Leaves Fall

Fall has officially arrived, and the crisp Autumn air fights to take over as Summer's last gasp to linger in the year prevails. The sun sets brilliantly, displaying a fantastic encore of orange and red hues on the canvas of the city before it rises on another part of the globe. Leaves have begun to fall. Their crunch beneath my tires brings me back to Fall days in the yard among the canopy of the old maple. I expect the arboreal color change but it is slow to come. I guess one could say the sound of this season is one of settling, as memories of past New England falls have kept me dreaming, and as my emotions have calmed since coming here in late summer. I am becoming ever more grounded in this place, for I know it is the reality that I chose and one that I am
accepting.

Last week I went to talk with Freshman students at Gonzaga. I sat in the front of the classroom waiting for the Q&A session to start. We were delayed by the sounding of bells. That sound, a sound that rings, that rang for four years at Saint Anselm, making me aware of the time, and of Benedictine monastic tradition. It brought a smile to my face, knowing that I had actually graduated out of academia for the time being. I guess it was neat to contribute, little as it was, to a new college community. I hope to continue to do so - it keeps me intellectually sharp! [insert laughter].

As far as soccer goes, there has been a slight change of plans. We didn't get a chance to enter intramurals at GU, so I've joined a Men's Open league in Spokane. It has been pretty fun, not too serious but just enough. Aside from soccer, I've been running quite a bit. It's become a release to life's chains, in any form. I used to hate running, because it came in the form of punishment in sport, mainly in high school. Now I can run when I want, at my own pace, with no restriction. And who would have thought, I actually enjoy it. Funny how psychology can be so telling.

I have finally finished Michael Pollan's Second Nature. It was a fantastic read, and really gets me thinking about gardening when I get my own place. I never knew how much the idea of a garden can extend to one's relationship and outlook on the natural world, and the high level of understanding that is the result. Pollan's vocabulary was expert to say the least, and slowed me down here and there. Nonetheless, his ability to incorporate subtle humor with legitimate insight and wisdom from growth as a gardener was both clever and learned.

Thoughts have been gathering in my mind as to best go about writing my experience at the House of Charity. I feel that it may become dialectic, in that I may write and then comment on that piece or respond to it in some way as the year progresses. My first will come soon, just not now. There is a lot to say, but I don't want to get caught rambling. I'd like to do both of us justice and be clear and to the point, sort of a premeditated meditation on the subject.


I had the chance of checking out an indie-rock band out of Portland called The Thermals. They played at a small venue, similar to the Great Scott in Allston (for those who are familiar). The prelude to their performance was a brand new band by the name of the Young Professionals. This was their first live show ever, which didn't seem to be the case. They gave off impressions of Cake and The Temper Trap, embracing a wide range of melody, while doing their best to highlight all musical aspects they had in their arsenal. The drums really did it for me though. I wish I could share, but they aren't online yet. They are Spokane locals, not to be confused with another band out of Florida. I will be sure to keep my eye and ear out for them in the future.

So long for now. Sufjan Steven's new LP is streaming below on NPR. Happy listening!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130049247

Peace and Love

Natural Lyric

The season is changing. What started as a string of brilliant, dry summer days has given way to the reality of Mother Nature - clouds have been lingering, the mornings are darker, and rain has been falling more often. The moisture is a relief for the land, but a wake-up for my senses and humanity. Traveling to the Twisp river in North Central Washington (about 4 hours from Spokane) for some camping last weekend did just that. It re-awakened my senses, breathing fresh air away from the city and seeing the intimidating peaks of the North Cascade Range. We camped at 4,1oo feet near Black Pine Lake, 8 miles into the wilderness on gravel road. Given the elevation and seclusion, it got pretty chilly when the sun set behind the mountains to the north. I expected it to be crowded, but I did not realize how far we were going to be from the road. It turned out to be very mellow, as it should be. We spent our days exploring the surrounding area, building fires and stargazing. We were able to go for a leisurely hike up War Creek trail which bisects two
pockets of mountains in the range. It eventually turns and climbs in elevation, reaching Juanita Lake, about 6,000 ft. above sea level. I desired to make it there, but we decided to traverse only a third of the 9.3 mile trail. A few passing showers greeted us on our return, looking like a blanket of water gently covering the acres of pine along the mountainsides.

Back in Spokane now, looking forward to the upcoming GU intramural soccer season. A couple of my housemates and I rode into town last night to see a band by the name of Japandroid. The venue had pretty poor sound quality but the two person band threw out a lot of sound. The were synchronized and tight, but lacked in lyrical creativity. Nonetheless, it was good to see some live music again.

Give "Djohariah" off Sufjan Stevens' new EP All The Delighted People a listen. It is a 17 minute jam that rolls over and over, giving off tones of Pink Floyd and even Edward Sharpe near minute 10. The song returns to the normal Sufjan sound, producing a spontaneous calming that grasps your subconscious. Three minutes of this gives way to an electronic addition, reminiscent of a slow moving Postal Service track. Just processing the massive audio dynamic of the tune is a project in itself. "Djohariah" needs to be listened to again to soak in the lyrical impact.