Art of Easy Rider

When July 21st 5:30 – 9 Where Graphic Experience 624 W. Lancaster BLVD Description: Jim Leonard presents the Art of Easy Rider. Jim has been collecting memorabilia from the 1969 Film “Easy Rider” starring Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson, and Dennis Hopper. The collection includes props, hundreds of never before seen photos and the actual helmet worn by Jack Nicholson. Kinetic Brewing Company will serving micro-brewed original Antelope Valley beer. The event is free and open to the public. Contact Chris Calaba 661.945.1781

My Father, which art in Heaven…

In honor of my father, who passed in 2003, these are the things I loved about him:

Tops on the list was his sense of humor.

He was always making little gadgets, some of which I still have to this day.

His sense of humor.

He was a carpenter so he smelled like fresh shaved wood.

His sense of humor.

His willingness to fix things for me, when he was younger and still lived here on the mainland.

His sense of humor.

His sense of adventure, was willing to try just about anything.

His sense of humor.

He tackled life, in a huge way.

His sense of humor.

His friendliness, we always had people visiting.

His sense of humor.

Lovejoy Buttes – A Gorgeous Area!

Looking around at one of most beautiful areas in the high desert that is relatively a secret, I’m glad not many people know of it ! I have complete privacy whenever I am out there.

There are beautiful cottonwoods, gorgeous blue skies, and an abundance of wild life. My dog loves to try to chase all the lizards, snakes, and rabbits. I hang on to his leash tightly when he spots them! There are still plenty of wildflowers left. I need to take Rich Breault out there so he can tell me the names of all of them. Plenty of the most dainty little pink flowers, plenty of primrose still left and lots of a pretty little yellow flowers that are new to the scene! Some late bloomers…

Best of all, I don’t have to get in a car to get here.

I walk out my front door, cross the street, down the dirt road, and I am in desert heaven. I climb up and down the hills. I get wonderful views from the top of the mountains. It’s truly a great place to be.

Another fun aspect of living here, is the ravens. The ravens just love the butte area. I think the air currents created by the rocks give them a wonderful area to play in. There are always playfully flying around and are a treat to watch. Some of them sit perched on a joshua tree watching us approach until we get pretty close. I must get my camera ready for a close-up someday!

To those people who fail to see beauty in the desert, you are missing out! To those who want to hike somewhere different, come with me!

 

Loving Live Music!

I don’t love all live music. I can be picky. I also have a wide range of what I like. I always like what the piano players play on the storefront piano.

The sounds that come from out there are sweet.

The sounds that I heard at Neilstock Vll last night were fantastic. Thanks to Neil Werner and Ron Emard for making it happen. I am lucky to know some great and talented musicians. If you weren’t there, you missed out on some great entertainment.

From left to right, Jim, Neil, Danny (on drums), Roby. Mitch hidden behind Neil, Manny hidden behind Roby. A super loaded stage of talent!

These two guys are also just great to listen to. Sean and Jim are a real treat, especially since Sean is usually on the road.

Of course, I wouldn’t post photos of musicians that I don’t like. There are a few. To those, I say, keep practicing your craft!

To the ones I love, I say, thank you. I am blessed!

 

Sunday Fun

Sunday started out with a great breakfast @ Jackie’s Cafe with my family of four. Have you ever eaten there? They have a great menu with one of the BEST breakfast selections. For the first time, since my husband and I became parents, our daughters actually paid the bill for us. A monumental occasion for us! Dennis said he could get used to that very easily. They said, “Don’t, Dad!.” Ha ha…

We made our way to the Poppy Festival, got there early, and the crowds were already there. Saw Mark Bozigian and Bob Greene right away. I teased them about the piano being “stolen” from the front of the Graphic Experience, said I almost called the police. Fortunately, I found it here with some kids happily playing on it.

It’s very rare that my family of four does anything together,as we all live busy lives. It was nice to be walking around, looking at everything the Festival has to offer. Have a friend that was part of the dog sheepherding show. She is great at what she does. Saw lots of people I know, some had booths, some were enjoying the day as I was. I ended up buying a new, cool, corian cutting board and some great, exotic pastas. Do you get the idea that I love to cook?

