MUSICYCLE Tour 2007

Pics and final words...

2007-08-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

As I type I am in Waskaganish, a Cree community on the James Bay in Quebec. It is a small village that promises to be pretty quiet and leave me lots of time to record and write new music, live life, learn how to "Not live out of a can" as my wonderful friend Pauline from New Brunswick said.

How does one sum up something that spans such a large period of time? The overall feeling I have now is one of gratitude towards all the kind people that I met. The kindness I am shown by strangers and friends helps to restore my belief in humanity. I found that no matter what beliefs people had, political or otherwise, when you need something as simple as somewhere to sleep and water everything else falls away. Maybe thats what I take away from this, how little it takes to see the good in people, and how little it takes to make me happy.

I would like to thank Richard Paxton for the guitar that rang across this whole country, it is a grand instrument that I will play and treasure for the rest of my life. Also to VIA Rail for getting me out and home safe, it is the greatest way to travel.

To the nice people who came out to the shows, it was always a treat to see faces smiling as they join in the tales told, my thanks. And last but not least Johnny for doing all the booking, it was no small feat and for your hard work, thanks.

On the way to the Black Sheep with Tim and Ghyslain

After party in Montreal with friends and family

Following the St Laurence from Quebec City

Kamouska country! Mountains, water, road, what more can you ask for.

Welcome to New Brunswick indeed, one province left...

Pauline the wonderful woman I met in New Brunswick, a trip highlight.

Touchdown!!!! NOVA SCOTIA!!!!!!!!

READ IT AND SCREAM!!! NOVA SCOTIA!!!!

Halifax, on my tongue for months and months!

The Rupert River right near my new home in Waskaganish Quebec on the James Bay

Home for a rest

2007-08-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Stories stories... I left Quebec City a little late because I just didn't want to leave, I had such a great time seeing my friend and playing the little concert that I didn't want to move on. The feeling of the house concert is something I have only experienced in Quebec, a bunch of people get together with some good food, drinks of all kinds, and share their lives, it is one of the reasons that Quebec always feels like home. The funny part is that my friend is actually a Dutch transplant! The ride along the St Laurence was jaw dropping. I have been out that way before but nothing looks the same from a bike, on a bike you can smell the air as it changes, feel the temperature go up and down depending on how close you are to the water. All the way to Rivier du Loups was something to take in, inhale all of it, the way the houses started to become more maritime in style. That night I went to sleep with a bit of a soar throat...

Next day I was feeling a little less than wonderful, but I was committed now and had some serious ground to cover so I got to it. Some of it feels like a blur now but a beautiful blur. I had heard a friend talk about Kamoraska country but had never seen it, fields, mountains on the other side of the river. By the end of the day I had covered 150km so I put in a good day even while feeling a little on the slow side.

When I got into New Brunswick someone had put mountains in that province! It felt a lot like, well, Quebec. One thing that I noticed is how the lines between Quebec, New Brunswick are there only in accent. New Brunswick also brought about a few bike pains, as in the bike was in pain. The chain broke, no biggy really as I have the tool with me to fix it, however when it broke it messed up the front deraileur. When I fixed the chain I had to shorten it, which made it so the gears in the back didn't work very well or not at all sometimes. This all happened at the end of my day while feeling sick, and still haven ridden 140km.

That night I went to a camp ground after not having seen a shower in 3 days. Did I mention that its cold in the mountains of New Brunswick? Not a big deal as I have a nice sleeping bag, but still having to cook dinner with a shirt over your head to keep warm is not ideal. The funny part came once I was asleep... The gentleman who ran the little camp ground was, well, odd. Imagine if you will an overweight, gay man that talks like a stereo typical gay man does, and to top it off he has a little Hitler mustache. Ok so now that I have set the scene a little imagine if you will I am dead asleep at this point, no late parties for me, sick, cycling 120-150km a day makes a boy tired. So I have my earplugs in because I really needed to sleep well that night, and then I hear some voice "Sir, Sir" I wake up, take it the ear plugs "Its very cold, I have two extra beds in my camper, would you like to come sleep with me in my camper, I could make you breakfast." As much it was a nice offer, I passed and went back to sleep.

At this point I am waking up with a throat of fire, coughing, feeling just wonderful, but "shut up and ride boy you've got a lot of ground to cover" Oh did I mention the best town name I have ever heard? I passed it all ready but can't leave it out "St Louis Du Ha! Ha!" I would someday love to say that I lived in Ha! Ha! Ok where was I... right, sick, broken bike, riding lots... the best part of this day was getting to Woodstock! Yes I was in Woodstock, not that Woodstock but none the less something wonderful happened there. I stopped to ask the nice old man who was selling some of his produce off the road for suggestions of what would be a better road to take. There was a woman there buying some veggies. In the end she offered a place to crash in her backyard, which I accepted even if I hadn't gone as far as I should have, only 120km but I felt like death warmed over. She drove off ahead and I caught up as she was about 2km down the road. Now to set the scene a little, her house is a humble little place on the river, her name is Pauline and she is 80 years old. With more energy than most people I know she asks if I would like to stay in the little bunk house "It used to be Ron's Barber shop..." and she rips into a long story of how her "common law" husband of 28 years had cut hair there before he died. The common law part was important to her, she had been married and had kids with another gentleman and she wanted to make sure they kept his last name.

That night she cooked dinner and we talked, well I talked a little and she talked a lot. I was happy to sit and hear stories of her life that she told with such vigor. I always feel that it is one thing to be young and do trips like I have just finished but to maintain that until 80 is something that deserves the utmost respect and admiration. Of all the things I hope for in life I think that is the greatest challenge of them all, maintain my love of life until I am old and gray. Pauline had seen many hard times in life, in the space of a year she lost her common law husband Ron of 28 years and her daughter. Hearing her tell the stories you can see the tears begin to shine in her eyes but she pulls them back and tell stories of the good times. I am getting better at doing the same, tell the best part of the story.

That night I slept in a bed, but I slept like crap because I coughed all night. This was the 3rd night where I didn't get much sleep. That morning I dragged my butt into the house and Pauline was a whirlwind. I had told her where I would be living for the next year, she had found it on a mad of Quebec, that is the kind of energy she had. We talked lots more that morning and after leaving with a full belly, sandwiches for lunch, and the best part of all, homemade apple sauce!!!! It was the tastiest apple sauce I have ever eaten. The night before we had talked about getting back to basics as she had spent the day canning pickles and other things for the winter. She had a big freezer full of fruit she had picked. When I told her I was excited about being up North and learning how to fish and hunt she said "Learning how not to live out of a can."

That morning the cable for my back gears broke, which was a drag, but I just laughed and thought "Now I get to do all the hills standing up." I had to ride some big hills with no easy gears to Fredericton which was 100km away. So rain, no gears, but man I had some great apple sauce! Once I got to Fred Town I found a nice bike shop that helped me get my bike back into shape so I could get to Halifax in one piece. Thats when I noticed that the back wheel was about to die as well. Everything was coming undone on my poor bike, it had been a long haul with a ton of gear so I couldn't be mad about it. I gambled that it would make it as I didn't want to spend the 200 dollars on a new wheel. I camped behind a church that night and after have been rained on all day, the night before frozen, and now I was soggy and sweating from the heat, go figure. I didn't sleep that night as I was too busy coughing.

All this on my head, but damn it I was all most there so I was still in good spirits. I made it to the ferry from St John to Digby, but barely as I got 2 flats on the way! I must admit I swore a little when I got the second one. Riding into the ferry was a great feeling as the last bike trip I had done with Kristin and Riley had started and ended here. Finishing that trip would be hard to beat as it was a huge success for Riley who had never done a trip like that before, he was 10 and cycled 2500km in a month! All this to say that I had a lot of wonderful memories with me as I rode in. As the ferry started to pull in to Nova Scotia I was standing out on the deck with many other people around me but I just couldn't help but let out a huge scream of joy, I was going to make it!!!!! Once I touched the ground I was bouncing, it was true I was in Nova Scotia! I had another cyclist take a few pics of me in all my joy. That night I went to sleep feeling victorious, only 232km to Halifax now... so I didn't sleep again as I was up coughing all night.

The next two days I just found myself thinking about the tour and the whole trip, thinking overall how great it had been, ignoring a few details. Nova Scotia is a place I feel very at home in, I think it is a place I could live someday. As I rode down Highway 1, which seemed the perfect number to be on as I finished this event, meandering along this old road along the Bay of Fundy on my left for a portion of it. I had all kinds of songs in my head, songs that I love of other artists about the feeling of accomplishing something great. I was so close to Halifax it was hard to believe as signs on the road said 92km...70km...52km... after all the riding I had done it didn't seem possible that it would be ending.

As I rolled into Halifax it was a little surreal, thinking, dreaming and wondering for so long if I would make it to this point there I was. The song that I had in my head was fitting, its below, a tune by RUSH.

If we burn our wings
Flying too close to the sun
If the moment of glory
Is over before its begun
If the dream is won --
Though everything is lost
We will pay the price,
But we will not count the cost

When the dust has cleared
And victory denied
A summit too lofty
River a little too wide
If we keep our pride --
Though paradise is lost
We will pay the price,
But we will not count the cost

And if the music stops
Theres only the sound of the rain
All the hope and glory
All the sacrifice in vain
[and] if love remains
Though everything is lost
We will pay the price,
But we will not count the cost

I played a little concert in Halifax at my friends place, I sounded like Darth Vader as my voice was shot at that point. It was a nice way to end, not how I had pictured it but its best not to let our own pictures get in the way of life. I will post some pictures and that will be it, the end of the MUSICYCLE tour.

H A L I F A X

2007-08-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

8151km!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will tell all as soon as I get back to Montreal on Thursday, tomorrow I am on the train back home! I made it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been sick, bike troubles, and bad weather but I made it!!!!!

Derek

Johnny Out

2007-08-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Given that Derek and I are not remotely a union anymore, I am not going to contribute to this blog anymore. I am going to post thoughts and what-nots on a new blahg (a spelling I like a lot) at www.johnnyeden.blogspot.com - I suspect it will have much of the same poetry, thoughts, etc that I`ve been posting here, so if you`ve enjoyed my writings, please check it out. I will update it as the words come.

Thank you for reading this and supporting the tour.

Quebec City....

2007-08-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

I left Montreal on Friday morning a little late after having enjoyed visiting with friends late into the night. I biked to the Jean Talon market, my old stopping grounds from when I lived in the city. The market was bustling with people and loaded with fresh produce. I went to all my favorite places, got myself some good cheese, croisants, fresh berries, fresh queezed apple juice and started on my way. I had picked up 12 bagels that I have been dreaming about for months and was ready for a nice long ride. I put in 170km even after only getting rolling after 12 and rode until the sun was down. The next morning following the river I saw more cyclists than I have the whole trip! Highway 138 is one of nicest stretches of road I have been on in a while, such a joy to ride.

Now I sit at my friends in Quebec city with the sun on my hands as I type. I
have been looking forward to this visit for a long time. I have a show to play here and then it is the great race to Halifax, 950km in 6 days. I'm gonna make it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Derek

Aug 18 - Quebec City - discovery of couchsurfing

2007-08-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

After getting a ride up to Montreal from family friend Jerry Golland, chatting away about life, love, music etc, I got to pay a visit with my dear friend Jerome-Antoine Wednesday night, as well as hang out with my sister for a bit later on that evening. Every time I see J-A I really miss playing music with him. Of all the people I have met over time, my best chemistry has been with him. He told me once we`d have a band when we were 30. The day is coming, J-A - the time grows near....

My sister Heather has a new boyfriend, Grant, who I`ve gotten to get to know a little more now. He seems like a good guy so far. I like his sense of humour. When I first met him I made fun of his beer - Pabst Blue Ribbon. He bought me one as a special cheeky gift, so I had to drink it. According to Heather, he was touched. Ha ha ha.

While in Montreal I discovered a web-site called couchsurfing.com - this is a world-wide network of people who are willing to put travelers up for a night or two on their couch. Through it I found Catherine, the girl I stayed with in St-Hyacinthe, who turned out to be kind, fun, and accomodating. She brought a bunch of friends out to the show at Le Zaricot Cafe Acoustique, which went really well, considering the language barrier, and that I had to play twice as long as I`ve been used to for this whole tour. One precious moment was when her friend, Marie-Josee, came in and I played Bon Nuit Ma Cheri just for her, sitting on a chair right in front of the stage. Ha ha ha. Derek did a similar thing to Asta back in Vernon, but I think this was much more outlandish because I had not even said hello to her yet before I sung a very sexually explicit song to her. She took it in stride, though. The French-Canadians do not seem to have too many sexual taboos lurking in them, and their senses of humour are well-intact.

Today I am in Quebec City, staying with another couch-surfing host, Ariane. She has just gotten back from a trip to Syria, and that has opened her heart to meeting new people. She seems very nice so far, though I only chatted with her for about 20 mins before she had to run off to the Quebec Expo with her sister. So here I am, updating the blog. It is raining outside, but I think I might take a walk to a Turkish cafe she told me about, and get some groceries. This feels... almost like having a home, for a few days... how sweet.

Be well everyone. Oh, and for an updated schedule of my shows, check out www.myspace.com - backslash - TheLastTroubadour - sorry I haven`t completely figured out this french keyboard yet.

Breaking away from the peloton

2007-08-14T06:13:00.000-07:00

So yes Johnny and I will be parting ways soon, having someone who freely admits to being depressed since Alberta and not really wanting to be on this tour you can imagine that this might affect my desire to be around Johnny. Since a big part of the tour was supposed to be about doing a music-cycling tour and he will still not be able to cycle, and his general depression I decided to make a break for Halifax. I am working on booking a few gigs along the way as I still want to be playing shows as I go. I hope he finds a way to be happy sometime soon...

