Bring on the New Year - I'm Ready

30 December 2010:

The post-holiday blues of 2010/2011 and we dodged a big bullet here in the mid-Atlantic region. While everyone around us was inundated with snow, we got nothing, which is fine with me. Bring on Global Warming! Christmas this year was wonderful - as good as it gets - and now after one of the coldest Decembers on record our temps are rising nicely. Even the mourning doves are singing again at day-break and today there was frost on the lawn - that's a good sign. Another trip around the Sun. Another year completed - almost. We'll attend our annual get together with special friends on New Year's Eve and enjoy a big dinner of lamb and Indian delicacies. Nice. Everything's right with the world when you have your health, still enjoy dancin' and romancin' with your spouse, and can still enjoy life surrounded by family and friends.

Waiting For Christmas

21 December 2010 -

I've decided that in 2010 I will have experienced the greatest Christmas of my lifetime. Now that's a bold statement! I have everything a 66-year old grandfather could wish or hope for. There is nothing more I want out of life beyond what I have right now. When you have your health, you have everything, as the saying goes, considering the past year in which I've seen the passing of some very good friends. And other good friends have passed into stages of early old-age, which is a warning to me that I have to protect the good health I'm blessed with. But most of all I'm grateful for being able to spend quality time with the "little ones" (who seem) to be blossoming abundantly in our respective families. First and foremost is my own grand daughter who doesn't waste any time by jumping up next to me to exclaim, "Tell me another story, Papi Ed!" I've finally reached that stage - an old man telling wild tales to a child. I'm reminded very quickly of my own grandfather who taught me how to fish. He was also one step removed from his Irish immigrant parents so he punched the ticket for outlandish story-telling. But I certainly don't feel old. And I certainly don't feel as old or act as old as some of my friends. Some are luckier than others. Thank God I still have the energy to go a good five or six or seven hours with a five year-old. The time-frame here isn't important. What matters is how much time you have to devote to a child. A child you love very much. Christmas is right here in front of my eyes. And it's a going to be a very beautiful Christmas.

Harbinger

December, 2010

The First Measurable snowfall of the season and Jill Hossler snapped this image up in Jefferson, Maryland. The brilliant red of our state bird against the clean white of the new snow. Add holly berries. You don't have to go to the local mall to get into the Christmas spirit. It's usually right outside our kitchen windows. Thanks Jill, for allowing me to post this.

(Photo by Jill Hossler, Maryland, December 2010)

I'm Not Making This Up . .(1) . . .

November 2010 - Scarborough, Maine

I've been a Cabela's customer since the 70's. I can always count on quality goods that are really made for the outdoors and the price for the level of quality is usually decent. Established in Nebraska in 1961 as a mail-order house for fishermen, the Cabela's Brothers made their mark in designing fishing lures and fishing equipment, and soon found a niche in supplying the serious hunter also. I remember when L.L. Bean and Orvis had the same style of business. When I got out of the service both mail-order houses were still carrying bamboo fly-rods and shooting equipment and some of the finest outdoor equipment on the market. Then marketing tactics changed with the coming of the Era of "Preppie." We're not stupid. L.L. Bean and Orvis flip-flopped on who they were marketing to, and outdoorsmen soon changed a lot of their allegiances to suppliers like Cabela's and Gander Mountain. Thank God. I could rely on buying clothing and gear that stood the test of the kind of traveling I was doing around the world. A man needs gear - not a catalogue filled with sheets and towels and embroidered designer dog-collars. L.L. Bean had sold its soul to the suburban Lincoln SUV crowd and I can't figure what Orvis is up to, except to dress up fashionable nancy-boys and foist Irish crystal on to the McLean, Virginia cocktail set. There is a mecca for those of us who are left. It's called the Kittery Trading Post up in York, Maine. Anyone who's been there knows what they sell. If you like guns this is your heaven on earth. If you're going to spend time in the Maine woods hunting black bear, you'll probably make the Kittery Trading Post your first stop after crossing the New Hampshire border. I've been buying stuff there since 1969 and never fail to visit the Post every time I'm in Maine. They just have the best prices around for anything and have frequent sales annually that draw outdoorsmen from all parts of New England. But I need to get back to talking about my experience at Cabela's.

With Cabela's new-found riches after thousands of sportsmen fled L.L. Bean, they opened up their first "grand store" in the late 80's and continued to add stores into the 90's. Don't expect to find them near urban yuppie or preppie centers. Two years ago one opened up in Scarborough, Maine but I never had time to visit. This November I made a point to get there to see if Cabela's was keeping its promise to cater to the real hunter, the real fisherman, the guy who's looking for the color of clothing that comes in other than "Burnt Cinnamon Rose" or "Sycamore."

