Raggin' Piano Boogie

HIS SPIRIT LIVES ON! ... BONER, THE PIANO DOG ... November 27, 1994 ... February 20, 2010

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April 30, 2010

Empire, Colorado

This is the last day of April? It is freezing outside. A few days ago I was in my shorts. Typical spring weather here in the rocky mountains. I went for a long walk in heavy snow this afternoon. I am thankful for the house I have been given to use. I am working very hard to make use of my time alone... to finish updating the journeys picture posting, filing and archiving. Sometimes it becomes very difficult. Today I finished all of last year. Reliving the last period of my life with piano dog Boner... through the pictures... all I can say is that my doing the work is a true labor of love. It is a challenge unlike any I have ever had in my life... to not get lost in sadness, lose, pain... While I have this opportunity I am also doing a body cleanse... fruits, vegetables and protein drinks. Can we talk food withdrawal? Becoming healthier is a must if I am going to continue forward. I would like to die healthy whenever that may be... not soon I hope. Had to add that last phrase just so I don't freak people out. Onward... Forward... "I" go. (with the help and support of friends)

April 29, 2010

Empire, Colorado

What a difference a day makes. Springtime in the Colorado Rockies. I woke up with about four inches of snow outside. It was beautiful. I had a hunch that the weather report would be correct. As the piano tarp is wearing, heavy wet snow sitting on it was not something I wanted to deal with. I have some thin plastic so I covered it and found two picnic benches to hold it down along with a few bungie chords. The stream next to the house where I am staying was picture perfect with snow this morning.

I spent the day archiving pictures of Boner to post to the web and I also talked with my niece about the recent Denver television news segment with the Traveling Piano and... how, when Boner was here, I had an agenda... it was to have the world meet him and share our partnership. I've been feeling like I have no agenda. I certainly have no desire for notoriety, what purpose would that serve? Then my niece reminded mw of my Wildestest of Dreams... where was that in all the mix? To diagonally streak across the Super Bowl field on the Traveling Piano truck wailing out some wild Boogie Woogie piano music. That original dream I had almost twenty five years ago... the desire to bring it to life, that is what motivated this present life of mine. I must continually let people know about it. Hey Oprah, I've been waiting!

April 28, 2010

Empire, Colorado

The moon is full! I took a picture last night and it almost didn't look real. It is. I love listening to the wind in the trees and waking up surrounded by mountains. I'm glad there are no houses on top of them...yet. On the way here the view was full of houses overlooking other houses from the highest mountain to the lowest. The place I am staying in is so old and unique. I wanted to love it some so I have been clearing the cobwebs, washing the windows, beating the dust out of the pillows and slip covers, sweeping the floors etc... I drove ten miles to find a candle for tonight. I feel less alone with a lit candle. While in the store parking lot a lady passing by with her children... "hey I saw you on television last week" ... of course that comment began some musical fun.

I took a drive up a dirt road to find an overlook. The road was rough with sharp rocks. I almost made it to the top riding over those rocks but chickened out. What a view to create music with. I kept adjusting my mind to the fact that I was not looking at a picture... or a 3D screen... this was the real thing! The area was remote. Shooting pictures of the Traveling Piano without Boner on top of the piano... he made them more fun and interesting. Ugh.

April 27, 2010

Idaho Springs, Colorado

My new friends Davy and Eluise offered me the use of their house in the mountains about an hour outside of Denver Colorado to use for a couple of weeks. The roads to Glacier Park where I am heading are still totally closed. My wanting to finish publishing pictures of me and Boner to the website and then archive them has been on my mind constantly. I have not spent any time by myself without people around since Boner passed. Can I stand it in the woods by myself for the first time in my life? Yes. I am ready. I seized the opportunity. There is no internet access but I've dealt with that before... and no television which is definitely not a problem. As I pulled away Davy found a fifty dollar bill attached to my windshield wiper. Either Davy and Eluise or someone from the night before on the street had put it there as a surprise. So... that takes care of the fruit and veggies I need to purchase. The fifty dollar bill was a huge gesture as is the offering of the house in the mountains. I am cared for :)

The drive today was just so awesome. The weather is beautiful, the snowy mountain tops not too round and not too sharp... dotted with evergreen trees and grassy pastures everything made of muted greens... the Colorado terrain has its own style. I am still getting attention from the Traveling Piano news segment whenever that was, a week ago? People beep their horns and wave as they pass me on the road. (top speed 35 miles an hour up the mountains) I stopped at the nearest food store to where I am staying (eight miles away) and a guy introduces himself while I'm grabbing a chocolate cream pie. "I saw you on the news." Wow, everyone in the whole state must have seen that. It really resonated with alot of people. I asked him if he wanted to hear me play. He waited outside for me and we had a short musical time together.

April 26, 2010

Denver, Colorado

Austin, the drummer I met last night called when he got off work to go play in downtown Denver. It was kind of cold but we drove through the streets and through the skyscrapers anyway while taking turns at creating music. Sometimes we stopped and picked people up who were waiting for buses and drove them for a few blocks while they played on the piano. We started out in the garage of a local supermarket to see what the sound would be like under a cement ceiling and with cement walls.

Later on Davy and Eluise took me to dinner. I had a chicken fried steak for the first time. I drove them from their house to the restaurant through the neighborhood. They sat in the back of the Traveling Piano and played on the piano... and kissed... a couple married thirty some years and heading towards their mid sixties going with the flow of a suggestion and looking for the fun in it, the opportunity, participating in the life of the Traveling Piano... as people, they are as good as it gets in my eyes! I learned a lot about Buddhism from being and talking with them while having dinner.

April 25, 2010

Denver, Colorado

Eluise and Davy have been taking care of me. Its the little things that matter. I had to get some deodorant and lip balm and Eluise was with me at the check out counter, she would not let me pay. Several times today, "your part of the family while your here so help yourself to the kitchen" etc... I went to a local coffee shop and asked the girl at the counter to grind coffee beans I had not purchased there. No problem. When I took out the Traveling Piano today I made sure to stop in front of the store and I played for a bit. I met a very interesting guy who is sixty one years old and has Mrsa, a bacteria that creates infections that cannot be treated... the bacteria is just eating away his leg and he is trying to not have it amputated. He takes a lot of morphine to deal with the pain. He is an honorary Sioux indian and he literally crawled up into the truck and onto the piano bench to have a Traveling Piano experience. I can't put into words what it is like to experience a person living life to the fullest no matter what and to the very end! I had a friend named Michael who died of aids and he enjoyed every ounce of life that he could. For him it was... I sat with him while he ate a pizza steak, one chew per minute and smoked a cigarette one breath per minute until he finished them... just a couple of hours before he died. My dog Boner... he lived life fully until the last minute... it means so very much to me that he was on top of the piano creating love up until the day he died. This world presents me with great role models... because I want them, I need them.

