So for the first time in a few years I've been issued a visa and been allowed to enter the u.s and boy did I do it! First i went to Seattle to hang with a friend for a couple days, then went for a five day drive up and down highway 101, which goes from Olympia National park to the southern end of California. 

I drove the high five down to Cottage Grove, Organ and from there did a detour through some side roads and found my self on what must be one of the best highways on the continent. Driving through the logging town of Coos Bay, which is probaby about mid way through organ I picked up a couple of dead head hitch hikers making their way to Arizona. They had a library of cds and it was all Greatfull Dead in various situations and positions. I hadn't had a smoke at that point in almost a week, so they shared some of theirs, and the scenery was amazing with the sounds. Just at sun set we entered northern California and drove past Pelica Penitenary, one of the biggest prisons in the u.s. The irony struck hard of such a place in the midst of so much beauty, and I was feeling freer than ever!

I spent that night in northern California in Cresent City where i dropped off the hitch hikers, and the next day I headed in to the Yorak Nations territory, also known as the Red Woods Forest. I was amazed by the size of those trees. I've seen trees that big on Vancouver Island but not that many of them! People were organizing to prevent the logging of those trees as far back as 1907, which must be the reason there's so many of them. i also walked the west coast trail, though only for a couple hours to write some lyrics. When i came back out there were a family of people from the Yorak Nation, the native people of that area. The man told me his boy was half Chamanish, a First Nation some where up by where i live, and like the first people's up here the life style and culture is largely built around the salmon. When I went to the nearby reservation, the air of the whole place smelled like smoked salmon and I did some great eatin' there.

After that I turned back north and took my time driving the 101 back to Seattle. i had the best clam chowder i ever had in a small pub in Lincoln City organ, and basicaly layed easy on the booze and did some writting ever where i went.

Now it's time to get some recording going and new songs together. I've been invited to do a tour with Los Maranoes in September, an excellent Latin band from Calgary, Alberta. I'll be putting a band together for this one and very excited about it!!!