It was 27 degrees outside when I drove izze to school. Sunrise today was at 0759. False dawn played with the morning sky as our girl headed into class. Back home I took Maverick out for a morning walk down the old road to the A-Frame. It was windstill but even so leaves were silently detaching themselves from their branches and heading to towards the ground with silent determination. The wood readies itself for a winter’s sleep. Death and life flow together in the morning chill and possibilities always reign in the future!
My world grows a little smaller as more and more of my like aged friends pass. It is hard to argue with those facts and why should I. Fortunately I am surrounded by younger life and the duties that surround same. Contrary to some beliefs this does not keep one young… it does keep one involved and that may be even better.
My old friend Jack rolled into town and we started to play together today. It had been way too long for the obvious reasons but this interaction never gets old!
I shall weigh in again tomorrow.
Great photo. Love all the blogs and, news and ruminations
This old friend is not planning on going anywhere!!
On the lighter side, I get up in the morning, look in the paper, and if I’m not in the obituaries it’s a good day!
More seriously, among the many pluses of aging: To my ears, Jorma is better than ever – I think the learning never ends for such a dedicated, serious musician, and it shows. Besides the solo work, his accompaniments of John Hurlbut are like a master class in doing the most with few notes.
He and Jack and John are inspiring in so many ways, and we’re lucky to have them.
Er…uh…a few cracks in the finish, perhaps?
Grace had a birthday last weekend, Joni’s is today, Jorma has one coming up next month. Might be a few scratches, dents and dings with some rust here and there along with noticeable treadwear and high mileage on the odometer but hey! the engine still turns over and we’re all grateful for that!
Daylight savings weirdness, Yogi Berra said “sometimes it gets late early.”
I am thankful that your lifetime playmate-confidante is there with you! First frosts and last gasp falling leaves as the HT slingshot is being pulled taut, again, Thanks Be.
Seeing Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, Amy Helm, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Thao and Gaby Moreno jam in round robin style last week during their Lantern Tour stop here in McLean, Va. left me in awe that Jorma can host some of these same folks at Fur Peace most any time for casual picking sessions, lessons and stage performances. How lucky can you get! Who’s Who though they may be I was impressed by the subdued production of the show, very scaled down, just ordinary people up on stage sitting across from one another trading song and stories. If you didn’t know who they were you’d think they were ordinary people in a local talent jam. Well, except that Larry Campbell stood out being as versatile with stringed instruments as he is. And ordinary people is how they should be seen since they are just that. Celebrity is earned but in many ways an artificial apparatus applied for promotional purposes. Celebrity has a function but as we get older we sometimes become less celebrity and more just folks. That’s fine. Jorma contemplates the passage of time and loss of close friends as we all do now that we are getting long in the tooth. I dread the inevitable day a post reads “Now we are two”. On the bright side can Jorma count all the friends he’s never met, those in the audience from coast to coast? The loyal fans now sporting silver haired ponytails, bald heads and big bellies that stayed the course through all the iterations through the decades from Airplane and beyond? In that sense Jorma you have an embarrassment of riches! Your contemplations here reach out and touch more people than you know. Thank you for sharing them. See you at the Birchmere Thanksgiving eve.
Your personification of the leaves is a beautiful touch.
Sorry, I should have framed that with ” “.
One profession that is associated with longer life is being a professor in a college or university, for the same reason you mentioned — being around young people keeps you engaged. Glad you have such folks around you!
Sounds like there should be a song there!
Who can stop what must arrive now?
Perhaps this little ditty will brighten the day for you all! m
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIQvaBOuvAs
Well put; apt autumnal thoughts.
“Involved” is probably better than “young.”
I own every one of my gray hairs and the experiences made possible by the year of my birth (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, for example), but I don’t want to be old, in the sense of resigned or cynical or leery of this generation’s piss and vinegar (only some gentle advice to point out the pitfalls and mistakes that befell us.).
So, yes, “involved.”
Glad Jack (and Debra and Chester?) are gathering with the FPR Hot Tuna family.