the hand I would provide. On the way, he explained that he needed two workers to man the machinery at the mine over the coming winter. He would provide food and lodging for them over the winter and it was likely they would be trapped up in the mountains until the following spring. The bonus is that upon the advent of spring a sizeable pay would be due. It was an intriguing offer that I mulled over while about our task.
We were successful loading up his equipment and returned to the highway that led to the US border. I decided to follow my inclination to head south. He offered me twenty dollars for my help. I thanked him and after we parted I went into a dry goods store and purchased a tin of tobacco and pair of socks. I set off to seek warm dry weather. Often that winter I thought about the missed opportunity, because I had not taken his contact information to follow up on his offer, should my mind change.