so much is going on, i can't let time go by without commenting. it's all saints day, and my favorite of those saints, though i'm not catholic, is christopher, patron saint of travellers, and especially those young of heart, who cross streams. i'm not up on the saints, barely make it through hallowe'en alive each year, but, november is my favorite month, with its oranges and browns and misty haze of grass and leaves withdrawing into themselves, and it seems good to celebrate. anyone who thought trick-or-treating was dead has not been out to the west side (what i've been calling the ornament valley, for its dazzling trees) - trick-or-treaters were arriving by the truckload, though we were bringing in our own haul. my band, the parsley sagebrush band, is finishing its cd; this will have one of my own songs on it, and i'm proud of that. it's taking some evenings though. the pictures may include the '68 truck, a ford, appropriate for a life-goes-on album, though it's been going on just fine, getting me to work when the bicycle won't.

one of our singers, joel, really likes the hard-driving country style, whiskey for my horses, and all of that. i like it too and could put my fiddle into it quite a bit. but he's working full-time at a small town called christopher, of all things, and says that 60% of his class doesn't have the internet, and it's part of an old mining community, not very well off. it's more representative of southern illinois than, say, the ornament valley, which is suburbia with quite a bit of diversity, a trick-or-treat-tourist magnet.

would like to write a play or two, still, for the unitarians; also working on producing our own, monster(s) of kanifloria, possibly before thanksgiving, possibly expanded and with a larger cast. don't know when the wwii play will come out, maybe spring, but this upcoming season could be an interesting.

i'd like to recommend that anyone who is still reading, my most loyal audience, try doing this survey, that is, if you are a blogger. it will make you think a little about what you do as a blogger- issues i try to reflect on, but sometimes don't. don't reflect, that is, as opposed to don't do.

and finally, i wish all travelers of the season, a good and safe passage- i know i'm expecting, counting on, seeing some of my own- it's river country, it doesn't matter what side of the river you're on, really, you may need hand across it someday. i'm glad to say, the truck, which i leave in the driveway on the nice days, now has fewer miles than the family car, -yet it seems like a long time since the day i got it- in christopher, by the way- with still no fixing up, no good long camping trip. it could use to be a float in the annual lights parade here- that might require a generator, lights strung, maybe a trailer behind. worth the trouble though. what's the good of a fine old piece-a-metal, if you don't get out & get it seen? and, by the way, get a good cd player put in it, cadillac style. a musician has to remember- you won't be able to sell the songs, in this day and age, so all you really have is your image- you might as well put a twist on that, the best you can...