Looking forward to playing music!

It’s May, the sun is shining, the flowers are up, the trees have leaves, the birds are happy, and it’s time for more music.  We had a ball playing at Childhood’s End Gallery for Arts Walk, saw lots of our friends and some wonderful art. Coming up on Sunday, May 28th, we have our first of four Olympia Farmers Market performances of the season.  It’ll be great to be back at the Market, it’s such a fun place to play.   We’ll be joined as usual by Craig Cootsona and Brendon Keenan the rhythm section, plus joined by the fantastic Eugene Bien on keys.  We’ll play some old favorites plus new songs that we’ve been working on.  

Coming up in June we’ll be back at the Market on Sunday June 11 including local favorite the marvelous Tommy Russell.  And then on Thursday, June 22nd we’ll be at the North City Bistro and Wine Shop in Shoreline, an excellent Seattle venue.  Craig and Brendon will be with us as well as special guests Greg Glassman on guitar and Sally Reavis on vocals.  

 We hope to see you there!

Pat and Jamie

Live Music Is Back!

Live music is back and there is truly nothing like it!  As musicians we know that everyone makes the music, players and audience combined.  We can’t generate the kind of musical energy that is created at a live performance by ourselves, we need you for that.  And then the magic happens. 

So, we’re happy to announce that we have some fun shows coming up.  This Saturday, 4/23, starting at 7:00 we’ll be at Egan’s Ballard Jam House with a great band including Craig Cootsona on drums, Brendon Keenan on bass and Brad Carter on tenor sax.  You can make reservations by emailing reservations@ballardjamhouse.com or calling (206) 789-1621 during business hours.

We’ll also be playing with these guys on two Fridays this summer (July 22 & August 26) at the Boston Harbor Marina starting at 6:00.  We’re outside on the deck, beer by a local brewery, room to dance and the beach to play on; these are very fun evenings! We’ll also be at the Olympia Farmer’s market in July, August and September.   You can find all the details on our calendar https://www.pcandjj.com/calendar

La musica dal vivo é vita!  See you there.

We're coming Out of the Darkness

We’re coming out of the darkness, into the light, and have a gig in April to celebrate!  On Saturday April 23rd from 7-8:30 we’ll be playing at Egan’s Jam House in Ballard with a hot band. Joining Pat and Jamie are Craig Cootsona on drums, Brendon Keenan on bass and Brad Carter on sax.  So put it on your calendar and we’ll see you at the show for an evening of music and merriment!

We're getting gigs!

My oh my, what a ride it’s been.   We hope you came through this bizarre and challenging time healthy and whole.   We just want to celebrate making it through, now that we can see the healthy future closer and closer.  Pat’s hand surgery worked, we’ve been studying electronically with some first-rate musicians, learning new tunes, and remarkably we’re starting to get some gigs again.  That sure feels good, we find having gigs really gets the juices flowing and the rehearsals happening.  After all, there is nothing like live music, and everyone, players and audience, make the music.  We can’t generate the kind of musical energy and warm feeling just playing by ourselves, we need you.

Check out our website calendar to see where we’re playing next! 

Things are looking up!

It’s looks like we’re ‘gonna make it through these bizarre and challenging times and we are so ready to get back to making music and performing.  We are so grateful we are vaccinated as are many of our friends.   Now we’re starting to get together, shaking off the dust, rehearsing and trying to remember how the songs go! 

So stay tuned and hopefully we’ll be able to start booking some gigs so you join us for some music, beverages, noshing, and fun times!

Bye Bye Southwest

Last time we wrote, our intrepid travelers had just landed in the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada.  What a great find that was - bonus!   Very remote feeling, amazing geology, excellent hikes, astounding colors in the rocks plus petroglyphs and petrified wood.  We were originally simply trying to outrun winter and we succeeded in excellent style.  Wound up spending six nights there hiking, biking, grilling, taking loads of photos and relaxing by the fire.  Our favorite stop so far, and a perfect place to chill.  Plus halloween, oooo spooky!

Then on to Snow Canyon, a Utah state park that came widely recommended.  Had one of the sweetest campsights we’ve found, first come first serve of course, on the far edge of the campground.  Nothing around us but big nature.  And while bouncing between time zones as daylight savings ended was a squirrelly experience, it sure seemed to  work in our favor scoring campsights.   A perfect punctuation to our time in the southwest.  Hiking on sandstone is so different than the trails at home. A little bit scary at tmes, no evidence of a trail.  We have a good trail app that helped quite a bit.  And the trails are usually well marked either by a cairn, paint, or marker pinned to the rock.

