Danneaux's Nomad

[ianshearin]

Crikey, thats some bad weather your having over there Dan.

Fingers crossed Mother Nature calms down.

[jags]

Ah Dan stay were you are for the time being that weather will kill you buddy.
its supposed to be a holiday adventure after all theres no fun cycling in those conditions.
concerned for you dan.

jags.

[Danneaux]

Hi All!

Weather's improving with an onshore flow of cooler marine air. Have pushed back the date for departure to midweek to allow cooler temps and am doing a re-route in the NE corner of my tour to avoid the burgeoning fires in East of Burns and spreading from the Owyhee. Should be much better.

Meanwhile, I was playing with repacking my touring gear in the Danneaux Tent-Testing Facility™ (backyard) and felt like something was watching me. Turned out to be five "somethings" -- a mother raccoon and her 4 kits.

The neighbor woman's cat collection has grown to 24, and she leaves food outside, so the raccoons evidently figured a daylight raid was in order; they had planned the burglary very carefully and all were wearing masks to prevent CCTV identification. It was successful except for the sole witness -- me. If the hadn't been spotted, I think they might have gone for the loot in the panniers.

In the photo below, you can see the ringleader, the notorious MamaRaccoon, on the lookout for pursuers. She had the runt with her, while the other three decided to make their getaway via the lilac trees, thence to the fence.

Best,

Dan.

[John Saxby]

Wise decision, Dan, to wait a bit.  That cooler damp air will be a relief. (Was slightly astonished to see the coastal temps some 30 - 35 degrees F  lower than the interior!)  Appears that the temps may be climbing again towards the end of next week, however, so do take care.  Insh'allah, I'll take a break from camping & stay overnight in the café/hotel at Denio Jct NV a week from tomorrow (Sat), due SW of where you will be heading, so will raise a glass to your journey!  Go well,  J.

[Danneaux]

I'll take a break from camping & stay overnight in the café/hotel at Denio Jct NV

Very good, John! You'll be overlaying some of my 2010 tour route there after I left Nevada's Black Rock Desert and can see a video of me awakening in my camp outside the town garbage dump: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AISuUrSM74Q

You'll be eating and staying at Bobby Putney's place. He graduated from my high school a few years after I did, and is a hunting buddy of my across-the-street neighbor. The hotel room walls are paper thin, and you'll see a huge motorcycle sculpture out front. His burgers are very good, and you'll likely have a pleasant conversation with the waitress, who used to work for the molybdenum mine that closed when worldwide prices plummeted, and whose boyfriend works a claim at the opal mines just west of town.

My late neighbor and his brother used to own a good part of Denio, before the post office was hauled by cat tractor across the Oregon border to Nevada for tax purposes in 1950. You can still see part of Old Denio north of Bobby's place.

Small world, eh? Even in such remote, open country, everyone seems to know each other and is connected in some way. If they mention the cyclist who made it through a night-long storm of 70mph wind-blown ice pellets atop Blizzard Gap and then climbed the iced-up Doherty Slide, it was me.

Wild burros and mustang horses to see, too. As you head west, catch the petroglyphs at Greaser Canyon and be sure to stop in Adel to see the interior of the store there, a taxidermist's dream come true (see photo below). If you're musically inclined, the store was immortalized in Canadian singer-songwriter Ian Tyson's song, M.C. Horses:
"If you ever have a beer at the Adel Store
"Say hi to Chuck and Annie.
"They'll show you them big ol' steer heads up there hangin'".

See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h-Oqy3MhaI

Chuck and Annie no longer have the store, but the M.C. ranch is located just a mile or so south of it on 3-14/Twentymile Road.

Safe-happy journey, John. I'll raise a water bottle to you as well!

All the best,

Dan.

[jags]

wow Dan that guy sure can sing i'm listening to his song right now at full volume great  love it.

[Danneaux]

love it.

...then you'll probably also like these, jags:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX23Ejqwu0g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3m7ckGhnsc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NuIKF2D7cw
Ian Tyson did some duets with Neil Young, as well. A few are on YouTube, as I recall.

More here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Tyson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_%26_Sylvia

All the best,

Dan. (...whose musical tastes range from speed-metal to folk and right on through to Tuvan throat-singing but doesn't go much for rap)

[jags]

what are you serious my favourate artist is Neill Young.ok have to listen to those songs thanks Dan.

[jags]

this is great stuff 4 strong winds beautifull.
nice d45 martin guitar .

[John Saxby]

Hi Jags and Dan,  Back in the day, my wife Marcia was part of a group who opened for Ian and Sylvia on one of their visits to Washington DC, in the early/mid 1960s.  (Reflected glory! About 15 years later, Sylvia was singing in a small town up the Valley, and was very gracious when Marcia told her the story.  We helped her out by explaining to her band, the best way from Ottawa into New York -- they were en route to Greenwich Village.)  Ian's no spring chicken--we saw him in Ottawa a couple of summers ago, and it took some time for his voice to warm up...but he did a great version of "La primera" (a view of the European conquest of the Americas, through the eyes & voice of a Spanish mustang.)  Ian's return to life on the ranch in the last 25-plus years has given him a creative burst, and his musical tributes to cowboys and their culture are excellent.  For me, though, his early song "Summer Wages" remains one of the very best.  (There is a debate about whether it's the best Canadian folk song, and he certainly has a claim there -- though I think I'd opt for one of Stan Rogers' marvellous pieces.)  Both of them give you great songs to sing while cycling -- for me, when I'm well out of others' earshot.

Denio, Elko, Paradise -- I know those names, Dan, from Ian Tyson's music, and a couple of other singers too.  Will look for your tracks at Denio Jct!

J.

[jags]

ok its back to utube to see if i can find that song thanks John

[jags]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef8Z89TPpkE.
is this it if not no matter its class i love it.

[Danneaux]

Absolutely amazing connections, John! ...and what a wonderful followup years Later!

Somehow, we'll all find everyone on the Forum is a blood relative before we're done. 

great songs to sing while cycling -- for me, when I'm well out of others' earshot.

We'd make a great duet, John, unbothered by predators and more social creatures alike! If we formed a trio with jags, we could be the hummers in the background while he carried the lead. 

All the best,

Dan. (...who is breaking-down food packages and bagging meals for travel and re-oiling the Nomad's chain with Purple Extreme)

[jags]

great stuff that purple extream getting oh so close Dan  nerves with soon start to kick in .
yeah great connection with the music small world indeed.

[John Saxby]

Jags,

There was some block on the YouTube link you sent (someone somewhere upset with us colonials?)  Anyway, here's a good version of "Summer Wages":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65CL9NrlL5I

This is from 1986--we were all a bit younger then--with Ian singing with Sylvia & Emmy-Lou Harris.  The later version of "Summer Wages", on the "Cowboyography" collection, is a bit more up-tempo.  I personally like this earlier one better -- the regretful tone works better a bit slower. 

More name-dropping:  my wife went to high school with Emmy-Lou Harris. (!!) (Not making this up.)

Looking on YouTube for "La Primera" -- couldn't find it.  :-(   It's from his 1999 album, "Lost Herd".  Lovely stuff.

A lot of cowboys were Irish -- hence the fiddle music, and as La Primera says, "their sad songs".

J.