Show #227

Hello Friends of the Garden,

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I can eat a whole bag of these
if I'm left unsupervised!

It's another Saturday morning! Coffee, the newspaper, NPR and "little white donuts" are the things that begin the day as the sun comes up. My busy little corner is still sleepy and quiet. Soon enough, everyone will be about business, whatever that is! As soon as I finish this post I'll be about business myself, getting back to a paving project that hit a slow spot. At this point I'm making Cal-Trans look fast if you assess my progress! 

Down to the tricky corners

The unfinished paving is a glaring item on my checklist of to do's. Every time I walk over the portion of walkway that remains undone my mind begins to grapple with how I'll get it completed. The project got shelved mid-summer when other priorities took precedence, not to mention the fact that I didn't know how to proceed. That's fine, there were plenty of other things on the list to be addressed anyway! Hopefully today!

Old Japanese Clock

For me, it feels like, there's always something that needs doing and I could and should be doing a better job of it! I get overwhelmed easily! I don't make lists for myself. I don't write things down. I'm always running to the next thing that demands my attention! Finding time to work on a clock (more irony) I found at the flea market falls way back in my list of other priorities.

I realize that my self-assessment is relative. On a grander spectrum, I know I'm more capable than others at domestic tasks and maintaining a home. I also have a bunch of friends far more skilled than I am at every thing! Those friends unknowingly set a standard that I use as a benchmark to strive for. However, back in reality, it is a ridiculous notion to think you can be good at any thing you set you hand to! The curse is, stubbornly believing you can!

​My good friends Don and Susan are another benchmark I've discovered to judge myself by. They have balance in their lives that accommodate for their full lives. I've learned from them the importance of attending to the intangible things like relationships and giving of yourself to your close friends. The things that you do for others is as important as the things you do for yourself! This lesson has been more relevant as I have come to understand.

I'm blessed to have many friends like Don and Susan! I have to laugh, as a teacher, I spend more time learning than I do teaching! There's irony for you! Each of you dear friends teach me something any time I interact with you! In my own slow way I'm putting those lessons to work! 

Sally's latest picture.  

Last week, with Sally the sixth grader, I understood how important it is to make those connections! That memory will last far longer than my pavers and walkway! Like an iceberg, most of it being unseen, it's those little things that are huge! Thanks, to all of you that have helped shape me in to the person I am!

​On to Show #227! Man, I still love doing this! I hope you like it too! I start things with a cool Dave Alvin song written in 1925 by a banjo player named Charle Poole and made popular by the Grateful Dead. I'm covering a request from Rob for some Zeppelin. Got a cool Joe Ely tune. There's a great set with Amy Black, Lindi Ortega and Wynonna. There whole last set before the end of the first hour is something I'm looking forward to. I got some Geno Delafose for the "Hound Dog" (He's gonna be at Hardly Strictly this year). Then the rest just cooks along straight to the end! 

Thank you, Robin and Jerry! Each week you guys share something with me that fills me with pride, a pride I can directly attribute to your sharing my passion! Feels good guys!

Thank you to all of you that read and or listen to the show! Kurt, even though it was a brief comment you made to me the other day, I want you to know how good that made me feel! There's a host of you guys out there, all over the freaking globe! Call me, email me, text me (if you have my number), whatever, I love hearing from you! It just fuels the fires people!

Peace and Love,

Mike

Show #226

Hello Friends of the Garden!

Mmm...Donuts!

Hard to beat coffee and donuts in the morning!

​I've never considered myself an organized person. I think that's because I've always looked at the people around me that are getting things done. Those people seem to convey an attitude of confidence and clarity even in the face of chaos! While many of us are busy trying to grasp and understand what is going on around us there are some people that already have a direction and purpose. Being in the presence of doers doing can be unsettling if you dwell on the process of evaluating your own capacity for productivity! I think I envy these salient, clear thinking examples of self-assurance! I said "I think" I envy those people, but I'm not sure if I truly do!

Braided ramp system on State Highway180! Huh?

It's easy for us to blame the times we live in when asked what keeps us from being confident in our choices in life. Without a doubt, our world is as complicated as it's ever been.......to me. That seems to be the stumbling block! To me, the world has changed dramatically and grown more complex, more convoluted, and more difficult to understand. 

