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Journal 2004
December 31, 2004 What? Super cool at Vino’s. Food and people in a good vibe. Just like always. Rush hour had cleaned out, kids were jumping. FIREBOX rocked killer originals, a little muddy but noone cared, girl power! DARK EMBRACE gripped the stage with a melodic intensity. Pantera-esque. Tami and I gorged on Pizza and calzone. Great shtuff. SCAR SEASON finished the night, quality stuff, but I liked DARK EMBRACE. Things are falling into place for Blue Collar Blues. FIREBOX/DARK EMBRACE do a gig in Jonesboro tonight. MIKE GRAY is at Bob King’s in Swifton, Throttle rings the year in Batesville at South Side Country club. Tomorrow it’s Flathead Bloody Mary’s. I may skip the booze and just ride.
December 29, 2000 Finally home. Dropped a drive shaft on Lake VagaBond in Ozark Acres. Luckily James Foster was with me and facilitated installing the new universal joint. A client friend was nearby. Wonderful young retirees from Arizona. Good talkin’. The old van rides like a Cadillac now. Hyped for taking FIREBOX to Little Rock. Vino’s rules, and so does FIREBOX.
Dec 28, 2004 Done with UPS. Kathy and I got all caught up. Some people got their Christmas gifts today, but it’s all good. I’m on the way to getting back in shape, if I can ride like planned my abs may show up by april. Back in the trees next week, I’ve got three weeks lined up ready to go. Thursday night it’s FIREBOX(Erosion-Live Music), at Vino’s in Little Rock. I used to frequent the place back when it was called the DMZ. Still has the same kind of cutting edge attitude, most would say it’s punk. I love Little Rock, I lived there from 82 to 88, worked flipping burgers at minute man on Rodney Parham, cleaning Target stores at night, an administrative assistant at Macmillan Bloedel intl, freelance house painting, carrying groceries at the tanglewood safeway, bussing tables at Slick Willies, I carried Arkansas Gazettes, an assistant lunch chef at LaScala. I mowed lawns and trimmed shrubs for Winrock Zoysia/Good earth. I think that’s it. I used to frequent the Cabaret, Rock City, and Cajun’s Wharf. I played basketball at Cammack Village, Holy Souls, UALR, and reservoir park. I kicked hacky sack and frisbee at Murray Park. I played softball at Interstate Park, Maumelle, and reservoir park. 711 N. Ash was my home for four years, an ancient apartment building. Foxrun apartments were a favorite haunt for water volleyball and big pool parties. Geyer Springs was a cruising spot, I punched a guy cold on a busy street. I could never afford the cool clothes at Armadillo Hands. The Band Box was a favorite lunch shack. Henderson junior high is where a lone white guy had to prove himself over and over hooping. I would wear boxer shorts to the Excelsior Hotel, got ejected from a Quiet Riot concert, hit with a bottle at Thirty Eight Special, sung on Magic 105 one new year’s eve, and buried a cat named Tequila near the railroad tracks. I had to maneuver through moving freight trains to get to work at Slick Willies almost daily, I could ride a bicycle down Markham from downtown to Barrow road as fast as the cars during rush hour. I ran out of gas on the I430 bridge one night and had to walk home with a torn boot. I loved a nubile deadhead, a tan tennis player, a tiny whiskey drinker, a hilarious daddy’s girl, a no nonsense…gotta go Tami's here.
Dec 27,
Monday. Trip about people in southeast Asia. The tsunami and death and destruction. I spent the weekend surrounded by beautiful nieces, and brothers. Getting ready for UPS one more day at least. Thought I’d check Rebel Records, I have to get some lunch, probably something at Town & Country Supermarket. I need to pick up a trophy from Charles Ivey. He runs this incredible multi bay garage. Karate teacher, strong, strong willed man. He sponsored my softball team a decade back. We got second in the ash Flat league behind Moore brothers our first year, the next year got second in State. We wore black. Quite a bunch of guys. I’ll go through the lineup someday, maybe devote a whole journal entry about characters from various teams. Lost touch with a lot of them, especially in Little Rock. I’d leave somebody out. I want to get a picture for you of the trophy at Ivey’s. So much to relate…
Now I’m dead tired, stoved and sore in so many places. Why do I do it? Not for the money, UPS promised me ten dollars an hour in 88, I’m still nowhere near that. I do it to help my friend Kathy Starr. I have so much respect for the woman, she works like noone I know. Now St Louis and Philadelphia. Madden gets tiresome, I was a rabid raider fan as a child, when Fred Belitnikoff got super bowl MVP was my crowning moment as a fan. I miss Dennis Miller. Geezer is keeping me warm. Building a good red oak fire. Need to jam.
December 23, 2004 Day off. UPS can’t get anywhere but maybe back to the hub in Pocahontas. Good luck girls. Beautiful white blanket of snow everywhere, drifting to two feet, averaging eight inches to a foot. It’s weird, yesterday, we were looking at banks of cedar trees with sublte white trim, bluebirds jumped and flitted about, then bam, call the paramedics, bumper car time. Cars are in ditches everywhere. I’m trying to figure out if I owe Tami a cappuccino, because I bet her she would be in the ditch before she got home, she made it home, but ran in the ditch in another part of Cherokee. Women drivers(ha ha). Probably talking on her cell phone. I wish I didn’t need my four wheel drive to make a living, because today would be some great four wheeling. I bet some sleds are shooting Lake Thunderbird Dam. In Seventy Seven, when that awesome storm hit, we did Lake Thunderbird Dam, there is a service road halfway down, where you ramp and get airborne for fifty feet. That year you could walk across Lake Thunderbird, even drive a car across Spring River. We were out of school for six weeks. I went to school anyway, I had the keys to the gym, and pulled the cheerleader mini tramps out to practice monster dunks from the free throw line and beyond. Terry Jamieson, my best friend, who went on to become an all state catcher twice, and played two sports in major college, had an incredible Darrell Dawkins power slam, we had to be careful, this was before breakaway rims. Jay Hansen, later a four year starter in major college, could do a seven twenty, throwing in a slap of the top of the backboard. You can bet we had a stack of mats to land on, cause reentry was a bitch. Looks like the Memphis trip will be postphone, I may help UPS one more next week, then it’s off to Vino’s in Little Rock with my girls FIREBOX.
dEC 22 Insanity. What started as a crisp morning with a white wintry mix became an icy hell but that’s not all. As we limped through Cherokee village delivering UPS packages, white out hit. Snow blind, Arkansas Blizzard, the witches titty. As I write this at dark eight inches of grainy dry snow blanket Highland, with more pounding horizontally. Kathy and Donna, UPS drivers for Ash Flat and Cherokee Village are stranded here with me. It’s all up in the air whether packages on the trucks will get anywhere. Not since the Little Rock blizzard of 87 have I seen it snow so much so fast. Then I was delivering Arkansas Gazettes in the hillcrest neighborhood, and was one of two carriers to get my route delivered statewide. I remember talking on Magic 105 afterward for some time. Around that time I included a poem I wrote called Enticed: T’was Christmas night at a bar The band was crankin’ R and R The neighborhood kids they heard the beat And with much passion they did eat Their were no arguments, nary a fight. Toasts and smiles high in the light. A standing prayer was thus enticed, Happy Birthday Jesus Christ. Peace.
December 19, 2004 Yo. Been driving Ott holler, checking various routes by van. The time of reckoning is near. Flathead Bloody Mary’s will set the tone for 2005. I need to find some more sponsors and see about lining a flat bed truck up and some generators. I need to check my rack of lights at OSB. I need to get the horizontal lines out of my projections. I need to paint the trailer. I need to finish little things. Me and Shelby made Mimi a holly and juniper wreath. I trimmed mom’s boxwoods, holly and juniper, she never appreciated the Japanese style, but it’s pretty much the only way I’ll do it. Back on the hard trail tomorrow. Need to do my Chinese stances longer, stretch longer. Reverse bow and arrow seems to help both my knee and hip. Riding horse is a good warm up. Cat stance with slow motion blocking seems affective, if I’m really into it I’ll twist into a stork. I do these playing Frisbee and hacky sack when I’m feeling mojorrific. Chaio babies.
Dec 17
Cool. Seeing so many smiles. Many folks at area businesses remember my stint as Kathy Starr’s Christmas help. Though it ended ten years ago, many things have not changed. Some receptionists and such have never known me but as UPS man. This is good for me, and I know I’m doing Ups a good damn job. Turkey and deer, hawks, squirrels, cardinals and blue herons, bad tree work, ink from all over the world staining my hands dark blue by dark. Especially the right palm, because I grasp the door handle with it. Pink and purple sunset over the south golf course tonight ruled. Taking Tami to Copper Feather for fine dining, my boys Throttle(Erosion-Live Music) take the stage at nine.
December 16, 2004 Running Hard. Six hours a day for UPS. Kathy Starr knows Cherokee Village and it’s people like no other human. She brightens folks day, and the dogs. We slip dogs treats, good public relations. I used to kick them, but haven’t had to yet this year, almost, though. Some dogs like her, but not me. I’m moving way fast, way tall, and my door slams open loud. I’m down the driveway in a flash, set the package down, quick knock or ring, then pushing back up or down the driveway while Kathy sorts the back and prerecords each stop and package on the DIAD. This electronic clipboard computer thingy, maybe you’ve signed one, keeps me busy between stops recording the driver release circumstances, porch, back door, whatever, then I look up, time to leap out again, do it over. It’s kinda fun, I see so many people, friends, tree clients, many retired, working in yards or walking the white chat pavement. Deer are thick, we almost hit them often. River and lake views are breathtaking. Though most native trees are cleanly shed of leaves by now, various ornamentals provide colorful scenery. Even on the ground. Mulched trees are rare here, like most places. People don’t care for root zones. Burning leaves and needles desperately needed for quality health. Only the Orchid Lady seems to understand, she knows the power of mulch, it’s water retentive qualities, microorganisms providing essential trace nutrients, and moderating temperature with layers of humus. It’s recycling at it’s finest. Sydney is known far and wide for her beautiful orchids. A very fine friend, indeed, cyberkudos. Now there is tree company in Jonesboro with a big budget ad campaign geared toward promoting topping. Talk about setting Arkansas back another twenty years. People hundreds, even thousands of years ago knew the dangers of this unwise malpractice. ANSI standards, though not law, are used in courts of law as guidelines in litigation. Thank God. Some day the word will get around. I do what I can, but necks are red around here. One local guy spiked and stubbed till last year, then writes a letter to the paper about how that’s a rip off. And he tells potential clients getting multiple bids that I’m going to use spikes. I never have, unless the procedure was a removal, and I ‘ve trimmed over eleven thousand trees. Every company does something wrong, whether its forcing a bucket into a tree to cut what they can reach, leaving questionable stubs, they won’t have to haul it off that way. Some trees are getting pruned pretty nice at first glance, then you see the spike marks, and flush cuts. Flush cuts, also against ANSI standard, are arguably as harmful as stubs, but look better. Stubbers and spikers make flush cuts when trying to be artistic. I digress. No I don’t, I lose bids to these guys all the time, and I tell people there is no comparison. A tree service should put in writing that work is to be done to ASNI standard. This would raise the quality of work close to a minimum standard, improving my community. REBEL TREE CARE—the difference is huge.
December 13 Runnin’ for UPS. Remembering things about running. Stretching more, though still not nearly enough. Obsessed with inventing catchy themes for rides and trips. Get ready, this run through may get lengthy: This is the itinerary for 2005. Keep in mind each event is subject to change. These are the only rides and trips I will do with no deposit. If you would like to book me for something on these dates, an early request and deposit will do much to retain rebelriver.com
Dec 9 Trip out. EROSION is rockin’! I thought about naming the band MASTURBATION. Cause it’s just me playin’ with myself. I need twenty folks with twenty dollars. This would insure killer festivals. Establishing a core group fund to guarantee campgrounds and bands. This core group would be in the midst of the party. Core group tents and vehicles have been parked nearby all day. Mountain bikes and canoes are locked nearby. I can probably swing a group deal on camping, like maybe, hopefully five bucks, or ten for the weekend. Maybe better. Advance payment will be a good bargaining chip. Look, I could guarantee four bands, two catered meals, and two canoe trips for like a grand. If I could swing camping or more meals, a fishing guide who will prepare and cook trout at your campsight. I want to ride hard. I’m feeling great pounding the driveways again. Steep driveways. Many. We set the record. In 89 or 91. I’m a little heavier. Southfork is swollen nicely. Beautiful Bradford pears are blushing yellow, green fading to lavender, quite striking. Everywhere topped red oaks are falling apart. Please, do not top trees, IT’S BAD! Deer are everywhere, we need a doe season. Really, we need a fawn season. Papoose Park falls are truly nice. Cherokee Village city hall is truly a treasure. I trimmed all the willow oaks around the entire area in 93, they’ve been hacked by storm chasers and stubbed a little since, but generally look fine in the upper canopy. I especially like the tall cedar. I climbed in to the very top, thinning interior branches and needless sucker or crossing branches. I trimmed a lot out of that huge tree, it stands strong through all storms, single trunked and proud. I just know the city is going to run a line of some sort through the roots, beginning the end for the big guy. Across the valley is a white oak most agree was around when the Cherokee Tribe came through. I trimmed it for jeanine at Copper Feather, and put a little mulch around this grease pit nearby. Grass clumps to the southwest may theaten the giant. Though new construction just inside the root zone, the historical tree shows little strain.
Dec 8, Running for UPS again. I helped Kathy Starr seven Christmas’ in a row from 88 to 96. We set the record, as far as anybody remembers. Three hundred and ninety nine packages, two hundred ninety eight stops. Five degrees, driving sleet. Lake Omaha was eerie that night. Kathy has been working the Cherokee Village route for over twenty years, she’s good. Real good. CyberKudos Flash. Maybe this’ll get me in shape, I haven’t ran much since knee surgery five years ago, a little Frisbee is about it. I do ride and swim of course, things concerning camping and music and cycling are taking shape. Sorting options now, I’m thinking three days in a row of mountain biking, scratch that. Maybe a critical Mass through Hardy every Friday. The bypass will be done in two years, that means at least one more year of the Hardy bottleneck, where river floaters coming in on Friday from Memphis, and Jonesboro folks headed to Lake Norfork with ski and bass boats, and double wide mobile homes and eighteen wheelers all squeeze through Hardy. Then on Sunday the bottleneck is reversed. Rebelriver.com can design canoe trips to avoid the worst of these snarls.
December 5, 2004 Saber rocked the house at Copper Feather. Steve Adair, an old Sandy Hall memorial bud showed up from Little Rock with quite an entourage of family. After a night of dancing on tables and bar to AC/DC and POISON covers, a near riot developed and we jammed. Geezer bit a biker for a chunk of shrimp. The pool tables suck, cause I shoot super easy, and the ball rolls off course. You gotta be pretty bad to lose there, and I did it often. Tami has this irritating thing of counting my losses, not a mojo inducer. Sandy Hall was one of my best friends. We played a lot of ball together, he was a main man on a state champion football team, and two state runner up baseball teams. He was a ballsy, energetic guy women loved. After a couple years in college baseball, he was working digging ditches in Ash Flat and was killed along with another man, Neil McCord. Sandy’s old team, the University of Arkansas Little Rock Trojans used to come up to a softball tournament and go canoing. Lot’s of good times with those boys. Talking with Spring River Valley campground about hosting some events. Music and mountain bikes. Ragball at Hardy Beach, canoe to Kerry’s or Bartlett’s. Spring River Valley is a perfect location for a mountain bike canoe trip rock concert. Meet at Spring River Valley(formerly Camp Kierl) the low water bridge at the fulton/sharp county line. Establish camps, ride mountain bikes to Bayou Access near Mammoth Spring. Canoe through saddler falls area, through Spring River Oaks, Many Islands, Shade Tree at Myatt River, Taylor’s camp to Spring River Valley. Hopefully FIREBOX will start at six, finishing around eight as the canoer’s get in, then another band, MIKE GRAY or THROTTLE. SABER and LIVEWIRE would make a good evening. Anyway, the core group of REBELRIVER.COM vips would join on stage if wanted, camping at Spring River Valley. Then next morning a little tour of Riverbend Park or White Horse Mountain. Then canoe to Hardy Beach or beyond with a lengthy stop on High falls. Stringers of trout and bass, walleye and catfish can be had along the way. Early mornings At Spring River Valley fairly teems with legal sized Brown Bass(fourteen inches). At Bayou Access when switching from Mountain Bike to canoe, trout are plentiful. Deep holes hide elusive walleye, more likely caught not so near midday. Trout can be caught throughout the trip, less in the final eighth, after Myatt river warms the Spring slightly. I anticipate the ending of a canoe trip, the process is physical, hoisting coolers and gear, dragging boats up to flip and set to dry. With bands playing. Next morning I can show adrenalin junkies a radical downhill mountain bike trail and obstacle course. Then back in canoes. After the initial burst of rapids putting in at the bridge, a long straight stretch offers excellent fishing and easy floating. Many times I have kicked back here to contemplate the previous nights precedings. Along your left bank is River Bend Park, Spring River Beach club. At High falls beaching the canoes in shallow rapid lips, loungers can kick back in ‘the hole’. Swimmers can test their prowess in rumbling white water, floaters can shoot the nine foot long ramp to sploosh. Many quickly paddling back to climb and drag their craft back to repeat the drop. About half the canoes overturn here, but recovery is not difficult, depending on your degree of preparation. Fishing is fine here also, and Southfork, joining the Spring here out of Cherokee Village, is good fishing. Hey, if I can catch ‘em, anybody can. With simple rooster tails I always catch something legal. With live bait and more time I usually do all right. Others I know always have good sized walleye, bass, and catfish. That night the van will probably await us, unless a shuttle was organized earlier. I like the idea of staying at camp. No running to Macdonald’s. Softballers should consider the tiny field at Hardy Beach. Golfers should consider a trip starting at the north golf course in Cherokee Village. Or Slick Rock near the South Course. REBELRIVER.COM, it’s not just an all consuming obsession, it’s a hobby! O/K that’s two guided mountain bike tours, two guided canoe trips, camping, catering and live music. Twelve Hundred dollars for twenty people. Break it down, that’s a base rate per person of sixty dollars. With catering covering only one meal a day, unless you eat fish, you have to buy your own food and beverage. You must have your own Mountain Bike. Factor booze or other costs, we’re talking economics here! And serious fun! Something totally rad would be camp at Slick Rock. Take mountain bikes to Bayou, canoe to Hardy. This would be a stern push, not quite as fun unless you’re a real physical sicko. Trouble is, the van can’t leave until stragglers make it in, sometimes that is never. Camping at the destination is preferable. On Strawberry river I think I know a private farm we might be able to camp at. Maybe even a band.