Then off to Lake Tahoe to visit an old friend of Jamie’s.  That was the first time we’d been in any building for more than a short time since we left let.  Plus the first in-person  socializing of any kind that we’d done in about a month.  Felt good and safe, cozy and refreshing and no better place to hang than with a dear friend as we anxiously watched the election vote countdown.  But again, the weather was chasing us (it was 8 degrees there with a dusting of snow yesterday) so off we went.

A brief stop in Santa Rosa to see Jamie’s sister to pick up a family painting she generously gave to us to take home, then north to where we are now - the redwoods.  Even though we’ve been through here before we forget how magnificent the trees are.  After being in the hot and dry we were chilled to the bone today even though it was in the upper 40s.   So much moisture!  Penetrating.  Time to get out the layers, we have to get aclimated to our home climate again.

And there you have it, goodby to the southwest until the next trip, heading home now.  What a fantastic trip it’s been!

Lake Tahoe on a beautiful, still Fall day.

Standish Hickey State Park

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

The World, there’s no place like it!

We know it comes as no surprise, but there is a whole lot of amazing scenery in Utah and the southwest.  So this is an apt quote from Pat’s brother, “The world, there’s no place on earth like it.”  We’ve had time to enjoy three national parks on this trip; Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion. As mentioned, Capitol Reef was fantastic and we had some lovely walkabouts with colors, views, wild geology, and a continuing cosmic sense of geologic time and scale. But winter was moving our way so we headed south to lower elevations and warmer possibilities.  After a stellar stealth camp on Hwy 12 through Escalante, and the amazing tight journey through the rocks along Calf Creek, we stopped at Bryce National Park. We wound up spending two nights there enjoying the amphitheater, the hoodoos and the way the light constantly changed the way these monuments come to life.

 After Bryce, we decided to take the scenic route South through Zion.  The landscape is so fascinating, the variety of textures and hues, inspiring us to ponder geologic history and rock types.  Sedimentary, igneous, pressure ridges, ancient seas and uplifts, 200 million years at a glance - there is so much to add to the wonder of this region.

 So now have made it to Nevada on our travels; headed south out of Utah to escape the very cold temps that were moving in.  Wound up at Valley of Fire State Park just north of Vegas.  It’s a real find.   So many campgrounds have been closed or closing soon, but the camping season is just starting here.  Perfect daytime temps, relatively mild temps at night, and the campground is all first-come-first-serve so the odds of getting a site are high.  The best time to find a spot is early morning on a weekday.  We got here around 9:00 this morning, got a spot with power and water - sweet.  And bonus, they have internet available so this is a fine spot to do all those on-line activities that you can’t at most beautiful spots.  Great views, petroglyphs, wild geology.   We’re gonna hunker down for a few days at least, chill, hike, bike, bide our time as we have a reservation at Snow Canyon in the very SW tip of Utah in a week. 

The Amphitheater at Sunrise Point In Bryce National Park

These “HooDoos” that you see in the Amphitheater are rock pinnacles left standing by combined forces of weathering and erosion. Bryce Canyon has thousands of hoodoos in all shapes, sizes and colors. The word Hoodoo comes from the Hausa Language originating in West Africa describing a distinct magic practice. It was introduced to North America in the 18th Century.

This rock wall in Zion National Park is actually part of the Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel. The “Hole” cut in the stone is actually a peep hole from inside the 1.1 mile tunnel that follows the profile of the Pine Creek Canyon wall. They alternate vehicles either down or up in the pitch black on the centerline. You get a glimpse outside several times along the way through these stone windows.

Our current stop at southern Nevada’s oldest state park, Valley of Fire, has been really remarkable and so different from the geology we’ve been seeing so far.

The petroglyphs are astounding! Here, one watches over the valley.

Arch Rock

We made it!

We are in Capitol Reef National Park enjoying spectacular scenery and living our dream.  Fruita, the national park campground, is full and really not our style, so we are staying just outside the park in a wonderful free national forest campground.  Very rocky and rough terrain, really nothing here but plenty of space for a number of campers and amazing views, and that’s what makes it so sweet.  There is a sort of nomadic, community feel to it which suits our style. Pulled in the first night, had time for a short hike around as there is a trail leading out of the campground, and then on Tuesday went on a great hike into the park up to Cassidy Arch.  Amazing colors, formations, light, rocks.  We’re thinking we’ll stay another night, enjoy the sights, maybe take a bike ride down “Scenic Drive”, like that.

It is such a treat when reality exceeds expectations.  We thought we’d enjoy our trip, have a fine time on the road, but this is just so perfect.  Quiet, amazing campsites, hiking, views, lots of photos, biking, and even squeezing in a little music now and then.  However, winter is coming with very cold air moving in and we don’t want to be caught in it so we’ll be heading towards Nevada for the weekend.

