july moon

In anticipation of a journey to Kansas later this week.

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Roscoe liked this video of “Ramblin’ Man”… it reminded him of his friend Lakota… who he will miss…

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bittersweet revisited

I picked up Matthew this morning at the airport, home from his Kansas trip. He got the teaching job! While waiting for his luggage I see Chuck again, he’s walking out the airport door near where we are sitting, I call out to him and re-introduce myself. I said “remember I saw you at the parking booth Wednesday, I’m here picking up Matthew now from his trip”. He says “oh yea, I just got off working my shift”. I introduce him to Matthew and explain that Chuck and his son were in Scouts when we were, Matthew remembered them. Chuck tells me he’s going to start working at the sugar beat processing plant next month, they’re hiring seasonal help a month earlier than usual, he seams enthused about it… a better paying job. I ask Chuck how his son is doing, he said “I haven’t seen him”, I said “well that happens” thinking he moved out of state and they had not kept in contact with each other. Then Chuck says “He’s living in my basement with his girlfriend, he’s divorced from his first wife and has a couple kids, she took him for everything he had.” I said, “that’s too bad, tell him I wish him well and hope things get better”… (thinking “you haven’t seen him?”… oh well). Matthew’s luggage has arrived so we say goodbye to Chuck wishing him the best.

anniversary

My first entry to this blog was a year ago today, I had a lot going through my mind at the time that needed a release mechanism, this blog served that purpose. I still have much on my mind but my enthusiasm for transferring it into letters that form words that form sentences that form paragraphs that convey those streams of consciousness has dwindled. That takes a lot of time, talent and dedication… sometimes getting up in the middle of the night to write something down before it escapes. So of recent the blog has degenerated into mostly pictures, music videos and abbreviated thoughts. But all the pictures and music I put here have a lot of thought behind them… as they say “a picture is worth a thousand words, a song is worth a million”.  I have a few wordy entries that I had started over the past few months but have not completed… they will show up eventually… when the muse is put to use.

bittersweet

Leaving the airport parking lot this morning I pull up to the toll booth, there I exchange a knowing look with the man taking my money. The name Chuck is on his shirt, his face is age worn of a tough life, some front teeth are missing, his gray hair is pulled back in a pony tail. After paying him the parking fee he looks back with that knowing look again, I ask “Chuck what’s your last name?” he tells me and I say “our boys were in Scouts together”. “I just dropped my son Matthew off to fly out to Kansas for a teaching job interview”. He said “oh?” I said “Good seeing you Chuck”. He said “yea”. There’s not much time to chat with the gate opened to let me pass.

Twenty years ago in Boy Scouts Chuck was a single father, his mother was one of the pack leaders and kept both Chuck and his son in line, she was still raising Chuck and her grandson too. Chuck was a great guy, just a big fun-loving kid. They lived across the street from the Lutheran church where the pack meetings took place and were very involved in the church also.

It was a bittersweet encounter that had me reminiscing about little eight year old Matthew and our scouting adventures.

octane

I need my high octane.
Good times are comin’, I hear it everywhere I go
Good times are comin’, but they sure comin’ slow.
I’m a vampire, babe, suckin’ blood from the earth…

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my my, hey hey

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cg

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ohio

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outside looking in

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masts & music

Tinker’s Folly

(click on the link above and listen to a dozen streaming songs!)

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loud

My brother and I just saw Loudon Wainwright III in Ann Arbor, I sat next to a guy I met over ten years ago at a show there and had seen him at many shows since, he told me about the difficulty of just separating from his wife of over 16 years… this song was performed tonight, couldn’t help thinking of Jeff during it. It’s a great example of Loudon’s song writing talent of adding humor to life’s trials and tribulations.

timeless

hud

Roscoe likes music videos that have dogs in them, here’s one featuring Hud.