Well.....this is it.

Last day of my west coast adventure. The sun is shining, the jazz fest is over (closed off with a Maceo Parker performance at the Crystal Ballroom.....funk-ay!) and I've got the whole day to myself to think on this past little while of making art, meeting different people, making and listening to music, and generally....conducting myself in a place with no real map or timeline.....it's harder than it looks...but definitely something that everyone should try. the surprises are worth it alone :) right now i';m being filmed for channel 8 news in portland as they do a special on folks using their laptops in wi-fi places....see you never know where you're going to end up:).

When I started all this travelling, I had a good idea of the places I wanted to see, and that I was up for an adventure....but I had no idea that I would learn so much about people, myself, and the very, very special importance of the present moment that a few people tried to tell me about before, but I didn't really understand until now. I recently read a quote from the billionaire Richard Branson who said....it is always more fun to say yes than it is to say no......and ever since i read that, i have realized that much of my good times have been from being up for just about anything.....people have often said to me....you're so lucky...everything always happens to you, but i think it has more to do with the idea that i just say yes to the stuff that does.

tomorrow morning, i return to toronto to start it all over again with just a little more knowledge and experience on what i want to find out in this lifetime, and what i need to keep smiling along the way.

Bike sculpture on Burnside and 12th?; The all-female jazz group, Quadraphonnes; attending the Nia dance class in Portland....where it all started with teacher and founder Debbie; a waterfall at the Catholic sanctuary called Grotto in the Northeast end of town where some religious dude started a sanctuary in the forest....somebody had to!