Go Local

Whether it's your appetite or your transportation that needs accommodation, go local. This is a picture of a local lobster boat. I like to photograph local lobster boats. I went out today thinking I might take more pictures of local lobster boats. And then I was reminded by my car that it needed accommodation first. Because two days before I had blown a tire on a bad pothole and was riding on one of those ridiculous skinny spares. And tomorrow morning I have to ferry a friend to the hospital. So, in the afternoon of a day when the shops are loaded with people needing tires fixed after bloody pothole encounters, I was finding all the major auto service companies booked for days. But Norse Auto was not. I didn't find Norse Auto in the phone book or even online. The folks run it out of their house only a few miles from the village. Yes, I did have to stand around for about thirty minutes. But in that time, in a tiny waiting space where I had to move out of the way every time the door opened, I had a very personal experience. The lady at the desk introduced me to the owner, her husband. Between the two of them, the following worked out for me: my flat was revealed to me to be unfixable because exploded; the skinny spare was moved from the front to a back position because dangerous for turning in a front position; a wait of half a week for a new tire was reduced to a day. So my friend is good for tomorrow. And once she is home, my car will be made good for the following tomorrow. That is not the entirety of the experience. Also all the guys had ponytails like mine. And were friendly and funny as hell. So go local. And you can let your elbows down.

2 April 2025
Jim Lindsey
White's Lake, Nova Scotia
www.granitecoast.ca