The store is easy to get to just a half-mile off the Maine Turnpike and it's easily visible from the Turnpike, too. The first thing that impresses you is the size - when I entered a greeter told me I would need a solid two hours to see everything. I had a pretty good idea of what was in my Cabela's catalogue and I wanted to see if they had the whole catalogue selection. They had that and a lot more. I was specifically looking for a pair of merino wool long underwear that I've had my eye on for the past two years. The killer winter we had here in Virginia last year convinced me that it was time to invest in the ultimate layering factor and since I'm way over 60 years old, they'll last me till I'm dead. No matter where I looked I couldn't find them and I finally resorted to asking for help. A young man probably no more than 20 took me around a couple of display racks and over to one of the computer terminals and said, "Let's take a look and see if we have them listed." "What are they again?" he asked, and I said "Merino wool long underwear - you have them listed right here in the catalogue." He kept his eyes glued to the terminal screen. "Naw, I don't see them anywhere. I just don't see them listed." And then the most amazing thing happened. He said, "How do you spell Merino?" Okay, that's an easy mistake for somebody who's young and lives off the turnpike in Maine. I spelled it out for him and added "It's originally Spanish - maybe for the name of the sheep" thinking he could pass that knowledge on to the next new sales staffer who didn't know where the word originated. Then the heart of the matter finally came forward - the reason why we couldn't track down the item in question - he looked at the screen, turned to me, and with the most serious expression asked, "Wow! I just had a brain Fart! How do you spell Wool?" I hate that expression. It expresses everything I hate about the way people talk to each other these days. What does it mean? Is it supposed to be cute? Where did it originate? Probably on the "Friends" show for all I care.

I looked at the poor kid and it was like a bullet had just gone through one side of my neck and out the other. The seriousness of his look and his sincerity at the question told me a million things about him and I just couldn't be angry. To make matters worse I turned around to leave and right behind me, sort of under the gloom of an over-hanging top shelf was a whole display rack filled with the item I had been looking for. On each packet in big blue letters were the words "Men's Merino Wool Long Underwear." I laughed. The kid laughed. I left the store without purchasing anything. My shock and anger wasn't directed toward the kid. My anger and shock was directed toward the educational system that had produced him. Maybe the societal attitude that had produced him coupled with the unproductive educational system which hadn't prepared him in any way, shape or form to go out and get a job and have him deal everyday with the public. It's why I hate stores. It's why I buy everything from catalogues or else order it on-line. I just don't want to deal with it anymore because I feel embarrassed - and to go to a store in this day and age has just become a big waste of my time. I'll still purchase from Cabela's - it'll be easier to do it on-line.

I'm Not Making This Up . . (2)

Anton Justs - Bishop of Jelgava, Latvia

Thank you Father Anthony . . .

More Photos from the Brunswick Concert - 21 November 2010

"Railroader" Moms selling home-baked goodies at the Big Concert

Jane Smith's cakes and pies - a hit at the concert

The next event is January 30th featuring The Lost and Found and Washington Junction (with Kenny Ray Horton and Friends.) Call (301) 371-5582 for tickets.

www.brunswickbluegrass.org

Coconut Cake, Corn Pone, and Total Commitment

Brunswick High Athletic Booster volunteers taking care of the concert crowd

Darren Beachley introduces the Dry Branch Fire Squad, 21 November 2010

Ethan Hughes is razzed by the "Old Guys."

The packed lobby at Brunswick High School, Brunswick Maryland

The Dry Branch Fire Squad, 21 November 2010

21 November 2010: What a beautiful, warm, Autumn afternoon in Brunswick, Maryland. We like to get to Brunswick early so we can browse the downtown antique stores. While walking the streets we were stopped by an old man from Culpeper, Virginia who needed directions up to the high school. In two antique stores I overheard groups of people talking about getting up to the high school before it was too late. By the way they were dressed I knew they were not locals. I smiled. In sleepy little Brunswick you could sense the early afternoon "Buzz" that there were more people in town than is per usual. Better get up to the high school before it was too late. Believe me, nothing much this eventful happens in Brunswick. The newly instituted Roundhouse Concert Productions group was having its first-ever, concert/benefit at 3:00 at the other end of town at Brunswick High School. What Darren and Sherri Beachley and Jill and Roy Hossler had worked so hard toward was coming to fruition. I've been following this story since the first concert in 2009 to benefit the Brunswick Junior Baseball League. From the start I had a gut-feeling it would come to this. More baseball benefit concerts ensued. The ticket-buyers multiplied. The music offerings got better. In an economic downtime when family entertainment dollars are being squeezed to the limit it didn't seem to matter when a few good people have a personal dream of doing something wonderful for the community. Darren's that kind of person (and artist). Always working on taking it to the next level of possibility.

We took the short drive uphill to the high school and was confronted with a full parking lot and a hand-written sign that said "over-flow parking in the gravel lot." I love this! And we were very early getting there. One of those pleasant surprises you don't expect. Any promoter has to be happy with the prospect that parking is going to over-flow. Offer good bluegrass and the fans will follow. At 2:30 the lobby was packed already and Jill Hossler and her army of volunteers (the school Athletic Boosters) were busy checking in ticket-holders and soon doing a land-office business in drinks, snacks, and sandwiches. The first thing I spied was an exceptionally large and beautifully crafted Coconut Cake that was up for auction. There were more cakes and goodies, all donated by Jane Smith. I wanted that cake badly - and so did everyone else. In the end we won the bid on some fudge which we'll enjoy over the holidays. You had to admire The Machine that was in operation. This is small-town volunteerism at its best, working toward raising funds for the high school athletic programs. But we were there for the music and there was no disappointment.

