I never thought I could come so far so quickly.  When I started this blog it seemed as if there was an enormous number of trips, that the 23 years Steve and I spent together would take me years to sort through.  I have tried to post more than once each month, so short clips and drafts accumulated quickly, and here, coming up on the second anniversary of Steve’s death I find myself at the brink of 2011-  the last year we were really free to travel.  Shocking! that all the time spent visiting S in prison we were more free than after I bought the screenprint business. Big Red was stolen in May of 2011, and was gone for ten days, found on 82nd Avenue in Oakland, somehow not stripped  .  .  we got her back the night of the eclipse.  The next day, June 1, Ann and I hung my ART SHOW! at Chester’s.

Just before the Opening, Jean and I finished placing the artist’s statement and labels, and afterward, went over to visit Pavel–what a mistake that was!  My life was perfect just then. What else did I need?  I was on the verge of Satori, but didn’t know the form it would eventually take. 

One sunny Sunday, Steve and I went to the beach with Hans and Jean.     We had a lovely day, a hike, and a picnic, and a few beers afterward. The pictures of him show me a side of sadness-I have no idea what he was pondering. Maybe he is happy, relaxed–looking back I search for clues in every photo, every memento he left behind. He had stopped drinking, and tried for a while to stop playing music.  They were inextricably linked in his life, and we often, usually play for tips and beer.  Playing music in bars–it is a dilemma many of us struggle with. Then later, Point Richmond, hiking with Jean-Jean and Steve- so funny, such good friends.  Both gone now.  the data files says these are the same day, 6/26/2011 but I think not  .  .  ?   It may be soon after we got the Westy–June 21. July 2 we drove the new Westfalia to Black Butte River Ranch to play the July 4th Weekend party.  This is the type of event that we wanted the Westfalia for.  A weekend festival with parking-lot camping where there is no privacy.  The band we are in is the Possum Family Singers–all fired Ex-Cavepainters and Silver Kittens.

The band lives on to this day.

Meadow Muffin (XXXV?) June 12, Saturday, Jet Blue to Ft Lauderdale at dawn-  6/13 Fred drives us to Key West Hyatt Beach House 14  Strawberry margaritas,  kid musicians on the street, El Siboney, Chart Room for brandies, Sea Grape! 15  Swimming, trash-pickup walk,  Kelly’s, Catman, Blue lagoon Margaritas 16  Botanical Forest, Green Parrot Blues Bar, Veriglios, bar-hopping, thunder and lightening 17  Ducks, Ibises, Iguanas, Hemmingway’s house, spectacular high clouds, Schooner’s Wharf,  Sunset Cruise 18  Dry Tortugas,  snorkling, Kelly’s, Schooner’s Wharf, fish fritters and calamari,  Bo’s 19  BBQ on the Beach 20 Dancing, fishing., hawaiian shirt, Mel Fisher museum 21 souvenirs, conch republic, the Muse Gurus at the Green Parrot, Kelly’s, 22, Salvation Army, Rain, shop, rest, Bahia Honda swimming 23 shop, pack, Margarita Swim Party 24 Stormy, winds, drive to Ft Lauderdale-  Flight delay, low clouds and high winds in SF Home, 1 AM

April 11, Walker Pass , Lone Pine to Death Valley

 4/12, 13 Warm Springs Camp–Flat tire 

Pahrump Nevada, 2 tires at Kelly’s, and a white buffalo calf (white turquoise) and silver ring, $114.

4/14  Greenwater Valley–flat tire #2   4/15 Mesquite Springs, bad guacamole in Trona 4/16 Palmdale, outflow wetlands, Amargosa wash behind Soliah’s.  Little Rock Dam at capacity — sick, 2 tires. 4/17 Home

4/20 BP disaster

All through the year, Possum Family Singers, Silver Kittens, Chesters, the Plough 5/29-31

Meadow Muffin (XXXV?)

July 3-5, Steve and I play the Black Butte River Ranch July Fourth community party with the Cavepainters: Rick, Ed, Matt, and Barry –wild.  Sunday Steve and I head out into the Mendocino National Forest where we see a baby bear on the road at the headwaters of the Eel River.  Lake Pilsbury, we camp on the gravel banks, stuck in 3rd gear all the way home (7/7).

On our return, an email from Rick, he has decided to “quit” the band, we can have the name and play his songs, he is keeping the venue.

