I’m still here!

Jury duty is draining my energy. By the time I get home at night, all I want to do is take a nap, eat dinner and go back to bed.

I have been getting around to read most of my subscription list in the evenings, but not much time for commenting. Reading everyone’s blogs has been a really big help in taking my mind off all the stuff I have been listening to all day in court.

I don’t know how people in the legal profession do it. On one hand it can bore you to tears, listing to the same stuff over and over, but on the other hand it is quite a mental strain, trying to be alert to every nuance so you don’t miss any important details.

But that being said, I still am finding the whole process quite fascinating.

As the case progresses, I am becoing more and more aware of the importance of my responsibility. There has been nobody, not a single person, in the courtroom observing the trial who appears to be in any way connected with the victim or the defendant. The seats have been empty except for a few interns, a local newspaper reporter who has popped in for an hour or so here and there, some people from the sherrif department and an associate of the prosecutors. I think it’s a pretty sad thing, that nobody cares enough about the parties involved to come to court and give their moral support, or see how the trial unfolds. It seems that the people involved in this crime are just more of the many faceless, forgotten masses, who just got lost somewherre along the line, and nobody really cares about. Really sad. And all the more reason for us as jurors to see that justice is carried out.

Today court is not in session, so I am hoping to get caught up on some things at home. But I am having one of those days where there is so much I want to get done and I have no idea where to even begin. Beside that, it is really hot out (90 degrees with a 100 degree heat index right now, according to Weather Bug)  so I don’t feel like moving much at all…

Actually a nap sounds good. 

All the work will still be there waiting for me when I wake up, I am sure… 

 

 

I thought it was about time for a weekend song lyric,

and decided to post a little food for your mind.

The following lyrics are from the 22 minute 70′s prog rock masterpiece, Supper’s Ready, as performed by Genesis, in their early incarnation with Peter Gabriel at the helm. It is composed of a series of shorter sections or movements, each different in flavour, texture and tempo, but all a part of the whole, just like a traditional symphonic piece. Each section has its own title, but they are all a part of the same song.

I have also included some further information about this piece following the lyrics, including an original text handed out at some concerts which explains the various sections (more or less). 

So enjoy, because:

—————–

Supper’s Ready

(Genesis – 1972)

i. LOVERS’ LEAP

Walking across the sitting-room, I turn the television off.
Sitting beside you, I look into your eyes.
As the sound of motor cars fades in the night time,
I swear I saw your face change, it didn’t seem quite right.
…And it’s hello babe with your guardian eyes so blue
Hey my baby don’t you know our love is true.

Coming closer with our eyes, a distance falls around our bodies.
Out in the garden, the moon seems very bright,
Six saintly shrouded men move across the lawn slowly.
The seventh walks in front with a cross held high in hand.
…And it’s hey babe your supper’s waiting for you.
Hey my baby, don’t you know our love is true.

I’ve been so far from here,
Far from your warm arms.
It’s good to feel you again,
It’s been a long long time. Hasn’t it?



ii. THE GUARANTEED ETERNAL SANCTUARY MAN

I know a farmer who looks after the farm.
With water clear, he cares for all his harvest.
I know a fireman who looks after the fire.

You, can’t you see he’s fooled you all.
Yes, he’s here again, can’t you see he’s fooled you all.
Share his peace,
Sign the lease.
He’s a supersonic scientist,
He’s the guaranteed eternal sanctuary man.
Look, look into my mouth he cries,
And all the children lost down many paths,
I bet my life you’ll walk inside
Hand in hand,
gland in gland
With a spoonful of miracle,
He’s the guaranteed eternal sanctuary man.
We will rock you, rock you little snake,
We will keep you snug and warm.



iii. IKHNATON AND ITSACON AND THEIR BAND OF MERRY MEN

Wearing feelings on our faces while our faces took a rest,
We walked across the fields to see the children of the West,
But we saw a host of dark skinned warriors
standing still below the ground,
Waiting for battle.

The fight’s begun, they’ve been released.
Killing foe for peace…bang, bang, bang. Bang, bang, bang…
And they’re giving me a wonderful potion,
‘Cos I cannot contain my emotion.
And even though I’m feeling good,
Something tells me I’d better activate my prayer capsule.

Today’s a day to celebrate, the foe have met their fate.
The order for rejoicing and dancing has come from our warlord.



iv. HOW DARE I BE SO BEAUTIFUL?

Wandering through the chaos the battle has left,
We climb up a mountain of human flesh,
To a plateau of green grass, and green trees full of life.
A young figure sits still by a pool,
He’s been stamped “Human Bacon” by some butchery tool.
(He is you)
Social Security took care of this lad.
We watch in reverence, as Narcissus is turned to a flower.
A flower?



v. WILLOW FARM

If you go down to Willow Farm,
to look for butterflies, flutterbyes, gutterflies
Open your eyes, it’s full of surprise, everyone lies,
like the focks on the rocks,
and the musical box.
Oh, there’s Mum & Dad, and good and bad,
and everyone’s happy to be here.

There’s Winston Churchill dressed in drag,
he used to be a British flag, plastic bag, what a drag.
The frog was a prince, the prince was a brick, the brick was an egg,
the egg was a bird.
(Fly away you sweet little thing, they’re hard on your tail)
Hadn’t you heard?
(They’re going to change you into a human being!)
Yes, we’re happy as fish and gorgeous as geese,
and wonderfully clean in the morning.

We’ve got everything, we’re growing everything,
We’ve got some in
We’ve got some out
We’ve got some wild things floating about
Everyone, we’re changing everyone,
you name them all,
We’ve had them here,
And the real stars are still to appear.

ALL CHANGE!

Feel your body melt;
Mum to mud to mad to dad
Dad diddley office, Dad diddley office,
You’re all full of ball.

Dad to dam to dum to mum
Mum diddley washing, Mum diddley washing,
You’re all full of ball.

Let me hear you lies, we’re living this up to the eyes.
Ooee-ooee-ooee-oowaa
Momma I want you now.

And as you listen to my voice
To look for hidden doors, tidy floors, more applause.
You’ve been here all the time,
Like it or not, like what you got,
You’re under the soil (the soil, the soil),
Yes, deep in the soil (the soil, the soil, the soil!).
So we’ll end with a whistle and end with a bang
and all of us fit in our places.



vi. APOCALYPSE IN 9/8 (CO-STARRING THE DELICIOUS TALENTS OF GABBLE RATCHET)

With the guards of Magog, swarming around,
The Pied Piper takes his children underground.
Dragons coming out of the sea,
Shimmering silver head of wisdom looking at me.
He brings down the fire from the skies,
You can tell he’s doing well by the look in human eyes.
Better not compromise.
It won’t be easy.

