Another Decade Down, One More Mile To Go

Well, hopefully many more miles....  Anyway, the big 80!  

After wavering forever how to celebrate, Miriam offered to host a big party at the Alta Club where she is a member.  Big thanks!  So some pics from the event.

A happy birthday boy wearing his best friend!

The remnants of the old Cosmic Aeroplane.

A couple Virgos, both the same age.  One of us is still good looking...

Thanks to Smokey for driving in from Wells...

More old souls

Directly from the ranch...

Carolyn discovers a funky bookseller.

Thanks to Tully and Willis for the jazz guitar music.

Willis taking a break.

A surprise guest, directly from NYC, Mr. Lyman, long time SC drummer extraordinaire.

Some younger friends, framing and recording...

Daughter in law...

The audiophile crew...  besides running up the bar bill, they've cost me big bucks in gear (and improved my listening pleasure).

Another member of the crew.

And Doc who kinda got me into this audiophile stuff...  and an old friend.

Noiristas...

Ahhhh...

The professional women....

Ex-fighter pilot drinks, then goes home....  (sorry, listening to too much Zappa these days).

Rod looks so distinguished...

The audiophiles enjoy a nightcap...

Thanks to all who joined us in the celebration, thanks to the Alta Club for a fine job supporting us, thanks to Willis and Tully for the music. thanks to Jane, Millie and others for the pics, and special thanks to Miriam for hosting the event.  On to 90!

Keep It Clean

Or...  hellbent for Pocatello...

I decided to split up a recent road trip and add a stop in Pocatello, ID.  Why Pocatello?  Well, looking at thinks to do in that fair burg, I discovered the Museum of Clean!  What an amazing place, dedicated to all things cleaning.  And the world's largest vacuum cleaner collection!  Here's some photos...

What a place!  Who could imagine a whole building filled with the history of cleaning!  Easy to get to, the museum is worth a stop when passing through this small Idaho outpost.

Oh, and then there's the giant janitor!

This Year's Cactus Bloom

My small cactus ranch is slowly expanding and continuing to provide blooming pleasure.

 

Grandpaw

 

Another Friend Gone...

 I received word this week that old friend Larry Ficks has passed away after complications from surgery.  This is a sad loss indeed.  We had finally uploaded his great KRCL radio shows from the 1980s to our archived airwaves site.

I knew Larry way back in the college days.  He was well known as the manager of the off campus bookstore.  We also shared anti-war activities and the general progressive ideals that we fought for in those heady 60's and 70's days.  Musically, socially, politically we were allies.  

In this picture, we see a special group of friends, participating in the infamous touch football game between the Revolutionary Youth for Christ and the V.A.N.D.A.L.S.   (Voices Against Needless Damage to Land, Air and Sea)  What's interesting is that everyone in this pic, except me, is now dead.  Last leaf on the tree...

Please check out his radio shows, he had amazing taste and depth into blues, R&B and jazz.  My sympathies go out to his partner, Prudence and his kids.  

Some Pics from Portugal 2026

We returned to Portugal this Spring.  I took a zillion pics, but I'll just post some of my favorites (and maybe oddest!).

Fado music is the "national" music of Portugal, more blue than Blues.  The most famous singer was Amalia Rodrigues.  Here's her memorial park.   And also a sculpture of Fado singers.  We did get to hear a couple concerts of the music, wonderful stuff.

 A pretty cool church organ...

We enjoyed a tour of a vineyard hosted by Maria, infamous for her hospitality.  We also enjoyed a tasting, including a well known grape stomper...

A visit to Cabo de Roca brought us to the end of the world (at least they thought so way back when).  But it is the western most point in Continental Europe.

In Lisbon, I found Jezzus, at least his bakery...  Seems lots of folks were saved that day.

A cool mini marching band was wondering the streets of Lisbon...

We took a cruise up the Douro from Porto.  Some cool buildings along the hillside.

At a truck stop on a Portuguese interstate, I found a very cool trucking company.  Nice tribute.

Finally, a fine sunset from Porto.