Though it’s a long weekend, Memorial Day is always a bit melancholy. Filled with blanks, so to speak. As I sit here and gaze into the past and all my friends and family who’ve been lost, there’s just a rush of stillness. It’s probably only further illustrated by the intoxicating soundtrack of the weekend, Things Are Happening At The Same Time by Portland’s Heavy Lids on Seattle’s Dragon’s Eye. As time folds in funny patterns I think about the near twenty years that have elapsed since my grandma passed (and ten since my dad did). I was reminded of her while in Seattle, stopping into Soil gallery where this month they present SuperHeroism: The Adventures of TransitMan by Christian French. This weekend Newfoundlander Michael Flaherty offered his Bicycle Rehabilitation Project and also explained to me that he, too, studied at NSCAD (oh, the memories, the fewer degrees of separation). Ya see, my grandmother both worked for the transit system and lived half her life nearby Gambo, Newfoundland. One day I hope to visit.

Then, just yesterday while delivering my new work (Placebo Complex) to NAAU I spied three dead racoons alongside the highway. Three is the most powerful of all numbers, it’s a perfect triumvirate of points. It saddens me to see these amazing wild creatures meet their fate, but it’s also a sign, something for me to de-code. As Paul and I venture once again to the crater of St. Helens today I will be open, more sensitive than usual, to most of what I encounter.

• • •

The encounter included a wonderful ride around the north side of the mountain, by its surrounding volcanic caverns. We stopped at three learning pavilions, one run by the forestry industry, and the two major visitor centers (Coldwater and Johnston Ridge) set up by the Parks Dept that had all sorts of displays about the region and the 1980 eruption. It seems important to note that in the parking lots there were cars licensed in the states of Nevada, Montana, Colorado, California, various provinces of Canada and even Vermont. The films were engaging, the views were a bit spotty among the clouds, but there is this mystique of threat among the lovely vistas. Quite a site. We ended the day on a sweet note at Brock’s Oak Tree in Woodland!

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 27th, 2007 at 9:21 am and is filed under Aural, Daily Grind. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.