We are coming to the end of summer, I haven't posted in quite some time and want to resume my posting this evening.
I have worked at the top of Loon Mountain all summer long, two or three days a week. We have an artisan collective on the mountain where seven of us display and sell our work. I have been displaying a bunch of my photographs and have sold a number of them. It really is a great job where I get to take the gondola up when I work. Great views and often many people from all around the world. I get to practice my French, Spanish, German and smattering of greetings in Chinese and Hebrew. But, I am now burned out and ready for this gig to end. Also, as an employee of Loon, for one payment of $15, I have full access to the Mountain Club, the Loon spa...steam room, shower, sauna, whirlpool, cardio/weight rooms! I love the steam room and have been steaming and showering twice a week for the past month. Not a bad setup for a guy who lives in his van.
I began teaching this past week, back at Plymouth State University. I am teaching one section of a First Year Seminar course entitled, Is Success Synonymous with Happiness. I taught this for eight years and then took a few years to teach my course, Myths, Masks and Identity. Anyway, I'm back at it and at least for the first week I think I still "have it". My students are likeable and appear to want to buy into the program.
With Loon in the summer and teaching a section of a course in the fall, I think I will be able to travel from January through April or May. I am thinking that I would like to go to Europe for maybe six weeks. Of course, the biggest dilemma there is what to do with Ozzy. He and I have become so attached that anything short of taking him with me would be a heartache for the both of us...we'll see what happens. I may just get back into Van Morrison, where Ozzy and I continue to live, parked on Tish's property in Plymouth, at the point five, and travel south again. I would like to return to Asheville, North Carolina and the whole Blue Ridge Appalachian chain from Great Smokey Mountains to Front Royal and Harrisonburg, Virginia. Ozzy right now suffers a bit from allergies, red eyes, lots of scratching of itches. Van Morrison continues to run well, but, I think pretty soon I will have to put money out for oil change, tires and brakes.
I have seen lots of good bands this summer for not a lot of money. I have been sitting in front of the Flying Monkey Theatre in Plymouth and hoping that someone going to the show has an extra ticket which I can buy for cheap. Most tickets from the box office cost from 50 to 80 dollars which is too rich for my blood. But, I have gone to The Wailers ($10), Dr. John($15), Rickie Lee Jones($10), Keb' Mo'(Free, Guest list, met him downtown Plymouth) and tonight I got into Los Lobos for Free, extra ticket someone had and didn't want money for it. The highlight was Rickie Lee Jones, just a perfect show! Dr. John was really good too, his voice and piano playing are as good as ever.
I, also, played some music this summer. I am a busker/street musician at heart and got to play twice at the Plymouth Farmer's Market, without amplification. I strolled and the second outing was joined by Peter Heimlich on banjo and guitar, and Ella Grey on fiddle. It was a lot of fun.
Coming up this week will be the Faculty Art Show opening at the university, in which I have a photograph. I'm liking being back at the university and Plymouth.