The result seems to be a "knee jerk" reaction to a call for a return to simpler times! We glorify the "Good Old Days" as a benchmark to contrast against the difficulties recognized by the present. Generally, it's a presumed response from "older" people that the "Good Old Days" were better in every regard; everything was cheaper, everything was more durable, people were friendlier, the world was safer, rules were clearer, we ate together at dinner, we weren't distracted by technology, sports were pure, you can fill in the rest and more! Of course all these things are as true as they are untrue, it's all perspective!

Me, sweaty from dancing! Chris, sweaty from Playing!

This Thursday I went to see The Chris Cain Band play at Fulton 55. I had seen Chris Cain before years ago at the Santa Cruz Blues Festival with my dear departed friend Allen. My mind raced to those sunny afternoon's in Aptos surrounded by all my friends, dancing and grooving to the music. Snapping back to the present at Fulton 55, I was greeted by a bunch of old friends I don't see as often as I used to. Another flood of memories washed through my mind! I danced! I laughed! I cried (but not in a way that anyone could see)! I was pulled in to the vortex of "The Good Old Days"!

On Friday, back at school (which was a little slower thanks to Thursday), I started my day like I do by greeting my kids at the door when they come to my classroom. As I waited for the last stragglers to enter I looked for a little 6th grade girl I'll call Sally (no girls are named Sally or Jane anymore). 

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The day before I recognized Sally had been upset about something. Sally had a raw, red nose from a cold or something. She had tears in her eyes. I got all the other kids working independently and sat down by Sally to find out what was going on. Sally told me she was missing her Mom. I told her I miss mine too! I told Sally not to even bother with the work I had given the other kids and to just relax. I found the school counselor and she took Sally to help calm her. 

It made me think, surely these aren't "The Good Old Days" for Sally! Us older people generally say our youth was our "Good Old Days"! I didn't see that for Sally on Thursday and Friday! I hope Sally's "Good Old Days" are ahead of her! 

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Later, when Sally returned to my classroom she gave me a "thumbs up" when I asked how she was doing. I knew it was not all better, but it was some better. Sally proceeded to draw a precious picture of me and gave me a hug and a smile on her way out! I felt good that I could do the right thing at the right time! I'm working on that!

Folks, these are the "Good Old Days"! I'm still having "Good Old Days", they're mixed right in there with the other "Not so good days"! All we have to work with is now! If we look for the "Good Old Days" we'll find them! You do have to look though!

Here's Show #226! I'll admit, this week was really busy! It seemed like it carried over from last weekend when I thought I'd be at the coast but circumstances proved otherwise! I sat down and put together some favorites! I had run into Nate Butler that evening and he made me think of the music of my youth/good old days! He called it ProgRock. So the first set's for you Nate! The end of the 1st hour has a Memphis "Gardenerism", there's another later too! I'm playing a McCartney tune for Scooter. There's another new tune from The Sam Chase. The last half hour is capped with a run of "3" name guys you should all recognize by now! Good time fun everybody!

Thanks Jerry and Robin for working through each of your own technological issues to do your part. You two may see your part as minimal but, I know better! Thanks!

Thanks to all you that read this and or listen to the show! Please don't misconstrue the notion that I think I'm something more than I am! This has been more of an exercise of self-awareness rather than any attempt to sway anyone. I'd like to pull people together as opposed to pushing them away! I appreciate your patience and support!

Peace and love!

Mike

Show #225

Hello Friends of the Garden!

​​I feel lazy this morning, but I know that's just the way things start on most of my Saturday mornings. This routine is one that I truly enjoy. Radio, newspaper, coffee and emails all serve to align my mind. Speed, is the key controlled aspect to this routine, by design it's slow and relaxed. Thank goodness that my Saturdays don't include "hitting the ground running" often! The work week has plenty of that for the whole week, no need to "pile on"!

I need to mention one part of the routine that has become a source of irritation. I must have the meanest newspaper delivery person in all of Fresno! As a matter of convenience (to my delivery person and not me) my delivery person throws the paper to my driveway and not the front porch. 

​With amazing accuracy and consistency my delivery person throws my paper under my little

car nearly every morning! About 90% of the time I have to get on my hands and knees and sometimes I even need to get a broom or rake from the garage to extricate my morning news! I can only imagine him or her giggling as the newspaper slides perfectly under my car like a baseball player sliding in to home!

