Bean me up Scottie:
“It’s not doubt, but certainty that drives one mad” …………………………………………………………………………………………………………Friedrich Nietzsche
“Kind woman…. don’t leave me lonely tonight” ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Richie Furay
“Soon I will find the right words…. they will be very simple” …………………………………………………………………………………………………Jack Kerouac
It’s another Tequila Sunrise…. dark, damp Sunday morn on the Mount……been a lot of those in last three weeks……with intermittent glorious days of 70 degree no-humidity sunshine…. feels a bit like Oregon living…when the sun comes out, it is time to go…go…. go…
The deluge has been GOOD for The Pond- whose cup runneth over……and maybe the most pristine it has ever been….no algae, no scummy….no nuthin’……where did it all go? …. Took a dip for first time after grueling mowing (more on that later) yesterday….and it was P_E_R_F_E_C_T………
We are up to one and half working phones……which apparently is par for the course in the mountains…. but not all that much fun….
The rain has had us mowing 2-3 times a week since we got back….which ……predictably, led to our lil’ ol’ tractor blowing up (again) this week….no mas……drained out the oil to see status –and it was almost all gas….which is generally a pretty bad sign….Joe the Mower guy came to get it yesterday….and…of course…..I put in fresh oil, cleaned it up…and the fucker started right up and ran like charm…..I hate the “mechanic thing” when it happens…..he took it away just for good measure or to make me feel less woodchucky….
So…this week resulted in …. twice push mowing the whole property……which I can tell is no country for old men……can I get a witness?
On the bright side…. The Queen’s newest obsession is……. making little gardens around all the volcanic rocks in the yard…. which has led to our newest ritual…. collecting cardboard……allegedly used to kill the grass for the next lil’ garden…and cover the cardboard with clippings from the bagged push mower……see the symmetry of it all?…..And bonus…a few more weeks of little garden making…and there will be no need to mow at all…
Had our first dinner gatherings in two years this week……first at the hobbit-home of The Erstwhile Russian Spy and The World’s Greatest School Marm…. just the four of us, plus Bilbo and Frodo……then last night were graced at the Manse by the Jewish Pig Farmer and the Empress of Death…although we made the dinner, TJPF brought his ribs……he goes nowhere without his ribs…almost always stopping on the way here to munch a few…. THIS feels a wee bit normal…
I have re-entered the world of making live music –returning to the Monday night folk club…to sit in a circle and drone for a few hours…. though it lacks spontaneity (of any kind) …. still good to sit in a room and expectorate with others……and after all, it is Vermont…. not crazed Florida…. Also went to our first music on the Green in Mt. Holly on Thursday…. with local statue, Jeb…and his friends (that is their name) …. how cool is it to see a community return to their green on a warm summer night?
Speaking of which, The Bunty Band will start arriving for a week of music next Sunday……playin the Green, having the Tie- Dye fest and hitting the studio for a short recording session……all, of course….TGLWATCDR…..c’mon social media wonks, you can figure that one out…..
Friday dawned a G_D day….so we hit the road….crossing the border in good fog, to cover our tracks ….over to the place where everyone is living free or dying (masks optional) hit the super duper State Liquor agency (wildly cheap, no tax-of course-rather die than pay tax)…picked up a bag o’ booze for the coming festivities…..found a dirt road with Sasquatch tracks….and on to the Grand Walmart in lovely (not) Claremont…..where they welcome Lucy to shop the lower shelves with open arms (theirs, not hers)….muddled around Puerto Nuevo (Newport in mountain slang) and found the reputedly worlds best grinder shop ….not quite, but passable….hit the Ludlow Farmers Mah-ket on the way home….gorgeous mid-summer late day sun wafting….a little music, a little meat, a few veggies…day complete….
Made my first run to The Dump yesterday…. too busy with phones and mowing until now….and The Dumpmaster could not conceal his glee (I think that’s what it was) …. got the Walrus-hug and a mottle of questions about The Queen…that involved her svelte figure, a 12 pack and a power outage…go figure….
Today is the annual Mt. Holly Daze….so gotta get a move on….to go man the sizzlin’…. which TQ had volunteered me for…. per chance for the sun to emerge and cover the algae filled brilliance of Star Lake…. but that is probably for next week’s edition….
So…another day gone deeper in debt….do you owe your soul to the company store? Be good, be careful, make it better world….
Stu
