1. As I have written before, Daniel Mackay's stellar hour long weekly radio show, focused on the Bob Dylan galaxy (Hard Rain and Slow Trains: Bob Dylan and Fellow Travelers), is archived at https://player.whooshkaa.com/shows/hard-rain-and-slow-trains-bob-dylan-and-fellow-travelers. I am unfamiliar with whooshkaa.com. Today, I did some low key fiddling around and figured out how to not only access to these episodes, but download them on my tablet so I can listen to them offline.
This was an important breakthrough for me because I've been wanting not only to get back to taking walks again, but I also wanted Dan Mackay's show to be my walking partner.
Today, I made that plan work and, as I figured it would be, walking while listening to Hard Rain/Trains was the perfect combination. Dan has just over 150 shows archived -- that's a lot of walking and listening -- and I'm stoked at the prospect of enjoying many days to come listening to his shows and getting my exercise.
The show I listened to today was broadcast on January 13, 2022 and featured Willie Nelson as a fellow traveler of Bob Dylan's and it commemorated the 60th anniversary of the release of Willie Nelson's first album.
I loved this show. I loved learning about Dylan and Nelson's mutual respect for each other. I loved hearing Willie Nelson sing some of his songs -- honestly, I wondered if I'd ever heard a more perfect track than Willie Nelson singing, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain". I enjoyed the Nelson/Dylan duets Dan played. One more feature of the show moved me: hearing both Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan sing Nelson's superb song on behalf of bought out, ruined farmers, "Heartland".
There's more. It's a superb episode. It achieved just what I hoped it might: I admired both Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan more than ever after listening to it. Huge props to Dan for crafting this remarkable hour of music, information, and insight.
2. Joni, Carol Lee, Mitzi, and Carol Lee gathered for a little party today out at Rose Lake and they decided, on the spur of the moment, to see if they could gather some of us together for a meeting to further work on plans for this summer's KHS Class of 1972 50 year reunion -- it will take place here in Kellogg on July 15-17.
Joni called me and we ended our call with me saying I didn't think I'd be coming out for this impromptu meeting. That soon changed though! Debbie thought it would be fun to go. Diane would be heading out from Kellogg and we figured the three of us could go out together. I was easily persuaded to change my mind. Debbie and I picked up Diane around 4:45 and headed out to Jake and Carol Lee's house. I poured myself a light Black Velvet ditch, took a seat at the table, and before long a thoughtful and cooperative meeting got underway and, before we knew it, we made some decisions, made some assignments, and made good progress toward making this reunion happen.
3. Along with being a time that we took care of business, this evening was also a party. We had pizza, chips, other snack food, wine, beer, and liquor on hand. Jake played music with Alexa's help. It was awesome. Some of us talked business. Others talked, told stories, and enjoyed each other's company and before long, business completed, we were all having a fun and really good party.
I left Jake and Carol Lee's very happy that I got talked out of my initial resistance to join the meeting. I was really happy that Debbie, Diane, and I traveled together and got in some excellent conversation going out and coming back. I was happy that I drank very little, ate more than enough, and that I was sound of mind and spirit to negotiate the big pot holes out at Rose Lake and drive us safely home on I-90.
What a day this turned out to be! I walked with Dan Mackay and Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. I gladly let myself be persuaded to attend a meeting that turned out to be a superb planning time and a spirited, jolly party. I spent fun time with a bunch of friends I've known for over fifty years.
What a day!
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