Time unfolds around me in a swirl of memories as I sit here in today with a vision of tomorrow. I sit in the middle room of our little farmhouse in Southeast Ohio. My wife is here and my two children, the sun shines in the meadow in front of the old house and it could not get much better than this. As an American, I enjoy this relative perfection as a result of the many who have fought and died so that my family and I could be here to enjoy this day. As I have said many time before, It was not my path to serve in this honorable way. With that in mind, I have learned so much in the seventy some years I have been on this planet and I am not the man I was when I was in my twenties. My father and his two brothers served in WW II. Uncle Tarmo died in the service in 1945. I never met him. I inherited his flag from my Grandmother Ida and it rests here in the farmhouse in a mahogany case. She just kept it in an old trunk. Uncle Pentti died in 1972… still a young man in his fifties. He passed in a VA hospital in California. He never talked about the war, but it was always with him. My Dad landed in Japan in 1945 and wandered through the ashes of the country translating documents of interest. They are all gone now… and so many more.

And I truly believe that I and my family and friends are here because of them and all the others who served through the years. As time passes, the gardens of stone grow at an alarming rate and we must honor them, not just on this day, but every day.

And so with a vision of the guards at the Tomb Of The Unknowns at National Cemetery I will hold onto these thoughts. When my Dad was in the service in WW II, my mother took me here many times. It meant a lot to me then, and does now.

Let us not forget!

Yep… It’s me… the Phantom Of The Beacon.

Here it is Sunday the 29th of May and tomorrow is Memorial Day. On Friday the 27th My son Zach and I drove up to NYC with my pal Myron and with Barry Mitterhoff, we staged a surgical strike into the heart of Manhattan to be a part of Wavy Gravy’s 75th Birthday Celebration. Wavy is the Man, and I would do anything that I could for him and his friends. The Seva foundation is one of those forces for good in the world. This is something to think about when you think about wanting to help.

The Lineup at the Beacon was star studded to say the least. As I have said at least a hundred times, there is no way that one could have afforded to book a show like this for one night. We were all (artists & audience) there for Wavy.

For me… I got to spend time with friends, some of whom I have known for almost half a century. Dr. John… David Crosby… well, the list goes on and on. When Barry and I finished our little set, as I was walking off stage, Dr. John looked at me, smiled… and said, ‘Old school!’

That’s us… old school. Speaking of old school… I got to play with Steve Earl too and I would have hung around until the end of the evening, but we had to drive back to Ohio… which is where I am now, with my wife, son and daughter. Home with the family for the Memorial Day weekend.

Well, it’s not raining today so I’m going out into the light with the gang…

In fact… we’re all going swimming.

Well folks… I just wanted to comment on how great Wavy’s 75th was last night. I’m just getting ready to drive home to Ohio so I’ll download this quick comment now… and do the real post when I get home.

It was great!

You shoulda been there…

Long may you wave… Wavy…

More details anon…

Some of the guys in an earlier blog commented that their wives mowed… That’s good stuff indeed and in fact my wife mows occasionally although she doesn’t enjoy it like I do. That said, we both ride motorcycles and today was our first ride together of the year. The orange and black Nightster is hers… a 1200 cc motor in a bike that doesn’t weigh much over 400 pounds. it’s a tire shredding little monster, let me tell you. In the background you can see my more sedate looking 96 cubic inch Fat Bob.

Hey, someone has to run the subways.

I’m listening to ‘Through The Window Of A Train’ by Blue Highway. Nothing like a little late model bluegrass after a good bike ride. With Memorial Day coming I suggest listening to Homeless Man and Two Soldiers both on this CD. Very moving, and it reminds me of friends I know.

Speaking of friends, I need to talk about my friend Pete Hutlinger. Pete has some serious health issues and could definitely use our support. Go to his Caring Bridge site and please check out ways to make helpful donations and/or supportive thoughts. Healthcare is always ridiculously expensive and every little bit helps.

Last night I was talking to Pat Bergeson a Nashville guitar player and fisherman. When the subject of fish and guitars come up, Pete is at the head of the list. Let’s see if we can help him out. Oh yeah, check out John Hurlbut’s Blog on the Fur Peace Ranch site about this too! The Ranch is taking up a collection for Pete Huttlinger who has had some major heart surgery….
you can read about it on John’s blog…..”Checking the Levels”……while there you can also check out
the great interview I did with the Hurl before taking off for the CD release parties……..

That’s about it for now. Sunday is rolling up it’s sidewalks and tomorrow another week begins.

After all the rain we have had here in Southeast Ohio I really appreciate seeing the sun for a change. As I was heading over to the Fur Peace Ranch to watch Suzy Bogguss and Pat Bergeson the light on our beautiful county roads was an omen of things to come!

When I got to the Ranch with Izze and my mother-in-law, Virginia, Suzy and Pat were already doing their soundcheck. I’ve been a fan for such a long time that in a way it felt like home as they were playing ‘Aces’ when we walked in. Vanessa had cooked a fantastic dinner for everyone and while we were eating, the sold out crowd was beginning to line up on the driveway.

In the spirit of ‘If you build it, they will come,’ we built it… and they came. Moments like this are priceless. I just couldn’t resist taking a snapshot of the cars against Kevin Morgan’s statue.

Indeed… it’s not the things you take with you, it’s the things you leave behind.

Showtime! Suzy and Pat took the stage and did two fantastic sets. A perfect evening of music and spirit.

For and encore they invited me to play Red River Valley with them… and Pat lent me his guitar. New friends… Old friends and great music and food… hard to argue with perfection!

A perfect evening! Suzy Bogguss and Pat Bergeson were aces indeed!

I had been working cleaning out my A Frame at the Fur Peace Ranch. Myron and I spent two days on it and I spent a couple of hours by myself today. A lifetime worth of detritus to go through… some of it might even be valuable but more about that later.

Anyway, when I got done for the day I went home and got out my motorcycle. This is the first time in a week it’s been dry enough to ride and I wasn’t going to miss this chance. I rode into town and met Vanessa, Izze and Ginger at the China Panda… our favorite Chinese/Japanese eatery. Izze likes to eat there on Monday and Friday… That girl has great taste!

Anyway, the sky was a mixture of incredible and impending storms. The ride down the Appalachian Highway was breathtaking. There were lots of bikes out and we all waved at each other in the spirit of the ride… and no rain for a change.

Rockin’ over SR 143 the road wound like a ribbon over the hills. On the way home I passed the Snowville Creamery. You gotta taste some of their delicious milk from pasture fed cows. I love living down here in Southeast Ohio.

Nine miles later and I was home at Hillside Farm… Now I’m waiting for the girls to pull in.

Dad… I was thinking about you… this ride was for you!

A number of wondrous things happened at the Fur Peace Ranch this weekend. Firstly, it was great getting back in the saddle to teach again… it’s been a couple of weeks. My old bud Bill Kirchen was back in town and that’s always a treat. Laurence Juber was here making his first trip to the Fur Peace Ranch and this was something we had been looking forward to for a long time. Add to this the concert Saturday night at the Fur Peace Station with Dan Hicks And His Hot Licks and you have the makings of a perfect weekend.

Saturday night Dan and his merry band of guys and gals blew into town and blew us all away with his two set show! For his two encores, he invited Laurence, Bill and myself to sit in and that was the frosting on the cake! Sunday after class Bill and Laurence and I got on stage and put on a little show for the campers. I went first and then Bill. You know what I look like, but here’s Bill… and anyway, I’m the photographer.

After Bill dazzled us all for a while Laurence Juber came on and treated us to about forty five minutes of stellar guitar music.

What a couple of nights… what a weekend. Great stuff!

Tomorrow, weather willing, is going to be a day for some yard work… and as always, more will be revealed.

Well, we are indeed in the throes of Spring… I mowed yesterday. It’s still early enough in the year so that mowing is still fun, but that’s a story for another time. We’re getting ready to go back up to the Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, New York July 11, 2011 through the July 15, 2011 and just thinking about that beautiful spot up in the Catskills reminded me of when I was a kid and my family used to go on ‘family vacations’ (remember ‘family vacations) in Upstate New York. We didn’t do the Catskill thing, but Lake George was a family favorite. I would like to think that having my guitar and a canoe with me made me potentially popular with the ladies but this might just be euphoric recall.

The Adirondacks are not the Catskills, but both are stunningly beautiful. I lived for a while in Mt. Tremper back in the 80’s. I used to ride my motorcycle through these beautiful mountains and simply revel in their beauty. The scenery is undiminished… now add to that like minded spirits playing music and let’s not forget good food. Yes folks, it’s time to plan ahead… time to think about spending a couple of days with David Bromberg and myself at one of our famous Fur Peace Ranch On The Road sessions. Shameless self promotion? You bet, but if I don’t tell you about it, who will?

That’s about it for now. Gotta go to town… Hope to see you in Big Indian!

I will never forget Vinnie The Bull Terrier. He was Marlo’s son… born in the basement of our little house at Hillside Farm almost twenty years ago. Like so many friends of various species, he has been gone for eight years… but I will never forget him. Today, May 8, 2011, my Mother Beatrice Love has been gone for thirteen years. I was staying at the house with her and my brother Peter the week she passed. It was on Mother’s Day that year too. Peter and I had gone into Mill Valley to buy her flowers and when we came home twenty minutes later, she was gone. She had lived a full life by that time and if she were alive today, she would be one hundred and one years old. So it goes… I love you Mom and I will never forget you!

