It Was 20 Years Ago Today

Apparently, the 20th anniversary is the china anniversary.  Margot says it's also the coffee anniversary, but, then again, she says that about all anniversaries.  This comes from being a 2nd grade teacher.

Julia sits in with the band

The wonderful Julia Preston (daughter of Margot Atuk, Jeff Goodman, and Tom Preston) sitting in with the band at her wedding on Saturday.


The band was that old Predfest staple, The Horses of Butter (John Howard, Jody Pred, Andy Opel, and Paul Feldman) who hadn't played together in 10 years or so. They sounded great.

Brilliant

This weekend, we went to the wedding of my cousin's daughter. It was a lovely affair, but as we finished dinner we looked around and realized that there was no evidence of a wedding cake--or any dessert for that matter. So, there were some toasts, the father of the bride sang a song, the happy couple did a little dance, and just as this was ending, there were bright headlights coming up the drive (this was in rural Virginia), and out of the darkness appeared...



An ice cream truck. All ready to serve cones, sundaes, shakes, banana splits, shaved ice, the whole deal.



A good time, as they say, was had by all.

Goldenrod below Mount Mitchell

I had an experience yesterday that reinforced what I think about photography being a tool for attention. I went up to Mount Mitchell with Margot to pick blueberries - not many this year - and I purposely didn't bring my camera on our walk. I just wanted to see things without the mediation of the camera. Plus, it was raining and about to rain. On the way back, I was struck by this incredible view with flowers in the foreground against misty ridges partially obscured by fog. So, after we got to the car, I got my camera and walked back to the view, which, by now, had been replaced by socked-in fog. Alas. So I walked on a bit and came across a row of goldenrod along the edge of the path - which I suddenly saw anew as I was photographing them. What are these? Goldenrod? Are all goldenrod the same? What's the plant family? Who eats goldenrod? Etc. On returning home, I looked them up to get the Latin name and was amazed to find that there are 39 DIFFERENT SPECIES of goldenrod that grow in the Carolinas! 39! Of just goldenrod! I'm pretty sure the ones I was seeing were Solidago cutisii, very similar to the blue-stemmed goldenrod. If I'm wrong, I hope Don McLeod will visit me in a dream and tell me.

Anyway, my point is that, though we don't need any more images, the camera helped me stop and see and attend and name and wonder and burst with pleasure at the misty world. Isn't that, after all, what we're after?

Oh, yeah, by the time I returned to the scene that was the impetus for walking back with my camera, the fog had cleared, and I got the view I was originally struck by.

Those fab Levins

The amazing Levin family at Rob and Wanda's 40th wedding anniversary party.


There were stories to be told--about twins and guitars and stuff like that.

Which kind?

I wonder if this is the Van Morrison variety, the Paul Anka variety, or the Paul Simon variety?