I on the other hand had a good time on Sunday at the Black Sheep. I arrived at the eternal flame to find Ghyslain and Tim waiting to ride to the Sheep with me! What a treat to have a few people there to join me, there was also another gentlemen there to wish me well and a photographer to take some shots. The ride up was a total pleasure having some people to laugh and share stories with. We arrived at the Sheep and dove into the lake. I had been imagining getting to the Sheep for a long time and there were some familiar faces there that made it all good fun. I was happy to spend a little more time with Richard, the luthier, and his family.

Monday morning I left Ottawa and made a break for Montreal, where I have spent most of my life and said goodbye to Ottawa, which has been my home for the last year. On the way to Montreal I found myself thinking about the first time I ever biked to Ottawa when I was 21. I was amazed at how much of that route I remembered. It was my first bike trip ever, from Montreal to Algonguin park. All the details of that trip came back to me, where I camped the first night after having done around 135km, which was my biggest day ever at that point, why I took the trip... I have loved cycling trips for a long time, it was back on this trip that I realized I could never do a bike trip again without a guitar as it just didn't feel right without one. I have dreamed about cycling across Canada doing a music tour since then...

As I got closer to Montreal rolling down roads I have riden more times than I can count, taking roads that you have to be a local to know, the nice backroads that my Dad first took me down, I had a smile on my face from ear to ear. When I crossed the bridge onto the island of Montreal and rode into Saint Anne de Bellevue, my home town I was cheering out loud! I have always wanted to cycle from Ottawa to Montreal in a day so once again another dream coming true! I have ridden 6700km to get here so it was an amazing feeling. Since this tour began I have had a plan, to ride into my home town and go right down to what used to be a dive of a pool hall and now is all clean and eat a poutine! Imagine if you will walking into a place you have known all your life and seeing the same woman who has owned it forever sitting there with her son like they have always been. There is something about coming to a place that you know this well, will always know.

Then I made my way to my friends parents place who I have known since I was born. I said my Hellos and then went to surprise their son, who I have been friends with for 30 years! We played in a our first band together, went to my first concert with, have dreamed of being a rock star with!!!! We got to catch up and he joined me for the little ride to my brothers where I am now. All told 191km in a day to get here, I am now hanging out in the basement with the kids and am heading to the pool, life as simple as it should be.

Aug 13 - Ottawa, ON - from Blue Skies to the Black Sheep

2007-08-13T06:25:00.000-07:00

Post-Blue Skies is a very hard time for people who go there. After experiencing a weekend of euphoria - friends, great music, sharing - the coming down can be hard. Children and adults alike find themselves welling-up or crying, because the realities of more than two-hundred days of the year creep back into their minds, or simply because good times for the time-being are over. I am as susceptible to this as the next person, if not more so. I have always taken the end of Blue Skies hard, and this year was no exception because I'm in the middle of a difficult tour. I spent the days between Blue Skies and the show in Kemptville contemplating quitting this tour. What I arrived at was a decision to abandon the bike, to make the rest of it more comfortable, perhaps just to make it do-able. After talking with my mother, though, I had that guilty feeling of not finishing what I started, of breaking a promise. So, I decided I would cycle to the house concert on Friday, and up to the secret show and Black Sheep gigs on Saturday and Sunday.

Let me write about Kemptville before those gigs, though. The Branch Restaurant used to be Amanda's Slip, which was a fantastic place to eat very fine food by a very fine chef, AJ. Things have changed, but only subtly. The decor is still intimate and warm, the food is still amazing, the desserts are still mouth-watering, the music is still going. There is a different set of friendly, hospitable faces. The main difference is that The Branch is committed to using local and organic products as much as possible. This, in many cases, equals delicious. I had some broiled tofu for dinner and granita for dessert while drinking Heritage Dark Ale - and all were extremely satisfying. But what about the show? Well, Derek played the best set I've heard him play since back in Waubaushene. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand the whole time, or so it seemed. I felt a little daunted to get up there and follow him, as I imagined the crowd was into his style and wanted more. None the less, I got up and did my thing, and did it better than I'd done in quite a while, and though some people left, I don't think it was because of my music so much as because of the hour. It was a great show, and I can't say good enough things about our hosts. From the chef to the waitresses to the Maitre D, these people have made something cozy, classy and delicious.

After a crazy day running around trying to get ready to tour by bicycle again, I set off for Rachel Hauraney's house. On the way, I stopped into MEC to get some new gloves to see if they would help pad my hand better. They seemed to be doing the trick at the start, but by the next day, things had changed [more on this later]. The concert at Rachel's ended up as more of an informal get-together. A total of five people - apart from Derek, myself, Rachel and her ?boyfriend? - showed up. These included my friend Jerry and his new girlfriend, two friends of Rachel, and Melwood Cutlery. Instead of playing official sets, we just passed the guitar around and played the odd song in between chatting and getting to know each other. In a way it was disappointing, but in another it was nice. Even Jerry joined in on the playing, and at that point I began to think - this is what music is for - sharing. When the place had cleared and things were winding down, I went to play piano. In the middle of it, Derek came and said "Let's end this." I was caught off guard, so it took me a little bit to get his meaning, but he meant "let's end the tour". Everything came to head. Neither Derek or I particularly want to be around each other anymore. There seems to be very little that is positive that we can get from each other. We have been much quiter in public than we have been behind the scenes. Backstage is a mess right now. We can't comfortably be in a room together. I am disappointed in both of us for not being able to find a way to work together, but I also realize that we shouldn't be obligated to get along. We were never friends, and right now we seem to be the embodiment of each other's pet-peeves.

So, Derek's idea is to play the shows until Quebec City and then ride straight to Halifax from there, so he can say he crossed Canada by bicycle. My idea is to play the rest of the shows, so I can say I finished the music part of the tour. So it looks like we'll be splitting into a music/cycle tour - me on the music, him on the cycling. It is most likely for the best this way. We'll both have something to be proud of, and hopefully not too long from after its over we'll be able to look back on it all and laugh some. Wish us well!

Now, on Saturday I got up early and took the long, winding bike bath through the experimental farm and along the Rideau canal to the Parliament Buildings to meet - that's right - no one to cycle to the secret show, which took place at Le Depanneur Sylvestre in Hull. I was disappointed, but not suprised. On this trip, we have met with much disinterest and apathy. People have come out to the shows and said, "You guys are amazing. I would never do that." I have kept thinking, "Well, thank you for coming out to the show and supporting us, but you're not really supporting our cause, are you, since you seem to be missing the point." While the media has shown that they are really only interested in us because of the cycling part of the tour, many audiences across Canada have shown that they are only interested in the music. Often times, it has felt like encouraging people to cycle has been a process of preaching to the converted - people who are already avid cyclists. We seem to be a deeply car-dependant nation. And I could rant for a while about this, but all I can do is re-state "Do as much as you can" and "Catch yourself making excuses". With excuses at my side, I could've pulled out of this tour way back in British Columbia, but I didn't, because they weren't legitimate excuses. "I don't like cycling that much" is not a legitimate excuse for polluting the environment that sustains us. So there, that's it, rant over. I was disappointed that no one joined me on the ride to the Depanneur. They missed a fun little show at Hull's coolest venue. Le Depanneur Sylvestre is a wonderful community co-op with delicious food, coffee, funky clothing and gifts. It is a place that should be supported for the contributions it makes to its community. That's that.

After the show at the Depanneur ended, I took off toward my family's cottage in the Gatineau hills up the green cycling paths that are plenty in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. I was very thankful for them, for they made for much more pleasant riding than the highway. However - I got lost several times because the paths are either poorly or not labeled. I think I cycled an extra dozen kilometres or so because of wrong turns I took. The one I was most bitter about was on the Lac Lemay path where there was a map with a "You are here" arrow pointer on it, and it told me I was somewhere different than I was. I turned right because, according to the map, that would get me on the Gatineau pathway heading north. So, I cycle along for about 4km when the river appears on my left. Well, I swore a bit, realizing I'd just gone 4km south out of my way thanks to a sign that was wrong. I cycled back up to Lac Lemay, and found the actual spot that the sign said I was at (about 200m ahead of the sign) where I was actually supposed to turn right, and finally got myself heading north again. Because of all the wrong-turns, the ride took me a lot longer than planned, and I ran out of water in Chelsea (Tanaga). This made the last stretch through the last few satellite hamlets of Chelsea quite difficult, especially because my hand was numb and pain was shooting up to my elbow again, and I was tired from my first day of serious cycling in a while, etc etc etc. Bitch bitch, wine wine. I made it - that's all that matters. I tore off my shirt, shoes, gloves and helmet when I got to the cottage and immediately dunked myself in the river - oh sweet refreshment! I spent the night drinking tequila with friends Ann, Lara, Allison and my parents, laughing hard and quoting movies familiar to us. It was a good way to spend the night.

The Black Sheep show, though not horribly attended, was also a bit of a disappointment. For a homecoming, I felt very unsupported, and to be honest, it is shows like the three we did this weekend that make me seriously think about quitting music. Folks - if you want someone to keep playing and recording music, show your support for them - show up to the frikkin' shows when they come to your town for the ONE TIME they will be there in the whole year! I am sorry if I am bitter, but there's a chance I'll come off this tour and decide to say "screw it" because, as Timothy Hutton said in Beautiful Girls: "It's just NOT happening". Back at Blue Skies, Clayton Yates was talking about me to someone and said, "This guy had the worst draw of anyone who's played at our venue, but our owner absolutely loved him and said he's welcome back anytime he wants a gig." Welcome to the story of my music career. Maybe I just need a publicist, or a promotional agent?

Well, that's it. It's Monday now, and I am once again re-packing from bike set-up to backpack. I'll likely get a ride to Montreal on Thursday, which is good. We're on the homestretch!

Johnny Resigns the Bike - will finish tour by bus, thumb and train

2007-08-13T06:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, folks - here it is: I have been in a slump since Alberta. I've been constantly feeling low. I feel like a chocolate chip cookie with not enough chips, where the chips are my joys and the batter my sorrow. This tour has taken its toll on me. Well, it's not just this tour - it's the last three years of touring. When I went to Hawaii the winter before last, things seemed to change. My luck shifted. And while good things have happened since then, my good times have been short-lived, and my chances at love haven't panned-out. I've been lonely and craving stability where there has been none. For those of you who imagine being a musician is living a dream, living the high-life, living it up - please don't use your imagination like that. Don't perpetuate a myth that, frankly, doesn't exist even for some of the richest, most pampered musicians. We do what we love, yes, but very few of us can be comfortable while doing it. On this tour we have slept in ditches, been hailed on, run off the road, played to the empty room and played to the loud and obnoxious. There is no romance in any of this. It is hard, and while it can be tolerated, while odd times are comfortable and amazing, it is extremely difficult to maintain for years on end. We all need a place to come home to, a refuge, shelter from the wind. As Kevin Head wrote in one of his songs: "Everyone needs a backyard to return to / Everyone needs a place to call home / We all need some friends that are more than friendly / 'Cause this old life is hell when you're on your own"

I am at my breaking point. For this reason, and for the reason that, on the rides to Rachel Hauraney's and to Chelsea this weekend, my fingers went back to square one as far as numbness and pain is concerned, I have decided to finish this tour in the most comfortable fashion I can. This means I will be taking the train or the bus instead of riding a bicycle. I realize this is probably a disappointment to many who expected to see Derek and I finish the tour cycling together. I can only ask you to put yourself in my shoes, and know that I am disappointed and frustrated myself in the way this tour has developed. That said, Derek and I were trying to do something crazy: a four-month music tour (which is nuts), by bicycle (which is nuts), with someone we barely knew before we left (which is nuts). Three nuts makes crazy, if you ask me.

Rest assured that for the next three weeks I will give the best shows I can, pouring my heart into my music, and that I am not off the bike permanently. After the tour is done, I will commute on it and ride it everywhere that riding is a viable option. I hope you are doing the same, will do the same, for it is a service to this planet and the life that is on it. Do as much as you can.

If I have learned anything from this, and other, tours, it is just that: DO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.

You need not be a zealot. You need not be a martyr. You need not be an evangalist.

YOU NEED ONLY MAKE YOUR BEST EFFORT UNDER YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

Catch yourself in the middle of making excuses, and let them fade off into the distance while you take positive action.

Thank you for your support!
Johnny Eden

So much good, and one looming shadow

2007-08-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Since last time lets say that I have been busy. Toronto was great, friends, just seeing friends has been something that a body needs. I suppose mentioning names of people I saw is a little silly, nobody else really knows who they are so I will just tell stories. I played a nice game a road hockey in a T.O. parking lot with a friend I have now known for 13 years or something like that. It was good to run around since I have spent this whole tour sitting on my ass! I walked all over Toronto to meet with old friends, seeing how things have changed, or how they have stayed the same.

One highlight was finally getting to meet up with Jowi Taylor and the Six String Nation Guitar http://sixstringnation.com To hear Jowi tell the stories of where all the pieces of that guitar came from was truly moving and all most had me in tears at one point. The story of the top of the guitar is what got me. It was a wonderful little visit and to trade stories about crossing this country was a treat.

Then there was the gig at Mitzi's which was a show I had been looking forward to as I had never heard Noah play before. He was wonderful, left me wanting my guitar a a room to play in, inspired, which is the greatest gift one can receive from a show.

Leaving Toronto was a boring ride, nothing but stores for the 12 km or more out of town. Oshawa brought a pleasant surprise as my friends Micah and Doug showed up. That nights sleep however was something a little less joyous. I slept in an extra room on the floor of the bar beside the patio where people were drinking and being merry, while I was praying for sleep because I had a long ride a head of me. The next morning I head for Consecon, 140km from Oshawa on about 4 hours of bad sleep.

