It's April 2nd, and i am still in Nederland, Colorado! I found me a place to stay for a bit, and some side work to pay my way. Gonna be here through my birthday, April 10th--then we'll see after that where life takes me. I am working on several new songs, "Lollipop Mountain/Not So Sweet", "Hitchin My Way Down South", and "Great Great Gramma Belle." All are mountain songs, written on the mandolin. It's been awhile since i have really written anything on my guitar, because i got this mandolin for Christmas from Dakota, and it is like using a new color of paint! I am loving it, and my voice is too! So, anyhoo...i miss all of you in Portland, and my many friends in San Francisco, and Sol and others in Santa Cruz, as well as all of you i met along my journey this past two months! Hopefully, our souls will meet again before too long this time!

I agreed to keep a blog of my travels this time around, and so far...i have done a pretty good job of that. There are so many things that happen in any given day, however, that it is impossible to speak of all the amazing encounters and experiences that i have had this past month. I have been in Nederland, Colorado for the past two weeks. I was offered a job rebuilding a fence this week--which i completed, and am waiting until Monday to be compensated for that. I have been out of money since i got here--but, luckily, i have been in a town that is very generous and open to trades and barters. I have traded my cd for rides, for coffee, for beer, for food, for places to sleep, for other little gifts that the locals have to barter with me. It's like a whole new currency (a burned copy of 8 of my songs from a year ago). Wow! It's awesome to know that no matter what, there are still options available to get through the day! A super cool guy named Glen gifted me new mandolin strings yesterday--now i just gotta figure out how to restring this thing! It's not like a guitar, exactly. EGAD. Upside-down bass. That's what i remember so far! Funny thing, i wrote two songs on the mandolin recently, but on a mandolin that was missing strings. So, my tuning was completely harmonic and not so easy to transfer these out of tune songs to a perfect pitched instrument. Oh well! I guess i will be adjusting my ear quite a bit!
Just a quick thanks to Jordon, Saxon, Chris, Sam, Henry, Jose, Dave, Greg, Maggie, John, Ivan, and the many others that i have met here in Nederland who have welcomed me like i have lived here all my life! All of these people will be in my heart for a long time to come!
Ps. My brother is having a baby in the next weeks! It's due the day before my birthday! So, i might come home for that! But, no promises! If i don't make it home, i will be there in spirit! I love you, Buddy! You will be a wonderful Papa!

So, i heard there is such a thing as the Niwot Curse, here in the mountains of Colorado. A week ago i made it to Boulder, after hitchin a ride on craigslist with Scotty J. (a sound engineer in Flagstaff). We drove north through Moab, which is absolutely gorgeous! Once in Boulder, we went out on the town with Scotty's friends and danced to tequila all night long. The next morning i walked down Pearl Street and played my mandolin for awhile. Later in the afternoon, we drove up through the mountains to Nederland, where Frozen Dead Guy Days was wrapping up. We caught the tail end of the music for the festival and then spent the evening running around with the locals and hearing amazing music. I met some awesome locals who invited me to stay the night. A week later, i am still here (in Nederland). Ned is beautiful. You drive up from Boulder about 15 miles through the canyon and passed waterfalls and huge boulders hugging the roadside. At the end of the corridor, it opens up into this breathtaking site of a lake that rests at the base of a circle of mountains. The lake is still frozen over, despite a pretty sunny week here. Yes! It is mountain town, full of hippies and musicians and oddballs from all over the place. Sustainable living, solar energy, and permaculture projects are infinite here. It's a little haven outside the valley of Boulder. People are super friendly, extremely interesting, and really into music in Nederland. I went on a drive with one of the locals into the mountains the other day. It was beautiful! We drove all the way up to Estes Park and back again. There is something magical in these mountains! The locals call it a curse. Most people who come here, never leave! I have been warned already!
So, i am gonna stay for a bit and take advantage of the hikes, the rocks, the music scene here! There are a couple songs i would like to record before heading elsewhere--and my new friend Greg and i are speaking of building a solar/wind powered outdoor fountain out of bicycles! It's something i have been dreaming about for a couple years now, and Greg knows how to make it happen. He is also in the process of building a straw bail house, which i agreed to help with if i am here long enough! His wife Maggie and i have become good friends. She is a very gifted photographer and has been doing a pinhole project with me, which is super cool! I feel healing coming on!
So, anyway...i think i am skipping SXSW this year! I'm not ready to go further east or south at this moment in time--and Nederland hasn't released me from it's clutches just yet!
i miss all of you!