Until this moment, I had no idea that this would be another way that I bring joy into the life of others! I had not anticipated this avenue for bringing happiness at my own personal cost. Hopefully, I'm a small part of their satisfaction! Oh well, I guess I need to stretch these old bones and I always know where my brooms and rakes are! That's about as "half full" as I can muster on that one! I'll keep working on my patience.

Speaking of patience, a listener (a local musician) wrote me an email and stated that when he prayed for patience he was presented with lots of things that required it (apparently not the answer he expected) . He went on to say that the stopped praying for patience and switched to praying for wisdom instead. Everybody needs something, and even when you get it you're not sure that was truly what you needed in the first place!

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The listener went on to tell me about his place in Louisiana and the devastation from the flooding there. Thankfully his home there did not sustain much damage, however many others have not been as lucky. He wanted to pick my mind on ideas for some sort of fundraiser/benefit for the people of Louisiana. I love the generous and loving spirit of my listeners!

Of course I want to help! As if it was a conditioned response, my first instinct is to do something! But what? How? Then the thinking comes, "Is this the most important need I can address?" What about issues that are more central to my needs? When I think that I shouldn't be so self-centered my mind bounces in the other direction and looks outwardly. The call for help becomes a cacophony of voices upon a deeper look. 

When I think about how many people are in need in one way or another all over the globe, I realize that my classroom is a parallel on a smaller scale. When my students begin their work independently there are always a host of hands all needing assistance in some form. I've found myself overwhelmed at times. Everybody has such specific needs that trying a "one size fits all" approach just wastes time. More effective and lasting is a one on one, personal approach. Unfortunately, that requires a prioritizing of expedience and efficiency in who and how I help. 

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The world however, is not like my classroom. With great effort I can reach almost all the academic needs of those that ask. Shear numbers alone tell me that doing the same with the needs of the world is a ridiculous notion! The best I've come up with is, find something you can plant your flag on and do the best you can! When you feel strong enough add another if possible. Apply patience and sensitivity to all including yourself. Hard problems aren't fixed in a day!

Here's show #225! This show is recorded in anticipation of my going to the coast, my own tiny fortress of solitude! Unfortunately circumstances prevented that reprieve. I'm torn between finding a friend to hang out with and listen together or going in, stopping the machine and doing it live! We'll see! Anyway, I start out with some work songs for the Labor Day Weekend (listening to Don Fischer will make you think ahead because that's the effect he has on me). There's a cool remastered edition of Psycho Killer. I've got a fun "Booty" "Gardenerism" (I hope I don't embarrass myself with it) right after. The whole "old-timey" set includes Blue Indian (the song that hooked me on WSP and I've only played once in four years?!?). I start the second hour with my new segment of "Fresno's 10 things" and follow it with a Tea Leaf Green request I forgot to fill for Shawn, who gives me the list of activities. Sending the Little Feat out to the Texas Connection. I close things up with dead guys I wish were still around! No disrespect meant here, I just miss 'em. Try to stay for the end with the special Gene Wilder song!

Thank you Robin and Jerry for being there each week with me as this show grows and grows! You two are the nurture in my nature!

Thanks to all you out there that correspond in any way you do, from emails, to calls, to conversations, to texts, I appreciate your effort to check in! Thanks for listening when you can!

Peace and love!

Mike

Show #224

Hello Friends of the Garden!

I woke up this morning at 4:00. I tried to force myself to go back to sleep but I could tell it was going to be a fruitless effort so I gave in and made myself a cup of coffee and waited for the newspaper to hit my driveway.

While I waited in the early, early morning darkness I sat down in my thinking spot in my garage committed to my wakened state fortified by my cup of coffee. I turned on the radio to NPR and set the volume almost imperceptibly low. Sipping my coffee, I waited for my brain to catch up to my body that had involuntarily set my schedule for the day!

As I have gotten older I've come to realize that I've gradually been becoming a morning person. I love the morning, especially the early morning. Everything seems so quiet, slow and calm as world around me awakens from it's slumber. For me it's an easier time to think. My mind feels like it's free from the litany of things that will encumber it as each following minute adds to the clutter that will eventually fill the void. It makes me think of a being on a bus that has no riders other than myself and with each successive stop riders climb aboard. Without realizing it, the bus has become packed in a short time and chaos replaces order.