Consecon however was a show I had been waiting for since this journey started as it was where I would see Richard http://www.paxtonguitars.com who built my guitar for this tour, which has been such a great pleasure for me to play. Seeing him and his wife Tanya was like completing a big circle. Richard was happy to see that I hadn't ruined the guitar and that it has taken to being on a bike very well! There were 3 people at the show that night who had come to play the guitar which was amazing to hear that people had been reading the stories about Richard and the tour.

So I haven't slept a lot at this point, then I go and sleep beside a little river not even setting up my tent, then waking up at 5:15am, yes in the morning after having gone to sleep at after 12 and then hitting the road. I had to make it to Blue Skies by 5:15 which was at least 150km away. That was a long day, knowing you have no choice but to ride that far is always tougher than just riding long distances, that and having a deadline so early in the afternoon. Anyway I made it, it was long, it was 170km and I was tired, but the welcome was a treat. Lets be realistic about this tour, there is not a lot a glory but show up to a festival like that with a bike and all the gear, guitar strapped on top and people want to talk to you, encourage you, actually tell you that they are proud of you. We did our little workshop on enviro touring and then just went and listened to music, to other people making music! I love to listen, I am always playing these days so its great to listen. I met a nice guy from Mexico who said he could help me plan a bike tour through Mexico as well...

I went to Ottawa for a few days, then back to Kemptville to play the show here at the Branch which was a highlight show at this point! It was a treat to have people come all the way from Ottawa to see me, old students from the Folklore Centre, Arthur from the Folklore Centre and a high school friend who heard me on the CBC and came to the show! I hadn't seen him in about 12 years so what a surprise that was.

Then there is Johnny and I trying to get along... which, to say the least, we aren't... to what point... lets just wait and see a little more...

Aug 9 - Ottawa, ON

2007-08-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

OK... from Toronto to now:

Finally! A good show in Toronto! Old friends I haven't seen in many years came out of the woodwork to say hello and show support. The house, though not full, was present, warm, and listening. What a treat from the Big Smoke! After all the traffic shenanigans, and walking several city blocks from Spadina (where The Deuce dropped me off) to the Roncesvalles neighborhood in the still sweltering heat, it was great to arrive to a groovy place with atmosphere, tasty food and good beer. I arrived quite early (about 3hrs), so I settled in with my book.

[The book is fabulous, by the way - "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell". It's about a couple of fictional magicians, and their impact, at the turn of the 19th century. I highly recommend it.]

Slowly but surely, the show got going, as Derek and I were both mingling with steadily arriving friends. I remember little of the set, except that I was in the mood to play every humourous song I had in me, and for the second time on this tour I dropped my pants to play "My Hammerhead Baby". I guess it is getting to the point that recording that song is a necessity for the next album.

At the end of the night, a rather explicit girl decided to make-out with my old tree-planting pal Gabe right beside our table, which was pretty amusing. She literally mounted his lap right there. Ha ha ha! I think Gabe ended up going home with her only to put her to bed. What a gentleman!

I got myself home on the streetcar by 3:00am, and was blessed with a light shower while walking from Queen up to Gerard. I dragged myself in, threw on the new CD I bought from Noah Zacharin, and after having listened to it through (it's great) passed out cold in The Deuce's vacant bed. Turns out I was viciously tired because The Deuce came home and plopped her exhausted paramedic butt down beside me and I had no idea until I woke up around 2pm. We decided to go to Kensington Market to check out a new vegan restuarant for lunch, and it was well worth it. I can't remember what the place is called, but it is closer to College St and has vegan ice cream that flat-out blew the mind of my tastebuds. Black sesame ice cream is one of the best things I have ever tasted!

After our taste explosion, we fought traffic yet again to get out to Oshawa for The Velvet Elvis gig. [Now, The Elvis is where Deuce and I met - she was a waitress and I was playing. So there was nostalgia in this.] Deuce dropped me at the door and took off to walk her lonesome dog and take a dip. I spent most of the lead-up to the show trying to figure out how to get to Consecon the next day, and finally linked up with Jake Willis from down in Guelph who was heading up to Blue Skies the next morning and was kind enough to offer me a ride there, even though it was a little out of his way. The show was good, I think. Derek did his thing for some friends that came up from Hamilton to see him. I'm not sure what I did, though I know I grew a big smile when Billy Blasko and Trish Robb walked in. I hadn't seen Blasko in years, and hadn't seen Trish since last I was in Montreal, I think. I finished my set relatively early for an Elvis gig, and spent the next while visiting with Deuce and Blasko, catching up and reminiscing and talking new too. I ended up going back to Blasko's place with the plan to sleep, but a few beers, great conversation, a few songs, and one recording later, it was 5:45am and I had to get up in an hour to call Jake to see where he was at. So I napped and called him and he was in Milton, so I slept a bit more and called again and he was nearer to Oshawa, so I groggly dragged myself down the stairs and out the door and over to The Elvis' parking lot, ate Tim Horton's sandwich on the asphalt in the morning. Ha ha ha! How many times have I been in this ridiculous situation?

The ride to Consecon with Jake was splendid. That's the only way of putting it. We went up Hwy 2 just above Lake Ontario, which offers some beautiful country views. Rich greens of summer leaves and vast expanses of tall grasses - an occasional brook babbling its way down to the the big water. The towns along this stretch are some of the most aesthetically pleasing towns I've ever seen. Huge oaks and red brick houses - the kind of places I knew when I was a teen trapsing about Perth and parts of Lanark County. Except these places were sunnier somehow. Maybe it was the way the sun was hitting them, but there seemed a lot of joy in them. Maybe it was Jake's positivity rubbing off on me. You see, Jake is a pretty phenomenal man. He's a lot of things, but I think most of all he is a philanthropist and humanitarian. He's a man of faith and a political activist, and he does not seem to blend the two - he merely seems to let them co-exist as independants. On the ride he expressed his concern about a document that might be signed on August 20th that might deepen the political, economical and military ties between the countries of North America. His view was that the United States of America was trying to take over Canada and Mexico "with a pen". I don't know much about what's going on politically. I am out of the loop. But I hope our leaders will not act in such a way that will compromise our integrity as a nation. If we are going to conglomorate with the US and Mexico, it needs to be a mutually benificial action, and there are too many things I do know of that wouldn't be beneficial to share, like privatized health care, for instance, or a deep disparity between rich and poor. Canada was once a more socially-minded nation. The social programs we've had have provided us with an identity. I would hate to see us drown in the deep waters of a North-American capitalism that is, frankly, viciously Machiavellian. There is no arguing it. America's profits are built on blood, sweat, tears and broken dreams - mostly outside their borders, but more and more the tragedy is creeping in.

OK. Enough of the rant. On to Consecon, where the beaches look tropical and old mills are made into drinking holes. I arrived at the Cascades Pub & Grill at 11am, and decided I needed to have a nap after the 1hr sleep absurdness. The girl at the bar drew me a little map, and I only got lost twice before finding the beach two hours later. It was worth it, though. The wind was blowing in off the lake, the sun was high, the waves were breaking, and I found a patch of shade on a patch of sand. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... I woke up sweaty and hot, as the sun had found me, and jumped in the lake fully clothed before I began walking back to town. It was a glorious walk back as my clothes dried around me and I kept cool as the wind blew them. When I got back, the Cascades Open Stage was jumping, and it reminded me some of Irene's here in Ottawa - people even had songs with the name of the bar and the regulars in them! After the open stage, the place cleared out, and I spent my first set playing an up-close-and-personal set to a couple of tables. By the time Derek got up to play the second set, though, the place had filled up some, and though he fought the noise of the crowd a little bit, he did a pretty darn good job of keeping their attention. Fifteen minutes later, I went up to do my second set, and by that point the bar had erupted into a very noisy situation. Oh - did I mention we were unplugged? Yep. I had to blast my way through every high-tempo, high-volume tune I knew just to keep a scrap of attention. Luckily, it worked, as a lot of people responded very well to me. (There was even a guy who gave me his card who is a Nashville-based promotion outfit - pretty cool, eh?) We were supposed to earn $250 that night, but neither Derek or I felt we'd earned it, so we offered to take a pay cut down to $170, which would cover our expenses, but Chris wanted to pay us $200, so that's what we got. I guess it worked out OK for everyone. It is a hard thing, though, when you've made a deal for a certain amount, and you feel like you haven't earned it. I have trouble with that, anyway....

Later that night I went home with Richard Paxton (the fellow who made Derek's beautiful sounding guitar) and his wife, and they gave me a ride in the morning up to Belleville where I met my dad and headed to Blue Skies. Before I left I got to play some of the guitars he's made, and see his workshop. Guitar-making is an art form that boggles my mind. Sometimes, upon seeing the process, I feel unworthy of playing the things. =)

Ahhhhh... Blue Skies. Home sweet home. Familiar faces and warm embraces - the kindness and love that I need right now. Blue Skies was a whirr of reunions, music, joy. I arrived and felt uplifted. I got my bracelet on and felt liberated. I saw my friends - so many friends. I stayed up all night playing music along Washboard Hank, the good folks from Galitcha, Trevor Mills, Tannis Slimmon, my sister and my dad. I felt sad sad sad as everybody left on Monday and I got an all-too-short jam in with Jerome-Antoine, my greatest playing partner. By Monday night I just wanted to get stoned to erase how melancholy I was feeling, but ultimately it didn't help.

Aug 2 - Toronto, ON

2007-08-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the delay in blogging. The tour lately has been busy, and wonderful, and hard. My psyche has been a mess.

Where did I leave off? South River?

Renee's Cafe in South River was a really cool spot that for no good reason people in the area didn't seem to know that much about. Well folks, if you live or cottage anywhere near South River, get your adventurous buns over there and listen to the great music they have in on the weekends and try their ridiculously amazing desserts. I have authority on these desserts, you see - I had two. Yum. That's all I gotta say.

The one part of the show at Renee's that sticks out in my head is how I played Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" that night. Sometimes I get in a zone with a song, and that night I felt every word. This experience is what makes music worth playing for me, and I find when I can lose myself in a song like that, it is more enjoyable for the audience as well. It was relieving because I hadn't really felt like that since Nanton, Alberta, where almost my whole show felt "in the zone".

After the show we slept in a funky little hotel on the highway that is all painted up on the outside. I think Derek posted a photo of it here. Despite the beauty of the place, I slept horribly due to vicious late-night over-consumption of caffeine and sugar (remember the two dessert thing?) and the next day I felt pretty horrible. I just lounged about the front deck of the hotel, making conversation with the quirky owners, and only going into town to purchase a personality-full shawl and some glass-bead earrings for Asta, which are apparantly a hit now. Geoff Holbrook's (Derek's pal from Montreal who has been promoting our show there and showed up seemingly randomly in South River) family gave me a hugely helpful lift right to Vki Lucier's Zen Waffle Inn (which isn't an Inn, by the way) driveway. My sigh of relief was long and wonderful.

I got in Vki's door and quickly went swimming in Georgian Bay. We feasted on healthy organic soup and steamed veggies, watched a movie called "The Time Machine," and got to bed relatively early. The next morning I got up and dipped in the bay again, feeling happy about using cool water and sunlight to wake me instead of coffee. [Since I stopped cycling, I've been leading a little more typical musician's life: lots of booze and late night partying. It really isn't for me, but old habits die hard.] At the noon hour was the "Waffle Off" sporting a head-to-head competition between Vki and her beau Peter who made independant and incomparable and delicious waffles that the crew that was slowly amassing enjoyed very much. One thing that was discovered was that the circular model of the waffle iron produced thicker, fluffier, tastier waffles, so Vki was working with a handi-cap with her square waffle making iron. No matter, though - chocolate and cranberries always taste good! The atmosphere was relaxed as we started the show a little late. I felt a little off that day, musically, but Derek was ON ON ON - he was making jokes and had that little group of people in the palm of his hand. My failings passed right by me, though, as I enjoyed more swimming after the show and a good conversation with a woman named Kate who is very vibrant and animated. She is always moving, like she has constant music going on in her head. We all stayed up a little late. Derek jammed with Peter and Vki and I played with the kids. Sleep was deep that night, and I woke up refreshed. Peter gave me a lift into Hamilton which turned out very long because of a 60-car accident on the 400. Welcome back to Toronto, I thought - what a dump!

Asta came and picked me up in Hamilton, gracious enough to wait for me though I was close to two hours late. We took off down to her sister's place in Simcoe and spent a couple of sweltering days there, exploring what Port Dover and Waterford had to offer. The heat was so strong it seemed to drain the life from us, and we spent most of both days lounging stupidly, unable to come up with inspiring ideas for things to do and generally lacking spontenaity. A little bit of bad timing on the weather's part for when I was visiting a new flame. How can you recognize heat when you're in a fire? Ha ha ha. I was thankful for the visit, all the same.

Up to Toronto I went on the Wednesday, when another friend, The Deuce, came to my rescue and graciously gave me a lift all the way up to Alliston through more Toronto traffic. Why anyone lives and drives a car in that city, I do not know. Its charms are lost on me, I must admit.

The show up in Alliston was in conjunction with "ladies night" at Groundswell Coffeehouse. Derek missed out, as I was one of two males in the joint, and the other one was wearing pearls, so I don't know if he counts. It was a fun little show, and I got to partake in the delectable desserts there. Mostly I remember swimming afterwards in one of the employees friend's pool. I swam (again wishing I didn't need a bathing suit) and watched the stars and talked to the girls - again I was the only guy. Yep - it's good to be me sometimes! Ha ha ha.

I got myself on a bus to Toronto today and here I am, at the apartment of The Deuce, preparing to take off to play music for a living while she goes to save lives as a paramedic. Nope, my life ain't so tough, is it?

Toronto...

