Cajon - Making Music

I have played guitar since I was a teenager but always alone.  Last year my cycling friend Keith, realising we both play, organised a little jam night.  It was a huge revelation and such a fun time for me to actually play with others.  We have since gotten together several times with a revolving group of players.

A few months back Keith and I attended a local open mike night (watching, not ready to play for a crowd yet) and a couple of the talented young women did a number of cover and original tunes and one of the instruments they used was a wooden box.  This was big enough to sit on and buy the sound it made had some sort of snare inside that would rattle when the front of the box was struck by the bare hand.  Sort of a poor man's drum kit.

That night I googled this and found out it is called a cajon and there are loads of DIY plans on the internet to built one.  Which I did.  In fact I made one for myself and one for my younger and musically inclined son Sam.

1/2 " birch plywood for all sides except the front which is 1/8"

1"x 1" spruce cleats glued and nailed

4" hole for the back

Basic box less the front

Snare made by cutting a snare drum snare in half

Snare installed to brush the inner surface of the front

Front installed with screw and no glue

Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park Day Hike

Whilst on our annual August vacation to see Lisa's family at Kootenay Lake Sam and I decide to do a day hike into Kokanee Glacier Park located nearby.

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/kokanee_gl/

From Hwy 3A a gravel but very drivable 16 km road leads to the Gibson Lake parking area.  Overnight vehicles are surronded by provided chicken wire to keep the nocurnal porcupines away from tires and brake lines.

Steady climb for about one hour on well maintained trail leads to the subalpine area and Kokanee Lake.  This is traversed on south side scree slope.  Further along is Kokanee pass itself and then through pretty meadows to the junction to Kaslo Lake with the spectacular Kokanee Cabin and the further 3 km loop to the original Sloan Glacier cabin which is now an interpretation centre.

We had perfect hiking condition with mild temperature and no bugs.  We left the parking lot at 9 am and returned at 3:30 pm for a round trip of 20 km.

Next time going to try to get overnight reservations in the cabin and do more hiking in the surrounding area.

Danube Bike Tour -Day 6

Date: May 13, 2015
Start: Krems
Stop: Tuln
Distance: 43 km
Weather: Cloudy morning and sunny afternoon
Summary in one sentence: Tour of Winzer Krems winery before dyke top riding to Tuln.  

The last day was a relatively short 26 km ride to the outskirts of Vienna where we dropped of the bikes and caught the public transit to our hotel downtown.

Danube Cycle Tour - Day 5

Date: May 12, 2015
Start: Melk
Stop: Krems
Distance: 42 km
Weather: Sunny and vey warm
Summary in one sentence: Nice mash up day of off bike activities and awesome cycling.

Danube Cycle Tour - Day 4

Date: May 11, 2015
Start: Grien
Stop: Melk
Distance: 51 km
Weather: Sunny and very warm
Summary in one sentence: Another beautiful day along the Danube.

Danube Cycle Tour - Day 3

Date: 10
Start: Linz
Stop: Grien
Distance: 64 km
Weather:  Mix of sun and clouds.  Warm.  Awesome tailwind
Summary in one sentence: Riverside dyke cycling with detours inland through pretty villages.

Elegant breakfast in Hotel Wolfinger.  Much of today cycling along river on dykes.  Strong tail wind oushed us to speeds of mid 20 kms / hr.  Managed to get a staple puncture - rental company did not provide repair kit claiming puncture proof tires.  Not so much.  With the goodness of other cyclists we eventually got going again.  Visited open air celtic village and rolled into Grien around 5 pm.  Superlative cycling day.

Danube Cycle Tour - Day 2

Date: May 9, 2015
Start: Inzell
Stop: Linz
Distance: 52 km
Weather: Cloudy, cool, light showers
Summary in one sentence: Spectacular first half of ride today on dedicated bike path along south bank. 

Off to a 9:00 start and directly onto the 20 km south bank bike route.  Just dreamy.  St the town of Aschach we stopped for lunch food which we consumed after crossing ferry at Ottensheim.  Rain showers until we reach Linz and crossing bridge back to south bank and our hotel Wolfinger.  Arrived at 2:15 pm. Cleaned up, explored Schloss and cathedral, happy hour drinks, fantastic Indian meal, more drinks at Irish pub and ice cream cones before finally calling it a day.

Danube Cycle Tour - Day 1

Date: May 8
Start: Passau
Stop:  Inzel
Distance: 49 km
Weather: Warm and sunny
Summary in one sentence:  First day om the famous Danube Cycleway delivers.

Breakfast in hotel then short walk to our bikw shop where we werrk fitted and sorted with our rental bikes.  Rode mostly the north bank quiet cycle path and when ventured sto south shore realized the unpleasantness of the shared road with busy traffic.  Lisa and Lynne yhrilled with finding a 'trachten clothes outlet shop and promptly purchased dirndl tops.  Crossed river four times - Passau road bridge, dam, road bridge and ferry.  Nice guest house where we enjoyed evening drinks and dinmer.  Bed by 9:30. 

Danube Cycle Tour - Getting to the Start

Date:  May 6, 2015
Start:  Vancouver, Canada
Stop:  Passau, Austria
Distance:  Many km
Weather: Cloudy and cool
Summary in one sentence:  A long multi modal day of travel.

Long day started with a ride to Vancouver airport leaving at noon for 4 pm flight  to Frankfurt.   Arrived 10:30 am and caught connector train  to main Frankfurt train station and from there a four hour train journey to Passau.  Reunited with Lynne and Clint at very good Wildermann Hotel at 6:00 .pm.  Tired and happy to br there!

Danube Cycle Tour - Passau to Vienna

The Danube cycle path had been on my list for a long time and this year it is going to happen.  Lisa and I will be rendezvous with my sister Lynne and her husband Clint for a one week cycling tour of about 350 km from Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria.  We will be renting bikes, carrying our own kit and staying in an assortment of lodgings.  After a couple of days in Vienna Lynne and Clint will travel home.  Lisa and I will continue on with our European vacation.