Beachfront Camping Report...

Once, in another life, I was parked beachfront in my truck just sitting on the tail gate enjoying the sun. Three girls came walking by and said hi. I was at a loss for words but quick thinking led me to ask them if they wanted to toss a frisbee. I did not have any idea what girls wanted to do but I was giving it my best shot. One of them said, "Nah man, I could never throw one of those things," and they continued on down the beach. I've never asked a girl if they wanted throw a frisbee again. I've never even asked my wife if she would throw a frisbee. She'd probably say,  "Nah man, I could never throw one of those things."

We made of first beachfront camping trip of the summer this week at our secret spot on the Brazoria County Free Beach. If you are a regular reader here you will know it's where we camp free on the beach. No hook ups but bring water, run solar on the camper and a generator as needed. It's a sweet deal. We stayed Monday till Wednesday morning, avoiding the weekend crowd and pretty much had it to ourselves. The fish left us to ourselves as well with a rough surf and wind making conditions less than ideal for the surf. By Wednesday morning the wind had subsided, the surf lay flat and the sea weed rolling ashore had diminished and green water is expected with a couple of tide changes. 

In fact browsing the fishing reports looks like they caught them off the jetty yesterday and the surf was good this morning. I had netted a few live baits and tried lures since I did not feel the percentages were going to be high for me but I'll be ready with some shrimp for bait next time. 

Water looks pretty in this photo and even though no bites I wouldn't say I had a bad time. Some one once asked Cathy if Carl had to catch fish. She said, "I don't think so. He looks at stuff, makes pictures." I like the beach and I'm glad my wife is a beach girl. 

Water looks pretty in this reflected photo off the camper glass. 

On those windy days the fire felt good sitting on the beach at night as the air cooled when the sun went down. We never used the air conditioner but on the morning we left it was warming, the wind had dropped and made it easier for the biting horse flies to torment you. If the fish are biting I have enough repellant to make that tolerable.   

If ever on Surfside beach and you see a guy that looks like he wants to throw a Frisbee by all means, stop. 

 

 

Used Records This Week...

 I've just about sworn off buying records and cds. The cd rack is full and while I can always stack records on the floor it is always a possibility that the back room where all this lives, which was probably originally some kind of old fashion sleeping porch might collapse into the backyard. That said when a friend called and told me my mom's old church, Lifepoint was having a garage sale and there would be records I had to go check it out. 

Sure enough they had just what I wanted. One of the things I collect is the old readers digest box sets. They made millions of them so the price is always right. Usually I'm on the lookout for the swing music/ragtime/big band/Latin sets and so forth and the sale actually had one of the swing years sets I already own but I couldn't resist two other which though not swinging like I like it's the most perfect sappy white jazz singers backed by strings that would go great with an evening of martinis after I got home from the grey flannel suit everyman salt mines. That is if I drank martinis, worked in a salt mine and had a gray flannel suit. When Cathy heard these two records she said, "my grandparents music" and meant it in a good way. What will my grandkids say about our music? Probably, "Pop Pop did you ever see the Sex Pistols, you were a teen then" and I'll have to say no.  

I have a lot of Al Hirts and recently counted them but don't recall so it's a no brainer to add another. I did not have this Herb Alpert but I said, "maybe I can adapt that Lonely Bull Trumpet for tuba," and why not Nat King Cole? See how my kind kind of collecting goes. 

Actually my friend, Ray who tipped me to these records told me they came from my parents neighbor, Ray's mother in law, Shirley's home. Shirley lived to be 104 and always said I was the prettiest baby. Maybe these smooth jazz sounds will add to my longevity.

Long live listening. Never trust someone without music of all kinds in their home.     

   

Trout Fishing in America...

From the title you may have thought this would be another fishing report but last night at the Live Oak Listening Room in Nacogdoches, Tx we saw a concert by the musical duo Trout Fishing in America. 

Ezra (6'9" tall) and Keith (5'5") have been making music together for 50 years. I probably first saw them at the old Crossroads bar in Doches in the 1980s. I took my kids to see them at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in the 1990s. In 2017 we had a big family outing to the Mucky Duck in Houston including grandchildren Warren and Coraline, who were with us last night as well, to see the band. The music appeals to everyone with styles ranging from blues, jazz, country and more with nursery rhymes and other kid adjacent themes mixed with much humor and the enduring inspirations of adult life that seemed to be reflecting a bit on getting older and not acting your age.  

For those wanting to go a bit deeper the band took their name from the book of the same name by Richard Brautigan, an abstract work critiquing mainstream American culture. 

I think this might have been the best show I have seen by them. I am not sure why I felt that way because they have always been a good band. Playing as a duo the sound of the band is very full and the Listening Room was a great place with another great video loop by Pat Casey running in the background. Possibly besides reflecting on some of the songwriting themes that touched me such as where's my cell phone, banjos on the moon and yes you are a pretty girl now where's your momma and imagining the confidence to musically explore 50 years together brought me to the fact that there were friends at the concert that I have known for 40 to 50 years and it was just amazing to all feel the same things.  

After the show the band were very gracious taking the time to sit on the edge of the stage to sell t shirts and cds while chatting up the crowd, signing autographs and posing for photos. Here's Warren and Rose with the guys. 

Keith shares important insights into the music business and life in general with my grandson Warren. The band repeatedly mentioned though the night how they were always looking everywhere to find songwriting inspiration. I know their music is an inspiration to me.