After a few hours, one daughter said she had a headache, the other had to go to work, my husband was itching to get back to a painting he’s been working on.. My family said they were ready to leave. I wasn’t!  I told them, “so long, I’ll see ya later.” They asked what was I going to do?  Keep having fun, I said to them. They know better than to worry about me. Besides, I wanted to hear the Eagles tribute band. Off they went.

I hung out with Nick West and his museum “posse” for a little while, even sold some raffle tickets. Visited with Donna Termeer for a bit, hung out with Bob Alvis in his booth and did one of my favorite hobbies – people watching ! I also visited with Jeff as he watched over the Palmdale Learning Plaza plane. I even climbed in. Made me want to go flying in something again, whether it’s a small plane or a hot-air balloon. Even a helicopter is fun.

Then, it was time for the music to start !  Made my way over to the main stage, got a good seat, and enjoyed listening to the long list of songs by the fabulous Eagles. The band did a great job of just that – paying tribute to them. I did note that it took 6 guys to try to imitate the great original 4. It was very entertaining with some great guitar players. I never tire of good musicians.

My day there ended chatting with Dan Munz, a another great guy I’m lucky to count as a friend. What a fun day I had. It was another day that reminded me of how blessed I really am….

Hanging in the Sun

Hanging? In the sun? Not talking about laying on the beach, or at a secluded sunny area. Not talking about plants. Not talking about a trip to Hawaii.

 

I’m talking of the joy of hanging clothes on the clothesline !  Hanging sheets, towels, and blankets on the clothesline!  Another thing of the past, but my present. An activity I actually enjoy.

 

Fortunately, I have a huge yard with a huge custom welded clothesline that I love.    “How trashy” , some people say. It’s “trashy” when you see clothes that are strung on fences, trees, and whatever. My clothesline is the absolute best. It’s really long, over 20 ft., has just the right spacing between rows.  Why not use solar power to create great-smelling clothes, towels, and sheets? Forget the chemical smell of dryer sheets to make fabric smell “fresh.” Besides, we live in the desert.  In the hot summer months, we would hang up one load and those would already be dry when we hung up the next load !

 

I grew up hanging clothes outdoors. All our older generations did the same. How did it become “low-brow”, “no-class”, and an “embarrassment?”

 

I had some long periods of not having the luxury of outdoor fabric hanging. Some periods were years long. I dried my things in a dryer, like everyone else. I know not everyone can or even would, hang in the sun. I’m glad I had the opportunity to raise my kids using the clothesline from their babyhood ( nothing beats the sun for those cotton diapers)  all the way up to their teen-age jeans. As soon as they could reach the clothesline, they helped out. I have a dryer that I bought used, from friends, in 1975.  It gets used when wanted or needed.  Amazingly enough, my dryer still works just fine…

 

 

Graphic Experience 661.945.1718 624 W. Lancaster BLVD http://www.graphic-experience.com/

 

 

Jim Seargeant and Don Blumenshien at the Rock Inn

If you are a music lover, then the melodic, dynamic, and talented duo of Don and Jim are a treat to listen to ! They have been playing together for 30 years now and have a real “connection” to their music. Jim and Don first met way back in 1971, attending the same high school here in the Antelope Valley. They started playing seriously together in 1980. Since then, they have played on numerous occasions in numerous places ! This includes the Lancaster Performing Arts Center, and just about every public venue ( The Rock Inn, Cedar Art Center, Lakes and Valleys Art Guild and many more) here in the Antelope Valley and beyond.These artists have played at many private functions as well.

They have a CD out called The Goods but unfortunately is sold out . It has all original material and they have so many more new compositions, Don and Jim hope to put out another CD soon. Jim’s earlier influences are Paul Simon, James Taylor and of course, the great Eric Clapton. Which leads us into other types of music these great musicians, Jim and Don play. When Jim was asked which type of guitar do you like best, “electric or acoustic ?”, he thought about it and honestly said he loves both ! He had a blues band for a while that was absolutely great. In addition to the blues, Jim plays literally all types of music. Don, like any great musician, loves all music too. He has been lately really enjoying playing Spanish guitar, not to be confused with flamenco guitar. It’s all in the fingering and Don has the talent to do it all ! If you have an opportunity to hear these two together, apart, or with other musicians, be sure not to miss it !

Graphic Experience 661.945.1718 624 W. Lancaster BLVD http://www.graphic-experience.com/