Roadside Mysteries

At the Start of the “Running Towards Balance” 5K run:

A group of runners near the CSU oval

And a Samba Band to get them started

It’s a small contingent of Fort Collins’ premier Samba band “Bloco Em Foco” doing their thing.

Drumming in front of the Admin Building

A view from the Admin Building to the CSU Oval

The event was hosted by the Society of Global Health Researchers in Action. All proceeds from the race  benefit Single Parents Health Fund of CSU’s Adult Learners & Veterans Services.

At Fossil Ridge High School:

Featuring FRHS Jazz Ensemble

with Surdos and Agogo ??

And special Guest Artist Marcus Santos !

But in the playground it’s Fort Collins’ Premier Samba Band “Bloco Em Foco” !

Bloco Em Foco with Marcus Santos taking a picture break before getting back to another night of learning new Samba moves. Marcus has just started a new project called Grooversity that will include Bloco Em Foco as one of the partners if we are (gulp!) good enough! No, just kidding! You may have seen Marcus on this blog before:  We first met him on April 24, 2009 and learned our first Brazilian rhythms at the Beat Farm on April 28, 2009. We had more instruction outdoors on July 5, 2009 and then even more on this ‘remote’ island paradise on July 11, 2009. We had a gig in Wyoming with Marcus on  April 9, 2010 and there were other times in September 2010 that I had to miss due to this Mediterranean Cruise. Marcus will be back next September so I hope we’ll have our act together by then!

Materialism and Meditation

& the ego’s project to attain enlightenment

A three day retreat at the Shambhala Mountain Center near Red Feather Lakes, Colorado.

The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya Which Liberates Upon Seeing

The Sacred Studies Hall

With Rhythmical Alchemy inside!

The Elf was with us

and we found peace.

Apparently every year there is what seems to be a ‘Drumming Event of the Year’ and this was it for 2011. And what a venue! The mountain center is a pristine six hundred-acre meditation retreat center that must be experienced. That’s why whenever we have guests staying more than a weekend we take them to see this place.

We had a bit of confusion at first because there was another group called “Dancing with Hope and Fear” at the mountain center on the same weekend and we naturally asked them to join us in drumming and dancing. They politely refused; It was a meditation class, not a dance class!

Thank you Shambhala Mountain Center for allowing us to drum well past curfew; I think some of the Shambhala staff were happy to have us!

around a portable fire pit:

The cool evenings make this work quite well

The Foothills Drum Circle

Going on it’s first year, the Foothills Drum Circle is the place to celebrate with music and have fun.  This totally cosmic rhythmical event is open to all, regardless of age, experience or musical ability. If you are interested in joining and having your email added to the list, simply send a note to foothillsdrumcircle@gmail.com. It’s just that easy!

On College avenue

Yet Another Drum Group

There are people out on the street who play drums. In town, there are lots of drummers out there.   Some play out in the open for money. Who ARE these guys. No, seriously, WHO are they? I think they are from Windsor, maybe a high school marching band but I can’t seem to identify the name on their t-shirts.