Show #257

Hello Friends of the Garden!

Rain = Excessive Weeds
How can such a little place
have so many weeds?
(Green Waste for coastal
residents)

Spring Break and I'm at the coast! I've kept myself occupied doing all of my favorite things. Unfortunately, there is always some maintenance to be done but, there's plenty of time for all of that. I'm at the coast house fairly regularly so, whatever doesn't get done this time will get done next time, life's too short! It's the freedom to stay up late or go to bed early or setting the coffee maker to come on at the butt crack of dawn that makes it so enticing to be here. I definitely like my tiny slice of heaven by the sea!

Another beautiful morning in Cambria!
The sunsets on the ocean are awesome!
I still haven't seen a sunrise on it yet!

Even though Cambria is the "poster child" for a sleepy, little California coastal town, there is change here. In just the short time I've been here we've had Texas-like weather, rain, cold, windy, sunny, warm, and overcast! Restaurants and shops come and go here with frequency of a tweet from POTUS 45! The beach changes every day (or least overnight) to reveal its treasures each morning. Houses are bought and sold here at such an unbelievable rate that every third full time resident is either a painter or a real estate agent!

Every Thursday! Always
interesting!

I have this crazy "love/hate" relationship with one of my routines when I come to the coast and that's reading the free, local, weekly newspaper, New Times. Typically, on the way in to town, we stop and pick up some groceries and I grab a copy of the current New Times on the way out. Once everything is unloaded and put away I head to the deck, turn on the radio, light up an incense, and catch up on what's going on.

There are so many fun parts to read! The editorials and the letters to the editor always exposes a different set of priorities that are enlightening. I love the Tom Tomorrow's, "This Modern World"! The movie reviews can be hilarious. Everything is cool right up to the point that I hit the live entertainment section. Suddenly, I'm filled with confusion and disappointment and questions!

How is possible that an area half the size of town I live in can have so much more live entertainment going on! As I read the names of the bands coming to the central coast area I'm left with a jealous feeling! Why can't a city the size of Fresno have this kind of music scene?

Not even coming close
to Fresno! Fill up
the car!

Ok, you can say there are two different sets of of mindsets between the two places. The coast has a big country following just like Fresno. Paso Robles hosts a vastly superior line up of performers for the Mid State Fair than the Big Fresno Fair ever has! Even the radio stations are more wide and varied than the Fresno area. In almost every way the coast is entertained in a better way than Fresno!

The population of the entire county of San Luis Obispo is 282,877. Fresno County weighs in at 979,915, with the city of Fresno making up 520, 052 of the populous. The city of Fresno alone is almost twice the population of all of San Luis Obispo county! So, what is it? What reason is there for the discrepancy? Surely numbers alone would support the kind of vibrant music scene in Fresno that the coast has! The unanswered question is why? The other question is, if Fresno had that kind of entertainment, would I be drawn to the coast like I am?

One thing that enjoys being
in Fresno! This is a cool plant
I bought at the coast and took
a chance on it growing in
Fresno.

I can't get my head around an answer for this! If it's just money, it seems like there would be money to be made in Fresno. If it's a culture thing then numbers should support at least as many enlightened people in Fresno as in San Luis Obispo county. Simply being near the ocean is too preposterous to suggest as a possibility! Being too big doesn't work either! Can you imagine the following, "Yeah we don't go to Fresno because it's too big!" I suppose you can use the tourism aspect but isn't Fresno nestled between three of the most famous parks in all of the world?

I think some how the answer lies somewhere back in that Census data. I still don't get it!

On to Show # 257! Well, just one show away from being on the air for five years! I love doing this! This show catches up on a lot of Garden Party standard bands with new music as well as a couple of first timers too! Almost half of the show are 2017 releases some only out a few days! It's hard to keep up, there's a lot out there! A few that I'm looking forward to are the Bob River's tune, The Beginning of the End (amazing name I never knew), the new Shinyribs. Like me, you'll be doing some catching up too!

Thanks as always Jerry and Robin! Eventually our schedules will coincide Jerry, and Robin, I hope your back gets better soon! You're going to get "bigly" behind on your yard work if you don't!

Thanks to all of you out there! I'd really enjoy hearing from any of you out there and please consider supporting our humble, little radio station!

Peace and love!

Mike