Bowled (not well) then some clean up and puttering about. Also got a few pages done on the book - see following paragraphs. I've been promising to put something on here a bit more than our daily routine. Here is where I am at at the moment with Forks In The Trail. At this point in time in the story, Roj has made it as far as West central BC in his trek. He has taken a route away from the main highway and is  heading further north, his last stop over was the town of Terrace.

He went back around the truck dropped his pack in the back and climbed in beside the driver.

“I really appreciate the ride.” Roj said. “I was beginning to think I might run, ah walk all the way.”

The driver looked at him curiously for a moment then said, “My names Phillip, what’s yours?”

Roj replied, “Roj, it’s short for Roger. Last name is Holden.”

Phillip nodded without replying then after a few minutes asked, “Did you know I was comin’ up behind you back there?”

“Uh well sorta, not really but I wasn’t paying attention to where I had come from.”

Phillip nodded again, “You reminded me of, of, uh, well something. How long had you been running like that?”

“Oh I don’t know, maybe an hour or so.”

“Hmmp. You ain’t part Indian are you?”

Roj didn’t hesitate, “Yeah actually I am, My mother was half white.”

“I thought so, you don’t look like it but the way you was running gave me the idea. She, your Mom teach you that?”

“Well actually no, it was my Aunt, she learned a long time ago.” Before Phillip could respond Roj added, “And she is all white but she can do things that even my mother can’t do.”

“Yeah? “What kinda things?

“Just things.” Then to change the subject, Roj asked, “Where you comin’ from today?”

“Terrace, had to make a fish run down last night.”

“A fish run?”

“Yeah we dip ‘em and net quite a few and run ‘em at night when all the fishery guys are sleeping.” He grinned at Roj.

Roj grinned back, “Gotcha. So do you lay over or just drive straight back?”

“Drive ‘em, dump ‘em and straight back. Right now a couple times a week.”

They both fell silent for a while, then Phillip asked, “Why you goin’ to Nass Camp? It’s kind of a crummy place y’know.”

“No I didn’t know, it’s just on my way and I figured I could get there today if I ran all the way.”

“Why dontcha come home with me, my gramma cooks real good and there’s a spare bed in my room since my brother got married.”

“Oh, I don’t want to put anybody out.”
“Nah, that’s okay, I think gramma would like to talk to you and I‘ll run you as far as Cranberry Junction in the morning.”

Roj thought for a brief moment then said, “Okay, sure, thanks. How old are you Phillip?”

“Just turned twenty. You?”

“I’m twenty-one.”

Just at that moment they went around a bend as ahead of them and on either side of the road was nothing but barren rock, some of it river smooth and some in broken piles.

“What? It looks like lava!” Roj exclaimed.

“Yep, that’s exactly what it is. You never heard about this?”

“No never. How old is it?”

“They say about three or four hundred years. It comes from about fifteen miles off there to the  east and goes all the way to New Ayansh,’ bout twenty miles or so. It wiped out about three or four of our villages, killed hundreds of people.”

“Wow, I didn’t even know we had any volcanoes around.”

“Yeah it’s the only one I know of. My Gramma says it was because of a bunch of young kids shootin’ burning arrows at the salmon in the shallow waters. The elders got after them one day but that night they did it again and our God blew up the mountain.”

They drove on in silence for a few minutes then Phillip asked, “How come you’re heading up this way?”

“No real reason, I was home for the summer and felt like I needed to see something of the land so just headed out.”

Phillip glanced sideways at Roj, started to speak then changed his mind and just nodded instead.

Several minutes later he said, “I know ‘bout that, I sometimes get that urge.”

Roj nodded in turn.

Eventually they came to a fork in the road Two signs were nailed to a white post, one proclaimed that Canyon City was a mile to the left and the other said NASS CAMP 10 Miles, an arrow pointed down the road ahead.

Phillip turned off onto the Canyon City road and immediately the truck was bumping along a much rougher road and they weaved about through the lava bed. “Government doesn’t maintain our road but we run a grader over her a couple times a year.” 

In spite of the rough road, the mile was soon covered and they pulled to a halt in a large cleared area that was obviously created for parking vehicles. At the west side of the lot, a suspension bridge was anchored it went on to span a large fast flowing river.

“Here’s our parking lot,” Phillip grinned. “Everything gets packed back and forth across the bridge, except sometimes in the winter we can cross on the ice just up stream.”

The bridge had been well constructed and was anchored into a raised concrete platform.

“The Indian Department got money for this a few years ago, I think I was ‘bout ten or so. We actually don’t mind it so much as we always know when somebody’s coming. Also we got a great mushroom pickin’ area and the bridge kinda makes it private.”

The bridge was about  a hundred and fifty yards long in length and in moments they descended the  stairs on the other end. Roj looked around and some of his amazement must have shown on his face.

Phillip looked at him curiously and said, “Ya look kinda funny. Somethin’ wrong?”

Roj shook his head and felt his face flush, “Uh, no nothing, it’s just that everything is so neat and, and I, oh I don’t know. This is a nice little town!”

“Yeah? Why you so surprised? Oh, oh yeah I get it. Well when you see Nass Camp and maybe New Ayansh they won’t be like Canyon City.”

Roj, shook his head slightly. “Sorry Phillip, that was wrong of me, but even my great grandparents village wasn’t anything like this.”

“Yah that’s okay, I’ve heard ‘bout some of those places. It’s too bad, but my people here, the elders that is, wouldn’t let that happen.”

They walked for a couple of blocks along a narrow street and then turned into a neat yard that was mostly a vegetable garden. The house was fairly old but well maintained and looked comfortable.

Phillip lead the way up the steps and opening the door called, “Hey Gramma, I ‘ve brought someone home for supper and the night.”

They stepped on into the half light of the interior.