2007-07-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I busted out a nice long day, 170km to get to Toronto to surprise my friend Shane. Nothing like just ringing someones doorbell and saying hello! But let me backup a little first, back to Sudbury... It was fun and, well, kind of a dive all at the same time. I got to do a good interview for CBC North so that was cool. I just walked into the lobby and told them what I was up to and low and behold I got to speak with Greg and do an interview.

The night of the gigs Kristin ended up walking back to the hotel as a guy at the show was being a complete pain in the butt. Then to top it all off she got cat called like crazy and other rude gestures on the way back. On the flip side I got to play the Townhouse tavern and Paul who booked us was really nice about the whole gig and listened very intently which was great.

Next was North Bay, where we played at the 100 Georges, a really nice place to play. Kristin and I had our nice fare the well dinner there; the food was excellent and we lived like royalty for the night. The next morning we said goodbye as she drove away on the bus...what followed was the hardest day of riding. My heart feeling heavier than all my gear ever had.

Next was the Zen Waffle Inn which was a cool gig right on the water. That afternoon I played a solid set and really had a good time after with Peter and Vki jamming away.

So here I am in Toronto, there was a gig in Aliston that Johnny is going to do on his own. Since he isn't biking he was heading to Hamilton to visit Asta and then heading back up to Aliston for the gig while I would be up there with no where to stay for 3 nights, so I decided to make a break for Toronto to visit with friends since I won't be back to this city for a long time since my future looks very Northern....

Derek

Pics 4

2007-07-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

Into Toronto!!! I put in a 170km that day...

This is where we stayed in South River, the coolest Motel I have ever seen!

Can you say tan lines!

Welcome to Sudbury! The nickel mine has over 5000km worth of underground

tunnels, that's how far I have ridden by now.

This was the note Kristin and I found that led us to Bathtub
Island...

I nice spot on the way to Pancake Bay.

Kristin hot on my tail arriving in Pancake Bay, 153km that day!

Sometimes staying in a hotel is more trouble than its worth.

So much resolution needed...

Mr. Fox passed this way, courage indeed, thanks Terry you have been in my thoughts more than once.

Lake Superior indeed

Its a long way to the top if you want to Rock n Roll

White River, home of the REAL live Winnie. That night the town was running around trying

to shoot a bear that was in town, that would be irony would it not.

Naturally Superior Adventures Lodge concert

Jul 27 - South River, ON

2007-07-29T09:24:00.001-07:00

surprise at the time passed by -
summer flashing and age reminded
as i go along - times before, times to come -
some grand perspective on it all
recognition of transition
coming of a new age
new ideas
concessions
desires

the me i knew not long ago
is gone to character
a strange third person i used to know
oh so vaguely

this traveling has taught me much
and now i understand why travel has been for so long
an activity of broadening horizons
sowing one's oats and all that

but that recognition of a new phase
it is odd
it comes suddenly
though the phase may no longer be young
it can take a long time
to recognize it
settle in

Jul 26 - North Bay, ON

2007-07-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

so... days spent getting to know the good side of Sudbury - such an interesting place. after the first night spent grungy and nasty in Canada's scuzziest band room, i ran into Phil & Libby (from the show at NSA in Wawa) and they bought me lunch and connected me with a place to stay at the home of their friend Heather Topp, a wonderful and strong-minded eccentric artist who kept me up happily late debating a world of things over red wine. she is vibrant and lively - full of that creative energy that some artists posess in their personality, making them larger than life.

i picked up a show on tuesday at the laughing buddha, and while i had limited fun playing, i had a wonderful night partying with the staff, getting to know them, and unwinding in a way that is sorely missed on the road - as part of a group.

i've been gluttonous lately, feeling a need to enjoy as many things as i can. living stringent is no longer suiting me. i find myself looking forward to points ahead, when i will rediscover love with friends and family. and, i find myself looking forward to getting on the bicycle again. i will have to get re-acquainted with it before riding out the last three weeks.

Jul 22 - Sudbury, ON

2007-07-24T09:35:00.001-07:00

come, mr. sketchy man, pick me up. bring me into sudbury with those burns on your arms, barely say a word but for mine language - you here for your whole life knowing nothing more. sketchy bill, save me from bigot mike, who speaks ill of his doctor wife and immigrants, and natives who "rob him of his culture". save me from his ignorant bull-shit. save me from him who left me without a blink on the side of the highway, fifteen km outside of sudbury's city limits, the ten minutes being too much of his valuable time to waste (value in this case meaning time spent idling or wasting money on his toy material things, his motorcycles never ridden). that ride meant a lot to me, but not the one who gave it. i'd be happy to never think on today's rides again. on thursday i will take the bus to north bay. i will hitch as little as possible on this next stretch. i will take the hit, get back on the greyhound, hate it, hate much of this, but revel all i can in seeing old friends.

and they are just around the corner, i know it. and i wait for them, more patient than i ever want to be. and that is the point, i think, when you know you are not living up to your own conditions, when you are over-patient. you cannot feel proud of such patience - you can only feel a victim of it.

i complain, and yet things have worked out better than they might have. i made it in to town, i have a place to sleep (though it be below a bar, in the smell). sometimes i want people to see me now - those who want to say "i knew him when" - i want them to see how irrelevant i am, how the talent they estimate to be so extraordinary creates so little effect. am i cursed or am i blessed? i want my life to be stabler than it is. i want to make a living, but i may need to be much better than i am to do that. (last night I heard Colin James on the radio, talking about his latest album, full of common names and legends, and i think i cannot play guitar like that, or sing like that, so who, really, do i rank with, and is that rank too low to dare call myself a singer or a song-writer, or anything having to do with music?) i am faced with a measurement of my talent, and i find myself doubting, despite what various people have said. i find myself cautious, making back-up plans.

Jul 21 - Blind River, ON - 3rd Sand Beach

2007-07-24T09:28:00.000-07:00

here we go whimpering one whimp more into depression: i can't seem to lift myself from it. i have come to wonder if it is the music that brings me joy, or just the good times with friends that sometimes come with it. or perhaps i am the stereotypical artist - only happy when feeling appreciated, or in the middle of creation. here i am on the beach again, yet tonight's show was cancelled. why can't i get past that? why can't i absorb all the joys of this moment? it's like something has gone off in me, but it can't be thrown out - it needs to be composted.

###

morning on the beach, dew inside my tent, swim in the Huron - I am up again. last night saw stars shining, shooting across the sky, the moon bright and strong reflected. listened to some blues on the cbc, and a little bit of "twang" from D Trevlon - good to hear him on there, to hear an up-and-comer get some attention.

no rush to get to sudbury now. the show is days away yet. i have no idea where i am going to sleep when i get there - ha ha ha!

What are you up to?

2007-07-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

Now for a rant:
So I am cycling across Canada to promote doing things differently, to challenge people to think about the way they live their lives, this is a tall order. All along the trip I have been asked "Are you doing it for Cancer, Heart and Stroke..." no I am not. My Mom died from cancer so I could have done it for that cause but I don't like the idea of people giving up their money to this big huge void that is cancer, it is too removed to me, no real impact just giving a little money. What I was hoping for was some thought, for people to possibly DARE to care. Feel the fear of KNOWING we have done harm to this nice place we call home, and, KNOW that we are the ones who will suffer in the end, then step into the COURAGE and ACTION phase. I have heard so many "reasons" that people can't bike to work, the store, whatever... So I ask people out in Blog land to tell me what you are up to to change something in your life because I could use a little inspiration myself.

Derek

I'm here I'm here...

2007-07-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

My time in front of computers has been pretty slim these days but with a little time here in Sudbury I will update the world from my side a little. First off I think that lake Superior is a hidden treasure of this country! The largest lake in the world, an inland ocean with views that inspire me to want to paint (which I don't) leaving me thinking that people up here are trying to keep this place a secret. The two days we spent at Naturally Superior Adventures in Wawa were wonderful! The view left nothing to be desired as Kristin and I enjoyed this place where the lines of water and sky mix creating a magical little world. The show that night was a fun one as well with a packed room and a view that looked out across Lake Superior while the sun was setting. Before playing one of my instrumental tunes I told the audience to just stair out the window and together the sound and view would mesh into one. At that gig we meet a nice family who we would later cross paths with...

On the way to Sault Saint Marie while riding Kristin and I happened to see a note written on the back of someones mini van window that said "Bikes follow this path... Derek we met you at the concert." so when you see something like that you have to follow!!! So we walked down this path and it was as if we had landed in the tropics, a most superior lake indeed. The nice folks we had met at the show in Wawa were hanging on the beach of a place called Bathtub Island. It was something I had never imagined in Ontario, clear water, white sand, and that little island was like a bathtub as it had a little pool in the centre that was nice and toasty! After visiting for a while we continued pedaling towards the Soo.

Soo Saint Marie was a really fun gig for me. I don't know what it was but I had a great. Some nice people came out with encouraging words about the tour and also our friends from Bathtub showed up again!!!!

Then there were a few snags lets say, the gig in Thessalon left, well and audience to be desired. The same night there was a stag and doe for a couple getting married this summer so the whole town was there... So Kristin and I did what any normal people would do, we went to the local Tavern and drank bad beer.

Now the next fun gig story was in Blind River. Imagine if you will kristin and I roll into town and find Johnny all ready at the place we are going to be playing, nothing weird there... Then we find out that the person who had booked us was actually just the cleaning lady and sometimes bar maid so there was no gig. Imagine it Johnny phones "Hey we are doing a tour..." I had to laugh, how often do you get secretly booked by the cleaning lady!

So whats there to say, the riding from Thunderbay to the Sault was something I will not soon forget, it felt like my first real moment of shock on this tour seeing a part of this country I never knew was there.

Derek

More pics will come as soon as I am at a computer that I can uplaod them to, not in the nice town library...

Jul 20 - Thessalon, ON - Lakeside Park

2007-07-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

feeling weary again - long nights and early mornings, a little too much beer drowned-in. i long to get off the road, and i don't want to end up writing songs about this. how is it one can be sitting on a beach discontented? this is not the first time i've asked myself this question, and yet i haven't answered it yet.

i have been seeking home and love for years now, hoping i would stumble into them. i may need to just make it happen. out there to the west, right now, there is a woman. she is my potential, she is my excitement. and while i move along and sometimes struggle to find my joy in playing, it can be hard to live with that - to feel alone despite knowing there is someone who is like magic....

yet bull shit - here i am, outdoors, light clouds lining up to pass the horizon, the sun slowly following them, the perfect heat on my skin. quit complaining, you idiot! you've got this, and she is waiting. stop being a business, start being a working vacation. this is joy you are living, you inconsistant twit!

Jul 18 - Wawa, ON - Naturally Superior Adventures' Rock Island Lodge

2007-07-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

the room here smells like my grandparents', back in time in nova scotia - their house on shaw island. i am immersed in nostalgia, eager to get there, to go back, see it. my love is on shores. this place reminds me of the fact. the water is easing me. i climb the jagged banks of these shores - bushwakking, trail-blazing, loving it. i swim though i want it to be ocean, want salt in my hair, in my nose, on my skin. the smells - i am so attached to them. today i caught a grass snake and loved that reptilian smell on my hand - memories of catching frogs as a kid. after i held it for thirty seconds it was so calm....

people here are kind but private, independant, or on special vacations. anyway they mostly keep to themselves. a couple from Sudbury have provided some good conversation, though, and David, the owner, has a voracious wit reminding me of my uncle David.

tomorrow is my last day here, though i am not sad to leave it. sitting mostly idle with few distractions stirs up my wandering spirit, and i feel it is time to move on again. tomorrow is go to sault, and new challenges....

....and now one of the wicked storms of Superior approaches. it is difficult to sleep. my mind is on Derek and Kristin up ahead - are they safe? they have each other - i can ease a little knowing that. but the thunder, even off in the distance, is lound and ferocious. the lions are awake in the sky tonight. this wind is violent, whipping the tarps above my head. i love the lights, though i worry about everyone on this beach tonight - needlessly, no doubt. if trouble truly hits, what can i do to help them? weather renders us helpless. we'd all huddle into one of the buildings, i suspect.

Jul 17 - Wawa, ON - Naturally Superior Adventures' Rock Island Lodge

2007-07-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

water in morning. cool water on my skin, shallow and refreshing. cleaning my clothes like a medieval person - "plunge and scrub" in the lake, on the sand.

a day spent relaxing, climbing on the jagged rocks, ancient magma exposed, thick with burgundy iron, small pools in their recesses. i get naked in one, resting, bathing, time a beautifully meaningless thing - no rush, no schedule - me and the rock and the water and far off, the blue sky and the sand. thrashing through the bush, around the gorgy inlets too steep or wide to climb or jump.

a delicious pasta dinner.

a chance that asta comes to toronto - an exciting chance.

a ride comes through to the sault. ease. beautiful ease. i could get used to this time, this extra. will i want to get on the bike again? it will be harder the more i enjoy this, yet i count on no joy around the bend. expectations can breed disappointment, unless one prepares for the worst - but there is stress in that.

Jul 13 - Rossport, ON

2007-07-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

I find it appropriate that I am writing this on a solar powered computer on an island across from the town of Rossport. I arrived here yesterday after catching a lift with Bart (a friend of Asta's). Yes, I did say ride. I sent the bicycle to Ottawa when I was in Thunder Bay because it became clear to me during the last week I spent cycling that my compressed nerve was getting worse, causing shooting pains up my wrist to my elbow, and my fingers were number than ever.

On the bright side, my reunion with Asta K (from Vernon) was pleasurable indeed. Nothing like romance to put a smile on a guy's face. I relaxed for 4 days with Asta and Kristin at Kristin's family's place, watching some good movies, drinking chocotinis, and dipping into Thunder Bay proper to check out the Finnish district (since Asta comes from an immigrant Finnish family). We ate at the famous Hoito underneath the Finnish Club, enjoying salt-fish and pancakes. Yum!