The show kicked off with the Dry Branch Fire Squad. I have to admit I've never experienced seeing them in performance and only know them from a historical point. Read any historical account of the growth of the bluegrass movement and you'll read about these guys. I had been forewarned (by my son who had just seen them in San Francisco,) that "They talk a lot!" True - Ron Thomason, one of the original founders has a tendency to get long-winded, and what sounds like down-home Corn Pone soon goes down strange twisted-logic roads about DNA strands and double helixes and comparisons of regional differences. Listen very, very carefully to what he has to say. He had me laughing in the aisles. Droll doesn't even sum up his sense of humor and timing - it's beyond droll. I can't imagine anyone in San Francisco understanding or even finding his Appalachian style of humor funny, but the Fire Squad recently performed at the enormous annual (and open) bluegrass event in Golden Gate Park and apparently they were a big hit. The Fire Squad did twelve pieces for this performance and they were brilliant. They like to show off their playing skills by constantly switching instruments. Two a cappella numbers were the best pieces in the set. They were "Tearing Down the Kingdom of the World" and "Power in the Blood."

The second half of the show was reserved for Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac and the big, new surprise here is the departure of legendary dobro master, Mike Auldridge and his replacement Ethan Hughes. Mike was in the audience and Darren graciously recognized him. Ethan Hughes, at only 19 years old is already an accomplished player and fit right into the mix of veterans. The voice combination of Ethan Hughes, Norman Wright, and Darren Beachley is powerful and full of promise for some amazing future CD's. As is the whole future of the Roundhouse Concert Series. The Legends will hand it over to a new set of performers beginning January 30th, and will continue to expand the concert line-ups to March 20th and June 12th, 2011. The Legends will be back for the performance on June 12, 2011. Darren and Jill Hossler, and all the volunteers up in Brunswick are totally committed to bringing First Class entertainment to the Brunswick region. They need your support to recognize the various student activities at Brunswick High School (Brunswick, Maryland). The best way you can help is donate today to the BRCP organization so these great shows can continue up in Brunswick.

For ticket and donation information contact:

Jill Hossler, 4210 Wallingford Court, Jefferson, Maryland, 21755 www.brunswickbluegrass.org

Brunswick Roundhouse Concert Productions is also available on FaceBook

January 30, 2011: Lost and Found and Washington Junction

March 20, 2011: Bill Yates and Country Gentlemen Tribute Band and
The Little Roy and Lizzy Show

June 12, 2011: Darin and Brooke Aldridge and

Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac

San Francisco Lyric Chorus Christmas Program

The San Francisco Lyric Chorus Christmas program for 2010 at the Mission Dolores Basilica and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Orinda. Not to be missed if you're traveling in the Bay Area during the first week in December. For further information go to: www.sflc.org

ishouldbeworking: Fiends of Western Buddhists

ishouldbeworking: Fiends of Western Buddhists

Jack Schoff of Maine - The Clock Guy

Jack Schoff and his award from Guinness Book of World Records

Just a small portion of Jack Schoff's collection

Jack Schoff, North Berwick, Maine, November 2010

Any visitor to Maine might think they had landed in Paradise if all they did was drive up and down coastal Route One or dropped in on the L.L. Bean Headquarters and Outlet at Freeport, which is what most Maine visitors and tourists do. It reminds me a lot of Australia: life, population, and marketing capital is on the coast with very little but great expanses of wilderness once you get off the Maine Turnpike. But even life on the coast is a charade, as watermen and lobstermen struggle to make a decent living off a life-style which has been a Maine tradition for hundreds of years. I love Maine and have spent a lot of time there. But I'm just a visitor. I'm not from Maine, and therefore from the Mainers' point of view, can lay no claims to really knowing anything about Maine except for what I've read in books on the subject. Get a bunch of locals together and they'll start arguing about which is the better town, or township, or who's getting screwed the worst through Maine's exhorbitant taxing policies. If you want a good lesson in American civics go to any local Select Men's or Town Hall Meeting - they go on for hours over literally nothing and every town malcontent shows up monthly to air his or her latest grievance against authority. I remember an argument in particular way back in the early 70's and it was over granting a permit for the first MacDonald's in Freeport. L.L. Bean had just moved from its original location down-town and was now located on Route One. An old geezer got up in the meeting and made the pronouncement, "If we let this go through it will be the end of Freeport. We'll never see the end of it!" There was much laughter. The geezer got the last laugh. So much for urban planning. Within two years after MacDonald's landed every other discount grease-joint soon followed. Within a few years the area surrounding L.L. Bean looked like so many of those mega-strip malls and gasoline alleys you see along Route I-95 South. So much for retaining "Quaint" over rampant bang-for-the-buck.

     But I'm letting negativity get in my way. Like any tourist destination there is always an upside to the story. The best way to utilize a tourist destination is first, get away from all the other tourists and try not to go where they are going. This is the way we've utilized Maine for the past 38 years. There is always something new to see and do in Maine and the baked beans, fresh lobster, and fried clams taste just as good today as they did 38 years ago. This is how we ran into the "Clock Guy" on our most recent trip to Maine in the first week in November. That's right - November! - another lesson you learn about traveling to Maine. It's a good idea to go there (and enjoy it privately and cheaply) when everybody else is NOT there. With a very cheap and very fast flight out of Baltimore's BWI we can be up on the coast of Maine (via Manchester Airport, N.H.) within two and a half hours. Talk about convenience!

