Library To Close For 2 Days
Due to the expected arrival of a sub-freezing mass of air; starting about 14 hours from now, this library is actually
39 °F
39 °F
scheduled to close for 2 days.
Ice pellets!!
So much for "Post frequently to keep the readers interest."
I don't know if this is over concerns about heating costs, or concerns that the place will turn into a huge homeless shelter with a lot of books for the day...
Friday Freezeout
Friday night, I did not play.
I walked to the Lilly spot, through 38 degree air and a light rain.
I had plenty of food under the dock and the means to light a fire; plus the added assurance that there was a very slim chance that another soul would be in sight for at least a half mile in either direction.
Arriving at the spot, I spotted Lilly's SUV idling with her behind the wheel, as her younger daughter, Angelique was entering the gate, carrying a bag.
"Where are you going?," asked Lilly, who was also engaged in a phone conversation at the same time.
"I just wanted to walk past the spot."
I had thought about sitting there with the guitar next to me -it was too cold to play- as another musician on Royal Street does and claimed to have made 85 bucks one cold night; out of peoples sympathy over his being out of work; by the forces of nature.
"No, you can't play tonight; it's too cold," said Lilly. "Plus, it's raining, to boot," she added.
It was then that I was prepared to tell her that I was looking forward to cooking over a fire and eating a hot meal then listening to my radio, should she have invited me to crash at her place.
But, she didn't.
She seemed eager to resume her phone call, and I left, because the rain was falling at an angle which caused it to be landing on the spot where I sit, and because I saw only a handful of other people out.
I figure that some kind of complication probably arose after Lilly mentioned that she had told me to call her if it got too cold out; which might have turned into a family discussion; possibly involving her ex-husband, who lives there; and maybe some kind of argument was advanced which had eluded Lilly at the time she invited me to "call me anytime," perhaps involving insurance risks etc...
I didn't want her to feel badly, so I put on a happy countenance and then went off to the dock.
50 Dollar Saturday
Saturday night, it was about 10 degrees warmer and it was promised to be another 10 degrees warmer on Sunday.
I struck while the iron was hot, forcing myself back out to play additional sets, after taking breaks due to the feeling that I had made my artistic statement and played focused and energetically and had left all the blood sweat and tears out there on Lilly's stoop, and just had nothing left to say as an artist and to continue would make me feel like a monkey tinkering on a toy xylophone.
After short breaks, during which I might fortify myself with a fine beer from Sydneys, I found that I had more to say artistically, and made myself set up my stuff and sit down.
Once I started playing, 45 minutes could pass quickly, and I made amounts of around 20 bucks during each of 3 sets, and got some good compliments.
Close Encountering of the Second Guy
(Photo above: My view, looking towards Lafitt's Tavern which the white car is in front of. The hedges on left are over my left shoulder and where I hand my spotlight)
A second guy from out of the wrought iron gate which is about 10 feet to my left as I play, came up to me and talked Saturday.
Lilly has described "them" as being mean spirited people; and has warned me about them.
The first guy is the one who gave me a 10 dollar tip after he had pushed his trash can out to the curb and then stood and listened for a minute.
This guy, who was about in his 20's reminded me of a couple of kids, who had been staying there last summer, a girl of about 10 and a boy of about half that, who had listened to me play; and who had apparently found it inspiring.
He even found a picture of them on his phone to show me.
I remembered the girl, a tan-skinned skinny thing, as being curious about music in a way which led me to believe that she was a musician; she seemed to ask the "right" questions.
The boy was shorter and had a little more weight to him.
They were back in some northern state, I was told, but will return again next summer.
(Photo left: Looking to my right towards Lilly's left stoop before her gate and then the green stoop of the "man in the red shirt" on the other side of her)
I thought this was a very good sign that the "mean spirited people" next door to Lilly, with whom she is feuding, have not decided to view me as an extension of her, and to run me off.
"Don't tell them that you're my friend!"
If the guy, who was very friendly and complementary, thinks that it would be nice for me to be around 6 months from now, so that the tikes can hear me play again, then that should hopefully bode well.
Now I just have to worry about the guy on the other side of Lilly (with whom she is feuding)!
