…it’s the Fourth of July!*  But first we had to get to Colorado, unload everything, take a first

walk around the block and have a late dinner with Luz, Christine and Izel when they finally

pulled in from Vancouver. The toolbox [not shown] was rearranged and readied for

Michael Montgomery and Jeanne Finley, who arrived from New Mexico Monday afternoon just

in time for our first breathless [it’s 8200′ here, remember] visit to the standing rock

before settling in for wine on the porch, the view, tilapia with capers and olives inside

as the day cooled and, next morning, another tentative foray up Fossil Hill to the extent of our

diminished capabilities before the 4th of July party prep began in earnest [only one, corn, of several – potato as well as Watermelon – salads pictured] for dinner

for eleven on what turned out to be the perfect afternoon for it; with good conversations all around and Luz grilling industrial quantities of meats a great time was had by everyone

though next morning early Michael and Jeanne were off to the airport, never to be seen again,

and we were left with the uncertainty of who or what would be setting the dogs off day

after day after day no matter what one did or where one hid…

*Or anyway it WAS the Fourth of July and remembering that tune reminded me that even before he’d gotten his driver’s license Dave Alvin had written “Marie Marie”, one of the most infectious rockabilly hits ever, and has never quit writing nor touring since.  On the 25th anniversary of Dave Rumsey’s and my 1978 Dickshooter Ridge walkout his album Ashgrove was Lefty’s and my soundtrack all the way out to the Idaho desert and back…every track memorable but Everett Ruess being particularly resonant.

All of which got me thinking about revisiting the old, older than even that, trips in the slide library and scanning them for this space once back in the arena of slide libraries…as if.

Well, we’ll see…