Since I plan on leaving the area soon I went back to Washington park to meet with interested people who... during the last few days I did not have a chance to meet. It was fun, it got cold, drizzle started but I could not stop as people wanted to play... rain or not. I ended up back in Davy and Eluise's garage with Matt, Austin and Kim where we jammed and played music into the dark while it rained. We ate pizza and I enjoyed conversation with friends into music and theater and life. Two inches of snow is expected tonight, once again I am glad for the garage!

April 24, 2010

Morrison Colorado

Having left Bill and Marlene today... I love them both. They had me stay with them through a very hectic time the sale of their house, the inspections etc... They are people who consciously contribute and give to the world. We went up to Red Rocks. Bill said he would be insulted if I had not seen the area :). It is a huge amazingly amphitheater cut out of red rock where concerts have been held for a hundred years. The Beetles stood out for me as a group that have played there. I looked for a way to drive the Traveling Piano truck onstage but had no luck. Out in the parking lot a young girl named Mikael played her recital song, we took plenty of pictures... I began hearing, "we saw him on television" and I wanted to get away. It is becoming clearer that at this point of the journey I have no desire for notoriety. I do have desire share and receive friendship, fun, respect... I can't get and give enough! Ha.

I drove down a less traveled road and found a parking area for only a few cars. The day was beautiful with snow in the mountains, lots of sun, not too much wind, and you could see miles and miles away and lets not forget the red rock! Later, I traveled to stay with Davy and Eluise. I was amazingly apprehensive because there was a lot of miscommunication beforehand. I was assuming and attributing motives like they wanted to take advantage of what I had to offer etc... I was dead wrong. I really appreciate the opportunity for personal growth through this journey in getting rid of stereotyped ideas and pre conceived notions. I immediately felt at ease with them and we talked into the night and looked at Davy's pictures and had a wonderful pork dinner prepared by Eulise. Davy is on a year long sabbatical from an almost forty year teaching career as a professor in the theatre department for scene and lighting design at the University of Denver. In his sixties, Davy is in training for a trendy new sport... barefoot running. Eluise has had a thirty year career as a secretary for five high-profile Denver city lawyers. They are both Buddhists and accused me of being a "closet Buddhist'! Ha.

April 23, 2010

Denver, Colorado

This morning and early afternoon was filled with heavy cold rain and wet snow. I was grateful to be in a cozy house... even more grateful that the Traveling Piano was safe and dry in a garage although... I needed to improvise some music for the website. The rain stopped so I drove to the local park. At first I found a a spot on the golf course. I figured no one would be there because it was a dismal day and soaking wet. Wrong... there were guys actually playing golf so I drove off before I got hit with a golf ball. After trying to hide somewhere I thought, "why are you hiding"? (because I was on television the other night and did not want to be conspicuous) I just stopped thinking, parked the truck and began to play. A very special older couple found me, there names...Larry and Janet. They did not hesitate to climb up into the truck and explore some music. I ran by them on the way out of the park and they stopped me. "We would like to sing for you a short little song." They looked at me through the window of the truck and sang with intent and amazing fun, friendship and respect... a song... the words were... All I Ask Of You is To Remember Me As Loving You ... repeated over and over ending with the two of them doing a short circle dance with each other and then they both laid their hands on my arm. I was thinking, "you should video this" ... but there was no way. This was a very personal and special gift just for me, the three of us. Their love and appreciation of me was unmistakable. I'm really glad I could accept and feel it.

April 21, 2010

Denver, Colorado

It has been raining off and on here in Denver. The rain pours down and a few streets away... nothing all day. I am so grateful that my hosts Bill and Marlene cleaned out their garage for me to use. Consideration like this, every time someone lets me use their garage, it gives the Traveling Piano an extra few days of life. They also gave me their guest room where Bill usually retreats to when his snoring gets too loud for Marlene in the middle of the night. Good people! Taz, their chocolate lab also uses the room and he's been really good about it also. I decided to go for a walk between rain downpours. I saw two Mormon guys walking down the street doing their mission and decided to learn a little about them. After we started talking and the rain started spritzing again... we headed for the garage where the Traveling Piano was being stored and played some music. Elder Maxwell and Elder Daugirda... ha, as soon as we finished the rain stopped. We had some fun!

Later in the afternoon I ran to city park because it looked like I might get an hour in of music playing. There was sun for half of the sky, the other half was a deep purple with billowing clouds, the grass was emerald green and there was this beautiful yellow building. I asked a guy who was about to start running if he would take a picture for me and he ended up getting on the piano. He understood the Journey of Peregrinating Musical Exploration well, as a few years ago he did a walk across America with his friend.

April 21, 2010

Denver, Colorado

Another really fun day! Kevin Torres from 9news, Denver Colorado's NBC news station came to a local park check out what the Traveling Piano is about. We spent a couple hours. This was the first time any media ever videoed me in action with other people on the piano. People seem to enjoy watching the Traveling Piano scenario even more than being on the piano themselves. After I finished I thought, "God I hope that won't be in high definition and show that my face is beginning to look worn from travel or I'll look fat." Ha... the segment was great, I looked great! Wow, relief :) The News Video Boner was not mentioned for the first time in a media segment. It was shocking for me at first... to experience that people will not know he is part of the journey. He will always be part of my story just not physically in the present moment.

Afterwards, I gathered my stuff and headed to a new set of hosts... Marlene and Bill. They live on the other side of Denver from where I am staying. You can hear train whistles throughout the day and night here in Denver. I've been loving that since I got here. It feels like part of Denver's character... but now I'm beginning to feel like I've had enough, ha. Bill is from the South of New Zealand my most favorite place in the world so far. I gave him an impulsive immediate hug because of it, I don't think he minded. He works as a building engineer in management for several downtown Denver buildings. Marlene has been a director in sales and marketing for fifteen years. What stood out with both of them telling me separately about their work was that fact that they are both passionate about and love their jobs. I met their neighbors Cleo and Tom. Surprised them at their front door. They were so great to come out and get onto the piano. Tom... he got onto the piano for the lover of his wife. Cleo... is Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, one of the most known cultural arts institutions in the Rocky Mountain region. They were sharply dressed people. I asked Marlene and Bill if they were always casually well dressed and they said yes! I hope we can get some improvisational dance going with the Traveling Piano. For dinner tonight... I was treated to lamb chops from New Zealand.

