Prickly Pear

And then it snowed. It was a fortunate snow. From Sunday into Monday. So when I headed out on Monday, there were 6 - 8 inches of fresh powder and all of the snowmobiles had gone home. Just me, the snow and the silence.

Back in 2006 I spend a couple of months in the French Quarter of New Orleans. While I was there I involved myself with a locals bar called Evelyn's Place.

Now that April is here, I guess it is safe to talk about Winter. it was a mild winter up here in the hills & I have discovered the joys of getting lost in the woods on snowshoes.

A quick little wind ensemble piece to create an oasis of calm in a hectic day.

On one of my drive-abouts I found myself in Yellowstone National Park. it's a jolly fun place if you like that sort of thing... You know... Buffalo, trees, geysers & such. It pushes a couple of my buttons for sure. Yellowtone has wo many cool sounds that I simply had to record some of them.

Porphero's watch Chain is a straight-forward, two-voice investigation into the unrequited feelings a pocket watch might have for it's companion watch chain.

There is an old proverb: "A fooish person and their camera soon becomes tedious." This is a risk faced by everyone who walks about with a camera hanging around their necks like an albatross.

This is the final of a series of François Couperin pieces. "The Slow Tenderness" is a lovely little tune.

In the guise of Gort Braggern I mashed together this cluster of melodies. Mosltly in 5/4 time, it closes out in 9/4...I tried to make it danceable, or at least head-bobbable.

I wonder why François Couperin would name this tune "The Gnat?" (or "The Midge" if you prefer) Could it me that gnats had a significance in 1717 that I am as yet unaware?

Here we go again... another of Couperin's harpsichord pieces

Well Golly, if one thing is for certain up in these hills it is that , at some point, the weather is going to turn chilly. At least the snow doesn't burn. And every thing looks different with snow around... It gives one the opportunity to take pictures of all of the same things and have them look fresh.

The Mysterious Barricades... What might François Couperin have been referring to when he titled this one?

A piece written by written by François Couperin for the Harpsichord & published in 1717.

A cute little tine in 12/8... except for the bridge... it jumps around a bit there... almost latin sounding. I named it after a favorite chili pepper. the Chiltepin, also known as a bird's eye pepper.

Once again I found myself at the ocean with nothing better to do than subject my microphones to hostile conditions. I had been driving up and down along the coast south of Monterey looking for the right spot. I was looking for a protected cove-type location. One without a mile-long expanse of sand and giant waves from the deep ocean to come crashing in.

Been spending a little time wandering about the local hills seeing what they have to offer... on days when the air is clear enough... Which lately has been more often than not, couldn't say that a few weeks ago, and really, there isn't much I can say about the wildfires that hasn't been said better already. I've only been inconvenienced by the smoke & fires... others have had it infinitely worse.