I told him that I remembered them (the girl tipped me) and remembered that, before they got in the loaded SUV with the tags from some northern state on it; they stood and listened for a while and I had heard whom I assumed was the father "That would have been me," he interjected, say to the girl "That isn't classical," in response to whatever she had said.
I was soloing over the existent-only-in-my-head chords of "Eyes Of The World," by The Grateful Dead, at the time, I remember...
Break Even Sunday
But, A Harp Ahead
Sunday, I woke up with about 30 bucks and was at the Lilly spot by 4:00 p.m. where I began to play and sip on a vodka and energy drink combo.
I hit a very nice groove and was thrown a couple dollars by one of the few people who walked past.
The guy who lives directly across from my spot was sitting on his step, people watching and petting his two lap dogs.
He is on the opposite corner of the guy who installed the spotlight under his eave to give me more illumination, and they both seem to be of the same mind
Lilly and Angelique emerged at one point and walked over while I was doing what I thought was a very "tight" version of my "Carcass Song," and listened.
I could tell that I had their attention by their bemused looks.
"Daniel, you just keep getting better and better," said Lilly "I've never heard you play so good!"
I was just focusing on the guitar and hadn't even put a harmonica around my neck.
Usually you hear me after 10 at night and I'm half wasted, I felt like saying.
I took a break and decided that I would spend myself down to 20 dollars with the purchase of a new $12 (Hohner "Ol' Standby") harmonica from Louisiana Music Factory, and that is what I did, after thinking very hard on the subject and settling upon the key of G.
I also hard to think hard on the subject of whether or not a Marine Band harmonica with 3 plugged notes would still sound better than the brand-new12 dollar harp.
I decided that the Standby which Dorise Blackmon (Tanya and Dorise) had given me (key of F) had sounded just fine, if a little "plastic-y."
I got there and learned that "everything's 20% off today," and it further seemed like I had made the right decision.
I returned to the Lilly spot and, playing the new harp and guitar, made about 10 bucks, enough to cover everything that I had bought that day which wasn't a harmonica.
Vocals Helped
By the end of the night, I valued the harmonica far more than I would have valued 10 dollars and 80 cents.
The two dozen songs that I had been doing a half step above their natural keys using the A-flat harp, I dropped down a step and had a pretty good night vocally.
Monday
So, it is the day above and the temperature is forecast to plummet over the next two days....
Due to the expected arrival of a sub-freezing mass of air; starting about 14 hours from now, this library is actually
Tonight
39 °F
Overcast
Tomorrow
39 °F
Ice Pellets
90% chance of precipitation
Ice pellets!!
So much for "Post frequently to keep the readers interest."
I don't know if this is over concerns about heating costs, or concerns that the place will turn into a huge homeless shelter with a lot of books for the day...
Friday Freezeout
Friday night, I did not play.
I walked to the Lilly spot, through 38 degree air and a light rain.
I had plenty of food under the dock and the means to light a fire; plus the added assurance that there was a very slim chance that another soul would be in sight for at least a half mile in either direction.
"Where are you going?," asked Lilly, who was also engaged in a phone conversation at the same time.
"I just wanted to walk past the spot."
I had thought about sitting there with the guitar next to me -it was too cold to play- as another musician on Royal Street does and claimed to have made 85 bucks one cold night; out of peoples sympathy over his being out of work; by the forces of nature.
"No, you can't play tonight; it's too cold," said Lilly. "Plus, it's raining, to boot," she added.
It was then that I was prepared to tell her that I was looking forward to cooking over a fire and eating a hot meal then listening to my radio, should she have invited me to crash at her place.
But, she didn't.
She seemed eager to resume her phone call, and I left, because the rain was falling at an angle which caused it to be landing on the spot where I sit, and because I saw only a handful of other people out.
I figure that some kind of complication probably arose after Lilly mentioned that she had told me to call her if it got too cold out; which might have turned into a family discussion; possibly involving her ex-husband, who lives there; and maybe some kind of argument was advanced which had eluded Lilly at the time she invited me to "call me anytime," perhaps involving insurance risks etc...
I didn't want her to feel badly, so I put on a happy countenance and then went off to the dock.
50 Dollar Saturday
Saturday night, it was about 10 degrees warmer and it was promised to be another 10 degrees warmer on Sunday.