Nice little Free National Campground outside of Torrey, Utah.

Sweet little hike from the campground.

Cassidy Arch - named after Butch Cassidy the infamous bank robber who used this spot for a hideout.

Pat, the infamous musician, atop Cassidy Arch.

Taken from the ravine along the Cohab Canyon trail.

Where’d Everybody Go?!

We were the only campers the last two days we stayed at Red Fleet Campground  - except for two mice who decided they would like join PC&J’s big adventure! We ended up convincing them that was not a good idea, but not before they had invaded one of the drawers in the kitchen and chewed up some towels. Most of the campgrounds where we have stayed on this trip have had very few people with lots of room between campers.

There were some wonderful hikes with the Dinosaur Trackway being the highlight. The trail is pretty uneven in places but was very well marked. The scenery constantly changed with colorful and majestic rock formations. We can see why so many people come to the Southwest to paint and photograph - the light is phenomenal!

We left after the third night and found a spot outside of Colton at Scofield State Park. The topography had drastically changed to a more scrubby, desolate landscape. The park was fine, but unfortunately situated next to a road where the mining trucks roared by about every 20 minutes - day and night. Today is laundry day, then a dinosaur  museum and off to another State Park farther south to see what we will see.

Lots of Dilophosaurus prints in the sandstone near the edge of the dam. They are estimated to be two hundred million years old. Humbling feeling, walking in their steps.

Dilophosaurus were three toed, bipedal dinosaurs.

Scofield Reservoir

On the road again!

The saga of the brakes is nearly complete - at least enough to get us back on the road. We are grateful to Rabbit Row Repair for working so hard in getting things fixed. These things take time (diagnosis, parts, shop time) so we spent five nights in Wilson.  For a breakdown this has been as good as can be imagined; mountain views, pleasant outdoor activities, good weather, photo opportunity, a good place to park and each other.  We also really appreciated that Teton County has a mandatory mask ordinance.  All Rabbit Row Repair employees wore masks and only allowed one person at a time in the office.

We finally left Wilson; weather was moving in so we headed south and stealth camped overnight on the Hoback River outside of Jackson, Wyoming. The next day, we drove several hours, stopping to admire the changing scenery as we headed farther south. We entered The Flaming Gorge Recreation Area, but as many campgrounds closed in September, ended up boogieing on to Red Fleet Campground outside of Vernal, Utah that had full hook up. We are only one of three campers so there is lots of space between all of us.  What a luxury to have unlimited power and water, although no service. We sure have missed hot showers! When we went to turn on the lights over the couch, they flickered and then went out. Argh...! Pat chased it down and found a broken wire under the slide-out.  He was able to repair it which was a relief - and satisfying for Mr. Fixit. For a reward he got a hair cut. Truely. 

It blew pretty hard all night and the next day and heavy clouds threatened rain, perfect for hunkering down with utilites. Everything is so dry in these parts, we were hoping for rain as well. It spit a little bit and then we had blue skies for the rest of the day so we went for a long hike in the majestic sandstone rock formations that surround the Tysack Dam. Today, we are headed for Dinosaur Track Trail on the north side of the dam.

The water was too cold for swimming so we didn’t partake!

Lemons Into Lemonade

So here we are in beautiful Wilson Wyoming, hunkered down in a huge park-n-ride because we have an appointment in the morning to get our brakes worked on.  Boiled the brake fluid coming down a 10% (wo!) grade, minimal brakes by the time we got to the bottom.  Luckily found a shop in town willing to squeeze us in and look at them tomorrow (thank you Rabbit Row Repair!) Hopefully just a quick bleeding and we’ll be on our way.  In the meantime we had a fine walk yesterday, a lovely two hour bike ride today, played some music, relaxed, and enjoyed major views of the Tetons and the Snake River.  There are lots of bike paths and quiet streets to ride on, the smoke is better today, and we’re home wherever we are so - we’re home.  Now for a nice dinner, glass of wine, and maybe a movie or british mystery.

A sweet place to stop and rest along the bike path

The land for the bike trails has some wonderful Informational signs that are illustrated by the students at the local elementary school. We were so amazed at the numerous bicycle, walking and horse trails that abound in this suburb of Jackson.

Smoky

We stopped in Boise to visit friends but the smoke from the California wildfires really started to set In so we decided to push south east. Our hearts go out to all those affected by the fires. It is so sad to see the destruction and hear how hot and windy it has been in that area. We know several people who have had to evacuate but fortunately are safe. We imagine that along with the virus quarantine, staying inside due to the smoke must feel terribly isolating. Pat constructed an air cleaner for a 12 inch fan with a Merv 13 air filter on the back that has helped keep the air clean inside the cab and we hope to find clearer skies down the road. We feel fortunate to be able to travel so safely.

