Don't Fear the Reaper

I'm having one of those Blue Oyster Cult mornings - listening to Godzilla, Don't Fear the Reaper and Burning for You and working on the new book, "Half Life". I awake early when the world is quiet and still dozing and chop on the writing with music in the background. Music brings its own inspiration and it's completely asymetric. Today BOC, tomorrow maybe Whitey Ford and Everlast?

It Works

I'm not saying that it works for everyone all the time, but it always worked for me.

What if?

Doors Sunday

Sunday with The Doors

Love her Madly

The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger.  The band took its name from the title of Aldous Huxley's book The Doors of Perception which itself was a reference to a William Blake quotation: "If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite."

I think that with the Doors, you loved them or hated them. Jim Morrison dropped way too much acid and got so far out that he just never came back. He died in 1971, but the music lives on because it's classic.

Love me Two Times

This live rendition of Jim Morrison in 1968 includes his usual psychobabble (Morrison fans don't look at is babble) before the song begins. 

Jim Morrison's wild poetic rants require that you are either as blazed as a brass monkey or you're crazy to really "ingest". And for that reason, I may not be the best of Doors fans. I had a cousin who contemplated suicide when Morrison died. He was that into the Doors scene. I didn't consider a heroin overdose to be a particularly heroic death. 

Jim Morrison's father, George S. Morrison retired from the US Navy as a rear admiral. I can't help but wonder what George thought of his famous son. He was attending a decommissioning ceremony for his former command, the aircraft carrier Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) when his son, Jim, died in Paris. Maybe if he'd been home instead of at sea command after sea command, Jim wouldn't have been so strung out? Obviously these are the thoughts of a father (me) not a devoted Door's fan. The Doors fans loved that Jim Morrison was on the other side of the Moon most of the time.

Light my Fire

More From Walk-About

Sometimes the you have to wonder if you can
make the climb. Picking a route is important.
A metaphor for life?

The Vermillion Cliffs near Kanab, UT is actually in an area referred to
as The Arizona Strip. 

Another view of the Vermillion Cliffs.

Rocks fall from the cliffs - sometimes. This is what it looks like.

Sonora Desert view. Some people have a hard time seeing the beauty
in this. All I see is beauty.

Great News on the Obamacare Front

Jobs report: We gain all-time record of 360K part time jobs, while LOSING 240K full-time jobs. Obama-loving media claims this is great news!

Celebration

There isn't anything much more American than a hamburger surrounded by a pile of french fried potatoes.

If you add fireworks and Nascar, you're right at the beating heart of the nation.

Independence Day is my favorite holiday of the year because (1) I don't have to buy everyone that I know, gifts; (2) The decorations can be put up and brought down with relative ease; (3) I like picnic food better than banquet food; (4) It's warm and I can wear shorts and a t-shirt (though I can do that every day in Southern California, I haven't always lived here); (5) I like fireworks, a day at the park with a live band playing songs from the 80's blended with patriotic songs; (6) I have 20 people coming by the house to eat today - including much of the police department who work day shift, drifting by to grab a snack. It's informal and I like that sort of holiday; (7) The kids spend most of the day in the swimming pool rather than running underfoot complaining that they're bored.

Fourth of July at my house has become the thing to do for relatives and in-laws of children because the house is large, the pool is large, the food is plentiful and good and I live a short walk from the park for the late afternoon music leading to fireworks. 

Summer and Swimming

4 year old Alyssa likes the pool

It's summer in the northern hemisphere and tomorrow is Independence Day in the US of A. I'm going to be splashing in the swimming pool with the kids/grandkids and hosting a rather large BBQ where about twenty people will be descending to eat and celebrate with fireworks after dark.

Cannon prefers a waterpark...and always meets the cute girls

Yes, Griffin meets cute girls too, and you can tell my grandson because he has the camouflage swim trunks.

One of Life's Little Events

With all life, it usually sounds a lot worse than it turns out to be.