A DEAR FRIEND HAS DIED---HE WAS A GENIUS

I TOLD YOU ABOUT HIM SOME YEARS AGO: CLICK HERE

Here he is reading a bit of poetry he's written On a portable stage he built.  Later he performed a one hour concert of Sinatra songs.

He and I built an (impossible?) desert dancefloor at Quartzsite, Az for the amusement of our rv club the Wandering Individual's Network. It worked beqautifully--for a hundred folks for 2 weeks. Here he's testing it with a passer by Donna.

A year or so ago I was privledged to be best man at his wedding to a wonderful Thai Lady.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  Please click on the link above to learn more about this amazingly creative personality. He died last Sunday (July 23 at age 69, I think of heart trouble).

On his last birthday I dashed off this poem celebrating inventors and sent it to him.

 I SING THE GLORY OF INVENTORS

They lift us up from savagery

beginning perhaps that day we broke a rock

and noticed one sharp edge

that scraped meat away from bone;

The whole tribe learned the trick.

Then we learned to work the stone

on both sides of the edge

and knives were born;spears and spear points;

bows and arrows and more,

stepping us up

from scavenger to hunter.

One day noticing sparks from stone,

fire-making was born--

a giant leap up  that brought us down

from the trees  to safely sleep on the ground.

They showed us a thousnd ways to make shelter

from whatever was at hand.

Inventors were the first to notice noticed that mud

got hard in the fire.

pottery was born. Oh what a boon

to boil and bake, to store things and carry water.

Our nests got even cozier.

Designs in the mud

likely our first art.

Clothes from animal skins---on and on.

Like a stone set rolling downhill;

ever faster the inventors

lifted us to comfort and freedom.

And even glory.

While others prayed to invisible gods

for magic and luck and deliverance,

inventors thought-- and tinkered-- with tangible things

till from their workplace came

a new and better home.

They bless the world and build the stairs

we climb to the future.

Thank you is not enough.

Reverence is more appropriate.

Thank you Ron

You and your kind are heroes to humanity.

TIME---THE CURRENCY OF LIFE---HOW ARE YOU SPENDING IT?

HERE'S HOW I'M SPENDING MINE:

Competed in a Poetry Slam.  This pretty lady sat beside me and announced that she was inspired by my blog to move into a van and take to the open road.  I have a lot to answer for.

You will recognize my old friends Laurie and CB.  We spent a whole day making this truck comfortable to camp in.  She insisted on plexiglass windows and a shaded roof strong enough to sleep on.

Breaking camp, I share a goodbye meal with Laurie and Kat.  We are headed in three different direction

s.

My first stop is only 20 miles away, camping with an old friend in this lovely spot with a view of Mt Humphrey. (12,633 ft--highest point in Az)

Then on toward Santa Fe, I pause for the night near the border with New Mexico.  Every exit usually offers little roads into the desert--away from the interstate noise.

Arriving at my friends place near Santa Fe.  He has 5 acres.

That's him on the right--Bushrod, my oldest friend--40 plus years. You may recognize Debora and CB from our last campsite who arrive shortly afterwards. (everyone travels separately--the only way to feel free)

Once settled in here, CB gets busy recording a new musician. (Simon) If you are unfamiliar with his hobby of recording musicians?  Click here for a sample of his fine work.

This was an ego boosting moment: In Sam's club I was surprised when this guy called my name and said " I recognize you from the movie". Without Bounds

Enjoyed an amazing experience of virtual reality..

and  an outdoor symphony.---they played all the 4th of  July favorites.

Attended a session of professional poets in this building and afterwards witnessed this dragon tearing its way out of the building.

CB found a musician on the plaza--brought him to the studio on his scooter.

The guy , Ricky,  a singer/songwriter/musician was a terrific guitar player and seemed deeply grateful that someone with the CB's skill and equipment would polish his music and provide him with a demo record he can use to promote himself.

Bushrod and I got to work equiping my van with solar power. (200 watt panel costs $250.)

Ah but this controller costs $300

and these two batteries $400.  Someone gave me the inverter.  So there you have a good solar system for a thousand dollars.  Should be good for 10 years service. ($8 amonth)

The heartbeat of Santa Fe is the Plaza.  Here's a selfie of me and a scientist from Los Alamos Laboratory that I engaged.

And over there, a musical duo named "HALF A SHIPWRECK".  I recruited them for CB to record.

A block away is the most astounding art exhibit I've ever seen:  giant art works by great artist from the past from one of the premier galleries in the world---The PRADO museum in Madrid, Spain.

They are of course copies---but I could not tell. Here's Adam and Eve.

This is Bosch's vision of hell.

There must hve been a hundred of the finest art in human history--free to all--outside in the shade of a churchyard.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  TWO WEEKS OF MY LIFE--- scanned for you.  In the grand scheme of things, it amounts to nothing perhaps, but I enjoyed it.  Are you enjoying your life?