Copano Bay, Fulton, Texas September 2019
We’ve been getting excited by all the storms around us, hoping for some precipitation in our parched section of the state. Sadly, as Sting sang,
“So I look in the sky, but I look in vain,
Heavy cloud, but no rain.”
It’s a great song off his Ten Summoner’s Tales album from 1993 and I highly recommend you give it a listen.
Talking about wearing out my Discover card yesterday reminded me of the Bruce Cockburn song, Pacing the Cage (though I’m partial to the Jimmy Buffett version myself). There’s a melancholy to it that I can relate to.
“I’ve proven who I am so many times
The magnetic strip’s worn thin”
“I never knew what you all wanted
So I gave you everything”
“I watched the sun roll down in Texas,
Out on the edge of town in Texas,
I keep on hanging round in Texas,
Waiting for my lucky day.”
This Chris Isaak song really resonates with me (with a few changes). I absolutely love the entire Baja Sessions album – be sure to give it a listen. It’s smooth and mellow, the perfect soundtrack for watching the sun go down.
End of Day, Rockport Beach, Texas July 2019
“Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun,
I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ comes,
Watchin’ the clouds roll in,
Then I watch ’em roll away again,
I’m sittin’ near the dock of the bay,
Watchin’ the tide, roll away,
I’m sittin’ near the dock of the bay,
Wastin’ time”
View of Aransas Bay, Rockport, Texas June 2019
*Please forgive my few minor changes to Otis Redding’s classic song, (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.
“I bought a cheap watch from a crazy man,
floating down canal.
It doesn’t use numbers or moving hands,
it always just says now.
Now you may be thinking that I was had,
but this watch is never wrong.
And if I have trouble the warranty said,
breathe in, breathe out, move on.”
This Jimmy Buffett song was written about the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina but I find the opening of the song resonates for any of life’s storms. The time is now, my friends…
I attended a fantastic concert at the Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels on Friday night. The Avett Brothers headlined but the main draw for me was the opening act, Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real. I was mesmerized by the set they played at the Luck Festival back in March and eager to see them again. Lukas not only looks and sounds a lot like his father in his younger days but his songwriting skills are impressive. Lukas and POTR have a new album coming out next month, Turn Off the News (Build a Garden), and I love, love, love the title song.
“Turn off the news and build a garden,
Just my neighborhood and me,
We might feel a bit less hardened,
We might feel a bit more free”
Note: There is one F bomb near the beginning but please don’t let that deter you.
“Once was thought inside my head,
‘fore I reached thirty I’d be dead,
somehow on and on I go,
I keep on rollin’ with the flow”
This is one of the songs that I can’t listen to just once, I have to hear it at least three times before I can allow iTunes to shuffle on. I prefer Mark Chestnutt’s version as it reminds me of his concert at Gruene Hall a dozen years ago. It was a fun and intimate show in a historic venue. Mark was laid back, sharing stories and jokes in between songs. These lyrics resonated with me then and they still do, 
Mark Chestnutt, Gruene Hall, Gruene, Texas February 2007
“Well, I never seem to do it like anybody else,
Maybe someday, someday I’m gonna settle down,
If you ever want to find me I can still be found,
Taking the long way,
Taking the long way around.”
This should be my theme song! While living a more traditional, stationary life certainly would’ve been easier, I wouldn’t have been happy. My life has been unusual but it certainly has not been boring!
Give it a listen – I think you’ll enjoy it. It even mentions traveling the country by RV with stars on the ceiling (and yes, I did put glow-in-the-dark stars above the bed in my first RV).
“All of my life, has been the same,
I found a pot of gold, just a rusty chain,
I dealt a winning hand in a losing game,
Oh, I’m looking for the sunshine, living on rain.”
I certainly feel like this sometimes, though overall I can’t complain. Catchy song by the Kingston Trio, be sure to give it a listen (and I don’t just love it because they mention my long-time home, Tucson).
Tucson Evening, Tucson, Arizona 2017
My wish for all of us, that this year is better than the last! Excellent song by one of my favorite bands, The Paperboys. Give it a listen and if you ever get a chance be sure to see them in concert, they are fantastic!
“So as we raise our glass, to the midnight fireworks blast,
leave our troubles in the past,
hoping this year is better than the last…”
Fireworks, International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New Mexico 2006
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