I should not read the news headlines

The Marie Kondo effect: Charities beg kind-hearted people to stop dumping belongings into clothes bins as Netflix series causes donations spike.

There you have it. I spent the day going through papers and now I learn I am doing these things out of order - clothes first! Then books (30 max!) then papers. I am so fired. 

Speaking of fire, I burned up a bunch of old papers today - tax info from 20 years ago, bank statements, all that old crap you are supposed to keep, but you know what, there comes a time to let all that stuff go. Go wild, rip tags off of mattresses! Go ahead, you know you want to.

I also worked on cleaning up the shop - that is a task that will never be finished, but it's good to work on it when possible. Sawed out a white oak blank for a small bowl and a white pine blank for a huge bowl. With luck, tomorrow I shall turn them. I burned the cut off scraps this evening. What a lovely fire they made.

How about a bit of Coltrane. Not Mr. Peabody's.

Heck, now that you mention it:

I was thinking about this song while watching the Netflix show "Blood on the Mountain" which is about West By-God Virginia. Not a cheerful story, just saying. I had no idea that silicosis killed one so rapidly. I am thankful that I have never had to be a miner. 

Stories

Today I was out and I heard a busker playing flute in the park. After a few numbers he set down the flute and picked up a tenor sax. Then he played Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Poorly. Set my teeth on edge. I turned to the woman next to me and said "You know, just last night I was listening to John Coltrane playing 'Blue Train". That guy over there should not be allowed to defile that tenor like that. It's just wrong".

All morning, while I was out, I kept running into dogs. All kinds of dogs. Well trained ones, wild ones, ones that wanted to bite my face off, sweet fluffy dogs, big dogs that make you think that someone left the saddle at home, and to everyone of them I said "Hey, buddy, how are you doing today". Every single one of them. "Hey buddy". That is my way. Then, as I was heading home I ran into a great little dog - somewhere around 15 pounds, he had kind of an overgrown Chihuahua look to him - bug eyes, short fur, but he was very friendly. Of course I said "Hey, buddy!" as I petted him - he was adorable. His owner looked at me and said "You know, his name _is_ Buddy." Well, says I, "I have been calling every dog I met today that name and finally I got it right!" On that note I took my leave of socializing with humans and canines, came home, mowed the lawn, sawed some wood and wrote this story.

The sky as I was mowing:

That really happened. Right on my street. As I was mowing.

The inimitable John Coltrane and an assortment of astounding sidemen.

Variation on a theme by Gil Evans? Miles Davis? Does anyone know?

The first cut on Miles Davis' album "Kind of Blue" was a tune called "So What". Did Gil Evans write it or just the intro? Did Mile Davis write it? Here is one take on that.

Miles Davis.

Then along came James Brown, and he recorded this: Cold Sweat.

Pee Wee Ellis wrote it and gave credit to his source material. Words about the music.

You can open two windows at once and play them simultaneously. Just for fun, you know.

Weather conditions have not been optimal for dramatic sunrises lately so this is one from last month. Nevertheless I am thankful to be here regardless of how picturesque the sunrise is.