Walking the thin line of inspiration up City Creek Canyon

If you haven't walked up City Creek Canyon in Salt Lake City, I highly recommend taking some time out for it.  For me, I can nearly always count on hearing a new melody, rhythm or the beginnings of lyrics drift into my mind against the backdrop of the creek's running waters. That's how the song Love Love Love happened. While contemplating the day that lay before me, I found myself tuning into the rhythm of my steps. The rhythm in turn led to a melody and images of driving up the Pacific coastline of California - where I've spent most of my life from age 10. I could see a ridge along one side of PCH and the ocean on the other much like the Monterey area. All I know is I wanted to keep driving, to keep searching.  Searching for what?  For love, of course! The kind of love that would lead to something, to marriage and family.  I reflected on the loves that didn't work out, the " bumps in the road" meant to teach, yet so painful.  These brushes with love hadn't led to the real thing, at least not so far. I had to keep pressing on. Taking my iPhone out of my pant pockets, I opened my recording app and began to sing the melody I was hearing, along with a few lyrics naturally forming in my mouth.  Once I get a melody going, then it's time to improvise and see where it takes me.  On this day it took me all the way to what would become the chorus of the song.  Something about finding a new love, soaring up to the clouds like a dove. Maybe to get a view of what has been all too often hidden from me. Yet I can almost taste this magical place high in the clouds where hearts are made of gold and you never grow old.  At least that's where this melody took me on this day. Another dazzling dirt road day of songwriting. 

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