On my radio show, I always end it the same way, with a plea for harmony in the world! Believe me I'm sincere in my request! I feel certain that the world would be a better place if we all worked towards finding ways to get along with each other. I'm discovering that harmony is a difficult thing to achieve because there are some prerequisites that are integral to even begin the quest for tranquility. Upon some self examination, I realized that patience is an element necessary for harmony to proliferate!

Stuff happens huh?

Patience is the gasoline that fuels harmony! They live together in a symbiotic relation. I looked at myself and I knew that I lacked patience as much or more than anyone. If you think about the phrase, "to exercise patience", you may or may not catch the inference that patience is an exercise akin to physical exercise. Patience has to practiced to become an integrated personality trait. Who has time for that?

Our lack of patience has been insidiously diminished by our modern demanding lifestyles. Instant gratification is the antagonist to patience and it is inculcated, exploited and exacerbated by our weakness. E-mail replaces mail, pay at the pump, express lanes in traffic and grocery stores, self check out, pre-boarding passes, microwaves, frozen food, "go to the head of the line passes" at amusement parks, on-demand television, same day shipping, it's an endless list of ways that we naturally become less and less tolerant of waiting.

Weeds, day 3! Thriving!

I can't help but think of spraying weeds! The very next day I anxiously look out at the weeds I've sprayed and I'm involuntarily disappointed that the weeds haven't disappeared! I realize how unrealistic that is yet, still the feeling is there! I'll switch lines in a store if I feel like I'm not going fast enough. Changing lines is usually followed by someone ahead of me needing a price check and the exasperating sighing and shrugging of my shoulders! When I'm driving (the worst for my wife) and I'm stuck behind a slow driver (usually doing the speed limit, how unthinkable !) I find myself trying to understand their thinking, as if I could telepathically will them to speed up! I'm terrible!

Lines at the Costco in Korea?
Of course!

I think I'll continue to ask for harmony on my show and personally work on my own patience issues! That should keep me busy! I won't have time to be impatient with such a huge task ahead! Great! Instant gratification, ahh!

Loving my "deck time" in Cambria!

Here's Show #224! Since I've been doing this a while, I've discovered that I find myself picking out a friend and playing stuff I know they'll like. This show has little nuggets spread all through for many of you out there! It's a way to reconnect with those songs that hooked you in the first place. Personal highlights for me include first timer Gove Scrivenor (I'm going stumble on pronouncing that one!), the Delbert McClinton tune, the "numbers" Gardenerism and the Beatles covers at the end. There's so much more than that all throughout the whole show! Enjoy!

 Thanks Robin and Jerry for all your support!

KFSR is truthfully a Jazz station. That's our niche! Thankfully the evening and weekend programming allows for a variety of music and community programs. Last week, during my show, a listener called in and immediately told me he was a Jazz listener. He continued and said that he caught the beginning of my show and before he knew it the first hour had passed! He told me to keep it up, so cool!  Thanks to all of you out there that reach out to me! Like a donation to our radio station, a little love goes a long way! You listeners are amazing in your support!

Peace and love!

Mike

Show #223

Hello Friends of the Garden!

Well a new school year has started and along with it comes the rush of emotions that ensue for all involved. Like most things there's side to teaching that remains hidden to people that aren't a part of the profession. For instance, I only have a basic understanding of what all a lawyer does. I grew up watching Raymond Burr in Perry Mason and it was clear that presenting in court and standing before a judge and jury was the extent of my naive understanding. Later I would discover, after becoming a teacher, that many professions require regular classes of "professional growth'" to maintain their credentials.

I learned that teachers are no different and probably are the poster children for professional development. There was no way that I could have envisioned the way education looks today 27 years ago. What I did learn, and am still learning, is that teachers are born incomplete! Apparently there is no end to the ever-changing process of understanding the education of American society. 

For instance this year I'm challenged to learn how to make my lessons available on-line to students and parents. The biblical flood of "apps" to learn can be overwhelming. PowerSchool, Google Classroom, Edmodo, Khan Academy, ClassDojo, Canvas, Socrative, Google Docs, Illuminate, various web editors, SmartBoards, Kahoot, Presi, Remind Me, and on and on and on it goes with the next big answer for students and the next big challenge for teachers!

What ends up making your head spin is when you discover that the "app" you're learning that will save the world has been developed by someone who was in the classroom for 2 years! Meanwhile, Japan, who has been kicking our butts in Mathematics for years, still uses chalkboards! Imagine if they had everything we have here in America to "save" education! Surely they would become the master race of the planet with all that extra help from technology! 

