June Hiking Report

And this is the point where I say, "my, where did that month go?". Ahem. Well then, I barely squeaked in my miles for the big halfway point for 2006. Had to snap on the boots and hit the river trail for a quick 5 miles Friday, but it was a beautiful, warm day, and refreshing break from the roving thunder drenchers that have been making drive by dump and runs on upper state New York this week (and from what I see much of the east coast). I don't mind hiking in the rain, but do mind the lightening and not find of high winds, so I've been off the trail too much in the last couple of weeks. Onward.

May Hiking Report

Got some good miles in last month including some time walking all over both sides of Niagara Falls with my visiting Mom and sister Darlene. Hit 41 miles for the month, bringing the yearly total so far to 252. Just need 48 miles this month to meet the 50% mark. Should do that and more. Looking to do some longer hikes this month. Some more stuff along the Eerie canal and would love to get back in the hills, been doing too much flat walking lately.

Another African Mask Drawing

I'm in love with primitive art, especially African Masks. They radiate a purity, sincerity and power that I don't find in most fine art today. I believe that's because the motivates for creating art are less clear now. In tribal cultures, art had a definite value and role to play in societies well-being. Contemporary fine art (I'm speaking specifically about the USA here) on the other hand, is something shut away in museums and galleries and plays a tiny role in most people's daily life. The average Joe looks at "high art" as some kind of con game or puzzle that's too much effort for too little pay-off. Fine art also has some ass-kicking competition today from movies, TV, the internet, video games, etc., that primitive art never had to worry about. In fact, primitive art was the movies/TV/ internet of it's time, more fantastically interactive and 3-D then anything we have now, it literally danced-the-dance. So, another drawing from the pages of "Masks of Black Africa" by Ladislas Segy. This a " Mahongue" from Gabon and the caption reads, "This mask, known as elimba, has bold, angular forms, two square eyes, one for the mouth, and triangular forms for the nose and forehead." . O.K. not much info there. I like it because it reminds me of an old friend who used to wear his hair in a pompadour. So why copy a photograph of a mask from a book? Because it's my own ritual, my own dance of ink on paper going down into that trance state where words and rational thought are unwanted and the drums roll and roll. These drawings come out of the simplest, natural part of my soul, a place of purity and sincerity and power. I make this drawing because it is my essential nature. I make it because it just feels good. I make it because it makes me feel alive.

April Hiking Report

April was a good month for hiking for me. The weather was generally friendlier and the days got much longer. I can now hike after work, which is always an option, but I prefer to hike during the day. I knocked down 72 miles last month, bringing my YTD total to 211, 35% of my goal. I was 11 miles off my average going into the month and I came out the other side with 11 miles in the bank. I believe that trend will continue through May. How many miles have you hiked lately?

OK HW