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  • Nov 17, 2021

Image: Artwork for Diamonds Hadder Field notes: 'The Raven the Coin and the Waterfall.


It seems I’ve been away a lot these last 2 months.. this happens every year. The winter months bring storms to the hills and I can’t pull myself away from the drama of such things. The lure of the woods is strong in me. It’s also at this time during the winter moon cycles that I seem to replenish the well of water with new ideas, Hadder and other things related.

A quick story as I reconnect with Diamonds Hadder this week and fire up the brick kiln, I walked 14 miles upriver this weekend.. in and out of the raging current… through waterfalls, stumbling into the frigid water, climbing giant boulders and trudging through narrow black canyons. I had a lot of time to think about things. It was an amazing time of self-reflection.. time well spent in the cold shadows of the virgin canyon walls. On the final day I was in a very narrow slot canyon and I came upon a waterfall. It was a magic place that I dreamt of… cold and dark and still. It was the end of the road for me… I was there a while in quiet contemplation… alone with my breathing and shivering hands. Behind me I heard a sound… and suddenly a giant raven came down through the narrow canyon.. it’s wing flaps echoed off the canyon walls in a loud strange deafening noise which startled me for a moment. It was the most beautiful moment… it was real… it was getting dark and I was running out of time.. yet I didn’t want to leave. “Is that you lord Zabble?” my voice echoed down the canyon… I fell asleep on the gravel, perhaps under spell, and during that time the raven approached and whispered in my ear… seems it wasn’t a raven at all… but another puzzle piece I needed to complete the story of Diamonds Hadder. My life is blurred by a reality and fiction. I’m surrounded by kings and queens in places I only dream about. At that waterfall I finally came to terms with something and I really didn’t care if I ever made it back… I’ll tell you about the raven and the coin and what I was told to do in a few days time.. when I gather my thoughts and put pen to paper. I left an old broken piece of me there in the narrow canyon.. a shell of my former self.. in the blue waters of that magic waterfall I’ll never forget. My new ghost now walks the tower. “Thank you master Zabble.”


PS. A working version of "Hell Fall" is now on the front page.. just minor edits left, but good enough for loud listening, enjoy it. -j


Updated: Nov 10, 2021


I’ve returned from a small trip to the virgin river unscathed other than a few pesky leg bites from the wamprats on route to the holy courtyard of the patriarchs. There I gained some additional knowledge and insight into the coming months. I was shown a picture of the final gathering as though it was already in place, what a view. It does seem different here since I’ve returned. The wind is different… the air. Along the way I gathered a few bags of black mice…. Not sure if you’ve heard the story about mice and Gorgons, but I thought they might come in handy for the journey ahead. I’m sure you’ll hear soon enough.

Along the trip I found myself in a beautiful canyon, a narrow place, just me and the rushing water and for a moment I thought it might sweep me away… I could be so lucky sometimes… swept away to live with the rocks, hmmm, like an old dream… those two words…. On the walls of the canyon about 200 ft up I saw a notch carved into the stone, about the size of a few large pumpkins, at least that’s what I thought when I saw it… I wondered how long it would take to carve such a thing.. standing in the river current, I thought to myself… gee, I could fit a few pumpkins in there.. he he.. zabble says that pumpkins were made to tell us that winter was approaching, I think they were just some gods little fun afterthought, orange dots to paint a brown landscape, details to stumble upon and smile over. Berries for gorgons perhaps. Sorry I was lost on pumpkins there a moment, it happens, the notch on the wall was filled with tiny boulders that I imagine were left there hundreds of thousands of years ago as the river carved it’s way through the solid canyon. One day they were free rolling down stream and then suddenly they were trapped and left behind, there to stare down at the events of the future for thousands of years.. but unable to participate in the slow carving any longer. Years sitting in puddles and ice. So I decided to climb the face of the cliff… breaking the laws of the universe until I reached the notch, there I gathered up some of the rocks…. They were vibrating against my chest as I descended the cliff face… clanging into one and other…. Cheering!…. When I reached the bottom, I returned them to the river and set them free. You might say, well, what if they liked hanging around in the notch? Surely you didn’t feel the excitement they displayed at the notion of returning to the river…. And besides, of course I asked them before I took them. After all I am a part of nature and my own random decision to do such a thing is part of the natural world and evolution of things. You may have noticed, I like rocks. I might go visit them next Saturday. We’ll see.

Anyway, this story reminds me of so many things in life. Sometimes we are still and feel left behind… and sometimes we are moving very quickly down stream banging together in the motion and action of the current…. And sometimes people come into your life to set you free in some way. Try to remember… you’re not just rolling down stream aimlessly, you’re also changing the path of the river you seem caught up in. Think about it and keep your eyes peeled for notches on cliff faces and giant rock movers.


(I've returned to the lower tower today and the very detailed work needed on the Hadder front. Zabbles Grand Turkey day fast approaches and I’m expecting guests. Be well.) -j

Better three hours too soon than a minute too late."

-William Shakespear



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