Evil Kneivel and Peace Cranes

Old Time Dave Talmage and I hopped aboard the Astro train and headed north to Missoula. Dave has the coolest wicker suitcase. We had a lot to catch up on. He's been traveling around in is VW Van, living in Lyons Colorado and playing music with some amazing musicians. The Asylum Street Spankers out of Austin Texas and now with a super group of western Bluegrass stars called the Billy Pilgrims. He is really making a name for himself and working hard.

We made a stop in Butte, Mt. the home of Mr. Evil Knievel, we had just missed the annual weekend festival in his honor. We heard he no longer does his thing but the festival attracts daredevils from all over the world showcasing their talents... you know lighting their cars on fire and jumping over shit. Though one local called him a dickhead, when pushed he just said "he is a dickhead but his son Robbie is making up for it", I said ok. I agreed to be OTDT's manager for the day, I tried to get him a gig at a local saloon but the booking agent was out fishing and they mostly booked speed metal acts and Dave didn't have his fiddle so we had lunch and moved on. We jumped on some back roads took a dip in a a mountain lake It was somewhat surreal, due to raging forest fires a layre of smoke hovered about with the smell of a smoldering camp fire ever present. The forest fires are interesting, lots of people are scared, but one guy I talked to said it's part of our economy, I considered taking up employment. You can make $5,000 a month and my treasury is at a all-time low....

We pulled into Missoula just in time for the bands sound check, I felt like a true hangar on, or groupie, whatever. After the sound check I pulled out my bikes and we headed downtown to a great burrito house, it was funny seeing Old Time cruising on my mnt. bike with his wranglers tucked into his cowboy boots. The show was awesome and I met some great local folks and had breakfast at the opening bands home, fresh huckleberry pancakes... oh yeah! I said goodbye to my new favorite bluegrass/honky tonk band with a promise to see them in a few days in Baab, Mt.

I went out to the Lolo forest and went for a mnt. bike ride. simply amazing some of the finest single track riding anywhere. That night I was fortunate to have two musical experiences at the same time. Over at the Badlander there was a free Jazz show with some local names, good mellow stuff in a real cool club around the corner and down underground a pool hall was hosting a metal show. The band that stuck out in my head was Black Cobra a two piece out of San Francisco. The drummer is out of this world and with out a bass player to worry about he just went off. They are playing in Boston Tuesday the 14th. So I jumped back and forth, with a dude from Idaho that installs home recording systems. I woke up with my ears ringing.

In the morning I went to the Rocky Mountain Buddhist Center, it is part of Freinds of the Western Buddhist Order , same as the Aryaloka Center in Newmarket where I have studied at since 05. It was so nice to know the format, there was only 1 other person, an Englishman, which I could understand since it was 7am on Monday morning. The center is small but hosts a great meditation room with a beautiful Buddha. We had a great sit and after he took me out for breakfast at the Hob Nob which was once owned by the center and ran as a ethical, non-profit business. I've read a little and studied Buddhist owned businesses and their challenges. I have been thinking about the relationship between Buddhism and capitalism since I started on this path. I'm just finishing the monster of a read Ayn Rands Atlas Shrugged at the same time I'm reading Thich Nhat Hahn's Old Path White Cloud which his story of the Buddha's life. Talk about two sides of the brain but interestingly enough they have more in common then you would think. I hope to someday soon expound on these theories and I already do to any one that will listen. My breakfast companion and I pelted echother with questions and stories. We had a great time, we didn't exchange info but I know that our paths will cross again.

I ventured over the the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center . I knew not of her when I arrived but learned about her work as the first women US Congresswomen and her life long work for peace and equality. I sat with two elderly women and two cross country cyclists from New York and learned how to make Peace Cranes in honor of the little girl named Sadako. And the 62nd anniversary of Hiroshima.

from the website: "The paper crane has become an international symbol of peace in recent years as a result of it's connection to the story of a young Japanese girl named Sadako Sasaki born in 1943. Sadako was two years old when the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. As she grew up, Sadako was a strong, courageous and athletic girl. In 1955, at age 11, while practicing for a big race, she became dizzy and fell to the ground. Sadako was diagnosed with Leukemia, "the atom bomb" disease. Sadako's best friend told her of an old Japanese legend which said that anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes would be granted a wish. Sadako hoped that the gods would grant her a wish to get well so that she could run again. She started to work on the paper cranes and completed over 1000 before dying on October 25, 1955 at the age of twelve. "

I said goodbye with 7 of my completed Peace Cranes and a pile of paper to make more, I've only made 3 since..... I bought two loafs of focaccia bread for $2 at a local bakery and headed north towards Glacier National Park.... I love Missoula......