Grannie

The constancy of change; nomadic life is nothing but.

The discovery that coffee several rows inna day makes falling asleep an early-morning activity, changed my indulgence to every 4th or fifth day. 

I've been cooking more and when camped for a few days, leave the "setup" on my table: the bottom of the accordion case.

Suddenly, there was Grannie in her cotton-print sack dress in the one-room apartment she occupied in the attic of her son's house. The room was spacious, with two windows; one, a dormer, overlooked the estate's front sward.

It had all the amenities except air-conditioning and a bathtub. The water-closet was small: a komode and sink with a single, unshaded bulb with a pullchain above the mirror. But it was outside the main room and had a door. (Groping for the chain one night, I got my first experience of being plugged into 110 voltage.)

The kitchen, also small but complete, occupied the corner to the left of the entry. Her bed was catty-corner to the kitchen with a bedside table and lamp. A dining table with two chairs, including tablecloth, linen napkins, and a small bowl of lemondrops, held up the wall opposite her bed.

A few feet from the foot of her bed was the tv atop a low chest of drawers. Behind the tv was a cut-glass bowl with glow-in-the-dark stars and angels. Next to them was a bowl of candied orange slices.

It was cosy and though I never knew her to wear perfume, the room had a pleasant smell all her own. 

It was here, while staying when Mom flew somewhere to spend time with Dad, that my instruction in baking began. Though I've tried throughout my life to recreate her bacon-fat biscuits, I came to the conclusion it was her hand oil; I've never come close nor have I had the like in any restaurant.

Now wha'd I come over here for?

Multimedia Extravaganza (MME!)

The Fred Fox School of Music at the University of Arizona in Tucson frequently has free concerts. This evening's included computer-modified (enhanced?) instruments, computer-generated imagery and remotely-accessed musicians.

The Final

This was before the one above. It's not clear who is bowing to whom, but I ask you, "Have you ever seen a happier group?"

I had to add the one below too. I couldn't get over how animated each person looks.

Conclusion (18 secs)

Soloist & Imagery

Soloist & Imagery Conclusion

Note her pants

Four Singers

OwwoooooOOOO

(Yuh gotta give 'em credit for

doing this in front of an audience.)

In these "post-modernist" events, I sometimes wonder how much humor is intended. 

In front of the

School of Architecture

Pru Payne - Arizona Theater Co

World premiers are always exciting. At least before they start. RUSH tickets, available an hour before curtain, are half price.

https://atc.org/show/pru-payne/

I lasted an hour out of the ninety minutes (w/o intermission); it was booooOOORing.

Perhaps it was the stage sets; perhaps the accoustics need upgrading; maybe the actors are used to tv and don't know how to "project," but much of what was said was unintelligible. The Company is obviously aware of it (it being: how many of us are going deaf and aren't aware) as they have a digital display showing what was said. Even w/o the readout I caught the gist, some of the lame jokes and, all-in-all, was sorely unimpressed.

Pokey LaFarge

Thanks to Ms. Cook for introducing him. The fellow's range is, as you'll see, phenomenal.

Fine To Me

Mama Don't Allow

Sadie Green

Pokey's Wiki:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokey_LaFarge

I was impressed by Chloe and lucky enough to find this.

Her Wiki page:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloe_Feoranzo

Phoebe's New Sibling

This year Suzuki introduced a five-door model of their popular Jimny. It won't be available in the U.S., but the lack of significant changes -- once again -- validates Phoebe's design.

https://www.drive.com.au/news/2023-suzuki-jimny-five-door-wagon-official/

Behold! The Jimny 5-door

It Rained Last Night

Tap images to make them larger, then even larger using two fingers. Unfortunately, that takes you out of the blog & returning is a hassle, maaaaannn.

Perhaps someone knows a better way?

On Her Way

Time is the definitive factor in any relationship. Though I've been in several since the early '90s, it was in 2004 when, after ten years with Ms. Cook, I decided to get a place of my own. 

Over the six years prior to my move into nomadicism, it came to feel, for all of us, like the way it should be. No longer did I interrupt another's sleep when I came home late. No longer did the counter-tops have to be clean and dishes put away before retiring for the night. 

