[Dixielandjazz] Prunepickers delight

[dingle at baldwin-net.com]

Bill Gunter wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> Ed Coltrin writes:
>
>> There aren't too many bonny fides Californians, Bred, Born  and 
>> raised in the Golden State, saw the Dust bowl victims and the after 
>> WW II migration. I guess you'll  had to come from somewhere.
>
>
> Actually I was born in San Francisco (which was and still is part of 
> California). However, the society and culture into which I was thrust 
> bears zero resemblance to conditions prevaling here currently.
>
> So while I'm one of them rare "Native Californians" it really doesn't 
> mean a whole helava lot today.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Bill "No Longer a San Franciscan" Gunter
> jazzboard at hotmail.com
>
>
>
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>
While not a California by birth, I was mostly raised in California. Some 
school in San Fran ( part year) and LA ( part year) prior to age 9, I 
was then schooled the rest of my K-12 years in No. Hollywood. I also 
worked in California over many stops and stays before and after college. 
But, the San Fernando Valley of my youth and the life style I enjoyed at 
that time is no longer in existence. Last time I was back there, the 
places we kids thought as safe to be in are now places I wouldn't walk a 
mean dog through at night, the air quality is god awful at times, and 
the traffic, even for one familiar with that of Chicago and Detroit, is 
white knuckling.
Things change -- no always for the good. I remember California the ways 
it was growing up there, but it bears little comparison with what I 
found there on my last visit. It is no longer the No Hollywood of my 
time when our high school band (including the late Gene Estes, the 
recently honored (again) John Williams, the fine Les Brown bassist Mel 
Pollen, Perry "Bunny" Botkin, Jr., and tenor man John Banbridge) could 
play a gig in Van Nuys, drive after hours all the way to Chinatown to 
unwind at a restaurant there until the middle of the night, get home by 
four in the morning, and never have any fear of getting mugged or hit by 
stray gang shootouts, and not make our parents nervous. Doubt that that 
level of security could be found there these days.
Perhaps the air is clean and pure where TCash lives, but he needs to 
head to L.A. some time for a reality check.
True, right now we have over a foot and more of snow on the ground, and 
ice drooping from t he eaves. But it will be gone soon, the air here in 
North Michigan IS pure and clear, we have 156 clean lakes in just this 
one country and 2,000 miles of streams and tributaries rates as class A 
trout waters and where we are just getting ready for the annual steel 
head run.
So, you picks your spot, you takes your choice and if it fits, keep it.
Don (tying steel head flies as the fireplace crackles) Ingle