saxophone blues

Puff the magic dragon ... what more can I say, it is an enjoyable way to spend a day.




Shot from below in search of a more natural expression, this photo of Kevin is weird how the eyes are right in the corner. I kind of like the way the composition worked out.




And another musician, the awesome Marty Carter. He almost always plays on this corner and the sounds of his sax on a quiet summer night on Baker Street is truly something to be experienced.



Here's an old B&W from about ten years ago, same corner, I love the little man walking on the saxophone!



Future mamma's friends while not as cartoonish in appearance still bear some strange power when gathered together as a group on the corner. Later closeups of their naughty bits.. just kidding!

runaway

So yesterday Tyla got so upset she ran away from her mom's place and started walking home to my place. It is at least fifteen miles, most of it highway walking, she is almost ten and I think realistically she could have made it no problem, however she really only looks about six and to see a kid that young walking on the highway well, someone stopped and drove her to my place. Needless to say I was freaked out but now I'm curious as to whether the couple, nice as they were, did the right thing. Personally I would have phoned the police, and as a parent would be way more comfortable with my daughter coming home with the cops than a strange couple. I wanted to know what they actually said that made her get in the car, because she knows better. She was unable to answer the question, she was too upset to make rational decisions. As for the couple well, we stress to our kids not to go with strangers so as strangers to a kid we cannot ask them to go with us. Isn't that it? Maybe they don't have their own kids yet, I don't know but I do know as a parent I would never ask a strange kid to compromise their training and come with me. Phone the cops, something else...am I wrong?



The squirrel catches the fill flash in the eye and takes on a menacing look with his muscles tensed pose, ready to dart away at any moment.



Cardboard cutout in the music store. Sort of a security guard in a way because he's life size and sometimes in the corner of your eye he seems to move and watch you.

future mamma

Ah yes, my favourite mannequin of all time. Over the years I have obsessed on mannequins and statues and generally things that represent people. I have gathered quite a collection of them over the years and I am still always looking. I am not sure of her name but she has been hanging out with her two equally intriguing friends to lure people to the lingerie shop behind. I am sure you will see more of them in the future as this was just a quick shot so I can always remember her face and dream at night of the place I would take her where the furnance is hot and plastic melts like flesh but I digress.



Pine sap on the side of the tree, the only tree close to the bus stop, so it provides a slice of shade on ever changing angles to serve as protection from the relentless beating of the sun on exposed head. I learned of it when I leaned on it. Sticky goo that won't come off except with sand and some intense rubbing.



The flower was a test of the close-up focus ability. The problem for me is I have a hard time reading from the screen on the back of the camera. It looked like this whole shot was in focus but the top is not in fact there is an overall funny kind of focus balance to this. An easy one to try again. Dig the flecks of yellow around the core. I didn't even noctice until later, neat!

Myzen

Okay let's start today's entry with a bit of zen advice I once gave Ryder and it seems to apply currently.

"Just because you see a path, doesn't mean you have to go down it."

This I post for Keith who I directed here by telephone tonight. I would like him to come here for a visit/Shambhala experience. It would be awesome. He is currently considering options. Therefore the quote. Choices like paths lead to change - some good - some bad - all some more experience to tell to anyone who will listen. Ask not what you can do to yourself, ask what the Universe can do to you next. You heard it here first!

A Keith memory; The two of us walking to town from Perrier Road. I lived in the house Keith in Kevin's bus parked in the driveway. Somewhere along the off ramp from the highway, where the houses above sit on a cliff edge guarded by brush we heard a couple of young voices hidden in that long green.

"Welfare Hippies"

I do believe we had a good laugh about that! Later when Keith was kind enough to lay some guitar tracks over some of my poetry and Arron sat in on bass, improvising magnificently, we performed a gig as the Welfare Hippies at the SubPub. It was totally awesome. Now let's reform the band, buy another old bus and some Grateful Dead flags and tour the country ... I'm telling ya it's a plan! I'm sure we could gather quite a following .. hehe! Giver Keith, get yer butt out here!



Anyway, on to today. At the bus stop I got Tyla with the google eyes peering up, a very nice distortion.



Later waiting for the bus home from the mall I cruise the pigeon walk looking for something to shoot. They live on this corner where the wind blows and food must be plentiful to keep them coming back. The bird in midstep is kind of neat because lately I have been testing the camera's ability to capture the moment exactly. I have gotten pretty good at it with the film camera but once again an area where the two differ. There is a second or less delay with the digital which requires changing when you actually click the shutter. i don't know I'm pretty happy catching the bird in mid step. It works pretty good so far.



And then to top it off, a few quick scenics for those who don't actually live here so they can vicariously experience the moment too.




Nelson's orange bridge crossing to the north Shore and a peek at the tip of Kokanee Glacier poking above all.