Dec 3
Good kinda tired. Trimmed let’s see: ash, four hickories, four post oak, one blackjack oak, one cedar. Rudy cleaned it up. Ducks and minnows swam in Lake Cherokee. Hula comes in from Jessieville or some such hell hole tomorrow. I start for UPS Tuesday, gotta get my hair braided nice and tight. Good thing Tami does hair. I imitate Bruce Willis in Mortal Thoughts, “you cut hair! You cut f****** hair!” Then I do this irritating Woody Woodpecker laugh that really sets her off, but I think deep down she likes it. Hey, at least I don’t do Kung Foo Fighting. Looks like Cave City is in town to play the Highland Rebels in basketball. I’ll catch some games later in the season. Listened to New Tattoo by Motley Crue. Kinda cool, then Invasion of Your Privacy by Ratt. Still love the album, Closer to the Heart is one of my favorites, Lay it Down, What you give is What U get, just ballsy big rock, and that killer twin lead. Drain STH is a favorite, also Quicksand. Gotta jam peace out Al.
Dec 2
Feel good. Like doctor Phil. Trimmed a mulberry, walnut, and four post oaks today. Rudy cleaned it up. Lake Cherokee was beautiful. Fish jumping, buzzards coming off nine mile ridge. Papoose falls were really nice. Need to take a camcorder and get sparkly white video. Tommorow I’ve got a big ash, cedar, black jack oak, and several more oaks. I f they get lucky I’ll do their yews. The owners aren’t there, they live in Memphis. The neighbors are really checking me out. I need some little yard signs like the chumps that pollute the community with shit work. I’m not as bitter as I sound, my business thrives with very little advertising. I’m in a good place. If I could just get those horizontal lines out of my projections
Dec 1
Bright, bright sunlit blue sky. FIREBOX played on Z100!!!! Can’t wait for Vino’s dec 30. So much in my head, Hula on his way here, that’ll be a hoot. Thinking about writing, singing, jamming, painting, climping, trimming, lowering, chipping, sanding, spraying, showering… Tami got her van fixed. I’m pretty close to getting my shit way together for me. I want to buy another chipper. I’m cooking, cleaning, maintained, I mean I still got projects I need to finish, but priorities are sorting them selves in natural order. I want to play rockn roll, but not too badly. I want to make a profit canoing, but if I don’t at least I’ll be canoing. I want to at least get to party practically free for showing screen projections behind bands or just alone. There is this thing called five bands for five dollars I might try to get into as my solo act EROSION. I want to ride mountain bikes daily. I need to bear down and finish FORESTER and JOKERS. I think the rest will be offline, I got really paranoid last night.
Nov 30, 2004
Rain, persistent and cold. I used to say to people, “cold? It’s raining! They’re always like, “yeah?” and I’m “it’s raining? Not sleeting or snowing, that would be cold.” I like it around twenty Fahrenheit. I always work all winter, not using a bucket is huge there. I can prune large trees with little impact to sod or landscaping. Booking for January helps roll through winter. I’ve been printing old client lists for storage, don’t be surprised if I start calling, maybe make an E’mail ring. I think if I do decide to increase sales I would probably start with Cordova Tennessee. For various reasons I like the location. I’ve never needed to call people, or knock on doors, or advertise much at all, but some have wanted me to, some needed me to, but with an ultra small business a man can’t do the estimates, do the work, and still push sales. I’m not pushy. Man this is Hardy, Arkansas, if I can scratch a living from the trees and rivers, and help teach people to care for them. To filter our shit and change our diets, our habits, our prejudices, our hate. Legalize industrial hemp. Promote recycling in all forms with actual tax incentives for ultra small business. Support organic, locally grown food cooperatives. Dismantle beef industry(in stages, no sudden bankruptcies for good folks on river bottoms.} Enact rigorous standards for harsh “selective logging” with rigorous enforcement and real penalties for non compliance. Enact riverbank standards required of all farms and ranches in the entire watershed of extraordinary resource river ie: Field stubble left higher, riparian zones established. All construction or bull dozer work planned and okayed by environmental impact committee. All roads should have bike lanes. Lawn mowers could easily be manual or solar powered. Leaf burning should be discouraged strongly. Tiered landscaping and Sediment fencing required. Green communities become less stressful, more healthful, more tolerant, more peaceful. Restaurants could eliminate cellophane and tinfoil wrappers. Condiments could be homemade, served in pitchers and boats, the all organic waste created could be processed for pet food, these companies could cease vacuuming sea floor sterile. Wal Mart could unionize.
Nov 29
Rain. Flood. Waiting for a clear day to prune a bunch of oaks and ash on Lake Cherokee. Getting ready to paint trucks and trailers. Finishing off a video for FIREBOX. Haven’t seen it on the big screen yet, and with no audio, but I feel things, I feel things. Need to ride. Bloated on tuna salad, sun chips, and colossal pistachio’s. Geezer roughed a cow up, gored the 2,000 pound brahma bull pretty good. Check out myspace.com/firebox or soundclick.com/fireboxband. They play Paragould park next sat.
Nov 27,
THROTTLE put a good show on at Copper Feather. Tami and I danced, shot pool, and generally held court. Exciting news—FIREBOX is set to play Vino’s dec 30. Geezer went berserk, wrestling Tex for a twenty ounce ribeye. He’s barred but he’ll be back. Yo again. This computer is acting strange. Word took forever coming up and then I heard a popup. Couldn’t post the last cople of days because of an error. My frontpage Icon moves around a lot, too. Maybe it’s Ashcroft. Cool thanksgiving, my mother lives about one hundred yards from me, we had a large family deal, so much love, all the children are girls except Slade and he’s almost not a child, ten I think. I’m set to help UPS for Christmas. I did it seven years in a row from 88 to 96. Kathy Starr and I set what many consider the record, 398 packages in a standard truck, two hundred ninety something stops on Christmas eve I think 91, 92. Checked out Southfork at Slick Rock. Awesome white glow of falls, orange, peach, lavender and purple streaks. Tami and I parked in rushing water. The S curves at Baseheart are a blast when Southfork is up like this. Root zone. Mountain Bike. These phrases may shape my happiness getting older. More on that someday.
November 23, 2004
Rain. Lake thunderbird heard my chipper roar. Finished a job in the rain. Rudy ain’t much on splitting, too short, wasn’t raised real country. My left little finger goes numb, so I change grips, but slam the crack pretty good everytime. I’m six six, and use it all. Got the video of Riverside Backyard bash. Mike is prominent. They shut down before Panadox came on, better for copyrights anyway. T and A are dominant. Here is a journal I kept some while back: September 1993 Mon 20 Ed French Batesville. Cottonwood, hickory, post oak 2 willow oaks 2 hackberry 2 sweet gum 2 pecans black gum elm 2 white oaks elm, willow oak hickory dogwood Topped 2 elms to remove mon. Broke neighbors walnut when removing extremely large deadwood eighty feet in a willow oak. Ate at taco bell and wendy’s worked till dark, got home late and crashed.
Tues 21 Yost Wahoo on Lake thunderbird 60 pines. Ran some errands, payed insurance, got workboots and basketball shoes out of shop, got ten trees done and cleaned up. Took off a little early, rode the ten speed hard around town, kicked a little hacky sack, stretched hard, am stretching now, butterflies, will try to get twenty done tomorrow.
Wed 22, did 16 of sixty pines. Should be done by Sat. Paid rent. Rode hardish let’s hope I don’t get put up wet. Thinking of a basketball league, waking up with wood.
Thurs 23 sos 24 to go.
January 95
Mar 2 1998 Pruned arge oak by pool for townhouses, then river birch on Pennacook. Scored over twenty last night at West Plains. Mom and Dad are back from Mexico.
1/8/99 back on line. Memphis was sweet. Trimmed for weeks. Craig punched a cabby. Good sex, knee surgery, streets encased in ice. Mom finally freed from hospice, Mike has hepatitas c and liver problems, dad broke his collar bone, Rodney felled by meteor.
6/8/99 hauled canoes fri and sat. sun boated with Garrett and Barrett canoed from Waynes, stopped at spring river oaks, started Pringers job, Chad should work with me tomorrow, Craig broke his Pelvis april 30.
10/12/99 did Torbit dro, cut up and chip two red oaks. Loberg last week, fired Cheryl, Larry lost Jessica. Mike and Debi’s roof this weekend, then mympho.
11/13/99 Arkansas beat Tennessee. Garret got a deer. Mom is branson, Back to Memphis in Mid December. Dying to f*** Megan. Dancin’ naked to Tesla. Six Michelobs are setting well. 12/18/00Most shopping done, at Graceland and Whatever’s. Didn’t have to buy for Dad this year. Pretty Icy. House fairly clean. Life okay.
November 22, 2004 Cool. Every night for like a week Geese honk and cackle above. Clear or raining, the merry group powers on. Lake Thunderbird serene, my chainsaw must have rang, like the blower and I think splitter across the cove on Winnebago. Looks like the Rigwoods are finally on top of the storm damage. Still working on CHARMAINE’s video. Over an hour of footage now, but I want two. Two hour videos flow so much better for the crowd. One hour video’s have gaps and distractions during a full evening of music. Mike cut his dam finger. In a good place, at a good time. All is well. Rain.
November 21, 2004 Rain. Sore from basketball against my fifteen year old niece(Erosion-Live music-Lauren) We play twenty one, I take it back, she doesn’t. Makes me follow my shot. In twenty one if you miss on twenty one you go back to thirteen, she did that twice and won, I did it once. She cant’ play high school cause of her hip, but I teach her to elevate for jumpers, and make left handed layups. I get to practice my specialty shots: the love shack is a quick, high arching jump hook shot from the free throw line, the hippy drifter, a running, turnaround, fadeaway jump hook shot off a left handed dribble. I have the rainbow child, a ridiculously high arching three pointer from straightaway, also called drano. She doesn’t fall for my shake and bake yoyo any more, and I need more board for my pippen ain’t easy. I plain old can’t do my legalize kemp anymore, and I’ll never do my jumanji from behind the dotted line again. I shoot left handed hookers, and burnout drifters. Sometimes I shoot a shot called the brick. Ron Artest is out for the regular season. Fitting punishment. The Baltimore Ravens are fun to watch. Got work on Lake Thunderbird next two days. Using the chips for erosion control. Smart.
November 19, 2004 Errands. Getting set up to run Panadox, projections, lighting, and videos for young bands at OCB studio here in Highland. Listened to some guys called MORTAL FIELD, lotta soul for young hard stuff. Remind me of some OzzFest bands I saw. Hope to add them to EROSION—LIVE MUSIC—ROSTER. Check out the MIKE GRAY BAND at Broadjam.com. or themikegrayband.expage.com or cdbaby.com/themikegrayband. Check it out. I keep noticing bulldozer work near the banks of Spring River. Sediment fencing is never used, methods are harsh, nothing is done to protect our water. Disturbing. I will promote awareness of this problem both on this web site and verbally during van rides, mountain bike tours, and canoe trips. So much to say, I’m kinda pumped, but don’t have a lot of time, and probably should avoid rants like yesterday. I know a lot of my customers vote a certain persuasion, that’s the great thing about our system, we can agree to disagree, and all get along. In the immortal words of the great visionary Rodney King, “can’t we all just get along?” Shalom.
November 18, 2004 Rain. Steady and sure. Trying to get trucks painted. Taking forever. Sick of people branding me a sinner because I think what the republicans did to Bill Clinton, and what they do to the planet, is far far worse than any private sex act. I don’t condone his behavior in the oval office, but I condemn bombing the holy hell out any country we think needs liberating. Look at it like this, there have been two special councils, one was the Iran Contra affair, where the Republican administration, elected mostly on a promise not to bargain with terrorists, bargained with terrorists, sending “obsolete” weapons, many of which I’ll wager are being used today, November 18, 2004, to kill Americans and Iraqis, to the middle east, balancing that with massive cocaine shipments into the U.S. The other was Clinton had a bj. Does anyone see the heinous injustice here? 9/11 happened because W was elected. His father masterminded a royal screwing of the middle east. W merely resumes the dynasty of unfair manipulation. Do you believe in separation of church and state? Do you believe in freedom? Do you think smoking pot is a worse crime than falsifying? Cheney was more powerful as president of Halliburton than VP of the US. Under the republican congress we haggled over Clinton’s private life while Osama grew. Of course now republicans want “unity.” If Jesus Christ were to run for president as a democrat, he would be stripped of dignity, slandered and ridiculed. The King James version of the Holy Bible would be interpreted completely different to support spin doctors versions of political issues. Pro choice is not pro abortion. And don’t you think gay’s have had enough? Isn’t getting beat up in high school adequate punishment? Do we really have to find another way to beat them down? Can’t we just let them have one concession, then get on with solving real problems, starting with campaign finance reform? Instead of preventing an increase in minimum wage with endless debate and stonewall, why don’t we cut just one special pork barrel project or favor to obscenely rich corporate sleezeball? Just one would finance a dollar an hour raise for every minimum wage worker in America! This would begin a trickle up process.
November 14, 2004 Yo. Got the route for the Strawberry river challenge. Twenty six miles on mountain bike, eight hour canoe trip. Nuff said. Twenty bucks. Call me, this is gonna rock. April 2005. Strawberry River is a precious resource. Wonderful little river. Made supper watching the American Music Awards. Not a lot of rock. As usual. I do chickens and broth a lot, I put chicken broth in all my dishes. High energy. Tomorrow is maintenance, quite a bit. I’m gonna ride, too, even if it’s only a few miles. Rebel River Adventures will rule someday. I need to email CATT, I need a picture of her and CHARMAINE together(FIREBOX—EROSION—LIVE MUSIC). So much to tell you, so much… I’m thinking about checking out Poplar lounge, they have an amateur night similar Stage Stop. Probably a better crowd, I don’t like to jump ship, but I hear things. SWITCHFOOT presented an award, I saw them on Beale, cool night. My stage name is Warren Peace. My ten favorite bands of all time are: TESLA, THE CULT, BADLANDS, CREED, VAN HALEN, OZZY, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, LYNCH MOB, and GRATEFUL WHITE LION SNAKE DEAD RATT CRUE. SKID ROW and BRUCE DICKINSON hit deep. BLACK CROWES take me there. DOKKEN, DIO, AC/DC, and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS have niches in my psyche. POISON, KIX, and SAMMY HAGAR were incredible opening acts. The other day some dumbass kid told me with certainty that VAN HALEN sucked. I told him to get off the XBOX and go to a f****n’ party.
November 13, 2004 Back to Hardly. Finished in midtown, lined up a few things for December, pow wowed with a friend, cyber shout Steve. At Moro we reclaimed a corner of an old farm house, thinning old fig clumps, lower branches on pecan, elm, pine, and apple. Rudy has potential there if he would just do it. Build something. Just do it Rudy. This is your chance to get your shit together. But you heard it all on the trip back. Geezer sure was glad to see me. Mom is gone to Koshkonong Missouri with friends. Debby is in the deer woods with Mike. I don’t know where the hell Rodney is. Jammed hard at Ridges, fingers sore. Hoarse from screaming. Peace.
