Light/Breezes

Light/Breezes
SUNRISE AT DEATH VALLEY-Photo by Tom Cochrun

Sunday, May 29, 2016

AMERICAN DIVERSIONS

Creation of Chef Giovanni at the Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough-Main Street in Cambria
   Summer Fun Time as the old Top 40 and Rock Radio jingles used to cheer. Memorial day signaled a nod to summer hedonism-pools, picnics, vacations, patio parties, longer days and more sunshine.
    In Indiana summer began only after "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," the Indianapolis 500.  As a Muncie youth I put a transistor radio on my handle bars and made seemingly endless loops of a half mile route around a few blocks in my neighborhood near the Ball Brothers plant listening to the "Voice of the 500" Sid Collins.  Later we would gather my grandmother and great aunts and "decorate" the graves of departed family members. That senior generation always referred to it as "Decoration Day." That day also included grilling, hot dogs and hamburgers. It was the 1950's, our future was before us, everything was possible and life was good.  
     Years later I would work as a colleague with Sid Collins and even cover the legendary Brickyard. I was never at the track nor can I watch coverage without thinking back to those years when summer began as I raced by bike from South Ebright Street. 
     Hope you have a wonderful summer, full of the stuff of youth.
For Exotic Lovers Only
    The Annual Succulent and Cactus Show in San Luis Obispo is another signal summer is here.  


















 See you down the trail.

10 comments:

  1. Great California exotics. And a great race today. No serious injuries from the crashes and a rookie champion! Seems like a nice guy. And finally - a one, two finish for an Andretti!

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  2. What wonderful photos! That is one table I'd hope never to trip and collide with. All best wishes to you, Tom!

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  3. By all means a table to survey with care. Best wishes to you as well.

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  4. The Memorial Day's of your youth are what they should be for us all, and perhaps some day they shall.
    Fascinating looking plants, there's something about the mid-coastal area of your state that makes them flourish.

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  5. About the succulents-they are drought tolerant and with our mediterranean climate they are a good fit.

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  6. Fabulous pictures of cacti. I just learned that they're all native to the new world, although the name comes from European spiky plants.

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  7. The diversity is extraordinary. Fascinating co inhabitants of this planet.

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  8. We also did 500 lap bike races in May, often with playing cards clothes-pinned to the spokes for engine noise.

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    1. Those playing cards and clothes pins were essential "equipment." Some people went in for crepe paper streamers, though I did not.

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