HOUSE CALLS ANYONE?

6/22 PM HAVE BELLS, WILL TRAVEL
What about house calls? Please invite me to join you. I would love to visit and observe the sunrise with anyone who is already up at that time. We could ring bells together. Is anyone interested? Contact me here.

We hadn’t rung the big bell around the neighborhood for a long time so this evening in the middle of dinner we got up and Norman went out to the curb where the car was parked. Another mundane regular everyday event. I like how it has become a taking-in-stride kind of activity on the one hand and a grand event on the other. Other aspects that I like are the mini dramas that have occurred i.e. the series at the ferry building or the stalking of waiting strangers. I would like to develop more opportunities regarding the early morning search for interaction with other people who are out and about. Someone I met recently was so right when she said my project demands that I extend myself to seek and engage with other people, especially in the mornings.

Third Week of June- MOVIE SUNSETS

I documented the evening sunset observances with little movies:

6/17 PM Going, Going, Gong
On my way out the door I noticed the final bit of sunlight on the curtains and decided to stay inside. The gong is a birthday gift from my sister. Thank you Lisa. This one is for you.

6/18 PM Rare Sunset at Ocean Beach. It's Warm!
Norman and I met Liz and Ramona at Ocean Beach for the sunset this evening. They took the streetcar and we met them as they got off the train. When we first got to the shoreline, we saw streams of pelicans flying north – like bird-cows going home. Today had been such a rare, hot day in the 90’s that there were lots of people on the beach scattered among the dunes or walking along the shore. All of us were staring and enjoying a beautiful, clear and not-windy moment at the beach. People actually applauded when the sun went down.

6/19 PM Wherever You Are, Whoever You're With
Krys Bobrowski, Karen Stackpole and I make up the current configuration of Vorticella now that Erin Esplenade has moved to Montana for her new job. So the three of us met for rehearsal in Oakland this evening in preparation for the Chapel of the Chimes summer Solstice event on Saturday. We all paused for a moment and observed the sunset with the entire household.

6/20 PM Sunset at the King of Thai Noodle House
. I took a dinner break from Kinkos where I was making invitations for tomorrow evening at Chapel of the Chimes. In the restaurant, I asked permission before ringing the bells inside. One young man wanted to know what I wanted the staff to do, and I said nothing. I just wanted to know if they minded us ringing the bells at the table. He said it was OK and then was very curious about it. He asked me “do you believe in something?” and I said no it was just about observing the sunrise and set. However, afterwards when I thought about it, I realized that I do believe in something although it’s hard to articulate. I believe in some unassailable connection we all share as living beings and the importance of recognizing and expressing that connection.

Third week of June- SUNRISE SOUNDS

SUNRISE SOUNDSCAPES
I have returned to San Francisco from New York this week, bringing a nasty summer cold with me. While I haven't much energy in the morning for adventurous excursions, I have documented the soundscape of each morning as I observe the sunrise. I am a slacker this week. Sorry. Despite my lethargy, I did make a surprising discovery- the earliest time for the sunrise does NOT coincide with the solstice. The sun rises a minute later and holds there -all week long. Here we go toward winter...

6/16 AM Someday, a Tree
Cold outside and cold inside. I also have a cold. It’s summer in San Francisco. Besides the temperature, the biggest difference between mornings here and mornings in NY is how much quieter it is here. I walked around with those cymbal bells on strings, and you can actually hear them and hear them move from place to place. It’s such a different feeling wondering if people might actually hear the sounds of these bells as they wake up. This is the last morning of the earliest sunrises. Tomorrow, the sun will rise one minute later than today. Hallelujah! Am I the only person who is glad about this?

6/17 AM
While I am recovering from my air-conditioned induced cold, I am just ringing the bells around my house. Here’s an audio recording from the first morning that the sun begins to rise later. Although the sun is continuing to set later in the day, the sunrise has reversed its direction and now begins the inevitable march towards darkness.

6/18 AM
We rang inside the house this morning. The cell phone alarm I had set for the sunrise went off while we were ringing the bells. It made me realize how routine the whole thing has become. But I am so tired in the morning and still feeling sick so I have no energy for anything more adventuresome yet. Maybe next week…

6/19 AM
The still camera is on the fritz. I like recording sound only when I am at home so I will concentrate on that for a while. This morning I left the microphone just inside the doorway and ventured out into the back, passing over the threshold as I rang the bells. I like this sound only routine in the morning.

6/20 AM
While sun is still rising a minute later than it’s earliest moment for the year, we will continue to slowly inch into longer nights when the sun rises yet another minute later on the 23rd. This morning’s audio recording is from the back yard.

6/22 AM Morning After (the solstice)
Even though the sunrise and sunset times are shifting a minute here and there, the amount of daylight each day is 14 hours and 57 minutes. We will continue to have this much sunlight for the next few days. Today is same as yesterday. This morning I wanted to do a quiet, gentle ringing after yesterday evening’s exuberant one.