Mt. Diablo

This is Mt. Diablo, located in Contra Costa County in California.  I moved there kicking and screaming from Pacifica on the coast - I did not want to leave living so closely to my beloved Pacific Ocean.  But move I did.

I lived in Mt. Diablo's shadow for 19 years and only went to the top twice; both times were in the first year I lived there and both visits unnerved me.  I never felt that way when I visited Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County - those were always joyous visits.  But Mt. Diablo felt almost ominous to me.

Mt. Diablo is quite impressive, very massive and I think it is a very stern teacher and task master! Perhaps those 2 jaunts up the mountain with my ex-husband were preparing me for the next 19 years!  Much of my life in Contra Costa County was really about enduring and change - divorce, melanoma, disillusionment with the status quo, financial challenges, crazy fundamentalists, etc.  You get the picture.  However, endure I did and I gained a lot of inner strength from those 19 years.  I think I could go to the top of the mountain and now feel relaxed.  Maybe it would be like returning to some class you took that really jammed your buttons, pushed you to learn something, not because you wanted to, but had to - and now that you passed with good grades, you're almost nostalgic in remembering the ordeal!

Why am I bringing up Mt. Diablo?  Well, my friends Lark and Kris Bowerman, pictured below, just re-released their CD entitled Mt. Diablo.  Their experience of hiking the mountain was completely different from mine and they've celebrated it in this CD.

 

If you go to their website, Kuimba.com, you can listen to the title track along with some others from all of their CDs.

 

Lark told me that she drew the cover for their CD on Hallowe'en - the CD was to have been re-released on that date, but it was released earlier and it is now available for purchase. Here is a blurb from their website about the CD:

Meet the mystical, mysterious mountain from which Coyote, according to Miwok Indian tradition, created the world. Through close harmony vocals, guitar and drum rhythms and recorder solos, meet some of the denizens of the mountain. Kuimba's third CD, is filled with fun, upbeat, as well as contemplative music. This EP length recording (26 minutes) commemorates Mount Diablo, which is located in near San Francisco, California.

This re-issue of the CD is packed with changes. For starters, a whole new dynamic version of the title track. In addition, Mount Diablo has new vocals and vocal harmonies on some tracks, and added background instruments. It has also been newly REMASTERED.

Wander on over to their site and have a listen - I think you'll enjoy your visit!