Monday, July 2, 2012

Hyper-Focus of the Moment: Hiking

This blog is apparently aptly named, since it's been nearly a year since the last post. Good thing I recognize that trait in myself, and prepared my reader(s) with full disclosure in the name of this blog.

So, my gnat-sized attention span has decided that I am into hiking again. I even ventured out into the wild yesterday and visited Tiger Mountain with a short hike. I might be spreading myself thin in the writing arena, since I am also interested in writing about hiking adventures on the Washington Trail Association's trip reports. I even wrote one yesterday, and included pictures here. 

In case you're too lazy to go to the link, and I certainly won't fault you for that, here's evidence of why hiking is my thing right this moment:

I have planned out many hiking adventures this summer, deciding that this is The Summer of the Worship of the Trees.  Plans for the Hoh Rainforest: place of mystical, ethereal beauty. The smell of the rainforest is enough to dilate my pupils in wonder.
Before that, I am planning a visit to the Umatilla National Forest. Staying in the Godman Guard House, close enough to Walla Walla to visit the wineries, but adjacent to the hiking trails to explore.
Also planning on a visit to the Oregon coast, with a stay in the Cape Lookout State Park. Apparently it has the best of both expansive beach and miles of hiking through miles of old-growth trees. I am not usually a fan of campgrounds, but this place looks lush enough to block the views of any obnoxious neighbors.

This site has the hikes detailed clearly, especially where to find the best places to explore vantage points over the cliffs of the ocean.


There is another campground on the Washington coast that I haven't found on any map, but I passed it earlier this year and visited on a whim. It was nearly vacant on Memorial weekend, and that was significant enough for me to make a marker on my iPhone. It has lukewarm showers you can buy with quarters, which I will certainly appreciate after several nights in the Hoh.  Ok, on closer inspection, it is apparently Bruceport County Park. While not on the beach, it is on a cliff that overlooks the beach. I can't find any pictures that match my memory of the place, so I will need to take some on my visit.



There is another natural area that I labeled "Undeveloped Campground with Weird Bridge." Uh, I am sure it made sense at the time. I guess I knew that a name like that would be nearly irresistible to my ADD-addled brain. What the hell could that possibly mean? Aside from a bridge that is "weird" I have left out any identifiable traits, making it nearly impossible to internet-research. So, I guess I will be making a stop there, and hopefully will be a bit more descriptive in my next notes to myself. This is a link to a very useful pdf of the Cowlumbia Public Camping Map, a tourist map of "outdoor recreation in Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon". This website is fun to explore, if you are a looking for random campgrounds to visit, like I often am. Here is the main site. Unfortunately, I can't find my weird bridge campsite. Oh well, makes it all the more attractive.


Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Down the rabbit hole...

Wikipedia is the best/worst invention for those of us with an attention span of a gnat. I started out just trying to find music for a tiki themed party I am throwing this Saturday, and got lost reading about tiki culture (which I am finding is based on appropriating Polynesian culture. Being American. Sigh.)

So... I am looking for names and then going to Spotify, which I LOVE, and listening to a whole selection of music I was vaguely aware of, but never intentionally listened to.Whoa, for having a reputation of being repressed, the 50's sure supported some out-there music. Yma Sumac, who I didn't know by name but having heard her, recognized the sound. Shrill near-yells and guttural, throaty almost operatic;  not what came to mind when I thought of 1950. So weird, so beautiful, so what I am listening to all Saturday while I make frothy rum-and-pineapple drinks.

While I have mixed feelings about the idea of tiki culture - making mugs of out of another culture's gods - the music that is a result of post-WWII American's obsession with Polynesia is truly wonderful.

Give her a listen: Lovely Yma!



Monday, August 15, 2011

Wizards.

I have become obsessed with wizards lately. Say it with me now "wizzzzeeeeerd." Not the cute wand-waving-go-to-a-private-school kind, but the old and weird and bearded variety. I wish I had a Ford Econline van that I could paint a mural on to share my wizard love with the world. Cyclopeatron has an amazing collection of fantasy van pics, this one is my favorite though:


It really captures my escapist desire to be an old man wizard. Somehow being an old witch or sorceress doesn't have the same appeal to me. Not exactly sure why, though I think it might be the beard.

A video game I played a few minutes of...

This is an amazingly simple yet spooky free video game. And, best of all, quick to play!
http://www.superfriendshipclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=117

Long time reader, first time writer

I never though it would happen to me... not really. I've meant to start a blog for as long as I knew they existed, but I wasn't sure what to write about. Then I realized, who cares? I have the shortest attention span, so I could just post and write about my interest of the millisecond. But no long posts, because who has time for that? And few videos, because they just take too damn long. Even the short ones.