(White) Lady Sings the Blues

Huddie Ledbetter, known as Leadbelly Another golden oldie post from my cross-country roadtrip chronicle: RoadGals. In the course of researching the Southern portion of our journey, I’ve discovered the Blues. Okay, I’ve been aware of the Blues. Like anyone who’s ever read more than three copies of Rolling Stone, I know most of our “Rock Gods” from Keith Richards to Eric...

I Say Tom-Ay-To. He Says Tom-Ah-To. Or W...

So I was scanning the news feeds and I came across this article about how the Republican party is splitting in two ideological directions. One faction, the Florida Model calls for more moderate views and reaching out to swing voters. The Texas Model says the GOP should consolidate around a staunch right wing agenda as far and as differentiated from the Democratic Party as possible....

In the Footsteps of Tom Joad

As we’re going to be driving across Oklahoma, I thought I’d reacquaint myself with the Dust Bowl. But there’s no way I could face reading The Grapes of Wrath again. Don’t get me wrong, I think Steinbeck’s book is perhaps one of the contenders for The Great American Novel. Everyone should read it once. But once might be about all you can take. It’s a thick book and every...

Let Us Now Praise Western Fence Lizards

I learned an interesting fact the other day from visiting one of my favorite bloggers, Carson at The 7MSN Ranch. Actually, I always learn interesting facts from Carson, especially as she’s about 15 years ahead of me in this City to Ranch transition. Unlike my Dubya Style Ranching (defined as a having the trappings of a ranch except no livestock but terriers), Carson has a real...

A Tale of Two Farms

Our agricultural endeavors seem to be veering along two separate and distinct paths. With two radically different outcomes. Perhaps the difference is that one is being run along the lines of a corporation i.e. good and knowledgeable professionals are brought in when needed. The other farm is run by a rank amateur desperately trying to learn “on the job”. Who would that...

Clapton versus Keb Mo. Joe Cocker Refere...

  Photo from Google Images. Call me an Event Nazi, but I want my festivals to stay true to theme. If you tell me you’re running a Jazz Festival, you better dish me up some Jazz and lots of it. Which is how we found ourselves deciding to attend only one evening of this weekend’s Sonoma Jazz+ Festival.  The line up included good acts all, but not exactly what I’d...