deep in the desert

April was an interesting month.  March was non-stop studio preparing for Feathers, Scales, Shells at the teahouse, so when the show was hung and I finally stopped to breathe, I realized what was ahead of me.  My dear friends, Sarah, Christian, and Cyr began brand new beautiful adventures in the month of April, and so much of the first couple weeks were spent bidding bon voyage.

It's not my favorite, saying bye to people.

The Tallest Man on Earth says "there are no real good-byes if you mean it."  and I would say he is correct.


In order to re-center, re-invigorate, and remember what's clear- I headed east last weekend with my boy besties (I think they hate it when I call them that) to the Alvord Desert, which is snug in between the Steens Mountains and the Pueblo Range in one of the most remote places in the lower forty-eight.  It was divine, and exactly what I needed.  The first night in, we camped in tents without rain flys. and I grinned myself to sleep while watching the stars and listening to the Fleet Foxes new album (which, I might add, mentions Innisfree several times: a lake isle beloved by WB Yeats and also the Mullen Family of Maury County, TN).  I woke with the dawn over the desert, spent the morning soaking in the Alvord Hot Springs, then hiked all afternoon on the Pike Creek Trail.  The weekend continued with campfire food, frisbee throwing, guitar playing, walking out into the half inch lake that covered the Alvord with a soft milky mud, and spending a lot of quiet time with the boys and Kelt, letting the desert wind refuel me.

Now, back in Bend, with the PoetHouse in transition and spring STILL not here, I am hanging on to the clarity of being in the outside lands, and looking forward to pouring some of that clarity into my artwork.

Quietly Working Over Here

After another music filled weekend, (back to back shows of our fave- Okkervil River in Portland and Eugene, topped off with a early morning dip at the Cougar Hot Springs)

I am busily working away on things for the upcoming show in October at the PoetHouse.

Images of the latest work will follow shortly. Hopefully.

That Harvest Moon.

Technically, I believe the harvest moon is in October, but that didn't stop my outdoor boys from suggesting a sunset hike up Mount Bachelor last night.  

Bend saw record high temps yesterday, making hiking conditions perfect.  Ryan (Ole Man), Lotan, James (Sequesto/Boot), Al and I got to the mountain at about five thirty, double knotted our boot laces, and were off.  The boys are avid mountaineers, and they kinda left Al, Kelt and me in the dust. Well, Al and me anyway, Kelt kept up pretty well.

Destination- The top of That.  Elevation 9000 Feet. 

About halfway up, the sun started to dip.  The Views of the Three Sisters and Broken top were soft and gorgeous.

Al looking toward the summit.

We finally caught up with the boys at the top.  Al and I made it just as the moon changed from bright pink to bright yellow.

James, Kelt and I  at the Lift, before  soup and Lagunita.

d

Top of the World.

Standing Bow on the Summit- Quite Challenging in the Wind.

The hike down only occasionally needed head lamps, the moon was so bright.  The boys tumbled down the snow fields as a short cut, then hid out at the top of the Sunrise Lift in order to scare the slow pokes.  They came yelling out on all fours, like planet of the Apes.  My first thought was deer, then bears, then If I yell they will run the other way.  Al had no reaction, because he was expecting it.  Those funny boys. 

We finally made it down to the truck at eleven thirty.  Lovely.