Strange Shores

The Compass

Mike Schley — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:34:09 +0000

My new compass

So I stopped back by Heiram’s to see what I could find and almost forgot that the old man had a compass for me. When I came through the door his face lit up with a smile which then immediately turned to a frown as he began searching through the piles of odds and ends behind his counter. After a moment he surfaced from his sea of debris and held out the piece. It’s gorgeous! was the first thing that came to my mind. The craftsmanship and finishing imply great age but it looks like it was made yesterday. I’m anything but an expert in antiques and Heiram didn’t seem to know much about where it came from so what model it is and who made it are still mysteries. Funny thing though, I would swear that there was something that old turtle wasn’t telling me, especially when I asked him about the extra needles and dials on the thing. A smile and “I wonder what they do?” was all he would offer. I don’t think I’ll say what I paid for it but It wasn’t cheap. Honestly though, he could have gotten a lot more for it if he had a mind to.

Next time I go hiking you can be sure I’m taking it with me. Hopefully I’ll know more about it by then.

A visit to Hieram’s

Mike Schley — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:03:10 +0000

I finally had a chance to visit Hieram’s this morning. My God! What a shop! Although I didn’t find what I was looking for I, wound up spending hours poking around the store. The word Labyrinthine comes to mind but the treasures are everywhere, and instead of a minotaur in the center, there is a creaky old man who seems more interested in the book he happens to be reading than selling his wares. I have no idea how you could locate anything you were looking for in the chaos since there seems to be no logical order to the piles of nick-nacks and curios stacked from floor to ceiling. Nevertheless, I found myself absorbed in rummaging through the collection. Everything from surgical supplies to ancient maps clog the haphazard aisles. I mentioned to the owner that I was looking for an antique compass and after finishing some obscure passage in the tome he was reading he asked that I stop by later since all he had on display currently were cheap knockoffs. He assured me though that it would be worth my while since he was expecting to get something in that I might find very interesting. What a strange old man.

Here are a couple of photos I took while I was there just to try and capture the feel of the shop. I could lose myself for years exploring this place.

A couple photos taken in the isles as Hieram's.

Tip from a friend

Mike Schley — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:52:19 +0000

Got a tip from a friend to check out a curio shop in Mesa called Heiram’s. I’m still looking for an old compass to take with me on my hike next week. We’ll see what we find.

Introduction

Mike Schley — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:00:11 +0000

As an introduction, I think it would be useful to explain the purpose of this journal and why I feel the need to add to the endless stream of content pouring from your screen. First and foremost, these notes will serve to document what I am convinced is an aspect of our world that is as undeniable as the sky above us or the earth beneath our feet. Though they may seem to stretch the limits of imagination, whether you believe my stories or not carries less weight than the possibility that in reading them you might find yourself transported to a place where the division between what is real and what is imagined is a bit less clear. There are places in this world where the modern skeptical mind cannot travel without risking it’s hold on what it knows to be true. It is the exploration of these realms to which this journal is dedicated, so grab your hat, we are headed for Strange Shores.