Storms gather and divide...
Everything's gone green...
Zero fox given...
Honeysuckle is THE BEST smell...
This tree. Always this tree.
No ice skating in June. Wait for July.
This is how I respond to spam texts.
Happy Birthday Kylie Minogue!
40 Years Ago:
Scritti Politti's Cupid & Psyche ‘85 is released.
This landmark pop album spawned four phenomenal singles: Perfect Way, Wood Beez, The Word Girl and a song that stands as one of my favorite 1980s dance anthems: Absolute. Those that haven’t heard the album and its attendant 12” remixes should do so immediately. “I wanna hear the B-Side… B-Side… B-Side… B-Side”. If you know, you know.
...and while we're at it, Happy Birthday Prince.
BRIAN WILSON • 1942 - 2025
Resit In Peace, Sir. Thank You For EVERYTHING.
SLY STONE • 1943 - 2025
Thank you fa’ lettin’ us be ourselves again, for telling everyday people to stand and dance to the music, for reminding us that everybody is a star, that it is indeed a family affair and (last but not least) for taking us higher. Godspeed, Sir… and so on and so on and scooby dooby dooby.
Once again... Always this tree.
This tiny spotted fawn had been bleating for his mother in my backyard one Sunday. I thought he had left by afternoon, bit later on I walked outside to see that he was still there after hearing his cries pick up again. It appeared that his mother was on the other side of the chain link fence behind him. I called the non-emergency police number (as Animal Control was closed on Sundays) and they assured me that mothers leave fawns for a time and then return to them. Neither mother nor child was present the next morning, so I hope they were reunited.
I’m taking this opportunity to acknowledge Gay Pride Month. As someone who is fortunate to have had a life journey that has taught me the value of self respect, self awareness and authenticity I have learned to look at every aspect of my identity as a unique and inviolable gift. Despite whatever challenges I was met with as a young man, whenever I operated on instinct or challenged anyone who tried to devalue me in any way, I was rewarded with two of the greatest gifts that a person can be given: freedom and clarity. At a certain point, I decided that I was free from anyone’s petty judgements or narrow definitions of what I should be and it became patently clear as time went on that I had made the right choice. When you find out who you really are and actuate that, it’s a wonderful thing, but there is a flip side. You find out who others around you are as well. The reward for becoming your most authentic self (whoever that may be) is liberation from all masks, deceits, façades and (perhaps most importantly) the desire to be accepted or loved by those who simply cannot. The loss is always theirs. Not yours. Remember: All of us… gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender are HERE. We have always been HERE and we will ALWAYS BE HERE… and so will our allies. (Much love to our allies). No person and no entity can erase you, me or us. I’m asking that all of us in the LGBTQIA community hold space for one another going forward (however we identify) so that we can ALL simply enjoy the lives we deserve. That goes for ALL races, ethnicities, nationalities, shapes, sizes, ages, sexual orientations and ALL GENDERS. I would also like to ask you all for something else… Please don’t “out” people in public or private before they have a chance to come out. Removing a person’s choice to do so is rooted in homophobia, transphobia and is steeped in shaming. It’s also disempowering and potentially damaging to that person’s own evolution. Please know that I am asking this respectfully and with concern for others who may be seeking a safe pathway through their own identity questions. As always, much love to all. HAPPY PRIDE!
That thing where seniors are graduating in 56 hours (but who’s counting) and “aren’t doing anything” in their other classes so they converge upon my room in groups to have their yearbooks signed and paint on the walls and I let them because they’re good people and I’m going to miss ALL of them but they’re all headed EXACTLY where they need to be for the next chapter of their lives because that’s what we’ve been preparing them for and they all said they have photo clearance and want lots of photos of the last days of school because it’s the end of an era and I tell them all they will look back on all of this and see how fantastic it all was… even the drama, the drudgery and the stuff they thought they didn’t like. Keep smiling, kids. The world needs your light.
That thing where 2024 alum Dylan
stops by on the VERY last day of
school when the final bell rings
JUST to make me lose The Game.
DAMMIT!
…AND THAT’S A WRAP ON YEAR 25!
WHAT A DUMP!
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!
...And here we go into a brilliant summertime.