     We had heard a story about a guy up in Berwick, Maine who owned a fabulous collection of clocks and they had to be seen to be appreciated. His name is Jack Schoff and the point of the story is, that living in a very small apartment, his obsession for clock-collecting kind of got the best of him. To the point of being recognized by the Guinness Book of Records people, who awarded him with the record for having the biggest private collection of clocks. The runner-up was some guy from Germany, who Jack says he's never met or been in contact with. The story of Jack's collection broke a few years ago and all the local news media came over to Berwick to see what was going on. Quiet and unassuming, Jack took it all in stride. When you meet him, you're immediately struck with his cordiality and his attitude of "It's just me and another day of living with all these clocks."

     There are clocks everywhere - on every inch of wall space, on all the furniture tops and shelves, and the small bedroom space, kitchen, and bathroom haven't been spared. It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen. We sat on whatever sofa space that was available and surrounded ourselves in Jack's world of his amazing clocks. You would think the noise would be deafening but it was not unpleasant. He owns every kind of clock imaginable - spring-driven, weight-driven, battery-driven; he hasn't an inventory of what he has and says he wants to get rid of all of them but doesn't know where to start. He says it's not about the value or collectability of what he has. "Some of them are worthless, some are expensive and maybe historic, I just don't care," he says with a small laugh. He says he spends a large amount of his income on batteries to keep them all going and spends most of his day setting them properly and repairing the ones lagging behind. Since daylight savings time was fast upon us, we wondered how in the world he re-set all of them.

     We had entered his place on the half-hour, so we waited in anticipation for all the walls to come alive with clanging and gonging and activated Cuckoo birds. It wasn't as glorious as we expected, but it was an experience, none the less and it was great talking to Jack as he showed off his award and talked about his hunting pictures displayed about his little apartment. There were pictures of he and his son bagging trophy black bear and moose, and especially interesting pictures of a big black bear he had to chase out of the back of his pick-up truck. That's life in Maine, away from Highway One and the Coastal tourist traps.

We couldn't leave without buying a clock from Jack, and it's a beauty - a Seth Thomas pendulum model which worked perfectly after the plane-ride back from Manchester, New Hampshire and looks great on our living room wall. After such an interesting afternoon I should have had Jack autograph it for me. I regret that I didn't ask him.

Maine: "The Way Life Should Be"

Just returned from another road trip to Maine and I'll be talking about "The Clock Guy," my experience at the Cabela's Store, and other matters. As it states on every Maine license plate, "The Way Life Should Be."

Hey Connolly - Beware the Ides of March

Well, here it comes. The e-mails are pouring in around noon as Fairfax County tries to decide who really won yesterday's election in the 11th Congressional District. Of course all the messages I'm receiving are from democrats who know me, and the rumors they're spreading is that Gerald Connolly has won the race fairly and squarely, even though votes are still being counted, and will probably be counted again and maybe a third time because the race was so close when we all went to bed last night. So much for smugness on the part of the democrats here in Northern Virginia. Symptomatic of the all the smugness, were all the yahoo democrat predictions that Connolly was a shoe-in and would beat Keith Fimian easily in this current election. Surprise, surprise! Connolly even had the audacity to make a pre-emptive (and stupidly mistimed) victory speech before the 11:00 pm news aired. The facts are clear no matter which party wins this contested race. Fairfax voters were split right down the middle on who they wanted to represent them in Congress for the next two years. And there was the great unknown - the independent voter - wouldn't politics be a wonderful adventure if both parties could figure out how he or she is going to treat them at the Polls? In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, the warnings about the mentality of the Mob are always lurking in every line. Don't let your smugness carry you away. You might wake up the morning after with a big surprise waiting for you. This is Connolly's "Ides of March." Only half the voters wanted Connolly in - the other half wants him to go away.

Why We Gather - by Michael Norman

"I now know why men who have been to war yearn to reunite. Not to tell stories or look at old pictures. Not to laugh or weep. Comrades gather because they long to be with men who once acted their best, men who suffered and sacrificed, who were stripped raw, right down to their humanity. I did not pick these men. They were delivered by fate and the U.S. Marine Corps. But I know them in a way I know no other men. I have never given anyone such trust. They were willing to guard something more precious than my life. They would have carried my reputation, the memory of me. It was part of the bargain we all made, the reason we were so willing to die for one another.

I cannot say where we are headed. Ours are not perfect friendships; those are the province of legend and myth. A few of my comrades drift far from me now, sending back only occasional word. I know that one day even these could fall to silence. Some of the men will stay close, a couple perhaps, always at hand.

As long as I have memory, I will think of them all, every day. I am sure that when I leave this world, my last thought will be of my family and my comrades - such good men. Semper Fi!

from These Good Men by Michael Norman

THE THING

For those of you who never had the pleasure to serve in the infantry, I won't even try to explain what this thing is. But a lot of us remember them well, and wished to hell we could've ridden them instead of having to walk along-side them. This one showed up at the 2010 Memorial Day Program at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. They're now collectors' items and probably paved the way for the modern-day ATV.

(We called them "Mules.")

Thinking about Halloween? Then this is the group for you. Seems like witches and druids and wood nymphs are alive and well out in the Bay Area (where else?). I picked up this brochure last year at the First Unitarian/Universalist Church in San Francisco, which by the way is one of the oldest and finest church structures in the city and should be visited if you're into architecture.

