August 4 - On the Photogenographic Road

Off to Southern California today, via I-5, initially approaching its junction with 580 at the eastern edge of the Diablo Range,



an elemental world of greens and tans,



with pale undulating shadows in the midafternoon sun.



The road goes south, of course, past storied areas including the orchards south of Shane P. Donlan's (south of Westley),



the incinerator at Crows Landing (where for some time the exit sign was crushed in a fashion that really did look like an aerial avian accident),



the sycamores by Orestimba Creek at Newman (albethey a bit speedy-fuzzy),



and Little Panoche Mountain.



Somewhere between the latter and Panoche, subtropical moisture appears (not an auspicious sign for walking in the mountains farther south), as the world continues to unfold past


Joaquin Rocks,



the grim stockyards of Harris Ranch,



canyonic foothills near Kettleman City,



Lost Hills,



sentinel powerlines north of Buttonwillow,




Pine Mountain over regimented fields,




the southern Tehachapis and a speedy shadow,



the California Aqueduct,



and Arvin, the setting sun occluded --



to the Grapevine (with a truck occlusion) --



up, up,



with oak-studded summits,



abrupt walls,



pastoral grazing,



the gathering dark in the Lebec / Frazier Park area



to Tejon Pass.



The road goes ever on, by the Grand Ranch of Gorman Naked Mountain,



Liebre Mountain,



desert vegetation invading from the Antelope Valley (Mojave),



milky-placid Pyramid Lake,



the yawning gap of Cherry Canyon (looking up to the Old Ridge Route)



and Piru Gorge, with Black Mountain Beyond.



At Violin Canyon overcrossing,



the interstate traffic lanes reverse (as if suddenly transplanted to a desertic Britain, with the medial as intervening ravine [an eastern term, to continue the meta]), and down we go,



as the grade reveals trespassing housing --



Magic Mountain redeeming itself in the sunset



which illumines the Rye Canyon area, beyond which rise



the Santa Suzanna Mountains near Gavin Canyon,



where cliffs



and lonely Big Cone Douglas Firs stand at attention before Newhall Pass --



to the San Fernando Valley (with the California Aqueduct coming down the other side of the mountain like a suspect Great Wall of California, center left),



the San Gabriel Mountains, John Browning's, and, ultimately, rest.

August 3 - Cast of Nine and Billions

At last we have a cast -- complete for now -- for Mice and Men excerpts -- and all at rehearsal, which goes very well over entire three hours at Chamber Arts

Suzanna Mizell - Curley's Wife
Maria Mikheyenko - Lennie
Wayne Wong - George
Erin Lahm - Slim / Whit
Alix Jerenic - Candy
Adam Broner - Crooks
Marilyn Pratt - Offstage Soprano

Megan Cullen - Carlson / Boss
Mark Alburger - Curley



Beyond, a return to lamentably-developed Walpert Ridge above Hayward, with views west to the edge of Garin Regional Park, with a hint of the Bay, plus Peninsula ridges and fog beyond -- as great a discovery as any during the walk, is the "back gate" of Garin / Dry Creek Pioneer, which will save perhaps arduous hikes down and around Cal State East Bay. Instead, can proceed next time on a course directly into the parks....


Return via a suburban hill-park picnic area


and the comforts of the car, still with the fog beyond -- dinner with Harriet at a local pub,



plus beginning of "Odysseus" movement of Iliad Songs prepared for publication.

August 2 - Return of the Native

Finish up the reconstructed August 2005 back issue of 21st-Century Music (with short feature article by the hardworking Phillip George on works inspired by W.H. Auden), now online at 21st-centurymusic.blogspot.com and soon at 21st-centurymusic.com and in print.



A second page of Iliad Songs prepared for publication, then, at last,



Harriet returns! --


first calling from Medford, OR,



then Corning, CA, and thence safely home.

August 1 - 21st-Century Musical Topology

Finish the August 2008 issue of 21st-Century Music, with a brief feature on Bay Area composer-kotoist Miya Masaoka, now online (21st-centurymusic.blogspot.com) and soon also at 21st-centurymusic.com and in print.



Email from Owen, and we're already gearing up for the fall semester.



Whoops! Not like that! (amazing what can happen when one googles for pictures re "college") Actually, both Owen and I prepare in rather monkish fashions, he to the Sierra, as above (not directly above, rather, two above -- well, shall we say two pictures above..),



and I to a continuing improvisation re the straight-and-narrow of the Pacific Crest Trail in Southern California (stringing dayhikes and a few overnights together between the Mexican border and the crossing of the Antelope Valley), definitely thinking of Mt. San Jacinto this year, conditions permitting (above is the view of MSJ from the top of Mt. San Gorgonio -- the goal of each of the last two years, respectively from south and north approaches),



via Marion Mountain Campground, if possible (the shortest, steepest route...).



Meanwhile begin another publication-preparation job -- the considerably shorter Iliad Songs, op. 46 (of course, I just happened to happen on Agostino Carracci (August 16, 1557 - March 22, 1602) - I Modi [The Ways]: XV. Achilles and Briseis) --



and avidly awaiting Harriet's return (she's due either tomorrow or the next day).