April 20, 2010

Denver, Colorado

I'm fairly certain I'm riding the edge of being depressed. I know what its all about. The good thing is that my life is set up to constantly interact with life wether I want to or not... I could always just quit but thats not going to happen. I could also take a sabbatical but for what... to be depressed? I miss piano dog Boner. Anyway, onward... I had made specific plans to hook up with my host Jim and his son Graham, good thing. I met them at their house and let them know I was there by playing outside on the curb for a few minutes. The neighbors began to come out and four of them met. The one side of the street had never met the other. I was creating the introductions. Bo used to do that. The one older gent has cut hair out of his house for all of his life. The other was selling everything he owns. A guy heard me from his apartment window down the street and came out to try out a piano for the first time.

Off we went to the park. People were not sure what to do, how to interact... should there be a crowd? Even me, I felt a little like I was supposed to be creating something specific like an event... NOT. One on one interactions, every once a few people connecting over the piano, interested people, thumbs up people, curious people, no mass hysteria... just easy, intimate, personal exchanges. It turned out great. For about an hour about seven people had their turns. (some needed a little arm twisting to get onto the piano) Afterwards Jim and I had some pizza and sat to chat for awhile. After a short time I was feeling like I better get back to where I am staying and regroup for a new host stay once again in Denver tomorrow.

April 19, 2010

Denver, Colorado

The creative process of my days... I wonder if I will still be so amazed after I depart from this earth. Today, I wake up... I feel something is not right... I innately know what to do subconsciously... I'm given the grace to do it... I go with the flow... I seize the moment... I stay open for possibility and opportunity... even though things do not look good consciously. This is after I set my intent for the day which is... fun, friendship and respect. So with all that said... I was feeling like the Traveling Piano was not going to happen today. I was too messed up in my head. I drove to no less than ten neighborhood parks. There was no place that felt comfortable to play in. The priority... "take care of yourself Danny," ...so I gave up on the idea of creating music and begin to seek out and hang with "like" peeps (friends). I find them. The day flows as I keep all pressure off myself to to create any Traveling Piano experience. My spirit becomes lifted up through hanging with friends. My job was to put myself in the position to be lifted up. Thank God I did that. I talked about Boner with every opportunity. I have pictures of him that I now show people when I tell them the Traveling Piano story.

At 11pm, I run into Mo who is celebrating his twenty first birthday. He's a little conflicted because he doesn't want to get wasted and sloppy drunk as lots of kids do and his girl friend is in Australia. He wants to go through the day with clarity. Bingo... "Hey Mo, lets you and I and whatever friends you can gather... go for a ride downtown on the Traveling Piano and musically bang the shit out of the piano keys for your birthday. I guarantee it will be the best time." Hahaha... Six of us jumped into the truck and road down through the streets and around the Denver skyscrapers in the night. We were at a corner taking pictures and a cop pulls up. I got paranoid and ran over to explain so the kids didn't have to get involved. The cop says, "I'm just sitting here waiting for the light to turn." Ha, we all had a major amount of birthday fun, friendship and respect. As I drove back to where I am staying, I could see how every single event of the day played into and lead up to the Traveling Piano experience I just had. I can't describe it... but can see it all clearly in my minds eye. It was all awesome. Piano dog Boner is awesome. His spirit left his body two months ago tonight. I "choose" to feel love and gratitude. If I can do this, anybody can.

April 18, 2010

Denver, Colorado

I want to find a way to stop using "I" as the first word in so many sentences! The day started with a Sunday drive around Loveland Colorado. "I" keep wanting to say Texas for some reason. It often feels like I'm still in Texas. My friend John drove me through the streets of Loveland while I played music for what felt like over an hour. Man, was I tired after that. It felt as usual... surreal. I felt a lot of gratitude while I was doing it. The day was beautiful, the area was beautiful, the people seemed to like the surprise of seeing and hearing the music... I was wondering why I have not improvised more often while people just drive me through towns and neighborhoods. I like it. I suppose now there are more opportunities than before. We stopped to meet a friend of John's. The guy owns a gas station. He jumped on board to create some music. I said, "you bang really good." He said, tell all the girls that." Afterwards I created some "house music" for John and his wife Marcia out on their driveway. John said, " Youv'e inspired me, I'm going to get an RV and spend the rest of my life carving birds." Ha, traveling and carving birds out of wood.

I drove into Denver and found a coffee shop with wireless internet. I wanted to do some work. The place had around thirty people in it all with computers sitting around doing whatever. It looked really strange. No one was interacting with anyone. I took a seat outside and within five minutes someone asked me to play some music and of course I did. I met Jim and his two and a half year old son Graham. We sat at the piano. The smile on his face when he heard the music... wow. He began slapping the piano keys and then I played one note. He played one note. Then I played the next not up and he played the next note up. He followed me perfectly and in no time at all he was playing a scale up and down the piano. It was awesome.

It is really difficult at times not having Bo with me, like tonight. I have a house all to myself and the Traveling Piano truck has its own garage for three nights right smack in the center of Denver, Colorado. Damm, this is such a great thing. There is a really cool coffee shop next door, people around, a good spot to get stuff to eat on the corner... I just came back from a walk around the neighborhood really appreciating how each city is different, the distinctive housing, the city layout... I get the opportunity to see each place I visit from the inside out and enjoy it but also... must live in the feeling, the fact... that piano dog Boner, my best friend and over fifteen year steady and constant partner with the piano truck has not been with me for two months as of Tuesday.

I am without question living a dream existence. I know this. I acknowledge it and I am grateful for it yet... at the same time I have nothing to live for. I've had everything I ever wanted in life. The only reason I choose to go on as I do is because my life... is in a God space of being, a safe place. I am very fortunate to have found a purpose, (fun, friendship, respect, musical empowerment, inspiration) that I have a passion for life as I know it, but still... that does not create a reason to live. Who needs reason? Ha. One might say, Danny you have goals like getting the Traveling Piano truck to China, Alaska, Los Angeles, around the world to different countries, the Super Bowl and other stuff! They are just dreams, accomplishing them is not really important, although it feels really great when I do accomplish a dream... the only fun in all that is... what happens along the way, the journey. The journey is fun but does not create any great desire to live. I'm just missing having the illusion of a "special" relationship. No, even better the deep intimacy in relationship that I shared with Bo.

