Midsummer Grandness

I was given the opportunity to benefit my community by serving on the Grand Jury of Kings County, New York from June 26th until July 10th. This service provided me with the chance to earn a small stipend while performing a necessary function in society. The Grand Jury is made up of 23 persons residing in the community. In my case, and I warrant in many cases, it was a wonderfully diverse and inclusive collection of individuals.
Because of security screenings, I was not allowed to bring a camera into the court. But because jurors were allowed certain lenience, I was allowed to bring my phone, which has a camera. I did not violate the principle of this privilege, so I have no record of my fellow jurors, whose names I don't even know. One of the Jurors I knew as E-10. Our Jury was E, and he was E-10. I was E-8. (E-9 was really nice: closest to me in proximity and culturally, and I know her name, but I will not divulge it) HOWEVER, I did get to experience the wonderful tradition (not previously known to me) of "Lunch Hour". It was like a mid-day meditation. I found here the opportunity to take pictures of what I was attending to in my meditation.





This last image was arresting (apropos of jury work). On a sunny day in a metropolitan forest, the sun cast a shadow with gothic resonance. So I took another look. What do you see . . . ?



On the penultimate day of my service we had the luxury of a 2-hour lunch. So I walked to the Promenade and took pictures of New York harbor.

Jalopy showcase

June 14 was the Jalopy Showcase. Deborah, Elaine and I performed Angel Band. It was rather a fun day! All the groups were good, and the audience was enthusiastically supportive.

Elaine's son Cole took the pictures from the back of the house. Deborah's son Cody took the pictures from down front, and her husband Jim made a video of our performance which can be seen on YouTube.

Summer is a Comin' In . . .

. . . So are more lakes, ponds and puddles; as well as turtles and geese. It has rained for 39 days and 39 nights and one begins to wonder if Noah junior is progressing well with Ark II. On the upside, Prospect Park has never been so green and verdant.

Music Matters

Having joined the growing percentage of the world's population being recently un-employed, I have been experiencing some re-adjustments. Now I suddenly find myself sleeping when it's dark and waking when it gets light. Daytime activities aside, I have found myself free to participate in some social endeavors in the evening hours. On June 8, I participated in the Slow Jam at Paddy O'Reillys, playing guitar and singing with twenty-something like-minded people. In the picture one can see Deborah Monlux far left on the fiddle, Gary on guitar, Sue on banjo and Rob on guitar in the foreground. Behind them are two mandolin players and a dobro player.


Then on the next Thursday, I got to see the legendary Danny Kalb playing at Jalopy with his bass player, Bob Jones, and drummer Mark Ambrosino. Danny was amazing. His (electrified) acoustic guitar carried instrumental solos and rhythmic accompaniment to his raspy blues vocals. Bob Jones sang bits of harmony on 30 Years and Who Put a Ring, and finished off several numbers by bowing his bass. Danny pleased us with some of the old favorites like Baby Please Don't Go, Alberta and Jesus Met the Woman at the Well. But also mixed in some really great tunes I had not heard before. Another audience member suggested that the song Got to Get Goin' Again sounded like a very autobiographical sentiment for where Danny is now. There were times when Kalb's bluesy improvisations on the upper strings almost flew off into another world, but his wonderful rhythmic thumping and running base strings always brought us back to the Blues that we can't help but love.



Danny was joined by young guitar wizard, Randy Johnson, for 3 tunes including Good Morning Blues and an incredible instrumental version of Lullabye of Birdland. Kalb finished his set with Big Bill Broonzy's Hey, Hey. But the audience wanted an encore, and Danny satisfied with the sweetest jazz/Blues instrumental on guitar.

KL's Sonoran Bobcat

Got fauna? I guess . . .

found a picture of a bobcat . . . not quite the mountain lion, but far different than a pigeon.

April 19th . . .

. . . was a big day!
I registered as a participant in the Run As One 4 Mile Race in Central Park. My friend, Joe, talked me into it against my better judgment, as I had a big "reunion" event later in the day. But the Run As One race is to benefit and increase awareness of Lung Cancer. It was this cause which motivated me. I ran for Janet Ward, who died from Lung Cancer before she had a chance to play the part of her life. There are thousands more like her, and little is known about the causes of this particular cancer.

Here is Joe at the starting corral:


Here I am before the race:

I came in 7,450th! But I ran the entire 4 miles.

So a few hours later, I went to see Exit the King. Nan and I had talked about going months ago, and she ultimately got the tickets (great seats—thanks Nan). But after the tickets were bought, I had the idea to invite all the people from the Shade Company that produced the play back in 1971, and then made a 35mm film of it in 1972. So I did. All of them responded! Patricia was in Dubai, Hal was in a production of La Cage aux Folles in Charleston, Toni was in Yale directing an Italian opera, and Justine couldn't make it. But three of us—half the cast—did show up at the same performance. It was great! Geoffrey Rush was wild and funny, Susan Sarandon was very good, but Andrea Martin almost stole the show as Juliette. Michael Moody, who played the guard in the Shade film came with his son. He was a old friend of Andrea's so he talked to her after the show. She was really interested in seeing our film, so a DVD was sent to her yesterday. Diane Quaid, who played Marguerite, came all the way from Woods Hole despite a very busy schedule. And after the play, we all went to Pietrasanta for drinks and dinner.

Harbingers of Spring

The first harbinger is the cormorant who visits Prospect Lake early in the spring each year.

Next, is the brilliant yellow of the forsythia:





Then, more yellow appears as the daffodils rise up with all their strength and delicacy:



White has been introduced, and the plum tree in front of my building provides an impressionistic cloud of white when it bursts into bloom:



Overnight there is an explosion of pink right at the entrance to the park: