The Fisherman's Bicycle

 Here on the island, we do more biking than driving, as you've probably figured out.  Our fishermen are particularly fond of going about on two wheels when not at the helm.  These bikes have been around longer than the buoys and traps themselves, and with such high grade steel, should be able to weather many more winters...

This Island Rocks

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!  I've been 'on island' (as the locals say) the last few days so I haven't been updating the blog regularly.  There'll be more posts this week though.

Here's a lovely view of the open ocean from a favorite beach of mine... may this year give you a fair wind at your back and an open horizon to explore!

Merry Christmas!

 Photo by 360 Nautica

Merry Christmas everyone!  Just had to share a few things with you this morning from the island... this Christmas tree is a traditional coastal Maine Christmas tree that is made of lobster traps, lobster buoys, pine boughs and lights.  O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!  I'll let you guess what is sometimes put at the top! 

Next, we have a few clips for your enjoyment... snowboarding in Paris, and a couple clips from my favorite silent film of 1926, 'Der Heilge Berg' (The Holy Mountain).  Be sure to at least make it to the 5:10 mark!

Finally...

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
O bid our sad divisions cease,
And be for us our King of Peace.
Rejoice!  Rejoice! Emmanuel,
Shall come to thee, O Israel.


Have a peaceful Christmas...


via Little Brown Pen

Music Tuesday: Sufjan's Songs for Christmas

Today's Music Tuesday selection is an obvious pick: Sufjan's Songs for Christmas.  These songs are festive, holy, and just plain fun.  Below are all of the songs off of the 5-disc set for your listening pleasure.  One of these days Katie and I will get our act together and make an album for our friends and family like Sufjan originally did for this project.  Go here for more goodies...  UPDATE: Vol. 6 is no longer available, but you can listen to Silent Night below, via David Greenwald at Rawkblog.  Enjoy!

Sufjan Stevens - "Silent Night" (ft. Aaron and Bryce Dessner) by rawkblog

 

 

 

West Africa by Kanoa Zimmerman

 Photo by Kanoa Zimmerman

 Photo by Kanoa Zimmerman

 Photo by Kanoa Zimmerman

 Photo by Kanoa Zimmerman

Photo by Kanoa Zimmerman

Via Saturdays

Music Thursday: Little Dragon

Photo: Sarah Cooper

Little Dragon is from Gothenburg, Sweden... (why do so many good bands from from Gothenburg?)  The dragon is made up of Yukumi Nagano (vocals and percussion), Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrick Källgren (bass), and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards). 

This from their bio, by Ulla Tom Tom:
"From the city of Gothenburg grew the birth of tiny creature.  Its breath full of fire passion death and dreams.  It lived in a fantasy called the electric forest. This forest was thick  with rustling secrets and  infintite amounts of pinetrees.   On occasional full moons the pine trees would light up in neon auras  of lime and turquoise and the ground would shake  with a steady rumble. The tiny creature grew into a little dragon.  It wrestled with the large wind sometimes. The heat of its breath would weave in with the cool air and make patterns in the sky. Although the creature was a powerful little beast it was light as a feather and would often sleep on the leaf flowing in the breeze.  And there it would dream in a dream. These dreams were without visuals and haunted by sounds.  electric sounds and beats would pump its little  heart and make her sleep walk around the forest like a ghost dancing in the night.
And the aching of this lonely creatures heart would be reflected in bittersweet melodies both haunting and happy." 

So, all I can say is that the music sounds just like all of that, and more.  Listen to a heap of songs on their myspace and dig the clips below...

My Step by Little Dragon


Blinking Pigs by Little Dragon