Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Foggy late September morning / Thinking about Bob Dylan and John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Foggy Bellingham morning 7:30 a.m., looking toward downtown Bellingham

Driving through town toward the South Bay Trail

Looking to the northwest from the turnout on Boulevard

Low tide at Padden Creek Lagoon (on foot now)

September colors alongside Padden Creek Lagoon

Entering the area of the Alaska Ferry Terminal

Ground near the skateboard shop

Train tracks leading to Canada

Looping back through Fairhaven

Message rock noticed tucked under larger rock -- photographed, and then replaced.

Approaching Taylor Street Dock

A black and white and grey moment

From the September 27 Rolling Stone interview with Bob Dylan:

"... When that narrator talks about walking this or that road, do you have pictures of those roads in your mind?

Yeah, but not in a specific kind of way.  You can feel it, without being able to see it.  It's an old-time thing:  the walking blues.

The walking could be what somebody witnesses.  It could be the road to death; it could be the road to illumination.

Sure, all those roads.  How many roads must a man walk down?  Not run down, drive down or crawl down? I've been raised on that.  The walking blues.  "Walking to New Orleans," "Cadillac Walk," "Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane." It's the only way I know.  It comes natural."

The person who's walking in these songs, is he walking alone?

Sometimes, but then again, sometimes not. Sometimes you got to get into your own space for a while.  It never really dawns on me, though, whether I'm walking alone or not.  Seems like I'm always walking with somebody ...

From "The Final Days," by Yoko Ono, in the recently published special collector's edition of the Rolling Stone dedicated to John Lennon, who would have been 72 years old on October 9:

"... John liked being prompt.  John was English.  I was Japanese.  The result was both of us possessed extreme austerity and hilarity back to back ..."

5 comments:

The Solitary Walker said...

Really enjoyed your post, am. The photo of the rail tracks and the last one of the pier are sensational!

bev said...

For several years, I have thought about making a long walk. It may happen. It seems that a certain kind of mental space occurs when our feet are allowed to follow a spontaneous path. I very much liked the message stone. Recently, a woman came to my Nova Scotia house. Her mother grew up in the house in the 1930s. She had a hand drawn map which her mother made in later years. There was a note next to a spot which was where there was a Message Tree - an apple tree with a hole where messages could be left for friends. I told my elderly neighbour and he said he remembers the tree.

am said...

Thank you, Solitary Walker!

Hi Bev. Interesting to learn that you have met more people with a connection to the house you have given a new life to. Enjoyed hearing about the Message Tree.

I am curious. Where do you think you might want to walk?

bev said...

Am - I have never really settled on a long walk route, but just know that I would like to do one. The Pacific Crest Trail seems a natural to me as it passes through areas that I know and love, but the Pacific Northwest Trail seems interesting as well. There are also a number of sections of the Trans Canada Trail which I would like to hike. To do any of the above, I would have to make a time commitment. Before this summer, it was impossible as I had Sabrina to care for, but now Sage and I would be free to walk somewhere for a few months. I will be thinking about this over the next while. It seems that, if I wish to do a walk, then I should take it on sooner rather than later.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your post and your beautiful blog, am! I was lucky enough to be in Fairhaven back in August. What a beautiful place it is.

Kind regards,
Richard