I’ve woken up not knowing where I am a lot this month. It hasn’t been scary, just an interesting math problem – “Good morning? Who’s dog is barking?” And then I remember I’m in Phoenix to hang out with my pal and bandmate, Jon Rauhouse as he comes back from cancer treatments. I think a lot here, there is so much space for thinking, but I don’t root down. I float over the ground like a used plastic bag. There are a lot of dimensions overlapping and visible; things and lives and whole decades forgotten in plain sight. Old skeletal signs, buildings abandoned and boarded, humans abandoned, some dark neighborhoods with no streetlights, then BOOM! Fashion Square in Scottsdale. Some businesses with desperate “WE ARE OPEN!” signs. Large swaths of “big city” that are completely humanless. I have known Phoenix for a really long time and I have always loved it. It’s the butt of SO many mean jokes (some earned for sure) but the soft place in my heart remains.
Also, creosote secretes a resin around itself into the ground that discourages the growth of other plants. One of the survival mechanisms in a competitive harsh environment. The rain accentuates the smell of the resin, a smell I will never forget and brings back fond memories
Death Valley is heaven on earth to me. The desert silence in ones ears is exquisite. However, learned the hard way back in '84 to NEVER visit during Death Valley Days. A friend and I met a traveller from Oregon. He drove his motorcycle all the way down just to escape city hubbub for a spell. We were appalled to find ourselves surrounded by seniors in their rv's, with some John Birch type of political babble and speeches droning and in some cases blaring from all the radios within. Horrible. That experience inspired this...
Very happy that you could spend time with our beloved Jon Rauhouse. He is one of the best humans on this planet. Your description of PHX and the desert is spot on. Made me smile, made me laugh. Smell that delicious creosote.
I remember that smell from the one time I visited Arizona over 20 years ago. The creosote—not the cup of piss, but I know and celebrate both smells for their place in the world. The cities built in the deserts —humans and their optimism, stupidity, greed and living the American dream. Reminds me of that book, The Nine Nations of North America, by Joel Garreau. He talks about how we diverted huge rivers so people can live in deserts like LA & Las Vegas & the entire states of Arizona & New Mexico—but the legacy of those decisions…I’d love to see him update that book. It stands the test of time.
But our kids can’t buy houses, get medical insurance, afford a car, and the people with all the money never drive on the roads with craters and collapsing bridges. And dry river beds.
Sending waves of healing vibes & love to John. His guitar playing has healed my soul as I’ve struggled with illness these past few years. Glad you can be with him.
As with most people, I am a big fan of your music and seen you perform numerous times. I am also a rarity, being a 3rd generation Arizonan, but I have lived in Texas the last 20yrs. Your musings on AZ are quite interesting. And yes, when I go home to visit I indulge in the hiking, golf, and best Mexican food there is on the planet.
I came here today because I keep thinking about this post as I walk around Urbana and notice all the problems that make me worry. I don't know who decided to build a fairly large city over a marshland, but it was a terrible idea. Ever since I got my dog three years ago, I've spend more and more time outdoors and I've started to notice some really big changes. The plunder of snow and rain we've been getting in short periods of time have caused erosion in all sorts of new places. I've been paying more attention to water ways and noticing them blocked up by vegetation over growth. Today I saw that it caused a very large and healthy oak tree to be knocked right to the ground. In the hole where it's roots were dug there was just water. That's not the only thing, cause there's been a noticable uptick of dead animals. Snakes, squirrels, rabbits, birds, and I found a muskrat the other day. I found out yesterday we've had a cat diagnosed with tularemia - which is spread easily and fatal. I don't know if that's what's killing these animals or of someone is putting poison out (which has happened before). I really think there's not enough tall grass prairies left around here, or clean/clear water ways to subdue the erosion. I am also wondering if all these standing bodies of water I see around are going to lead to an increase in disease in the wildlife. It's speculation, I know. But my gut, heart, and brain are all sending off alarm signals when I think about it. They keep building these cheap high rise apartments, and more cheap new housing on the outskirts of town. It worries me. There's so many ecosystems made fragile by too much, and irresponsible land development. We keep giving nature black eyes, and one day she's gunna have enough and pull out the double barrel. Last summer I pissed on a Lincoln statue in a local park. I had to pee anyway. I still have hope, but most days I'm scratching my head wondering what I can do. I feel so small and powerless. Maybe that's a self fulfilling prophecy and I should quit saying it, but it's still how I feel. Hope the full moon is treating you well.