November 11, 2004 .Got the job mostly done today around the rain. Had to run to Mulch Works. Always good to see Theresa and Brooke. They are the real deal, Ya’ll, doing a little more to save this damn planet. CyberKudos. Rudys hopped up, he wants to go to Flashbacks. John Calipari sat next to us at Blues City. The sunset over Shelby Farms was awesome two nights ago, peach and lavender. Downpour on Sycamore View, mustangs wrecked on a Bradford pear by Ruby Tuesday and in the median on Sam Cooper. I guess it’s Moro tomorrow, Rudy has a farm. Rudy helped me trim several dozen Bradford pears here in Memphis several years ago. I remember it was real hot, and a trip to the Gold Club. Now we’re gonna play play shoot the bud cap at the lampshade, a game I used to play with David Thompson, still officially the best helper Rebel tree Care ever had. Cyber thanks Dave, Let’s hit the Buffalo this March. I guess it’s Playita Mexicana. Fortune Inn kinda let me down, First time in eight years. Mosquitos in November, man Gore was right. Fino’s, at Madison and McClean rules! I had bowtie carbonara and prosciutto sandwich. Delisimo. Kudos Fino’s. I’d love to play Vino’s in Little Rock.
November 10. 2004 Feeling heavy good. How many trees have I done the last two days? Oh, God, let’s see, I think I told you about six or seven red oaks and whatever, the next day was six or seven more, with cherry and gum for good measure. I’m talking an average working height of fifty and forty feet, times of sixty. Today was three hackberries, two cedars, a huge red oak ten feet from plate glass French doors, fences, screened in porch, wires, Japanese maples. Oh yeah, a crepe myrtle and a juniper. Checked out The Memphis Grizzlies at the FED Ex forum. Kobe Bryant made an incredible shot at the end of the first quarter. Jason Williams kicked ass as the Griz’ romped for a win against the defending national conference champions. Rudy was hungry so we jammed to Blue’s city for ribs. I guess I missed the Stage Stop this time, maybe not yet, but it’s like this, Tree trimming pays my bills, and when I sing up there I’m wide awake till five am, not good for the next day. Not going Tuesday night really showed in my work today. I was going tonight because they get started earlier on Acoustic night, it’s not as intense, but we went with the game. Tomorrow it’s a willow oak, six or seven crepe myrtle, over a dozen Junipers, rain or shine. I want to check the weather, but Real Time with Bill Maher is on. Fascinating. Peace.
November 8, 2004 Yo. Good pruning in Kirby Oaks, Memphis, Tennessee. Proper pruning on six, seven red oaks, river birch, sassafrass, mulberry, boxwood. Tommorrow more of same at same address. John and Sue DeWald have a place in Hardy. I trimmed all these trees eleven years ago, doing it again. Minnesota doesn’t have Randy Moss, and fumbled the first snap of the game for a 28 yard loss. Got a full week of pruning lined up. Stage stop tomorrow night. Tired. Peace.
November 5, 2004 Sunshine. Estimates. Took Tami to eat lunch at Fajolis across from the courthouse in Ash Flat. Pretty good, it used to be Souperman’s but changed format a little with the same owner. Highland’s last football game is tonight. Got the windshield on the van replaced. It was like somebody wacked it. This was over a year ago.The vans almost cherry now! Can’t wait to post a picture of Geezer. He’s my buddy, who happens to be a dog. Geezer is a woman pleaser. People have asked me how my band FIREBOX(EROSION-Live Music) is doing, and I’m like I was never really in FIREBOX, close, but I’m not ready to get along with others. Charmaine and Catt are supercharged, yugo girl women, lovely supercharged women, and it was all so new to me trying to be in a real original band, and a series of practices went sour, I met Tami, then Candy quit(I think she’s at ASU), now Mike needs a bass player and I’ll have to think with the bass, what a horrible feeling that would be screwing Mike up on stage. The one time I joined in on house of the rising sun, it went ok. Then I played Cylops. I need to at least get Gerry Moss to run through the originals. Check out broadjam.com search for Mike Gray. Listen to mp3’s or read bio’s of each song. Mike has ten or twelve songs on there, FOREVER AND A DAY, BACK ROAD RIDER, NEVER AGAIN BE BLUE, NIGHT BIRD, STILL RUNNING. AIN’T NO GRAVE, MORNING LOVER, and more. I’ve been printing early chapters of FORESTER. The excerpts I’ve posted lately as I write them will be in the neighborhood of pages 105- 125. JOKERS probably around there too. Doing my set at Ridge’s tomorrow. Probably won’t bother with PANADOX, maybe, but this time I’m gargling salt and lemon, the whole bit. Nasal is not cool. But I wanna get some mike time to practice for STAGE STOP next week. Love, ALAN VAN WILLIAMS
November 2, 2004 Storm damage. I oughta name a band that. Red oak. Black Jack oak. Red oak. Heavy. Heavy stuff. Lotsa chips. More calls from the street. Winnebago circle, Cherokee Village, and Okmulgee drive. I used to live on Okmulgee. At the end of a long smooth stretch of pavement, part of the incline. I would ride a skateboard from the John Cooper mansion past where the entrance to Los Indios is now. I could also ride a board continually through the townhouses all the way past either bridge. Slow and sure, I rode motorcycles then too, ranging far on Hodaka road toad. When I was eleven I would ride a ten speed from Hardy to Cherokee many times. We had a nice bass boat, I could catch lunker bass, and ski’d all the time. We visited Wilderness Point campground on Lake Norfork. We caught stringers of crappie, we caught decent catfish, I dove off Big E. Craig jumped off the highway bridge in a wet suit. I have decided that cold Spring River and a canoe are all I need for recreational action every day of the summer. Add in late spring and early fall. Everyone needs to get on the river at least a little in the winter. The raw nature of it shocks you. Stark beauty, cold, pure, fish fueled adrenalin. Novices can enlist a flatbottom boat for little or nothing often. This is more stable, less prone to overturn. People are like, “we never turned over, we just shot underwater, we’s still in it, it never did turn over.” I’m like, “how did you get the water out?” They’re like, “we turned it over to dump the water out.” I’m like “then you turned over.”
November 1, 2004, Rain. Lot’s. Still working though, a little storm hit Cherokee Village, had a black jack oak on a gas tank and air conditioner, An elm partially uprooted, and a red oak with the top blown out and two cracked and hanging branches. Don’t want to climb until the rain slackens at least. It’d be safe enough, tie in at the top of the ladder, lower two branches over a crepe myrtle and tiny dogwood. The city stopped and helped, thanks boys, the beast almost got stuck. Rudy’s back with me, I’ll be riding his short red headed ass in Memphis. But all this rain is headed there; I probably won’t go for a couple more days.
October 31, 2004 Rain. Fog. Made it back from Swifton. What a reunion,My sister Debby met Mike at this club, then called Bob King’s King of Clubs, Mark Fender sat in on Bass, he’s fresh from Amsterdam, playing with Tony Spinner. Steve Wilson of Wilson Pickett showed his stuff on guitar. Jack carried unfamiliar songs with rhythm guitar, John Brown kept his mastery of the songs by crisp and innovative drumming. His white tux shirt played well on video. Getting drummers on video is difficult sometime. With a big screen tv sidestage to use, I was able to try different live angles. Mike was having a wonderful time at his old stomping grounds. Debby was dressed as Martha Stewart, Mike as a jail Warden. Geezer was there! Once again Stan’s bar-b-que of Imboden delivered the goods! I saw legendary Highland athlete Steve Allen. He married Debi Fowler another great highland player. Steve was the man at wide receiver for at three district championships in football, all state centerfielder for a state champion baseball team, Debi was a starter in basketball on a team that I think one district and almost State, I know lost very few games. I met their son, they know Stan and Teri at Stan’s Barbeque. Rianna was cute in her genie costume, but Roxy stole the show as a drummer. My boys Throttle packed Copper Feather, I figure that was wild.
October 29, 2004 Got a good mountain bike ride in. Really putting together some rides with canoe trips and shows. I can guide the mountain bikers, and the first twenty to prepay get so much. VIP treatment. For fifty bucks the first twenty will get a full bike ride from Highland Arkansas, to either the Spring, Southfork, or Strawberry rivers. Each is a special stream, we will take meandering routes, and at the end of the trip is Live Music(Erosion). Catering, too, Free camping, and another ride and trip the next morning? The potential is there, all the best reasons, get in shape, enjoy Ozarks Outdoors, enjoy effin’ freedom, dude.I want chicks riding, they need to keep those asses firm for us men, huh, guys. Three deer are browsing fifty yards from my house. MIKE plays at Bob King’s King of Clubs, Swifton, Arkansas tomorrow night. PANADOX will run behind, I may go as my safely locked away Halloween alter ego spoiled rock star Kill. Looks like Memphis Monday, I’ve got a two day job in Kirby Oaks, and probably midtown, too. Keeping the flame, proper pruning. You know that makes me a success, is I’ve done it right since 89, proper pruning with dedication. I am the man. The other blowhards are pretenders, they either use spikes to prune, make improper stub or flush cuts, charging premium prices for substandard work. And bucket trucks, they cannot be used but rarely to trim an entire tree. I think cause I’ve got long hair some people are like he does drugs or whatever, but that’s just a distraction from hard truth. I do it right. I always have. That’s why I don’t need to knock on doors or even let the pretenders think they are even competitors. I have few peer in tree trimming. Rebel Tree Care—the more you look, the better WE look.(See Rebel Tree Care mission statement, general contract.)
October 28, 2004 Rain. String in progress FORESTER(rebelword) Demos helped Fin construct a world map Scotia traced and erased lines and curves big quill feathers ashimmy. The aviary at OakHome held and traded incredible birds. Mark described their plumage to Scotia, Fin and company. “Grandest feathers so lush to cause a hush when fanning. OakGnaw had nice specimens. SongofthePoor though, had them for baubles. My goal when traveling back from OakGnaw was to make Songof thePoor. I knew I could find a ride back to Egypt from SongfthePoor. Drinking bouts in SighGone, Manila and Tie-one complicated travel arrangements. Never ever go to ShangHi.” Fin touched the map. “You say TokeYo is attainable from MidWay in one quarter moon.” “Yes, either by ship or outrigged canoe. Fin stroked the canvas map cloth, thinking before showing Scotia where to make a stroke, “Hawaii, then is indeed a sailor’s dream. “Dancing girls wear skirts of grass, Surfers roast pig, ‘tis a gnarly scene.” All aboard were incredulous, Lady Jonos challenged him, awe stricken, “you have truly been to Hawaii?” Demos closed his eyes in bliss, The land is truly ShangriLa. Fin was incredulous, “all this time you did not tell me you had visited Hawaii as a younger man.” Demos laughed, “Well most of us had never been to Troy, Kievin, LinenGrade, Key West, Rock Island, OakHome, Cordoba, even ConCrete, there was no time for such.” Fin pretended to be irritated with Mark, “we could have constructed this map a year sooner if I had known your travels in Orient were that extensive. Placing Hawaii has set un motion some cogs in my mind. Sailing to NorthWay with an option of going for Hawaii becomes, while still not displacing Heavener as destination becomes a viable plan B String in Progress JOKERS(rebelword) Quickly TeriYaki Ace denied the charge. “I seek a parley with Your brethrens Ace to request simply a sojourn to this cathredal of nature. My Island is wealthy, eight Suits share much bullion.” IsleWood Club thought a moment. I will approach my Rank first. My Spade is the least wastrel of us all. He carries full power in Suit. He and I Together will approach Ace. We are forbidden to associate within Rank, But Ace seems to enjoy that we flaunt largely Diamond rule on Pier. His sleeping rebellion will awaken when I paint picture of secret tourism, with untaxed favors exchanging under tables.” Ace was suddenly taken aback, “your fee must figure in.” Seven shook it off, “Just get me a ride to the vicinity. You need not even treat me as lavish guest, just do not back slide Spades, else Ace burn our tongues off with hard hot coals.” Far below Breaking waves crashed on boulders. Seven looked to the sea. “Gather quite an entourage, Bigger the party, less one single faction be tracked. Diamonds solicite aggressively, sending spy’s, with cookies. Enlist gamblers to energize Horse Track. Send exotic Tens that my Jack doth pluck guitar loud. Bring heavy drinkers my Suit will hustle to pour. I care not if they spend real favor in Mall.” Ace nodded, “just the sort of people I like to travel with. I, however, know how to distribute Favor and Token. If you weren’t so wanted right now I could take you to the TeriYaki clubhouse and show you how we do things.” “I have seen your dancing Tens, at this moment that is all that will stop me from laying as low as only I can.” Ace laughed quietly, suddenly paranoid, “Meet me one mile out from the very end of the point at midnight. There will be Tens aboard.”
October 27, 2004 String in progress FORESTER(rebelword) Tor paced or climbed rigging, longing for land or action. He had a habit of shouting deep and loud in winds, Fin allowed the occasional whoop. Aruba took to chanting high in netting. Deep in quarters or cabin gamers shook dice, elaborate card games occupied many. Everyone kept sponges handy and swabbed moisture to squeeze in the pail each break. Trolling a variety of lures brought Jay and Mel tasty tidbits and crazy creatures. Decks often lit with squid or a net full of see through shiners or fire eyes. Fog set in. Now Fin stewed, sponges, mops, bucket brigade. Canoes inverted above sheltered emergency samples of most ship’s pantry items. Slow going and calm sea brought scouts to grabbing canoes and taking soundings ahead of the ship. Relay ladders pushed paddlers to excel, Cro, Hel, Jay and Gil competed hard. Earnest told of kayaks with outriggers he said were reportedly sailing from Scot’sLand for Hawaii. The trek was said charted pure north. Shangrila in steaming mountain jungle two moons of good speed from any mainland. Fin wondered what Hawain wood must be like, “I reckon if it’s coconut trees, I hear tell they have no branches. The coconut is a dense shell, I would hope the wood be srong though, a journey that long would need repair. I could not imagine taking a small craft. Demos had seen Japanes outriggers moving at incredible speed. Two hundred knots a day with no sail power. Eagle helmets flared to catch favoring winds. String in Progress(Jokers-rebelword) Staking the place out was easy enough. Some might have considered it tough, but rocks overlooking entrances put Seven at ease awhile. He napped in warm sun, the a jangly Jack Club rode up on a pony, opened doors with keys, then bumbled away like an idiot. Seven snuck to the house, spying two Nether Black Sevens. One was hissing of authority to another, Club eluded detection. Both Clubs, Nether Sevens argued, “the IsleWood yacht was searched by Nether marshall, she was not found.” “What do we tell our Rank in Shire and Odd?” IsleWood Seven calmy strolled behind them, “you Ten is Safely en route to Sam.” Acquantiance was made, secret greetings and handshakes, credentials. “ I’m kind of a war hero, and since I ain’t too smart account of it, I get to drink for free. It’s like welfare.” Nether Sevens bussed tables. A Seven controlled Yacht would loop too drop Seven a big swim from IsleWood. A TeriYaki Ace Club seemed oddly intent on sailing to IsleWood, even though stricken from ocean voyage by governing suits. IsleWood Seven met TeriYaki Ace. Both Clubs appraised the other in slow conversation. Ace was tense coming to a proposition. “I suppose you will wash ashore, arrange to be found passed out, and your absence and will be excused, you will not speak for a moon, and trifling news of a Nether Jail Break will filter in from the occasional drunk traveler or pigeon list.” Seven was impressed. Seven was careful, “what will you ask me to do? For what unholy cause?” Ace shrugged innocently. “I trust you are good terms with IsleWood Ace Spade?” “ Ihad better be, else he flay me deftly.” TeriYaki Ace nodded, “you travel in famed Woods?” “Sure en route to chores or fishing, rarely without express permission.” “Ah, but you do at times without permission,” “I will not incriminate myself here, but on occasion of Seven emergency or Fishing Urgency occasionally I appear to the Ace in surprise. It is just life.” “What other characters on IsleWood have this kind of freedom?” Seven smiled, thinking of beloved IsleWood, well besides any Spade, of course, Fours Heart and Club might trot down Thousand Steps early light to bring news. Diamond must never. Four Diamond must wait for Spade attendant.” Ace or King Heart or Club might not be terrored, but might. I would never let Ace catch me bending a twig or breaking dead wood for a fire way cross the island in marsh. If you plan some evil harvest of Forest I will battle you here and now.” Quickly TeriYaki Ace denied the charge. “I seek a parley with Your brethrens Ace to request simply a sojourn to this cathredal of nature. My Island is wealthy, eight Suits share much bullion
October 26, 2004 String in progress FORESTER(rebelword) Demos fondly recalled whole seasons studying in OakGnaw. “ Prominent folks loved flower viewing parties. Cherry blossoms floated like sea stars.Tree-flower blooming-princess was a woman of great beauty. Men rich and poor favored healthy cherry trees. Flower party was a sign of great passion and success. The forest was groomed, roots strong and protected. Mountain gulches thick with trees caught most storm water, slowly saturating deeply to absorb most storms. To cut cherry back harshly was considered unwise. In some provinces angry deadly fights ensued over cutting a tree improperly. “He who grows a tree should not forget to cultivate the roots, that road dust be eliminated. And newts abound. Owls shake blooms when they glide through flower parties. Creeks meander and trickle. Tiny maples seclude lovers or mourners. Log houses rise on stilts into forest canopy, or nestle tiny hewn cellar castles in roots five hundred years old.” String in Progress(Jokers-rebelword) Seven Club knew nothing of proceedings. He ate raw sand crabs and contemplated a rocky point. Oh, to take a pony prancing footloose down cobblestone. To saunter and dance with TeriYaki Tens. Curse Black, dirt poor and dirt caked, curse red, vain and sterile, proper and polite. Ten had told him of a Seven fort house, though frequently raided, often checked my sneaking Rank. High on a bluff, the building offered a sure means of escape for a high diver with luck. Seven Club watched rocky surf ruefully, luck was a primary trait of both his Suit and Rank. The sea would claim him if the boulders saw fit, but no Nether Joker would throttle or cage.