Later, Ed agrees, he is “out”.  Actually “in”, as they are the band.

One final show, 7/16

July 23 Steve and I leave for Portland, to stay at Jo’s and attend Brewfest.  We stop in to visit my Aunt Honey and Uncle Zeke.

On the return trip, we meet Jean and Jerry at Usal Creek, site 23, $15.

Home 7/30, there are 2 calls from the Starry Plough asking Steve if he would like Friday or Saturdays, your pick.  We take Friday because we are booked Saturday at Fondue Fred-  then next weekend, we switch to Saturday.

As usual, Christmas in Palmdale, and back to the Plough 12/26.

January starts with the Cavepainters playing the Starry Plough New Year’s Jam, Ravines rehearsal at Soundwave, practicing in my studio on Fridays.  At a Battle of the Bands at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco, we went on first, Fred was visiting, and Steve and Fred showed up just as we finished playing.  Meanwhile, the Acoustic Ravines play Spuds on regular Sunday afternoons, alternating with 12-hour trips to visit Sara.  Steve and I play regular Thursday nights at the Plough with Cavepainters.

Feb 14 A quick weekend trip to Palmdale in the snow–and to hike Snowman Canyon with the kids

Fred comes to visit late March 12, and spends the weekend visiting Sara in preparation for her second release from prison.  Steve and I drive down and meet them in Merced on the 17th, wave goodbye on Wednesday–drop in at Palmdale, then

A G U A  C A L I E N T E – A N Z A  B O R R E G O

swim!

Flowers!

Snake!

Mortero Palms!

Carrizo Wash!

Bees!

Joshua Tree

and Home March 23, to practice with Celu for a gig at the Kensington Pub

Giuliani March Party 3/28

Celu- “and Friends”  April 1 at Kensington Pub, w/ Ravines at Spuds, then Chester’s on April 22 and every Wednesday thereafter.–through May 30 when I am FIRED! YAY! from the Ravines.  June 2 the Silver Kittens are born, recording at Matt’s garage studio

A yearly event, Black Butte River Ranch put on a free July 4th party for the community, and for several years the Cavepainters were on the bill. Across from the hunting camp at the confluence of the Middle Eel and Black Butte Rivers, someone had erected a stone shelter and a wheelchair ramp up to the home above. This is a favorite photograph of Steve, supremely happy. We usually took off into Mendocino National Forest after a gig in this area, but this time we had a passenger, so we headed right home.

Nevermind, we were soon to head north to Portland Brewfest, staying at Steve’s sister’s house, and then continuing on to Washington to visit my brother and his wife. There was a great deal of chaos going on in the background, and I ended up with a case of shingles, after suffering weird painful sleepless nights for a couple of weeks. I did very little writing, and my powers of observation were blunted. Brewfest was fun, though, many beers were good, and Portland was still lovely back then. We just had to hike along the river through great stands of Mullein, and cross a bridge to the festival, no driving.

My brother had always built model cars, and this is a small selection of his collection. I’m really sorry I couldn’t take some, later. There were some rare gems, very nicely done. The back of the property was wilderness down to a ravine and Mill Creek, later to become the name of the little town that grew up around them. There was a catio on the back deck, three inside cats and several outdoors, and of course, raccoons..

From there we took a ferry across to Port Angeles, where I was unable to connect with an old aquaintance in Sequim, so we continued around through just-then-famous Forks to the Hoh Forest.

We continued camping down the peninsula to Wyanahoochee Dam, then on to Oregon to visit my sister and her husband, with an obligatory visit to the Grand Ronde casino.

Heading down the coast we stopped at Foster’s Bar, a campground on the Rogue River where there was once a farmhouse. Finally on the Van Duzen River we did a final packup, sorting things to be washed and things to be stored. Heading home, we unloaded at sunset on what might have been August 6, and it was wonderful to sit on the porch again and watch the twilight roll in through the wires.

Meadow Muffin XXXIII, a yearly celebration on Memorial Day Weekend, at the Browns Valley Aerodrome above Marysville, below Collins Lake and the Feather River. The Cavepainters, Matt, Rick, Laurie, Steve, Barry, John, Ed, played Sunday afternoon, May 25, 2008.

This is me by the creek, wearing the commemorative shirt, 33rd anniversary edition. Though not every year had Muffins, all the years since 1975 were still counted. And here’s Steve.