April 17, 2010

Loveland, Colorado

My life is full of "first times" without Boner the piano dog. I know this will continue. I remind myself that I have gotten this far (almost two months) and I am bound to slip into down periods once in a while. I tell myself, "you will go through this." Damm. I wish I could forget the date he passed. I've never remember anyone else date, why must I remember Bo's. Ugh, cry... .

On a lighter note... I walked around the towns sculpture garden today and took pictures until a steady rain began. I went to the gym for the first time in ages with my friend John. We used the pool, sauna and hot tub and then I ended up eating a huge bag of pistachios. One of the guys I met in the park yesterday phoned me to say he wanted to stay in touch. I really liked that. By night time the rain stopped and I took the Traveling Piano to John and Marcia's church fundraising auction. A girl named Trish who teaches watercolor painting got on the truck. I began to give her the experience of how to enjoy playing the piano especially for the first time and she started telling me the next sentence before I would say it. She teaches with the exact same approach for painting! That exchange was very fun to experience. A bunch of youngsters jumped on board the Traveling Piano and one seven year old says, "You've been on this truck playing the piano for twenty four years??? ...you should be dead already!" Smart ass kid... :)

April 16, 2010

Loveland, Colorado

John, my host said that he's been checking me out to see if I'm really as happy as I seem to be all the time. I LOVED THAT! Hahaha... I used to see people who were happy all the time and think the same way. "They must be repressing stuff, they are faking that, no one is happy all the time." I used to think that way. Of course I'm not happy all the time but I am always happy doing my work with the Traveling Piano, estatic even... or being with people I want to be with. I have now acquired the "Happy Man" bug, it has taken a lot of work... and still does, but I got it and I'm going to keep it for all its worth. Today I found out that one sixth of the people in Loveland county where I am staying are employed in the arts. .

I was supposed to hook up with three soccer type mom's and their kids today in a park but kinda knew they were not going to show up. I went anyway because I said I would. As soon as I arrived I knew my previous commitment was merely a catalyst for who I was really meant to hook up with. The timing was perfect. I found a bunch of stoners, more specifically in their terms, the "Stoner Family." Basically a mix of local kids who enjoy alternative life styles, tend to be a bit rebellious and a lot of them like to get "high" ...a lot. :) We had fun, friendship and respect all around. This was a cookout with hamburgers and buns, nothing else. No ketchup, mustard... I chipped in two bucks for the charcoal lighter fluid. (because they asked for and needed it) It was a hang out for the sake of hanging out! I stayed with the Traveling Piano truck the entire time and kids would filter back and forth from the barbecue pit to try out creating some music. There were many stories. Nathan had always wanted to play the piano and be a musician. He's twenty two and just started probation after getting out of jail for assault. Nathan musically explored twice for about a half hour today. Jake just wanted to chill on the piano as he said "forever." At fifteen years of age he has been trying not to steal, a habit which has landed him in kiddy jail. He just moved in with his grandma because both parents are meth addicts and have been doing too much crystal meth. Victor Pro AKA Too Short (thats his name) nineteen, jumped on board and improvised for the first time while showing the tattoos on his arms. He said, I'm gonna play for my bitches, (two tattooed girls on his arms) who never talk back and always listen." And then there was "Z" who created the get together. Now seventeen, this was a really gentle guy. He was thrown out by his parents when he was ten years old. Originally from California "Z" has learned survival skills having been homeless for most of his life. I acknowledged his depth of good character and could see that he was really doing great while suggesting at the same time he not do so many drugs to the point that he does not know he is doing to many drugs. A few guys asked me if I wanted to get high with them. Did I want to? Hell yea. Did I? Hell NO! Ha.

April 15, 2010

Loveland, Colorado

It drives me crazy when I am so tired and cannot get to sleep. Lots of fun activity will do that to me. I left Boulder, Colorado today but first had some fun with the newest musical trio around. They called themselves the "Mother Truckers". Hahaha...musical improve... flute, ukulele and piano. All I can say about it was... "it it what it is" ...silly fun for a couple of minutes. Boulder, Colorado has a Tesla Roadster Electric sports car store. I was treated for a ride up to the top of Flagstaff Mountain in a car with no motorized sound that goes from zero to sixty miles an hour in less than four seconds. The sudden speed made me nausea but it was well worth it. The price for the toy... around one hundred thousand. .

A lot of people in the center of Boulder, Colorado were a bit hesitant to jump on the truck as in... "that's the musicians job to play not mine" maybe because street musicians seem to have that specific niche here. Even street musicians would not come over when I waved to them. Never the less many people did get up onto the truck, friends and friends of friends but mostly tourists. I must have found the most expensive places to buy food and eat in Boulder. A slice of pizza, six bucks... a Mc Donalds hamburger size veggie burger without chips or anything... ten bucks. I stopped at the Whole Foods market on the way out to get twelve pieces of regular fruit and a regular bag of pistachios for the road... twenty seven bucks!!! I stopped at a photoshop to get some prints of Boner to show people when I tell them about him. .

Onto Loveland, Colorado to stay with new friends John and Marcia. The town seems like a nice suburbia. John has chickens for pets! Within a half hour after arriving I had a chicken on top of the piano. Within minutes of sitting up on top the chicken shit on the piano rug! I'm not playing music for anymore chickens... off with their heads!!! Three neighbors on their daily walk together jumped onto the truck to jam with the chicken. Sounds a bit crazy eh? Its not like I plan this stuff! John and I took a walk over to the Benson Sculpture Garden. Wow! I will be going back to this place. It has over 130 pieces of amazing sculpture form artists around the world. Different people and community organizations, churches... adopt the sculpture spaces and keep them clean. Extra curricular activities have been seeping into the Traveling Piano days. It is about time. I like it. It feels like I've been working (and loving it) twenty four hours a day. I actually went to the movies in Plano Texas a few weeks ago... I think that was the first time I did anything not connected to the Truck in months. Marcia had made some ass kicking chili and corn bread for dinner. John, Marcia and I hit it off immediately as friends. Just love that! As I'm closing the truck up for the night John says, "wow, you have a window that you still have to crank up?" Smart ass... :)

April 14, 2010

Boulder, Colorado

This morning (really afternoon because I did not get up until 12pm) was wonderful. I was sitting on my host's backyard patio having coffee and I felt at home. I had the same feeling as when I sat on my own backyard patio when I owned a house. It has been over two years since I sold my home to help continue this journey. Today started with the house cleaning girls on the Traveling Piano and then I drove Bill with his dogs Teddy and Milo into town while he played the Alley Cat on the piano keys. Chelsea his wife and daughter, Quincy Annabelle drove separately behind us. Once we were parked we took a family photo with Teddy sitting on top of the piano. A large variety of people jumped onto the piano today, people from Canada, Honolulu, Hawaii, New Jersey, locals, families, individuals, drug addicts who were using... yep. Tonight I improvised piano music with Chelsea as she improvised on her flute. I gave Bill a piano lesson on playing "one" note.