yep! still in Flagstaff! Flagstaff? I never thought i would travel through this place. But, here i am--and i kinda like. The people are super friendly. The weather is a bit cold, however. But, music abounds here, and tonight there is an artwalk. Brian wants to stay a couple more days, and might change his travel route--so, i have been searching for alternative travel plans on craigslist. There is still two weeks until SXSW in Austin, so i am thinking of going north for a week. Oh, and the train runs right through the middle of town here--so i get to be inspired by it almost once every half hour or so. Was considering recording a song down by the tracks, but it's pretty windy and brisk right now.
Last night i met a whole bunch of really sweet local folk. One of them offered to make us all dinner at his house, so that's where we went. I pulled out my mandolin and played the two newest songs i wrote, "Lollipop Mountain: Not So Sweet and Hitchin My Way South Down South." They went over really well with the locals. One guy actually said he was gonna do me a favor and pass my cd on to someone he knows in heaven. Well, that was my metaphor of the experience i had. He is actually passing it on to someone pretty well known down here on earth, but i don't want to jinx things by putting names down on blogs.
Just want you all to know that i am having a great time traveling around the country. Some mornings i wish i was walking down Alberta Street--but all these streets are very much the same--it's the faces that keep on changing!
Hope you are all being as blessed as i am!

I was just looking at a map for the first time in days, and realized that Taos is super close to Denver. Hmmmm? Maybe i should go up highway 25 to Denver and chill there for a week and then head south towards Austin. That will give me just enough time to travel around before South by Southwest begins. The Blast-O-Mat Collective has been awaiting my arrival in Denver, so i might as well get my booty there and play them a show. I will be sad to leave my new travel partner, however! Brian, you turned out to be a super cool guy! You never know with craigslisters these days--but you were a god sent! Thank you!

more coffee. coffee. coffee!

Portland, i miss you! All those faces and hugging arms are in my thoughts daily!

it started out as me, then turned into three, then grew into 15, unraveled back to three, and now it's just me. I miss my left and right hand friends! I miss the photo ops from this lens! I miss the colorfulness of the rainbows end! And i wish they hadn't run off so fast! Spent months preparing to be on the road. Wanna close my eyes some times and find myself back home. But, i'm hitchin my way down south--and the words are flowin out--and the music is stretching it's arms out wide--for i have angels at my side, no matter where i roam! love you

my travel partners got antsy in the pantsy and took off ahead of me to go it alone! one week. many memories. many new friends, and old faces seen again! do i turn around and head back to Portland, i wonder? nah! gonna embrace this point of transition with strength and endurance for the long haul! Lea pointed it out perfectly--maybe this whole trip was designed for me to flush all the old and walk into the new with a different perception and an openness for anything that might come my way! I wanted to share it with friends--but things change so rapidly, and although they said they wouldn't leave me--again, things change! I'm going to Santa Cruz today! Don't know how long i will stay--but, i'm making my way--ya, i'm making my way! After Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and then LA! Then east bound!

Thanks to the Blast-O-Mat art collective, in Denver! You are all very sweet and oh so patient for me to arrive and share music with you all! I'm diving through this portal currently, and when i get to the other side...i will play you a show you won't soon forget!

hugs to everyone, from Portland to New Orleans, and all points in between! Wish my arms to stretch that wide, to hold you all right here by my side!

I left Portland two days ago with Tim and "Jack" Rabbit. We were waiting for a bus to take us to the edge of town in the first hours of our departure. I started plucking on my mandolin, and a local woman came up and donated 20 bucks for the start of our journey. That was a sign, i believe, that good things were to come for us. So, we got to the edge of town, and stood on the on ramp with our thumbs out, and we got a ride within a half hour a few miles down the road. From there we hopped another ride pretty quickly to Corvallis with a really nice guy named Daniel. He spoke more Spanish than English, but we seemed to all have a great conversation with him. In Corvallis, we met up with Tim's friend Nathan and he treated us to an awesome evening and night at his place with his dog Porter. Porter looks great in 'bling'! Next mornin, we went for coffee at Interzone in Corvallis, and from there walked to the closest freeway. We were picked up by a coast guard pilot, who gave us a ride to the I-5 Freeway on-ramp. WE stood there for a little while before being picked up by an Army ranger and his wife, who drove us all the way to Rogue River. In Rogue River a gentleman played my guitar for a minute and shared a song he wrote--then we went on our way to the highway again. Funny, in just minutes of stickin our thumbs out...we saw this van drive by with a whole bunch of folks from Portland. They pulled over and we climbed in. Thank you Nux Vomica, Stacey, Jenn, Zach, Just Dave, Tim, Chris, and Danny! They gave us a ride into Medford (where they played at the Pirate Punx house). It was awesome timing! I sold three cd's on the rode, and gave out one to every vehicle that has picked us up so far!
Today, we head out of Medford towards SF! Yeah!