Vienna Oktoberfest - 2010

One of the prettiest weekends on record and thousands turned out for the 3rd Annual Oktoberfest in Vienna, Virginia. From Bratwursts and Beer to Goat Kabobs. This event just keeps getting bigger (and better!) each year.

Another Lovely Day in Hell at Tysons Corner

Looking west toward Vienna from one of the shopping mall parking garages.

Railroad track pylons marching across the Beltway at Rt. 123

Rt. 123 and the Beltway

Tysons Boulevard and Rt. 123, where the new rail line will interface with the shopping mall.

1:30 pm traffic at a stand-still on the outer loop of the Beltway, Sept. 14, 2010.

 

For those of us who remember that this area was nothing but a cow pasture and a lone gas station and ice cream store back in the 60's, welcome to the new 'Edison New Jersey South.' I wanted to get pictures of it before we're totally imprisoned in concrete and re-bar. Pity those poor suckers stuck on the Outer Loop. Pity the people who work here and have to deal with the daily sign-changes and nightly shut-downs. I only wish I would have gotten photos of this mess during the Big Blizzards of the past winter season - but who could move? Who in their right mind wanted to go near Tysons Corner? Abandon all hope, ye who enter . . . .

First Day of Kindergarten, September 2010

That's My Girl!

Grasstowne in Myrtle Beach

Happening upon the Unexpected is always a treat. I took this picture on either the 22nd or 23rd of May, 2010 in Myrtle Beach. It was hot as hell, and my brother and I stopped off at this plaza after hearing the sound of some good bluegrass music drifting over the concrete and asphalt. It was Grasstowne playing at the annual "wine festival." Nobody was drinking wine in the heat of the afternoon. Hardly anybody was there at all except a bunch of Grasstowne fans and a contingent of fans from the local bluegrass community in and around Myrtle Beach. The promoters of the wine festival ended up giving away tickets for some of the afternoon's events. Talk about paying your dues to be heard. That afternoon I heard some really great music. Just goes to show you that the Hardcore will show up anywhere, any time for good bluegrass music.

Latest Update on the Brunswick Roundhouse Concert Series

Jill Hossler, from Brunswick sent me the latest update on the newly-formed Brunswick Roundhouse Concert Series that I had talked about in an earlier entry. Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac kick off this concert series on Sunday, 21 November, 2010 at 3:00 pm. Tickets are now up for purchase by contacting Jill's organization. I'll leave all the pertinent information at the end of this posting. I've sent for my own tickets because I know the demand will be high once Halloween is on our doorstep. Yep, we're getting into the Fall Season already. I see a remark I made in my daily diary on September 28, 2009: "Saw my first Thanksgiving Dinner advertisement on Channel 7 tonight." There is no let-up on American commercialism brow-beating us into pounding down more food than we need.
This is exciting news for Brunswick, Maryland and especially good news for Brunswick High School ("Home of the Railroaders"). Evolving out of Darren's past two benefit concerts for the Brunswick Junior Baseball League, Jill Hossler (and the whole Hossler Family), Darren Beachley, and the various Booster groups of the school and community have banded together to raise funds for the extra programs at Brunswick High School. It's a win/win for the school and bluegrass fans. Expect that Darren will elicit the help of friends in the business and bring in the best in quality music and performers. He's done it in the past two events and he'll continue with the premier event and those planned into 2011. For starters how about this: Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac and the Dry Branch Fire Squad. If you missed the first two benefits I have only pity in my heart for you. Here's your opportunity to atone for your sins and at the same time support a magnificent cause up in Brunswick, Maryland.
On the nuts-and-bolts administration side of this Jill and Darren have created a foundation, a new website, and everything is easily reached by keeping up with Facebook. It's obvious everyone involved is in it for the Long Haul. Now it's time for the huge bluegrass community here in Virginia and Maryland to come forth and support what Darren has taken on as a cause. Jill Hossler added that each event will support a different in-school Booster group, and have been timed specifically to not interfere with some of the other popular bluegrass venues and bluegrass events that go on in our area. In essence, we the fans will have the opportunity to enjoy a richer and broader bluegrass offering here in Northern Virginia and Western Maryland.

Tickets are on Sale now: seats are $20 (and) $25, make check payable to "Brunswick Roundhouse Concert Productions" or simply, "BRCP." Mail check to: BRCP, 4210 Wallingford Court, Jefferson, Maryland, 21755. For additional information or inquiries about the series the new e-mail address is brcpbluegrass@aol.com The Brunswick Roundhouse Concert Series is also available on Facebook and is connected to Darren's Facebook page, the Brunswick Railroaders and a few other pages. Become a friend today and link up.

Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac with special guests The Dry Branch Fire Squad at Brunswick High School, Sunday 21 November 2010, 3:00 to 6:00. Admission $20 or $25, tickets must be purchased in advance.

Bin Hogs: Your Day is Over!