The shows in T-Bay were not stupendously attended, but were more enjoyable as they went along, ending up at Jen Metcalfe's beautiful home. We played in her living room to the little group there, imbibed in some fine El Jimador, and ate pizza. Life was good. At the end of the night, I took Asta to McVicar Manor B&B (a stunning Victorian manor right downtown) and romanced her some more. Life continued to be good until morning when we had a fabulous breakfast and some good chats with good people before I had to be off on my car-pool with Bart, leaving myself and Asta sad at the departure.

It's going to be a tough two months without her, and an interesting month coming without a bicycle. This is truly an adventure - so many twists and turns and unexpected happenings.

C'est la vie. Carpe dium.

Today I went out on a boat-ride and hike about Lake Superior and its many interesting islands with Lisa Poushinsky and her father Jim. My hips have been reacting badly to the lack of constant rotation, so it's probably good that I got a solid hike up a steep hill in. Northern Ontario seems to be all about the boat rides (what with the fishing trip in Wabigoon). I don't mind it a bit....

Jul 6 - Wabigoon, ON

2007-07-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

I feel disgusting -
grimy, bitten
smelly
unhealthy

This is no way
to come to a woman

I need to get cleaned up
need to be scrubbed down

Jul 5 - Oxdrift, ON

2007-07-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

I don't want to be the quitter, the one who gave up in the middle. But what can I do - keep going, risking my hand, wrist and elbow getting worse and worse until I can't play guitar? Is there a good time for one to cut one's losses? Financially, my entire savings was banked on this trip going well. Yet, does it matter if I lose it? Maybe I am meant to start fresh. Life surely has its purpose....

Jul 4 - Kenora, ON - Merry Independence Day, America

2007-07-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

Merry Independence Day, America
Give account of what your independence includes, please.

Peace? Nope - can't say that -
the fat cats
you chose
or who stole
or both
(with money and method that won't be disclosed)
have declared that your lives will be lived in fear
as long as they have dollars pouring in
'cause that's the one thing America's got, isn't it -
cold hard cash
for cold hard people
to buy cold hard weapons
to be pried from the cold hard hands
of cold dead sons and daughters

Keep marching on Iraq, children
Go defend that dollar -
it's all America has left, isn't it,
since the reaper so long ago claimed "Liberty and Justice for all" for his own
wearing his mask like yer man on his democratic throne

Merry Independence Day, America
O say can you see where your freedom has gone -
to racial profiling
walls to keep Mexicans out
patients dying on unsubsidized tables
war gone wrong
a vote that can't be trusted
and government contracts awarded to the already filthy disgusting rich

Your freedom is tied in the back yard, America
reduced to a dog crying to get in
unable to break the chain and bust out

Merry Independence Day, America
Will you ever know freedom again?

Jul 3 - Falcon Lake, MB

2007-07-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

Here in the rain it is cold and I am struggling - struggling to get through these cycling days while my brain conjures severance plans, ways I could still do this that wouldn't be so frustrating. Update: my fingers are numb, my knees are killing, there is a shooting pain to my elbow. Remember - it is raining. Ugh.

Could I hitch-hike, bus? All travel methods come with their miseries, but as I pop more pills than I have in my life to deal with my aches and pains, I wonder - is this beginning to do more bad than good for me? I seem to have passed a threshold of being in great shape.

I weigh 170lbs now. That's the same weight, I think, as Derek discovered the bike's weighed back in BC. I hope I haven't been pulling my own weight. That is insane. I am not an ant. I am a human being, dammit!

So today of all days is the day I most consider abandoning the bicycle. I have a hard time deciding whether I am a wuss or being practical. How do I reconcile? My fingers have been going numb for almost three weeks now, and they're getting worse....

2007-07-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

Wabigoon! John who runs Green Achers, the place we played took us fishing, what a great day.

John and Johnny

Somewhere between Wabigoon and Thunder Bay I was hanging out with the bugs watching the sunset while losing blood.

One more province!

This is coming into Winnieg, look close and you see the city through the mustard field

I happened to stop under this overpass leaving Winnipeg because it was the only shade I could find when I saw this! Makes me a little homesick for Quebec!

More Trees to discover... holly crow!

The lakes and trees of the Canadian Shield

Kenora and Trees....

2007-07-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

Well here I am in Ontario, great big, massive, large, spacious, tree filled, lake covered, Ontario. This is where things will get interesting from a sanity point, as in how much of it can I keep seeing trees...trees...trees...lake...rock....trees... you get the idea. I have said since day one that this would be the toughest part. Now to top it all off my knee hurts like never in my life. I have cycled through numerous countries and never had an issue with my knee before. At least it only hurts when I go up hill, since this part of Ontario is supposed to be worse than the Rockies! Crap.

Kenora has been a nice place to be, with some sun to top it all off! Everywhere we go "We haven't had this much rain in years." just what I love to hear.

Johnny and I are getting along a little better now as things have been on the rough end for a little while. Other than the fact that we both play guitar and sing we really are complete opposites. Basically we spend less time cycling together and this seems to ease some tension.

Now all I am doing is counting the days until Thunder Bay... why... because my partner Kristin is meeting me there and will spend two weeks on the road with me!!!!

That's all for now... did any of you catch the CBC interview, I can't believe we sang that tune of Johnny's... never in my life would I have thought that I would do something like that.

Derek

July 1 - Winnipeg, MB

2007-07-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

Well, Winnipeg has been eventful. The show at Candor was well attended, considering the circumstances being Canada Day weekend. Then, the show at Park Theatre - well, no so well attended. BUT, for me, it was worth it because Karla ("Lily" from Jacob & Lily) said some things that reminded me why I should be doing this, why I AM doing this: for the love of it. Why? No, not because of some cushy romantic idealism, but for the pragmatic reason that there is no other reason to tour folk music. There is barely enough money. The audience numbers are unreliable, and the listeners are sometimes few. One cannot do it for money. One cannot depend on the energy of an audience. One can only find joy in what one is doing, in the music. If one cannot find that, one might as well quit.

This is one of the issues that has been confronting myself and Derek, and I, at least, have come out the other side with a healthier approach and perspective.

On the personal front, Derek and I have been having some problems, but I think the worst has passed. It was bound to happen on this trip. We are too different to not get under each other's skin every now and then. It's like an arranged marriage - very difficult to manage, but I think we'll get through to the end without any serious damage. There are things for us to talk about, but once we do, I'm sure it will be water under the bridge.

I can't wait to get on the road again, taking 2.5 relatively stress-free days to get to Kenora, and a couple more tame ones to Wabigoon where we meet up with Asta and Kristin (our hostesses way back in Vernon), which will be joyous for me because there's some romance attached.

Thanks for reading!

The Peg for a few days...

2007-06-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

So what have I been up to for the last little while?

Finding my joy in cycling again, seeing this country and enjoying the views, the rain, the wind, the people. The joy of this tour for me has been the kind people that I have met, people that share their lives and homes with me as I go. One day I decided to do something a little crazy. I put in 301km in one day on the old bike! This was something I never thought I would be able to do. Definitely a challenge for myself. I put in almost 11 hours on the bike that day, the sun slowly, every so slowly sinking into Canada's prairie. Giving me as much time as it could to allow me to reach my goal. I had to turn off the Trans-Canada at about 10pm. I was afraid of getting under the wheels of some nice truck as it got dark. As I began winding my way down a nice little rural road, a dear came out to greet me, leaping over the fence on the side of the road it helped push me on. I finally stopped at 301km on the doorstep of a nice couple who didn't even flinch when I knocked on their door at 10:45pm and asked if I could camp in their backyard. They didn't miss a beat. Offered me a hot chocolate. I sat talked and celebrated with the lovely people of Manitoba. This is a day I will never forget.

The next night was another great surprise. I met Dan and Jordan who are cycling across Canada this summer as well. It was a wonderful opportunity to sit and chat with other people who are really cycling across Canada. The next day I rode with them to Winnipeg enjoying the sun and laughing along the way. I wish them the best on their trip.

June 24-28 - Moose Jaw, SK to Winnipeg, MB

2007-06-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

I woke up to thunder at 5am in Moose Jaw, SK, got out of the tent and saw dark clouds to the horizon. Not wanting to pack-up in the rain, I started packing my stuff away. Derek got up and started to do the same. The storm passed with barely a drop of rain. I started putting my tent back up. I wanted more sleep, and sleep I got. I woke at 8am, ate breakfast with one of our hosts, Fred, and was on the road by 9am, riding to Regina against the wind. By the end of the weekend in Regina, I just felt depressed. I'd lost my mojo for cycling, playing - I was on the verge of quitting. Sunday night after our show at The Club, I felt exhausted and sick. The next morning I decided it was best for my mental health to be alone. It was a good thing, too, because the next few days were my hardest mentally, by far, on this entire trip.

The first day was spent cyling into the rain and wind, going slow as molasses, and my trailer got a flat when the rain was at its worst. I felt so tired and sick at one point that I actually took a nap on the side of the highway, while the rain fell on my face. It was... a rough day. I only made it 90km - 30 less than I needed to keep pace for Brandon. I was worried I wasn't going to make it, that I might have to hitch-hike my way there, but thankfully the wind had changed direction by morning and was at my back. Taking advantage of the good wind fortune, I cycled 225km to Oak Lake, MB, where my friend Tannis Slimmon grew up. I asked some folks who were gardening there if they knew her, and if they knew anyone who might be willing to have me camp in their yard, and Pete and Marion Masson volunteered their yard to me. I ate heavy there (more pork liver pate wraps) and slept well, but woke up to a freezing cold north-east wind. And guess what direction I was heading to Brandon? That's right - North-East. So, of the 55kms I had to cycle to get to Brandon, I spent about 45km of it fighting against the bitter-cold wind, wearing my winter gloves, sweater and jacket. The three days of cycling were physically exhausting, and when I got to Brandon my tiredness showed. Susan, who owns Scarlatti's, kindly warmed me up with a pumpkin-pie flavoured caffeinated beverage. Yum! I played the show well (very much exciting Susan, who said my tunes "turned her on" - ha ha), made decent money, sold some discs, and - hallelujah! - was offered a ride to Winnipeg by a nice kiwi man named Cameron. The debate of "cycle-trip pureness VS car-pool chance for some extra rest" did not last long, as I have been experiencing knee-pain again, as well as a new development - numbness in two fingers on my left hand. So off we went, chatting the whole way to Winnipeg, arriving just before 1am at my friend Chris' place. I stayed up late e-mailing Asta, and slept super-well.

Today I have been able to relax, do laundry, and get bits of business done. It has been good, and I am once again feeling happy about most things on this tour.

Pics 2

2007-06-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

Do I really need to explain this?

So imagine this times 100...

Sundown in the Paris of the prairies

This are big hills in these parts! All jokes aside I have found this province very beautiful and much more interesting than I thought it would be.

They get snow in June... no its part of a salt mine.

I do believe in the Flat Earth Society now!

Regina looks closer than it is...

2007-06-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

Riding into Regina felt like my first true prarie experiance. You could see the city 25km before you arrive. It seems as if they put the road away from the town, it seems to just sit still, looking at you saying "You are not allowed in!" But alas I found a way in, found the bike shop and bought all the bits I needed to tune up the bikes. The best part of leaving Moose Jaw was breakfast, I found a place that had a good old fashioned breakfast that only cost me 3.17$ what a deal! I thought the guy was kidding at first.

Johnny woke up at 5:15am and starting packing his stuff because it seemed like there was a big storm coming and he didn't want to pack in the rain or wet. I got up as well in a daze and started packing, the storm passed with our more than a few drops, he put his tent back up and I just left real early. I get the feeling that he doesn't really enjoy camping that much, packing wet is part of the deal sometimes, not getting up at 5:15am to avoid a little rain!

That evening we played a concert at Lorinda and Kirks place. It was nice to play a show again that didn't have so many coffee machines making noise. The accoustic in the basement was a treat as we had some natural reverb.

Derek

June 21 - Moose Jaw, SK - in the heat

2007-06-21T16:15:00.003-07:00

Scorching
skin sizzles beneath this sun
each second deeper sinks
the burn

I can feel it out there
an apparition in a bad horror flick
a laugh maniacal
behind a useless wall

sweating
still and lethargic
hard to get up for it
for anything at all

so here I sit
trying to will coolness
feel - really feel - the fan's breeze hit
any semblance
of respite
of breeze
of "aaaaaah - that's it"

June 20 - Besant Campground, SK

2007-06-21T16:15:00.002-07:00

Today the day feels long.

We stopped early, a little over 30km west of Moose Jaw, at this campsite.
We swam, sat soaking the sun, ate a big dinner.
By that point, I felt cooked, full.

I just napped for a couple of hours.
My book put me to sleep.
Yes, it really is that dull.
(Perhaps I have been pampered
by Guy Gavriel Kay and Paulo Coelho
but shouldn't all my reading stand strong with these?
My apologies, David Sedaris - you are not in their league.)

I sleep again.

June 18 - Tompkins, SK

2007-06-21T16:15:00.001-07:00

Wrote a song today
joyed by the sunshine
reassurance for my heart
so astonished to know affection again
to feel it coming back

She is in my mind's eye
all the time

###

"Got you live on my mind, all the time" - Bruce Cockburn

Moose Jaw!

2007-06-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

Well we arrived in great time so are relaxing a little. Yesterday we got to go for a swim as we stopped early as we both wanted to do the same thing, play guitar! I finished another song so that's now 3 new tunes that I have written on this tour. Moose Jaw is a cute little town, the nicest we have been in for a long time. We have another interview with CBC in a little while which should be fun. The Cafe in Moose is a sweet little spot so it should be a fun show tomorrow. The sun has been giving us what for after all the complaining we did about the rain so I will just burn with a smile on my face.

Peace and sunshine to all today!

PS can anyone tell me why this town is called Moose Jaw?

