Photo by Jason Kostal

Following Theater Director Patrick Murphy’s introduction on Saturday, February 24, the California Guitar walked on to the Museum of Instrumental Music’s stage in Phoenix, Arizona, and the musical magic began.

The opening piece was Mason Williams’ “Classical Gas.” Originally titled “Classical Gasoline,” this tune was envisioned by Williams to be “fuel” for the classical guitar repertoire. And fuel it was for the seventeen selections played during the ninety minute, non-stop, electrical evening of pure guitar music.

The CGT met 27 years ago during a lengthy Guitar Craft seminar in the English Countryside at the Red Lion House, home of legendary guitarist Robert Fripp. They have been together ever since. Without this gathering place, these three might never have met coming from such diverse backgrounds. Bert Lams is from Affligem, Belgium, Hideyo Moriya is from Tokyo, Japan, and Paul Richards is a native of Salt Lake City, Utah. It is their diversity that makes them unique as each one has something different to contribute.

Each of these fine musicians is also a composer and they often compose together. Early in the evening, they played Moriya’s composition titled, “Komorebi” Inspired by the Japanese word, Komorebi, it is a term that in English translates to something like walking in the forest with sunbeams streaming down through the trees. It is also the title of their most recent album. It is a very beautiful tune eliciting the peace and quiet of a walk among the forest trees.

While all of the trio’s compositions were good, one of the best was “The Train to Lamy.” Lamy, now a ghost town, is or was a small town just south of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The trio performed there in the 90s and met a local character they called “the old, hillbilly cowboy.” He was the inspiration for this western sounding piece with its sweet melody, very western strains, the sounds of a train traveling along the tracks and a Spanish-influenced melody within which Lams played a jazzy improvisation. It ended too soon.

Part of their repertoire includes familiar music recorded by the Ventures. The Ventures continue to be an inspiration for the CGT. “Apache” by Jerry Lordan stood out with its western sounds and the trio’s famous sense of humor as they did a walking step during some of it that was inspired by Fripp as a “walk by” during a Guitar Craft seminar. Another selection, the theme from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly by Ennio Morricone, gave the trio the opportunity for a bit more humor. Moriya started the piece by playing drum on the wood on his guitar. There’s a short phrase in the music that allowed Richards to tweak it making the audience laugh. And more. At the conclusion of the piece, Richards announced that “This ends the Spaghetti Western portion of the program,” causing great laughter among the audience.

Occasionally between selections, Richards talked about some of their equipment and their guitars. Richards uses a small, hand-held device called an Ebow or Energy Bow. It sits on the strings and keeps them vibrating to obtain some unusual sounds.

Richards also introduced the individual guitars the musicians play. He spoke of the various kinds of woods they are made from. Each one is made from more than one kind of wood. Richards and Moriya both play Breedlove instruments made in Bend, OR. Raymond Kraut of Eugene, OR, made Lams’ hand-built guitar and was in the audience. Jason Kostal of Phoenix, AZ, is making a new one for Richards. Kostal was also in the audience and has graciously loaned his “on stage” photo for this article.

All three CGT artists are very talented and all had solo parts scattered throughout the evening. Moriya stood out in Radiohead’s “Daydreaming.” He also had the audience laughing heartily as he stood and took photos of them imitating the typical Japanese tourist. Richards had solo work sprinkled throughout with his unique sounds. But while they all obviously enjoy what they are doing, Richards enthusiasm stands out through his engaging smile and his movements with the music that is almost like dancing. Lams, an honors graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels, Belgium, is truly a classically trained guitarist. He shone in their exceptional arrangement of J.S. Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.” Lams also played several intricate, jazzy cadenzas in many of the pieces.

The sold-out crowd gave enthusiastic applause throughout the evening but at the end, their standing ovation brought the trio back to the stage to play one more piece. Richards called it “our sing-along song,” but he would not reveal the name. It took very few beginning notes of Freddy Mercury’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” to sound before the audience was prepared to sing-along. And sing they did in soft, melodic tones. Richards sang every word with them.