The Airlines are finally getting smart about flying more efficiently. Now I wish the public would do the same. Bin Hogs: Your day is up. I've spent a life time flying around the world, in and out numerous times at luxurious state-of-the-art airports and those in the Third World that the average American tourist would have an immediate anxiety reaction. I've been there, done that, and bought the tee-shirt. There is nothing I haven't seen, nothing I haven't experienced, so I speak with a lot of authority. I loved George Clooney in "Up in the Air." I said to myself "Aha!" -the guy who wrote this funny movie script has experienced my real life in check-in and security lines and like me, knows exactly who NOT to get behind in a security checkpoint. Today I want to talk about Bin Hogs. Or Bin-Pigs. Or selfish people who have no regard for anyone else's space other than their own and then have the audacity to take another one that doesn't belong to them.
You know who you are. You know your Big Rollie won't fit, and you've broken the rules by carrying an extra purse, a lap-top bag, a shopping bag from Trader Joe's and a bag that contains a big stuffed toy for your grandchild. I'm on a flight back from San Francisco on Virgin America Airlines and watching the fun as you try to argue your way into carrying all this crap on to the flight. God bless the watchmen at Virgin America. Thank God they've commenced the crack-down on this exemplification of American rudeness. After shaking her down and telling her to stow all that crap, she kept up an argument when she got to her seat and demanded to speak to the on-duty Gate Manager. Give him the Medal of Honor. He didn't budge. Put her in her place and told her the argument was over. Next to me was a young kid with a shaved head. He looked at my (single) (small) military style backpack (laying at my feet) and asked me if I was a veteran. "Yes," I said. He replied, "Can you believe this? All I want to do is get this plane off the ground so I can get home." We both had a good chuckle. "Tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and The Wicked Witch of the West holds up our plane in San Francisco!" You got it son, we've got some really rude, selfish, self-centered whining cry-babies in our population. What they don't understand is Virgin America Airlines is one of the best Airlines flying the skys currently. Thanks, Virgin America for sticking to your guns.

Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen - The New Release

Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen went public this week with the release of "Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen." It's worth adding to your collection. Frank's been making a lot of waves since departing from Country Current and for good reason. The vocals and musicianship are right up there with the best of them. The new CD is available through all the usual downloadable outlets.
It's a great product, but still doesn't beat seeing Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen in a live performance.

Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac - Round Three

Wonders of wonders for any bluegrass fan. We've got the world of First-Rate bluegrass talent at our fingertips right here in the Potomac region and even more so with the announcement that Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac will definitely be performing again in Brunswick, Maryland in November. Thank you, Jill Hossler. Thank you, Darren Beachley. The Lucketts Bluegrass Foundation has posted its performance schedule for 2010/2011 and it's one of the best schedules I've seen in years. Now Jill Hossler and her army of booster moms and dads from Brunswick High School have added another big incentive to travel up the river and toward the mountains to enjoy bluegrass. The northern Virginia triangle converging into Maryland and West Virginia is becoming quite the unique gathering place for those seeking truly authentic mountain music. The quiet and unassuming folks in Brunswick take it all in stride. They're just happy that people are discovering there is more to Brunswick than the train station and the commuter parking lot.
This summer, July 10th to be exact, witnessed the Second Annual Benefit Concert for the Brunswick Junior Baseball League. Headlining it for a second year was Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac with special guests Bill Yates and the Country Gentlemen Tribute Band. Last year's guest appearance included Kenny Ray Horton, of the U.S. Navy Band group "Country Current." Kenny's popularity has grown considerably (especially here in the proximity of Washington, D.C.) but his Navy duty called him elsewhere. Bill Yates stepped in this year. What can I say? The show was wild and it was an additional opportunity to experience another one of bluegrass music's living legends. Now we enter 'Round Three' in November with the inclusion of the Dry Branch Fire Squad - another group with legendary beginnings. I can see where Darren is going with this, but he's always had the ability to surround himself - and be very appreciate of - the best bluegrass musicians in the business. We the audience members are the eventual winners. The first time I met Jill Hossler we had a most wonderful conversation and I joked that I hoped she was ready to accept the fact that she had created a monster in Brunswick. But it was a wonderful monster to have been created along the banks of the Potomac. The downside of civic volunteerism is that one big success just leads to the demand for more successes. So it was with Year One and Year Two. I wasn't surprised when during the second year concert in July, the buzz was already starting for a Third Event. And then the e-mail arrived this morning announcing the "Brunswick Roundhouse Concerts." There's evolution going on here - first class entertainment possibilities in sleepy, little Brunswick along side the Potomac. I sense that something really positive is afoot here, within easy driving distance, and the low ticket price for this level of entertainment is mind-boggling.

Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac and Dry Branch Fire Squad

21 November 2010 from 3:00 to 6:00. A Benefit of the Brunswick High School Athletic Boosters. Information on tickets, price, etc., will be forthcoming in later postings.

Hot Announcement from Brunswick

You Read It Here First: I just received word from Jill Hossler up in Brunswick, Maryland that Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac have agreed to appear in another benefit concert at Brunswick High School on 21 November, 2010 at 3:00. The program includes the Dry Branch Fire Squad. This program will be the first in a series of events (still in the planning stages) that will be staged as the Brunswick Roundhouse Concerts. A January show is in the works and also future shows in the winter/ spring time-frame. All of this culminated from the popularity of the previous performances Darren Beachley provided to raise funds for the Brunswick Junior Baseball League. The previous two events were momentous, to say the least, in the amount of First-Class name recognition that Darren was able to bring to the previous shows and you can expect that he'll do the same for these future performances. Get ready for a good time - and don't be surprised at who could show up at any one of these performances.
Jill noted that the future shows will be for the benefit of the various booster groups that support Brunswick High School. Right now, Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac are the best ambassadors Brunswick, Maryland has. Visit Brunswick - it's a kick!

