During my hike, one rider seemed concerned that I intended to appear to be hiding in the trees, causing a risk of fright for her horse. I explained that I was intending only to go to the side of the trail, and that I always talk to the rider, to let the horse know it is all right. We parted amicably, but with less than perfect sympathy of soul. I felt her tone a bit supercilious and didactic at the time, but immediately after the event, of course, I realized that I should focus instead on my own weaknesses, and upon how I could have, upon cold reflection, had a smoother encounter.
My best encounter of the day was with a great crested flycatcher. He perched atop a branch of a dead tree. This cool bird has a blue-gray-ish body and a yellow breast, but his head is a bit "buffed" (crested), giving him a name arguably more grandiose than his size might dictate. He did not perch long enough for me to take his photograph. I did get a great look at him through binoculars. I also saw crows, seagulls, and a great blue heron, which last bird was standing atop a dead tree in the lake. I enjoyed walking along, listening to cool music on my mp3 player.
Tonight I heard a great new tune which Verian Thomas created using my sample for a new Thomas Nunnally Ensemble piece. I myself created a song as well, which sounds for all the world like a cathedral organ at play. perhaps it is the Elgar biography I am reading. Perhaps it is that I bought an album on emusic.com by organ genius Frederic Champion. Perhaps it is a lingering Messieaen fascination I experience lately. Perhaps I long to be a human Hammond organ. I do not know. But I think the piece will suit its purpose admirably, where it will appear as a mildly weird(bient) tune amid more ambient and chill companions on a compilation. I like the preset that sounds like a British jazz amplifier.
I also heard from a friend who can sing. I had thought to have my friend put some wordless backing music to an ambient piece I hoped to create to The White Cube art exhibition. When I completed the piece, it came out not as ambient-perfect-for-ethereal-vocals, but as quirky, melodic music. We consulted about whether it is really possible/necessary to add a vocal to the track beyond its spoken-word source material. I sent off an instrumental version. We'll work together on this project, or perhaps upon another, which will be fun. I commit the sin of secret pride, because the tinkertoy tune effectively uses a kalimba sample.
This afternon it rained buckets, and I watched a sports team lose a game on television.