Are you ready for the next installment?? Today I went back to where the tree was felled to collect spring beauties because there was a whole bunch in that park. While I was collecting I noticed the air was /ripe/ and realized the park I was in literally bordered the cities sanitation plant. I was wonder why the flowers were so happy 😂 I just read about how the sanitation plants along the great lakes were leaking in to the lakes, and thinking about all these standing bodies of water and being suspicious. Anyway I had to pee, so I full mooned the plant and peed on their fence. You're really a terrible influence, you know 😂 And guess what I found??? A fucking golf ball in the grass!! The gold course is over two miles away!! 😂😂 Anyway I continued my journey and found a really nice patch of hawthorn trees in some marshy land. No berries yet, so I will return later to collect for jam. Looked for mushrooms, but none of those yet either, but there was some nice decaying wood so I shall return. But there was another fucking golf ball!!! So now I have two balls and that means I'm finally a real man!! Anyway, I'm going to go candy some shit flowers and play with my balls 😂😂😂
Oh you thought I was done?? Well ME TOO. But it ain't over till the fat enby sings, and I ain't even finished my vocal warm ups yet. So, we need prairie restoration, right? Get this. The parks district is building a "Health and Wellness" facility (it feels gross even saying it) - and guess where they are going to put it??? In Prairie Park!!! The irony!!! Yes instead of creating more wildlife habitat that could potentially save the city, they are building a bonafide fatphobic factory. I cannot make this shit up. I'm about to start referring to Urbana as Schitts Creek from here on out, cause that's how much this STINKS.
An excerpt from my new dystopian novel based off of Urbana Park District's plan for a "Health and Wellness Facility":
Jimrithon let out a deep sigh as he turned to Britantha, "Sometimes I feel like we missed the mark somewhere."
Britantha, ever the optimist, replied, "Oh, Jimrithon, you need to think more positive. Have you been cheating on your weekly 22 hours at the Health and Wellness Facility? You know you can get caught and lose your professor license for not completing your hours. The Eye is always watching us."
Jimrithon's cheeks were streaked with tears. He knew he was failing The Eye, and he knew he was failing The People. He wanted so much to meet his Health and Wellness Citizen Criteria, but something within him had died.
Samanthron then passed the two lovebirds sitting on the gravel path of the Clean Eating Facility. "Have a Thin, Healthy Day!" She greeted.
But Jimrithon new. He would never be Thin. He would never be Healthy. And all would be lost.
So I wasn't gonna say anything today with all the excitement, but well. Here I am. I learned some more land and water knowledge today that was super interesting, and I think I've got in some more pieces to the puzzle. They aren't important to what I want to say so I'm going to skip. While I was thinking about all this stuff this evening as I was working, I was also listening to Hell-On to build up momentum for the new release. And it hit Last Lion of Albion. Well, one day last August I was hanging out by the crossroads and I hadn't really got to know the spot that well yet. I was singing all kinds of songs, and then I started to sing "Last Lion" and when I sang, "don't let the cattails fool you", I looked up ahead of me and there were cattails. I kinda hadn't noticed them before? So I said okay, I got up and I went down and that was the first time I realized there was a little creek right there. That was the first day I started to pay attention to the water ways here, and basically what has sent me on this whole adventure of figuring out the ecology here and what was going on. Anyway music is the fucking ark of the covenant, or what? Okay I'm going to go cry some stupid salt water out of my eyes now.
I used to write Phase I Environmental Site Assessments in the Phoenix Metro area for commercial real estate buyers and land developers. One of the required sections was a review of historic aerial photographs to find out when the land was first developed and what it had been used for since then. With the undeveloped land projects, the buyers were usually preparing to build a "Master Planned Community" complete with lush grass and ample water features. Nowadays I can't stop myself from imagining what abandoned strip malls would have looked like before their natural ecosystems were razed. I remember those patterns of creosote and ephemeral washes well.
late clumsy lonely hope - the spring is not obliged. polaridic glacial grounds as primer for forgetting - neon catastrophic drover! abandoned BOOM with pinkish clay realities transmit from a certain altitude. brown rampant blanket of rings - controversial conversation with a bristlecone. more seeds!
