Hiya Folks!

It comes in waves up here in the mountains.

The winter wasn't too bad (now that it is mostly gone).

We've had some really nice warm afternoons - Some "sit in the sun" hours for sure but The Cold ain't done for this season quite yet. It is chilly and windy today (Monday the 24th) and I'm happy I took my plants back in off the deck from yesterday's solar session.

Maybe I won't lose any green folk to my own optimism this year. As soon as it breaks warm I want to get my poor suffering-under-fluorescent-light plants back out into the real stuff - our own yeller star - with all its secret vibes, colors and harmonics - what could be better for green things? (or us)

I put 'em put outside yesterday (and took 'em in before it froze). It's getting close. We will have more warm waves until the cold isn't even noticeable.

I hope there are no local tornadoes during this year's transition. They can be pretty scary - a few years ago a friend and I were on deck watching a "tiny" tornado about 5 miles away. Though just a small isolated cell, it was furiously churning out wind and noise and spinning lightning flashes off the cloud tops like a friction toy - constant.

We were enjoying the natural spectacle and as it turned toward us we realized maybe we shouldn't be hanging around here. A few moments before real panic set in, the storm turned North and headed for the unfortunates in Sylva. Bless 'em and thank goodness it wasn't us.

Anyhow, I'm hoping for a less interesting Spring. I like (who doesn't?) all the growing stuff just starting. We're past the heroic Daffodils and getting into small flowering things close to the ground and the wonderfully common Dandelions.

The majority of the trees are budding out in red and it makes for a ruddy blush on the background mountains. Their "circulation" is increasing - way better than the leafless gray. What a great time 'o year up here.


I heard "peepers" chorusing the other night - them little frogs are so full of the season. Their streams and ponds must have thawed enough so they can finally get out and make some music. To my ears - a welcome sign of Spring.

Very soon (but not quite yet) I can give in to the urge and move the plants out permanently and take the clear Winter plastic off my windows. I call the chore "bagging" the windows - soon I'll un-bag - open them up and breathe deeply.

I'm already thinking about Spring cleaning chores, pruning, etc. all the cool stuff we do when we come out of hibernation.


Last week I had a marvelous visit from number one son Ben, his better half Ashley and their faithful (canine) companion Megan. I haven't seen Ben socially in a few years - he did come during my medical crises last year and yes, that certainly did "count" but it was much more relaxed and fun to be healed and "On my feet" as Ben put it.

He looks wonderful as do the girls (Ashely & Meg) and is finally relaxing a bit from an extremely rigorous academic schedule. This semester - one necessary class and 4 audits - then graduation. And job hunting. He's already done several impressive interviews, getting way past the initial screening for Amazon & Google among others.

He's going to have fun. What great things he's accomplishing. 37 this year - a grown man for many years already. I love that he's "doing something" with his life - taking an active part in his own future. His happiness is self-assured.

Though I'm reminded of my mom saying "I'm too young to have a kid your age."

They arrived late Saturday night (a good four hour drive from Chapel Hill) and we had dinner out and a movie (my Turner colored copy of Arsenic & Old Lace) & chatter after that at my place. (They seemed comfortable in my guest room - I let 'em sleep late.)

They spent Sunday day with Suzanne and back with me Sunday night for another dinner and movie (Kung Fu Hustle - very funny). Monday they visited friends in Sylva, stopped by my office for goodby's and photo and the visit was over. More job interviews on the immediate horizon.

Even though they were only in residence for a few days, The house "felt empty" after they left. I guess it takes no time at all to get used to having somebody you love around much less three of them.

I was OK in a few days after I got back to my routine and back on music (my usual side focus). Learning some cool old tunes for The Remnants. The band is as much fun as I have. We rehearse weekly and play out about once a month and getting better all the time. Our new keyboard/vocals guy - Bob McCollum has been with us a year already and it's sounding as good as ever.


During dinner with Ben and Ashely Sunday evening an out of state pal called me almost hysterical with laughter. He was laughing so hard he could barely talk - I got worried he might need oxygen or something.

It seems a friend of his had borrowed his chainsaw to trim an annoying branch from a tree just off his property. My pal asked his pal if he was sure he could work the device. "Oh yeah, Oh yeah, I know what I'm doing." (I wonder how many tombstones that phrase is carved into.)

Well, truly he might have known but soon forgot. Once the mighty gasoline powered tree feller was put-put-putting away in hand, the glow of power came to his face, he became heady and decided the entire tree was offensive - not just the dead branch.

We all know (OK most of us) that to fell a tree you have to "notch" it with an angled primary cut so the tree falls "into" the cut. Our perpetrator apparently forgot that rule and thought the tree would know where he wanted it to fall so he just cut straight through the trunk horizontally.

Dear friends, physics is always "on" and the distribution of branches relative to the vertical down pull of gravity would now determine where the tree fell.

Certain neighborly observers took immediate caution and moved quickly out of the way. The mighty oak groaned creaked cracked and fell through our friend's back fence and into his swimming pool!!

Straight out of a black & white 1930's comedy movie - fortunately no one was hurt. The property damage might be enough to chasten our chain sawyer into a bit of caution next time.

Luckily, my friend came back to his breath after telling the tale and didn't "die laughing" for lack of O2 (an ironic way to check out). Ben and Ashely were confused at my one-sided tearfully laughing conversation and so I had to re-tell the story over sushi - a total hoot!

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A moment to remember and honor my Mom. She was born March 23, 1927 and had she survived, would have been 87 Sunday. An only child - she received a good and gentle raising.

She was kind and loved education, language, Spirit (raised Lutheran) and her kids.

I count her responsible for all the things in my life that I learned to love, the things that for 65 of my own years stuck with me with grace & beauty.

Thank You Mom!! Here's some photos - hover your cursor for comment, click any photo for the full view.

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Dropped my garbage this morning before work. There was one other person there at 7:45a. I threw my drawstring 13 gal kitchen bag over the side and as I drove on I noticed some "stuff" set off by the side - not in the dumpster but nearby.

We leave ("perfectly good") usable stuff - near but not in - to publically say "I no longer need this but you might like it." I do it.

Now, the potential range of the items is wide - could be anything within size limits - they make you take the big stuff to the Landfill. I've seen tools, TVs, bird baths, arrays of plastic toys, computers, clothing, air conditioners - all kinds of etc.

If I had storage, I would certainly collect. (If it's off to the side - is it technically Dumpster Diving?) I used to be one of those people in Florida. I had a rental warehouse where the band practiced and I could and would store anything my crowbird self would find interesting.

Most satisfying would be later when someone would say "I sure could use a left - handed counterclockwise spanisfran." And I get to say "I have one! It's Yours!!"

The loot can materialize in any condition from nearly new - neatly folded and pressed to "first you pick it up with tongs and then dip it in a vat of clorox".

This morning's eyecatch offering was an animal feeding station - the 1 piece inverted gallon jug on a dish design - so you can leave a full amount in sight of the critter(s).

I don't have storage space or animals (well, I do but my neighborhood coons would empty this in 15 minutes) and the feeder was definitely in the tongs & bleach category so I left it to whomever the gods intended.

Until Next Time - Take Best Care - Be Happy

Big Big Love