666 is no longer alone,
He’s getting out the marrow in your back bone,
And the seven trumpets blowing sweet rock and roll,
Gonna blow right down inside your soul.
Pythagoras with the looking glass reflects the full moon,
In blood, he’s writing the lyrics of a brand new tune.

And it’s hey babe, with your guardian eyes so blue,
Hey my baby, don’t you know our love is true,
I’ve been so far from here,
Far from your loving arms,
Now I’m back again, and babe it’s gonna work out fine.



vii. AS SURE AS EGGS IS EGGS (ACHING MEN’S FEET)

Can’t you feel our souls ignite
Shedding ever changing colours, in the darkness of the fading night,
Like the river joins the ocean, as the germ in a seed grows
We have finally been freed to get back home.

There’s an angel standing in the sun, and he’s crying with a loud voice,
“This is the supper of the mighty one”,
Lord of Lords,
King of Kings,
Has returned to lead his children home,
To take them to the new Jerusalem.

———————————–

Fascinating background information concerning ”Supper’s Ready” as found on several websites:

From Jack Beerman’s collection of memorabilia comes a very fascinating  explanation of Supper’s Ready. The author of this pamphlet is unknown,  but from the style of writing it is suspected to be written by Peter  Gabriel.

He says: “It is a handout that was given out at Genesis shows, I believe on part of the Selling England tour, but it may have been earlier, on the tour supporting Foxtrot. It is a handbill, done on one  sheet but folded so it has four pages. The front has a picture of the  band in Central Park, I believe, the one with Phil, Mike and Tony seated  and Steve and Peter standing behind them on a rock or tree stump. They  are all wearing heavy coats and there are no leaves on the tree. Peter’s  coat has a star on it. On top of the photo it says in tiny letters “John  & Tony Smith in connection with Charisma present” above the Genesis Logo  from Foxtrot with “On Tour” below the logo. Under the photo it says  “Special Guests String Driven Thing.”

“Inside are basically the lyrics to Supper’s Ready with some annotations, divided with the same subtitles (except no. vi) as on the  Foxtrot inner fold. I will transcribe the subtitles and the annotations.”

The text of the booklet follows:

i.Lover’s Leap

In which two lovers are lost in each other’s eyes, and found again  transformed in the bodies of another male and female

ii. The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man

The lovers come across a town dominated by two characters; one a  benevolent farmer and the other the head of a highly disciplined  scientific religion. The latter likes to be known as “The Guaranteed  Eternal Sanctuary Man” and claims to contain a secret new ingredient  capable of fighting fire. This is a falsehood, an untruth, a whopper and  a taradiddle, or to put it in clearer terms; a lie.

iii. Ikhnaton and Its-a-con and their band of merry men

Who the lovers see clad in greys and purples, awaiting to be summoned  out of the ground. At the G.E.S.M’s command they put forth from the  bowels of the earth, to attack all those without an up-to-date “Eternal  Life Licence”, which were obtainable at the head office of the  G.E.S.M.’s religion.

iv. How Dare I Be So Beautiful?

In which our intrepid heroes invesitigate the aftermath of the battle  and discover a solitary figure, obsessed by his own image. They witness  an unusual transmutation, and are pulled into their own reflections in  the water.

v Willow Farm

Climbing out of the pool, they are once again in a different existence.  They’re right in the middle of a myriad of bright colours, filled with  all manner of objects, plants, animals and humans. Life flows freely and  everything is mindlessly busy. At random, a whistle blows and every  single thing is instantly changed into another.

vi Apocalypse in 9/8 (Co-starring the delicious talents of wild geese)

At one whistle the lovers become seeds in the soil, where they recognise  other seeds to be people from the world in which they had originated.  While they wait for Spring, they are returned to their old world to see  Apocalypse of St John in full progress. The seven trumpeteers cause a  sensation, the fox keeps throwing sixes, and Pythagoras (a Greek extra)  is deliriously happy as he manages to put exactly the right amount of  milk and honey on his corn flakes.

vii As sure as eggs is eggs (aching mens’ feet)

Above all else an egg is an egg ‘And did those feet …………’ making  ends meet.

(then after all the lyrics)

Jerusalem  place of peace.

———————————–

Pretty heavy duty stuff. I have heard from interviews with Peter Gabriel and others various versions of a story describing the original idea which grew into this epic as coming from a dream or vision his wife Jill had, and described to him, or of a strange occurrence they experienced together at home. It began as a song about the ultimate conflict of good and evil, and took on apocalyptic overtones with many references directly from the Biblical Book of Revelations. This song became the trademark and centerpiece of the 70′s “Peter Gabriel era” Genesis, and one of the masterpieces of English Progressive Rock. 

I first saw Genesis perform this live (with Peter Gabriel) shortly after my 15th birthday, at a small concert hall on Princeton University. It would be a gross understatement to say it was a life-changing experience. This is the sort of music that helped to expand my mind and steer the course of my life on many levels.

This is also one of the songs I have seen The Musical Box so masterfully recreate in it’s original pure form. It is one of the reasons why I have gone to see the same “Genesis tribute band” perform the same show on several occasions. Music this big, this broad, this deep, needs to be experienced more than once. Since Genesis will never be the same as it was 30 years ago, having evolved over the years into somehting entirely different, we must rely on recordings or bands like The Musical Box for that (I may be biased, but I think they are the very best at what they do, far more than a mere tribute band)

Each time I listen, really listen, to this song, I discover something new about the music, and about my relationship to it and to the world. That, to me, is the mark of a timeless work of art.

—————————————

I hope you have all had a good weekend, and a great week to come.

 

First it was hot, now it’s wet.

So we are not going to camp again this week.

I mowed the lawn on Tuesday evening, because I was on call for jury duty this week, and I was called in for wednesday. So I had to finish up my chores because I didn’t know what would happen after that day.

Well, I ended up getting chosen to sit on a jury for a criminal case that they anticipate will take 2-1/2 – 3-1/2 weeks. No court this Friday so I got caught up on some more of my work at home yesterday, but for at least the next two weeks I will be spending my days at the County Courthouse doing my Civic Duty.

Most people would complain about this, but I am looking forward to the experience. It is going to be quite interesting to see the process up close, and a privelege to be a part of it. Beside that, the eBay business has been so slow, the little bit of money they give you per day to compensate for jury duty is easily going to be more than my profits would have been. So I think I will not even attempt to do auctions while I am doing jury duty.