October 25, 2004 Rain. String in progress FORESTER(rebelword) Demos took to whittling ducks from cotton wood samples Kip Miller stored. Kristen painted the plump decoy teal, Hel Hunter marveled at the symmetry, “Vee flocks will point to this duck for grand surprise. The down will fly like snow!” Demos sat fireside, black eyes shining. “A grand eagle with a bald head, nested in the very tree these ducks are carved from. When we feast on ducks we will inherit vision as a bird. When we feast on OakHome deer, we will be swift, we will be strong, we will be wary.” Mark stood as a long legged wading bird on one foot, “When we have the balance of the crane,” he switched stances smoothly, “or the cat, the strength of bow, dark vision, when we ride a fat horse, or twist like a crocodile.” He carried on demonstrations until exhausted, vitality carrying long evenings. Waking early, Demos cleaned and accomplished mundane chores his fair share. Fin welcomed morning conference and candle light too. Any excursions or adventures would be escorted by Demos. Demos was invincible, Demos uncanny in battle, invisible, silent mover, fearsome fighter. Sarah showed her red moccasins high in bright sunlight: “My wonderful boots do shimmer and shake When I do my snake dance. I leave no footprints when I sneak across your sand. Puppy love behind a log. Finest hemp lace doth hug my lovely ass Finest fur doth tickle my pretty chin Fawn skin protects my nipples My mammoth horn scepter keeps me pure.”
YoYo. Birds are singing. I wish I knew what kind. This one look likes a woodpecker or sapsucker I think is a flicker. I t has a cluck kind of like a squirrel. Mockingbird has many calls, they sound like cats a lot. No blue jays here, that’s another song. Bob White quails are a favorite. Whipporwills, too, certain seasons. Crows fly through, and give alarm when I walk to the pond. Now a finch I think and sparrows or wrens warbling sweetly or chirping quick. Cardinals, dove, even pigeons here in Highland. Crickets strum this warm autumn evening. Blue still shows in western sky. Deer standing in fields hundreds of yards away, Cow swishing through Blackberry thorns and dead pokeweed. Geezer got bit pretty good by booger red. Gray squirrels scurry. God I wish I knew what birds make what sound. The more I listen, I hear layers of chip chirping, infrequent warbles and calls. Now the highway. Booger red wines again. Need to get back to work, One more light week coming up, then off to Memphis. Jan is booking up fairly fast, I look to overbook it because some usually cancel. I want to trade someone who knows a lot about birds to help with educational canoe tours. I know most trees, not all. I know very little about non woody plants, weeds and ferns. I know water lilly, and I know we’ve been invaded by a weed that covers gravel bars. I guess it’s always been there, but this century has been back hoed and bull dozed with no regard of silt runoff. These Ozark forests that retain our water and hold back soil, are almost gone. Salamanders, the canary in the coal mine for our streams, are all but extinct. Still, prominent construction projects literally on the banks of these precious waterways almost flaunts any concern for the water whatsoever. Riparian and Buffer area are routinely massacred for lack of any vision at all of potential uses and values for streamside erections. (No pun intended.) Now I know lot’s of good folks make their living with cows and logs. I don’t mean these people any bad, but here’s my plan if I was king, to save my rivers. Ban logging. Ban cattle farms. Enforce sediment and erosion control standards. I won’t add little subsets and conditions on these three simple rules. It’s just like Hacky Sack, there are things you do not do. Progress is over rated
October 24, 2004 4 am. Can’t wait till 4:20. I’m hoarse. Just left a party at Garret’s. He reserved a huge table at the bar for a birthday party. There was no birthday just the party. Mike killed again(of course). Mike Wicker from Saber filled in on Bass very well. Cyber Kudos wick. Tami is breathing deeply, I think she’s out. Sometime she wakes up with goo on her, and I’m like what? Then she’s like, go to hell, and I’m like I gotta get some sleep, I was up all night. Again Panadox complimented the show nicely. I got great video of Lauren wailin’ with her baby videos behind. Wild man TC sat in, Scottie beamed us up. Ma and Pa’s, West Plains Misery. Good ruben, good shrimp, pretty waitresses. The cardinals were projected on a screen in the pool room(they lost, but it’s just game one). Tami’s having a good dream, time to join her. Peace.
October 23, 2004 Hey now. Urine all star. Get your game on. Killer time at Ma and Pa’s, West Plains Missouri. Fabulous building, construction is making the club huge. Nice roomy stage for THE MIKE GRAY BAND. Panadox projections fit well with band lighting. The room is long and narrow, the video at Mike’s shoulder showed busy but subtle all night. Lauren wailed her but off, and a segment of video showed her as a small child in various moods and stages of undress. Most of the crowd was with the band, Garret lives in Mammoth Spring, we partied. Food at Ma and Pa’s was real good, but I lost my fried chicken salad around two thirty. We’re worried about Bruce, Wicker from Saber is filling in at bass tonight, SEE you at Ma and Pa’s just south of West Plains. I hope to post links to Mike’s site here soon. I was pumped from getting a huge dead red oak on the ground. the tree leaned heavily over a house. the removal endangered two houses I needed a perfect drop, two four wheel drives pulled it over.
October 22, 2004 Jim Edmonds is the man! The home run in game six, the diving catch in game seven. Jokers string in progress: Jack Diamond and Eight Club sat entertained by dancers and maidens. Drunken and raucous, Jack slapped Ten’s asses, offering his Seven Rank to many. When the search party spilled into the club, Jack defiantly drew a sword. By the time things cooled down Jack stood, detained once again by emergency King’s council. Nether King Diamond pulled him aside. “I will take care of this for you great nephew, in return for a tree.” Jack was doubtful, “It will be Civil War.” Nether Diamond hissed to him, “do you wish to regain IsleWood with some semblance of riches?” Jack wavered distressed, “I will do this thing, but you must contribute greatly. I must be treated as highest royalty, I must be supplied with armed and dangerous Jack or Joker to act as my Seven and page, and I must be entertained fully with great deals on the finest of every good or service for a quartermoon.” King Diamond smiled ruefully, “done.” Four Heart met with Nether Ace Heart to convey greetings or exchange letters and papers. Eight Club addressed the group quickly, encouraging travel to IsleWood. He praised, Track, Club, and Hotel, promising his Suit would cater well. Ten Spade surprised everyone by taking podium to announce clearly, that new policies allowed limited visitation of Woods. “Hike or camp in ancient Forest, sounds and hushes not often felt by civilization.” Smile on beautiful face, Ten presented pretty cousin Ten Club, “We will assist anyone in planning a getaway.
October 21, 2004 Rain two mornings in a row. Not much. Could have worked, but conditions have to e perfect for this job. Huge dead red oak leaning. Putting together Panadox presentation for Charmaine(Erosion—Live Music). Girl power. Charmaine of FireBox requested a presentation(or maybe I suggested it) . So I put all these goddess scenes from old movies and the animated seventies movie Heavy Metal(sorry fbi it’s nonprofit, trust me). Sprinkled with some of my best rhythmic oils and waterfalls. One to three minute segments. Still having problems getting my thinkpad to extend onto my television. I’ve done it, but have some new powerpoint I want to put on VCR. Cyber Kudos to the Boston Red Sox. What a story. And the St Loius Cardinals, what a story. I hope the Cards win tonight. I remember seeing a Cardinals Astros game live in Busch stadium as a child. Cesar Cedeno slammed the wall catching a near home run. He was wearing a batting helmet. One time Tug McGraw tossed us a ball. One time at an Arkansas Travelers game in Little Rock, Me and a buddy were sitting about ten rows behind the third base dugout. I got up to get a beer or piss, but on the bottom row is two chicks I knew, so I ‘m talking to them, and everybody’s hollering at me. Just in time I see the popup heading right for my face, tight stitching and all. Ducking quickly instead of lunging for the ball like most fans. A foul ball was quite a souvenir. Anyway it bounced real high and came down exactly where I had been before. My friend Rod caught it straight up. One time at a Memphis Redbirds game a Buddy Learch was selling huge budwiesers in the lobby behind first base. The first basemens name was peebles or peeples, I forget which. So, naturally after a couple big ass beers, everytime the other team grounds out, I’m like, “that’s my peeples!” The whole park was kind of wondering who the hell’s yelling that? Is that rascist? People actually dug it overall, and Learch had to close up in the seventh, so we jammed to Beale. One time at a THIRTY EIGHT SPECIAL concert things were crowded frontstage. Some tall guys had a chick doing something for only the band to see. From the circle comes a whiskey bottle straight up, real high toward the ceiling, then slowly dropping back down. I was hypnotized or something, but kept staring at the bottle till it was like I could read the label. Somehow I ducked, felt a blow on the back of my head, then the bottle fell beside my feet to break on concrete. One time at band camp, my flute was all gooey. Gotta go. String in progress FORESTER(rebel word) Slowly Fin formulated a plan for moving on. Up to a moon here, planning and organizing really in depth. Cordoba would be the only stop between here and Nile bay. If King Dominos be there, such a party would ensue. Castles at ConCrete might be empty. Priests atop pyramids blanketing fertile flat river plain now negotiated last deals for sacrificial offerings. Boat folks paddled or rowed hasty groups, angry squatters lit torches wading. Such was gathered from the miners, who operated a web of pony messengers on the the mainland, delivering public news a few days late. Smoke signals, drums, even reflective glass, though bright sun was rare these days of rain and fog. Boats unused became shelter above board. Mutton and fine wool fueled feast and foul weather. Open Sea greeted Fin so chill. Practised movements of crew about ship set well. Supplied and refreshed, Cedar ship with apple wood decks and bronze sheeted hull flew flags of ConCrete, Canaan, Egypt, and Melos. A vast arc began, clear and cold. Moon and stars lit black water, blue water stretched days. With no shore leave, more fishing and climbing to watch. Sightings of whales and birds always increased, though Fin allowed no harpooning excursions now. Canoes were turned up to harvest rain water, chickens prowled silage for tiny scraps. Dane the huge dog took his place by the bridge, Fin and Earnest welcomed the intelligent animal trained well by Ork and Family. The dog sensed his calling to protect Fin and crew, leaving home, though wrenching, now washed away by duty. Mark Demos sat with the dog to watch and sniff breezes long hours. Tireless sentries comforted the crew, whenever they turned in daily chores, Demos and Dane were studying, watching, listening, sniffing. Lady Jonos watched Mark Demos hold nose high in study. “Do not joke, you cannot smell that well.” Demos smiled to her, “your lilac wash will run short before Cordoba. Please report to Fin a dead whale bloated ahead.” Is it true you cut King Kievin nature trail?” Demos smiled “Any youth of OakGnaw would understand such tree principles. We must resist temptation to palm strike dead branches, for the force may tear living tissue. Wire cutting saws take patience, which must be cultivated for mastery of any art.” A great stench came upon them, Cro called from above, “whale floating bloated just port.”
October 19, 2004 Worked on upper Spring River this morning. Dead elm; saw others. God ya’ll the river just felt so good. It’s up a little, lots of feature. A lot in my head… Here is the string in progress JOKERS(rebel word) Four saw him but said nothing. Eight pondered at helm. Jack menaced Tens. They led him below. Eight sounded Four with scenarios, “she was illegal.” Four held quiet a moment, then spoke clearly, soft, as Hearts do. “By some laws, but who is to say?” Eight squirmed in worry, “She was a Nether Diamond. A vanquished, banished Nether Diamond, but a Nether Diamond she was.” “She an IsleWood Seven, a more irritating, replaceable character we’ve not seen in awhile.” Four scanned ahead through glass scope. Multiple sails arrayed to detain them sported numerous flags. Eight banged cabin door to rouse Jack. Jack Stumbled above board, strapping vest of crossbow bolts. Eight dropped sail to stall the encounter. Finally the armada neared and formed broken circle. Red Diamond sails, in diamond patterns dominated most boats. All were long yachts built on Sam. Dark wood of Sam trees gave strange grain patterns to hulls. Eight was surprised to see so many, just last season such boats were rare. Eight and Four hoped the demand for IsleWood trees would lessen if such lumber could become common. Not the case, they were informed later, these yachts had brought some lumber back to Nether and Shire to ease construction material shortages, but such an expedition had yet to be duplicated. A marshall flagged them, recognizing Eight. “Ho IsleWood Eight Club! We will board you. Stand.” Jack stepped up, “You will not board us without good cause.” The Marshal, an Odd Jack Club, bade circle tighten. “Have you any Sevens?” Eight and Jack both shook negative, “we do not traffic illegal Rank.” Odd Jack stepped aboard to confront Eight and Jack, “then you do not mind if I take a look?” Jack studied him, henchmen stood ready and watchful. “This is invasion.” Odd Jack sneered, preparing to search, “Islwood Diamonds should know well of police intrusion.” Jack sneered in blooming superiority, “watch yourself Odd Club. My suit wields power you know not.” Odd Jack held a hand to stifle impatient gestures by his henchmen, uniformed Jokers and and a scribbling scribe. “Islewood has no real power in international water, though you sit on vast resources to enrich you greatly, do not permit even a selective harvest of your forest. Then you have no power.” One Joker attempted to enter the stairwell, but was shoved aside roughly by Jack. “You do not govern us.” Odd Jack held a hand high, wiggling slightly to tighten a partial ring of soldier around Jack and Eight. Though Jack held a staff stout, and was lightning quick with the bow, he could not prevail against so many. Eight, weaponless, beseeched, “If we consent to search, how do we know of your truthful report. Do you operate by a code of ethics? Who do you report to?” Odd Jack spoke, watching Jack close, “Eight Nether Kings council each morning. We are held accountable for all police actions.” Eight held Jack’s shoulder, “let them check our cargo, Good Diamond, let them keep Ten’s panties for treasure.” “I will not allow this,” Jack announced defiantly. Odd Jack nodded in circular motion, “I do not wish to cause great bloodshed. In the interest of diplomacy, we will compromise, or some of us will die. I will send a man below. He need not search your effects for opium, simply establish that no Seven be stowed away. Then we will escort you to Nether Royal Hall, to present under formal detention. You will not appear as a prisoner, but as diplomat.” Eight struggled to convince Jack such agreement was favorable, Finally Jack conceded. The search was conducted, the escort assembled, and yachts made way to Nether Harbor.
Sevens swam two full days. No rain quenched thirsts, no fish or bird quelled hunger pains. Scarves did indeed prove useful as sun shades for head and face when floating long hours. Uncanny instinct led them to a shrubby point off Nether’s mountainous coast. Cliff side verandas held patio partiers and loungers. One police yacht patrolling the coast was easily avoided. On tiny beach Club enjoyed fondling and stroking lithe Diamond. She was worried, “we must not be discovered, I am banished here, banished there, my only hope is our Rank of brethren.” “We must not dally caring for ourselves, but make to Jail and case the building for breaking our Sam brothers free.” Diamond knew this homeland well. Finding a tiny trail through willow marsh, they crept along a row of yards fenced behind large estate houses. Occasionally a Ten was spied swinging a Two, or Berigomi Spade glimpsed cleaning inside. “I was a Ten here,” Diamond told infrequently, “usually I used front doors, but toward the end, had to creep this very trail to sneak into back rooms of private parties, or slip away from a handsome King ere dawn.” Though shrubs low, and now trees concealed from above, little pig trails served slithering Sevens well. Dark found them viewing rear of Royal House. Barred windows at one corner held four Sevens, duskier skinned natives of Sam. What charge and circumstance had brought far ranging boaters to a dank prison mattered not. Club studied long patterns about the court, scouting for tools to aid the break Diamond found a chain. With sudden rush they decided, to steal a team o ponies. First, under cover of full dark, Sam canoes were found, a quick headbut from Club and the watchman was asleep for hours. Canoes and paddles readied and concealed, the pair crept behind taverns and hospices, IsleWood Jack Diamond staggered drunk with Tens under each arm. He slurred vain curses of his treatment. Ponies quietly secured, most Sevens had good ways with horses, the time was ripe for the break. Pub goers still cursed and giggled, back doors still banged with cleanup, a dropped chain or scuffing horse shoe would cause no alarm. Quickly the jail was breached, window and frame simply jerked asunder to twist and gape. Quickly Sam Sevens poured out. Quicker still the group made through shadow to the boats. When officials arrived, horses pranced down dark ways, and shouts began to grow. Club saw them off. He kissed Diamond, “you owe,me beautiful Ten.” Joyous Sam Sevens burst into paddling form, quietly gaining speed to hit open harbor. continuing the string from FORESTER(Rebel Word) A glorious reunion ensued. Most were lifelong friends, Ork and his family were dearly missed, not only scrict disciplined chores, but social interaction, meals and study. Ork and family marveled at furs of OakHome, gorged on squirrel and rabbit, shared mutton and eel. Great industry was begun, Lap joined merry miners in new metal founding. Secure and warm in underground homes, mariners rested deeply. Merry were fires. Sentries called or smoked, tapped or beat. Knitters Knitted, Weavers weaved, Pelter Pelted, Bob Feller took a big tree down. Sarah strummed harp briskly, singing:
“I used to drink till the sun came up and whatever else. Honored guest can do no harm Smashing glass, but no servant was cut Hot in a toga in a pool steaming HOT in a chariot sweating I used to be hot, the hottest guest around.”