It was an enchanting evening all around. The California Guitar Trio will no doubt return to the MIM in the future. If you get a chance to see them, do. This performance was absolutely perfect and they just keep getting better. You will be in for a real treat.

It’s the days when the mountains speak

and the sun’s poetry paints the sky

When the fish are thick and the ocean’s flat

and there’s not another boat in sight

And sure there’s days when the storms crash and thrash

and toss our boats around like toys

But thanks to a fisherman’s selective memory

our work is still our joy.

       A Poem by Joel Brady-Power

Tele Aadesen is a commercial fisherwoman. Joel Brady-Power is her husband. Together they fish for salmon on the “Nerka” in the waters of Alaska. They have kindly given permission for use of Joel’s poem here. This weekend you will find them in Astoria, Oregon at the Fisher Poets Gathering that celebrates commercial fishing with poetry, song and prose on the last weekend in February every year since 1998 which Tele describes as “the best weekend of the year.”

This event started out as a low-key reunion for fisher friends in the commercial fishing fleet. 100 commercial fishing  poets, storytellers and songwriters from the west and east coasts now gather in Astoria’s galleries, pubs and restaurants to read for each other and for the hundreds of enthusiastic fans that also attend. The FisherPoets Gathering website describes them as “authentic, creative voices of deckhands and skippers, cannery workers and shipwrights, young greenhorns and old-timers, strong women and good-looking men.”

The FisherPoets Gathering has gained national and even international notoriety in the New York Times, Smithsonian magazine, Wall Street Journal and on NBC and BBC and elsewhere. The U.S. Library of Congress recognizes this event as a “Local Legacy” project that has coined the phrase, “fisherpoetry.”

Performances of poetry, music and prose by Fisherpoets start at 4:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights in various places around town. On Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, there are workshops in four different locations including a variety of topics. There is a Story Circle on Saturday afternoon where Fisherpoets regale with colorful oral histories. Later there is a session of honest commercial fishing films. There are more events which you will discover when you pick up your event button ($15.00) that is good for admission all weekend long.

Astoria is a unique and very interesting place on its own. We have blogged about her and you can query “Astoria” in the search box to find those blogs.

Tales of the sea as told from the view of real commercial Fisherpoets. Songs of the sea, stories of the ocean and more. What a fun time for the whole family! Be sure and stop in and say hello to us at www.umpquahaven.com on your way to traveling the beautiful Oregon Coast up to Astoria. The scenery can’t be beat!

The commercial fishing fleet in Winchester Bay Oregon.

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I’m a bit late with this post but the good news is that you will be able to find red glass floats for a few more days and even longer!  Happy Valentine’s Day!

If you and your Valentine enjoy beachcombing for ocean treasures, there is a special hunt you can take them on this week. The City of Gold Beach is sponsoring a special glass float treasure hunt on 3 miles of  Oregon Coast Beach. 120 red glass floats will be placed above the high tide line among the driftwood and seagrass. What a fun, romantic way to spend Valentine’s together!

The glass floats of the ancient mariners were used as net weights by Japanese fishermen for many years. Some of those original floats are still drifting onto the Oregon Coast beaches but they are a rare, if exciting find these days.

The City of Gold Beach celebrates glass floats from February 1 through April 30^th. Each week 120 glass floats are placed above the high tide line for beachcombers to find. The floats are tagged and if you find one and take it to the visitor’s center, you may discover you have won a prize.  There are weekly and monthly prizes. The floats can be found from the Rogue River jetty to south of Kissing Rock which might be a great place to pause with your Valentine!

You can also shop for your treasure at the Treasure Hunt Stores. Inquire at the Visitor Center for a map of these stores. You may find hidden treasure in the shops. If you spend at least $25.00 in one of the stores, you can take your receipt to the Visitor Center for your very own glass float beach treasure.

There are many outdoor and indoor things to do and see at Gold Beach. Be sure to check them all out at the Visitor Center. www.umpquahaven.com is about a 2.50 drive from Gold Beach. Come stay with us and leave early in the morning for Gold Beach for a day of beachcombing. Then return to Umpqua River Haven for a great night’s sleep!