The courthouse is airconditioned, they give you free beverages during your breaks, and a free shuttle bus from the parking area to the door. Not a bad place to be during the Dog Days of the summer, if you haven’t got a whole lot else going on in your life. And right now, I don’t.

And now I have a good excuse for not tackling the outside painting projects until later in the summer (or fall when it is cooler)

So I may not be around much, but I try to read everyone on my subscription list even if I don’t have time to comment.

Speaking of subscriptions, have you ever had anyone just fall off your SIR list? It seems to happen to me now and then. Just yesterday I noticed someone had been missing from my subs for a while, and sure enough, he is off the list — but I never unsubscribed. I guess we can chalk it up to another Xanga system hiccup or something.  I need to go out and track down a couple of people who are no longer on my list and re-sub one of these days. I hope they don’t think I unsubscribed because I was unhappy with them. Ahh, they probably never noticed me missing.

New Kitty Report:

The cats are warming up to us a little at a time, but much slower than I expected. Today I turned the radio on in the garage and the music seemed to help calm them. It ws the first day I have seen Angel out from hiding, and she even let me pet her a bit, and took treats from both Bernie and I.

Ziggy is starting to show a little more curiosity than fear, but is still wary. I am able to handle her a little more, she loves to be petted, and even let me cut off the flea collar she had on (I hate chemical flea collars! and it seemed to be a bit too tight as well) But at one point I think she thought I was going to try to pick her up (I wasn’t)  and she hissed and growled at me.

I am afraid these cats are not very well socialized at all. One of the reasons my brother and especially my sister-in-law has been trying to convince me to adopt them for several years (ever since their kids went to college — about 5 or 6 years ago) is because they “didn’t have much time to spend with them”. And now that they sold their house and are moving to a no-pets apartment it became a necessity.

Because my SIL is so fastidious about her housecleaning, and the cats have long hair, they were not allowed in the living areas of the house, just the basement, garage and yard, so they really were isolated and learned to just hang out with each other. Now that they are 12 years old, I don’t know if they will ever become comfortable members of the general household here.

I would hate to spend the next few years cleaning up after and feeding 2 animals that I hardly ever see, and rarely get to interact with! Not just for my own reasons, but also because I truly believe that domestic animals benefit from our company as much as we do from theirs. I hope they are not going to be impossible to integrate into the household, but I have adopted feral cats in the past that warmed up to humans more quickly it seems. And these two are supposed to be pets!

But after all, it has only been a week, and they were pretty freaked out before they even came out here because of all the unfamiliar activity going on with the selling of the house and packing for the move. And they are 12 years old, so they can’t be expected to be as flexible and adapt to new situations as easily as younger animals would.

At least they have each other for company, it’s pretty cool in the garage with the fan on and windows open, and they have been eating all their food and using the litter box regularly. So as long as they are healthy, I guess its just a matter of waiting for them to decide their new home is an okay place. I am keeping the dogs away from the garage for now, and Tommy has shown no interest in going out to see whats going on out there. Every time Bernie or I go out in the garage we give them treats and pet them if we can reach them, and otherwise leave them undisturbed. I guess that’s about all we can do, the rest is up to them.

That means we are at the mercy of the whims of two feline minds.

 Goddess help us!

Ancient Egyptian Goddess Bast (or Bastet)

 

 

It’s ninety-freakin’-degrees out there!

(with a 94 degree heat index)

Damn that’s hot. Humid too, after all the rain we just had.

And I was supposed to mow the lawn.

 

I don’t think so…maybe later, after dinner or something.

Too darned hot right now.

Well, Tommy has the right idea.

He still hasn’t a clue that two new lady cats have moved into the garage.

He will find out soon enough. I doubt he will be impressed.

 After all, he is a cat.

He has an image to maintain.

I know, maybe if imagine something cool…

like a nice cool dip in the water, or a nice cool shower…

 oh my…see where my imagination takes me…

that is definitely not making me any cooler!

Oh well. Guess I need another strategy.

Like a nap, someplace cool.

Wake me when dinner’s ready.

 

 

Okay, I realize that long blogs can be a drag. I, too, find myself skipping over them when they appear on my subscriptions page when I haven’t got a lot of time to spend online.

But if you take a look at the title of this site, you can see that I promise you random ramblings. My initial purpose for this online journal was a way to collect and organize my thoughts. Blame the age, blame the years of too many recreational chemicals, blame the sheer genius of my imagination (yeah, I like that one best, too) no matter what you blame for it — I do tend to ramble, and my thoughts can definitely be random.

Anyway, for those of you who have little time, I have decided to re-do my last post in an abbreviated, summary version, or, if you will:

wow. a whole week went by without a word from me on here.

(Cliff’s Notes version, in which I summarize and reprint the original post, eliminating all unnecessary words for quick scanning purposes)

If you still find this version too long, then just read the summaries in red and the bold print, and quickly scan the other parts that interest you. — if you find that too long, then what can I say? I write about my life, which can be pretty eventful sometimes, my thoughts, which can be a bit garbled, and my plans, which can be a bit grandiose…

Intro paragraph: in which I explain my absence — due to “foggy brain” as a result of last week’s musical excitement, and rainy weather.

I had …”mind left body experience” — …not sure it returned...week has been…blur…weather… bad…(but) not bad thing,…needed rain desperately. …I (reside)… not in part of NJ that has gotten bad flooding… I have some water in my basement…didn’t camp, not worth…stuck in trailer in rain.

New Toys

…in which I explain the purchases Bernie made last week while he was on vacation, which I hadn’t mentioned in last weeks posts, because I was too busy talking about the concerts I attended and music-related stuff. These are the “toys” has has been wanting for quite some time, and working so hard on overtime to purchase. The biggest one, a TV, was delivered this week.

Last week we bought …30″ widescreen Sony HDTV…old TV, about 25 years old, had lost colors (blue grass) & had to be smacked to stop picture flipping…about time… new one …Bernie’s baby…family TV freak (guy thing) …months deliberating…w/a little prodding from me. I felt …if we (spend) a lot of $$$…keep up with cutting edge tech (where) possible…LCD would have been better (not plasma, uses too much electricity) but way out of budget! 

we went to Sears…he spent O.T. pay on…TV…ordered because out of stock…at every store. …more expensive at Sears, they cheerfully honored promise to beat competitors prices…got it for lower than anywhere…good deal…had expected argue about it, …surprised when salespeople lowered price (with no hassle)…parents shopped at Sears (or the catalog) …really good …compared to other stores…disgusted w/Best Buy…bad incidents…

high point of this week= arrival of new TV Friday.

