Happy September, dear friends (& family) I'm way overdue to write something here.

August flashed by when I wasn’t looking. In a way that's good - I'm busied out and enjoying it. That was the quickest Summer I can remember.

Already my 6:00 in the morning is dark. My Cardinals (Mr.,Mrs., & Junior) are not yet at the feeder. Where they were chirping me up outa bed with the first light a month ago, now I'm up before the crickets quit their nightingbug symphony and the birds are all still sacked out.

It stills smells great - brand new each morning - our mist cycle is very renewing and refreshing to the senses.

Sittin’ on my deck last evening I noticed the moon's path was lower through the branches in the southern trees than a few weeks ago. Facing due south, looking at Her, I could feel the whole earth tipping back behind me to the North, pointing into space - and it is just starting to happen again.

The oaks are dropping non-acorns - weird - the tiniest fruit under a regular acorn cap. I hear them hit my tin roof, bounce/roll down onto the deck where I'm hanging out. I pick one up and there's no "meat" to these nuts. I hope the squirrels put enough away last year.

The Farmer's Almanac is calling for a long hard winter. Do the green things know what's coming? Likely they know better than the Almanac writers. who, I'm sure make the most educated guesses possible but like all other weather folk, they get paid to try and can't be held responsible for Mother Nature's whims. (Nice job - getting paid no matter the results)


It is starting to feel like an early Fall. We still have plenty of green but the Dogwoods began blushing red last week and this week they are full of ripe berries.

Here's a shot from the front of my building - looks Christmassy already with the red globes on the green backdrop.

We had a record growth last (this) Spring - everything produced like crazy - very green and a super high leaf count compared to any previous year I can remember.

Kind of curious - I’m guessing they grew so well because we had a relatively warm wet Winter. They can’t grow if the ambience isn’t proper. But like I said, the Almanac is predicting a severe cold season. Do we think the plants know? We’ll certainly see.

As for now, it’s still super green and happy everywhere with the Fall just barely beginning its incursion. Hey for the Harvest! There’s so much to eat out there that some days the birdseed is almost untouched. Very good.

All my deck plants did really well too this year - I have a bumper crop of Tulsi seed coming up - I estimate @ 2000 (seeds). Grew a bunch this year and gave away a bunch and will have plenty for next year's crop - my favorite med plant and it has a delicious unique smell. I’m a big fan.

As short as the summer is (was), I had a blast. The Remnants played many times; the last was our first outdoor "Concerts on the Creek" in Sylva (the next town north). Sylva is a very picturesque little town with a beautiful gold-domed Old Courthouse (now renovated into a fantastic library) on the south end of Main Street.

We closed down their season last Saturday evening and it was total fun. There was a great responsive dancing crowd and we hired a sound man (equal pay and well worth it) and had many positive comments about the quality of the sound and that you could hear a good show no matter where you were sitting.

Don did a fine job - hope we can get him again. One of the neatest parts of the day was when we finished playing and began the labor portion of music; we were serenaded by select Ubuntu members - a fan club - called themselves "Shreds". What fun.

I'm Playing music 3 out of 4 Saturdays in September and singing with Ubuntu the 21st. Ubuntu did our annual concert for the Arts Council last Sunday afternoon. Here's a photo. I know it's a little silly showing a photo of a concert (you can't hear anything) ("But you can’t dance on the Radio!") but here's proof I was there.

The songfest was wonderful. A packed house and a very emotional response from the crowd heightened the whole experience.

Singing with Ubuntu is one of my great loves. I get a very happy Spiritual vibe as good as (or better) than Sunday Church. Very Uplifting. Some of the dearest friends of my life are Tribers.

On the way to our last Wednesday gathering for this Ubuntu session there was a cloud riot going on - the sky was wild with different systems churning around.

Brilliant clear blue with several systems at several levels and right in front of me was a little rain cell with very defined borders - on one side of the line it is sunny with "boidies choipin" and bees a’ buzzin.

Cross that line and a fish could swim in the trees. It all lasts about 20 minutes depending on the ambient vectors. See photo

Ben, Camille & Byron -

When I do hear from them, my kids are doing well. I kind of miss having 'em around but I am so pleased they are independent and thriving.

Sometimes I get "the credit" for turning out such great progeny but all I did was stay out of their way and encouraged what I thought they loved. They did the real work and I'm terribly happy with all of them and their spouses. It is a great comfort.

Camille is starting a new season in Queretaro. She is thrilled with her new students.

Happy Happy Joy Joy.

Ben and Byron are both in the early stages of their new vocations and enjoying it to the max. At one point Ben said to me "I'm so happy, they are paying me to break things!" What a cool aspect of the job - and a responsible company if they are trying to simulate unforeseeable stresses on the product.

Byron is very happy he gets to be a detective and troubleshoot things. He's very good at it and as far as I can tell, still playing music too. He's on FB with his name backwards - Noryb Sessac. ha!

So ... things are going well, I’m feeling pretty healthy, eating right and hovering @ 155 lbs. - a good weight for me. Daily life is happy and eventful and I have managed to maintain a general gratitude which seems to be very invigorating.

Life is good. I sincerely hope it is also for you.

Great Big Love!