Still on the Edge in Sumas

No post for weeks and now new ones back to back. Been working the last two weekends on the mundane job, the one I get paid for. No complaints, I telecommute after all, but would've been a good weekend to work on the bus. I've got about everything done that I wanted in time for the Labor day weekend trip, except for some more painting. The next 'big' thing will hopefully be some connections to the various water tanks, grey water tank, eventually black water and a toilet. Funny I can't get excited about that; maybe a toilet is to symbolic of a permanent place to live.

No better idea now than ever as to what its all for. I do know that wherever I take her I want to have the art out in the open. I was thinking earlier about the rainbow gathering crowd; this year they're back east (N Carolina?) somewhere. If they come out here some year that could be some fun. And I'd still like to run it off veggie fuel if at all possible. There was a guy, Nod, there last weekend that's been living out of his (decorated) conversion van and matching trailer for something like 10 years. He's got a home base in Texas but generally travels. With his cat. Sounds good to me.

July 4 2005
Ashland

Not a bus weekend, but good just the same...

Friday night July 1st left Sumas 10pm, Pat wasn't ready when I got there, but we left Blaine around 11:15. Drove through Seattle, got gas in Vancouver, on past Portland to Grants Pass for more gas. By then it was approx 6am Saturday morning. We knew the rest stop where Paul had died was on the north bound side; we exited south of there and turned around. When we got there, we found pine forest, picnic tables, lots of people. He could have been anywhere. Checked the messages, phoned back Don, and then we waited for the trooper to arrive. Which he did, promptly around 8:45. After a warning about poison oak, he and a partner described the events leading up to Paul parking here the weekend before Memorial Day, buying rope in Corvallis K-Mart, and making some calls on his cell. They figured he actually hung himself on Monday, the holiday, after spending 10 days or so there…doing what I wonder. No evidence of foul play; they pulled the body down on Thursday. Trooper Steve was more than willing to share not only the details of the scene, but his own feelings on the matter. He said that he only knew Paul as a corpse; Pat showed him a photo...but it isn't the same is it. Another hour and we headed to breakfast in Grants Pass and then on the Ashland. Konnie May has over 100 acres she shares with some other hippies and artists, down a long dusty gravel road. When we got there people were already camped, talking, early afternoon. We got my dome tent up fast, and tried to catch some sleep. I think I succeeded in achieving a trance-like state at least; then Hazel and her kid Katie were at my tent with She-Man, an action figure dressed in a pink skirt. What a welcome.

Bruman gave us electronic crickets.

Jane, Ashland’s newest artcar artist.

Darreck and Hazel love me.

Joy added mannikin legs to her car.

Konnie May allowed us the run of her property, including a creek, meadows, and a home-built home that James Dean may never finish.

Pat carried on, quiet, circumspect, friendly but distant. A campfire that night had me laughing harder than I can remember; acoustic instruments including a cello and several steel guitars; more food that should be legal; Pat had gone to bed but not before his own giggles and flirtations.

I wasn't looking forward to a 10am deadline the next day to head into town, wash the car (!), drive in a brief caravan around town, and tour a serious of open house/garden parties. But on Sunday I was feeling okay, Pat road into town with me, helping me avoid the ruts, Emily Duffy (www.braball.com) welcomed me at Konnie's wearhouse, and then we had a fun mini tour of town a-la artcar caravan. Pat seemed happy to wave to happy strangers. After the caravan, we headed to the garden and home of Cheryl Garcia, a person with the rare ability to both sculpt beautiful work in welded steel, and produce a breathtaking flower garden and home. Lunch of meatballs and Mexican lollipops.

In the afternoon, another cluttered art house featuring a collection of old TV show stuff, Bates Hotel sign, Bewitched Game, robots, wooden bathroom action figure wall, etc.

Finally on to our hosts...Mary and Chris accommodated us generously, we had the hida-bed, and coffee & toast in the morning. Mary has a lot of blocked creativity; Chris has a lot of self-help books. Both seemed to be tethered to their own internal issues; a bit lost, though delightful. Their other guest Carol was sweet, very much the rastufarian.

Then at 6 another party, this time at a showy back-yard grape vine enclosed porch. Small talk with Philo (man about town), Nanette, Weenie Queen, Josh, Amber, Jack (Philo's mentor), Crow, etc. Walk back to car through the alley, and then on to yet another party Saturday night: soap bottle collection in the basement; JoAnn's hilarious stage anger over Jimmy's (Katie's brother) Xmas card to her; extreme mini-golf; and exit to a club for drumming, chanting, and good basic boogying.

Home at 2am, sleep till 7, shower, shave, and rondezvous at Konnie's wearhouse prior to parade mustering...the car drew as many stares as smiles, so I think its working...afterwards flight to "ground zero" of Ashland's community fireworks display (http://www.opendoor.com/july4/2005/ there's a pic of my car), and another house party across the street. Lovely hosts as usual, lots more chatter and charm, and by now I think Pat has warmed up to the crowd. We both flirted with a cute carpenter boy from B.C.

Tuesday morning Pat told me his idea to mark the tree at the rest stop, so after picking up Kelly for the return trip we stopped at Cheryl's. She has an open house every Tuesday so timing was excellent. She used a plasma cutter and compressed air to form a suitable marker, about a foot across in steel, in about 20 minutes. She did it for free, too. She's got a website at www.greatmetalwork.com. A trip to the hardware store, including an asphalt business with antiques in Grants Pass, then back to the tree to do the deed. Pat nailed it up in about a half hour. Took some pics.

On the way back Pat had some amazing thoughts on what constitutes art, namely that for instance, building a steel memorial at the base of a life giving tree that was used once on Memorial Day to take life away so as to forget the difficulties of Life...I don't think I can disagree. I think Kelly was sorta blown away by the whole thing. I know I was.