I struck while the iron was hot, forcing myself back out to play additional sets, after taking breaks due to the feeling that I had made my artistic statement and played focused and energetically and had left all the blood sweat and tears out there on Lilly's stoop, and just had nothing left to say as an artist and to continue would make me feel like a monkey tinkering on a toy xylophone.
After short breaks, during which I might fortify myself with a fine beer from Sydneys, I found that I had more to say artistically, and made myself set up my stuff and sit down.
Once I started playing, 45 minutes could pass quickly, and I made amounts of around 20 bucks during each of 3 sets, and got some good compliments.
Close Encountering of the Second Guy
(Photo above: My view, looking towards Lafitt's Tavern which the white car is in front of. The hedges on left are over my left shoulder and where I hand my spotlight)
A second guy from out of the wrought iron gate which is about 10 feet to my left as I play, came up to me and talked Saturday.
Lilly has described "them" as being mean spirited people; and has warned me about them.
The first guy is the one who gave me a 10 dollar tip after he had pushed his trash can out to the curb and then stood and listened for a minute.
This guy, who was about in his 20's reminded me of a couple of kids, who had been staying there last summer, a girl of about 10 and a boy of about half that, who had listened to me play; and who had apparently found it inspiring.
He even found a picture of them on his phone to show me.
I remembered the girl, a tan-skinned skinny thing, as being curious about music in a way which led me to believe that she was a musician; she seemed to ask the "right" questions.
The boy was shorter and had a little more weight to him.
They were back in some northern state, I was told, but will return again next summer.
I thought this was a very good sign that the "mean spirited people" next door to Lilly, with whom she is feuding, have not decided to view me as an extension of her, and to run me off.
"Don't tell them that you're my friend!"
If the guy, who was very friendly and complementary, thinks that it would be nice for me to be around 6 months from now, so that the tikes can hear me play again, then that should hopefully bode well.
Now I just have to worry about the guy on the other side of Lilly (with whom she is feuding)!
I told him that I remembered them (the girl tipped me) and remembered that, before they got in the loaded SUV with the tags from some northern state on it; they stood and listened for a while and I had heard whom I assumed was the father "That would have been me," he interjected, say to the girl "That isn't classical," in response to whatever she had said.
I was soloing over the existent-only-in-my-head chords of "Eyes Of The World," by The Grateful Dead, at the time, I remember...
Break Even Sunday
But, A Harp Ahead
Sunday, I woke up with about 30 bucks and was at the Lilly spot by 4:00 p.m. where I began to play and sip on a vodka and energy drink combo.
I hit a very nice groove and was thrown a couple dollars by one of the few people who walked past.
The guy who lives directly across from my spot was sitting on his step, people watching and petting his two lap dogs.
He is on the opposite corner of the guy who installed the spotlight under his eave to give me more illumination, and they both seem to be of the same mind
Lilly and Angelique emerged at one point and walked over while I was doing what I thought was a very "tight" version of my "Carcass Song," and listened.
I could tell that I had their attention by their bemused looks.
"Daniel, you just keep getting better and better," said Lilly "I've never heard you play so good!"
I was just focusing on the guitar and hadn't even put a harmonica around my neck.
Usually you hear me after 10 at night and I'm half wasted, I felt like saying.
 |
| Here's a pretty good picture of one... |
I also hard to think hard on the subject of whether or not a Marine Band harmonica with 3 plugged notes would still sound better than the brand-new12 dollar harp.
I decided that the Standby which Dorise Blackmon (Tanya and Dorise) had given me (key of F) had sounded just fine, if a little "plastic-y."
I got there and learned that "everything's 20% off today," and it further seemed like I had made the right decision.
I returned to the Lilly spot and, playing the new harp and guitar, made about 10 bucks, enough to cover everything that I had bought that day which wasn't a harmonica.
Vocals Helped
By the end of the night, I valued the harmonica far more than I would have valued 10 dollars and 80 cents.
The two dozen songs that I had been doing a half step above their natural keys using the A-flat harp, I dropped down a step and had a pretty good night vocally.
Monday
So, it is the day above and the temperature is forecast to plummet over the next two days....
You're getting all this cold weather and meanwhile it's not nearly cold enough out here in California. We need rain too.
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