Also, creosote secretes a resin around itself into the ground that discourages the growth of other plants. One of the survival mechanisms in a competitive harsh environment. The rain accentuates the smell of the resin, a smell I will never forget and brings back fond memories
Death Valley is heaven on earth to me. The desert silence in ones ears is exquisite. However, learned the hard way back in '84 to NEVER visit during Death Valley Days. A friend and I met a traveller from Oregon. He drove his motorcycle all the way down just to escape city hubbub for a spell. We were appalled to find ourselves surrounded by seniors in their rv's, with some John Birch type of political babble and speeches droning and in some cases blaring from all the radios within. Horrible. That experience inspired this...
DESERT HIGHRISE
Sagebrush
Could never have foreseen
What is happening
Towers of glass
Casting shadows at sunrise
By midday the sun
Makes them too bright for your eyes
Skylighted malls, moistened skin
Means you're in
Desert highrise
Where are the vistas we visioned
With Ford and with John Wayne?
They don't look the same
Wild west has finally been tamed
Glass sentinels now share the scene
They're in between
Desert highrise
Rendezvous these days
Are at night in the bars
There are no horses left to tie up
Just valets and cars
Jon Rauhouse is a treasure! I hope the treatments kick whatever's kicking him.
Very happy that you could spend time with our beloved Jon Rauhouse. He is one of the best humans on this planet. Your description of PHX and the desert is spot on. Made me smile, made me laugh. Smell that delicious creosote.
Thank you for being able to write about all of it. It is such a fog to be aging and changing and witnessing and feeling all of it.
I remember that smell from the one time I visited Arizona over 20 years ago. The creosote—not the cup of piss, but I know and celebrate both smells for their place in the world. The cities built in the deserts —humans and their optimism, stupidity, greed and living the American dream. Reminds me of that book, The Nine Nations of North America, by Joel Garreau. He talks about how we diverted huge rivers so people can live in deserts like LA & Las Vegas & the entire states of Arizona & New Mexico—but the legacy of those decisions…I’d love to see him update that book. It stands the test of time.
But our kids can’t buy houses, get medical insurance, afford a car, and the people with all the money never drive on the roads with craters and collapsing bridges. And dry river beds.
Sending waves of healing vibes & love to John. His guitar playing has healed my soul as I’ve struggled with illness these past few years. Glad you can be with him.
As with most people, I am a big fan of your music and seen you perform numerous times. I am also a rarity, being a 3rd generation Arizonan, but I have lived in Texas the last 20yrs. Your musings on AZ are quite interesting. And yes, when I go home to visit I indulge in the hiking, golf, and best Mexican food there is on the planet.
I came here today because I keep thinking about this post as I walk around Urbana and notice all the problems that make me worry. I don't know who decided to build a fairly large city over a marshland, but it was a terrible idea. Ever since I got my dog three years ago, I've spend more and more time outdoors and I've started to notice some really big changes. The plunder of snow and rain we've been getting in short periods of time have caused erosion in all sorts of new places. I've been paying more attention to water ways and noticing them blocked up by vegetation over growth. Today I saw that it caused a very large and healthy oak tree to be knocked right to the ground. In the hole where it's roots were dug there was just water. That's not the only thing, cause there's been a noticable uptick of dead animals. Snakes, squirrels, rabbits, birds, and I found a muskrat the other day. I found out yesterday we've had a cat diagnosed with tularemia - which is spread easily and fatal. I don't know if that's what's killing these animals or of someone is putting poison out (which has happened before). I really think there's not enough tall grass prairies left around here, or clean/clear water ways to subdue the erosion. I am also wondering if all these standing bodies of water I see around are going to lead to an increase in disease in the wildlife. It's speculation, I know. But my gut, heart, and brain are all sending off alarm signals when I think about it. They keep building these cheap high rise apartments, and more cheap new housing on the outskirts of town. It worries me. There's so many ecosystems made fragile by too much, and irresponsible land development. We keep giving nature black eyes, and one day she's gunna have enough and pull out the double barrel. Last summer I pissed on a Lincoln statue in a local park. I had to pee anyway. I still have hope, but most days I'm scratching my head wondering what I can do. I feel so small and powerless. Maybe that's a self fulfilling prophecy and I should quit saying it, but it's still how I feel. Hope the full moon is treating you well.
