Harmonica Joe had given me the heads up by e-mail a few days before that he was leaving California and headed our way. Since the roads are in as good a shape right now as they have been since we first arrived here, Mark gave him the directions to the ranch. Giving directions to the ranch is different than normal directions which would include road numbers and names. For the most part, there are no high-profile road markers and you have to give more of a terrain description instead such as "You will then see a set of huge tanks off in the distance, turn left just after them." "You'll see an old blue horse trailer. Go just beyond it and take that road across the wash." And the big disclaimer is always "Don't try this after dark!" All roads look the same here after dark, period, whether they lead dead-end into any of a thousand gas well pads or not.
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Fortunately, Joe arrived in the early afternoon with plenty of sunlight to spare. And I could stop worrying that his low-riding car would survive the trip. He did say that he had his moment of doubt while crossing the main wash and got a little hooked up in the deep, sandy ruts but his cute little PT Cruiser with its low profile and what I consider nearly drag slicks compared to our mud terrains beat its way over the wash admirably.
It wasn't long before he was digging into the big white boxes jammed in around his amp and harp cases, looking very much like the old horse track itinerant salesmen who used to sell clothing, Redwings, jewelry, ointments - whatever you might need - right out of the trunks of their old '50s jalopies. Joe turned back to us with a wide cat-like grin, holding up a bottle of California's finer wines. That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the visit.
He would return to his mobile wine cellar once more and then we would scrounge through our Rat Cellar for another contribution before the evening was over. We caught up on two years worth of news since we last met and then, as was customary, Mark and Joe settled into serious political debate. It's been a long time since Mark has been able to engage in a good debate with a well-informed partner so he was in his glory. And it really is a joy to discuss such things without any of the parties turning red and having veins and tendons leap out from their necks, or to feel like you are preaching to the choir for that matter. They both had a great time and even I threw in the odd observation from the kitchen as I went through the process of making chicken fajitas. We talked long into the night until I sensed the lagging energy in both of them and called for bed time.
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I was so disappointed to hear that Joe had a blues gig in Kentucky and very little time to get there so he would have to leave the next morning. What?! No time to even take him on one of my infamous hikes up mesas and through the cactus?
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Before he left, I insisted on him performing a few numbers from the hydraulic lift-gate of the 45' moving trailer. It wasn't long before the dogs zeroed in on this strange new sound in the canyon with rapt attention and great enthusiasm. Joe had become our Pied Piper of Hamlin and the results were hilarious. .
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I'm not sure whether to call his vocalists the Blues Bowsers or the Brou's Brothers but you can see that they were gettin' down. On the right, Brou is belting out "I been down so long ..." and ditzy Daisy is doing a low and steady "Rooooo-ew-eww" while patiently watching Brou for her solo cue. .
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And this is my least favored view of visitors out here; that last glimpse as they head back into the chico flats and then disappear from our canyon. At least we were able to send our favorite oenophile down the road with a bottle of New Mexico's very lauded Gruet 'champagne'. Have a safe trip, Joe, and do come back soon, ya hear? .
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28 comments:
I could almost hear the fine notes from the Blues Bowsers...I'll see about a booking at the Bijou here in Knoxville!
Great post...sorry I missed it, but thanks for the documentation.
Another great post.
HA! Those dogs are hilarious. Joe is one visitor who won't overstay his welcome. He was hardly there at all. Maybe you were dreaming.
Ohhhh-hah, Mushy, would you consider a post-retirement career as a manager for Joe and the Blues Bowsers? What with your hilarious prior band experiences, I bet you could take it in stride when the show goes to the dogs. I can start packing their crates now and making them a lunch for the road to Knoxville. Shoot, as Cat would readily agree, SOMEBODY around here needs to have a career. I would certainly send the dogs out for a Knight like this.
Babzy, have you noticed that the good dreams are always the ones which end far too soon? Next time, I am going to abscond with his PT's plug wires for a while. The dogs will love it and prolly even bury them for me. We'll show him!
I'll bet the coyotes were watching from the bush wondering who or what this new sound was.
The dogs looked like they had a good time joining in.
Visits are very rarely long enough especially with good friends.
Nothing I hate worse than Blogger eating my comment!
I love the pic of the dogs "singing" along:)
I just realized I could never live in the boonies. I wouldn't know how to give directions. Usually I say stuff like "Across the street from the Dairy Queen, and catey corner to the Burger King. But if you see Chi Chi's, you've gone too far." LOL! With no fast food joints peppering every street, I'd be lost!
Bet he trades that PT by morning light---probably already has the underside scraped bald of it's wiring and such!
Maybe you should travel that road---he might've gotten high-centered on a yucca somewhere...!