Facing the Loss of Innocence

     I got a little feisty the other day on Facebook with a younger person who didn't deserve my preaching on a subject dear to my heart. I apologize to that person. Ranting has become so rantingly rampant today and I vowed I wouldn't lower myself to the Rube level of the majority of what I see in blogs and on Facebook. You can only take so much of the  'F'  word until it's time to leave the scene. What's happened to civility in our society? What's happened to what the society of the 18th century called 'True Wit.?' What's happened to what our parents taught us as 'simple manners' in dealing with other people? I got testy upon a certain subject and overstepped my bounds. We veterans used to sit around and joke about such things;  how we would answer the age-old question of "what did you do in the war, daddy?" if it were ever posed to us when we reached the shores of home.
     It's an old question. One that I grew up with, because the majority of parents of my generation (including just about every male in my father's family) served during The Big One. Me and every other kid in my neighborhood traded important information about what our fathers did - or did not do - during The Big One. There was the inevitable progression of following in a father's footsteps. So it was no coincidence that most of  the men in my company of Marines came from families that had served heavily in World War II - and now it was a new war with a new generation, and as Senator James Webb has pointed out in a lot of his writing, it seems the same set of characters keeps feeding into the American military institution and the wars, conflicts, and police actions that ensue when the bell rings, and American military might is brought to the fore.
Caution: Some of the same set of characters. I like to think that the "question" had it's origin after the American Civil War when for a Hundred Dollars you could buy your way out of getting on a train that's headed for Vicksburg. There was no regret these future family men had to face unless little Sonny Jim asked him the inevitable question. Someone else can go, I'm not, and here's some money to grease the skids.
Mary Kearney set it all straight for me one day down at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Mary, originally from Scotland, is married to a Vietnam Veteran. We got into a discussion about one of the darker issues of the Vietnam War - Draft Dodging. If you're a Vietnam Veteran, especially one that got caught up in the net of the Draft during that era, a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is enough to put you right back into a time and place you would rather forget. Mary continued on the straight edge: "For every name on that wall, for every 58,000-and-some, there is someone who made a choice not to go, and I would want them to come down here and try to identify who went in their place - I want them to ask themselves - Do you know the man who took your place?"
     We don't know why people are drawn to one of the most visited memorials in Washington, D.C. Most of the reasons are deeply private. If you're somebody who has no direct connections to any of the names I hope you'll pick one, honor it, and take it home with you and never forget it. That will give you a good reason for visiting the Memorial.

The Lyric Chorus of San Francisco in Performance

Another favorite group of mine - for the best in choral music if you're in the Bay Area around these dates. Check out the website and Facebook notices for this and future concerts. No disappointment here - this group is top-notch, A-1, Right On. www.sflc.org

Leading the Good Life in Carson, Virginia - On Peanuts

Lawrence Coleman, 24 May 2010, in Carson, Virginia - The Peanut Capital

Virginia IS peanuts . .and beautiful scenery, pretty horses, and pleasant off-the-beaten track by-ways. We've got it all within a day's drive - from the mountains to the sea. I can't imagine life without Virginia peanuts which leads me to my next story, how I met Larry Coleman, the Peanut King of Carson, Virginia.

24 May 2010: We were on our way home from an extended weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Already South Carolina was experiencing the heat of early summer and we were happy to be getting back to Virginia. You have to start down-shifting as soon as you hit the North Carolina/Virginia border or else get a speeding ticket in Virginia as the speed limit makes an abrupt change from 70 mph to 65 mph. The cops are waiting for you just past the Virginia Welcome Center - Welcome to Virginia. I had to smile when I actually saw a trucker being pulled over - now that's a rarity - like seeing the last Passenger Pigeon being served up in a restaurant. I have a ritual at Exit 37. I discovered some time ago that Carson, Virginia is the halfway mark between the Washington, D.C. metro area and Raleigh, North Carolina, so it's a natural exit to fill my coffee mug and get gas. There are two gas stations. One's a BP and the other's a Sunoco. The people who run the Sunoco seem friendlier, so a long time ago that was my choice to break up the ride down to Raleigh. The first time I ever stopped there I saw a big peanut display and decided to take some peanuts home with me. That's where Coleman Peanuts comes into this and like I say, it became a ritual every time I headed south on infamous I-95. Friends back home kept asking me, "Hey Ed - when are you going to get more of those peanuts?" I would tell them to check out Coleman's website and order their own. Coleman's has a great website.

Not much goes on in Carson, Virginia. One of those off-the-beaten track places lost in time in our great state. But it's heralded for its peanut crop. Enter Lawrence Coleman who took over the family business in 1976 and had the dream of moving it forward. A simple business philosophy: we're going to offer the best peanuts available and the demand will follow. I always wondered who this guy was and what it takes to dedicate your life to growing, harvesting, and roasting up peanuts.