Derek

Pics 1

2007-06-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

So to make things easier for people to find I will just label the picture posts Pics, hows that for easy.

A nice rainbow at the end of the day, they always make me think of my Mom.

A blurry pic of Johnny in Lethbridge, read his post about that gig and you will understand why it should be blurry.

Notice the funnel cloud in the middle....

Before the hail we were riding through... and the funnel

This can't be good....

June 16 - just east of Bow Island, AB

2007-06-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

This was not my best day. After a lacklustre gig in Lethbridge last night, where the patrons were there to party and could care less about us (Derek played AC/DC - that should tell you enough about it), I felt physically off today while struggling against the wind and some more strange weather that wouldn't settle in to hot or cold, rain or shine. My one highlight of the day was a yelling conversation with a farmer:

"How far are you going?"
"All the way to Halifax!"
"Good for you!"
"Thanks!"

Kind of lifted my spirits a bit. The rest of my day was spent in a vacuous head-space, pr pondering how horses, llamas and cows take great interest in us, or reminiscing about the beautiful Asta K (our hostess in Vernon, BC), who I have kept in touch with because she drew my interest back there and, well, I am one to follow-up on my interests, as is evidenced by this trip.

After a terrible sleep last night thanks to some mice and drunken neighbors, I am set to go to bed early. Tomorrow we rise early to ride the remaining 45km to Medicine Hat to play our Jazz Festival gig at Cafe Caprice at 2pm. I hope I am not too rusty, because I plan to play some more-jazzy tunes that I haven't played much at all, or yet, on this tour.

###

a poem before bed:

Your smile: an infectious grip at my collar: "Get up! You dullard! Embrace me, or love this air between us but do not sit one moment longer letting my heart pass by when yours flutters at my motions." I watch long you move quiet eyes swallowing grace given by an attitude a strength commanding respect and seducing some adoration out of me To hold your hips hold you to me under a leaf-scattered moon or on a breeze of soft beach I could hold content holding those hips watching your smile lips lasting ages in my mind and if there were any quiet glint of light in your eye kiss for some eternity For when that kiss stops it is gone forever So, it must last as long as it takes to commit every curve and crevice of each lip its parting its moisture to my memory forever I daydream of you and this and more as my days pass me closerto, if only, a look your face that smile your hair brushing gentle on my hand on your cheek: a quiet hello of affection before we

June 14 - Lethbridge, AB

2007-06-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

The Main Street Cafe in Nanton was a badly needed wonderful show, with an attentive and responsive audience, and kind and accommodating owners. After some rough weather and tough shows, it lifted our spirits back to happiness, reminding us of why we do this. Many thanks to Pam and Kevin for having us in, and at their home.

On the way to Lethbridge today, we met every kind of weather imaginable: sun, cloud, rain, sleet, hail, thunder, lightning, hot, cold, freezing - even a funnel cloud started its way down. It has been a wild welcome to the flat lands so far!

We just went to an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, thinking our voracious cycling appetites would make us bank-breakers, but we quickly realized that, while we do eat a lot, we eat often and small, and our stomachs are actually smaller than they were before the trip began. So, Derek is on a walk to either burn it off or be sick, and I am lying down letting my gut work through it. I ate a little less than Derek, so I think I am a little better off than him, but boy is my stomach bloated!

I am finding myself wondering how Asta K is (from back in Vernon) - she had a big exam Tuesday, and I wonder if it went well....

We are currently camped in the very small back "yard" of a girl named Meghan, who works at The Slice, and was kind enough to offer us this space to camp in. We're a little nervous about the show tomorrow a) because there are a couple of bands playing that we weren't told about, b) because it is a bar, and we're not really bar music, and c) because we were guaranteed money and a meal, but have no idea how they will afford that with two other bands playing. Wish us luck! (We might need it.)

June 13 - between Black Diamond, AB and Nanton, AB - staring at open fields

2007-06-17T20:08:00.001-07:00

I could see why
they were environmentalists
and nature worshippers:
The majesty of the mountains
and ferocity of the rivers
could not be ignored.
Nature was a force there.

I can see why
these are god-lovers
and clear thinkers:
The beautiful broadness
and empty simplicity
causes one to stare out,
pondering the meaning of things.
God helps fill the spaces here.

June 11 - Calgary, AB

2007-06-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

Long time enduring this slowed heart
aching for the pulse to quicken
beauties come and gone in fits of attraction
when passion was loose, too easily forgotten

So good, to be back on my heart again
feeling promise and prospect
possibility and imagination
all of which and come to nothing
if that is what will happen -
the chance to feel excited again
will remain appreciated
the change of heart
will be permanent

I will no longer accept
anything less
than a heart laid down
on the spectrum of love
whether beginning an attraction
with quiet admiration
or with loud despair
watching long love end

It is deserving that drives me to this
I have it coming
I have paid my respects
I have given my hommage

Powers that make hearts dance,
be gracious unto me -
I've spent long times enduring
this slow heart aching

Cones in the sky.. no not ice cream

2007-06-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in the lovely public library in Lethbridge Alberta. It was a "fun" ride getting here. There was an amazing wind at our backs most of the day, what a joy wind is, when its at your back. The crazy part was when it started to rain, then hail, then I saw a cone forming in the sky, yes a tornado type cone up in the sky. As I wondered if it was going to touch down and take me for the ride of my life, what did I do, stopped to take a few pictures of course! It wasn't a huge cone but for a guy from a place than never sees things like that it was enough to make me a little excited lets say. Well it went away and did try and make me go really fast on my bike. Sorry no pics right now but I can't hook up my camera to this library computer.

the show in Nanton was great, a real joy to play to an audience that listens to every word you sing and really feeds you the energy you always want to get back! Main Street Cafe Nanton Alberta, more kind folks! Tonight we play the Slice Bar and Grill here in Lethbridge which is perfect because I have been craving Pizza like a mad man!

I'm going to sit in a park, play some guitar and work on some new songs I have been bouncing around in my head on our nice long bike rides.

Derek

Calgary and the end of the mountains...

2007-06-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

Well as I sit and type this in more or less flat Calgary I will soon have lots of time to reflect on the wonderful riding in the mountains. As we rode out of Canmore I kept looking back wishing it wasn't over... I don't know when I will be in those mountains again so I tried to enjoy every minute of it.

Things have been interesting to say the least, some gigs have been a little rough around the edges, lots of press, radio, all the right things just not a lot of bums in seats. The thing that has kept my spirits up is the kindness of others, it has been amazing. This trip has given me hope in people, how kind they really can be. Johnny and are also starting to find ways to share the stage more and more which is good. Both of us have felt that we are very different and not always inclined to share the stage but are finally finding a way to make it all work. I will be curious to see what happens with the show as it continues to progress.

The good gigs of recent however have been at the Artists B'n'B which was great! I lovely place, made all the more enjoyable by its owner Victoria. The show was one to be treasured as people were all ears and I could see peoples reactions to some of the lines in my songs, what a treat.

Vernon was also a good gig, I played for about 3 hours that night as I was feeling a little homesick and just wanted to play until I was ready to fall over. After just about every song I could think of I packed it in and was still be asked to play more. I went to sleep that night by the river and slept like the dead with soar fingers and throat, a good feeling.

Today was funny as we did a little interview with the CBC and they played back some of the clips from the first interview and we could hear how things have changed even in this first month. I wonder what we will be saying in another few weeks...

Derek

June 9 - Calgary, AB - at the home of Amy Dryer and Aaron Jensen

2007-06-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

long week
rain and cold
climbing hot sweat from the ascent
chilling in the down breeze

shows cancelled
finances weak
tensions riding high
as though on a wire
with not but the raging flood river below
to break our fall

what sweet respite it is
to come to old friends
relax in simple luxuries
before, taken for granted:

hot meals
soft cushions
cold beer
chocolate
a movie
popcorn
a good night's sleep

you can't pay for these things
but you can tally your blessings

June 7 - Field, BC

2007-06-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

not the beauty of the mountains
not the quiet of the town
not the vibrant cafe
not the wonderful smells and tastes

the kindness of the people
will bring me back to Field
in heart-beat

June 6 - Golden, BC

2007-06-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

It's the off-season
the river's floodin'
there ain't no show in Golden, baby

I been climbin'
I got soakin'
I ain't too happy in Golden, baby

So if you got somethin'
that'll get me back smilin'
please send it on to Golden, baby

June 4 - Rogers Pass, BC

2007-06-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

I have had some redemption! This morning I shooed three baby deer off the road so that they wouldn't get hit.

Today was an extra-long one - from 6AM to 6PM - but very productive. I cycled a little over 100km, including a trip in and out of Revelstoke in the morning to get CD covers printed, go to the bank, and buy a bike pump, patch-kit and tire irons.

The climb up Rogers Pass was difficult only because I did it at the end of a long day that included rain a-plenty. Compared to the peaks going from Hope to Keremeos, I found the climbing relatively easy. Of course, I am a stronger cyclist now. (The Kiwi fellow I met yesterday said he'd much rather go from east to west over Rogers, but I am learning something about the cyclist's perspective: the downs always seem steeper than the ups. When you are screaming down a hill at 50km/h, you can't help but think, "Boy, am I ever glad I am going down this!")

Tonight I am dealing with bugs for the first time on this trip - good prep for Manitoba and Ontario! I ate dinner inside my tent to avoid being a meal myself.

I am wondering where Derek's at right now - if he's ahead or behind me. At times I miss his guidance and company, while at others I am glad for what I figure is a healthy break. I am a very independent person who likes his personal space, and I can go a bit bananas when in close quarters with anyone for days on end. I am also glad not to watch Derek hurtling down hills at 70km/h through snow tunnels with no shoulders to speak of - too many visions of gruesome death there.

###

It is now 2:43AM. I've slept for seven hours already. I went up to go pee, and decided I wanted to listen to tunes. I am now going to drift off to "La Vie en Rose". Yes, life is surreal.

June 4 - Revelstoke, BC - 7AM

2007-06-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

It was a stormy, restless night. The wind was whipping through the valley....

It sounds like a horror movie, but it is the beginning of my story from last night. I was camped by the highway with trucks and trains rolling by all night. I woke up around 4:30am, and I was on the road by 5:45. Now I am sitting in a cafe in Revelstoke, waiting for Coopers Foods to open so I can get some supplies for the climb up to Rogers' Pass. Word on the street is that heavy rains are coming, which bodes ill for Derek and I, but by hook or by crook we will both make it, I am sure.

June 3 - Victor Lake, BC - camped by the side of the highway

2007-06-10T16:23:00.001-07:00

After a sweaty, hot night of restless tossing and turning in Sicamous, it took me a while to get going this morning. Derek left early at 9AM to try to make it to Glacier National Park (130kms or so) before nightfall so that he can go hiking tomorrow. I decided to take four days instead of three to get to Golden, making each day shorter, and didn't set off until noon. Besides another wipe-out providing more skin wounds, and a nice long chat with a Kiwi cyclist around 3PM, my day was pretty uneventful. I told myself I'd stop around 7PM, and did, after having covered 64km.

Some things I became aware of today:
1. How much more comfortable I am when Derek and I are cycling together. It has its checks and balances, and the break from each other is probably good for our sanity's sake, but overall it feels smarter and safer to ride together.
2. How sad I get when leaving good people and places behind. I had way too good a time in Vernon, and way too good a show in Sicamous, and now I am paying for it emotionally. I've been this way all my life.

I am now camping alone at the side of the Trans-Canada highway, preparing for another trip up a mountain, hoping it will go smoothly because I am melancholic right now. The hardest part of being a wanderer is having to leave behind you what you would love to stay with. My plan, after several years now of touring music and moving around, is to take a respite from it, save some money to make a new album, and spend time writing songs. Victoria has been growing in my mind as a place I might like to do this. It is a beautiful place, by the ocean, with a thriving little art community, and many people I like very much. It seems teeming with possibilities for me....

June 2 - Vernon to Sicamous, BC - at the Artist B'n'B!

2007-06-10T16:16:00.001-07:00

In the morning I felt invigorated and energized, partly from the good sleep and partly from the good conversation the night before. I barely noticed the ride to Sicamous.

We arrived at the Artist B'n'B at 5pm and reveled in the beauty of its surroundings, the funky coloured exterior, the classy artistic interior, the lake available for swimming at the end of another scorching day, and the strong appreciative crowd who came out to support the way we are traveling. The B'n'B's living room was a perfect space to play in. I felt entirely comfortable performing, feeling a complete freedom to play whatever came to my head, which is sadly a real treat for the touring musician, though it should not be AT ALL. The audience really enjoyed Derek & I's differences and how we dynamically bounce off of one another. A few people were visibly emotionally moved by my songs, which was very satisfying, since that is the point of them - to give people a feeling that is worth experiencing.