Sarah would play simple melody all day. She responded to ebb and flow of gatherings instantly. Children spun in circles around her. Men could not help but feast eyes on her. Women loved and admired her, though many feared her wanton flaunting. Even animals approached Sarah, even when not singing. Sarah missed her gay brother Peter, and Firestone the dog, early journey riders. He had accompanied Sarah at concerts in ConCrete, MeLos, LesBos, Troy, Mara Mar. The logger camp on the Black Sea coast near Transylvania was a strange place to abandon ship. A dog like FireStone would help. The dog could tell blood type. Once on a battlefield FireStone had saved dozens of lives by identifying blood types. FireStone had many useful skills, enough for a book. Slowly Fin formulated a plan for moving on.
October 18, 2004 Rain. Thunder and lightning. Another piddling day, but I sure like them. The last few years have been rough, lot’s of work. Time to pace myself. Especially in autumn. Crows call outside. Check out Broadjam.com. Search artists for Mike Gray. Load his songs. Enjoy. The songs are great, but live is where Mike really shines. He connects with live audiences like nobody else. Maybe because he is a real person, no poser, he’s got soul, a way about him that puts concertgoers at ease. He is a showman off stage too, entertaining those around him with spoken word and busy mind. Check out this great artist broadjam.com. We can end canoe trips with this band starting a show. We can be VIP guests, often taking the stage to jam, generally included in the mix. Rebelriver.com. Winds gust outside.Now sun cuts choppy clouds. Cows are quiet now, all night they seethed in groaning lusts or whatever. I hear a donkey often, the dam thing has a lot of sex. It’s depressing when I’m single. Need to call gearhead outfitters, Jonesboro. Jason races bikes, he’s the best at fixing them. Gotta get something done. Yo.
October 17, 2004 Wow! I’ve been backroading. I never realized that I live within five miles of three separate extraordinary resource waterways. I’ve got all these mountain bike challenges planned. We got Timberline restaurant to Strawberry River, w/canoe trip. We got Rebel Records to Southfork River w/canoe trip. Then we got Red Mule to Spring River w/canoe trip, or any variation of the three. We got Rock Creek, we got Pierce Creek, we got Big Creek, we got Ott Creek, Gut creek, and a bunch more I can’t name correctly. Dates for these trips will be posted by dec 15. I expect to start around april 15, a series running to Mid may. After that the Southfork and Strawberry get too shallow, Spring and Eleven point take over as the prime destination again. Tami says Skid Row and Whitesnake were posers. I say they were the real deal. She doesn’t like Tesla, which is usually indicative of how a relationship will go. But we danced on an incredible gravel bar on Strawberry river today, parked at Rock Creek, then held each other close by Spring River. Geezer waded.
October 16, Saturday Continuing the string from JOKERS; Tens topside gossiped amongst themselves. Jack stewed portside brooding. Seven giggled and teased until Eight Club snapped and back handed her into the sea. Quite a row ensued, no one would leap to save her, and late thrown life preserver floated useless hundreds of feet from her. Rigging tangled and jammed, sails remained high Quickly struggling Seven was left behind. Quietly crew and cruisers resumed normal activity. Jack, glad on one level to see Seven go, now worried at the expense incurred funding new Seven. Ace would bitch royally, no matter how the Rank was filled. Eight finished securing rigging and sails, left four to tend bridge, and crept below with pretense of a nap. When he spied between pallet slats, no hidden Seven was there. Seven Club heard commotion. Aching from inaction, body yearning to exercise, he burst from hiding. Unnoticed sneaking deckside, leaped to slice the surface cleanly, plunging deep to hang suspended, floating serenely. Yacht sped away. He could stay submerged for long, he was the best ever known, and when he did rise to sip air only lips and nose broke surface. Then he was floating quietly for many more minutes. Finally a cautious check proved IsleWood yacht truly gone. Still quite low on the surface, Seven scouted for Seven Diamond, she sobbed and floundered in clingy silk to reach the life ring. Currents seemed to push it faster than she could swim. She unwound and shed scarves, sobbing the more desperately. Club swam to her, relishing the amazement on beautiful face. “Keep your finery, pretty Ten, we made need the shade should this turn tough.” With that he swam quickly to retrieve the life ring. Still low in the water as Yacht disappeared, he knew Jack or Eight might still be watching with glass. Four saw him but said nothing. continuing the string from FORESTER; Lovely sarah held hollow wind chimes high in sea winds. Tangled and flailing, bamboo tubes clicked and clacked in infrequent chaos. A little turtle played at her feet. Fin knew the animal a yearling, he mulled predictions and trends, studying maps and charts made or copied from King Dominos. Where he would sail after searching for Ork was still uncertain. Though Got’sLand was fairly safe, Jut’sLand was not. Far north, though safe and abundant, could begin another deep freeze at any time, not a pleasant place for settling. Boah and Mel liked it, meats kept longer chilled. Ham yearned for his father, Paul Fowler helped him keep animals healthy. A pretty white fox received tidbits often. Cro barked: “smoke signal!” A study of the pattern gave hope Ork or family controlled puffs of white smoke dotting in a column before stretching away to fade in gray sky.
October 15, 2004 Rain again. Got a good job done though. We reclaimed some overgrown area, selectively thinning a steep backyard on cliffs above Southfork river. We left redbuds, and well spaced maple and chinkapin oak, even a stand of bamboo and box elder. We also cut a meandering nature trail through rough cedar down the mountain. Fantastic views of lake Thunderbird and Basehart station in Cherokee Village. Ridge has an incredible new set of congas(Erosion—live music.) Pocahontas was kicking Rebel butt on the football field. Tami got cold so we bounced. Ciao.
October 14, 2004 Again wonderful rain. Canceled or postphoned on various jobs for various reasons. May do an estimate. I should get to work on this and add past journals and projects, but like to flow on rainy mornings. This laptop has opened my writing. I always wanted to take one to woods and mountains. I always wanted to play the best parking lot basketball players in the world. And have sex with a pro cheerleader. When I was in school I wrote this story about my Senior Class: tacky, hurtful, snide, only slightly funny. I guess it was my attempt at a National Lampoon type thing, but you had to be in our class to get it. Thing is, I only included about half of the class. So I’d be talking to a less public class member later and there would be this awkward pause. We both knew this person was not included at all in the story. I figure I hurt some feelins with that smart ass story. It’s kind of like when I came home from Little Rock and my Brother Rodney was all, “Dude, you gotta see this video I shot with Mom’s new camcorder!” Our friends were having a back yard rodeo and this rambunctious pit bull kept running and head butting cows. My buddy Dennis was about to rope a cow when the dog, head butting the cow in the blink of an eye, intercepts the lariat with his own head, then runs around like crazy, roped, as Dennis slowly pulls him in and ties his feet like a rodeo calf roper. Incredible stuff, so I’m like, “let’s copy this and send it to America’s funny home videos right, and everybody’s like yeah, so I hook up the camcorder to the vcr, and completely erased the dog roping scene. Still rain pelts. Yeah, that was the end of Panadox for quite a few years. Erosion was still fifteen years from inception. I’m gonna blow some minds when I ever do a real gig. Solo. Loud. Original. W/video(at night). My demo says EROSION w/ PANADOX. I think it’s time to play some. Doing more scales. Geezer jumped off Hardy bridge! Harmony.
October 12, 2004 Still rains fall. But I had called the power company to drop two lines, so I got a little wet pulling a red oak over. Lining up pruning for winter already. Cleaning house and shop. Geezer killed a deer. Here are some strings from awhile back. The first is from FORESTER (see Rebel Word). Locals were afflicted with a scourge. Many dawdled in forest or serf till death took them, some plunged madly from cliffs. Still others twisted in agony for many months, attacking loved ones or caregivers. The cause was wet rye grain. A fungus abounded that ruined attempts at breadmaking or meal. Hungry folks, knowing a danger existed, took a chance, and many were falling, others reeled with visions, or watched patterns of shadow or water with body failing, mind focused horridly on natural patterns and movement. Fin kept Sarah singing, Earnest devised a game of ivory pieces carved from a walrus tusk. On a checked board little armies moved methodically in prearranged capacity. Jet black pieces were chipped from an odd rock found in a trading bundle. Lap and Fin worked on a piece of metal spiraledlike an auger shell, capable of drilling clean pilot holes for tightening planks and inserting pegs.
“Lo, oh,oh,oh, come green point again. Ravens careen, scavengers now Hel won’t you kill me a wild sheep? That we might knit fine Kashmir blanket That we might share coming cold nights? Fresh mutton would do this crew good I could sing for a feast so merry Then use rib bones for a pagan vest. Four hooves might make the legs of a table Grinding teeth weights for fishing lines. Sinew wraps harpoon heads, Gut grips bucket rope when dry and shrunk. And I could sing for a feast so merry.” And now for something completely different. Here is a string from Jokers (Rebel Word). Four Heart stood long in stiff ocean wind. He piloted for Eight Club, soaking in the experience. His Ace would listen many hours of the journey. Four gauged when he should release pigeons. One would be bound for Nether, one home to IsleWood, another, not on public record, was to be a night traveler, carrying secret Seven passwords and developments. This was a tricky maneuver, no one must know, save Seven Club still crouched in hiding. Soon he would dive to swim the dozen knots to a secluded cove in a marshland of Nether. Eight Club took liberties with Seven Diamond. Truly a Ten, she displayed ample charm, Eight gave her favor, promising more. Unlike Jack, he knew of Seven lying flat beneath hemp sheets, and gave the cramping soul a show. Seven Diamond bucked and flailed, moaning mostly in show, possibly so the others on deck could hear her. Fat Eight slammed her with force, shaking the boat, scattering heavy barrels and utensils noisily.
October 10, 2004 Now the festival is over. Deemed a success by the attendees, a little more rain as the last wet tee shirt contest winds down. I ordered a dvd of the whole weekend, bought myself a black Riverside Resort backyard bash shirt, and another for Tami. Sargent’s bbq from Alma served excellent ribs and sandwiches. Saber kept getting better, finally wearing out late after David Alan Coe. That songwriter put on a good slick show, lots’ of talking , rapping, and strange hit medley’s. The band just plain rocked out, carrying the show for dozens of minutes. For an encore they did Leyla. I got a tattoo of the forest of Nottingham, complete with merry men, covering my entire back and left leg(or was that a dream?)
October 9, 2004 The spectacle continues. Never have these Oark hills sounded so many decibels. Mike just rocked another set, this one a little more subdued, he was hoarse from last night, and on Sabers stage set because of this misunderstanding with Sonny. Now at dusk gto blues from little rock can be heard. Me and Tony both took swims. Tony is definitely in his element. He did the keg roll with the bikini wash girl on back, then took her to gulp the hot dog. Everywhere burnouts and loudness. Vendors have done well looks like. Tami has a red ass from where I smacked her. She is drunk and knows what she wants. Gotta go… Wading I saw a kingfisher. The bird seemed shocked I would get in the water. A flock of wild turkeys paraded across the hay field just across Spring River. Security and cops have been real good, friendly. Frisbee, Football, Frisbee football, volleyball, and get this tether ball. Mud wrestling, I saw a canoe. Can’t hear main stage in van, so I guess we’ll have to go up to Kerry Evans cabin. River vibe to all ya’ll in cyberia.
Almost October 9, 2004 Mike Gray delivers the goods again. This festival just rings in reverb. Mike kicked f*****’ ASS. Tattoo contests, wt tee shirt contests, the Harleys in mud. Mike gathered the hard core with southern metal, southern blues, southern gospel, and southern hospitality. Panadox went well, good comments. Tomorrow is a daylight show, so I’m free to party(like I didn’t tonight!). After two days at Riverside I’m on cloud nine, and this is only Friday. Tomorrow is the main deal, Mike should kill again, then GTO blues band from Little Rock, and then legendary songster David Alan Coe. Throttle should have played this. John Brown caught a good sized trout. Collapsing. Peace
FRIDAY October 8, 2004 Rain. This will put a damper on attendance here at Riverside resort. Lot’s of vendors and musicians are here, this rain… What timing, this area hasn’t had a substantial rain in months. This will save for than a few trees. At Riverside classic flush cuts abound. I’ve a feeling it’s the guys who usually leave stubs. I figure Riverside told them not to leave stubs, so they made hundreds of flush cuts. Sometimes I just want to give up on tree codes, I get so tired of telling people about proper pruning and root zones. No television ever tells them about codes and standard of tree care, so I’m often considered a heretic. The Japanese knew things three thousand years ago that American contractors and homeowners still don’t get. We’re wanting to fish, trout and bass are caught heavily in the area. John Brown the drummer is pumped for it. Tommy Gray and Gerry Moss may play with the Mike Gray Band tonight, they take the stage about seven, and I figure the projections will start about seven thirty. I found out there is some sort of server or something also called Panadox. I named a video business that in eighty seven, preempting their copywright by more than ten years, so I’m gonna use the name.
October 7, 2004 Here at Riverside. Saber is sounding pretty cool. They’ve sharpened up in the last few months. This being a David Alan ‘Coe crowd I think they’re playing a little more country than usual. JDs tattoos is rocking metal, but it’s kind of a clash. This is a cool vibe here on spring River. Barbeque from Alma was really good. Mike had to jam to Corning. He’s on the main stage tomorrow night, the bill says throttle twice, I don’t think that’s for sure. I may go put some Panadox up tonight just for kicks. Oh god, I hear a great rumbling… The ground is shaking, can’t think. Here come let’s see, thirty six Harleys and a forty two Indian. I gotta go…I gotta go now!
October 5, 2004 OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!! Skynard Allmans rocked! We rode the Mud Island SHUttle. Visuals were incredible. We met at Tj mulligans and before our food was served I had to jam back to the hotel(forgot the tickets_ Tami was Horny so we almost missed Skynard, got back in time for freebird. A faithful rendition. I don[t know if they did my favorites last rebel and south of heaven. But Allmans had this chromatic live shot that freaked me out. From a seventy five minute whipping post to the encore Leyla, Dicky and the boys layered pure genius all night. ‘the Mississippi was at peace. Mulligan’s had incredible shrimp special. With three percussions, two guitarists, the black guy on bass was awesome, and greg singing strong this band is the ultimate. Tired/ must sleep/
October 4, 2004 Made it to Memphis. Motel 6 made me walk back down to try the key a record six times. No big knock on them I’ve been staying here several days of every month for over six years. Before that I stayed here every three months for a few years. A buddy craig threw a taxi into the building but for the parking block. One time at Flashbacks My girlfriend at the time was there with her friends and I brought some buddies and she was dancing with her friends and I go “is she gay?” and she never spoke to me again. Ah, Ruby Tuesday. The Chiefs and Ravens are actually catching the ball. 241’s. How I miss Dennis Miller. The simple job in north midtown is a little more than that. Since my conversion from the Amish faith, life is simple, if you have the right software. The Ipass bullshit didn’t pan out. If I ever get through to CenturyTel I’ll try not to go ballistic. Hey, secret service, back off, Ashcroft you whore. My mother makes wonderful spinach dip. Ruby Tuesday’s makes a decent substitute. Decent rack of ribs. Attractive hostesses. What else could tree trimmers from Arkansas want? Rodney snores and snorts infrequently. Baltimore recovers their own fumble. Crack hookers argue just outside. I miss the geese at business college. I whip through on my mountain bike and make a few(at least one, I’m weird about this)fly. Fly Kind? YUGO girl.Com. ie IDRIVE A PINTO:::: Chiefs win. Whatever. I gotta get this Pecan tree off this garage tomorrow. Cool
October 3, 2004 Sunday. Got some major hacky sack and Frisbee in. It’s tough to find two other players of any talent here in Hardy Arkansas. Some guys show promise, then use their hands or serve themselves. Three makes a decent game, because many bad kicks become passes. A buddy from Little Rock is an excellent freestyle hacky and Frisbee player. He spent time in germany as a child, played soccer. He can toss rainbows sweetly, can spin and trick with anybody. Bryan can also throw Frisbee in a variety of styles with uncanny accuracy. I haven’t seen either of us run and leap like yesterday in many years. WE’re not getting better, just older, huh. Whatever. Never mind. Working in Ravenden Springs, Jonesboro, and Midtown Memphis tomorrow. Then Midtown again Tuesday. I hope to update this journal from Tennessee, I have an Ipass kind of shortcut established I hope. Got to test my powerpoint to projection, or at least back everything up to vhs, this needs to be done now because I may not get back in town till Fri and the Riverside bash is fri and sat, at dark I’m going to set projections behind one of the stages. Panadox will sparkle. My two nieces just beat me and my nephew at half court basketball. Lauren played some junior high, she throws discus and shot put at Pocahontas high school. She hit some big jumpers. Slade is like Ten, plays football right now, and I kept telling him “go to the basket!” Shelbi was guarding him, she’s nine, a cheerleader, and we let her travel and foul, but she couldn’t guard Slade, and I was leading him too far, but he will get that down and when he does watch out. I’m rough on them, I had the benefit of great coaching, and would like to pass some old school on to someone. Nobody could feed the block like Jay Hansen. He collected many championships for Highland, then went to Arkansas State to start four years. The best player I’ve ever went up against was Pete Meyers. One summer at University of Arkansas Little Rock, we played one on one, every day for five weeks. He went on to guard Mickael Jordan in practice for several years, and start for the Bulls, when MJ retired the first time I was all conference for the Highland Rebels in Basketball and Baseball, started on a seven and one junior high football team(I ran a 99 yard td), continued a dynasty of little league that was something like 150 and ten over several years. When I was twelve we lost one game, the district finals at corning to corning. I batted lead off and played shortstop.I jacked one out and made a diving catch. Corning was the only team to beat us in ninth grade Football. Corning beat us for district in senior baseball, and football. Corning is where my best memories are though. In seventy eight I was in ninth grade and started the district championship game in senior baseball. In seventy nine I played quite a bit on a State championship baseball team. In eighty one I started every game at short for a twenty two and three state runner up. All in All I played on eight district champion teams, five regional champs and one state champ. Then I became a champion beer drinker, still collecting several more softball and independent basketball titles. I enjoyed the restauraunt league in Little Rock, with kegs in each dugout, and at home plate, even on second base on big days. On one team I was twenty and my teammates were all over thirty. Major partiers, they taught me to play with a buzz, and I really can’t say that was a bad thing. But children should never do drugs.