Before then, electrician…grounded outlets for both TV and computer. I think…(lack of) grounded outlets contributed to demise of computer, monitor, old VCR.

Kitchen Update/Recap

in which I go back to the ongoing kitchen project and summarize progress and work left to be done.  Begins with an explanation for why our stove was in the living room for so long.

…electrician …AWOL so long …trying to get stove hooked up. …problem was …split from wife, she not giving him phone messages…we got his new number, about 2 weeks ago, he hooked up stove (it was in living room nearly a month) …last week he did outlets & flourescent fixture over kitchen sink. Now …all new appliances, new floor and lots of light in kitchen! wonderful!

…remaining things to be done in the kitchen minor modifications to lower cabinets, new countertops, backsplash, sink w/under-sink water filtration system (now using faucet mounted Brita filter …well water has strong flavor – bothers everyone but me) also 2 additional outlets over counter, under-cabinet lighting.

may be quite some time, this project relies on another contractor, friend, excellent carpenter…only one we trust w/antique cabinetry, …sometimes takes year or more to …schedule.

when I get more energy… fresh paint in the “dining room” side, finish scrubbing woodwork, wash curtains…finish dinette set — one chair, table legs, make ponderosa pine tabletop to match cabinetry…wait for the rainy weather to pass …doing refinishing outside.  

hard to believe changes in house in just under 2 years…so rewarding …integral part of improvementsrather than paying someone for complete remodel/redecorate (which we couldn’t afford)

More New Toys

…in which I explain the rest of the purchases Bernie made last week while he was on vacation, a DVD/VCR and new digicam. 

Bernie…got a VCR/DVD to replace the VCR that (died)…still need hook it up…appointment w/cable guy tuesday…gave up trying to figure out manual w/new HDTV cable box …picked up friday.

his other long-awaited purchase is a new digicam. Photography is his long-time hobby…he decided to switch to digital…new camera is great…still a lot to figure out…I think he will find his creativity greatly enhanced with the new medium.

summary paragraph: in which I recap why we are both very happy this week, and relate a previously unmentioned anecdote from last week’s Strawbs concert.

…I (am) a happy happy music lover, after seeing 3 excellent concerts in one week, meeting my heroes (didn’t mention in last blog — in addition to meeting all the Strawbs after wednesday’s concert, Strawbs bass player Chas Cronk invited me and my friend to share a table outside the tavern next to the theatre before saturday night’s concert…a really good time chatting w/him and one of the band’s support people for about 15 minutes before the show, and saying hi to everyone else afterwards) Bernie is also very happy …three new toys…. I am happy that he spent some of his O.T. earnings on something he can enjoy.

Pending Pandemonium

in which I explain the big event about to happen at my house yesterday – a visit from my brother and sister-in-law to bring us their two cats, who we will be adopting.

…relative domestic tranquility soon to be disrupted. In a few minutes brother Skip arrives with sister-in-law Barb and two cats, Angel and Ziggy. They sold their house in York County, PA…moving to apartment near there…also be on the road selling antique price guide books at flea markets, antique shows and festivals (part of reason they are downsizing living quarters) The cats will be moving in with us.

Angel & Ziggy = sisters, 12-year-old domestic longhair cats…were nephews’ pets…nephews went to college…moved to own places w/girlfriends after graduation, and left cats w/their folks. (common occurrence as kids go out on their own) …brother decided to sell house, nephews …send cats to retirement at Aunt Joannie’s house.

going to be quite interesting. Our Tommy is 16, set in his ways. seems to like female cats, at least…through windows or fence, but violently opposed to males…hope he likes these new gals. The dogs love everyone, are much smaller than cats…will behave…real unknown factor is Angel and Ziggy — they have never met a dog!

Guess we will find out soon.

…color scheme to be disrupted. Angel and Ziggy will be our first non-black pets. Angel = marmalade tabby, Ziggy = calico…soon a lot of color hairs on floors, furniture, laundry & everywhere.

We have never, ever, had 5 before. …never had 2 dogs at once till Pearl 2 years ago…always single cat household. All five critters getting up there in years. Tom = 16, Angel/Ziggy = 12, Dolly = 9, and Pearl = youngster @ about 6. In just a few years we will be …home for geriatric pets!

So I am sure the next few days (weeks, months?) will be quite an interesting time….

***Update:

Written in the evening after my brother and sister-in law left. Describing initial reactions of all the animals:

…Skip & Barb … come & gone. taking “separate quarters” approach to introducing new cats. They lived in Skip’s garage or basement all their lives, now our garage (far more posh than the average garage, since it is our gym and workspace)

Ziggy is wary, but curious…curled up in her basket watching everything, got out to sniff around…very happy with any attention, purring loudly when we pet her, taking treats from our hands…don’t think she will be a problem.

Angel, the scaredy-cat, hiding, as expected. I just checked on them…both standing in the middle of garage by litter pan. Angel darted under nearest furniture, Ziggy hissed when she first saw me, then purred and rubbed my leg when I petted her.

Tom hasn’t seen them yet, he doesn’t go in the garage often (not allowed, because he pees in inappropriate places and my eBay merchandise is out there) …will introduce him sometime soon.

Dolly and Pearl went out to see what everyone was doing in the garage, didn’t pay any attention to cats…more interested in people. Dolly finally noticed Ziggy in baskert, went to her & tried to kiss her nose (Dolly’s usual greeting) Ziggy hissed and swatted her face.

Fortunately Angel and Ziggy are, like our Tommy, declawed in front. Otherwise …a more concerned with adoption,…they may hurt dogs… clawless slap now & then can’t hurt. Dolly was more cautious the next time…doesn’t take much for her to get the point. 

Pearl finally noticed there was a cat out there…quite used to Tommy taking pot-shots at her (just Pearl, he doesn’t bother Dolly) she gave hissy new cat wide berth. Pearl doesn’t really care…sooner or later she will try to get them to play with her, just like she does with Tom. Unfortunately …dopey dog hasn’t figured out …cats don’t have idea what a play bow is, or yippy barks…when Tommy joins her in game of chase, he doesn’t play fair — jumping on windowsills & furniture where Pearl cant follow.

So we have no pandemonium yet, but the potential does exist…taking it slow…hoping cats find their place in new home/family…they are used to outside…everyone out in yard together = best way for them to get aquainted.