Moose, I bet EVERYTHING out there had to creep in closer to investigate. Blues harp just isn't one of those regular canyon sounds.
That's my thought, too - good friends always leave FAR too soon.
Gaghhhh ... those vanishing comments kill me, too, Goddess!!!
Ohhhh ... you WOULD be in trouble for directions out here. The Indians still use piles of rocks to show people the way to this and that and the drilling rigs tie different colored streamers to the sage bushes. You could get Mr. G. to swipe some Burger King and other fast food pennants and hang one at each turn (not as good as being that close to restaurants though - AMHIK).
Like Slim and Clay, I haven't even met Joe and I already like him. Sure sounds like you'll had a great time when he was there. I'm planing to learn how to play my harmonica. Plan to be 'world class'. Sure wish we had been there.
But, when you're tooth problem is better, and you're ready for company, we'll be there. Got the target frames ready? When you hear some 45ACP rounds, that means we're at the end of the driveway. Looking forward to meeting Slim and Clay. Red
Bruno, luckily he checked in with me that night after leaving here. He said the trip out (by a different way) was rough but better than the route in on 'the Bataan Highway'. Even the main wash seemed better so the grader must have swung through that morning. Amd the PT seemed none the worse for wear - no dropped gas tank, mufflers or anything else. Made me feel MUCH better.
Red, I didn't know you had any interest in playing harmonica! Okay, next time he comes out, you will have to as well. He has been teaching it for a few years now and could really get you going.
Geez, Red, sure you don't want me to just install a doorbell instead? Nah, no need to answer that. How's next week looking for plinkin' and supper with the cowboys?
Great story and interesting life style Lin...have always told the wife, If I to do it all over again, we would have headed to the high desert when we finished college, and never looked back.
Ol' well, maybe when she retires.
Pat, it's never too late, you know! We rushed the season a little but have few regrets about that because you just don't know what cards will come up next. You would LOVE living out here so don't let her drag her feet on retirement.
Are you going to that reunion in Albuquerque? If so, you'll have to hook up with Red and let him sell you on the idea - he's GOOD at it, too - DAMHIK.
I might do that, was just out to ABQ early last month delivering a RV....and plan on getting out for the VSPA Reunion.
Pat, COOL! I will give Red the heads up in case he misses your comment here. Too darned bad we missed your trip out here last month though.
Brou and Daisy are just too cool! My three dogs and I would harmonize (?) with an old recorder that I had but couldn't play... I just tootled on it to get the dogs going, and that they DID. Great fun!
Hmmm. Methinks a Miata wouldn't make it on your roads, Lin, if a PT Cruiser had "moments."
Buck, if you still have that recorder, I now know a couple of singers who would love to join you!
Could your Miata really be any lower than his PT? I kept looking at his tires and thinking that they almost looked like those meatless spares used nowadays. Just not a whole lot of rubber between the rim and the road - made me shudder a little. I also looked for practical tow points on the PT - and shuddered again.
Sounds like a grand time was had by all. Nice when the doggies enjoy the company, too!
Phlegmmy, the dogs are in seventh heaven when visitors arrive, even if they don't play an instrument. Come to think of it, so are we!
Could your Miata really be any lower than his PT?
Yep, I'm pretty sure PTs have a LOT more clearance than Miatas. "Ground clearance" wasn't one of the design objectives for the Miata engineering team, methinks.
Well, drats, Buck - what options are left then? Maybe we need to find you a set of dual sport tires for your rice rocket? Then again, those deep sandy spots are front end grabbers that I wouldn't want to mess with on a heavier road bike. Maybe you could hitch a ride out with Red some time!
The dogs look like they enjoyed singing back up. What a wonderful visit. I get company about once a month a out here in Cornland and Yogi is in heaven with the attention. I enjoy the privacy of living out here, but some coffee music and conversation is always welcome.
LimM, you are doing a better average of company than we were out there! For that matter WE are doing a lot better than that average since moving out to the middle of nowhere.
Yeah ... don't the dogs just eat up the new attention? They hate to see visitors drive away as much as we do. We have to keep Daisy inside or she will literally follow them home.
Yeah I don't think "turn left at the dirt," "turn right at the rocks" will cut it out there;)
Goddess, when we first got out here, we got a lot of those directions. Not only were they terrible directions but they got ever worse at night. If we ever get over most of the embarrassment, I might tell about one memorable night in particular.
Well hell, if a PT Cruiser can make it in there I guess my Solara will make it. Won't have to rent a jeep for the trip.
FHB, if Joe's PT made it in, then your Solara would fly in. Thing is, time of year and the whim of the gas companies are still everything. This year, the gas field is kicking butt on our road but the monsoons might take it much of it away in late summer and fall. So far, May and June seem to be the optimum road conditions out here so keep that in mind!
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