While beachcombing for that red glass float at Gold Beach, have fun but just take one!

This Saturday, February 10, is the Annual Charleston Crab Feed from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.  It takes place at the North Bend Community Center, 2222 Broadway Ave., North Bend, OR. There will be fresh Dungeness Crab Dinners, whole or half crabs at market price and the dinners include side dishes, bread, beverage and cake. Prices are $20 for whole crab dinner and $16 for half crab dinners but the market dictates the final price. Pricing will update as the date gets closer. 

This is a great way to partake of our famous Dungeness Crab. We recommend this fun, social event that also benefits the Charleston Visitor’s Center as all proceeds will be donated to the center.

However, if you are inclined to do your own crab trapping, Charleston Harbor is a great place to go. It’s a bit more work than the crab feed, but can be fun and rewarding. We are re-posting our Charleston crabbin’ adventure below to whet your appetite for delicious Dungeness Crab. It might entice you to attend the crab feed this weekend. We hope you have a crabby weekend on the Oregon Coast!

Let’s go crabbin’. Not only are Dungeness red crab delicious to eat but here on the Oregon Coast, they are great family fun to fish for. I ended up buying our very own family crab trap for this adventure. We packed up 7 of us in the SUV and off down the coast road to Charleston we drove.

Charleston, Oregon is a small, very small, fishing port with a large Coast Guard presence. There are a few shops and a couple are very nice. There is a motel (Captain John’s) http://www.captjohnsmotel.com and 3 or 4 restaurants with the Portside (http://www.theportsiderestaurant.com) being the nicest for a fine dining experience. We also like the High Tide Café (we favor their clam chowder) http://hightidecafeoregon.com. Both have waterside dining available. So if you get hungry there are places to eat.

You can’t miss the fishing fleet or Coast Guard boats as that is where the best crabbing is. We stop at one of the fish markets for bait which is usually a turkey leg though you can also obtain fish heads.

Before you go crabbing for Dungeness be certain to educate yourself a little bit about them. You need a license, are only allowed to harvest male crabs in a limited number each day and they have to be at least 5 & ¾ inches. You will want to purchase the special measuring device designed to measure Dungeness.

To determine gender and to measure properly, turn crabs over onto their backs. Dungeness become docile and appear to sleep when on their backs and are easy to handle. You’ll want to know what the markings are for each gender. Licenses, supplies and information can all be obtained from any of the fish shops.

There are tricks to placing the bait in the trap so that the crabs are not able to just grab and run. One family member got very good at it.

Once the bait is set and the trap closed you gently toss it into the water from the dock and let it sink to the bottom. And then comes the tricky part which is knowing when to pull the trap up retaining the most Dungeness.  

This is something you can learn by trial and error or, as in our case, a seasoned crabber gave us some tips. The big crabs will come into the trap first and take what they want and depart quickly leaving the small ones behind.

Our mistake was leaving the trap down too long and our crabber buddy advised us to pull up after just 3 minutes. It worked! We caught a mess of yummy Dungeness crabs!

Crabbing is a bit of work as pulling those traps up numerous times can be tiring and make muscles sore. Since we had a crew, we took turns pulling it up so no one would be sore at the end of the day. There are places on the docks you can take your crabs and they will cook and crack them for you. We’ve done it at home ourselves but, again, it is a lot of work. There are special tools that are helpful but now we usually just spend a few bucks as it is economical and let the experts at the docks do it. We can then go back to Umpqua River Haven worn out but happy with our catch ready to eat when we get home.

Visit www.umpquahaven.com and stop in for a stay. All that great crabbing at Charleston is only about 45 minutes away! You can also crab in Windy Bay which is 20 to 30 minutes down the road.

It was a very crabby day but in a good way!

We drove out last night to view the Blue-Blood Moon. It was huge in the sky and fun to see. Nothing red but certainly very bright white/silver. Here are a few photos we took. We zoomed in on the first one but not the other two.

Then, this morning, we got out of bed early to see the Eclipse. And it was there. Our photos aren’t the best but you can see that the moon was red and eclipsed! We hope you were able to view these rare events also!

