Panther Creek State Park - Morristown, Tennessee

I hit the mountain bike trails early this morning and actually wore decent shoes so that my sweaty feet didn't shift back and forth on the pegs. This time, I hit the climbs with a dogged determination backed up by solid footwear.

A brief rainstorm yesterday had still managed to create a few deep bogs, which I discovered just as I went splooging through them, mud spraying up from the wheels and splattering across my face and shirt. BMX cred. Next!

I added a 1.1 mile trail loop and ended up with 8.02 miles ridden and three grazing does scared shitless.

"Bloody hell, a warning might be nice, mate." (Why do deers speak with a British accent in my head?)

Today's ride garnered 20 Weight Watchers activity points - a great start to the week. I started the tour at 164 pounds and that's exactly what I weigh now. I was up by two pounds as of 6/25 and my lowest weight was 7/23 at 161. At this time last year, I weighed 173, but I also didn't bring my bike along in 2017 because I had destroyed the rack by backing into a concrete loading dock. Thankfully, that won't be happening any more, due to the back-up camera I had installed last month.

I got back to Imua and reviewed what had been written last night. The inspiration really took off thunderously.

One of the two songs emerged as a chord arrangement and I laid down Drummer tracks in Logic Pro X (these are amazing drum patterns played by a real person and digitized so that you can control many different parameters.) It's got an alt-country-rock groove and I'm liking it a lot. No words or melody yet, but I'll be soaking in what I've got now, which is a sassy hook and a big, dramatic chorus section.

The other song manifested itself lyrically first and then a simple four-chord progression was built to enclose it. It's got a very New Wave Rock vibe, something that The Pretenders might've written.

It's dark as hell, though. A sampling of the lyrics:

"The ocean bleeds into the sky today

very nearly drowning me

drained of color - dull reflections in the window

catch me daydreaming of you - daydreaming of you"

and the sing-along chorus:

"I don't care at all, let the water fall all over me

staring at the wall, breaking waves will fall all over me"

I have no idea where the idea and imagery came from, but it might have been inspired by the crazy wet weather episodes that have been taking place recently. Lotta water-related angst going on out there right now.

This weekend is going to be busy - concert in Averill Park, New York on Friday; full day of workshops and a concert on Saturday in Latham, New York, then two workshops and a concert at Rick's Music in Raynham, Massachusetts on Sunday. While there last year, I talked to Rick about the possibility of buying a Bose L1 Compact the next time I came through. I still haven't tested my old L1 Model 1 with the special fuses I ordered (and had sent to Evart, MI) to see if it will come back to life or not. It hasn't worked since failing during my show at The Garryowen Irish Pub at the end of June.

Regardless, I've been wanting to scale down in the P.A. department for a while. Funny, the older I get, the less weight I want to lug around from gig to gig. Strange how that works. So, I called him today and ordered one that'll arrive by Friday. I was completely unaware of the new Bose S1 Pro and, for some of the smaller shows that I play, it seems like the perfect unit (just mountain dulcimer - it probably wouldn't handle the drums and bass from the pedal board.)

It actually can run on battery power and it's got bluetooth capability, which would simplify the method that I use to play music between sets. I just might pick up both of them. If the L1 Model 1 springs back to life, I'll keep it around for larger shows and for shielding against the neighbors when they get out of control with their damn boom cars and we're trying to have a nice, quiet gathering in the back yard.

And what is up with people coming to a state park and blaring their music from the campsite? Most of the folks I know like to come to places like this to escape the crazy and get a little peace. I like Aerosmith, but not blaring across the campground where I'm trying to chill out.

One of the best things about motorhome living is that you can always yank anchor and roll if you get neighbors that are undesirable. I don't mind cutting bait lines and going elsewhere - solitude is that important to me!

I cut together a new segment of Coaster-2-Coaster for Patreon and did a little more recording. Tomorrow will see an early start in order to begin cutting into the 12 hour drivetime to New York. I don't know where I'll stop yet, but it looks like rain is in the forecast, so I'm planning on playing it by ear, because that seems to be the theme for the week, and I'm happily very up for that.

Day 70

Day 69: Interstate Tour 2018