[Dixielandjazz] Prunepickers delight

[Will Connelly]

dingle at baldwin-net.com wrote:

> 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
>
>
>
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>
>
       "The miners came in '49,
         The whores in '51.
         And the product of the twain
         Was called the Native Son"

Kindly,

Will (former LA grapestomper"  Connelly