Monday morning we headed out Hiway 120 to Benton Hot Springs in the Rain-and stayed at the Inn. Then through Chidago Canyon–a stop to check out the petroglyphs, and sublime cool winds from a storm over the White Mountains.

After stopping in Panamint to buy a bottle of wine at an exorbitant outpost price, we camped in Snow Canyon, where a short way above our campsite Steve found a Puma carcass, well picked by local varmints.   There was no way through, so we headed back to Death Valley and on to Beatty for gas, maybe a hot dog lunch at Scotty’s Castle.

After gassing up in Beatty, we drove back through Death Valley and up Warm Springs Road. We enjoyed dips in the warm spring pool and spent the night at the Camp, foolishly cleaning the swimming pool and trying to divert water to it.  Mistake.

Up early and on the road to Striped Butte to check out the open cabins there, we turned around because of the impassable condition of the road to Goler Wash. It was scary hot, a little muggy after the storm, so back for a second night. Heading out the next morning through the Valley to Lone Pine, we camped that night near the the base of Whitney Portal, in a little canyon up George Creek .  .  .  where we saw a ghost.

The next day we went for our traditional last day breakfast of chicken fried steak in Lee Vining, then up over Tioga Pass, returning May 31 in time for the Ravines’ Webcast at Ex’Pressions, and to play Spud’s on Sunday June 1 w/ Arsene Kounde on crazy drums. More gigs and parties to come.

The year began with a trip to Uvas Creek, near San Jose, and to see the Snow on Mt DIablo. Steve often rode his bike in the hills, or down to the bay, and took photographs with his little Kodak digital camera.

In early April the Cavepainters played a wedding in Canyon, and the afterparty at Barry’s Earthship up the road. For some reason we drove to the Moraga Safeway for beer and snacks, and leaving the store I tripped over a concrete parking curb and sprained my wrist and ankle. The manager and a clerk came out and brought me water, fussed over me and took my name and info, but I was fine, thanks. We asked for a bag of ice for my ankle and back to the party and played great! for hours, but that week I was hurting, addle-pated, took off work, unable to haul my paintings and missed my class. Plus, we came home to two parking tickets, so the gig was a wash.

It’s hard to describe here how we came to be in Palmdale in April of 2008. Some things are too fractious to dwell on. Don’t know if that is the word for an event, but it was definitely in the aether of that weekend. Trauma, drama, overwhelm, migraines, a difficult year all around, and the crazy neighbor on Essex had reached a crescendo. I buried myself in the record collection in the guest room, Thelonius Monk, Charlie Hunter, Blood on the Tracks, Pet Sounds, Mingus, London Calling. I picked some books and archives out of the stacks of boxes in the garage.

A brilliant loud moon that night, and cold in the morning. A hike in the rainy spring desert, Amargosa Wash was running, and a tamarisk grove had taken hold in the outflow from the new housing tract.

I did not do well at my assigned role, put my foot in it, and later heard my voice on the radio–oh dear, that’s not what I said, or meant, is it? Loading our guitars and gear into the 4Runner, we did not speak.

This is when I learned to pull the energy back to fake a positive demeanor, manipulate the molecules into something creative, positive, wholesome, good, productive. Steal their energy for my own momentum, my own use. Go back and make my own memory, change the future. At least I have that.

Driving north up the coast, Steve and I pulled into a hidden glade by a murky pond of oak leaf tea water, not really a campsite, at Chalk Peak on Plaskett Ridge Road. I found and made nonsense words from burnt and bent nails left in the fire ring. I had just started the Calligraphy series at the Adult School, and was obsessed with letterforms.

We talked at length about the cornered, mad-dog reaction, and felt badly about leaving everyone in that state, but happy as hell to get the hell out. I definitely felt like a negative force in the equation, but Steve said I was Absolutely Right. Still, it left a chill I haven’t gotten over. Ah well, it was election season.

Just that one minute ruined our appetites, we stopped for a fish combo and salads, and took them home. Don’t read the newspapers. Plant beans and lettuce. Feed the birds. Augery of the Ravens at the birdbath. Sleep for twelve hours. Home to a music party, where people say nice things about me and want me to play in their bands. Whew.

