I have been working on a website for Mid Valley Steel Buildings, a small business with the ability to design, plan and install steel buildings.  Ivan Trump, the owner, lives and works in Cottage Grove, Oregon.  By utilizing the web to produce informational media, Ivan is able to work with people from all over the Pacific Northwest for pennies a day.

This is not news, by any means.  It’s merely an attempt to provide an external link for his site to produce better search results.  Happy holidays, to all of you.

-CP

The Hellounds thought we were going to have a great night, but we were treated to a house full of kinetic blues energy begging to be released.  We were more than happy to oblige.

The weather was terrible, but Oregonians never seem to be too bothered by a little falling from the heavens.

Thanks must go to all those who danced the night away and giving us one hell of a night!

From Charles, Joe, Rick and Mario, we thank you!

the Hellhounds

Hellhounds

The Hellhounds now have a new website and booking agent so keep an eye on us: hellhoundsblues.com

The website touts an audio player for our studio demo, our contact information and links to our influences’ videos.

Currently the Hellhounds are in rehearsal creating new material and sharing their music around Portland, OR at blues jams from Trails End Saloon (Oregon City) to Mock Crest Tavern (Portland).

Find us on Facebook and MySpace and Add this blog to your syndication list and sign up for our email list at hellhoundsblues.com

Charles Pike

Vintage Star Wars Roleplaying

I’ve uncovered my old West End Games Star Wars Roleplaying Game books recently and am excited to say that I will soon be planning at least one adventure for my gaming friends.  To help me work out the details I have begun a WordPress blog and an Obsidian Portal campaign wiki.  Between them I should be able to keep track of everything that I need.

Any comments or suggestions are more than welcome.

Charles

Ben Moll Percussion Recital

Ben Moll is a colleague of mine teaching at Clark College in Vancouver, WA is performing a percussion recital on Saturday, December 13th at 7pm at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Vancouver.

I will be playing the trap set on some jazz standards and perhaps some Bach Inventions at the end.

Ben is also premiering a new percussion & soprano duet by Fred Strong.

Among we percussionists, the following musicians will be accompanying Mr. Moll:

• Kathy Charles – Piano
  Clark College Piano Faculty

• April Duvic – Soprano
  Clark College Music Faculty

• Eva Richey – Violin
  Concertmaster, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Donations accepted for St. Luke’s Church.

Ben Moll will be playing on a Rosebush Marimba

The book contains 5 compositions written for 4 mallets on a 5.0 octave marimba with “alterative suggestions” for a 4.3 octave cousin making this edition a great purchase for most high school band students.  The advancing technical progression between pieces is well designed to give the student new tools to master.

Whether Keiko Abe intended it or not, this collection is an excellent path for those early advanced marimba students.  Purchase it here.

It was AWESOME!

Alex Acuñe is a Peruvian percussionist and drumset player who is world renown for his timing and South American stylings.

Pics coming soon…

EVE Online

My newest gaming experience is EVE Online.  It is massive and satisfying my intellectual desire to survive and even thrive in a new environment.  Mental Masturbation might be too light of a phrase.

Anyway, if you should feel it necessary to check it out, look me up.  The name’s “Alys’an.”

I went to Breitenbush Hot Springs today and I enjoyed it immensely.  My only wish (forgive the tired truism) is that I was still there.  Breitenbush Hot Springs is located up in the Cascades of Western Oregon between Detroit Lake and Estacada.  It is open all year, but during the winter months you should call before you drive because Hwy 224, the easier road from Portland, is not always clear and open.

Emily and I first enjoyed the scenery and community at the Meadow Pools then we found the Spiral Tubs, a succession of heated tubs built into a circular deck where each tub is slightly warmer than the last.  I dipped myself in a cold bath between every near-20-minute soak in each tub until hunger overcame us and we headed toward the river and the isolated rocky beaches for a picnic.

The image to the right is of the path to the labyrinth just north of the Spiral Tubs.  The daisies where out in force all over the cascades and from Bend to Estacada ‘die Sonne schein und die blaue Himmel’ was gorgeous.

I hope this Spring finds everyone well and may the end of your labyrinth begin a new maze of opportunities. 

CP