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The New American Digest

For Followers of Gerard Van der Leun's Fine Work

  • About American Digest
  • About New American Digest
  • “The Name In The Stone”
  • Remembering Gerard Van der Leun
    • from the website: Through the Looking Glass
    • from the website: Barnhardt
    • from the website: Neo’s Blog
  • Articles
    • The Overland Stage
      • The Holladay Overland Stage: 1 – The Central Route
      • The Overland Stage – 2 Company Operations
      • The Overland Stage – 3 Exploring The Route – An Overview
      • The Overland Stage: 4 – South Platte/Julesburg/Ft Sedgwick
        • Jack Slade
      • The Overland Stage: 5 – Julesburg to Junction Station (aka Ft Morgan)
      • The Overland Stage: 6 – Junction Station to Latham
      • The Overland Stage: 7 – Latham Crossing to Fort Collins
      • The Overland Stage: 8 – LaPorte to Virginia Dale
      • The Overland Stage: 9 – Virginia Dale to Cooper Creek
      • The Overland Stage: 10 – Cooper Creek to Pass Creek
        • Fletcher Family
      • The Overland Stage: 11 – Pass Creek to Bridger Station
      • The Overland Stage: 12 – Bridger Pass to Duck Lake
      • The Overland Stage: 13 – Duck Lake to LaClede
      • The Overland Stage: 14 – LaClede to Almond
      • The Overland Stage: 15 – Almond to Rock Springs
      • The Overland Stage: 16 – Rock Springs to Fort Bridger
      • The Overland Stage: 17 – Fort Bridger to Weber Station

I find I don’t wish to explore new lands, but to explore again those I have already passed through, trying to see what I’d missed in the first hectic rush … Gerard Van der Leun

Home→Published 2025 → May → 22

Daily Archives: May 22, 2025

Just a poor white sharecroppers chow,

The New American Digest Posted on May 22, 2025 by ghostsniperMay 22, 2025

I was sitting on the concrete stoop in front of my duplex drinking a brew and rebuilding a 4 barrel carburetor in a paint roller pan half full of gasoline. Parts were all over the place, gas spilled everywhere and it was hot as all get out in the summer of 1983 in southwest FL.

Got out of jail 2 weeks prior and still hadn’t got paid from my new job so I was a broke dik dawg, bad! I had a cheap boom boxed hooked up to a guitar amp and was cranking a cassette tape by 38 special and the song “Hold On Loosely” was playing, when an angel appeared before my very eyes. 

Long blonde hair, nice tan, and legs that went all the way up. She stood in front of me with her hands on her hips and said, “I can almost hear your music all the way over at my place.” I didn’t hear a word she said, I just stared and my mouth was probably hanging open. After a second or 2 I asked, “Er, uh, what did you say?” She chuckled lightly and asked if she could watch what I was doing. I was numb from the neck up and don’t remember what I said as she sat cross legged on the grass a few feet out in front of me. I gathered my wits and asked her if she wanted a beer and she said she didn’t drink. I asked her if she wanted a glass of water or a coke and she said a coke would be good, so I jumped up and ran in to get one out of the fridge.

Yes, I ran! Already I couldn’t stand to be away from her.

I was trying to put this Holley carburetor back together while chit chatting with her and I never was a good multitasker. After about half an hour of doing it half wrong at half the speed I told her I’ll need to go get a manual and finish it up later. I asked her if she wanted to get something to eat after I get cleaned up and she said “Sure.”, and I told her she would have to drive and she said that was OK.

Less than an hour into it and I was already knowing she was gonna be my wife. There’d been a lot of traffic on this highway and I’d felt like this before, many times, but this time was different some how….

I was a wild eyed southern boy.

Your baby needs someone to believe in.
And a whole lot of space to breathe in.
So hold on loosely, but don’t let go.
If you cling too tightly, you’re gonna lose control.

youtube dot com/watch?v=vJtf7R_oVaw

wild
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Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Replies

Just Wondering

The New American Digest Posted on May 22, 2025 by DTMay 22, 2025

Have you all received your refund checks from the government giving back the money it's been found was stolen from you?

Have you received your notice yet that the IRS is auditing you because of that undeclared income?

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Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Replies

Food for thought…

The New American Digest Posted on May 22, 2025 by JeanMay 22, 2025

First published May 18, 2025

a minute
or a day
of life with you
might be just
what's needed
to nourish
a hungry soul.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Replies

Rules

Gerard Van der Leun
12/26/45 - 1/27/23


Gerard's Last Post
(posthumous): Feb 4, 2023
"So Long. See You All a Little Further Down the Road"

When my body won’t hold me anymore
And it finally lets me free
Where will I go?
Will the trade winds take me south through Georgia grain?
Or tropical rain?
Or snow from the heavens?
Will I join with the ocean blue?
Or run into a savior true?
And shake hands laughing
And walk through the night, straight to the light
Holding the love I’ve known in my life
And no hard feelings

Avett Brothers - No Hard Feelings

The following was posted along with the announcement of Gerard's passing.
Leonard Cohen - Going Home

For a 2005 interview with Gerard


May 2025
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Most Recent Comments

  1. DT on On A Kinder NoteJuly 9, 2025

    I forget exactly where but I believe it's east of the divide and north of Denver. Maybe up CO127 just…

  2. DT on On A Kinder NoteJuly 9, 2025

    Let you know tomorrow

  3. ghostsniper on Getting CloserJuly 9, 2025

    Epstein killed hisself because of lack of evidence?

  4. John A. Fleming on On A Kinder NoteJuly 9, 2025

    My eyes went first to the two rock domes, they look granitic, so I guessed the South Platte area. But…

  5. SK on On A Kinder NoteJuly 9, 2025

    Yup. Another great song. Will you be carrying your saddle?


Blogroll
The New Neo
Jean's Blog

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
I'm not sleepy
and there ain't no place I'm goin' to

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning,
I'll come followin' you

Take me for a trip upon
your magic swirling ship
All my senses have been stripped
And my hands can't feel to grip
And my toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin'

I'm ready to go anywhere,
I'm ready for to fade
Unto my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it


Men who saw night coming down about them could somehow act as if they stood at the edge of dawn.


From Gerard's site. The picture always caught my eye.

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