Porchella 2024

How Does It Feel To Treat Me Like You Do     When You've Laid Your Hands Upon Me     And Told Me Who You Are      Thought I Was Mistaken    I Thought I Heard Your Words     Tell Me    How Do You Feel    Tell Me    How Do I Feel      Those Who Came Before Me     Lived Through Their Vacations   From The Past Until Completion    They Will Turn Away No More    And Still     I Find It So Hard   To Say What I Need To Say     But I'm Quite Sure That You Will Tell Me     Just How I Should Feel Today 

New Order 

Power Corruption & Lies 1983

ARRIVING:

One of the best weekends of my entire life. My best friend Tim flew in from San Diego CA on Thursday afternoon. Wasn't long after his feet where on the ground , gummy time called and on the bikes we rode. As we rode I would keep Tim just off my right hip and casually gave upcoming cues as what to expect. His big city world is completely different then here in Junk Town so reassuring his every move was A OK. I explained to him how I rotate facing backwards and stare at every driver as they approach me from behind. We never ran into any problems for the amount of miles we gobbled up while we absorbed and experienced all of it.

The local culture was on full display. From the 1970's redneck trucks hurling through the round-a-bout on 7th & Main to the quick wave to the older couple walking along Main St. Every stop we made we were treated to something totally unusual and unexpected. We hung out on the corner near Enstrom Candies and what a hoot. We basically rode from tree canopy of shade to the next cover of shade and then waited for what was offered up next. Classic 

We ended up with something like 14 miles / 22kms on the day in those short few hours of daylight. For the life me , cant remember what the flock of seagulls I cooked that night. I know that we ate well and pulled the veteran move and called it a rather early evening for day #1. 

FRIDAY:

Began the morning with those high cirrus canopy of goodness clouds with a spectrum of colors splashing about across the entire skyline. One of those desert mornings that reminds you that you are alive and well. Tim & I rode down to S&R's were Tim was able to observe my watering rituals. We ran a few other errands or distractions until bike night. You know , adding lights to the bike while reminiscing and story telling. 

I finally dusted off the old BBQ and sparked that sucker back to life for the first time in months. I forgot how much I enjoy BBQ'n while hanging out with friends and family and I even sometimes dream about those smokey savory smells. Another righteous outdoor activity if I do say so myself. Lined out new BLK Bean patties on the top rack with fresh homemade wheat buns so the sweet sliced yams could feel the heat directly on the main grill itself. After mixing up a basic dry rub for the sweet potato fries , the grill was once agin full of life. Hot Dang 

The turn out for bike night was outstanding and well over a hundred and fifty bikes participated. And all the college kids finally figured out that bike lights matter. It's beyond a sight now that it is becoming darker earlier these days. Whole streets lined with bikes glowing in blues , reds , flash white lights , and reflective gear when present is a real spectacle for sure. Watching rolling bikes behind ya or through a round-a-bout takes the cake. So Much Excitement 

The route was a personal favorite for sure and our tribe happily played tour guide with Tim being accounted for in our group. A high school football game over at Stocker Stadium just happened to be lighting up the night sky and we obviously flocked over like a moth to a flame. Rolled around Main Street and hit up Good Judie's Saloon for a WTF moment. We never go into bars like I have previously pointed out but we definitely hit all the watering holes around downtown. Window shopping 101 while the local culture entertained us. And any night is never complete without an obligatory tour of the parking garage. In case you didn't get the picture here, I Flipping Love Bike Nights!

SATURDAY:

The morning started out way A$$ early and that first Cup of Joe never tasted better. Tim jumped in the automobile with me and we were off for the first Saturday of the month food pick ups for C View. All was smooth and the pick up was fairly mundane. 

Lunch was outstanding but I still cant recall what the munchies I prepared. Tim helped me casually gathered up all the garden gnomes , all those hanging flower baskets , my bass/music gear , T-Shirts , and beverages in the ice chest while loading up the truck. Call me Bat Sh*T Carzy but I throughly enjoyed arriving early , chatting with the home owners , and setting up the space for a magical afternoon. Our 45 minute set was scheduled for a 4pm start time. We bounced around a warm up tune with a longer instrumental ending which landed us just before the Strike of 4 O'Clock. Yup , started right on the top of the hour and what a performance.