October 1, 2004 This is difficult. Not because I’m receiving a massage from a lovely woman, but Highland lost homecoming. How, you ask, if they never trailed in regulation, did the Rebels not win. The Mountain view Yellow Jackets scored on the last play of the game. They lucked out on a swing pass with sixteen seconds left, the ball fell incomplete, but bounced and became a lateral for tailback quin to take it to the three. Saw old friends, Candy was there! Geezer ran onto the field and blocked a punt! Jammed with ridge last nite, Got my Panadox projections ready for the riverside bash with David Alan Coe. Maybe I’ll get on Spring River Sat afternoon. That would rule. Look for me at Mud Island Tuesday night, then it’s over to rockin’ Raleigh for Stage Stop acoustic.
Here is a string from I believe September 25 Heavy boots clumped early mornings before light. Ground parties slipped quickly ashore under heavy fog and rain. One canoe whistled of danger when long rowboats chased. Fin caught sail and circled the proceedings warily. Thick bearded wildmen slowed pursuit, turning away to flee for shallows, awe stricken by cedar and bronze ship. Ravens wheeled on crags. Fish plentiful, contest raged for landing a trophy. Jay Fisher fought a catfish all one day, Gil netted a dogfish. Bluefin got Boah busy. Rays took air with gliding flips. Quite a mix of pioneer roughness and civilized culture fueled heated frenzy. Arts of pleasure teamed with science of survival. Many wives for each surviving man cooked game and hacked moldering herbs from forest or glen. Much of neither were left. High meadows were overrun, raiding parties on all islands, long boats quick to cross lakes and bogs. Fin feared only an organized army of longboats. A dozen he figured he could handle.
Ork Smith smelled ocean breezes long. Family members crept cat like, noiseless, perfectly postured and balanced. Long he waited. Tiny Miners traded him tin continually, he could recycle metal into various alloys. Water tight barrels were a big trade item. In the Smith’s root cellar was quite a catch of mutton barrels. Also Gull and duck stocks, shellfish and squid, cod and flounder. Mrs. Smith fed the Miner’s each midday. She gathered spent barrels to temper again, Vacuum packed, needing a key to open. Spices were short, Salt was common, a few herbs stocked or harvested. Sometimes Ice Floes would drift in, enabling slower processing of meats. The Miners sang in unison of team work and social security. Nights spent in Sturdy rock house, days sorting slag or tempering metal. Ork ordered his family like a pit boss mornings. “Get kindling Joel, milk cow Fawn, come with me to direct dredging Byron.” Mrs. Smith rose early. Pre chore activity rustled sleeping enclaves. This clan was tight knit, secretive, undiscovered by raiders and violators trodding rough the rest of known world. At the miner camp nights they stretched cat gut, plucking and beating, yodeling or scratching. Cats were fat now, everywhere rising water made rats scurry lost. Eagles wheeled inside vast spheres of colonie of wheeling eagles. Ork plucked seasoned string taught, quickly in rhythm, changing to elevate mood, slowing to espouse awakening, relaxing to layer melody. He missed Sarah most of all. Hidden expertly under construction rubble sat the foil canoe. Carried by one man, the boat would carry three men or one man and six to ten Miners. Covert explorations had allowed Ork to scout inlets: forests, Minerals, locals. Word was the Known World, that is pre thaw civilization, all toast, burned and scattered. Ranging far by canoe, Ork and company had mapped contours, marked logging corridors and mineshafts. These little men produced more efficient work then three times the full sized men. Give one an obedient pony and great jobs can complete in hours. Shet and Pony were examples. Ork had readied everything ordered by Fin. He had molded and constructed Swivels, pulleys, snatch blocks, Dee rings and chain. He had contracted shipments of Hemp sheet, stored and consistent, he had pantried barrels of various fish and game, vegetable or grain stock. He had rope , oil, pitch, lumber, losing four fifths of each would not cripple his family. Fin shouted into whipping winds, “Gil grab that mainsail, Paul winch that sheet, more, more, there. Patty, check that spool rack, Ham! You crazy, tie off. What say you Cro?” Cro would answer from above, “point off starboard straight ahead, Ravens Den hard Port.” Hel Hunter wanted to scout the RavenDen, but Fin hoped to see a landmark mountain range known as old man. If this land mark was encountered, the surety of finding Ork was greatly increased. Mark Demos was known to ask directions of natives encountered, but Fin hated that hearsay might become any factor in reckoning. Fog slowed daily progress. Zero visibility brought speed down to canoe level, less than one hundred knots a day. Spirits dampened, sponges scrubbed and wringed, clothes and cloth unable to dry. All known methods for combating mildew were employed. Scouts worked paddle hard, sounding lines and poles continually dropped. To the oars went restless crew. Becalmed and miserable, Fires bright, Crew and captain feasted on fresh venison and wild mutton. Huge lobsters, trout and salmon smoked. Bob Feller and Mark Demos used foggy weather to transplant seedlings with less impact. Sage trees of Misery River sat in pots beside apple sprouts in burlap balls. Wool Tweed skirts deflected damp mists well while warming man or woman. One native stayed alive playing pipe and bag music for a band of Masons who held spirited lodge council. Sarah took a shine to the bag pipes writing duets for her to bang her harp in rhythm: “Never marry a Harper you young of green field forever flying You cannot trust a Harper You old scalawag carpet bagger Slime I’ll scratch you apart mister republican correct Don’t you mess a Harper round. My baby calls me mama, Royalty sweet Sarah My name will ring through hills of legend.” Ry Freemason joined in with bagpipes. The inlet did ring. Log lodges roared with rough gameplay. Demos reported a blonde girl tied to a wall where drunken Gnawers threw knives. He failed to save her, narrowly avoiding capture or injury himself. Dogs had scented him and alerted the rally, and though drunk the men quickly formed a rank. Now here is segment of LoJoker from Sept 20: Wee hours bustled. Hi and LoJoker enlisted by Diamonds for two moons, aiding Ace in pompous attendance. Seven Diamond flittered, Black Tens glared. Eight Club pushed Yacht with pole toward Pier. Jack Diamond stripped vest off in vacation, big smile sharpening sword. His bow nearby, Quiver of darts and dagger leaning to a corner. Tens wiggled huge fans as did Black Queens. Last minute deals were sealed, Nine Heart boarded with his Four. Pigeons were secured, papers and weapons checked and stored. Ace Spade beseeched Eight Club with rare smile to bring back fresh caviar. Seven Club lay silent, flat and still, under sheets of hemp sail cloth and apple board. His only refreshment would be tiny breadcakes and short bottles of water, sneaked to him by Seven or Eight. Jack locked the hold and trysted athletically with both Tens. Seven listened grimly, more and more heated and uncomfortable as his arousal grew. Finally Tens flaunted deckside. Still Seven had to endure twisted dealings and perversions as Jack and Seven got on with clarity. Nine fidgeted above, he craved Seven, but she chased Jack with weak pretense. Four Heart sat abridge with Eight Club. “My Ace will salute us on the hour,” said Four, and a rocket speared night.
At Club all were attitter with imminent visitors from Nether and elsewhere. Jack Heart sat drunk, envious of Jack Diamond and his trysting tour. Club Jack cheered Heart, tuning a guitar with running commentary as to inside dealings of various players: “my Queen had LoJoker last night, But HiJoker would not go to Stones for fear of Ace Spade. I was smitten with your beloved Ten Diamond, she did rub on me during a song. My composure was tested, Ten Heart did see it all while swaying.” Nether Jack Diamond strode cooly from trendy yacht. Red Tens flitted about him. Nether Jack looked LoJoker up and down, “get us plenty of fresh cool wine and ale!” LoJoker smiled, “my leave royalty, but I am retained by not by the hospitality suite.” Nether Jack shrugged, “the ladies and I would like a little catering, we plan to drop coin in this quaint Club.” “Yes,” said LoJoker quickly, that is why I will delegate your order, to be filled the quicker, and I will accept no tip, I am compensated for my social charms quite amply when employed by your brethren Red Diamonds of IsleWood. However, these little black urchins, the Club Three there and Fat Six, there, do scurry for your favor and would surely appreciate any gratuity.” Nether Jack nodded, quaffing cool ale. Jack Club played a dandy show. Full House meant King Diamond buy drinks. This rarity kept things roaring. Other visitors were treated to quite a show of music, skit, tricks and speaking. Ladies from Shire, merchants from BeriGome, a philosopher from teriyaki come to see the forest. Teriyaki claimed to have instructed IsleWood ancestors how to care for trees. Over eons the forest of IsleWood was pruned properly, root zones protected at major cost, even while TeriYaki had lost successive civil bidding wars for consumption of it’s forest. Lush rainforest stripped to smoldering heaps within one thousand moons. Some native trees had been selected to remain, though all eventually succumbed to some strain. Now TeriYaki sported an orchard, and scattered plantings, most small and under developed. Jack Spade had prepare several transplants to be taken for planting. This TeriYaki Eight was to meet Ace Queen Spade at Stones the morrow, Eight Spade interviewed him, “do not mock here.” TeriYaki Eight made good show of reverence, but did not emit discipline. Eight figured his Ace would cut his liver from him in some test of truth. But TeriYaki Eight wore flowing robes, and had promised at lest a generous donation for the forest defense fund. In Cemetery Eight Spade stopped to lecture TeriYaki Eight one last time. “I do knot know your customs or habits, but we are sheltered folks, hard at work caring for this forest. Odd cackles or menacing tone can be met with swift and final retaliations.” TeriYaki Eight perused him, “I doubt even your Ace would kill me for an odd cackle, but I take your point, lead on.” IsleWood Spade led TeriYaki Spade. Black Queens fussed in greeting, quick exchanges of discreetly packaged, welcome bundles Eight spade knew opium and hempflower samples were inside with cedar incense and tiny oil jars. Furs and quilts decorated flat stone benches. No cauldrons on the fire tonight, bright fire lit profiles, teapot sizzled and hooted in coals. “listen to our chorus,” gushed Queen Spade, “nowhere else in known world does forest sing.” TeriYaki Eight agreed, “indeed, marshes and scrub of most isles feature some chirping and chortling, and I’ve a colleague from Sam who wistfully describes tropical unison, but this, with several frog and toad found only here, and crickets, birds, and creatures found only here, my only hope is to sleep tonight in this very glen.” Ace Spade appeared slow and quiet, he neared TeriYaki Eight, appraising, turning to mix some tea and measure a vial, dropping heavy drips to swirl in drinks. Craggy brows under Wizard hat, Ace smiled, draining the glass, “Welcome Spade. What news from your native land?” TeriYaki Eight half circled the fire, surveying attentive company. “We are prosperous. Disciplined and thrifty, our legions are loyal. But restless. We have seen the amphitheatres of BeriGomi, spent favor at Nether malls, loosed purses in Shire markets, so on. We have money we wish to give you IsleWood Spades, for touring or camping in these precious woods.” This proposal, while presented formally now for the first time, had bandied about before. Ace seemed not to hear, thinking, “What of the great Jack Spade of TeriYaki, the wondrous foot fighter so adept at killing?” Eight nodded, “he teaches Martial arts by the sea sand. Though recently criticized for instructing Sevens who showed little humility. Those Sevens have run amok, raising hell itself with women and opium.”
September 28<2004 Awesome canoe trip on lower Spring. Wilderness and appreciation. Fellow floaters sharing the wonders. Good food good partying. Saw some erosion(the real kind, not the band) trouble points. Hope to follow this with more as summer weather stays with us. There is a long drought ongoing, low water levels, trees dying. I’ve a feeling once this snaps cool weather will be upon us. Geezer got to go! And he had a date! Gotta go!
September 26, 2004 Spent time at Slick Rock; dancing in full moonlight with my Tami. Geezer didn’t even wade. Thinking about spotlighting a deer soon. I may hunt with my crossbow if I’m ready. PETA may bitch, but I swear to God, if sportsmen didn’t thin the white tailed deer herd, they’ be like squirrels in the roads. Tami’s great granddad killed like a million bears over in Tuckerman and calico rock, he’s like Bear Bill. He’s on the net and that proves he’s legit. Get ready for the RebelRiver.com hacky festival April 20(or thereabouts)2005. Check this site for the games. We may do it all, Mountain Bike, Hacky, Frisbee, swimming, canoeing, ending the day with a rock show by the man Mike Gray and friends. Prepare to be plum tuckered out. Here’s how it figures to work. Leave highland on mountain bikes, eight am, tour Cherokee village to slick rock or saddle till noon, canoe till seven or so, arriving for the opening band. Frisbee and hacky sack games and demonstrations will entertain those not canoeing. Hacky circles will be prominent front stage of the band. Conga players are welcome. Frisbee golf will be set up. Freestyle Frisbee will be prevalent. There will be contests such as distance toss, accuracy, creativity(who will judge?). There will be a hogging contest, for consecutive hacky kicks by a single player(not wrestling large catfish, although that may be included.). We’ll have Rebel Records spinning discs and giving away stuff. Danny and Stephanie, owners of slick rock camp, provide many services. The music will rock, I hope to have firebox open for Mike, Maybe throttle too if there is enough advance interest. Getting Panadox ready for David Alan Coe. Looking forward to seeing Lynard Skynard and Allman Brothers. I figure I’ll be trimming a huge elm in Midtown Memphis that day. Peace. PS somebody messed up a beautiful white jaguar in the ditch outside Copper Feather. They must've bee sh*tfaced!
Here is a string from September ninth. Title of the novel is Forester(see RebelWord) All the dark quiet night Demos and Aruba were gone. Hel Hunter and Gil Fisher escorted them to the beach, and near dawn brought them. Each had new body carvings and tattoos, both would speak little of rituals endured. Only the potent Rye Ingot Mold had saved them from intoxicated death. Squid flopped on deck regularly. Boah was often covered in bits of flesh, needing others to pour pails of water on to rinse. Jay and Cro studied crags and smoke intently, Earnest Green interpreted fire signals. Often dark approach was prudent, so Hel and Mark could canoe quietly ashore and spy. Hooded priests with staff or spear reminded some of arcane rituals atop pyramids in back waters of Nile, other rituals recalled Dru and his followers, virgin sacrifices were a sick ceremony, priests often imprisoning them for weeks before, dungeons of sadistic torture, slavery, and gluttony, ending with flaying, burning, and praise. Lap watched knot reel off spools aft. Open bays were welcome, all loved wide open sailing, though in this channel between RyLand and AngelLand, all manner of hazard, natural and man were possible. One isle was fortified and secured by lethal gnawers and black giants. Twisted King Man paraded harems and shared abducted women with legions. Beautiful girls groveled in fear and slavery, whipped and brutalized. Demos aided one to escape, lovely fearful Anna sat for days without speaking. Lady Jonos sat silent with her hours on end. Demos brought her a glowing squid, lighting the deck in chaotic hues. Anna Smiled. Sarah Sang:
“once as a lass just a ten ager Performing in the court of a TurnKey Prince Slave Raiders came with swords of shiny white metal That clove copper helmet in twain Airyan and DoorYan They took me as a prize To pass amongst themselves Even as we rode horses.” Gil caught a serpent. The creature, nearly length of the ship, wreaked havoc on rigging, twisting and wrapping, turning, thrashing. Bob Feller was was nearly crushed. Minor damage worried Fin little. Most days within sight of land, materials for repair were never far. In open sea great debate raged over how to implement a board or byproduct, but here wood products were produced each day. Paul Fowler or Kip Miller took shore leave with Gamesmen each day, sampling wood for various projects. With Sage bows far superior to native yew, Demos and Cro were deadly afield. Blue and white shields bounced in triumph when bursting from woods to surf laden heavy with bounty. “Came the famine I starved near death Still the men used me rough Then one day the death of my best friend That night the men used me Then the auction block the women did parade Raiders heavy with gold did bid for me I played my harp sweetly, crying huge tears on rosy cheeks But caught the eye of the darkest prince That he might take me under a wing…”
September 23, 2004 AH, red oak. Must mean it’s fall. Felt like summer at spring river oaks yesterday and this morning. Caught my limit of rainbow trout, paddled sufficiently, shot some good rapids. All is well. Special award to Lara Pulliam. Her and husband Jim are fixtures a the oaks. They hail from Florida, and that Everglades seasoning rules. Lara snorkels and canoes, gathering trash and lost items to dispose of or hang and pile by the camp. These folks are special, earthy people, they know where it’s at. They are heading back to florida next week. Jim was a pall bearer at my dad’s funeral, and these two would do absolutely anything for my mother. Cyber-Kudo’s ya’ll.