June 1 - Vernon, BC - House Concert @ Asta K's

2007-06-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

We had a hard day getting from Winfield to Vernon because the distance was longer than we expected, the hills were steeper, the heat was scorching, and we were hung-over from bottles of red wine graciously provided by our hostess Kerry the night before. I woke up feeling nautious, which only intensified as the day went on, until only a few kilometres from Asta K's place I had to pull over to be sick. Shortly thereafter, Derek had to pull over to cool down. It was mutually agreed that heavy imbibing the night before biking was NOT a good idea. =) As seems the theme of my trip so far, a guardian angel again appeared to help me out - two, in fact. The first was a woman who had been at our Winfield show and just happened to be passing by checking her mail. She offered to take my gear up to Asta's for me, making my load lighter, and gave Derek and I cool drinks. Second was Ty, the boyfriend of one of our hostesses (Kris) that night, who came to give me a lift up the last few kilometres. Derek, of course, refused to get in a car (he has promised himself no motor vehicles for the duration of this trip), and cycled the rest of the way up (he is hard-core cycle man!). Both of us felt immensely better upon arrival and immersion in cold water, Derek in a shower and I buck naked in a creek that ran through the property, which was idyllic: Three beautiful log cabins tucked away in thick woods with the mentioned creek running through it, complete with a foot bridge made of planks on fallen trees and a wading pool in front of a small waterfall. If Asta and Kris' home was by the ocean and had a garden, I would be tempted to stay with them and never leave. As it was, I was pretty tempted anyway, and had no desire to leave in the morning. Asta and Kris put on the ritz, setting up a little festival-like stage for us complete with cedar boughs and Christmas lights, and a tickle-trunk provided some fantastic costumes that came in handy towards the end of our performance. People kept arriving as the evening deepened, bringing food for a pot-luck and tents to camp in. It was the last day of classes for Asta et al at their massage therapy school, so a party was gearing up. We played an acoustic set (our second such show in as many nights) that tested the limits of our voices and our knowledge of and willingness to play loud party songs. During our break, though, Ty brought us a little amp and microphone, and we got ourselves plugged-in for the second set. After that, things really perked up. People got dancing and enjoying themselves, and Derek whipped out a ton of party tunes he knows. I finished up my night before him, played "My Hammerhead Baby" after dropping my vest and drawers, exposing a shiny red sleeveless shirt, 1980s aviator sunglasses and a skin-tight pair of black and white vertical striped pants that apparantly looked quite good on me. After I finished playing, I felt mellow and famished. Our lovely hostess Asta whipped me up a super salad and even better conversation until 2AM when I had reached my zenith of exhaustion. I went back to my tent by the brook and made sweet love to the Sandman for 7 hours or so, experiencing THE best sleep in my memory.

June 1 - Oyama, BC

2007-06-10T15:51:00.000-07:00

Where does love quiet the soul
on nights when blossoms mellow the air
and the crevices in a beautiful hand
can be traced to "I Only Have Eyes for You"?

Where is that porch candle glowing
warm on a full cheek at the edge
of an easy smile like home?

Bring me there
and make it by the sea
so I can smell salt on the air
and taste it on my lover's skin

From Sea to Sky...

2007-06-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

A whole lot of pictures in this one finally. Problems have been large thee days, Johnny's computer died which is what we have been using to upload pics, my spare hard drive is on the fritz... things of a mechanical nature don't like this trip so far... enjoy the pics and more stories to come.

**************************************************************

This is THE place to be in the Rockies, forget Jasper, Banff, go to FIELD! We played a show at Truffle Pigs and were welcomed with open arms by Sean and Jen. Also amazing was the fact that a large portion of the small town is from Quebec so it felt like home to me.

On the way to Truffle Pigs in Field

On my way up one of the mountains I saw this, pushing through the asphalt... Nature will survive no matter what we do to her...

At the summit of Rogers Pass I took a picture of the tour leader! He is my guide home as two of my favorite people who are waiting for me can tell you, ask me about SpongeBob.

As we rode through the mountains I took countless pictures, all the while thinking that no image can do them justice, they need to be walked in, cycled, something that lets you feel the change in temperature, the smells, they need to be lived. Go and live them if you haven't before, even if you have go again.

On the way to Field BC, mountains feed my soul, feed Johnny's frustration!

Golden under water... the river is really high while we were there, so were some of the people but more on that later...

That sign says $1.28 for gas in Golden BC!!!! Long live bike tours!!!

The summit of Alison Pass, Johnny's BIG fear!

Outside Charlies in Winfield, our own sandwich board...

The house concert at the Artists BnB was a wonderful treat, a hot day of biking then into the lake.

Live up at Asta K's in Vernon. We dressed up in costumes for fun that night, you should have seen what was under the nice clothes!

May 28-30 - Keremeos to Kelowna, BC

2007-05-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

Up through dry land
sage brush surviving in between the cracks
sun burning up beads of sweat

We get to Penticton
cancel the show
change of ownership means nobody knows

On to Kelowna
up some long hills
mellowed only by a carload of beautiful girls:

Asta K et al
home from a festival holiday
spotted us and stopped on the side of the road

O to socialize!
O the estrogen!
Oh yeah... we needed that...

to get up one last long hill
before another hero, (saviour Jeremy's cousin)
Deren Sentesy, welcomes us into his home

He is kind and collected
He is down to earth
He knows what he wants

Kelowna is hot, gorgeous
yet not home
like a one-night stand

Keremeos gigs...

2007-05-27T23:43:00.000-07:00

Today was a double header for us, first Cawstons Hall and then Uncle Johnny's. Both gigs were good fun, the first was a cool mix of different people playing piano. I managed to get through a few songs with out coughing up a storm as this is the first time I have sang in a week. Everyone seemed to really enjoy the tunes I played and to top it off we walked away with a big bag of leftover deserts! always handy while cycling all the time.

(The view back into Keremeos today)

After that we were at Uncle Johnny's for another show. I have to say that the hardest riding I have done came with that stretch of road back into Keremeos with a wind from hell in my face... I hope the prairies don't have anything like this in store for us. The gig there was nice, it was a little on the tough side for me having to sing with a Halls mint in my mouth to stop the coughing. I had to give up singing for a while and go back to instrumentals. I think all should be good for Tuesday night at this point as it is getting much better.

(Johnny at Uncle Johnny's)

Time for bed now folks its late and windy here. I promise I will remember to take more pictures at the gigs as well not just all the biking. Its easier to ride a bike and take pictures than play guitar and take pictures. I think Johnny is happy to have a few days to relax after a few longer ones, I can't wait to get back out there!!!

May 26 - Keremeos, BC - after a hard day

2007-05-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

We did 120kms today.
We climbed another mountain.
We saw some incredible landscapes.
We encountered more kindness from strangers.

And yet....

My memories from today mostly involve wildlife:

Big raven staring at me
unafriad from the side of the road;
small birds keeping flight-pace with my ride;
chipmunks wide-eyed,
fearful of the large racers whizzing by;
groundhogs with guts spilled on the roadside,
fodder for the hungry crow;

and most shocking,
most painful -
the white-tailed deer that flipped I don't know
how many times
through the air, scant feet before my eyes,
smashing into barbed-wire,
both legs broken,
so stunned it tried to run before it would die.

I saw its pain and its panic
as I tried to soothe it with my voice
before the couple that hit it,
dumb-smiling and ignorant
(and possibly the terrified animal's last healthy sight)
came, after checking their car for damages,
to see how the mangled thing was.

And when they asked what to do
I said, "Shoot it, if you have a gun.
If not, call the police and tell them what you've done."

It is not their fault, individually.
A car moves too fast for a human to see a deer coming.
A car moves too fast for a human to see a deer coming....

Once upon a time, we were dependant on our Mother Earth for everything.
Once upon a time, we looked to Our Father to guide us to be conscience-beings.

Now we still need, but have stopped looking.
Our belief is in a false independance.
Our behaviour is like a teen.

We need to take responsibility, grow-up, become adults.
This means we either return to a healthy competition with nature as our equal
or we treat it as a parent who deserves our respect and care in return for our upbringing.

The death of the deer disturbed me deeply
because the extension of that event
is a vision of a beautiful world
bashed into a crippled state
by our carelessness and our machines.

May 25 - Manning Park - Mule Deer Campsite

2007-05-27T12:53:00.001-07:00

The mountain pass that scared me
that had me worrying
that I'd be weak
turned out to be hard
yet feel easy

We reached Allison Pass
all of a sudden
I was shocked and elated

Two long climbs -
Hope Slide and Allison Pass -
chopped up into managable increments
and one last push
to the rhythm of "I's the Bay that Builds the Boat"
brought me to Derek pointing at the sign:
Allison Pass - 1341m

So I can climb a mountain on a bike.

Earlier this year, I climbed a mountain on snow shoes.
I am doing things I haven't before
and it satisfies.

On top of the mountain climbing
we made good time
despite my chain getting stuck twice
my gear changer getting bent and stripped
so that the second climb
was spent in my second-best gear
testing my strength

I now know what Derek and others have said
why almost anyone could do this.

We are less crazy than we are driven,
tired of what's lazy, and looking to be proven.

May 23 & 24 - Hope, BC - close to home

2007-05-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

I met a family
full in a house

they took outsiders in
with acceptance and love

Pat and Peggy
made me feel welcome

as though I had been away
and was glad to be home

###

WE'VE PASSED 500 KMS!!! ONLY 6000+ MORE TO GO!!! HA HA HA!!!

May 22 - Mission, BC

2007-05-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

He was the last face I expected to see
when he opened the door to greet me:

an Indian man
who has lived twenty-five years on a farm
outside Mission
right across from the fire hall

He gave us water
and wished us well

May 21 - Vancouver, BC - thoughts of love

2007-05-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

Laurelle, if you are reading
know I fell for you
more than anyone before

and my heart still pangs
at the loss that never was
because I never won

Rae, if you are reading
thank you for reminding me
to aspire to love.

May 20-23 - Victoria to Hope, BC

2007-05-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

distant now is the race in the rain
fast to keep warm
giddiness our shield

distant is lost and separated
lack of trust, intuition
will to ask the stranger for direction
love for the helpfulness
(and wonder - is it really Canadian
this big city friendliness?)

distant is the rush
to get there, to get ready
to get on stage, to get out quickly
the whirl
yet time to absorb
Sara's kin to my creativity - her soul-love strong in her singing
Kyle's heart poured out, never with enough attention
Derek's skill, dexterity, and the way people stare at it
time to observe and perform
and feel joy at so many old and new friends
well met again
so little time for them

even my "day off" was busy
until the wind at our backs
blew us out of Vancouver
a mere four hours to Mission
another four to Hope
(good luck, that)

present is my body tired and sore
and the taunt of these mountains
up at every angle

May 19 - Victoria, BC

2007-05-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

on a roof of kindness
we brewed our acceptance
into a life humourous
because we weren't offended

myself, Shayne and Meg
giggling at life's seriousness

Mangy BC Hills...

2007-05-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

The last few days of riding have been glorious, snow topped mountains with views that make me silent, which is hard to do. Coming into Hope I had my bike weighed at a weigh station, Hope is just before the mountains begin, just the bike and gear weighs about 175 pounds!!! That is just nuts! I've been doing well, with vistas like this how can I not be drawn away from my little bits of pain into the beauty. The hardest part has been that I got sick and have been on antibiotics for the last few days, climbing up a mountain while coughing is a little bit much sometimes but with the views I soon forget.

The big shock for me was getting into some of the areas that have been infested with mountain pine beetles, huge swaths of land just decimated, but its not our fault in any way is it...

That's all for now, we are playing the Music Under the K festival today, nothing like being surrounded by valleys and mountains while playing a show!!!

Derek

May 18 - Galiano Island - Jeff & Dayna

2007-05-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

I met them last year
was impressed
first
by their good hearts
generosity

second
by their approach
to money -
they have it, they spread it
to good people

they are unassuming
without pretense

if I had money
I would try to do what they have done
I would try for comfort, not impact
spend for substance, not style
not hold myself a cut above, but one of
recognizing the innate joy
of generosity

May 17 - Salt Spring Island - A Poetic Manifesto on Poor Art

2007-05-22T10:37:00.001-07:00

there is an ease
breathing room
with a full show

###

the poor artist is honestly poor
not willing
not a stereotype
not wanting to starve for it, really
there is no romance in that

every time we are shown
that we are not valued
we don't just turn the anguish
into more art

(we'd make it regardless)

we don't eat
don't sleep

it is hardly a living

those who believe there is joy
in doing what is loved for nothing
are misinformed

yes, there is joy in the giving
in the making
in performing

but there is less in the work
less in the hours preparing, traveling
less in the straining of valued relationships

and there is none
no joy
in starving, freezing, or knowing
you just spent your time
pouring your heart out
for no one
or worse
a crowd that doesn't care
you aren't living

living the dream?
a quote from Willie P. Bennett to ponder:

"When I started out in this business I set for myself reasonable goals ... and I have a house full of beer."

That dream is still far ahead.

Support the artists you love.

Photos - Gabriola Is - Hummingbird B&B

2007-05-22T10:15:00.001-07:00

Derek Olive is now the proud father of a classically trained Sponge Bob Square Pants, valiantly rescued from the depths of a geocache on Gabriola Island. He feeds his "little genius" bagels with liver pate.

Derek Olive was shocked when bitten on the touche by a piranha while in the hot tub. He now sports a bite mark and is suing the hot tub owners for psychological damages.

Jeremy Walker is currently revolutionizing his life, becoming engaged and flirting with the idea of living in a van down by the river. Careful, Jeremy - you might not "have sex" - you might cease to know "what that is". ;)

Johnny Eden died mysteriously on top of water. Comparisons to Jesus are quite confusing, since Johnny never walked on said water, and has not yet experienced a resurrection. Experts theorize that Johnny's soul was so very heavy with teenage angst, regrets and sorrow, that when it left his body the minimal floatage provided by the hot tub water was enough to keep him from sinking.

Photos - en route to Gabriola Island

2007-05-22T09:29:00.001-07:00

Vancouver

2007-05-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Day 1 with all our gear

Road Rash for Johnny!

I'm at my friend Cat's in Vancouver on our day off, good to be back in this town. I lived here for two years so it feels a little like home. Yesterday was a little on the long side, from Victoria to Vancouver in the rain... then I biked to Cat's place, couldn't find the right place, didn't have the cell on me, didn't have Cat's number, only had some cash to buy a phone card to track him down, this was all after having riden about 95km in the rain, oh yeah and played a show to top it all off... I was not a happy man by the time I got to bed.

The show however was great. Sarah Metzner and Kyle Cameron joined us and we did a song circle style show. Sarah was wonderful, such a beautiful voice, and Kyle was a real treat, good tunes, great voice, glad they were there to join the fun.

