Albion News

First rain

  Bokashi

First a 2 day deluge during grape harvest in November which wiped out the year, then nothing. So now my garden is drenched and I'm inside recording some tunes for the day. Click on the "Bokashi" tab to hear some music.

Losing Friends

  
  

I wrote awhile back of visiting my friends, John Keller and Lesley Harrison up in Volcano, CA for John's BDay party. John passed away on March 5 and few of us knew that the party was a last, conscious farewell. John was a Vietnam vet who suffered the chemical impact of that drama, so his blood cancer probably was a direct link.

What I have learned from spending time with numerous family and friends in Hospice these last few years is that I feel pummeled. Couple that with the mindless, feral resistance from conservatives over decent health care, and I am almost beyond hope.

But, at the end of the day, I miss my friend.

Desert Rats

   
 
So my wacky musician/builder friend, Gizmo, his beloved Dr. Catherine along with cats Harry and Whit, have retired and moved to Joshua Tree in the heart of the Mojave Desert. Yes, that 110 degree Mojave. Against my sage advise, they have decided to create their sustainable lizard ranch. Spending their days building a passive solar house, writing books, recording music, howling at the moon ... what are these knuckleheads thinking? Get a real job!!!

Nashville Jazz

 

In 1989 I met Steven McRedmond. He was fighting to refocus a family property which was once the 1,000,000 sf Neuhoff meat packing facility on the banks of the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville. Long shut down, his vision was to bring in architects and create an arts centered community. A little backstory ... Nashville is a huge US transportation hub, a major university center, the state capitol, the country music center, etc. In any other US city, this site (with a panoramic view of the downtown skyline 10 minutes away) would have been scooped up years ago for development. Some of us were excited.

The Treasure of Sierra Keller

 

We have demented friends, John Keller and Leslie Harrison, who live on a pristine Sierra ridgeback. Leslie is a renown, pastel artist specializing in unique portraits of animals. John, on the other hand, is harder to describe. I first met John when he was a talented marketing professional in Monterey, CA; his side passions were music and sculpting. He created the first and still successfull Dixieland Festival, played country music on the side and loved horses and fine wine.

Bonne Annee

 

Are all of you still breathing after 2008? Take a bow. Even as weird as these economic times are, people are starting to appear more optimistic. I even had a Xmas party and puttered on my bathroom... hey, this is big news!