Oh yeah, I bought a mini tape recorder today so I can satisfy my fantasy of walking in the woods and writing poetry on the climb etc. However, wandering in the woods talking to myself could be construed as somewhat abnoraml so perhaps a long climb would be best. Heh, alas this is the spur of the moment effect it could possibly generate.

speaking of

anticipating the influx of material
generated by a voice activated tape
capable of capturing every nuance
of conversational dialogue
the possibilities tumble like boulders
shaken free when mother earth
rolled over in her sleep

softly the beginning was a pre-recorded set of stories
about origins and roots of survival
that provided the necessary background
to make an accurate judgement of character
regardless of opinion and appearance

world out of sorts delivers back a voice
ethereal in that it has never been heard before
but none can ignore the fact
those are the words spoken being relayed
from a mechanical box to ear to brain to finger
strains heavy on the board

gathering sentences into the ability to speak
in one long unhurried expulsion of air
flowing through shaped mouth
so the sounds mean more than
they appear to say

emphatically speaking loud enough
to raise the letters on the printed page
the eyes scanning for meaning
will never miss the directed focus
intended to make the embossing
have an effect

at the end of the hike up a mountain path
the visual descriptions fade heavily
when transcribed to a page

under the rhythm of time beating
inside the head mimicked by the way
the feet fall into the course of the ground
and absolute solitude on the inside
lets the purely driven moment
in the space of flow
where everything has more tangibility
and becomes access
to the divine way sunlight splatters
colour across beginnings and endings

on it goes, new weapon in hand

These original images are 2272 X 1704. Blogger automatically reduces them to 1024 X 768 (if clicked) and 400 X 270 to view here. The real power of this camera shows clearly in the larger images. This forum for exposure doesn't quite do them justice yet even still the quality is pretty good! This is going to be fun! I think I will get back to trying to post some photos each day. I just lost motivation there anticipating the arrival of money. It's like everything goes into this weird limbo and you find yourself procrastinating by saying, oh as soon as the cash is here I will be able to do that and this and that. And yet once arrived, nothing much has changed.

Walking down Baker St. today this long white pimpy looking car cruises close to me and honks. I don't recall knowing anyone with a car like that so I figured it must be some guy hitting on a woman passing by. Then when I hear my name I turn around and go back and look inside. Kevin with a huge grin says, very john like, or pimp like, whatever your pleasure, Get in!




So I take a morning detour up to Kevin's house. I once lived in a different house Kevin owned, like twelve years ago, but he still has his cat, Maow, cuz that's the sound she makes. Maow is one of those cats who can drink from a running tap and being the queen she is actually insists on it. Maow is also a transcendental plane traveller and once rescued her owner from an intense acid trip into another place and time, reminding him of the sublime and the actual.




Out in Kevin's backyard there is a heavy odour of skunk and it's not us causing it for once. Kevin takes the hose around the yard and sprays down the smell. Then bravely crawls under his deck to ensure there is no critter lingering there. When he popped out I was ready for him with the camera and the slight focus shift is a unique blur that I have only really seen with digital cameras. Film cameras tend to blur in an entirely different way.




We stand on the deck checking out the day while I focus on the ground and instinctively click a shot of our shadows. I like the way Kevin's head is at such an odd angle and some bright colour, whoa!




Demonstrating the close-up to Kevin I took a shot of his crab shell that he leaves around to haunt the squeamish.




And almost unnoticed on the wall in the corner the strange musical instrument somehow morphed into a three dimensional wall painting.

hockey deal is signed

the beard started as a playoff beard then the strike so it stayed until the strike was over.. well over a year! ... like shaving age off your skin or somethin'





The new camera is awesome! This shot just over the fence in someone's yard was a test to see if the colours of yellow could be differentiated and yes indeed , a fine job.. i like it!

first time with new camera

very interesting for a random point and shoot ...

destined to be a fool

Well, I got a phone call the other night. Haven't heard from her since xmas. The last time she was here was September. "Hi Dave, it's Channae, I want to come to Nelson and stay with you for a couple of weeks." "Uh, sure that would be alright I guess."

I duck as Jenn swings her 'you-stupid-idiot-stick' at me. Live and learn. Ha, this woman is schizophrenic and a very trippy individual to be around. I couldn't just say no. Well I could have and probably should have but I have a big heart and if she is calling me after 10 months there must be something happening.

Ah well, I feel like I am prepared to handle anything this time but I know I am just kidding myself. As long as I don't get into another fight things will be okay. Hurry up and get here Dez in case I need you to keep her in line again. Yehaw, you were the greatest that night, sticking up for me and my honour, ha, wow, it was awesome, can't say as I've had that happen before.

Ah well, tomorrow I get some money so it will make things much easier this time!

wish me luck!

brain battle

zen scene

a carriage with a driver
riding for a long time
suddenly door opens
passenger says go here
rider says no my carriage
passenger says but i'm in control
driver says good to know
i will still drive where i want to go
because there is no right or wrong direction
but if you dont go here you will suffer
i will not suffer knowing that i suffer for a reason
suffer first come to me after for non suffering
impossible to go beyond dualism
from a dualistic interpretation
why bother
can't be buddha if we think we are not already
spread seeds gather fruit

end scene

can a dud eh!

nicotine stains on my flag in the window?

learning how to smile

half way there