 A Nice, but Brief Visit

… the details of our short visit.

the human side of our visit, Skip solved problems I was trying to work out with house and yard projects, checked out my latest completed projects, incl. bamboo grove & faux marble hallway. he loved new floors, said I did really good job picking patterns that looked like they have been there all along… difficult thing to do, trying to maintain certain “look” in an older house. I feel really good that I could impress my brother. His opinions/approval have always meant so much to me.

Barb took home an aloe plant for the new apartment… split my big aloe the other day, it had made many new plants over the years, was pot-bound, overdue for splitting/repotting, … waterlogged …outside the other day for rinse in rain. I kept one pot for my living room, split off five additional…told Barb to pick pot matching her decor and ignore it a while, hope it grows. … looking pretty sorry now, hopefully new soil, dry roots enough for renewed health & vigor…giving away other four plants now on front porch, keeping one that is in living room.

Skip and Barb stayed for dinner=green salads, griled steaks, microwaved baked potatoes - Bernie cooked, Barb & I took Jeep ride. Skip is thinking of getting a Wrangler, wanted Barb to test drive ours — of course she loved it — motorized roller skate that goes just about anywhere – convertible too! She did u-turn in middle of street–not able to do in her car! They have hard time finding vehicle they both like – Skip = 6’7″ , Barb i= 5’2″. Skip found out he fit just fine (a thing I like about it — lots of leg room) so he wanted her opinion.

I think we may have just created another Jeep person.

“…It’s a Jeep thing, you wouldn’t understand…”

…they couldn’t stay late …still more packing and moving at home, nearly 3 hour drive…closing on house sale less than 2 weeks, still loads of stuff to move. I keep offering to help, not much I could do now. Maybe toward end of the week after more packed/sorted, and they need a schlepper.

Both quite tired …all they have been doing, getting house ready to sell, now getting ready to move. They hope once move is over, and no longer the maintenance or expense of a house to worry about…they will have more time to relax and enjoy themselves, and to spend more time visiting family.

I sure hope so too. I really love my brother and miss him lots.

I hope my summarized version of yesterday’s post has been easier for those of you who just haven’t the time to read my long-winded entries. I know it is still rather long, but should be easier to scan, and after all, it has been a very eventful time for us!

***Today, Angel is still hidden, I don’t know where. Ziggy is a bit more relaxed, but still at an impasse with the dogs. Tommy still hasn’t a clue anything is going on in the garage, and the dogs are, well, their usual happy-go-lucky selves. The cat food has been disappearing, so nobody is on a hunger strike, and Ziggy appeared to enjoy watching Bernie’s evening workout from her vantage point in the basket. It may be a while before Angel warms up to us, she was never very friendly to me.

Ziggy and I are old pals, but she hasn’t seen me for quite some time, so I have no idea if she remembers me in the excitement of the new surroundings. she sure does have a loud purr compared to our Tommy, who just sort of grunts. And she is desparately in need of a really good brushing and grooming…in a few days, I think…

 

***update at bottom —

wow. a whole week went by without a word from me on here.

Well, somewhere along the line I had a “mind left body experience” — and I am still not sure it has returned. This week has been a bit of a blur for me. The weather has been bad, which is not really a bad thing, since we needed the rain desperately. Where I live is (thankfully) not in the part of New Jersey that has gotten the really bad flooding, although I do have some water in my basement. Needless to say, we didn’t go to camp, not worth the trip to just be stuck in the trailer in the rain.

New Toys

Last week we bought a new TV, a gorgeous 30″ widescreen Sony HDTV. Our old TV was about 25 years old, had lost some of its colors (grass was always blue) and had to be periodically smacked on the top to stop the picture from flipping. It’s about time we got a new one This purchase was Bernie’s baby, as he is the TV freak in the family (guess it’s a guy thing) He spent months deliberating before finally deciding on this one, with a little prodding from me. I felt that it dodn’t make sense to buy anything but an HDTV, if we were going to put out such a large amount of money, we may as well keep up with the cutting edge technology as much as possible. Of course, an LCD would have been even better (wouldn’t want plasma, they take too much electricity) but way out of our budget! 

So we went to Sears last week and he spent his hard-earned overtime pay on this nice new TV, that had to be ordered because it was out of stock. I was out of stock at every store we went to, and even though it was more expensive at Sears, they cheerfully honored their promise to beat any competitors price, so we got it for lower than we had seen anywhere. Pretty good deal, and we had fully expected to have to argue with them about it, so we were really surpricsed when the salespeople said “no problem” and lowered the price. My parents always shopped at Sears (quite often from the catalog when I was growing up) and they really are pretty good in a lot of ways compared to many other stores. We are really disgusted with Best Buy, for instance, due to several unpleasant incidents, but that is another story…

So the high point of this week for us was the arrival of the new TV on Friday. Before that, we had to get the electrician to come out and change the old outlets to grounded outlets for both the TV and the computer. I think that not having grounded outlets may have contributed to the demise of my computer and monitor, and also of our old VCR.

Kitchen Update/Recap

This was the electrician that had been AWOL for so long when we were trying to get our stove hooked up. We finally found out the problem was that he had split from his wife, and she was not giving him his phone messages. So when we got his new number, he came right out and hooked up our stove about 2 weeks ago (it was in the living room for nearly a month) and then last week when he did the outlets, he also put a new flourescent fixture in the kitchen over the sink. Now I have all new appliances, a new floor and lots of light in the kitchen! it is wonderful!

So now the remaining things that need to be done in the kitchen are a few minor modifications to the lower cabinets, new countertops and backsplash, a new sink with an under-sink water filtration system (we use a faucet mounted Brita filter now because our well water is a bit too “flavorful” for most folks — I grew up with it so I am used to it) When we get to that part of the project we will also be getting 2 additional outlets over the counter and under-cabinet lighting. But it may be quite some time, because the countertop part of the project relies on another contractor, a friend of ours who is an excellent carpenter. He is the only one we would trust making any changes to our antique cabinetry, but it sometimes takes a year or more to get onto his schedule.

Meanwhile, as soon as I get some energy again, I am going to put a fresh coat of paint in the “dining room” side of the kitchen, finish scrubbing down all the woodwork, and wash the curtains. I have to finish the dinette set I started last year, too. I have one chair left to refinish, and the table legs, plus making a new table top out of ponderosa pine to match the kitchen cabinets. I have to wait for the rainy weather to pass before tackling those projects, becaue I will be doing them outside.  

