Had a great 26th birthday, even got a cheer. Thanks!

Drumming extravaganza at One Loves in Brookings, OR - Friday, November 27th 8pm. Don’t miss Joe and Reetz on the Beats. One Loves is on railroad ave halfway through town. Show up early for seats and One Loves now famous eclectic cuisine.

Can’t believe I have been in Gold Beach for two years, I guess years become shorter and shorter as I grow older. I remember driving in to town for the first time and thinking, “I know nothing about this place, and pretty soon, I’ll know everything.” I have come to know most of the town, but I was wrong, I am still discovering new faces and places. When I moved here I was pretty focused on all the new faces and places. There was plenty of faces, including the 183 students I started with. And there was plenty of places, in fact way more places than faces in the incredibly remote south coast. What I didn’t know was, amidst the most beautiful spot on the pacific coast, the bulk of my discovery and adventure was to be inward. After five years of college, I was ready for a beautiful place to take a look inside; uninhibited by authority and influence. On my journey to Gold Beach, I had a fleeting thought that I could be anyone I wanted upon arrival. Interestingly enough, I didn’t change anything. In fact I found myself being more like myself than ever before; rarely beside myself.

The community in Gold Beach has treated me like family since my arrival. I could never have imagined the warm welcome and continued support that Gold Beach has offered me. Leaving home was the hardest thing I have done. I don’t see it as leaving though. All of the wonderful people and experiences I had there are so much a part of who I am. I took them with me.

The bi-weekly Friday late night jazz session will resume this Friday 7-24-09. 9:00pm at One Love’s Eclectic Cuisine in Brookings, OR. I will be on the drums, free admission.

Tuesday, November 18th 7:00pm

-Gold Beach High School Band and Choir at Gold Beach High School

Thursday, November 20th 7:00pm

-Riley Creek Bands and Choirs at Riley Creek Elementary School

All concerts are free admission.

Since it’s been a while… I will be performing this weekend in Brookings, OR. Friday night jazz at the Nautical Inn and Saturday night rock at the Salty Dog. Both nights are free admission and begin at 6pm.

I will be performing with Tribal Waters (tribal-fusion bellydance troupe from Crescent City, CA) in Arcata, CA on Saturday October 4th at 4:28pm. The troupe consists of five wonderfully talented women and me on the drums. Come to the 2008 Redwood Coast Bellydance Festival for a diverse mix of visual and auditory stimulation.

Summer started when Poodus and Dan arrived. We composed and recorded music, soon to be released? We spent a week on the south coast before adventuring back to North Dakota. We took our time in the bus, making sure to hit all the sweet spots, specifically the Redwoods, the Rocky Mountains, and the North Dakota Badlands.

We made it home for the family reunion; dry ice kept the rock fish and ling cod just long enough. So I double saluted my grill-master elders and relished the Pacific in Hebron, ND. The Reetz Ranch was the next stop, forever my favorite spot; the homeland.

I went back to Napoleon, ND and Grandpa Hunkler’s farm for the first time in 13 years. The years reflected in the decaying front yard swing. Mom appeared as a child again at her favorite duck pond. Hiking the section lines gave me a new sense of how hard the Midwest farming life once was.

Brother summer wasn’t over yet, I had to get Dan back to academia. For the first time, I enjoyed Fargo, the real big sky country. We spent a week making music, shooting guns, and eating Bratwurst, staying true to NoDak style. Spent some time staying out of trouble with Moom and Doz, we had such a good time Doz decided to accompany my adventure back to Oregon. The Public Market and Joe were up for making music when I returned to Bismarck. Look for recordings in an upcoming post. Back at the Reetz Ranch we tore off a couple roofs, sang around the bonfire, sampled the garden, and thoroughly enjoyed life.

Brother Summer was still not over, Dan and I couldn’t resist taking on the National Guard in a paintball war… on our turf. We won.

Doz jumped in the bus and we headed west on the Oregon Trail. We spent many days in the bus catching up on years past, captivated by the constantly changing landscape. I spent the last few weeks of summer back in Gold Beach, where I realized this was the best summer thus far.

As many of you know, I am temporarily in the Dakotas. The Public Market is reuniting for a show at Bismarck’s own Urban Harvest (Thursday, July 24th, 8:00pm). Forget coming to the Colonial on July 21st if you are easily offended, Joe Johnson and I share the stage once again starting at 9:00pm. We are performing with Cicada Omega, and the 357 String Band… show up and raise some hell!

Spending time where the water is more clear than its surrounding air; trees so big it humbles me.