We gassed up, stretched our legs and looked around the station at Carson. We were almost home after a long drive up from Myrtle Beach. I drifted toward the Peanut Display. I loaded up my arms with all my favorite combinations of peanuts - salted and unsalted, peanut candy ("made the old-fashioned way") - there were only a few differences in the presentation of Larry Coleman's peanuts. I carried the load to the counter and noticed a rather dapper-looking guy exchanging chit-chat with the lady at the register. He looked at me and said, "You're buying a lot of peanuts." I gave him the once-over and then gave him a lecture on how good the peanuts are and how he should take some home with him. "I don't have to," he said, "I grew them!" I was talking to the man himself - in the very presence of the Peanut King. I thought it would end there but then we got into this interesting conversation about the peanut industry in Virginia, life in Carson, what a struggle it is to build up a business based on - peanuts.

I thanked him for the interesting conversation and asked to get his picture taken with me and the Raccoon. While we were finishing up, one of the locals walked by and made the comment, "Hey Mr. Coleman . . .You should sell tee shirts with your name and picture!" Not a bad idea, I thought to myself. I'd buy one and wear it with pride. Every little bit counts to bring money into our state during these stale economic times. Good on Ya, Larry!

So Nice to See You Again . . . .

Check out the printing on Tina's shirt!

The Annapolis Bluegrass Coalition in Westminster, Maryland

Call 410-848-7272 for more info or go to www.carrollcountyartscouncil.org

First-Class Bluegrass delivered the way you expect it

Getting Famous on Facebook

The world certainly is a funny place. I get up every morning and get my usual share of good laughs. I logged on to my Facebook account and went through the normal bluegrass postings, tidbits of bluegrass news, and came across a new band that's trying to get 2,000 'Like' hits on Facebook. The posting went something like this: "Realizing the power of Facebook, we're trying to get 2,000 hits - go to such-and-such a website - see the new video . ." I had never heard of the group, so I got suckered into finding out more about them. The video was awful, the marketing is awful and mainly what was lacking was any kind of musical sampling from what (some fans or maybe marketing people,) were calling the "New, Young, bluegrass Super Group!" Needless to say, I didn't flick any 'Like' buttons. The least I could do is not feed into this idea that you can win instant fame on YouTube or Facebook - maybe infamy, but not Fame. I went two steps further and logged on to the marketer's website and the film-maker's website. I want to know who these people are, so I can flag them in the future. I might also add that the new 'Supergroup' has exactly two future gigs listed on their website calendar.
I'm not out to castigate somebody who's trying to make it in the business. I wish this bunch of young guys the best. But on the way toward their dream of fame and fortune I hope they lay down some good music and in the process get a lot of air-time and sell a lot of CD's. It's called paying your dues. The older folks will tell you it comes through real talent, longevity, and having a loyal listening audience. You also have to love what you're doing - that's really the hard part. There are thousands of good banjo, mandolin, and guitar pickers out there waiting to take your place after the party is over. The truly humble among them know who they are, and know deep down why they like to play bluegrass. They're the ones we long remember after a performance of amazing musicianship, or the recorded music you keep playing years and years later. It's called making your mark. You can't do that on Facebook.

The Angela Hayes Quartet at Vienna Town Green

I'm always shocked that more citizens either don't participate in, know about, or show up at our local parks in the summertime to take advantage of the entertainment tax dollars that are going into the local parks programs. Those tax dollars are shrinking so badly that here in Vienna our programs are being subsidized in a big way by our local merchants. Lucky us. But that's the kind of community we have here, and I'll always be the first to applaud our town government and the neighborhoods that comprise our fair ville. Another great season of bi-weekly entertainment is available at our local 'Town Green' performance space. You have one more month to enjoy it - take advantage of it - come on out and meet your neighbors - and especially bring the kids.
I'm a counter. I always count the crowds, just to get an idea of who's coming out to see what. I've found out in my own very generalized survey that weather doesn't really matter. The crowds have been there in the intense heat and threatening storms, and you can't help but notice that New York Pizza over on Church Street is doing a land-office business right at 6:30 every Friday and Sunday evening. Tired of California-inspired New-Voe cuisine pizzas? New York Pizza serves it up the old-fashioned way. Straight pizza - no avocados - no Kiwi Fruit.
The Angela Hayes Quartet appeared at the Town Green on July 16th and this is straight-up lounge jazz done very well. The music enhanced the warmth of the summer evening and was thoroughly enjoyed by all ages. There was a multitude of kids - there were kids running everywhere and though it was just a tiny bit distracting to this style of music, the kids enjoyed it none the less. Your music attitudes and appreciation of a crowd changes when you become a grandparent - wait - you'll see for yourself. Angela Hayes went into a set of jazz standards out of the 40's and 50's and the dateline seemed to stop at early Charlie Byrd and Antonio Carlos Jobim. This is OK. It worked. It's music designed to take you back to a simpler time. If I have any complaints (complaining about free entertainment?) it's about the sound that evening. and that's something really hard to control in an outdoor venue. Hayes has an excellent delivery, knows her material, and knows how to please a crowd - if we only could have heard her and trumpeter John Friedman a little bit better.
There is something going on in lots of Parks across the breadth of Fairfax County, and on most nights of the week. We are afforded great entertainment at just the right price - totally free! You're crazy not to take advantage of it.
The Angela Hayes Quartet: Angela Hayes, Vocals. Gary Lutzker, Guitar. John Dapogny, Bass. John Freidman, Trumpet. Jamie Parker, Drums