With that thought in mind, a happy Mother’s day to all mother’s out there today… and every day. And so the time swirls us along and I am reminded to try to love every moment of every day.

So we’re up in Minneapolis Friday to play the Cedar Cultural Center and we got to stay in the neighborhood. I love this hood. Barry and I had breakfast at the Hard Times Cafe. Good company and a great feed!

It was a great two set show for Barry and Me. We love this place! Here is our set list!

Jorma Kaukonen & Barry Mitterhoff 2, 2011
The Cedar Cultural Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Friday, May 6, 2011

First Set:
1. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here
2. Children Of Zion
3. Hesitation Blues
4. River Of Time
5. Come Back Baby
6. Second Chances
7. Bread Line Blues
8. How Long Blues
9. Vicksburg Stomp
10. Parchman Farm
11. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
Second Set:
1. Been So Long
2. Smokerise Journey
3. Mama Let Me Lay It On You
4. Izze’s Lullaby
5. Candy Man
6. Things That Might Have Been
7. More Than My Old Guitar
8. I’ll Let You Know Before I Leave
9. I Know You Rider
10. Genesis
11. Uncle Sam Blues
12. Goodbye To The Blues
13. True Religion
14. Nine Pound Hammer
15. Encore: Preaching On The Old Campground

Before the show we wandered over to the Red House Records nerve center in St. Paul and hung out with our pals there for a while. We told some lies, played some music and headed back to the Cedar.

Our buddy Luke, regaled us with tales of derring do and quotes from Geets Romo.

We bid a fond farewell to Minneapolis and drove seven hours to Evanston, Illinois to Play two shows.

It was our first time at Space, but it won’t be our last. What a great place!

Here is our set list:

Jorma Kaukonen & Barry Mitterhoff 3 , 2011
Space
Evanston, Illinois
Saturday, May 7, 2011

First Show:
1. Been So Long
2. Search My Heart
3. Mama Let Me Lay It On You
4. Second Chances
5. Hesitation Blues
6. More Than My Old Guitar
7. I’ll Let You Know Before I Leave
8. Come Back Baby
9. Izze’s Lullaby
10. The Terrible Operation
11. 99 Year Blues
12. River Of Time
13. Vicksburg Stomp
14. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
15. I Know You Rider
16. Encore: I Am The Light Of This World
Second Show:
1. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today?
2. Parchman Farm
3. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning
4. Things That Might Have Been
5. Children Of Zion
6. How Long Blues
7. Bread Line Blues
8. Smokerise Journey
9. Good Shepherd
10. Uncle Sam Blues
11. Goodbye To The Blues
12. Nine Pound Hammer
13. Encore: Preaching On The Old Camp Ground

Up early this morning in time for a Mother’s Day BBQ. Which brings me back to my Mom.

Rest in peace Dear One. You will always live in my heart… and every day I feel you somewhere, watching over me and mine.

We just can’t thank Larry Campbell and Theresa Williams enough for lending their magic to our world. We love these guys.

Last night was our final show of this little run up in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Our pal Skoota had commitments in Europe so he sent us Abe Fogle. Abe was simply great… slipping seamlessly into Skoota’s chair. Thanks to both of you guys. Anyway, here is our set list from last night:

Electric Hot Tuna 4, 2011
Steady As She Goes Four
Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady
Barry Mitterhoff, Abe Fogle
& Featuring
Larry Campbell and Theresa Williams
Showcase Live
Alexandria, Virginia
Sunday, May 1, 2011

First Set:
1. Been So Long
2. Hesitation Blues
3. Angel Of Darkness
4. Children Of Zion
5. Bowlegged Woman
6. Second Chances
7. Goodbye To The Blues
8. Rock Me Baby
9. A Little Faster
10. Mourning Interrupted
11. Hit Single #1

Second Set:
1. I See The Light
2. 99 Year Blues
3. Easy Now Revisited
4. Smokerise Journey
5. Good Shepherd
6. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed And Burning
7. Things That Might Have Been
8. Vicksburg Stomp
9. If This Is Love
10. Funky # 7
11. Encore: Preaching On The Old Campground

We just drove from Boston to Woodstock to drop off Larry and Theresa… we’re in Teaneck, New Jersey right now dropping of Skoota’s Drums, Phil Jacobs and our new drum tech, Ingo. Yep… we’re on the way home.

What a great tour…. I’m a happy dog!