Are you ready for the next installment?? Today I went back to where the tree was felled to collect spring beauties because there was a whole bunch in that park. While I was collecting I noticed the air was /ripe/ and realized the park I was in literally bordered the cities sanitation plant. I was wonder why the flowers were so happy 😂 I just read about how the sanitation plants along the great lakes were leaking in to the lakes, and thinking about all these standing bodies of water and being suspicious. Anyway I had to pee, so I full mooned the plant and peed on their fence. You're really a terrible influence, you know 😂 And guess what I found??? A fucking golf ball in the grass!! The gold course is over two miles away!! 😂😂 Anyway I continued my journey and found a really nice patch of hawthorn trees in some marshy land. No berries yet, so I will return later to collect for jam. Looked for mushrooms, but none of those yet either, but there was some nice decaying wood so I shall return. But there was another fucking golf ball!!! So now I have two balls and that means I'm finally a real man!! Anyway, I'm going to go candy some shit flowers and play with my balls 😂😂😂
Oh you thought I was done?? Well ME TOO. But it ain't over till the fat enby sings, and I ain't even finished my vocal warm ups yet. So, we need prairie restoration, right? Get this. The parks district is building a "Health and Wellness" facility (it feels gross even saying it) - and guess where they are going to put it??? In Prairie Park!!! The irony!!! Yes instead of creating more wildlife habitat that could potentially save the city, they are building a bonafide fatphobic factory. I cannot make this shit up. I'm about to start referring to Urbana as Schitts Creek from here on out, cause that's how much this STINKS.
Someone needs to write a dystopian novel where the society has "health and wellness facilities" 😂😂
An excerpt from my new dystopian novel based off of Urbana Park District's plan for a "Health and Wellness Facility":
Jimrithon let out a deep sigh as he turned to Britantha, "Sometimes I feel like we missed the mark somewhere."
Britantha, ever the optimist, replied, "Oh, Jimrithon, you need to think more positive. Have you been cheating on your weekly 22 hours at the Health and Wellness Facility? You know you can get caught and lose your professor license for not completing your hours. The Eye is always watching us."
Jimrithon's cheeks were streaked with tears. He knew he was failing The Eye, and he knew he was failing The People. He wanted so much to meet his Health and Wellness Citizen Criteria, but something within him had died.
Samanthron then passed the two lovebirds sitting on the gravel path of the Clean Eating Facility. "Have a Thin, Healthy Day!" She greeted.
But Jimrithon new. He would never be Thin. He would never be Healthy. And all would be lost.
So I wasn't gonna say anything today with all the excitement, but well. Here I am. I learned some more land and water knowledge today that was super interesting, and I think I've got in some more pieces to the puzzle. They aren't important to what I want to say so I'm going to skip. While I was thinking about all this stuff this evening as I was working, I was also listening to Hell-On to build up momentum for the new release. And it hit Last Lion of Albion. Well, one day last August I was hanging out by the crossroads and I hadn't really got to know the spot that well yet. I was singing all kinds of songs, and then I started to sing "Last Lion" and when I sang, "don't let the cattails fool you", I looked up ahead of me and there were cattails. I kinda hadn't noticed them before? So I said okay, I got up and I went down and that was the first time I realized there was a little creek right there. That was the first day I started to pay attention to the water ways here, and basically what has sent me on this whole adventure of figuring out the ecology here and what was going on. Anyway music is the fucking ark of the covenant, or what? Okay I'm going to go cry some stupid salt water out of my eyes now.
I'd been meaning to become a paid subscriber for awhile now, but this was the post that did it. I fucking hate golf courses.
I used to write Phase I Environmental Site Assessments in the Phoenix Metro area for commercial real estate buyers and land developers. One of the required sections was a review of historic aerial photographs to find out when the land was first developed and what it had been used for since then. With the undeveloped land projects, the buyers were usually preparing to build a "Master Planned Community" complete with lush grass and ample water features. Nowadays I can't stop myself from imagining what abandoned strip malls would have looked like before their natural ecosystems were razed. I remember those patterns of creosote and ephemeral washes well.
late clumsy lonely hope - the spring is not obliged. polaridic glacial grounds as primer for forgetting - neon catastrophic drover! abandoned BOOM with pinkish clay realities transmit from a certain altitude. brown rampant blanket of rings - controversial conversation with a bristlecone. more seeds!
THIS RULES.
Never fucking change, Neko.
Wow!
Never heard of Philip C. Curtis but just Googled and his paintings are far out! Thanks Neko.
Gonna need to learn more about Robin Wall Kimmerer.