Its hard to believe that so many changes have happened in the house in such a  short period of time (just under 2 years). It is so rewarding to be an integral part of these improvements, too, rather than just paying someone to come in and do a complete remodel and redecorate (which we couldn’t afford anyway)

More New Toys

In addition to the TV, Bernie made 2 more purchases last week while he was on vacation. He got a VCR/DVD to replace the VCR that no longer worked. We still need to get it hooked up. I have an appointment with the cable guy tuesday to finish that, as we gave up trying to figure out the manual that came with the new HDTV cable box we picked up on friday.

His other long-awaited purchase is a new digicam. Photography has been a long-time hobby for him, and he has decided to switch over from 35mm SLR to digital photography. His new camera is great. We still have a lot to figure out with it and with the related software, but I think he will be finding his creativity greatly enhanced with the new medium.

So where I have been a happy happy music lover, in the aftermath of seeing 3 excellent concerts in one week and meeting my heroes as well (I didn’t mention this in my last blog, but in addition to meeting all the Strawbs after the concert on Wednesday, before Saturday night’s Strawbs concert, bass player Chas Cronk invited me and my friend to share a table with him outside the little tavern next to the theatre. We had a really good time chatting with him and one of the band’s support people for about 15 minutes before the show, and then saying hi to everyone else afterwards, too) Bernie is also a very happy guy, with three new toys to play with. I am so happy to see that he is at least spending some of his overtime earnings on something he can enjoy.

Pending Pandemonium

Our relative domestic tranquility is soon to be disrupted. In just a few minutes my brother will be arriving with my sister-in-law and two cats. Skip and Barb will be just visiting, but Angel and Ziggy will be moving in. They have sold their house out in York County, PA and are moving to an apartment not too far away from there. They will also be spending a lot of time on the road selling antique price guide books at flea markets, antique shows and festivals (which is part of the reason they decided to downsize their living quarters)

Angel and Ziggy are two sisters, twelve-year-old domestic longhair cats that were my nephews’ pets. When the nephews went to college and then subsequently moved into their own places with their girlfriends after graduation, they left the cats with their folks. (a pretty common occurrence as kids grow up and go out on their own) When my brother decided to sell the house, both nephews agreed the best thing to do would be to send the cats on to retirement at Aunt Joannie’s house.

This is going to be quite interesting. Our Tommy is 16, and set in his ways. He does seem to like female cats, at least the ones he has seen through the windows or the fence, but is violently opposed to the males. We hope he is going to like these new gals. The dogs, well, they love everyone, and are much smaller than cats, so they will behave. But the real unknown factor is Angel and Ziggy — they have never met a dog!

Guess we will find out soon.

The color scheme is also going to be disrupted. Angel and Ziggy will be the first fur-folk in this house in ages that are not black. Angel is a marmalade tabby and ziggy is calico. Guess I will bbe soon cleaning up a lot of different color hairs from my floors, furniture, laundry. and everywhere.

We have never, ever, had 5 before. Heck, I never had 2 dogs at once till we adopted Pearl 2 years ago. And this has always, always been a single cat household. All five of these critters are getting up there in years, too. Dolly is 9, and Pearl is the youngster at about 6. In just a few years we will be running a home for geriatric pets!

So I am sure the next few days (weeks, months?) will be quite an interesting time….

***Update:

Well, Skip and Barb have come and gone. We have decided to take the “separate quarters” approach to introducing the new cats to the household. They have been living in my brother’s garage or basement all their lives, so we moved them into our garage (which is far more posh than the average garage, since it is our gym and workspace)

Ziggy is wary, but curious. She is curled up in her basket watching everythign, and even got out to sniff around a bit. She is very happy with any attention, purring loudly when we pet her, and taking treats from our hands. I don’t think she will present much of a problem at all.

Angel is the scaredy-cat, so she is hiding, as expected. I just went out to the garage to check on them one more time, and they were both standing out in the middle of the garage by their litter pan. Angel darted under the nearest piece of furniture, and Ziggy hissed at me when she first saw me, but then purred and rubbed on my leg when I started to pet her.

Tom hasn’t seen them yet, he doesn’t go in the garage often (I don’t let him, because he likes to pee in inappropriate places and my eBay merchandise resides out there) I figure we will introduce him sometime in the next few days.

Dolly and Pearl went out to the garage to see what everyone ws doing there, and didn’t pay any attention at all to the cats. They were more interested in the people. When Dolly finally noticed Ziggy in the baskert, she went over to her and tried to give her a kiss on the nose (Dolly’s usual greeting to any new animals) Ziggy hissed at her and swatted her in the face.

Fortunately Angel and Ziggy are, like our Tommy, declawed in front. Otherwise we would be a little more concerned with adopting them, for fear they may hurt the dogs. But a clawless slap now and then can’t hurt anything. Dolly was a bit more cautious the next time she went out in the garage. It doesn’t take much for her to get the point. 

Pearl finally noticed there was a cat out there, and since she is quite used to Tommy taking pot-shots at her whenever he gets the opportunity (just at Pearl, he doesn’t bother Dolly) she gave this hissy new cat a wide berth. Happy, goofy Pearl doesn’t really care either way, but I know that sooner or later she will try to get them to play with her, just like she does with Tom. Unfortunately the dopey little dog hasn’t figured out that cats don’t have any idea what a play bow is, or all those yippy barks. Beside that, when Tommy finally does join her in a game of chase, he doesn’t play fair — jumping on windowsills and furniture Pearl cant jump up on.

So we have no pandemonium yet, but the potential does exist. We will just be taking it slow, and hoping the cats find their place in their new home and family. Since they are used to going outside, we think that letting everyone out in the fenced yard together will be the best way for them all to get aquainted.

 A Nice, but Brief Visit

On the human side of our visit, Skip solved a couple of problems I was trying to work out with projects around the house, and checked out all of my latest completed projects, including the bamboo grove and my faux marble hallway. he absolutely loved my new floors, and said that I did a really good job of picking flooring patterns that looked like they have been in the house all along. Always a difficult thing to do when trying to maintain a certain “look” in an older house. It made me feel really good that I could impress my brother. His opinions and approval have always meant so much to me.

Barb took home an aloe plant for the new apartment. I split my big pot of aloe the other day, which had made so many new plants over the years it was pot-bound and overdue for splitting and repotting, in addition to getting waterlogged when I put it outside the other day for a rinse in the rain. I have one pot in my living room, and split off five additional plants. So I told Barb to pick one in a pot that would go with her decor, and just ignore it a while, and hope it grows. They look pretty sorry now, but hopefully getting in new soil and drying their roots out will be enough to make them come back with renewed health and vigor. I plan on giving away the other four plants that are now on my front porch, and just keeping the one that is in my living room.

