Celebrating Spring

I was lucky enough to sing in the new season around a campfire, playing guitar at a small gathering of socially distanced divas and dudes with some lovely musicians including a friend in Lyons who plays the saw like no other. Interestingly this was not only my first time having a saw accompaniment but also a washboard accompaniment. There was a woman who performed an absolutely magical thing that I've also never witnessed. She had a large thin drum similar to an Irish Bodhrán. She held it to her lips and sang through it, in droning and ascending and descending chant like song. The drum skin reverberated and modulated her voice and amplified her song to the dark night sky. It was transcendental. At some point I wandered off into the pasture underneath a sliver moon and a bright diamond sky and sat on a water trough as slowly animals wandered up to greet me. Two soft Swiss Brown cows, two snuggly farm dogs, two sheep and a little chortling snorting scruffy pig.

Later that night we scooped out seeds into handmade seed packets and wrote our intentions onto the paper. I took my seeds and planted them out in the pasture, thinking that those sweet animals will probably be nibbling on them in the weeks ahead.

Backing up a handful of hours, I stopped by Nobo Friday afternoon to catch a little of Pat & Marianne's set at Moxie Feed & Seed on my way to Lyons. It didn't take much to lure Pat out to Lyons to check out the new digs as Pat is pure zen in his openness to follow the flow.

We sat behind the new shop and picked a few tunes together in the warm afternoon sun. Pat & Marianne have struck the first musical notes now at all 3 Moxie's. It is such an honor to have these two as friends. Pat is also re-constructing our vintage pastry case that will go in NoBo soon.

You know how we've been adding all sorts of stuff to the Moxie during the pandemic? Butter, wine, lasagna, TP, chocolate, aprons...stuff like that, you know.... Well, clearly the next logical step had to arrive. Art & Decor! That's right folks....we are starting to adorn our Boulder store with art that is both beautiful and totally for sale. I recently met a new friend who has apprenticed as a wood carver in Java over 40 years ago, and started to export various traditional art forms to the US. In additional to Indonesian connections, he also works with various artisan in other parts of the world to make museum reproductions of masks, totems and more. He has shared his wealth of goods and passion with me, and I am incredibly excited to share it with you. Our first 3 pieces are now hanging in NoBo. Here's a little sneak peek.

Shaman's Moon Spirit Mask
Pacific Northwest First Nations hand carved hand painted reproduction.
Shamans in the tribes of the Pacific Northwest used masks in ceremonies.
The moon represents life's abundance and its warmth radiates healing and peace. The Moon is an important clan crest on the Northwest Coast and can often be found carved on totem poles.
Mountain God
A replica of a Japanese Noh theater mask of a Yamanokami, or Mountain God.
Made of hand carved, hand painted wood and goat hair.

Child of The Wind

I love the pounding of hooves
I love engines that roar
I love the wild music of waves on the shore
And the spiral perfection of a hawk when it soars
Love my sweet woman down to the core
There's roads and there's roads
And they call, can't you hear it?
Roads of the earth
And roads of the spirit
The best roads of all
Are the ones that aren't certain
One of those is where you'll find me
Till they drop the big curtain
Hear the wind moan
In the bright diamond sky
These mountains are waiting
Brown-green and dry
I'm too old for the term
But I'll use it anyway
I'll be a child of the wind
Till the end of my days
Little round planet
In a big universe
Sometimes it looks blessed
Sometimes it looks cursed
Depends on what you look at obviously
But even more it depends on the way that you see
Hear the wind moan
In the bright diamond sky
These mountains are waiting
Brown-green and dry
I'm too old for the term
But I'll use it anyway
I'll be a child of the wind
Till the end of my days

-Bruce Cockburn

Listen to this gorgeous song HERE