Here we are on Memorial Day weekend at the Meadow Muffin, a yearly music and camping party, 2007 dubbed “One For Irish” for Unreal Band guitarist Pat Quinn (that’s him in the photo in front of the stage), who had died just a year before. I’m on bass and vocals, Steve on lead vocal and rhythm guitar with the Cavepainters–w John Ingham on harp, Rick Purcell playing mandolin, Barry Gorin on drums, and guitar help by Matt Parker, because Ed broke his arm dancing and had to go to the hospital.

A shot of Jean Hooker, now departed, holding the CAVEPAINTERS live at KPFA cd cover that I designed.

Sharon’s Tacoma, Mike’s 4x van–and a view of the road from the stage camp to the Meadow.

A month later Stevie and I drove Betsy, our 1957 VW van,  to Black Butte River Ranch at the confluence of the Black Butte and South Fork Eel Rivers to camp and play the July 4 weekend party with the Cavepainters (no photo?)  The water was high, the swimming and hiking spectacular.

Afterwards Steve and I took the back road out of camp and east into Mendocino National Forest for a couple of days, where I chased down and photographed this fat rattler scurrying through the pine needles near our campsite.

For Steve’s birthday i. I signed  us up for an Electric car workshop near Hopland in October.  In between the class and the field trip, we spent a night camping near Jenner, Navarro River, at Paul Dimmick State Beach.  I discovered the secret of winter camping:  I wear at least four layers, and big black fleece lined boots I bought in South Tahoe, with 2 pairs of socks.  Here is Steve celebrating our completion of the first day by making us Bloody Marys in the sea mist and smoke,  10/13/07.

The class instructor Steve Heckroth’s property has a really interesting agglomeration of hand-made buildings.  He says Electricity has properties very much like water.  He trained with Stanley Ovshinsky, who designed and manufactured a kind of solar contact paper for metal panel roofing, and super-efficient batteries, and held many innovative patents.  Really did not expect to meet so many functional people.

Afterwards we drove through Albion north to Van Damme State Park, Site #3, Russian Gulch.   Showers, and pizza on the camp fire oven.  And BATS. Ft Bragg, Willits, around Clear Lake, through Yuba City, Auburn, Placerville, Rt 49 South to Plymouth, east on Fiddletown Road, Shake Ridge, Inland to Pi Pi Campground off Rt 88, El Dorado National Forest.  5000 ft, beautiful, oaks turning brilliant yellow, bright red and peach pink dogwoods.

“Above” Bridgeport Reservoir, 182, Too Cold! Windy!  I think I lost my hat.  Incredible color, everything is YELLOW  Some orange and pink.  Steak, potatoes and corn, bitter windy cold and clear skies. Too wild to make coffee, we split for Bridgeport and had breakfast at Sportsman’s  Bar, then a scalding bath in the bitter wind at Travertine Hot Springs.  Then on to Cherry Lake, where there is No Camping, it’s winter!  Nowhere even to stop for a photograph.

On the way home, we swung by Yosemite, Hetch Hetchy, 10/17/07

Mersey Hot Springs 10/19

and the Pinnacles

In November, after the big Coso Busan oil spill, we went for several hikes around the bay, including to see this super-high tide,

We spent Christmas in Palmdale  that year, as usual.   Steve forgot his backpack, and flashlight.  I forgot my camera, so I bought a new digital Nikon, with vivid, and black-and-white settings, and museum mode, which is a silent, no flash, low-light setting.  Palmdale seems so much calmer this year.

After Christmas we headed to Death Valley, back to stay at the Minetta Mine adopt-a-cabin in the Panamints, 12.27.07   We didn’t stay inside partly due to the stacks of handouts on HANTA VIRUS– although all foodstuffs are secured in plastic boxes in the not-working fridge, I felt better sleeping in my own bedding in the 4Runner..  That night I had some vivid dreams.  Professor Chickenman had a party in his rooms with waaaay too many people, and some huggable chicken people were there, plus one or two ‘drone” people, unable to talk, much less teach at the University.  Professor Chickenman was hitting on me, we was about the size of a chicken, or as I later found out, a Chukar.  He didn’t appreciate being called Chicken-Man.  He had a tiny head and no beak but a pointy beard.  I struggled to get outside, and squeezed out through the throngs like a grapefruit seed–poink!

The next day we headed east, through Ballarat and Goler wash, and dropped down to Warm Springs camp, another volunteer-maintained site where we were cozier and more relaxed making our own camp and sleeping in our own 4Runner. The spring was great, and warm!

Happy New Year!