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Stupid sprinklers!

My best guess is that we have this hidden desire to fix things! Even things that aren't broken! The whole infomercial industry is a perfect example of the deep-rooted desire within us to seek ways to fix problems! If you don't click another link on this page make sure you check this out (Thanks Hound Dog). FiberFix will cure all our ills until the next great innovation comes along and we can collectively watch FiberFix become irrelevant!

There has been one constant I have observed in education! It always changes! The kids change, the target always moves and the way you're supposed to hit it changes too! Get your Google on folks, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!

Here's Show #223! Gear up and get ready this road goes on forever and the party never ends! Robert Earl Keen sets the tone for a great show! I've been revisiting some songs I love to play and some I haven't but should! There's an awesome set of Neil Young tunes! You all know I'm a "Spreadhead" and there's an obscure Neil Young tune "Don't Be Denied" that I saw Panic do at Red Rocks that was a wonderful moment for me! Then "Powderfinger", wow! The Marshall Tucker Band, Raul Malo (see Mavericks) and Beatles flow together in a cool way to me! The second hour begins with an allegory to my hopes and thoughts! The first three songs should be subliminally pumped throughout the world! Lots of you will love the Jason Isbell, Darrell Scott and Jackie Greene set! I'm sending out the Jerry Jeff walker to my wife and ending with John Hiatt for my friend Allen, that I can't seem to stop being reminded of! Miss you buddy! This show is classic Garden Party!

Busy or not, this Garden Party knows no season thanks to Jerry and Robin, we just keep on! Thanks you two, sincerely!

Thanks to all of you listeners and readers of this message! Share it with a friend if you think they might like my show and we can grow this show together!

Peace and love!

Mike

Show #222

Hello Friends of the Garden!

When it comes time to writing this bit each week I really don't know what it will be about until I sit down to it! I guess it's just whatever's breezin' through my little brain at the time. Last week I felt compelled to write about the Olympic opening but other things were tumbling around in that mind of mine.

Life imitates art!

The black light makes it cooler

​It was fun watching the ceremony on several levels. First off, lately I've been in to string art for some odd reason. Some of my close buddies that knew this were texting me about what they saw during the ceremony. Really, the fun part is the crazy ideas they come up with. 

It looked like some M.C. Escher kind of thing! Seriously, throwing lampshades of the side of scaffolding is pretty far out there and coming up with outfits with arrows? What the heck?

I just love imagining someone trying to sell this idea as they describe it to the person deciding on what to do! Just try it yourself. If you saw it, describe to yourself as if you were trying to convince someone that this was the way to go! Fun!

As much as I want to talk about the Olympics and all that, I really have my mind on something else. People are blessed in so many ways, I know, I've seen it! I have many friends that are talented in so many ways I'm often jealous! I have other friends that are so very confident in what they do that I envy their self-assurance! I also know that I too am blessed, very much so! I have been so fortunate to of had a lifetime of good friends!

​One of the things I always thought about when moving to California, so many years ago, that I would never have friends like I had there back in Texas! I was so wrong! I now understand much better about my good fortune! I may not be a musician or an artist or something flashy and cool like that, but I do know I have the love and support of more than I deserve!

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​Because of my friends I have done things at my age I would only of dreamed of! I love this quote, “Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.”– Mark Twain. That's what all my friends have done, starting with my wife, Robin! She's always the first to tell me she believes in me! Same thing with so many others too! 

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I hope you are as blessed as I am in regards to friends! If you are, show 'em some way that they're special in your own way. You'll understand how good it feels! Really, I know it sounds cheesy but, do it anyway, it's fun! Anyway, I just was thinking about how lucky I feel!

Ok, here's Show #222! I simply threw out a bunch of old favorites to play! I was thinking' of all my friends out there and I picked off a few of you! Besides, there's a lot of tunes that need replaying if nothing else than for my friends to hear (and me)! What was funny was, normally I painstakingly (total opposite of my buddy the Hound Dog) work out the time so it ends right! As I threw out the tunes it turned out the times ended up perfect without thinking about it! I can hear the Hound Dog now, "See you should be spontaneous, like me!" He's usually right about this stuff and I suppose it worked out (spoken with reluctance!).  Oh, there is one new tune from the warm up act at Jackie Greene, David Lunning (thanks to my brother) and it goes perfect with my friendship ending! I close out with a request for some Led Zeppelin from my friend Alan! Nice!