Cold temperatures have been extreme in Northern Ohio this year. They still have alternating cold and warm, but melting has started. The ice is melting and the river ices are breaking up which can cause damage to docks and boats left in the water. Flood warnings have been posted at times for the rivers. 

50% of Lake Erie has been frozen during the winter. Some of it still is although there has been melting there, too. A day of 50 degrees here and there breaks up the cold and melts the ice. 

Winter isn’t over by a long margin yet, but, during the worst of it, out by the Lorain Ohio/Black River Lighthouse, the ice was thickly frozen creating a perch for these winged masters of the air. The American Bald Eagle has made a major comeback here where natural areas protect their nesting, people leave dead trees in their yards for them to rest on and hunting is plentiful. It is exciting to see them fly overhead while driving down the highway. Photo credit to Maureen Smith on Pinterest.

The Oregon Coast is famous for its Dungeness Crab. It is great fun to grab your crab traps and head to the docks at Windy Bay (Winchester Bay) or Charleston outside of Coos Bay for a day of catching crabs. Sooooo yummy, we have spent many happy family times crabbin’ on the coast (https://umpquariverhaven.com/2015/09/26/lets-go-fishin-7/) You can crack and cook your own, or, you can spend a few extra bucks and have someone there do it for you. The latter is a lot easier, I can tell you, and worth the price.  All you have to do is take them home and enjoy! Hint:  Be sure and wrap the shell leavings well as they get smelly in the trash!

Crab fishing is serious business for the commercial Mariners who make a living fishing on the Oregon Coast. This year’s crab season has been delayed due to weather and price negotiations. But, the boats have headed out to sea now and the pots are in the water. Price negotiations are in, however, the exact pricing isn’t known. Not until they bring in the first catch will the price be available to us.

The good news is that they are out fishing and will provide local businesses with delicious Dungeness once again. We can attest to the yumminess of Dungeness! If you can’t catch your own, it’s good to know the Mariners are out there braving the elements to catch them for you.

And brave the elements they are. Right now they are hurrying to fish their catch before the next big storm moves in. The storms come in on a regular basis in the winter and produce some of the most spectacular happenings that Mother Nature can provide. Our friend, Deborah Heldt Cordone, has filmed a very stormy day on the Oregon Coast at Florence (January 18, 2018). The elements don’t always allow for fishing. We thought you would enjoy watching Deb’s video below. Storm watching on the Oregon Coast is a winter activity you can partake in when you are here visiting www.umpquahaven.com! But watch from a distance as these storms are very hazardous, not just to the fishing boats, but to anyone near the water.

It should be noted that Ms. Cordone is a Coast Guard Auxiliarist working with active-duty personnel to obtain this footage and safety precautions were taken. The public was warned to stay off the jetties, coastal rocks and beaches during storms and high surf conditions. Mariners should always take special precautions and be aware of conditions related to weather and going out to sea.

Thanks, Deb, for sharing this video and for your input!!  Here’s the youtube link also:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPNn3LHtbxg 

Oregon City is on the southern edge of Portland along the Willamette River and is the county seat of Clackamas County. It was founded by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1829 and was the first U.S. city west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated in 1844. It was established near the Willamette Falls in order to run a lumber mill, harnessing the power of the falls.

Oregon City was also the destination for those wanting to file land claims at the end of their Oregon Trail travels during the 1840s and 1850s. Today, it is the site of several large paper mills on the river and boasts a population of 31,000 plus.

The “End of the Trail Interpretive and Visitor Information Center” is located here. This is where you can learn about the history of the Oregon Trail and the people who traveled it. There were many hardships traveling the trail and those that made it through were grateful to be done traveling and settle in.

The center holds many events throughout the year but the one coming up is about the music of the Oregon Trail. Sunday, January 21, at 1:00 pm you can hear and learn about the music of the Oregon Trail from local musicians. Nancy and Rob Downie of Heartstrings bring their popular music program from this era, information on the history of the tunes, the role of music on the Oregon Trail and the origin of their instruments. Their featured folk instruments are the hammered and mountain dulcimers, fiddle, acoustic bass, banjo and Native American flute.