To backup a little since last I typed Gabriola Island was a really good show, it was my first house concert and it was right up my alley. It is always amazing to have an audience that is listening and you can play songs that people pick up on all the little twists in the lyrics. Thanks again to Dinna, what a wonderful place.

Next was Saltspring Island, which we passed through pretty quickly. It was a nice place to play, in a gallery filled with art of all types, some beautiful sculptures. A little thin in the audience but I had a nice time talking to the gallery owner Chris, we are very much on the same page about music and art.

On the road to Saltspring

To get to Galieano Island on time we had to get up at 5am after our Saltspring gig to catch the ferry, which is a little on the early side for me... The sun was still comming up over the mountains as we pulled out of the dock, a very picturesque morning. I was tired but stode out on the deck for a long time, it was moment that was not be taken for granted. Getting up this early however meant that we had no riding to do on Galieano since the Grand Central was right by the ferry. I ended up going for a ride anyway, the bike becomes an addiction after a while, your body craves the fresh air and endorphines you get from the excersize. I spent the tour pedaling and sitting by the ocean finishing a few songs I have been working on. The gig that night was a blast, people were out top have a good time on the long weekend and we gave it to them. I played a few tunes from my days playing in a Blues band that I haven't played in years which was a blast. Johnny got up and played like a lunitic that night, he has some pretty funny tunes that he pulled out that night. I also got to meet Tim Harvey who has done one hell of a trip around the world all under human power, check it out here: http://www.vancouvertovancouver.com

It was great to talk to someone who has done something that intense, what a great trip!

Tim and I

May 15 - Gabriola Is - Dinah D's Home

2007-05-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

this night lonely
and beautiful

surrounded by noises of social birds
periodic crickets
calm waters

somehow breaks into nostalgia
love lost
and failed to let go of

this night
i want her skin
blanket warm beside me
the memory smell of her
a kiss in the morning

i want to be four years ago
making love in a tent in north ontario

May 15 - Gabriola Is - Hummingbird B&B

2007-05-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

Write this down:
Hummingbird B&B. Gabriola Island.
Somewhere you won't forget.

Just after lunch
a big hill
chain falls off
knee cries: Stop!
I walk up.

Day continues this way
knee
getting worse
every hill.

Saviour Jeremy takes my trailer.
One leg does most of my work
struggles to get me on
and on
up
again
too many times.

Saviour Jeremy treats us
B&B
hot tub -
I am so thankful.

There is a nurse here.
She gives me advice
to ice.
I do.
It helps.
So does Advil.

Through this all
Derek is a rock
concerned, helpful, supportive.

I am so often reminded
how lucky I am in my friends.

When you cultivate care with good people
the crop is always good.

May 13 - Qualicum Beach - Jeremy's uncle Jeff's house

2007-05-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

I felt my will crumble
instantly
unable to convince my legs
at the end of the day

The rest had been strong
and surprising

beautiful bays
bald eagle tree-bending
climbs carried through
confidence

I am exhausted
again.

May 12 - just south of Comox

2007-05-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

We are camped in an old woman's yard

I wiped out going downhill at 30km/h
my knuckles bleed
my side stings with road rash

spinach for iron tonight
fighting the tired blood
(can men be anaemic? - I want to know)

I am near exhausted
crashed down from adrenaline kick

Derek kind made dinner
I needed that
and I am happy
to be outside
in a tent

Gabriola Island

2007-05-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

I am now on sunny Gabriola Island which has been great! We arrived on Monday night with Johnny's friend Jeremy joined us for a few days pf riding Which was a nice treat. He ended up being a big help as Johnny's knee has been a giving him a little trouble and Jeremy ended up taking the trailer for the day. Johnny seems to be doing better and has lightened his load until we get to Vancouver. Jeremy treated us to a lovely B&B called the Hummingbird, it was a little piece of paradise. Tonight is the house concert which promises to be really good, I will be looking out onto the ocean while performing. We are now heading into our first stint of solid biking and gigging, should be intense.

I will add more soon with pictures but the computer I'm on won't let me upload the pictures. I have been practicing this morning in a nice little shack that looks out onto the bay, life is really good.

Derek

So it Begins

2007-05-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Powell River on May 8th after a wonderful train ride across the country. I was surprised at some of the landscape as I came across, beauty in places I was not expecting. Northern Ontario goes on forever but I always found myself peering out the window looking for animals and to see the littles traces of history, small towns, all telegraph wires slowly falling over. I met some really kind people on my journey. Keith is the the one playing guitar in the picture and Julia is playing fiddle. The dome cars are a great place to hang out, play tunes, play cards or just gaze out at the view. It will be nice to get together with Keith again on Salt Spring Island.

A hight-light was meeting Dorthea, and 80 something year old woman who had taken the train to Toronto just to see two Operas she had always wanted to see. We had a wonderful conversation over dinner while weaving our way through the mountains. It was inspiring to meet someone older who is so full of life and wanting to keep seeing the world no matter her age, I hope I continue to do the same as I grow old. I hope to see her at our show in Victoria.

Going through the mountains by train was a true joy. I find mountains are too imposing and full of splendor for words, they must be experienced. This is the view pulling into the station in Jasper!

Johnny and I have been getting all the final details together and head out on the road today, trailers and all. We are both feeling a little tense about what lies ahead with all the weight we are carrying and all the hills and mountains coming our way soon.

The show last night was a humble beginning to this monster event, a tiny place that has a great vibe and an audience that was with us the whole time. I get the feeling they will be following us as we cross, wanting to know how our jitters work themselves out.

Ok time to put some kilometers in our legs...

Derek

May 12 - Powell River - Kit's Home

2007-05-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

And so it begins...

We spent yesterday running around like headless chickens, putting boxes of excess gear in the mail to be sent home, doing radio interviews with Jump Community Radio in Powell River and the CBC in Ottawa, practicing for hours and playing a show.

The show, at Local Loco's Music & Arts Cafe, was a modest beginning to a monstrous tour. We played to about half a dozen kind, supportive, good listeners. The timing was unfortunate because many of the employees of the cafe, and many regular patrons, were at a Fairies and Fools costume rave nearby. I don't really mind, though - both Derek and I needed to get some rust off and ease into touring. Here's a photo of us before the show:

So, last night was playing and today is cycling. If Derek has the challenge of discovering the gruel of playing every second night, then I think I get the short end of the stick discovering the gruel of cycling nearly every day with a heavily laden trailer behind me to power up hills with only my legs. I have not felt like such a weakling in years. My legs are fighting to get up hills as I huff and puff. I am beginning to wish I wasn't so poor while I was in Nelson, as training at the gym would've been a good idea.

We get on the 5:15pm ferry tonight out of Powell River, and will likely cycle an hour or so down the coast of Vancouver Island before looking for a place to camp for the night. Wish us luck! I, at least, I think, will need it!

May 3 - Poems en route from Vancouver, BC to Powell River, BC (3/5/07)

2007-05-07T01:26:00.000-07:00

Staring at the Buildings in Downtown Vancouver

I actually feel an ache
at the sight of these buildings

every one
a dilemma

so much destruction
to hold our numbers
make room for our parasitic breeding

I hate them
and they are necessary

knock one down
and thousands die

(I was confused when the twin towers fell -
joy at the collapse of the buildings
grief at the loss of life)

sympathy for
and pride in your species
is hard
when you feel the mess we've made
as an ache
while observing our "progress"

Observing the Mountains, Sea and Sky

I try to imagine
what forged these mounds of rock
jutting out of the ocean

I can't

I can't see the plates
the ancient movements
the dawning fires
meteor crashes
ages upon ages of erosion
growth and death
and growth and death

but I can see their age
the forging time has brought upon them
the reasons we admire them
and desiring to be surrounded by something greater
something beautiful
misguidedly put our mark on them
ride them
climb them
and die on them

we are young
insecure
teenagers - perhaps only kids
in time

we want to be grown-up
want to be treated so
but can't be trusted with the responsibility
of not allowing the house we grew up in
to be trashed

we haven't learned the knowledge of the earth yet

Is Honour Really So Rare Today?

I gave the bus driver the dollar I owed him
he said it was the first time
somebody did

This made me feel good, yet bad
is honour so rare today?

Of all the people who have bought
a fifty-one dollar ticket
and received a ten back from him
with a request that they make change on the ferry
and give him a dollar when they reboarded
surely I am on the poorer end of the spectrum

Yet I remembered
I could afford it

Is honour really so rare today?

Remembering Philosophic Conversations with Jeremy

The joy of the wanderer
is variety
many loves
reunions
moments

I am thankful
for fresh loves
found in new faces

I am always thankful
to have not lost too many friends
to have chances to reconnect

I am thankful for generosity
love old and new
when it is definitely needed

The sorrow of the wanderer
is departing
these loves
reunions
and moments

Coelho, from The Alchemist

He knew that shepherds, like seamen and like traveling salesmen, always found a town where there was someone who could make them forget the joys of carefree wandering.

On Being a Traveler

We wade through oceans, looking for oysters, finding a few here and there, and ultimately hoping one contains a pearl that we can hold onto.

"The green way to tour — cycle across Canada" (Ottawa Citizen, 01 May 2007, Page C8)

2007-05-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

The green way to tour — cycle across Canada

LYNN SAXBERG

Winter, spring, summer or fall, you hardly ever see Derek Olive without his bicycle helmet. The 31year- old musician moved to Ottawa from Montreal two years ago, and already has fond memories of biking alongside the Rideau Canal — while others were skating on the ice.

A passionate environmentalist, the singer- songwriter- guitarist commutes by bicycle, year round, to his job as a guitar and banjo instructor at the Ottawa Folklore Centre. Sure enough, his helmet is on the table when we meet for a healthy lunch at the Wild Oat eatery in the Glebe.

Chat with Olive for a few minutes and you’ll hear about his music, as well as his longdistance bicycle adventures in Eastern Europe, Mexico and the Atlantic Provinces. He obviously loves cycling, which he sees as one way to lessen his impact on the planet.

Olive and fellow Ottawa musician Johnny Eden are about to embark on a tour that will put their concern for the environment into action. The pair plans to spend four months cycling between concert dates across the country.

They meet up next week in Powell River, B. C. to start the 6,500- kilometre journey they’re calling Musicycle. Eden is already out west.

What’s driving them? Eden’s website lists a few reasons, including the environment, the Canadian experience, exercise and well- being, and the urge “ for an extraordinary life.” In Olive’s case, a large part of it is environmental guilt.

“ I love playing music and I love the musician’s life,” he says, “ but the environmental aspect is something I’ve been involved in for a long time as well, and really wanted to figure out a way to tour as a musician that I didn’t feel guilty about.

“ That’s really what down to.”

Olive, who records and performs his own acoustic guitarbased jazzy folk music, was contemplating the idea of touring by bicycle when he happened to meet Eden, a singersongwriter- guitarist who roams the country, often by Greyhound bus. He had the same idea; it made sense to join forces.

Olive has plenty of experi-

it came ence in planning bicycle trips, and didn’t mind approaching potential sponsors, while Eden has booked many of his own tours. His wandering spirit has earned him billing as “ the last troubadour.”

Eden did an impressive job assembling the Musicycle itinerary, lining up more than 60 concerts in cafés, pubs, living rooms, art galleries, community halls and other venues across the country. They pedal through 17 stops in B. C., another dozen or so between Black Diamond, Alta., and Winnipeg. A dozen more through Northern Ontario, followed by eight in Eastern Ontario ( and West Quebec). A handful through Quebec, and then a dozen dates in the Maritimes.

The grande finale is scheduled for Petite Riviere, N. S. on Sept. 8.

Olive deserves credit, too, for the sponsors he’s managed to round up. Hull- based bicycle manufacturer Eclipse is supplying the two- wheelers, VIA Rail is comping a train ticket to B. C. ( for Olive, departing Friday), Mountain Equipment CoOp has thrown in some camping gear and John Pearse is supplying guitar strings. Instruments and gear will be transported on Yak trailers towed behind the bikes.

The final details...

2007-05-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

So many things to do these days before I set off for Vancouver. I am looking forward to the train ride to relax a little before the first show in Powell River, it is a little daunting seeing the distance I am going to be riding for the next 4 months unfold before me slowly on the train.

The list of good things going on is so long I don't even know where to start, but how about on the musical side. I picked up my new guitar last week which was a great joy! Here is a picture of Richard Paxton and I, the guitar builder, at Sand Dunes Park with my new guitar.

I picked up Johnny's and my bikes last week as well! My old touring bike had so many Km on it that it needed to be retired. The first ride that I got to do on my new bike was to meet Lynne Saxburg of the Ottawa Citizen, to top it off it was in the rain! I hope this isn't a bad sign of weather to come... I'm just on my way to pick up the Citizen to check out the article, more about it later.

Soon it will begin...

2007-03-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the details of the MUSICYCLE tour that will be coming your way this summer.... Check out our website for gigs as the list is flippin huge!

In May 2007, Derek Olive and Johnny Eden will begin their cross-Canada MUSICYCLE tour in Powell River, BC, in an effort to undertake music touring in an environmentally friendly way. The tour aims to highlight the possibilities for merging music touring with sustainable transportation as well as to encourage healthy living. The tour will conclude in Halifax, Nova Scotia in September 2007, having passed through numerous small towns and major cities along the way, including Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Barrie, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec and Halifax.

At first glance, Johnny and Derek might seem like an unlikely pair. Musically they share few similarities, and their approaches towards life are quite different. Johnny feels that leading by example will set the world right; Derek, on the other hand, believes that more drastic measures must be taken in order to save ourselves and the planet we live on. So why in the world do they think that doing a tour by bicycle together is a good idea? Because stronger than their differences is their desire to change the way we treat ourselves, each other, and our planet. With conviction and guitars in tow, they will cycle 6500 km, play some music together, and try to positively influence the world...one pedal-stroke at a time.