Well, i am in Flagstaff, Arizona. I left Santa Cruz 5 days ago. Got a ride on craigslist from a guy named Brian. He's driving to Austin--so, he picked me up in Santa Cruz and we drove south to Santa Barbara along the coast. It was a beautiful drive! We made it to Santa Barbara where i finally got to see Tyrelle. Ty is the guy that got me this computer so i could record my music! He's an angel--and i truly love him! We stayed the night there, and then he drove us up to the Chumash caves. These caves are old native sites with painted walls and gorgeous rock formations. I said goodbye to Ty after that, and we drove down the coast further to LA. I was going to stop in L.A .and see friends from Killing Cassanova--but, our timing was off a bit, and we chose to bypass the stop in L.A. and drive to Joshua Tree, instead. We got to Joshua Tree by dark, and drove into the park. We camped out by some rocks, and then drove through the park the next morning. I am still sunburned from the weather there. Wow, then we headed north and made it to Flagstaff, where snow was still on the ground. The difference in elevation made my stomach churn for the first 24 hours. But, i managed to still go out on the town and meet new folks. I got offered a job here in Flagstaff painting houses, but i have a goal that i made upon leaving Portland, and all i really want is to follow through with that goal and play music! So, i played a song at an open mic, and sung a song at Karaoke. Now, i'm working on a couple new songs i wrote, recently. Brian and i are heading out today towards Taos, next--then, off to Austin. I'm excited to reach Austin, after a couple of years of manifesting it as a destination of mine. I'm not sure how long i will stay there, but i definitely want to make it that way for South by Southwest. Maybe New Orleans and then back again! Anyhoo...i miss all of you! It's awesome to see old friends of mine--but leaving them behind again is not so fun! Why can't you all live under the same stars as i do! Oh ya--these stars stretch pretty far and wide! See you on the flip-side!

Check out this video: April 10 th @ the Know

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A month and a half ago...i left Portland to come down to Santa Barbara and do some recording. In the first week i layed down 13 songs! since then, there are upwards of 20 songs recorded and in the process of editing! Which means, that i will have one full album ready by December, and the second one well on it's way to being finished (hopefully by the first of the year)!
It was an amazing summer for me! i took a vacation to the Bay Area, and ended up at Burning Man...coincidentally! I was gifted a necklace good for one free ride in an airplane with a crew of parachuters. I geared up and went along for the ride, and took pics of the jumpers as they plummeted from the plane. It was awesome! Afterwards, i met a gentleman from Santa Barbara, who offered me a ride home to Portland, on the back of his Harley Road King! We took a week long trip from Burning, to Reno, through Northen Cali, and up the coast to Portland, Oregon! A dream i had since childhood, that finally came true!
but, that was not the end of my summer adventure! After arriving home, i was offered a chance to come down here to record an album! The man who brought my dream of riding on a motorcycle long distance to life, also offered to bring my dream of finishing a cd...to fruition! and here i am! just steps away from being done with this first album!

After this cd is under wraps, i will be going back to PTown for a bit to see family and friends, have a CD Release Party, and then i am hitting the road to share my music in other parts of the country and world!
However, if there is anyone out there that would like to record some music, but is lacking a way to do so...please get in touch with me--as i have the equipment needed now, and am going to be utilizing it for helping others get done...what i am about to finish! I would love to help other musicians and travelers get their music heard!

If you haven't had the chance to hear samples of my music, there are four songs on my page here to listen to, plus a couple of simple videos to take a look at!

You may also check me out on YouTube under the Music Channel: crowspeak

I miss all of my friends, and hope all of you are finding ways to touch upon your dreams as well!

love, light, laughter, and peace!
jalin