It’s a bit of a drive from Umpqua River Haven but not bad if you rise early and head northeast. It’s a little under 3 hours with some of it along the beautiful Umpqua River and most of it on I-5 which is also a very scenic drive. Come stay with us at www.umpquahaven.com, and you’ll come home to your own cozy bed after an afternoon of fun music.

Heartstrings

Yes indeedy it’s cold. 3/4s of the nation was below freezing for days and days. Maybe weeks. A friend in Vermont was at minus (-) 25 degrees the other day. Their furnace isn’t fully operational and inside it was 55 degrees. At least they aren’t freezing inside—just cold. Northern Ohio was hovering from sub zero to a mere 12 above. And Wyoming was minus (-) 17 a few days ago. A ‘bomb cyclone’ hit the east coast bringing torrents of snow and extreme cold that traveled inland to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana.

While things warmed up for a bit, there is more coming. The East/Midwest is gearing up for yet more cold and snowy winter weather. At 15 degrees (that feels like 10), Thayne, Wyoming is still pretty darn cold. While you probably never heard of Thayne, Wyoming, it is a beautiful place where family lives. Very close to Freedom (see our post from February, 2017:  https://umpquariverhaven.com/2017/02/02/the-road-to-freedom/) and not far from Jackson, Wyoming where it’s been 17 degrees feeling like 10.

The Wyoming high country winters are among the harshest with extreme cold and tons of snow that the highway workers spend hours plowing, sometimes 24/7, to keep them safe for travelers. But it is some of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, country you will ever see no matter the season. The Tetons are here, of course, outside of Jackson. But Thayne is located between the Salt River Mountain Range in Wyoming and the Webster Mountain Range in Eastern Idaho (where the Caribou National Forest resides): https://umpquariverhaven.com/2015/04/24/picture-of-the-day-2/ ) where the mountain scenery is just as spectacular in its own way. 

We have posted photos from this area taken by a family member before but this one kind of says it all to us as to the cold, snow and extreme beauty of the high Rocky Mountain Winter.  Stay warm.  Stay safe!

At the beginning of the 20^th Century, the use of stained glass in windows, from churches to private homes, grew rapidly in popularity. American architects and glass workers traveled to Europe, studied medieval windows and the creations of Rouault, Chagall, Albers and other European painters. Soon, Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan incorporated stained glass into their new ground-breaking architectural designs. Private glass studios in the United States created lamps, vases and windows for private homes, churches and civic buildings. This practice extended into the Art Deco Era of the 1920s and didn’t recede until the Depression and World War II. Today, we often find old stained glass windows from this period in antique stores and flea markets. Now and then, one may spot a window still in place in a home built during the heyday of U.S. architectural stained glass. Today, contemporary glass workers design and create for private residences, commercial and civic buildings throughout the country.

Somewhat recently a family heirloom popped up on the horizon bringing with it great memories. It is a stained glass window that lived in a family home of 2 generations ago. I remember sitting at the dining room table in this home as the sun shone through the glass causing streaks of color to dance on the white tablecloth much like a spinning prism. It was fascinating. The colors were as warm as the sun unleashing a child’s imagination. Visions of faeres and butterflies floated about in those multi-colored reflections creating an atmosphere of warmth and safety.

The oldest family member of this 3^rd generation had different memories:  It was a beautiful window, hand-made and quite old, I think. When the light was just right, it would cast colors on the crystal kept in a glass case in the dining room.

The color reflections were something everyone remembered.

The introductory paragraph to this post was written by a family member who also took this photo. We all have so many memories coming from this one, beautiful heirloom. It is amazing what good, fun memories emerge from one very old thing that was an everyday part of life at the time. It has been lovingly restored to its original detail down to the dark green frame and hangs again in a home that loves it.

I thought you would enjoy seeing this restored beauty that was probably made around 1915. So from our family at www.umpquahaven.com to yours, envision the magic of the sun-created colors.