Diverse campground terrain

We got a late start leaving McCall, and then ran into road construction on Hwy 55 so we started seriously lookIng for a place to stop for the night. Unfortunately, although the UDSA campground website said they were open, several had already closed on our way up into the 4,000 elevation of the Sawtooth Mountains. We finally stopped at Pine Flats Campground which turned out to be very quiet with few campers. Our neighbor informed us that officially the campground closed at the end of October but they had turned off the water and there was no fee. There was quite a bit of difference in topography from McCall with it feeling more arid and warmer. Our campsite did have a natural hot springs and it’s proximity to the river was really beautiful. We saw and heard what we identified as two American Dippers as they swooped down to the river for their dinners. There have been many wildfires throughout the area and the warning signs for “falling trees and rocks” was not conducive to camping farther up the mountains so we have decided to find a spot on the other side of the ridge tonight on our way back to Boise where we will stop and see friends.

Payette Lake in McCall Idaho

We’re sayin’ the force is with us.  We were looking for last evening’s spot to land and stumbled on a little spot similar to stealth camping that happened to be right next to a rural bike path. This piece of land is part of the Idaho Endowment Trust that supports local schools. Unlike federal public lands, they are supported by donations and owned by the beneficiaries. We went for a lovely ride after sitting so much - surrounded by trees, the lake, mountains and sun - living large! And another tasty supper; chicken and rice in a wine/mustard/turmeric cream sauce and sauteed zucchini with onions and parmesan.  It’s so nice having a full kitchen and pantry - what a luxury and something that truly makes the rig feel like home.  Heading to Boise soon to spend a nice socially distanced evening with some old friends and then we’re not sure.  Maybe Sawtooth range or keep heading southeast into Wyoming or Utah. We’ll let you know!

There was a lot of gravity here...

Somebody must have turned up the gravity here at Hammer Creek Campground on the Salmon River in Idaho. We just couldn’t seem to get off the couch. It was all we could do to keep from looking for pinholes in our eyelids… We did manage a short walk to the river though and discovered some pretty views. The metal structure, welded by nearby students, was made from trash they pulled out of the river. It was very clever! It was a nice, restful stop for one night - now onward to explore!

Just like home

We’re really settling into life on the road in our cozy little mobile house.  So everywhere we go we’re home.  Been able to do some good cooking like greek chicken with our own tomatoes and kalamatas, mushroom risotto, like that.  Plus a tasty treat of vanilla gelato with our own home made brownies and strawberry sauce.  Love having a full fridge, freezer and pantry.  Just like home.

We didn’t cook these 🤣

Potholes State Park in Washington

While we are technically into Fall, the Potholes State Park is still fascinating this time of year. There are wildflowers, lots of birds and gorgeous light. The park sits along the reservoir created by the construction of O’Sullivan Dam, rather than the nearby “potholes geologic formations’ for which it is named. The Potholes Lakes are about 30 - 45 minutes from the park. The 773 acre camping park features 6,000 feet of freshwater shoreline with a 3 mile walk along the river and through the sandy scrub that surrounds the park. It was a great stop on our way to Idaho!

Marvelous spot to camp

We left windy, blustery Everson WA and pushed through to Leavenworth where we found a bit of sun. This lovely campground on the river was a great one night stop where we took a short hike, ate dinner and hunkered down as the rain moved in. Morning brought more rain, but Chez Poppy cooked up a delicious breakfast in our tiny kitchen before we headed off Eastern Washington and hopefully some sun.

Perfect start to our trip!

Our generous, thoughtful and fun loving hosts were a wonderful way to start our adventure! We were able to hang out on their deck, play music and enjoy the beautiful view with a glass of wine (with frozen blueberries) barbecued salmon and grilled veggies from their garden. Their 68 acre property is a delight - with woodsy paths that wind around their property and whimsical “garden rooms“ that had journals for one to write and reflect in. The weather has turned blustery and rainy so we, reluctantly, have decided to push on to our next stop. We thank them from the deepest part of our hearts for sharing their time with us.

Inside our happy tiny home - 23 feet with lots of room for two

Our Winnebago View - 5 cylinder diesel on a 23 foot Sprinter chassis with lots of room with the pop out. The couch pulls out to a full size bed and there is a large bunk over the front cab for sleeping or storage. The dinette also makes into a bed. There is a full bathroom with a shower and roomy closet. The kitchen has a three burner gas stove, a microwave and a huge refrigerator.