This was the first time during a gig were I recognized folks consistently throughout the entire set as they would arrive on scene. There were folks from Crossroads , longtime programmers from KAFM , and even the local mailman Jess hung out for the hour. I will forever cherish that overwhelming feeling when I would see someone show up. Like when I saw Nic and Timmie , I became emotional and really had to concentrate to center myself AND play the next baseline in time. 

So many folks brought out their lawn chairs and camped out for the entire set. Hints , all the photos you see were the perspective from friends in attendance. Numerous couples on bikes rolled up and two different van/carts rolled up and dropped folks off. Porcehlla 2024 was the first and only real concert that we played this Summer. All those smiles facing back at us and the respectful cheering and claps between songs hooked me. As much as the attendees send their energy my way , the fatter I played that bass. Greasy Phat 

After mingling with the crowd afterwards , Tim , Ronda , & The Dude helped me pack up and it was time for an early dinner. Definitely still on my game and there were musical acts beginning at 6pm and 7pm and the last band kicking off at 8pm. This would be Ronda's first go eating Soy Curls and she couldn't believe how good they were and that these Soy Curls weren't chicken. I soaked the soy curls in H20 but then sautéed them to perfection. Whipping up super tasty fajitas and when adding those cooked veggies , BOOM !!! We once again mounted our well lit bicycles with happily full bellies and towards downtown porch concerts we rode. What A Night !! What A Flipping Night 

SUNDAY:

Once again , best coffee aromas ever. I prepared easy going breakfast burritos consisting of tofu , potatoes , red bells , green onions , vegan mozzarella, and fresh spinach. Adding the Turmeric gives the tofu the yellow egg color and the dash of BLK Sulfur Sea Salt offers up the mild egg smell. After breakfast , out the door we went and Tim & I headed for Dog Sh&T Canyon. 

Phuc me did this canyon ever live up to its reputation. There were countless piles of dog shit all long the first mile or so of the trail. Like a shocking amount. The Boy Dog & I ran this trail for about the first 5 years of his life and I used to be rather familiar with this area. That was a long damn time ago !! 

Only through my own lens this place has been totally abused. Tim loved it for sure and snapped off various photos along the way. But for me , I will never be back. OK , maybe not never but no time soon. 

I am guessing teenagers but who knows now-a-days , someone trashed the Indian Rock Art , the amount of used gel/candy wrappers bummed me out , and so many Juniper Trees have died now. An accumulation of it nearly broke my heart hiking around this area. Again , I didn't dwell on it around Tim but it definitely bothered me to my core. This panel below is the last of its kind as it has NOT be damaged. YET 

We capped off that gorgeous day with a fire while stargazing. More stories were shared and loads of stories from the nineteen hundreds were bounced around again. Like Giggling Stories Galore 

MONDAY:

Monday was Tim's last day so we powered down some plant based yogurt , granola , and a mixture of nuts from the verity of mason jars offerings. We threw our happy A$$es back into the car and rolled up Little Park Road. We drove up to the Ribbon Trail and I probably shared stories the whole way. The views from up on that slab of Sandstone are remarkable. We then drove up to the Glade Park cutoff and came back down through the east side of the monument. 

That is when Tim started his real adventure. As I was tracking his flight , I wondered why his aircraft was flying so dang close to the Mexico Border. His plane this turns north bound and they fly up to Poway and turns due West for the Pacific Ocean. That plane circled over the ocean a few times and I am wondering what the flock of seagulls is going on??

Come to find out , the airport in San Diego closed for a few hours due to visibility issues. So his plane was diverted to Riverside for refueling. What A Bummer 

So needless to say , most excellent weekend with an air traffic controlled bummer for him. I mean , how many of us have enjoy a vacation only to be ruined by an airlines. First World Problems  

Thanx A Million For Checking In Again ,

Cheers