Ok, now it's gonna sound even cheesier, but thanks to my good friends Jerry and Robin who are the great people Mark Twain talked about! It's true!

Thanks as always to my listeners and friends! Look over the playlist you may find your song in there! And hey, give me a call at the station, say hello, I won't make you talk to me long! 

Peace and love (throw in understanding)!

Mike

Show #221

Hello Friends of the Garden!

Well, I don't really know how to start! This whole blog thing is actually still very new to me and I'm learning to become more comfortable with expressing my thoughts. I hope those of you that read this message understand that my intentions have never been to divide people in to neat little groups that believe one way or another. I have really made an effort to not polarize my audience with my opinions and thoughts (although, I'm certain that it happens any way with some people). 

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Ok, I definitely am pushing a, "Peace, love and understanding" message but I can't imagine someone coming out in opposition and saying, "You know, I don't really want peace, love and understanding in my life!" It's hard to imagine that there are people that would be against having more peace, love and understanding in our world.......openly! Sure, I guess we definitely disagree on how that should come to fruition! As far as I can tell, there are still far too many people (all over the globe including us) that believe in order to achieve peace, love and understanding that certain entire groups of people need to killed! 

I've discovered through conversations with all kinds of people that rational people will listen, process and contemplate and irrational people will react with dogma and an extreme need to vocally express their personal views. Those irrational people usually feel the need to do some sort of overt act to get attention for their cause or belief. The rational people find a way to express themselves without causing harm, the irrational seem to feel the desperate need to consider extreme acts to push their agendas to the forefront. 

I'm not expecting that there are many irrational people in my listening audience so, I'm not misguided to the point that I think I'm going to change them! I also understand that simply being a listener of The Sunday Garden Party we already share a love of music and that gives us one point of commonality. I think the poem by Maya Angelou speaks more to the truth than what we perceive to be true. We are more alike than we are different. 

True, some of those differences can make us uncomfortable but consider the way we deal with our wives, husbands, family, friends and children. I know my wife and son don't always think the way I do. Killing them because they don't agree with me isn't even a fleeting notion (the news may suggest otherwise as to the prevalence of restraint in this regard).

I believe each of us have our own rational and irrational attitudes to degrees. Like me, I have an irrational need to see the morning weather while I'm at the coast. Much to the amusement of my wife I have an irrational attraction to the "weather-person" here at the coast. My wife even calls me when there is a weather update so I can give her a chance to laugh at my ridiculousness! Of course my irrationality has limits. I'm certainly not going to become a stalker to further satisfy my obsession. 

 
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Believe me when I say I know I don't have the answers. I'm busy doing my own personal search for understanding myself as much as I'm trying to understand the world around me. I certainly don't want to sound like I'm "preaching". Honestly I'm searching, just like for sea-glass, and there's a lot to sort through to find the answers! It's a big beach out there!

Ok, here's Show #221! Well first off this show is recorded because I'm off to see Jackie Greene with my buddies Sunday evening. No way am I going to miss that if I can help it! I've missed the last four Super Bowls in lieu of doing my show live. That should give you an idea of how much I like being in the studio (of course it helps when my team has entered an era ineptitude). Here's the other crazy thing! I think I had more fun recording this show than I have any other. While I was recording this show I was disappointed that I wouldn't be there for all of it. So, yes, I like this show! First time to the SGP this week are Keith Greeninger & Dayan Kai, The Isley Bros. (nice editing too), The Damn Quails, and Carrie Rodriguez. There's new music from Eilen Jewell and Michael Franti. Another set of funkiness for my buddy Mike with Tower of Power. There's great classics from War and Junior Brown. I should have put the Jackie Greene tune earlier in the show but I'm sending it out to my buddy John anyway! The rest goes together better than the best pastry The Great British Baking Show could conceive of! Oh yeah, I think I've ended with John Mayall before but I'm sending it out to my good friend and Texas Connection, Chris! Love ya buddy!

Thanks Jerry and Robin! We've trudged our way through another summer together with more to come! It's a lot easier with you two behind me!

Thanks to you listeners too and please if you don't appreciate my letter, don't let that stop you from enjoying the music! Either way, I still like hearing from any of you!

Peace, love and understanding to you all!

Mike

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