Yosemite

Departed the operating system for the actual place. Week staying at Tioga Pass. Smoky for the first couple of days, it rained, we went to the valley, returned and it was clear the rest of the week. There was pie, rising up singing, stars and walks in the woods. The woods looked like they need a vacation too.

“Currently Listening” now a standalone page. Big whoop.

A GIbson SG Faded electric guitar outside in the fall

A GIbson SG Faded electric guitar outside in the fall

The monitors of this page may or may not care, but the real-time feed of ear input is now available as a standalone app-like web thingamabob. Available on the main blog Spew menu, but directly available here. Now you can avoid any of the nonsense on these pages and just keep a little tiny window updating on your preferred device… OK, I did this for myself as no one monitors this page, but stay tuned as it is a harbinger of usefulness to follow.

Stork’s Nest to Colgate Lake via Dutcher’s Notch


Looking for a walk before waiting around in Hudson, decided to do the quickest (for me) entry to the Catskill Park via Stork’s Nest Rd. Instead of going up Blackhead or over to North Point, went straight down to the Colgate Lake parking area. Some decent hemlock stands and a nice views of Blackhead from the valley made the 13 mile round trip worth doing.

Dix Mountain

Dix Mountain (4857 ft) loop from Elk Lake up via the Lodge easement over a nice new bridge crossing Lillian Brook up to Hunter’s Pass down via Beckhorn. Trailhead parking area was full so a 2 mile walk on the road was necessary from Clear Pond overflow. 18.1 miles round trip.

Robbie Fulks and Redd Volkaert (Ale House)

Redd Volkaert playing a Telecaster with Robbie Fulks playing acoustic guitar at the Ale House, Troy, NY


Rallied to the Ale House after Grey Fox as this performance had a mandatory attendance requirement. It didn’t disappoint with Redd Volkaert demonstrating his Grammy winning Telecaster skills. Robbie Fulks sang his songs, covered Michael Jackson, Johnny Paycheck and accompanied Redd through a history of country music and Western Swing all the while flatpicking everyone’s face off. He also managed to double people over with an improvised song about Troy.

Thanks again to Mark Gamsjager for booking shows like this making the Capital District a better place.

Solid Sound 2015

Music because it’s good. Mostly the rain missed the musical events, but the Saturday overnight at Solid Ground was… um… rough. There was a tent graveyard at the exit Sunday morning.

Missing from the photos is Nels Cline improvising with Norton William’s Stained Radiance; a live painting dance happening. It was un-photographable. Also missing are the Felice Brothers because my lens focused on the rain, not the stage, and the last act Tweedy because I was, sorry, saturated.