Her Black Wings

Last sunday night I got the chance to see The Black Angels w/ The Strange Boys and Oil of Angels... What a show!
Local boys, Oil of Angels were actually way better than I had anticipated and performed a quick set of 5 tunes.
The Strange Boys were a delight with their chicken-picken meets 60's era garage rock and a pinched vocal delivery by Ryan Sambol that was somewhere between a cat in a blender and the Kings of Leon meets S.C.O.T.S.
But to be honest, nothing can really prepare you for the power that is The Black Angels. Their mind numbing wall of chanted vocal, pounding drums and sheer reverb drone was accompanied by some mildly disturbing footage of dental surgery and a downsized light show(the big dipper is a tiny space). The drone/reverb/delay/feedback would oscilate back and forth between lulling you gently while wrapping you in warmth and pummeling you into a chilling numbness.
The music seems to me to take me somewhere between purification by fire and an instrument of healing by means cutting it out.
The one thing I missed was the sitar from the record. That would have been nice live.
Wow. Tasty show

Its been a few years

since I have carved a pumpkin so I thought I would give it a go again...

first a little lubricant

design decided and began

Final 1

final 2

Razor clams!

So Chris and I headed over to Copalis for our first Razor Clam dig... Well most of the time was spent waiting for the tide to go out. We wandered the beach and then had a very excellent burger and a couple of pints at the Green Lantern Tavern. Needless to say the weather was excellent. We both limited in about 30 minutes after I got the first one. It was really rather easy. We were headed back by 6:30pm. Of course we were up until after midnight cleaning them but now we have a whole bunch of clam steaks...

Copalis

On the beach

Headed Out

Our limit

Drinking deep from the bounty of the sea

So Chris and I decided to get our shellfish licenses this time around in hopes of getting to stand in the rain pulling clams out of the ground. You know, cold wet and generally a good time. Well, in the end it was really rather anti-climactic. See we both got our limit (40 clams) in about ten minutes. The sun was shining and the only reason I broke a sweat was because I was slightly overdressed. We also took 8 oysters since they are just sitting there on the ground. If anyone tells you that 40 clams a day is not enough they are crazy. We made oyster shooters, well shooters is the wrong word. The oysters were way too big for me to think of them as shooters. But we poached them in their own liquor with some butter and garlic then topped them with green onions and a little Tabasco. Wow they were tasty! Then we purged the clams in salt water with a little corn meal to get rid of the sand and then steamed them up (all 80) in a nice local white wine with parsley and green onion. Then we topped them off with fresh cracked pepper and diced tomatoes and served it all up with some crusty bread and a little more wine for the drinking. I think it is official now. I am a glutton. I almost committed suicide with seafood. But what a way to go. Funny we will go get some more today. Maybe make a Cioppino. Anyway, here are some photos...

Chris with clams

Tidal flats

Shucking

Hand sized oyster with liquor

Tasty goodness

Clams

Ready to eat

Remains of the day

Kismet: Reflections in light and dark (or) salt, smoke and the silence of the deep

So I am waiting at the greyhound station to board my bus and this young woman approaches me and asks me if I accidentally left a book outside. Since I had brought several along I knew it was a possibility. I said "perhaps" and reached into my pack to check as she said "Siddhartha?" I am thinking "oh crap, I almost left my book" as I pull my paperback copy out at the exact same time as she pulls out a rather well used hardbound copy of the same book.

We talked a politely for a little bit and I thought, "This is really odd that she would have found a copy of the same book I am reading and then asked me about it" and "she's going to want to sit on the bus next to me". After I boarded. she did come and ask if she could sit next to me. Of course I said that would be fine. You see, normally I end up getting stuck sitting next to the fat sweaty guy. As far as I am concerned this is a bonus since I always prefer sitting with an attractive young woman (she had stunning blue eyes, a light dusting of freckles and a killer smile) over the fat sweaty guy, and even more so if she is intelligent.

Later on the bus, she turned to me and asked if she could see my copy. She (Jill) was curious why the publisher would put Thai art on the cover of a book that takes place in India. I told her it was a painting of Siddhartha cutting his hair and asked her how she knew it was Thai artwork. She said that she was just back from Thailand and then she corrected herself saying she had spent the last 6 months in Juno Alaska driving a bus and the year and a half before that in Phuket Thailand teaching English.

We spent the entire rest of the trip talking about philosophy, meditation, Hemingway, food, travel, language, religion, American holidays, her desire to shop for clothes and pretty much everything else under the sun. Before we disembarked she gave me her copy of the book she had been reading called "Prodigal Summer". Needless to say, she was by far the best single serving friend I have sat next to in a long time. I just hope the ride back is as enjoyable.

As she made my heart race a little, I would have liked to have given her my number or email but, Kismet or not I thought that I should just take it as enjoyable conversation that helped to pass the time. Thank you Ms. Smith.

I missed the ferry, by the way. On another note, beer on the ferry is six bucks. ouch. they also wont let you take it out of the galley area.

After a quick beer,
I stand alone in the darkness
and feel the crisp air cutting
not unpleasantly, into my skin.
Silently I watch the lights
reflecting in the darkness of the water.

Breathing deep,
I taste the evening
tinted with brine
and the occasional drifting smoke
of some distant fire
Not unpleasantly, I realize
"I live for moments like this".
In the west
I find the Great Bear
and think of Zeus and Kallisto.

Stars above.
Darkness surrounds.
Reflected light.
As above so below.

The bow, the arrow, the goal: Undiverted

Do you ever feel like you missed your chance at something? Well I do. I know that I really have no one to blame but myself. But recently, I let something slip thru my fingers so to speak. Not that it is a big deal but it would have been nice. I guess I just dont really care anymore. Does that make me apathetic or just pathetic? Ha. I guess at some point I may regret it but right now I am just indifferent.

anyway.

Well I leave tomorrow for the coast and I have every intent to sit in the mist and drink hot green tea! Among other things I suppose, but there is something cleansing about the rain, hot tea and a cigarette. At least for the brain. Maybe the spirit too. Weird, how it feels like I am going home. I am even a little nervous. Not about the trip, that is always ok, but about how it will feel to be there and experience where I was and what I left 10 years ago: again. I know it will be different yet somehow the same. Still, I know I can never really return. But it is in my head and it will "feel" right. Perhaps I am just rambling but, the smell is the thing I miss the most. The dampness of the earth. The delicate tendrils of mist on the hills. mmh. Good for the brain... Anyway, so I may be posting I may not I guess it really depends on how I feel and if I am not to busy relaxing. Back soon.

Like a flag of permanent defeat

Well, I am getting ready to take a week off and head over to the coast. I want to stop at The Crabpot for the Seafeast and shop around at REI. I have also been thinking about hiking Shishi beach and maybe going on a razor clam dig... Good times hopefully. I am also going to see if I can find some Perugia blend while I am there. I intend to leave some time around the 9th and come back before the 18th so I can make it to Octobrewfest.