MEMORY WEAVES

      It's a fascinating riddle, how memories are seeded. Mike,  native citizen blood coursing through his body, is an accomplished flute player and basket weaver. Here he is a weaver of memories. This little one is mesmerized.

remembering

      All of us were captivated by the Cal Poly Lion Dance team. 

    They came to Cambria's East Village to help dedicate the Greenspace Chinese Temple, an historic site paying homage to an historic village presence. The Lion Dance Team has been part of the Cal Poly culture for 70 years. 

 the bad memory scrapbook

   The nincompoop is back from his first international tour. He's telling people it was a home run. Right! Did you see the faces of the NATO and G-7 leaders? Trump is toxic but he is due credit for telling NATO that all members of the alliance need to carry their weight, financially. He is correct and other Presidents have said likewise. The flip side of the trump role is that NATO and G-7 nations say they can no longer count on the US. More damaging is the assessment that trump's attitude has weakened the alliance. 

     My biggest bone to pick with the bone head is his refusal to support the Paris accords in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 195 nations have studied and determined the accords are necessary. The US is backing out because our still unfit, unqualified and increasingly idiot bully boy president ignores science, the pope's encyclical and most of the civilized world. In his world "climate changes is fake news." In a better world he would be tarred and feathered. 

woven from youth

       There is something especially civilized about a pause to remember, those who have served and those who have passed. My grandmother and her sisters called it "decoration day."  My parents and my brothers and I made annual trips of respect. I remember those days and visits that that now seem long ago.

 Karl and Mary Helen
dad and mom

 John
brother

Jim

brother

bring on summer

 There was a time when Memorial day signaled a time to move to white dinner jackets on formal occasions. Khaki or seersucker was permitted and the pools were opened. All that was a long time ago. It is comforting to reach the Holiday that marks clicking into a summer mind set...even an endless summer.

time for our annual visit from another world

    See you down the trail.

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.

MICHAEL ON FIRE--A UNIQUE PERFORMANCE & SUCCULENTS, CACTUS AND THEIR FANS

EXTRAORDINARY MUSICAL ARTIST

      Michael On Fire played the Painted Sky this Memorial weekend in what was one of the most powerful and personal performances I've seen.

      Michael and his band, mesmerized the audience in the historic recording studio.  He is a powerful lyricist painting images that connect with something deep in the psyche in a way that makes you feel you have known the songs and ranged over the emotion of them for your whole life.  His tunes are as though they were pre ordained in your memory.  Almost his entire play list clicked open a receptor that made it immediately recognizable, though I'd never heard his music before.  Weird huh!  And the stories they convey also reach deep in a haunting way. He covers a landscape of history, spirit, aspiration and grit. 

     He is a sincere and engaging troubadour.  His band were all masters of their instrument. In the room that evening was a give and take between artists and audience that was palpable. 

     I urge you check him out.  His music will not leave you soon. Here are a couple of samples.

THE ANNUAL SHOW

       The Central Coast, South Africa, an area of the Mediterranean, south and west Australia and portion of Chile share a unique climate and growing zone.  Succulents and cactus are a part of that mix, especially where drought resistant plants do well.
       Those exotics are celebrated on the Central Coast by the Central Coast Cactus and Succulent Society.  They are so celebrated there is a waiting list to join the Society.
This year's show, the Fifth Annual, is a case in point.
        Look at the people in que to ring out their purchases.

Yes, that is a double line.

with four cashiers at work.

 These are scenes from the "sales" room.

Ribbon winners are presented further down the post.

THE SHOW ROOM AND THE RIBBON WINNERS

I was ignorant about succulents and cactus until our move to the Central Coast.

I knew a little about desert cactus, but very little.  I've been fascinated to discover the wide variety of plant and marvel at their exotic and other worldly look.

The picture below reminds me of a character out of Star Wars.

If you are curious, we did take a couple of new plants home where they'll join our succulent garden.  Frequent readers of the blog have probably seen photos in previous posts in our Day Book section.

See you down the trail.