Grandma Amble

My grandma, in a photo from the early '80s. She was a formidable piano talent, and like me, liked her puzzles. At this time she was living in a nursing home in Clare, MI.

My brother and I were on the way to her funeral on January 28, 1986, when the front right wheel of the the 1966 Pontiac LeMans we were driving started falling off.


We dropped it off at a garage in Alma maybe, and went to a bar to wait until the next bus down to Lansing would come along. There we watched the reporting of the Challenger space shuttle disaster.

Ill-Fated Axe

This is the Les Paul I ran over with the family Chevy station wagon. I had taken the guitar out to the car, leaned it against the back of the car ... and then Barry said, "move the car up to the porch, so we don't have to schlep the amps and drums so far." I get behind the wheel, put it into reverse, and .... CRUNCH! Oops. A year or so later, I bought another Les Paul ... which was eventually stolen. I'm thinking that the next electric guitar I buy won't be a Les Paul. Thanks to Jim Dandy for the photo.

Winter Bike Ride

The sun hasn't been doing much shining lately, but I've been trying to get some bike miles in anyway. This branch empties into the Tuckasegee.

This stretch, along the Tuckasegee, is one of my favorites to bike down.

Parris Cemetery

This abandoned church used to be nearly invisible from the road, swallowed up as it was by the jungle. But somebody cleared that out. No longer in use, but not to worry, the are hundreds of other ones.

Marco, Live at Meadow Brook!

The geezers didn't seem too enthusiastic about my version of "Alfie" or my Ellington medley ...

but they loved "Oh When the saints go marching in!"

Mr. Nice Sax. The sweater makes me look like my name should be "Chip."

Sledding

Pure Michigan

Before the first run

The issue, descending

Sled Man

Mancelona Walk

Hemmingway silhouettes. They may call it Organica now, but to me it will always be D&B Discount.

My brother's favorite weapon: the double-pronged icicle

SIgn on the door of Mancelona Lanes, where I used to bowl, play pinball, pool, breathe second-hand smoke, and drop coins into the jukebox.

Freightliner

Milkweed pods

Sumac, I believe, over by Pump House Pond

A little house on the other side of town. Compare this to a McMansion!

Christmas Recital