Last night my host Bill and I were talking about success, happiness, life and money. On DVD before I went to sleep I watched a lecture Dewitt Jones gave called Extraordinary Visions! Sometimes I can see clarity constantly unfolding for me, the complete picture. Last night we were talking about "value" and what I and this journey has to offer for people. Dewitt was talking about what we have to offer for the world. With my life experience, well first... let me say that I was taught that the ides of "me" and what "I" want... was wrong. Everything was always about other people and the world. I didn't want to be selfish and egotistic did I? Well yea, now... yea I do. Ha! I think of... my world... my ownership... my partnership... my participation with "my" world. I have learned that the spirit of my intent is pure and therefore all of my desires are pure. It takes constant practice to remember, embrace and act on these facts... inspite of what has been taught and put into my psyche from my family, church and societal upbringing. As I focus on me and what I want and... get honest about the fact that ALL my intent and desire is pure... (I believe this is true for every human being underneath all the shit) ...then there is nothing else but beauty, joy and awesomeness. The miracle of life for me is that each individual with who's path I cross or interact with... we are both in communion with the specific world we are creating for ourselves. Deep, eh? The idea of bad, wrong, suffering and I'll add neediness for myself, etc... is stuff that has been taught for reasons beyond my comprehension probably having something to do with balance and growth in this world of wonderful illusions. As I have been growing up... all bad, wrong, suffering and neediness... has been growing down from my life.

April 13, 2010

Boulder, Colorado

I could only sleep for about three hours last night. I was grieving piano dog Boner... big time. For the first time in my life I felt gut wrenching physical pain from crying. I was hoping the release would have helped me to sleep better. Also, my sinuses are adjusting to the change of environment here in Colorado. In not wanting to waste anytime I headed out for some nature as soon as possible today. The wind was ferocious. I could barley function. Figuring out how the city works needed major focus... with driving, turning corners, one way streets. They have a different way of collecting parking meter fees here and I didn't want to deal with it. The mountains are less than a mile from downtown. Driving up the curved roads, it was beautiful with water cascading down but no where to pull off to the side. I was thinking how people driving behind me are going to get real pissed off as I continue on with travel. The top speed for the Traveling Piano truck on hills and around curves is now only thirty five miles an hour.

My host Chelsea offered for me to take Teddy, the family golden retriever for company today. She knew I was missing Bo. I declined. Every time I experience a new environment it creates a need to re-evaluate my life because everything I have done or wanted for the last fifteen years... was with Bo in mind. I stopped at a park and relaxed with some music. Two women, Raquel and Martha found me and got onto the piano to play. They are entrepreneurs (Boulder, Colorado is full of them) and are creating products to protect people from Electromagnetic Radiation. I probably will never cease to be amazed with how easily people who have never before played on a piano.... jump up and into the truck to play... without hesitation. I know on some level that the intent, truth and energy of the whole Traveling Piano's aim is pure and clear. This is why people are drawn to it. Never the less, I constantly experience with people getting onto the piano and with this journey... what was described for me today as "ordinary miracles."

I drove into the center of town and could not muster the energy to play. After a strong cup of coffee, still... I just could not get myself together to interact. I drove up and down the street about ten times. I needed someone to initiate the fun. It was not happening so I headed back to where I am staying. I met Chelsea's friend Laura and her smile did it for me which resulted in her creating music on the piano. Milo another family dog, sat on top of the piano and Chelsea with three and a half month year old daughter Quincy Annabelle listened nearby. And then... the neighbors began to arrive! And then... the coffee REALLY kicked in, ha! I was talking last night about life and how it is speeding up. This guy Al was comparing it to years of age. When your ten years old, everything is moving ten miles an hour. At fifty, thats how fast the speed of life has increased. With me now moving a fifty four miles an hour... ha, life for me is now moving faster than the average speed of the Traveling Piano truck!

April 12, 2010

Boulder, Colorado

I'm having feelings of loss. As I drove into the new environment today... well I got a little scared when I saw the mountains. Boner was not next to me... to be with. I've been putting a few pictures of him on my computer desktop. It is a challenge to just enjoy the memories, the love... and not attach any feelings of loss. Boner gave me that ability, awareness and the time to practice just being with "love" while he was alive. I want to honor the gift and make use of it... to love and enjoy his experience of me... and me with him... without attaching any other feeling or experience to that love. I met Bill and Chelsea my new hosts. Hows this for a mixed marriage? Bill is Jewish and Chelsea is a Mormon. Made me think of the song... "what's love got to do with it" ...everything. They have a house with a guest area specifically to have guests visit. I'm their guest for three nights. Isn't that great?! Bill drove me into town while I played the Traveling Piano. We went to pick up his friend Al who is also staying overnight. I could not look at any people along the way because I had to focus on the music. The change of the environment, air, being in a new place, performing, and by myself was a lot to deal with so quickly after arriving. I played on Bill and Chelsea's house piano twice already. I enjoy exploring different pianos. Chelsea made a dinner that was just the best. Wow, what a cook! For dessert we had rhubarb, strawberry, oatmeal crisp with almonds and coconut and much more. The feeling of driving into Boulder Colorado today was like entering one big college town. It felt like I could pull into any spot anywhere and feel comfortable creating music. The environment is calm, clean and youthful. I can feel a difference of elevation with ears popping and breathing a bit more difficult. I must consciously stay conscious... of taking the time I need to do what is necessary in accomplishing my goals. I was thinking how I must constantly remind myself that I do not need to worry about places to stay or expenses... my needs are being taken care up... they have been taken care of... and my needs will continue to be taken care of... and that has been one hundred percent of my experience. Outside my rooms window I see snowcapped mountains.