Skip and Barb stayed for dinner, we had green salads, steaks on the grill, and microwaved baked potatoes that Bernie cooked while Barb and I took a ride in the jeep. Skip is thinking of getting a Wrangler, and wanted Barb to test drive ours to see if she liked it. Well, that’s a no-brainer — of course she loved it — what’s not to love about a motorized roller skate that goes just about anywhere? And is a convertible to boot! She even did a u-turn in the middle of the street–not anything she has been able to do in anyof her cars! They have a hard time finding a vehicle they both like, as Skip is 6’7″ and Barb is 5’2″. Skip found out after we got the jeep that he could fit in it just fine (one of the things I like about it — lots of leg room) so he wanted to see how it was for her.

I think we may have just created another Jeep person.

“…It’s a Jeep thing, you wouldn’t understand…”

Anyway, they couldn’t stay very late because they still had to do some more packing and moving at home, and had a nearly 3 hour drive ahead of them. They will be closing on the sale of their house in less than 2 weeks, and still have loads of stuff to move. I keep offering to go out and help, but at this point there isn’t much I could do. Maybe toward the end of the week after a lot more gets packed and sorted, and they just need a schlepper.

Both of them are quite tired from all the stuff they have been doing, first in getting the house ready to sell, and now in getting ready to move. They hope that once the move is over, and they no longer have the maintenance of a home to worry about (or the expenses) that they will have more time to relax and enjoy themselves, and to spend more time visiting family.

I sure hope so too. I really love my brother and miss him lots.

 

Now that the dream is over,
must I wake?

The electric Strawbs, US lineup 2004, onstage at NEARfest
Zoellner Arts Center Bethlehem, PA — July 11, 2004

I didn’t attend this show — the last one of the tour — but believe me, I was there in spirit. This gorgeous picture was taken by Bill Knispel, another member of the Yahoo group “Progressive Music Society”

The following is part of a message I posted on the same group board:  

… Now that it is over, and everyone heads back to their respective homes, with only the echoes remaining in our heads, I feel quite lost. This was such a long-awaited event, the re-forming of the H&H (Hero and Heroine — their most well known in the US and only “gold” album) lineup of Strawbs, plus the added bonus for me of meeting the band and other people associated with them.

And now it is over. They will start playing again in the UK with a different electric lineup (6-piece, the last few shows in which Brian Willoughby will be sharing lead guitar duties with Dave Lambert — plus the substitition of Ford, Hudson and Blue Weaver for Cronk, Coombes and John Hawken) for a brief tour in the UK, and then Cousins, Cronk, and Lambert will be
back again in the fall as the new acoustic lineup.

My passport and a duffle bag sit ready at my bedside, just in case my Fairy Godmother is out there somewhere and appears one evening to whisk me off to the UK to catch the Electric Strawbs’ UK lineup.

One can only dream, right?

 

The following was just one highlight of these magical concerts for me — it was never performed live until this tour:

 

Once I sat upon a hill
To watch the world go by
My friend the young magician
Had forbidden me to cry
But I was the comedian
With the laughs in short supply.

Shine on silver sun
Shine on everyone
Shine on silver sun
Shine on.

The sunlight filtered softly
Through the pale and watery sky
To catch the mirrored salmon
As it rose to take the fly
The flowers on the riverbank
Were left alone to die.

Shine on silver sun
Shine on everyone
Shine on silver sun
Shine on.

The church bells sounded midnight
As I rose to say goodbye
And a solitary tear
Fell from the corner of my eye.

Shine on silver sun
Shine on everyone
Shine on silver sun
Shine on.
Shine on.

– Shine on Silver Sun – D. Cousins; Old School Songs

–

it can be heard on:

Hero And Heroine, 1974; Side 1, Track 4

Best Of The Strawbs (2LP), 1978; Side , Track 7

Halcyon Days (2CD, UK), 1997; Side 2, Track 9

 

WOW.

got this at the show last night.

really good stuff.

go get yourself a copy.

you won’t be disappointed.

you can read a review here

 

 

another quickie…

(relatively–I am incapable of a truly brief entry it seems)

I am operating on very little sleep and much adrenaline right now. The very very good kind.

Christmas in July continues.

Last night I drove into northeastern PA (Lehigh U in Bethlehem, to be precise) to see The Musical Box again. They were playing as the pre-show for the annual NEARfest weekend (North American Art Rock festival — the big progressive music festival in this part of the country)

I only obtained tickets for TMB, I am not attending the rest of NEARfest — instead I am going to see the Strawbs again tonight at another venue in PA. NEARfest is the reason that the Strawbs decided to do this tour, they are the headliners on Sunday, but I will have to be content with two shows and not the Sunday show. 

I went solo to the show last night, and met up with a guy who I only know from online, through the TMB yahoo group. He came down from Montreal for the show when he found out I had a spare ticket. It was really great sharing the experience with another rabid TMB/Genesis fan, and meeting face-to-face with yet another person I only knew online.

The Musical Box was as awesome as ever. They re-create the original Peter Gabriel era Genesis shows so faithfully it is hard to believe I didn’t climb in a time machine.

Last night was the last time I will see them doing the Selling England by the Pound show, as they will be embarking on a nearly 3 year tour with The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway this fall. So it was a bittersweet experience, the last time I will see some of my favorite songs performed live, but on the other hand, I am looking forward to seeing the Lamb in the fall. I didn’t get to see the original Genesis performance of the Lamb, something I have always regretted. I will get the closest thing to a second chance in just a few short months.

JHKSQUONK — You were there in spirit, I thought of you often during the show. Firth of Fifth was nearly a religious experience for me!

I now have to get a few real-world chores done before hopping in the shower and driving off to have another Glimpse of Heaven* at tonight’s Strawbs show. I will be taking a dear old friend with me, who is relatively unfamiliar with their music, so it should bbe quite an experience, I can’t wait to see his reaction!

*Glimpse of Heaven — an appropriate description for an Electric Strawbs show, and also the title of a Strawbs song (not one they will be playing, though)

 

…we interrupt this question & answer session for a newsflash from adifrentdrumr…

Last night was Christmas in July for me. The long-awaited Electric Strawbs concert at the Strand Theatre in Lakewood, NJ finally arrived.

