first published by Jean on Aug 12, 2025
[ Jean: Is this a self-portrait? ]
Mischief and a good story (or two)…
Tunesday: Blue Oyster Cult – Last Days Of May
A sample of some obscure – and maybe not obscure – tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today’s selection: Blue Oyster Cult – “Last Days Of May” 1972
Off Blue Oyster Cult’s first album. I saw the band at a back road, non-tourist bar in Reno in 1985 (I think). Maybe 300 people, probably 250 – maybe not even that many. They played under the name of “Soft White Underbelly“. They said they missed playing for small crowds. Played for a few hours; one break. One of the best concerts I’ve been to.
Wouldn’t be interested in coming along
Instead of staying here
It’s said the west is nice this time of year
It’s what they say
She was 18 when I asked her. She said Yes. We didn’t come back.
Maybe a tale I’ll tell someday.
Memorial Day
It’s next Saturday … this is the Monday of a 3-day weekend.
Stolen from the wundernet:
As evening sets in, I do not honor “National BBQ Day”. I will pay my respects on the proper day. To a couple of high school buddies that breathed their last in the jungle. Traditions are more important than 3-day weekends.
In 1968, the U.S. government passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which put major holidays on specific Mondays to give federal employees three-day weekends. Memorial Day was one of these holidays, along with Washington’s Birthday, Labor Day and Columbus Day. The act also codified the name “Memorial Day” into law.
It all went into effect in 1971.
Looking Over The Lunch Menu
Buckeye On Zinnia
Raising The Kids Right
Redbud In Bloom
Must have been about this time of year perhaps 10 years ago. Along Colonial Parkway between Jamestown and Yorktown, Virginia.
Oops
Sometime along about 20 or so years ago … Nov 11, 2005 to be exact.
No one put outriggers out. Gravity still works and there’s a point where the machinery loses balance.
The bridge is about 850 ft long and stands about 95 ft above “normal” water level. That level is evident at the marks on the pier and shoreline. At this time, the reservoir had been drained for maintenance during a period of normal low water; the bridge was 160 ft above water level here.
The year before this picture, 90 elk and 25 mulies broke through thin ice while crossing just above this point and drowned. In efforts to prevent this, the local region was evaluated, including this bridge. The results of this evaluation led to upgrading the bridge (and more directly, the construction of a wildlife bridge attempting to redirect the elk migrations)
During repair operations, the crane over-balanced and fell off the bridge. The operator managed to jump off the machine but a nearby construction worker was pinned between the rig and guardrail as the crane went over.
Pot & Kettle
San Diego mosque shooting
“My community is mourning,” said Taha Hassane, the director an imam of the Islamic center. “The religious intolerance and the hate that unfortunately exists in our nation is unprecedented.“
… except against “non-believers” in muslim countries.
Tunesday: Marshall Tucker Band – See You One More Time
A sample of some obscure – and maybe not obscure – tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today’s selection: Marshall Tucker Band – “See You One More Time” 1980
Marshall Tucker Band was one of the highlight bands of the “Southern rock” genre of the mid/late 70s. They released their first album in 1973. The original band had dissipated by 1984. The co-founder and bassist had died in a car accident and the band never regained the success of the 70s. A band under the same name still exists with one remaining original member of the band.
This cut is taken from the last album released by the original line-up, recorded in 1980.
Recent personal events led me to put this cut up more or less as a prayer to a few that have passed on.
Guess I’m getting on to that stage of my life …
My favorite cut by the band is “Fire On The Mountain” which will probably show up on some Tunesday in the future.