Welcome to Victor-Ville

Since I'm spending virtually all my time these days in my home, I'd like to explain a couple of things...

A few months ago, a good friend of mine, Jason Hughes-- AKA the "Madman from Manchester"--, was visiting with me one evening along with another wonderful guy, Mr. Sammy Jackson (we all work / work-ed together at Reed). We found ourselves outside in the backyard area of my townhome. Now I've been tremendously blessed to have secured a wonderful "end" location of my townhome, and I really lucked out because my backyard has an additional 10-15 feet of space which runs from the end of my double-slab concrete pattio, right up to the black wrought iron fence.

It's what's beyond the fence that's awesome...

There's this area of "woods" (nothing but dense hardwoods and pinetrees, etc. which then run for an addtional 50 yards or so) All you can see is "trees". This will never be developed hence I have a feeling of extreme Privacy, Nature and Solitude as far as the eye can see. (It's like my own little private nature preserve). Anyway, the three of us are sitting on my pattio, just looking out into the "greenery" and Jason turns to Sammy, gestures towards the woods and says, "Welcome to Victorville"! I loved it! Brought a huge smile to my face and Heart. Since that time, I've come to lovingly refer to my backyard as "Victorville". I actually am in the process of writing a song the first verse of which goes like this:

Well I'm sitting out here in Victorville,
Working on an early Autumn chill,
And wondering if the weather will or wont;

All I can say is I don't know,
Sometimes it's stop, and sometimes go,
The only question's will I do or dont...

(to be continued)

I have this one little sign up on the fence that says "Oh my, How Truly Delightful Life Really Is..."

Occupying the pattio Slab is my grill, a small circular stone table on which I'm writing this as we speak, with 2 swivel chairs, my double glider, my rocker, and my meditation chair.

And then, my Pride and Joy, "The Froggy Bottom Boys"! Yep! One by one, I discovered these three blue painted sheet-metal sculpted frogs--got them one at a time simply because I liked 'em! The first one (I'm currently working on names) is playing guitar, the second one is laying down a nice beat on some bongos, and the last one--got him on August 13, as a birthday present to myself-- is playing what appears to be an accordion of sorts. They're all singing or croaking along. I've got them placed together as an obvious trio. A couple days after, while visiting Harry's Farmers Market, I discovered this metallic "ball" (looks like the earth) atop a "stand" which spirals down into the ground. I've strategically placed this in front of "The Boys" so that it totally resembles a Microphone into which they're all singing. Lastly, I found some pinecones and placed them, one each, on the front part of their hats.

Jason came up with their name; if you recall, a couple years ago, George Clooney made a movie, based on Homer's Oddessy called, "Oh Brother Wherefore Art Thou". In it, there's this bluegrass singing group called the "Soggy Bottom Boys"... Well, the group in my backyard is now lovingly called "The Froggy Bottom Boys"... They are currently working on their first, soon to be nationally released "hit" --working title: The Smoking Raisins! Don't ask...

I've asked my daughter Ahna to post a few pictures of The Boys here, and also one of my daughter Jessie and me. This is a beautiful picture, I love it as you can feel the love in it, and, I'm wearing a present that she gave me, a soft, light-blue fleeced sockhat so my dome wont get too chilly...

Later Alligator,
Not so soon Baboon,
Gotta Blog, Frog...

(Groan, or maybe "Ribbit")!!!