A Listener's Life List My spirit was lifted recently by a foray into some obscure gems via late night listening party with dear friends. Who would have thought the Everly Brothers would emerge in 2010 as a source of beautiful music in a jaded 31-year-old's life? Glorious. So in response I unearthed a volume purchased several years ago, 1000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die, by Tom Moon. God bless the internet for actually giving me a chance to track down and listen to most of these. Occasionally I hope to share a few thoughts on masterpieces discovered here. This is very comforting for some reason ... a lifetime quest. Not unlike Rob Gordon's comfort in arranging his record collection autobiographically.    ¶ 8/31/2010 10:27:00 AM 1 Comments

  A Trip to a Beautiful Place
This is a video montage of a Yosemite backpacking trip we did in summer 2010. The photos and video were by both René and I, and the music is one of my favorite Chopin pieces, which seemed to rival the beauty and grace of the landscape. I can only hope to return and see it again soon.  ¶ 8/28/2010 06:48:00 PM 2 Comments

  Alcohol Stove and Mess Kit I have been experimenting with several stove setups in preparation for a four day trip coming up. This one is a pressurized jet 'penny' alcohol stove. Zen Stoves and Andy & Bax have been a great resource for this project. My wife and I used a variation of this stove on the Timberline trail last weekend and it worked well. This one is performing even better. Just need to make sure to bring enough fuel!  ¶ 8/11/2010 12:06:00 PM 0 Comments