Early summer 2012

  I'm really happy to announce 'RidgewalkerPete volume #1 DVD'  is now available for sale through this site. It has been a lot of fun learning how to compose the video as well as the music....not to mention overcoming the challenges dealing with this pesky computer.  I will continue trying to give you a taste of how beautiful these places are as I work on volume #2.

   
These early days of summer find me composing and recording music for  a couple of videos that I filmed last fall. One  is from a hike up Webb mountain where I enjoyed fantastic weather on a the high ridges.  This photo on Mt. Macdonald captures one of those moments where it was difficult to pretend to relax when I was really thinking about camera settings, the timer and scrambling back safely. Everything seems so much easier when it is dry and warm. I am always equally prepared to deal with this situation.

   During the winter I decided to finish the full version of 'At Sea Level'. The short version was an editing experiment which I like very much but there was more to show.   The video 'At Sea Level [the directors cut]' is the result. 

You music people may enjoy the A minor to F  swells mimicking the ocean and the time signature shifts between 5/4 and 6/8 time. The bass guitar track took a lot of concentration to nail down.

 Thanks for looking everyone and stay tuned for 'RidgewalkerPete volume #2.

Mysterious Creek Art

During a walk in a local park I came upon this interesting and somewhat distressing pattern of what appeared to be soap froth. It looked to me very much like the  white swirls a Barista would use to decorate a fancy cup of coffee. The creek was slowly pouring over a log creating this delicate pattern. As I walked I started to think about some of the species introduced here that have really flourished.
                                         

                                   Invasive species here to stay?

  It has been interesting to see how invasive species, when left unchecked have altered this park. Purple Loosestrife soaking up the swamp, English ivy climbing ,spreading over and eventually killing some trees. Himalayan blackberry eagerly spread their prickly limbs to soak up the light in any open areas. These are just a few of the really noticeable additions. At the pond Red-Eared Slider turtles have displaced the local turtles . They are native to the southern United States, central America and Brazil and live 20 to 40 years. These turtles are sold through pet stores and when the owners tire of them or need to dispose of them the Red-eared Slider turtles are released in local ponds with good intentions but disastrous results. One day in the fall of  I counted 14 these turtles in a row on a big log.  During a stroll I watched a female looking for a spot to dig a nest UNDER a patch of blackberries so I left her alone. Those blackberries are the tastiest of pests.
  

Another recent addition is the American Bullfrog. They are big and hungry. I managed to get close for this photo but it is hard to judge the size. They were being raised  in the southern United States for the meat in their legs. After a few of these wily rascals escaped they have spread north through creeks and wetlands dislodging  native species. These critters have a really loud croak. Do people have them for pets?Let's all think before we ditch feather, fur, shell, fin and leaf......and whatever I missed.   

Is this a spotted owl?