Pilgrimadge West ... Chapter 3

I think God, Spirit, the Mystery, whatever you want to call it lives in the turquoise waters of Alley Spring. I was on my way to the Current River when I came upon a huge line of traffic stopped in the middle of Hwy 60. I waited for about 10 minutes. I looked at a map and realized that I could go around it (the long way). It was a fortuitous detour because I saw some of the most beautiful country. The detour took me right by Alley Spring and its working mill. Just gorgeous. I'll post pictures soon. I was on my way to spend a great 4 days with my friend, Liz in Fremont, MO on her chicken and organic vegetable farm. She has built a berm and lives there with her 2 kids, 11 cats, 1 dog, gazillion chickens and rabbits, and other various wildlife. We met 4 years or so ago in the middle of the Current River. We're sort of kindred spirits. She raises moving pen chickens, very cool. It was a new moon in Cancer and we did all that "homey" stuff like cooking, canning green beans, picking blackberries, it was great fun! I met her friend, Jan, a painter and the three of us had a great time. Liz and I floated 2 sections of the Current River: Weymeyer to Van Buren, and Van Buren to Big Spring. Really beautiful. The spoonbill fish were at Weymeyer or close to it and they were gorgeous just swimming really slowly around. I swear some were as long as my boat. Since the Current is so clear, you can see everything at the bottom. I think that experience was to show me what one of my earlier life choices could have been like. I'm a little envious, I gotta say. It was very restorative and I appreciate her friendship and the time there.

Pilgrimadge West ... Chapter 2

Well, I got here on Saturday night. I stopped and ate a tuna sandwich in Van Buren and stuck my feet in the river. It was beautiful. Gas ranged from 3.99 in NC to 3.63 in Springfield, MO. The river in my hometown is almost the highest I've ever seen it and very muddy. I don't know if kayaking will be safe or not on the creeks. I plan to head to Van Buren to kayak the Current and hang with my friend, Liz, after the 4th. Maybe I'll get out on the creek before I go.

My Grandpa is much better, thank all the gods and goddesses! He is back to being ornery. He'll stay in the nursing home until the infection is gone though.

I am sitting at the pool at my Grandma's trying to work on the book I'm writing. It's too hot to sit and write.

Did I ever mention the "prodigal child" to any of you? A psychologist friend of mine told me that the prodigal child is a child that is sort of encouraged/urged/forced by the family to go away and become "something," then when they return home, they should fix everything. Interesting.... I would say that prodigal child probably pisses everyone off when s/he tries to do that even though that is what the family thought they wanted in the first place. Sigh....

My pilgrimadge west... chapter 1b

Had a great day with Sue, Claire and Pam. Who knew there was such a place as Ellendale's. Fabulous!!!

My pilgrimadge west....chapter 1a

Well, what can you say about good friends?! First, you don't really fully appreciate people until you are away from them. Thanks to all who came out for sushi, what a great time! I was SO glad to see everyone! Do those people at Koto know what business I bring them once a year?????

So here's how the universe works. After sushi, Pam, Morgan, Jerry and I went to a little club called the Family Wash. The front man for the band was a guy I used to know when I was 15 - Soup Granda of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. He's from sw MO. Weird, huh?

And let me just say this to those that know who they are: People have to be responsible for themselves. We can't fix anyone or be responsible for any adult but ourselves... We just have to decide if we want to continue to have a relationship with people that we don't agree with....ohmmmm....the master has spoken...

The next day Ginny and I went to Vol State to view "the portrait" and the auditorium. The auditorium had been destroyed by a tornado when I was there. It is looking very good (as long as you like blue). Lots of weaknesses have been fixed. Hope the work that goes on that stage suits it. What can I say about the portrait of Hitl...Dubyah? VSCC's illustrious president has had a GIANT portrait of himself, not the president that the building is named after, mind you, but himself, hung (no pun here, maybe he's compensating for something, usually men that want to surround themselves with "big" things are...) in the great hall of the admin building to the rumored price tag of $8000. He's missing an arm and looks like a fricking dork. Further, it looks like someone tried to claw it out of its frame...oh my kingdom for a Sharpie...

I am so proud of Sue and her work! Wowee... The Frist shebang was fabulous, as well as the before and after parties... For those not in Nashville, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts is a fabulous museum and my friend, Sue Mulcahy, is featured in a counterpoint exhibit to the "Color Field" exhibit. She is one of four artists from the Southeast that work in black and white. Interestingly, one of the artists is from USC upstate. I introduced myself last night - she knows Donna Goodman (SC folk). There is nothing on the web about the b&w exhibit yet because last night was a preview, but there my be in the future. And, of course, Sue's work was my favorite!

So today I'm off to Nashvegas to spend some time with Sue and Pam... Who knows what we'll get into...well, you will if you read my next post in a few days...

My pilgrimadge west... preface

It's raining today. First time in a month (thank the goddess!). Housesitters are lined up. The cat is acting very strange. I guess he knows something is up. He will barely let me touch him. He is going to stay here with the housesitters. First time I haven't taken him with me in the summer. He gets carsick so I have to drug him, bites any vet that boards him, and throws litter around any person's house that we stay with. I give up.

I'll be starting out Tuesday morning... My grandfather (who really raised me) is ill and so I'll be heading out on the big trek west to MO. I was planning to go anyway, but my trip will be a little different now. It's complicated, but I sort of dread parts of it (more juicy stories about that later). I plan to take many side trips once I stay in MO for a while. Who knows, I may be coming to your door...

I'm bringing: the boat, my backpack, a tent, my guitar, ipod (although I think I'm going to get one of those iTouch things and I just got Jakob Dylan's new album - woweee), computer with book chapters that need to be finished (sigh), a million books to read, and my savings account to pay for gas :-).

I am looking very forward to my first stop, Gallatin/Nashvegas TN. I will be happy to see all my old friends there... Sushi at Koto's, art at the Frist, and who knows what else! Stay tuned for each new chapter...