Season of the Decomposers

For my class unit on Ecosystems, we have been studying the role of decomposers.  At the Oregon Mycological Society's annual exhibition, I picked up an oyster and shitake mushroom kit for my classroom (one student said, "Mr. Loren, I think I can guess what oyster mushrooms taste like, but I think I'll get in trouble if I guess what shitake mushrooms taste like!")
Here are some prints we made, the first showing some fascinating white spores from the shitake on black paper.

Afoot on the Paradise Park Trail at Mt. Hood this past Sunday.  Spectacular fungi persevering above the snowline....

Somehow, this delicate knot of lichen expresses something about which the mushrooms remain quiet.....

New release on Notice Recordings

http://www.noticerecordings.com/

Brainwashed review

New releases and a performance

I've got a new CD called 'The Animals and Their Shadows' released by Semperflorens (thank you Sergei!).  Also, a tape called 'The Sodden Floor' on Notice Recordings (thank you Evan!).
On October 3rd I'll be performing with Rafael Toral, Debris Field, and Birch Cooper at the Projection Museum in Portland.....

here's a look at  The Animals and Their Shadows

Haunted land

 My friend Bill and I explored this northeast corner of Washington--a place called Valley, a lake called Waitts--for a few days.  

"Characters at the Water Margin' reviewed in Brainwashed

 Read Brainwashed review

Xhurch performance with Matt Hannafin

Elk Rock Garden

leg of winter

The brick wall seemed just the perfect height for a jump--possible, but with just enough risk to make it impressive.  So standing there, I pumped my legs and hopped up to a standing position.  But wouldn't a video be great?  So again...losing balance and landing back on the sidewalk and then a hasty third attempt, without any of the fine tuning, the eyeing of distance between my body and the wall.  Without listening too hard, I still hear the crack of my shin.  See the flap....and through the blood, the bone.