11/21/06 We flew into San Franciso on Friday with Gerri, me, Erin, Josh, my son Todd, his wife Sonia and their kids Logan and Taylor for a family reunion in Modesto. My brother Andy and his wife Brenda from Perth, Australia were already their as was my sister Sue and her husband Rob. My son Michael, his wife Angela and their two kids Sierra and Greyson came Monday. My sisters son Tim and his significant other Kate came yesterday and her daugther Ashley and her sig other will be coming later today.
Friday night we stayed in San Bruno where I went to high school and toured the Bay Area on Saturday, Sonia had never been to California. I left this area probably over 40 years ago and it is so hard to accept the changes that have occurred. Where it was rural it is all one big city now. We toured San Francisco: Downtown, China Town, North Beach, Fisherman's Warf, Gihardelli Square, Golden Gate Bridge Sausalito, Muir Woods and finally got to an overlook of the Pacific near Stinson Beach. A great day, SF has got to be the greatest city in the world. Where else can you be immersed in Chinese culture, tour the worst prison in the US, Alcatraz, and then travel 30 miles to a magnificant, old growth redwood forest. We finally got to Modesto about 9 PM.
On Sunday we all went to the local coffee shop we hang out in, The Queen Bee, to check in and did some stuff around town getting set for the week. Part of my trip is to check out as many coffee house as I can to get new ideas, to see what changes are occuring in the business, and to see how our drinks compare.
Monday we went to the Stanislaus River above my mother house to see the salmon run, we have done that several years in a row and it is very encouraging to see. The state has restored the riverbed and allowed the salmon to return. Then to Sonora, an old gold rush town in the Mother Lode, there is a lot of history in this country and some still active gold mines and up then to Calavaris Big tree State Park, a grove of about 100 Giant Sequoias up in the Sierras above Sonora. These trees are amazing, 30 ft in diameter and 300 feet tall located in a virgin forest of ponderosa, sugar and jeffry pine, douglas fir insece cedar and white fir, some over 7 feet in diameter and over 200 feet tall.
Tuesday was Yosemite, probably my favorite place in the world. We started at Glacier Point, elevation probably 8000 ft which is an overlook of the Valley and the Sierra Crest and High Country where we spent a lot of time growing up. The views are incedible. The Sierra have received their first snows and were snowcapped. Then down to Yosemite Valley. The falls which are usually spectacular were pretty minimal as usual this time of year. I really enjoy seeing the forests that I grew up in, the mixed conifer forest of the west slope of the Sierra and the red fir/lodgepole pine forests at higher elevations. Much of the old growth is preserved in the Park.
Today we just hung around town, went to a few store such as Yesterday's Books the best used book store I have ever been in anywhere. We began cooking for Thanksgiving, my brother is the main cook, he is a vegetarian, but can throw togeher some incedible meals. The wines are great too and we are tasting many.
I really love California, the landscape is unequaled, the diversity amazing and because of that there is so much to do that you cannot do anyplace else. But I can't live here it is too crazy, Alabama is my home and always will be.
11/14/06 The one thing missing in the last election, from all sides, was the environment. I didn't hear any candidates talking about "green" issues, and I believe that these issues, long term, are more important than Iraq, political corruption or any of the issues that surfaced. Our very survival as a nation and human race depends on solving the serious environmental/social problems that are wasting our world; global warming, resouce exploitation, mass extinctions, poverty, starvation to name some. But green parties have never been popular in the USA, I'm not sure exactly why, but I think it has something to do with both our reliance on the corporate world to provide our necessities and toys, they are the major pollutors, and our resistance to talk about anything that may cause us to sacrifice the "good life", the American way as we live it, very resource wasteful. Since our politicans require Corporate campaign contributions, either directly or through PACs, to finance their elections, there is no incentive to face environmental issues which would harm corporate profits. Therefore it will have to become a grassroots issue to get their attention. Unfortunately most Americans turn a deaf ear and blind eye to the environment, even though we are destroying the very foundation that our kids and grandkids will need to survive through out indifference.