Bernie and I were invited to a pre-show reception in the theatre’s gallery by Ray Coles, the Mayor of Lakewood, and long-time Strawbs fan, who was responsible for booking this event. I “met” Ray this spring on Witchwood, the Yahoo Strawbs-fan-group, and we have been corresponding via email since, about our shared interests in both music and historical building preservation (especially the restoration and re-birth of the Strand) It was really great to meet him in person, and also to have a nice chat pre-show with his lovely wife.

I also enjoyed meeting Dick Greener, longtime friend of the band and webmaster of Strawbsweb, the official Strawbs website, who has been instrumental in bringing together the relatively small but fiercely loyal group of fans and keeping us advised as to all the various projects of the many fine musicians who have been involved with the Strawbs over their more than 30 year history.

Last night’s concert was part of a brief but well-received US tour of the five musicians who were the Strawbs during the height of their US popularity during the mid-70′s. Although the band has toured with other personnel, (most recently as a three piece acoustic ensemble) and produced several fine recordings since then, they have not played together in this configuration in nearly 30 years. Last night’s electric show was truly a historic occasion, and from what I have heard, the best performance so far of the tour. And I will be going to see them again in Sellersville, at another historic Theatre, on Saturday night.

When they return to the UK at the end of next week, they will be embarking on an electric tour of the UK with yet another line-up, trading the bass, drum and keyboard player for other musicians who played with the band in different eras. Quite difficult for a casual fan to keep track of (you should see the band “family tree” on the website — it’s impressive!) but since this is my favorite band of all time, I like to keep up on the comings and goings and various collaborations. The wonderful thing is, every time a different person has joined the mix, new influences have been added to the music. So over the years it has grown and evolved, and become more rich and complex. Just like a fine wine, improving with age…

Which brings me to what follows here — my initial response to the show, posted on the Witchwood message board right after I came home last night. I will add a few (parenthetical notes) to clarify here and there, since this was posted on a Strawbs forum last night, and I am reprinting it here to a more general audience…

just back from the Strand, still not back on the ground…

Just came home from seeing our boys at the beautiful, historic,
acoustically wonderful Strand theatre. I can’t really get my
thoughts into words quite yet, my feet still are not on the ground
and my head is somewhere up in the clouds…

Please forgive me for the long rambling post that follows, but I
can’t help myself.

What a show. These guys and this music are truly like fine wine,
only getting better with age. The choice of songs not only
encompassed music from nearly all eras and incarnations of the band,
but also was an excellent sampler of the many moods and flavors
which make the Strawbs so unique.

Wow. just wow. I will no doubt say more about the music itself at a
later date, but right now, just wow.

Let me instead describe my expereinces surrounding the show….

I had a front-row ticket, which turned out practically at (bass player) Chas
Cronk’s feet, and was like a kid on Christmas eve all day long,
literally bouncing around the house with anticipation. Now that the
show is over and I am back home, I will probably be bouncing around
the ceiling for at least a few more hours. Then on Saturday I will
be heading up to Sellersville for another dose of this unbridled
joy. So glad I was able to arrange to go to both shows, because
music this big, this intense, and this good, needs at least two days
to be fully appreciated.

After the show, I said a quick hello to Mike the guitar guy (the band’s guitar tech, and fellow witchwood member) at the
edge of the stage, and then braved the crowd in the gallery room to
meet the band and get my poster signed. I printed out a nice 8 X 10
of the “then and now” poster to take along for this purpose, and
although I am frightfully nervous in crowds (and getting worse with
age) I was a woman on a mission. I usually am too shy to do this
sort of thing, and tend to become a blithering idiot and forget the
English language if I finally do come into contact with people I
admire this much, but like I said, on a mission… Beside that, for
the past 30 or so years I have really, really, wanted to thank (frontman, lyricist, songwriter, rhythm guitarist — the heart and soul of the band) Dave
Cousins for all his beautiful words and music, and the inspiration
they have provided me in my life. And, of course, to meet some of
the other band members who have each contributed so much to the
magic.

I approached the table where the band was seated from Rod’s (drummer Rod Coombes) end (the
kinship of drummers, I guess), and we had a very nice, albeit brief,
chat while he passed my poster down the line for everyone to sign.
He seemed truly amazed and a bit humbled at the response to these
shows, and said he didn’t realize there was “so much love out
there”. I certainly hope that this positive response will influence
all of them to come back out and do this electric thing again very
soon. Not that I don’t look forward to the acoustic shows, it is
just so good to have the electric line up again, I hope it isn’t
another 25 years, as Dave C promised us at the end of the show…

My husband snapped some pictures after the show with my digicam,
which he is not familiar with, but they came out okay. I will post
some of them as soon as possible. We were not allowed to photograph
during the show, but I did give it my best try, hoping to get a nice
shot for (webmaster Dick Greener) Dick to use on the website from my excellent vantage point.
Sadly, an usher came along and made me put the camera away before I
could shoot a single frame.

After I got my poster signed I decided to stick around a little
longer and see if I could get a word with anyone else, and finally I
slipped along the back of the table (with permission of course) to
finally deliver my long anticipated “thank you” to Mr. Cousins. To
which he replied with a kiss on the cheek — which my husband caught
on camera, too.

I am a happy happy happy Strawbs fan tonight.

A big thanks to Ray Coles for his part in bringing them to the
Strand. A big thank you to Dick Greener, who I also had the pleasure
of meeting tonight, for all of the stuff he does to keep us informed
on all the latest goings-on, and for maintaining such a superlative
website. A big thanks to Mike the guitar guy for keeping the
instruments healthy and the band happy.

And a big, big thanks to (left to right) (on stage that is) John (Hawken- keyboards), Chas (Cronk- bass, vocals), Rod (Coombes- drummer extraordinaire), Dave (Cousins- vocals, guitar, dulcimer, storyteller) and
Dave (Lambert- lead guitar, vocals and 3,000 watt smiles)  for making the music magic and the magic happen.

Hopefully at the Sellersville show I will be able to get my courage
up to brave the crowds and maybe get a few words with the band
members I was not able to get through to tonight. I really hate to
be a bother, and it must be tough to have so many people clamoring
for your attention after playing your heart out on stage for a few
hours. But maybe I can slip through if I put my mind to it.

And Chas (bassist Cronk, also a witchwood member, who recently rejoined the band on a more permanent full-time basis), if you happen to stroll through the Witchwood at any time
soon and see this message… I really enjoyed the evening I spent at
your feet. I shall never forget it. Great to see you back

“then and now”

the cover of their classic 1974 album “Hero and Heroine” superimposed with a photo of the band today 

this is the poster I had signed last night for a space of honour on my wall