September 20, 2004 Full dawn shines bright. Shop sounds thump infrequently, air compressor blatting or hissing. Geezer rests, having done his shrill duty barking at Dave as he rolled in on borrowed mountain bike. Blue Jays seem aggressive. Mr Remington may have to bark fire. My mother is bound for Spring River Oaks today, and you see, so am I. Inner wellness consumes me in anticipation. Even with less than three hours sleep I feel fine because Spring River will embrace me many times today. Not only have I decided to forego a gulf tour of Ivan’s aftermath and great financial reward offered, but a river vacation appeals much more. My bills are paid I got it made in the shade… Here is a string from Jokers I started September eight: Four Spade approached them, pointy hat winding among undergrowth. “My ace doth bid you both to pier for running fresh squid to various destinations. To save his voice that he might need instruct you but little, usuals are kitchens of Banquet, mall, and club.” Sevens raced to help Ace, and though seven’s were forbidden to associate, chatted gaily the last few yards to pier. Ace surveyed them shrewdly, “I assume you hide not your illegal team because I never voted for the ban.” “Yes.” Said Spade, “Good Ace, only with my Black cousin, a hero to our isle for his war exploits, here deep in Woods would I flaunt the ban. Elsewhere I am cautious, lest I bring harm or hardship to my beloved Suit.” Thus the spirited harvest of seafood began. Sevens watched as Ace wielded a thin sharp knife expertly. A tiny hand ax was needed frequently, bits of gut and scale flew about, odd stomach contents examined with great curiosity. Skins were layed to sun, meats wrapped in bundles and trotted off. “Send LoJoker with a steed to step carefully down Thousand Steps,” said Ace, “but do not send HiJoker.” Club Seven, charged with delivery of squid to Club, took Cemetery. Exiting forest he spied Eight Club down near Marina. “Follw me for the feast!.” He waved Eight follow, holding bundle high in joy. Nine and Jack received the bundle, Eight instructed. Being the yacht captain, he often was charged with preserving or cooking sea meat. HiJoker brought him a steed, Eight was escorted to oversee the food prep of Diamond and Heart. Though no organized intersuit Banquet lit Veranda, separate feasts of each Suit roared or murmured in turn. Outside Sevens sneaked or smoked, In Woods Sevens Spade, club and Heart watched Stones. Queens Club and Spade shredded roots or bark for tonics. A hot coal pile boiled several cauldrons, dull red glow lighting the work dimly. A whisper of smoke showed if fire flared, or a moonbeam sliced the forest canopy above. Queens were laughing and drunk, spilling gossip. Sevens crouched near, smiling as dirty secrets flowed, one tidbit in particular caught got them thinking. Seems Jack Diamond was prone to dally with both Black Tens. Sevens retreated as Queens snoozed. Heart processed possible actions. “Send the Ten Abroad, after titillations and promises Jack will follow. Diamonds will be weak, though likely Ace will retain both Jokers.” Club followed the reasoning, “I will stowaway, hopefully to free our Sam Sevens in Nether Prison, and maybe set Jack up for trouble.” Spade caught his breath, “Jack detained.” Muffled laughs joined forest chorus. In Shrubs beautiful Seven Diamond spread herself wantonly for Heart. Quick trysting was her need, she serviced her Rank dutifully. Spade was her favorite, hard muscles honed in Woods, though Heart worked with clinical precision fitting a future surgeon, and Club handled himself with easy assurance. Seven Diamond operated at penalty of Death should she be caught consorting. Her Nine counseled her, repeating tired phrases circulated among his church even while fondling a thigh. He was stiffly correct, thin smile hiding Diamond superiority. If Black was the Color or rhythm and soul, blood seat and tears, Nine Diamond surely was true Red. He oversaw petty counts with vehement attention, stressing and searching to find an oversight in myriad transactions. He lobbied for church rules to govern, to tax, and to imprison. Seven and Seven hurried to dress. Diamond spoke low and quick. “I will travel with Jack, he will not turn down a trip with three Tens, as I am in reality.” Heart Smiled, nodding appreciatively, “with Club stowed away, we will make to cliffs of Nether, from there to Secret Seven fort, then to spring Sam Sevens from jail. Deputies on Nether are plentiful but slow.” Heart adjusted costumes, then stepped toward lit entrance upslope, “I will release a pigeon to tell our comrades of plans, you will not sidetrack to burgle coin, capture would greatly harm our cause.” In Woods Seven Spade bundled walking sticks. Inside a dense bundle he hid a dagger. Seven and Eight Club conspired to hollow a hiding space under pallets of hemp tarps. Stowing away with Jack Diamond aboard was extra risky, as he would execute a death sentence upon Seven immediately. Seven Diamond could not be counted on for protection, Tens Spade and Club would not risk pretty necks, and Eight Club would never challenge Jack Diamond to save his own life, much less a Seven, even of his own Suit, loyalty among clubs was scarce.
September 17, 2004 Enjoying a little time off. Went to Beale St. in Memphis tn. Made the scene, dancing in the sun between Blues City Café and B.B. King’s. Silky’s was kinda lame, we took Geezer to the patio to say high to the goats, and got directed out by a perky hostess, points off. Alfred’s, recommended by my man Joe, catered to us nicely arranging for Geezer to join us on the patio, then serving great ribs, though a smaller portion than Blues city, the crab stuffed mushrooms at Blues city ruled later. Geezer caused some horse carriages to stampede. Noone was hurt. Usher is playing tonight, and in midtown Elvis Costello and Emmy lou. Highland is whooping Berryville, and I may make the razorback game in Little Rock tomorrow. Tesla fuels my driving, the album into the now is a crowning achievement for a non hating rock band I truly love. Looks like Spring River Sunday, maybe Monday too. My thirst is not slaked, my heartburns for high falls, my soul yearns for saddler.
September 14, 2004 Yo. Trimmed a loblolly pine and a holly. Took five pines down, and a mimosa. May go to Louisiana if Ivan does. The fries at Crispy cone were really bad. Been working on a Panadox presentation for Riverside. I have some really cool stuff, but having trouble transferring powerpoint to vhs. Can’t even burn a cd from powerpoint, really frustrated. Been playing bass hard, Bryan plays lead to some Erosion songs. Sore fingertips feel good. Tommorrow it’s lake sequoia to trim a red oak and two hickories. I’m gonna swim. Write it down.
September 11, 2004 Yo. Good day, or as “they” say in austria g’day. (irritating croc hunter dialect)”Put another shrimp on the barby mon.” All is well. Well that’s all. I’ve been putting powerpoint presentations together. PANADOX should have a good collage of still images for Mike at Riverside. Terry said he liked the Demo. He thinks he knows Steve-0. Dave Coe is large. He’s wrote some dam songs. I usually buy lunch for my crew. I try to hit Carol’s Lakeview on Wednesday. I love that Rueben basket. Timberline is a favorite also, highland. Loujou’s is excellent, Beach club bar be que . There is a new catfish house in Ash Flat I’vde heard great things about but have yet to try. A new Chinese restaurant moved in, and I went there several times in arrow, but I’m back to the one by Alco. Needed rest. Totally vegging. Haven’t even seen to the truck yet. Dog and cat neglected. Knowing I’ll mire deeper if I go canoing tomorrow, cause I know I’m going mon. Actually I’ve gotten a lot done today, saw people, my palm pilot works and hotsyncs now, organization is picking up. I have a cell phone, I’m secretive with that fact, don’t want many people to know. I have an emergency back pack with a tool kit, emergency road kit, wool pancho and vinyl pancho, and sometimes my travel toiletryies and a change of clothes. I have a lockable, slash proof fanny pack. I have waterproof bags, mesh bags, trash bags, dry bags, stuff bags; I even have a Frisbee bag.
September 10, 2004 Good pruning for good folks on Zuni drive in Cherokee Village. The end of a short but tough week. I wanted to dive after some carp but motored up Saginaw and dropped a drive shaft. Luckily the front one got us home. Looking for a little canoe trip tomorrow afternoon, then a big one Sunday, and over to Ravenden and Imboden Mon. But you know what they say about best planned lays… nine eleven coming up. Do you remember what you were doing when the towers fell? I was in a red oak on East Lakeshore. These Journal entries are typical of my life the last fifteen years. I hope to have more excerpts from various Rebel Word projects for you soon, and some old journals that are kinda funny. Chaio baby.
September 9, 2004 Lot done today. First mrs. Canburn in Cherokee Village, we pruned a large Ash and a post oak over the house, down the street to a large pine, then back to Highland to drop a huge dead post oak and tall red oak. I’m in a good place, all is well. Hurricane Ivan heads for Jamaica, but sun shines here in Arkansas. Hurricane Elvis last year in Memphis was tough, I stressed it. Where to canoe this weekend, where to canoe? Here is an excerpt from FORESTER (see Rebel Word)
One clifftop culture beat hollow logs with complicated rythms. Aruba felt a deep calling. Dusky jungle folk from congo and canary lands danced in frenzy. War shields thrust in unison, chained lions roared, tiger pits claimed struggling whites. Anchored safely distant, Fin allowed Aruba and Mark Demos a treaty. Bonfire leapt high, huge masks and shields hopped and shook. Straw dolls burst aflame, bloody roosters drained. Sarah did not sing, all the crew stayed quiet, an eerie calm claimed sea and crew alike. Almost fearfully Boah muttered of evil. No sudden bumps of dropped anvil carried across the bay. Mel did not bang pans, Lap did not pound sheets of copper. All the dark quiet night Demos and Aruba were gone. Hel Hunter and Gil Fisher escorted them to the beach, and near dawn brought them. Each had new body carvings and tattoos, both would speak little of rituals endured. Only the potent Rye Ingot Mold had saved them from intoxicated death.
September 8, 2004 Back to work. Removed a big walnut tree over Raymond and Kathy Hicks’ house. Also pruned two elms and a hackberry. High falls roared just a few hundred feet away. Awesome white water and clear green tugged at my boots, calling for me. Price Chopper served up the burgers, Debby Bartlett and my cousin Brenda joined us. Here is an excerpt from Jokers(see Rebel Word.) Sevens Club and Spade sat on Ancient Stumps fishing, neither particularly talkative or verbally inquisitive, each in different realms of thought. Spade envisioned various scenarios he might have to fight a Diamond or stoop to conquer axe bearing harvesters of beloved Woods. Club watched concentric rings of water drops hypnotically. Though his diver blight be mostly show for war hero status, he had never been too keen mentally, more reckless animal as so many Sevens. Ale dulled him even more, and being a nightly drop in the hospitality Suit, Club Seven was often morosely quiet, almost sleepwalking, with cocky grin belying sleepy b rain. So much in my head, need to play bass. Everyone says hi Candy. Miss you.
September 6, 2004 Awesome.(is that redundant?) The upper spring rocked yesterday(except for the country, and you know what? I’m starting to dig that save a horse ride a cowboy thing.) Howard’s was loud, I think I saw fat bastard dancing( see July 20). Leland collected cans and kissed the girls. Rodney’s canoe partner was passed out, Leland kissed her new breasts. We watched a kingfisher. Mike plays with David Alan Coe in October, watch for Panadox. Today we went from Hardy to Bartlett’s serious volleyball. Stan, Terry, Ross, Briana, and Roxy from Stan’s Barbeque in Imboden. Briana didn’t like riding with her brother but I saw some smiles later on. Roxy was cool in her Kayak. I hope to join them on their favorite trip on lower spring next mon. We saw purple, red, yellow, blue, pink, and white flowers along the banks, I could bullshit you and say that they were feverwort, horsemonkey, skunk plum, Geezerweed, tamimoss, and beechbeetle juice, but they weren’t. Turkey Pen Road sported an incredible sunset. It seemed dark, but white and purple streaks lit our sky. Peace.
September 4, 2004 Beautiful wedding at the Silver Moon Ranch in Walcott. I helped with parking for those with special needs. I also assisted in food prep. and Public address setup. Whatever my sister needed. Debbie is an accomplished wedding director(petals and Lace—Jonesboro. She runs the procedure with a tasteful nazi hand. I’m on my best behaviour, afraid to deviate from protocol even slightly else she scold me silently. Mike, Garret, Lauren, Raven, everybody contributes mightily. The vows were held in the yard with seating arranged in concentric circles. The reception in a big tent has fruit cups with strawberry cantaloupe honeydew, kiwi, watermelon, green and red grapes, and maybe more. Barbecue pork and chicken and shrimp shiskabobs, dips and punch, nuts and a dee jay. Lit walkways are just now at dusk showing lights, down the hill toward the lake is a restroom tent, then the boathouse is used for waterside chatting. Wonderful. Yo, what’s up? This is Lauren, sittin here in Alan’s big redundant van (whatever redundant means???) after this magnificent wedding that we have prepared for the Elem’s of Elem Enterprises.. They are very wonderful people. I have came to know them in the short period of time. They also had a little house on the lake out here, where they held all the liquor. Alan forgot to mention some of the best things in the wedding, like; sweet and sour meatballs, and a wooden dance floor, and lots of fruit. Right now they are playing Willie Nelson at the d.j. booth… it’s great. The Elem’s have a great, big, huge house out here and it’s all about about the country cowboy stuff. It’s really beautiful. The mosquito’s out here are outrageous! My whole family is workin their butt’s off out here, but every once and a while we’ll stop and dance to the crazy sound of the beats. You should see my brother Garret shakin his butt, it’s hilarious. I started dancing and my mom was like “Lauren quit that!” Alan wants me to tell ya’ll about the14-70 inch tables that were covered with floor length white table cloths and ten chairs at each table. There were also, a lot of ferns. I’m talking like 50! Anyways, the whole point is that it was absolutely the most gorgeous wedding ever. The whole family’s going canoeing tomorrow for Labor Day. Like always, it will be a big party. We’re fixing to leave and go back to the store and drop everything off, so I’m going to get off this thing. It’s been great, see everybody at Howard’s! Peace.
September 3, 2004 Made it back. Memphis went well. Nice good Pruning job in cordova(riverwood). Seven oaks: willow, red and post. Three crepe myrtles for the Haleys. That Monday night we hit Beale and hung out at Blues City Café eating ribs and watching my man Joe work the corner. Tuesday we did landscaping in Germantown for Pat and Peggy Puckett, dear folks I’ve worked for several times, and many neighbors. Tuesday night we hit Stage Stop, I was hitting every shot in pool, had my chainsaw on display to make people nervous. I did a decent version of my signature song Cyclops. The chainsaw roared for awhile, but smoked the place up so we couldn’t do Lumberjack. Next time maybe Anita will okay it if we get some exhaust flowing outside. Kent really wanted to do it, Mott and Lonnie too, they do the song, I don’t know if I was going to sing it or what. I want to get steve o to play on Lady Eagle Eyes. Wendesday was pruning in East Memphis for June Robinson and Margis,(elm) then Jimmy and Betty wittenburg,(Red Oak) that night we walked to Bel Air for burgers and pool. Thursday was good pruning for Jim Werner,(Gum, Elm, Cherry) a home inspecter in Germantown. Cool Guy. Thankfully The Mulch Works at the agricenter has made disposing of chips and wood much easier. Thursday night was back to Beale, but Rum Boogie Café let us down. The ribs were burned, not worth the price. Stick to Blues City Café. I always make a penny guitar pick at Tater Red’s. We talked to Silky for awhile, and Randy at Blues City. Friday was clearing a roof in Midtown.(oak, elm, pecan, holly) Tommorow I ‘m going to valet park for my sister as she directs a big wedding near Paragould. I don’t know how I got roped into this, but maybe it’ll be fun. Sunday finally I will be free to hit Spring River like it should be hit. Damn three to Spring River Oaks. Howard’s will be fun.