Where are the Christians in all this? Of all people, they should be in the forefront of the green movement as part of the stewardship ethic they are commanded to follow. How can Christians not champion sustainable resource management? How can they be so indifferent to what is happening to the Creation? How can they be so far removed from God's will in this or Jesus' example? How can they not care about what is being done to future generations, their own offspring, in the name of progress and development? So far the only people interested in helping reverse this ongoing environmental destruction of the earth seem to be old hippies, new agers, and tree huggers.
Maybe the Coffee House could be a good way to start a grassroots movement right here in Cullman, Alabama. If any of you are interested let me know.
11/12/06 Unfortunately most of y'all missed a good concert last night. The Blues Shift Band (minus one member) played to a fairly small crowd here, but put together a really good mix of folk and blues music for two hours. Jerry Lecrox alternated fingerpicking his four guitars, his standard 6 string, a Goodall baritone (sweeet sound), 12 string and dobro along with Danny Charles backing him up with his 5 and 6 string fiddles. Jerry provided the vocals in his unusual, but bluesy style. The sound was full, tight and very entertaining. Jerry led off each song with its history which I thought added alot. They want to come back in January with the full band, keep tuned.
11/7/06 Today is election day. I hope everyone braves this bad weather and gets out to vote. This is an important election! We desperately need to show our do-nothing politicians that they need to be busy representing us and get something done. There are too many important issues out there to be paralyzed into inaction by lobbyists and fat cats. Try immigration reform, national health care, a sensible policy in Iraq and Afganistan to name a few. My advice is to throw out all of the incumbants regardless, and then in the next election throw them out again. Then maybe they will take their role in governing seriously. But whatever you do, please vote. If you don't vote, you can't gripe. And why let a minority of people, those who vote, set the agenda for you by default if you don't vote?
11/7/06 As all of you who live in north Alabama know, it really rained last night. I'm sure that effected our open mike participation, we had the smallest crowd I remember with only four participants and only about 15 people in the audience. That could have been really disappointing but it wasn't. We just had a really laid back jam session; singing, picking, telling stories and jokes. In fact no one wanted to leave and they hung around until we basically closed the store around them. (It had been a long day!!) the players were Dennis Kahlor, me, David Speegle and Carlo. Garlon did some readings, I told an old folk story and Sharon told some corny jokes. But it was a great time.
11/4/06 Last night's concert featured singer songwriters Dennis Kaylor and WP Smith. They sang and played their original songs. Dennis was in great form, he had a new mouth harp holder he made which enabled him to come up with a really distinctive sound which was very reminesent of the 60's especially with his impromptu "Blowing in the Wind". He has some really classic songs which the audience always enjoys. WP had his new CD with him which is receiving radio play all over the world. His humor was great and his songs too, both originals and covers. The audience, which was small but enthusiastic, really enjoyed this show.
11/3/06 We held a straw poll for the Alabama general election next Tuesday today. We had pretty good participation. The results are as follows:
Governor Riley 59% Baxley 41
Lt Govenor Folsom 54% Strange 46
Attorney General King 52% Tyson 48
US Congress Dist 4 Aderholt 59% Bobo 41
State Senate Dist 4 Little 62% Sachs 38
State Rep Dist 11 Oden 52 Boyd 48
State Rep Dist 12 Morrison 67 Brunner 33
Cullman Co Comish E Williams 52 Wisenant 48
Cullman Co Commish W Tucker 75 Willingham 25
Cullman Probate Judge Lust 67 Reeling 33
Cullman Sheriff Bartelr 67 Roden 33 (this was a very small sample)
For more races come to the store and view the results
11/1/06 I hope you have noticed the fall color this year, it rivals the best I have ever seen in Alabama and I have been living here for 32 years. And it appears to be at its peak right now. The sugar maples and red maples always show out some, but this year are glorious: the sugars in their gold, orange, and yellow, almost firelike hues and the reds in their bright scarlet. The rest of the forest trees don't always show out and apparantly need perfect conditions leading up to fall to really do so and I guess this year had it all with a dry summer, wet fall, and cool temps earlier than normal. One red oak in the woods near my house is a brilliant scarlet, only the second time I remember it being this bright in the 21 years I have lived here. The hickories have turned to bright gold, really striking in contrast with the red sumacs and dogwoods and the yellow to gold of the white oaks and others. Even the lesser trees that usually just turn brown have some color. Wow!! Enjoy it it will be over soon.