The pulls from various others, now including grandchildren, mean we grab at smaller slices (of time) when they become available.

Our next opportunity may be in June. Things change quickly though so there's really no way to know. The only constant...is change.

Kinkfest Disappointment

God only nose what I did, or what WE did, but after the strong-willed "Mistress's" presentation on sensation play we were pointedly ignored.

The post-presentation play party began without any announcement. One couple took up a position on a massage table where she straddled him and manually worked him up until she could insert a steel "catheter."

Two large women donned skimpy black leather outfits that looked like they'd come, several decades earlier, from a Halloween costume store. They put some "blues" on a cd player and tied a short-haired (on her head) female to a cross. One proceeded to flog her bottom while the other did something on the other side in the vicinity of her crotch. 

Some left right away. Others, mostly old guys, sat around and watched. We did our best to give 'em the benefit of the doubt but gave up after about 10 minutes; it was so lack-lustre you'd have thought you were at a dog show.

The next night the wax & fire play demo was cancelled  due to health issues and replaced with a rope fundamentals demo. As with the sensation presentation, a generator ran noisily outside the tent making it almost impossible to hear the presenter. This time we lasted about twenty minutes.

Both days when I gave money -- suggested donation was $5 or $10 per day, I gave ten for each of us -- there was no hint of gratitude.

It's a couple who organized it and this was their last year. He's 76 and has done all the cooking for the free evening feeds; after ten years (or more) they've had enough. Thank god.

Kofa Bugs

 

Magick is Afoot - Third Anniversary

There're few roads into the Kofa. Luck showed me a new one. Sunset was happening and I was only able to get about a mile from the highway.

These LPFs (little purple flowers) marked

the entrance to camp.

Kofa

(King of Arizona)

It was three years ago this day that I had my infarction. I'd known it was coming and in anticipation and so she could inherit my Social Security, on January 16, 2018 Ms. Cook and I legally married. But I survived.

Statistics suggest most people die of the 2nd infarction which usually occurs within four years.

Heat

It's hot east of Yuma and the almost continuous thundering of jets spoils what few quiets there are between the blamming of the target shooters.

The sign says ENTERING PUBLIC LANDS STAY ON DESIGNATED ROUTES and the area is a maze of tracks around and between the creosotes.

In Miracles of Life, (link is to Wiki article) published in 2008, J.G. Ballard eloquently describes the contrasts between the Shanghai of his youth and lunch at Cannes when Holly Hunter took umbrage when a journalist asked her why she "was in such shit." (the movie Crash)

His remarks on the inability of Americans to appreciate his satire of their fascination with gratuitous violence & violent sex are followed closely with observation that our politics are increasingly influenced by right-wingers, old-world religionists "the sound of freedom."

I'm looking forward to Desert Kinkfest in Quartzsite.  Daytime temps should obviate the need for anything more than shoes, a water-soaked shirt and a hat.

Jay Hershey

I got off at Agua Caliente intending to stop at the store, but it'd morphed into a spanking new Chevron. My notes suggested the north side wasn't too exciting so I went the other way.

A mile or so later Jay and his trailer made it too tight to get by without at least a "howdy." But then, we commenced.

As the most decorated police officer in the history of Trenton, N.J., now turned cattle-rancher, I quickly made an appointment for an interview. We met by the water tanks down the road from the mile-marker 8 cattle guard.

The Air is Saturated

with the smell of yellow -- about 30 miles east of Gila Bend.

'Pring has 'prung.

The fragrance is a welcome anomaly. I've no idea what they grow out here, but for miles around it often reeks like the bathroom in the bus station of your nightmare. One can only imagine the effect on the lungs of those who live and work.

First Saturday Art Walk

Divine Feminine: A Celebration of Diversity

at The Steinfeld Warehouse

Paul

(just a guy)

Installation by 

Tumbleweed Witch (instagram)

El Jefe Cat Lounge

 

Getting our cat "fix."

Ichibana - Yume Gardens

 

The Biopark

Prettier than Albuquerque's, but then that's why we're in Tuscon. We've been saying for decades, "Albuquerque tries so hard." But for some reason they've never managed to do it.

We really wanted to not like the lego sculptures, they too hard-edged. But the colors are a nice contrast to the ubiquitous green.