As summer turns to fall, I am excited to begin a new season of exploration on The Territory project. This work has literally taken me to places I have never been, both musically and geographically. As I prepare for the release of the CD of the piece, and the collection of video interviews with artists talking about their connections between art and place, I’m digging deeper into our shared terrain. Like the land itself, exploration of this topic yields tantalizing glimpses of how our place became what it is. Stories bubble up from wells of human experience and feeling, both past and present. Not all of them are sweet. But the truths they reflect represent who we have been, sometimes who we are. I don’t know Jennifer Delanty, who wrote this article. But I appreciate her honesty and applaud her honesty in sharing her role in the shaping of the Territory.
On the Territory 
Oh, my. A beautiful story, told by a beautiful woman. I lived in Dallas until early 1988, just a few months before her marriage, and spent my first year as a public defender in the courthouse where she and her husband filled out that form. I heard embarrassed talk in local bars of Dallas and Sunset Laws. Thank you for offering another rich subject for consideration.
/It’s just a day/
/Just another 24 hours on the road/
/No finish lines will be crossed/
/No jackpots hit/
/No glorious codas reached/
/No final victory won/
/The coming of night is the sole reward./
/Be patient/
/Have forbearance/
/Don’t anticipate/
/Enjoy small pleasures/
/Share a moment with your fellow travelers/
/We’re all just walking/
/One step at a time/
/Toward the grave/
/Don’t give chase/
/Resist the illusory hum of frantic necessity/
/Civilizations rise and they fall/
/Settle in/
/Find a rhythm fit for miles/
/Knowing that in the end is dust/
/And being alive this day is the only miracle/
/You will ever know./
Best,
Susan
Susan Garrett Crowley PO Box 963, Hood River, OR 97031 541-386-2686