The Babylions of Birtchmont
Kamloops
Nathan and I had a wonderful visit at Kamloops Library. My little friend was not nervioso this time around, and we both agreed that we'd love to return to this nice small city. After saying good-bye to librarian Andree Beauchemin (see photo), who high-fived us both and gave us a serious thumbs up, we made our way to Vancouver.
The drive down to the coast was beautiful. The mountains became pastel green mounds, the road followed windy river gorges, and el ferrocarril hugged the hills all the way down.
The site of el ferrocarril with a caboose-chain flying along it (see photo) seemed to make Nathan quiet and pensive. When we came upon a spectacular view of super-long Kamloops Lake, he wouldn't even get out of the car to take a gander. (See photo below)
Finally, after 5,000 kms, 9 days, and lots of fun, Nathan, Fin and I finally arrived in sunny (!) Vancouver. I stopped Fin in front of Kids Books in North Vancouver, so that I could sign some books, and I was surprised by Nathan's suddenly cheery mood. "Can we go to the Mothership store right after?" Nathan asked.
"Sure," I said.
After signing some copies, the three of us drove across the Lion's Gate Bridge, through Stanley Park and downtown, crossing the Burrard bridge to Kitsilano Beach. We slowed down Fin because the beach was packed. It seemed the whole of Vancouver was sunbathing by the water.
When we finally got to the Mothership store, Kids Books on Broadway, I put Fin in park. "Okay," I said, turning to Nathan, but he had already hopped out of the car.
I jumped out as well, expecting Nathan to be waiting by the curb, but he wasn't. I stepped to the sidewalk and looked down the street, and I could see my little friend running in the distance.
"Nathan," I called out. "Stop!"
To my surprise, he did. "What?" he yelled, his hands on his hips, his chest heaving.
"Where are you going?"
"You know exactly where I'm going," he insisted. "We're in Couvervan, creature." (Read Earth to Nathan Blue to find out where Nathan might be going.)
"Right," I said, nodding my head, thinking. "Okay, fine. I guess I can't argue, but we have more visits to do next week."
"I'll meet you at the Plutonian Cafe in the 10th quadrant in 72 hours!" Nathan shouted, and then my little friend brow-saluted and took off turboblast.
Shaking my head, I put my hand on Fin's warm hood. "Well, my friend," I said, smiling. "Now that it's just the two of us, what do you say we take a little holiday from our tour?"
There are all kinds of silences in this world, but Fin's, I was certain, was one of complete agreement.
I patted my friend once more, turned toward the store, and went in to sign some more copies of Earth To Nathan Blue.
Closing Note:
When Fin and I return from holiday, and Nathan and I meet at the Plutonian Cafe, there will be more work for the three of us to do. But by that point, this author will to have to get back to his regular job of typing stories that eventually go into BPC's (See Earth to Nathan Blue pg. 29).
To find out what happened to Fin, go to mattbeam.com in July, where you will also find my new flog, The Babylions of Birtchmont. Please contact me at info@mattbeam.com if you'd like to be on my update email list.
Thanks to all the readers who came along for the ride!
MB
Matt Beam on 06.08.07 @ 12:30 PM EST [link]
So while the boys traded baseball secrets, I caught up with Gregory Roberts, first-time author and soon-to-be doctor. Gregory has written a hilarious book about baseball for readers 11 and older.
Calgary to Kamloops, 800 kms
I looked down at the S.E.S. light and thought, "I hope 'soon' doesn't mean 'now'." 
Sure enough there was sign for Finn River and a lookout area. As soon as I slowed Fin down, his engine began to quietly purr again. As we made our way to the look out, he quietly explained.
On Thursday, after the first two presentations, we were able to get a gander at the South Saskatchewan river (see photo) and to visit McNally-Robinson bookstore. The manager at the store was very excited to meet Nathan, exclaiming, "It's Nathan Blue!" and then turning to her employees, "Look, it's Nathan Blue." My young companion meanwhile had transformed into Nathan Red. He can get so bashful when the spotlight is on him.
On Friday afternoon, after our last school visit, we said goodbye to the North Park Wilson's librarian Brenda Nissen (see photo), poured another bottle of oil down Fin's esophagus, and began the 7-hour drive to Calgary. 
The road to Calgary was amazing. At first everything looked much like the flat prairies we had been driving through (see photo) but then things got a bit more rollicking. Nathan insisted it all pretty much looked the same to him, so I warned him in jest, "Well, just wait until we hit the Badlands."
Finally, I slowed down Fin, and took a picture (see photo). Within minutes, we were ascending the little bit of Badlands, and Nathan blew out like he had been holding his breath. 
The highway was straight and flat (see photo), and we had a long drive ahead of us. I was a little worried about staying alert because Nathan had passed out again and Fin was on autopilot. But about 3 hours into the journey, near the border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, something arrived that none of us were expecting.
The snow lasted for about an hour, and then suddenly the road was spring-like again. I saw Nathan shaking his head and heard him whisper, "The 8th quadrant's snow squalls. I've heard about them. We must be getting closer to the Monstrous Mountains and Dark Soldiers of Noir."
Nathan reminded me that I failed to tell you about Mo from Chapters in Sault Ste. Marie. When we entered the store, Nathan took off to the Religion section to learn more about Buddhism and "why that follicle-less humanoid was walking without zapatos." I went to find a staff member so that I could sign some books, and I met Mo (see photo). 
It was true, sort of. Just before I took the picture, the moose was sizing us up, and indeed looked like he might run us down. Anyway, he didn't and we were thrilled to finally get a moose on camera.
Sure enough, beside the Upsula gas station, there was a raised monument to a mythic fish that many an Upsulite had tried to catch. It was a hard to read the plaque below him, but you didn't really need to. All you had to do was look at the gilled and grilled fella (see photo). 
When we reached Ignace an hour later, I dropped another piece of Nathan in the return slot at Ignace Public Library. The Librarian Cheryle Potts had really wanted to meet him, but she and her fellow Ignacians were fishing and hunting for the long weekend. I noticed that Ignace had a 9-hole golf course, and it was a gorgeous day, so I decided to stop for a quick round. 
I left Nathan, at least a part of him, in my room at the Holiday Motel just outside of Sault Ste. Marie (see photo.). The rest of him -- his personality, his good conversation, his unusual thoughts and ideas -- came along for the ride, but he was definitely much quieter. Fin, although still lighting up the S.E.S sign, was also quiet, but like a good mule ready for a long trek in the mountains. I forgot to mention that Bonnie S. at TO headquarters learned that the S.E.S. light is only serious when it's flashing, which it hasn't so far, which is good considering where we were going...
After lunch in Wawa, and a quick stop at the 28-foot-metal statue of a Canadian Goose (see image), something seemed to change in the environment around us. Nathan noticed that all the trees were sort of shimmering and cried, "It looks like frostifrication!" 
I began this TO-to-Victoria Earth To Nathan Blue driving tour thinking I was going it alone. No such luck. That's the problem with us authors: we are never ever truly on our own. When our brains aren't concocting strange plots with unusual characters, we are breathing life into the lifeless things around us. I'm not meaning to drag the rest of the world of authors into my absurd notions of reality ... okay, maybe I am ... but it seems I'm having trouble telling a story straight. Anyway, here's how the beginning of my journey, um, began...