April 11, 2010

Limon, Colorado

Fun... major Fun again! Gratitude comes to mind always. This woman Ellie who connected with me online... first of all I just wanted to meet a girl named Ellie from the Mid-West because the name classically fits the midwest perfectly for me and then... her picture was perfect with her name and then... the common sense, humor and friendliness I felt... I knew we could be friends and I would enjoy meeting her family. Ellie has six children, two still living at home and Warren her husband (they are a perfect match) he is full of just as much fun as Ellie. Warren works at the Colorado State Penitentiary. He's been there over fifteen years as a woodworking teacher for the inmates. I've been hanging out with the family..., seventeen year old Meg, twenty year old Brian and fourteen year old Ben.

We took the Traveling Piano out to the neighborhood. This is a small town, you can see the beginning of prairie fields a few blocks away from the house where I am staying. I had a special treat today as Warren drove the Traveling Piano and I played in the back... up and down the streets of town and through the neighborhood. I usually end up as the driver in situations like this. It felt like back in the old days when I played in parades. This was the first time parents with the kids came along on a Traveling Piano "trek". Very fun! We stopped at the small park and lots of neighbors came over to check out the action. At night, while setting up hosting stays for the future, I was involved with the regular Sunday night family routine of eating popcorn and listening to Celtic music on the radio.

April 10, 2010

Traversing from Kansas to Colorado

I would love to understand more about my life just because of the wonder in it. I mean, I understand a lot but I just want to learn more about every person and the purpose of our meeting. In reality I know it is simply about relationship and being connected and also fun but... there are people I meet where it is clear I'm supposed to meet them. I was leaving Hays, Kansas this morning and stopped to get some gas. As I was about to leave a young guy named Alan with his girlfriend Jess approached me, "hey you were at my aunts house last night." Woweewoweewow! Last night I was out in nowhere land South of Antonino, Kansas. (read yesterdays blog) I remember Jeannie the woman I met trying to call her brothers son and his girlfriend to come and meet us. They were too far away and it was getting late. What are the chances of her nephew and his girlfriend crossing paths with me today in Hays Kansas and... during the three minutes that I stopped there for gas. We were to meet, period. It is becoming clearer all the time how everyone is connected and we communicate with each other beyond this physical state of being.

I drove to Limon, Colorado today. I'm staying with Ellie and Warren and family. I rushed to get here because I wanted to go to church! Ha, really... I felt really good about that... having the desire to share in other peoples life experiences. They were going to Saturday night worship and I wanted to join them. They also attend Sunday service. I won't be attending that because it is now coming on 3AM with me writing this blog. The Saturday service has no preaching... its just prayer, music and praise. I've never been to a church service where I felt so relaxed that I could lay on the floor and stretch out which I did. In fact when they asked if anyone had any words they wanted to say I offered to say mine in music and sat at the piano to play. Wow! The church is a part of a denomination of nondenominational Christian churches. Hmmm... A new comment about my music came afterwards... someone said, "I could smell rain through your music." I really enjoyed expressing my spirit with them.

As I was driving into Colorado I thought, "your not in Kansas anymore." As I hit the first big hill it felt like I was coming into a new world... after weeks of flat land. I stopped into a few small towns along the way... some were so small there was no reason to stop. In Goodland, Texas I asked some really bored looking people at a diner if they wanted to hear me play some piano for them. They said no. One girl said, I don't like piano music. I said, "well I'm going outside and playing a song anyway, come on out." Once they heard I was pretty good and actually playing a piano on the back of a pickup truck, two people came out and began to warm up but I did not have time to stay to "work" them. I went back in to pay the bill and the... "not like the piano" girl said... "I knew that song." I thought, "yea, with your mother." They all went back to being glum and I left. It was fun and I am amazed I would have the confidence to do that!

I am living dreams and just like in dreams I have no control over them... how and what happens. My present life is what dreams are made of. Random, synchronistic, connections of realities. I mean like yesterday... I was dreaming I was with the Traveling Piano in rural Kansas with two new friends. We were in a wheat field in the middle of nowhere. One friend, the guy was native to Kansas and played classical violin while standing up on top of the piano in the Traveling Piano truck... on the side of the road... in the wind... at sunset, with a blue sky and fresh green wheat sprouting out of the ground. The other friend, a beautiful girl from Israel on a road trip across America... sat and played on the piano along with the violin music. I took pictures of it all while basking in the dreamy quality of it all. Ha, do you see the pictures from yesterday's blog below?

April 9, 2010

Hays Kansas

Fun... major Fun! Hila, a twenty one year old girl from Israel decided to take a rode trip across America and our paths crossed today. She is staying with my host Ryan along with myself. While Ryan was a work Hila and I went exploring down a rural dirt road and found a wheat field far away from everything and I mean really, really everything! It was amazingly beautiful... the sun, the air in vast fresh fields of wheat, Hila myself the Traveling Piano with music. Later, we returned to the same spot with Ryan and he brought his violin. Ryan from Kansas has been playing classical violin on and off for twenty years. He stood on top of the piano as we jammed.

A woman named Jeannie drove buy and I waved her down to take some pictures for us. She invited back to her place which was south of a town so small... it is not on any map, Antonino, Kansas. Where she lives is so "out there," her last name is Hass so she calls the area she lives in... the Hassarosa after the old television show the Ponderosa. We had a lot of fun with her boyfriend, girlfriend and her brother who was doing a lot of target shooting with his gun while we created music. She said about me, "your like a New Wave Gypsy" ...ha. Luckily they had some gas for their lawn mower because I needed it to get back to where I'm staying. The Traveling Piano tank was empty with no gas to be found for miles around.

It was a busy day The Traveling Piano was also in the Hays, Kansas town park. As Hila went to purchase some food I met the cart guys outside the local supermarket and one of them improvised just like I do. At night Ryan, Hila and I went to the local coffee house to listen to some jazz. There was a really smooth boogie piano player there. I forgot my camera and could have taped some good video for the Traveling Piano. Hila reminded me that it was not important. I want to keep every experience because I know I will forget them as new ones enter. Either way, after four years I never have the time to revisit the past anyway!

April 8, 2010

Frontier Park, Hays Kansas

Had no plan to create music today... so whats new? After a good nights rest I headed to the local park. The area here in Hays Kanasa feels real nice. The people have been friendly and interested. At Frontier Park, an older gent got onto the piano to try it out and I could see emotion welling up in him. It does not take any encouragement at all... for some people to take hold of the opportunity for desire and release. The Traveling Piano experience can be amazingly emotional and freeing for people on many levels of consciousness that I have yet to learn about. Part me of does not want to know it all... because I don't want to take any credit and I want people to own, have totally for themselves their experience... one hundred percent. Maybe I am a little afraid of the responsibility. I am very aware that what I do and what I have to offer facilitates change for... and affects peoples lives in a big way. My personal interests with the Traveling Piano are selfish. I crave intimacy in relationship if only for a short time with other people and also observing them having a "moment". I enjoy seeing other people have their own personal moments as I now do, that is the shared experience.