August 29, 2004 Hung with Mike and Debby last night. Debby and Garret came in late from doing a wedding in Paragould for Petals-n-Lace(Jonesboro). Found out late in the day that Rebel Tree care did not have the weekend off, the rain storm had layed half a hickory tree on some wires and trellis, Rodney and I had to do that on Altakima circle in Cherokee Village. Need a swim in Spring River, but need to prepare for mem’fis more. What to do…
August 27, 2004 Small Job pruning parking lot maples at AZ industries. Hung with Harley awhile. Got frustrated, the white truck got the gears bound up, and I couldn’t find the key, I tried taking pressure off by putting Dave on a landscaping timber to pry up. We tried both directions, tried pulling forward with a chain. Then I took a crowbar and pried the gears, something tells me that was really bad. My father would never had done that. All for naught without the key anyway. Oy vey. Looks like Rebel Tree Care is off for the weekend. We should arrive in Memphis around nine thirty mon morning. Check out rock 103 and Howard Stern. Morning radio needs to play music instead of dj games. When Howard nauseates me enough I usually co to cd. One time my partner Craig was trimming a tree next to the one I was in. He liked to listen to Howard Stern, chuckling with the ground crew infrequently. Things were fine until Robin Quivers said anything. It sounded like the ground man hollering to me, breaking my concentration on the task at hand. I told them firmly to shut the radio down, when they didn’t I screamed a loud vulgarity and warned everyone on the job site to shut the ******* radio down. They finally complied but my point is, SAFETY. I like and Zeke Logan mostly because I partied with him a few times in Little Rock way back. We got along, several one on one conversations quite lengthy. He’s a gas. Got the demo done. I actually like it a lot. It’s a rough sample of what I can offer with Erosion/Panadox. I figure give Terry at Rebel Records a couple, Gerry, Anita at Stage Stop. Mike, Jack, Ridge. Shalom.
August 25, 2004 Whew. Nice big pruning job for Gordon and Sandra McCain of Cherokee Village. Really wet this morning from yesterday’s rain. Horseflies were a bitch, we killed a lot of them, but some were still harassing us as we drove off at dark. We chipped a dead squirrel. I wish I had a helmet cam to show everyone how I go about proper pruning. Today I could have shown you damage from improper work. A huge red oak branch had been stubbed back to the roofline years ago.(I figure I know who did it, he still does it today, though most people in the area know to beware of him, and he spends most of his time preying on storm victims.) The stub had hollowed and caused a column of rot deep into the tree. The story goes on and on. The state of my industry is sorry. Even in Memphis rip offs are common. Most tree trimmers have either never heard of codes and standards or choose to ignore them. ANSI. Look into it. CODIT. Find it. Believe it. Now we have a handle on the week, I may get a canoe trip in before Memphis. Check out The Stage Stop, I’ll be screaming there tue and wed nite! Peace.
August 23, 2004 Rainout. Got this computer deloused. Spyware was really stressing me. Good Pruning for the Gordon McCains of Cherokee Village this week, then off to Memphis for more. I’m taking Mr. Alvarez to the Stage Stop this time. Hear me roar. My hope is to get back by labor day weekend and get lost on Spring River for a week. It was cool not on the web, I wrote chapters of my favorite fiction projects, Jokers and Forester(see RebelWord.) Did some Panadox for visitors from Little Rock. Basically stayed home and vegged. I’m boring sometimes, but maintenance is improving. Finishing the Fenton’s tomorrow, then marching on with Rebel Tree Care… Tami is watching the game, she’s a huge chiefs fan, being from Kansas(city, Missouri always get that right or she’ll go off, she hates Kansas. She even hated the movie Kansas, but it didn’t suck as bad as The Hot Chick. Gag. I’m certified in CPR now! I can’t wait till somebody chokes! Peace.
August 19, 2004 Tired. Biggish pruning job in Cherokee Village. Six red oaks, two loblolly pines and a cedar. The Stoke’s from northern Missouri. Two doors from Allegra, a lady who had me trim sixty pines a couple years ago. She is in fair health and good spirits, gave me some good pictures. She chose wisely, each one of those sixty pine trees I pruned to codes and standards, no spike marks mar them, collar cuts prevalent. The same for the nine trees today, and everyday with Rebel Tree Care. Lake Thunderbird felt awesome.
August 17, 2004 Nice pruning for good folks in Cherokee Village. Cyber shout to Don and Evie Martin. See ya next week. We pruned a white oak, red oak, and two hickories above and around the house, then removed a multi trunked walnut. Oh yeah, a Bradford pear. Next week I’m going back to prune a huge red oak and then Japanese style all the small trees and shrubs. I’ve worked for like every other house on the street, and it shows. Terrible spike marks and topping mar the property of those who chose unwisely. Lake Thunderbird felt really good, my hair is still dripping! Adios
August 16, 2004 Long Day. We started way over on Wabash drive in Cherokee Village. After removing two hickories we drove out to Williford to prune a storm damaged walnut and remove a multi trunked hackberry. Just me and Rodney, but we got a lot done in twelve hours. We have to bear down now, take advantage of the cool weather while it’s still pruning season. I posptphone pruning during fall colors for January. Conversely in early spring as buds are popping I tell people to wait till June. Spring River was nice yesterday, hope to do it again real soon. Wish you were there.
August 15, 2004 I’m baaack. Panadox was on the porch at my brother’s party last night. Then we took some folks from Nashville tn, from Hardy to Rock creek. We had some beautiful ladies, cold beer and Tesla. Lot’sa dogs, Geezer was the biggest for once. Awesome pink lavender sunset above turkey pen. The live feed from a back room to the big screen can actually be kind of a baby sitting tool, it was really fun to film my niece and nephew and friends with the party watching outside. I should have my tan back for labor day. Tami is asleep. Lot’s of Rebel Tree Care starting early in the morning. Peace.
August 14, 2004 Badda bang. Panadox is efficient and fun. My vocals suck, but I kind of dig my bass playing. I’m not that great but a giant Beevis munching peyote just off my left shoulder helps entertain. Then waterfalls caress me, and Rambo blows shit up. Shot reasonably cool video of my set last night. Again, my voice isn’t cutting it right now, my only consolation being I know the video camera never flatters even great singers. My little crate amp can only do so much, but I think the little demo captures my songs fairly good. It’s kinda like when Van Halen would play an intro, Then when Dave Roth starts singing it’s almost irritating. No knock on Dave, any human voice after string music is at best unsettling. It’s unnatural. This is surreal. Soon I’ll treat regular readers to a journal I kept years ago. Not that in depth, it skips days, weeks, months, even years. Then I plan to re key a hand written journal from the first couple of months this year. Garret’s (my nephew) buddies all went to a three day campout canoe trip on Eleven Point River. I missed that, but had to tell John, “you should have called me sooner.”
August 13, 2004 Friday. Best not work today. But wonderful weather. Lot’s of good pruning for Billy Mac Haney of Hardy. My brother Rodney is helping me. After twenty five years in the Auto parts business, it’s time he did some real work. We got rained out wed, then put a large day in yesterday. I shot a practice demo at Ridge’s studio last night, a rough sample of Erosion and Panadox. Estimates and errands today. But buckle up, I’m not real superstitious, but Friday the thirteenth…
August 10, 2004 Yo. Done taking a lightning struck red oak down. Ah, the banks of Lake Thunderbird. I plunged three or four times. Going back to landscape in October. Couldn’t finish yesterday, everything broke down. It’s weird, like four or five twelve volt batteries all went out at the same time. Must be the cool snap. At least I should be ready for winter. Need to get my wheel bearings packed. I have two old seventy nine chevy work trucks, an eighty three ford van that uses oil, Mike Gray used to haul music equipment in it back when he was in a band called Razer. Plus I have a 2000 passenger van for canoe trips and whatever else. It’s the only one of the four with ac, so it gets more use than it should in summer. Plus I have my wood chipper, work trailer, and my mom’s tractor to maintain, not my strong point. I have to keep my chainsaws, ropes, and ladders in good shape, but when it’s hot, motivation becomes an issue. I need some Spring River… Good pruning in Hardy tomorrow…A
August 8, 2004 August is latin for September. Again Mike Gray delivered the goods. From the guitar solo on the first song of the night, a cover of Santana’s (i meqan Kenny Wayne Shephard)Blue on Black, to the rockin’s originals Party Song and Mary Jane that ended the night, Mike and company sprinkled many vibes and genres throughout. Lauren moaned and danced, singing strong and confident. Her time on stage with Ruthie Haley has helped her confidence, she lets it rip more, sometimes just cater waulin for the hell of it, and that helps that she vibe, that there is a powerful woman in the house that expresses her passion singing for her daddy. I borrowed the lights, they have a cool set, I’m gonna do a video demo this week for my own set. Tami is here. I hope throttle got back from Beale, I didn’t see if Gerry’s van was back, but Craig’s jeep was gone I think. Whatever. Peace
August 7, 2004 Wow! Mike did it again! Copper Feather(Cherokee villae) rocked last night. Joining The Mike Gray Band was Gary Gazaway, El Buho himself. I thought ElBuho meant the boss, but it’s “the owl.” Gary is a trumpet player with some heavyweight friends. Joe Cocker, rock critic Robert Palmer, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Phish, among others. He sweetened the entire night. Mike’s guitar work was awesome. Saber was there to see Mike they are respectfully attentive but stole the show sitting in a few songs. The entire night was a treat, I sat with Tami, we ate, Copper Feather has excellent food, we danced. Minimal talk, that’s kinda my style, no sense screaming at each other all night. I’m kinda rude when buddies or people try to talk to me when I’m enjoying the band, I might dismiss them with an irritating back handed wave, or even a talk to the hand. I hope my group comes through, Spring River is roaring for my soul
August 6,2004 Good pruning for the Phillips of Florida. Formerly of Memphis, one of the lucky few offered property when Many Islands sold off part of their parcel in the early sixties. This vacation home looks out at some diagonal waterfalls, just north of Many Islands; the positioning is so that from their patio you are faced with a waterfall coming right toward you. Not many homes on Spring River or elsewhere can boast this. The day was nice and cool; smells of the river stirred me deep. Kids fishing hauled blue gill and trout every time I looked. We got some of the trees done, planning another job in Jan. One big White oak had a tight vee crotch way up high, so we removed the part over the house, and smaller versions, more to be done. Mike Gray Band at Copper Feather tonight and tomorrow night. I’ll be there. Throttle does the outdoor gig at Silky Sullivan’s on Beale street in Memphis tomorrow night. Third time this year. Silky’s has the old light from some record company on poplar; it works again, looks like fireworks. Awesome. I got some pictures last time, and let the goats finish my divers. Tomorrow looks like Mammoth to Hardy. Hope it’s hot cause I need my tan back
Thursday Aug 5, Rain out. We tried to weed eat and take the old ford van to Ash flat, but Dave killed the engine and never started again. So many things to work on. I need to practice my set. I need to tailor a video for me, and one for FIREBOX. CHarmaine wanted footage from “she” from 1911 that I showed her. Plus metropolis has some mosh. This is weird, writing when I know I’ll be published to the web. Cyber space I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think. You won’t see commercial bullshit at rebelriver.com. One called and said the power company was there to take a wire down and could I come drop the tree. Two months ago we had agreed to contact the power company aug 2, I tried to call them three times a day—always busy. They never called me after scheduling the line drop, I don’t care, it’s just that the guy hangs at the auto parts store my brother Rodney manages. Maybe a poem is what I need let’s see: Stiff wind tosses weedy trees about There kind will never grow tall. I hear no blue jays, though three lie dead. Morning Dove sing songs, Pretty baby skunk. That’s almost real time, I swear I just wrote that.
Aug 1, 2004 Yesss. My fix arrived in batesville and proceeded to rock my worries away. Jakkyl delivered the goods, ballsy, greasy rocknroll uncut, uncensored, and unquiet. Chainsaws rang through the Ozarks like only once a year, and any trees left were quaking in their roots. I personally loved the opening band also(I think it was Cleotis.) We raised quite a few buds, but tapered off so we could check out my homeboys Throttle at White River Country Club. Tami and I skipped out before Mark Fender sat in. We had bad munchies. Plus cops and wrecks were everywhere, and I was hovering at the limit. I need a plunge in Spring River, see ya...
July 30 Finally there has been a break in the weather. I was able to get good work done this week, including pruning an oak that may be classified as a heritage tree someday (Heath Funeral Home Oak Hill Chapel). They are taking my advice and mulching the root zone, not a minor project. Finally someone who listens, everyone says they value trees but will not cut lawn space down. Lawns are a stress for trees. Combined with other stresses, grass can contribute to decline. This subject is too broad for this simple journal. Look into it. Rain is keeping me off Spring River today(what a wuss, huh) plus I got Stony here to fix my bathroom better. Really I’ve got a lot of estimates to do from Calico Rock to Ozark Acres this afternoon. I may do a trip tomorrow, then Jakkyl comes to Batesville. Fire up the chainsaws!!! Cause whether you you like it or whether you don’t, that’s the way we like it…
July 25, 2004 Cool. We made Many Islands just as the rain came. Tami waited with the boys at the new take out pavilion. Howard served 7 bean soup in plastic shot glasses. Thanks Rebecca. We had a little thing where Howard had a huge dead elm tree over his house and deck. Rebbeca had worked hard on fine landscaping the trails and beds. Craig and Candi worked heroicly lowering and cutting brush and moving it under the house to the chipper, but still some fresh plantings got trampled, s’all good now.
July 22, 2004 Hot Hot Hot . As Lenny Bruce used to say, FRIGGIN hot. Weather.com says 93 feels like 100 but I say it feels more like 110. Cutting up hollow and decayed trees topped twenty years ago, I was covered in wet sawdust repeatedly. Luckily I had to wade to retrieve some brush, so swam three or four times in Lake Vagabond. Joey ‘s sweating, dragging brush and carrying logs, getting ready for two a days(football practice). I’m taking fri off, I figure mow some for my mom then hit Spring River! I hope to go hard upstream from Hardy till mid afternoon, then meander back with Bud and Tesla(and Geezer). See you at high Falls.
July 21, 2004 Another hot one! Good pruning for Brenda Bruster, one of the first in twelve years to compliment me on my mention of Dr Alex Shigo. She is from New Hampshire, and knows him personally. Good. Lake Thunderbird was tempting, as will be lake Vagabond tomorrow. More storm damage. Hope to get on Spring River this weekend. Who will be with me this time? Tami and Geezer certainly. Maybe some cold beer and Tesla’s new album Into the Now!
July 20, 2004 Whew! Hot again. We trimmed up more storm damage today. The orchid Lady on Lake Thunderbird, I’ve worked for the Nisbet’s dozen’s of times, they have a wonderful estate. Tomorrow it’s across the cove, then Thursday out to Ozark acres(more storm damage July fourth brought a fierce one. That didn’t stop the Mike Gray band from rockin’ Rio Vista!
July 19. 2004 Wow! Mike Gray kicked ass again! Tommy is back baby, playing and singing like he used to!!!!cyber grats T gray. Lauren sang her black sounding butt off. Tami and I danced, Geezer got to go canoing, Joey went canoing, played Frisbee, and looks like he’s going to help me at Rebel Tree Care. We took a tree off Conway Spurlock’s house at King’s Mill. Saturday I got a little drunk, we camped, Saber is a cool party band, they played the afternoon, and later that night. Garret had lot’s of women at his house. Candy is gone now, good luck from cyber space, Candy I still want to get you a link.
Hello. Tami is here. We kiss and stuff. She only went canoeing twice before (with me). Geezer gets to go!!! Last week at Spring River Oaks (no petz) he got left behind at home all week. Today Mike plays by bayou (butch Anderson’s; excellent Frisbee field. I figure the two hour trip should take four hours. We should leave dam three by three, then the first band will be still playing at six or seven. Last year we had this big midnight trip planned, drunkenly heading into pitch black into the most treacherous stretch on Spring River. Me and my nephew Brad fared well to Howard’s then boom, others in the group were faring better. An insurance agent from Jonesboro named Mike Ebbert had stolen one of my boats and we caught him at Many Islands. The fat bastard was on the front page of the Sun. Bill Clinton had an arm around him..
Before July 19 Lot’s of cool trips went down this spring and early summer. Southfork was up, Slick Rock to Flathead is a favorite, North Golf Course to Hardy is great. I had some killer time with fabulous ladies and old buddies. One killer pic of Candi and Rudy I will always treasure. The rocks at Baseheart are good for pics. I ‘m thinking of compiling a trouble spot list where reckless construction or something is threatening to contaminate the river with sediment. I’m hooking stream team up with Melissa Garret. Hopefully we’ll plant some trees and shore her bank up. I’ve been Dam three to Hardy a couple of times. Hardy to Rock Creek is killer; we play fairly hardnosed volleyball there at Bartlett’s. I want to have a Rag ball game. A rag ball is a regulation size softball nearly impossible to hit out. We have a very short fence at Hardy beach. I’ve had some experience hosting the Sandy Hall Memorial Tournament in Ash Flat. This would be one nine inning game at noon or eleven with an immediate departure in canoes afterward. The trip is three or four hours average, five if you fish or drink or both, with live volleyball at take out. Thank god Conway pulled me out of there in hard rain and deep mud (Cyber thanks Condural). We’ve done Eleven Point several times, my sister Debby lives near the banks at Birdell. Sometimes Mike runs his jet boat up and down quite quick; Garrett always does his flip from the cow field or rope. No more Current River for me, I took Lauren last year and we struggled with speed boat wakes mightily. I was ready to an extent, but when you turn sideways to meet a wake, your canoe blocks other speed boats. This would be fun for college athletes or adrenalin junkies, but no children or faint of heart. The reason we did it was Mike usually played Current River Beach (Mercy Beach in the seventies) on the fourth, but I got him the Rio Vista gig this year. I do want to take the jet boat up the Current, to show Howard and Jim these steel pier docks I think Spring River could use.
Jokers Forester words Journal Rebel tree care Rebel River Adventures EROSION Panadox Oprah, Kait8 Ozark Outdoors Crowbar Jason BackFlash Backflash Giterdun. |
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