Bear Creek Studio is a paradise for musicians. This live-in recording studio was built out of an old barn buried in the forest northeast of Seattle on a small creek. Edna and I were lucky enough to spend two weeks there.
In building a relationship with Elephant Revival over the past 6 years, we have come to a place of knowing that when we come together we live symbiotically in many ways. I have worked for them doing graphic design/layout, being their bus driver, and shooting video. They have embraced my friendship and given me community, adventure, and work. But one great underlying beneficial relationship has been with tea. Continue reading →
What a better way to bring in the new year than with a fun little video. Shot and edited by a Stanford University woman named Rosie Cima, who I met in early 2012 in Palo Alto. It’s fun!
In death we see the preciousness of life… And so it is with Sam.
I setup the tea bus outside the memorial knowing that it was going to be full of faces of my childhood community – many faces that I had not seen in years. Even in knowing I’d be seeing so many old friends, I could never expect to know what that experience was to bring.
Brothers and sisters, friends and lovers
But of course, partly because we were gathered because of death, but also because an island grows a tight community, we shared food and sipped tea like to was Thanksgiving. There were many tears, but smile and laughter were more abundant.
We drank Peace Tea all evening, which was the last tea Sam drank on the tea bus on Halloween.
At one point Sam’s sister came up to me and asked if I was Joe… Yes, I am… She held out a plastic bags of an herb I wasn’t familiar with. Sam and I picked these on the Kenai Peninsula this summer. I was supposed to send it to him when they dried, but I didn’t. It’s Labrador Tea. I know he’d want you to have this because he loves what you do… And we hugged…
Many smiles… Danielle and Jacob
Old friends
People watch the prayer balloons rise into the night
Sam Carter passed away Thanksgiving night in Friday Harbor, WA. I’ve known him since second grade, and used to be on the same little league team (undefeated, one year). We tend to run into each other on the Island every once and while, and even a few times in Northern CA. I was fortunate to hang with him several times recently, including in September when this video was shot, as well as sipping Peace Tea with him on Halloween. We all miss you, Sammy.
This video is a sneak clip from the up and coming video about the tea bus from America ByCycle. Thanks for sending it to us, Michelle!
I got a little carried away and dressed up like an old man tea wizard, and along with a witch (Ally) and a lady bug (Amanda), we set up the tea bus in a neighborhood I used to Trick or Treat in when I was a kid. This neighborhood is so busy on Halloween that they block it off from car traffic for several hours.
I was sure a concerned neighbor was going to come and question us, or perhaps call the cops (Think, “Yes, ummm, there’s a van with a old man trying to give away free tea to kids…”). And boy, was I wrong…
The opposite happened. First, a woman drove up with her kids and asked if we were “the free tea people.” Evidently word has spread fast around the island about the tea bus. “Yes, that would be us,” we responded. “Well, I just found out I can’t drink tea. Would you guys like this bag of tea?” She had seen us, gone home, grabbed what she couldn’t drink, and brought it down for us to share with people.
A neighbor from across the street loved the tea bus so much that she kept coming back to sip tea, and even poured me a cup of her own home-brew lemon tea. Another fellow brought us a ton of candy to hand out to kids. We had realized that 99 out of 98 kids want candy more than tea, especially on Halloween…
I stayed in character for hours and hours. I had a big beard made from wool batting and a staff with a crystal tea cup on the end. With a funny old man/Indian chai walla voice, I joked and laughed with many kids and parents. Ah yes, hello, how are you? Good? Yes, good is better than bad, and bad is better than worse, but good isn’t as good as great. Yes, good is good. Most of the kids thought I was weird, and I guess most of the adults did too. Halloween? Oh, is that what day it is? I thought everyone looked a little strange today… I haven’t dressed up for Halloween in 87 years.
I give many thanks to Ally and Amanda for helping out. Their participation made it possible for me to play around and not worry about making tea. If I had been making tea, everyone’s tea would have had bits of my beard in it.
My friend Jason from Island Rec invited Edna and I to participate in an Event called Touch-a-Truck. Every year Island Rec brings all sorts of fire trucks, police cars, dump trucks, ambulances, and other cool vehicles to my old elementary school. As Jason put it, “Edna Lu — bio-diesel bus/home on wheels/traveling free tea sanctuary — would make a very unique & interesting addition.” And it was…
Touch-a-Truck at Friday Harbor Elementary School
Kids get to climb on/in vehicles, honk horns, and generally cause mischief. I like it! I made sure hide any pocket knives, sharp tools, and lighters, and sure enough, kids were climbing on every bench, opening every cabinet, and honking both my horns. It was a blast. Hot peppermint or cold lemon tea was on the menu.
I was parked outside my fifth grade classroom window and even ran into old teacher, as well as several of my old classmates who now have kids. Kids always ask the best questions about the tea bus, but many parents were equally interested. Some kids wouldn’t leave. To them it was the best place to spend the wet afternoon. I don’t blame them…
What I like most about the Lookout Arts Center (AKA The Quarry) is that it’s an amazing gypsy camp of old buses, trailers, tents, and RVs. It is a constantly shifting community of nomads, performers, and tinkerers. Some people are owners and more consistent, while others are Continue reading →
The line was long the whole night at the Friday Harbor Elephant Revival show!
Earlier this month, Edna and I arrived in the land and amongst the community that raised me. With horse trailer (mobile shop/salvaged building material storage) in tow, we boarded the all-so-familiar ferry from Anacortes to Friday Harbor. Ahhh, the well-known streets and trees, smells and sounds – with a flavor of new buildings, fresh faces, and other unknowns. Continue reading →
Bus and horse trailer all packed up and moving north
Northern CA has been one of the main home bases for the tea bus for four and a half years. Places like Healdsburg, the East Bay, and Arcata/Eureka have shared in the community of free tea and helped to create the tea bus. Ideas, inspiration, resources, advice, workspaces, showers, etc – have been shared to an extreme in these places, as well as places like Palo Alto, San Francisco, Ukiah, Cloverdale, Shelter Cove, Berkeley, Grass Valley/Nevada City, etc. Continue reading →