While taking a walk I came across four most awesome old trees. They were fully ready to end their maturity in life. I don't know what it was about them that affected me. Was it their juxtaposition, symmetry, thickness, relationship with life? Their bark was thicker than any I have ever seen and they just came out of the ground in such perfect, straight up in the air, huge round circles!

April 7, 2010

Hays, Kansas

I'm staying with my first Kansan. His name is Ryan and he is a 24 year old computer system administrator for Fort Hays State university. I've been staying with people my age or older so its good to connect with someone younger for a change. Ryan has a new cat named Micki who has been on antidepressants since age three. Micki is 14 years old and likes a lot of happy attention. I'm waiting see see if I will get allergic to him... can't tell because I'm so tired having slept only four hours last night. That did not stop me from getting on the Traveling Piano truck to play some music as soon as I got here. Ryan was a trooper and jumped up to play also. We were talking about our lives over pizza for dinner. Ryan has been doing quite well for himself considering the challenges he has had growing up. I asked him what he attributed as his largest influence for his success in life so far and he said his resiliency. I understand that completely, for me its a gift... I am graced with resiliency. Technology is moving so fast. Just two years ago everyone was taking pictures of the Traveling Piano driving down the road and showing them to me from there phones as they passed. Now they look up the Traveling Piano website on their phones and show me the front page of the website as they pass. It's a lot of fun to see people looking up this website in real time while traveling on the road.

The day started in a Hesston, Kansas Mexican restaurant. The food smelled so good from the outside it drew me inside. I'm trying to take care of myself so I wanted a good meal to start the day. It was excellent. I ate too much... and then the day turned beastly cold with freezing rain for most of the drive on route I-70. I have often wondered how all the hotels I pass stay in business. I found out that when a snow blizzard hits, they fill up and can make their years money from just a few storms per year. In fact, after the first section of the highway gets closed from snow, the rest of the sections eastwardly close down... dictated by when the hotels get full. Todays ride was full of open space with lightly rolling hills dotted by evergreen trees. The dark skies made the brown and green grassy contrasts easy on the eyes. I passed windmill farms, oil pumps, buffalo... By late afternoon the skies cleared and I was thinking how as a kid I would have thought the ride was boring, "there's nothing here to see." I lived in... and with chaos and distraction. Today, there is nothing like the experience of miles and miles of wide open space to help clear my head. I can enjoy the evenness of nature. I have been adjusting without Boner by my side... like I have a choice? I really do miss him. I realize he is with me in spirit but hey, this is a physical world. I'll be in spirit with him for eternity and always have been. I am thankful, totally, completely... for the fact that we made the most of joy with our physical time together.

April 6, 2010

Hesston, Kansas

Hesston, Kansas??? Where's that? I'm in a hotel run buy Indians and owned by Mennonites. I had to force myself to stop driving and just plop down! Two friends called me on the phone... the last helped me to, "Just pull off the highway!" My deciding on a place to say without a plan and considering the cost can drive me crazy! I headed out from Dallas, Texas for Tuscon, Arizona and decided to turn North for Glacier Park at the top of Montana. I have always wanted to see Glacier Park and want to see it before it melts and/or this journey ends. As I was heading to Tuscon, I found out that the friend I was going to stay with, her daughter is synchronistically also arriving tomorrow to spend ten days, three of us in a small one bedroom apartment. I had been planning to burrow there but I suppose a higher power was telling me to just keep moving. Also, if I want to go to Alaska, now is the time to start trekking... so I am there when I can take the weather... I decided to turn North to Glacier Park. I want to see it before it melts and/or this journey ends. Only problem is it was 85 degrees when I left this afternoon and now it might snow in the morning here in Kansas! I was thinking spring. I am gonna head for Denver tomorrow and if its too cold yet to go up north, maybe I should just keep driving across to California!

My priorities for having fun in life... 1. Piano Dog Boner 2. Nature 3. Music 4. People. My second love in life after Bo is nature and so with him now gone, I am going to give this destination of Glacier Park to myself. I stopped at a station to get gas and a woman with her three children were selling puppies on the side of the road. I stopped to... who knows what. The kids were piano players so I jumped on the truck for them. The mom says, "do you know our lord and savior"? I gave her a taken back look, and she says, "well its just that your music led me to that question" ...I told her I had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and she overtly thanked me for that. She didn't want pictures taken so I am glad I have a few left to post from a few days ago. I stopped on the road to put the tarp on the truck, the wind was blowing so hard I almost could not do it. The wind was blowing so hard that when I blew my nose into the air I did not have to worry about the snot. The wind just took it away... hahaha... that's how hard the wind was blowing!

April 5, 2010

Plano, Texas

There was no way I was going to play on the Traveling Piano today. I am getting ready to leave the area. Brian my host watched me walk in and out of the house to the truck about twenty two times taking a small item each time... what a packing process! When I have been in a place for about a week it takes an entire day to get the where - with - all to move on. Tasks seem to be moving slower and slower. My focus has been getting foggy. I know it is all about Bo's not being here physically with me and also the traveling alone and doing everything by myself. I asked Gail my hostess if she would like to go with me tonight and listen while I played some music in the park. I really needed the company to get the inertia to do it. We parked away from people as I did not want to interact with anyone... I wanted the music to be just for Gail but... that's not the way the Traveling Piano works! People gravitated to us immediately and I must admit through my self centered drama that I loved it and I was very grateful people were interested. It is like people are connecting me when I do not have the strength to initiate a connection first. Over and over, almost every time, ninety five percent of the people I meet bring up the synchronicity of the situation and how our meeting is for a purpose. I gave away five Raggin' Piano Boogie posters tonight and now have only about five left. I've been saving them for special people but as I said to my friend Gail, everyone seemed to be special tonight so... it is what it is.

To this extent I was taught NOT to reach out to other people... I was going through my list of friends and people I would like to stay in contact with today. There are many, many... I was thinking how I must almost force myself to call them even though I have nothing really to say and they will most likely be taken so off guard and surprised... they also will not know what to say and maybe we both will feel uncomfortable. It reminded me how as a family when I was young it was pounded in us to be involved with each other (which we never really wanted to be :) ...my mom encouraged it so that we would never feel or be alone. We became so wrapped up as a family in our own drama and lives (our inner circle of trust) that when an outside phone call came in once or twice a year from for example from my Dad's brother... it was very strange. The message in my head was, "he must be very lonely or needy or feels left out and is desperate to have the need and get to the point where he has to pick up the phone." It never occurred to me that he just wanted to connect for the sake of connecting or to show he was thinking about us, cares for us, loves us... Every particle of what I was taught for life was based on neediness. I've been getting over that.

April 4, 2010

Plano, Texas

The day started out with going to Easter Sunday church, a rarity. I could have gone last night but that feels like to me celebrating a birthday on a non- birthday... day. I went with my friend Gail, her husband Brian was too ill to attend. It was a semi-mega church (only 2000 people) with video screens and a hundred person choir. This was a first for me. Down the street at the mega church (which looked like the superbowl stadium) there were 5000 people in attendance. And then again more down south in Corpus Christi Texas I'll bet there was even more people... as they were giving away Easter prizes that included 15 cars and flat screen televisions!!! Yikes. The pastor's sermon at the church I attended was all about relationship, being connected... which fits into my philosophy for life very well. Presently, I am staying conscious to allow my life to be enriched through relationship both the physically and spiritually in this world so that I can continue to contribute and create... through relationship.

By night time I began to sink into a funk with uncertainty so I drove to the arbor park area where I was in a few days ago. There were too many people. I took a walk and found a small separate parking area. I drove the truck into it and began to play out musically my angst, my feelings about what I am going to do. I don't know where I am going tomorrow and very much dislike paying for and staying in hotel rooms. The funds really are getting drained that way but cannot call strangers on the day I am to arrive when I don't even know where I am going. I was musically turning it all over to a power greater than myself through the clouds, the wind, the sunset... and then a family stopped by, a few neighbors also. We did some major "Jesus" talking. The girls who take piano lessons... improvised for the first time and it was truly inspirational to see them so encouraged and for their success at doing it. We all stood in prayer before we parted. Their interest in me and what I had to offer helped my faith to continue in a significant way.

April 3, 2010

Plano, Texas

Damm, damm, damm, I have hundreds of pictures from today and I emptied them all onto someone else's computer which erased my card. I don't even know what to say on this blog today because the pictures are my memory and I don't have them, ha. Oh well... there are a few pictures to show. I do know I had a lot of fun for eight hours and I ate a record number of hotdogs. Eight people I had met over the last two days showed up at Sam's open house to see me and play on the Traveling Piano again (see yesterdays blog) and that was just plain awesome. I hung out with new friends, a very relaxed day, my face is sunburned, at least forty people got onto the Traveling Piano to create music.

A girl named Kat who I met last night gifted me with a beautiful piece of jewelry today, a parachute release pin. Along with it came this writing... "This gift is a small token of gratitude for the incredible support you have shown me. It is an actual parachute release pin which is necessary to open a parachute, slow the descent from freefall, and ensure a soft landing. Life has a way of catching us off guard which can feel like an emotional freefall. You were there for me through your words, your actions, and the simple act of listening. You had enough faith for the both of us and enough strength to sustain me until I could find my own again. No words can express the gratitude I feel so let this pin serve as a reminder and thank you for providing me with a soft landing." Wow! This really helped, especially concerning this first holiday without Bo.

April 2, 2010

Plano, Texas

Gail my host and I drove before dark, to the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve for some music... just the two of us so I thought. The clouds where deep and the sunset beautiful. The seasons mosquitoes freshly hatched were hitting my skin like pellets trying to figure out how to eat me alive. I closed my eyes on one of them. Ouch! I parked away from all the cars and gave Gail a rug to use for the ground thinking no one would stop by. I was wrong. A little guy came running up first thing. I tried to ignore him while saying to myself, "you know your going to give in, so just let it go." I turned and gave him a big smile and he instantaneously screamed with joy and ran back to his mom...and then it all started. It was getting dark, I couldn't find my camera, I could not orient myself to do my "schtick" so I sort of went into auto pilot having no idea what I was doing but having a lot of fun doing whatever it was that I didn't know I was doing! Hahaha... I just wished there had been more time. I told most everyone that I was going to be hanging out at Sam's Auto Care tomorrow starting at 11:00AM and I would hang there for the entire day with the Traveling Piano. If you are reading this and will be in the Plano area, stop by tomorrow and have a hot dog, a piece of chicken, a soda... some chips. Click on this link for directions... Sam's Auto Care It is not a promotion... Sam contributed to my journey by fixing my truck the other day and we mutually created an open house for his new shop as a result. Just an afternoon of chillin' with some fun, friendship, respect and... food with music for everyone who stops by. I am hoping we can get people on the truck and I'll drive around the parking lot while they bang on the piano for fun, adults as well as kids. Sams... 4006 W Palno Pkwy (SW Corner of Coit and W Plano Pkwy) I'm going to need the help of a power greater than myself to get through this holiday weekend without piano dog Boner so... all good thoughts and prayers in that direction for us, will be greatly appreciated.

April 1, 2010

White Rock Lake, Texas

Not sure what to write about today, my energy level has been flat. I have been feeling the absence of Bo. Maybe it is because of the holiday coming up. All of life's continuing first time routine events without him... I do miss Piano Dog Boner. I gained some insight today concerning the measure of wealth. The Dallas area is so much more than just the skyscraper area of the city. I drove through neighborhoods up north with multi million dollar super mansions... hundreds of them. As much as I have been around the block in this world... I have never ever seen anything like it. An hour later I found myself in neighborhoods down south, neighborhoods of houses held together with old boards of wood. As much as I have been around the block in this world... I have never ever seen anything like it. Talk about extremes! Money and material wealth had nothing to do with what I was feeling. I was feeling more the vast variety of life experience. It was exhausting but it might have been most about the fact that I was going it alone for the first time without Bo or anyone. We loved to explore and connect with people... together.

I ended up driving back to the area I visited yesterday. Damm, I leaned on the familiar in needing a comfort zone. Never the less, meeting Johnathan a twenty two year old guy who shared a lot of his life story with me... that interaction was a worthy comfort zone. The park maintenance team of workers returned to act like they were cleaning up. They were walking around looking busy for their last half hour of work. It was obvious they were there to listen to me having heard the music yesterday. They all waved happily as they left. Johnathan played a beautiful piece of music he wrote, the simplicity and beauty of the piece is still with me. Also, a very strange bird walked up beside the truck to check out the music. It was a duck, a turkey, a mix of both? It was a strange bird!