“I grow old … I grow old …

I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

Shall I part my hair behind?   Do I dare to eat a peach?

I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.

I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

I do not think that they will sing to me.”

— T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Reading those lines at age 18 in Poetry 101 at Emory University, tears sprang to my eyes.
Reading them at age 70 still brings tears, bittersweet tears…
Ever more sweet than bitter.

In their first World Cup appearance in 64 years, the Dragons of Wales comported themselves well against Team USA with the game ending in a tie.
“What impressed me the most,” cheered the Purple Dragon, “was that during their national anthem the Welsh stood with their arms over their teammates’ shoulders singing the song together enthusiastically.”
The Purple Dragon smiled at a memory.
“As I recall, The Old Lady was descended from the Welsh.
“A taste of the old country!”

The Purple Dragon was pleased to find a drag show in a small town in extreme south Georgia.
The crowd at Arlyn’s Bar in Valdosta, Georgia, was loving and the show was fabulous!
Tina Trueluck and Bia Bitch did double duty as emcees and performers.
Miss Avila and Justina Hole showed off their moves in sexy athletic dances…
these girls put their heart into their art, and it shows.
The notorious Vladentine performed with the  charm and humor that have made him a staple on the local drag scene.
Plenty of dollar bills proved the approval of the audience.
Many thanks to Ty McCain, who hosted the event!

A flash of neon green, bright against the dead dull leaves, drew the eye of a hiking companion on an autumn woodland trail.

The small snake seemed unaware of her glowing beauty and the visibility, as well as the vulnerability, of her striking appearance. She seemed unaware of us as well and continued her hunt as we gaped from above the forest floor.

I bent closer and she turned her pleasantly intent gaze in my direction, flicking her tiny tongue to taste my smell: food or foe?

Finding neither she turned back to her never-ending quest for food, leaving us with a green glowing memory that we share forever.

During Sunday brunch at the One Love Cafe in Gainesville, Florida I savored a tasty veggie bowl spiced with the sounds of live music by Hot Club De Ville.

This quartet, three guitars and a stand up bass, is tight.

Ranging from gypsy ballads to swing and beyond, their playlist was a constant delight.

I wept, I laughed, I slapped my knee, and I danced…Need I say more?

Only one Sunday per month, at the One Love Cafe in Gainesville, Florida… don’tmiss them!

Solo on a sidewalk can be a tough gig but Bird Chamberlain brings a big speaker, a big voice, and a big presence to Mo’s Mediterranean Table in downtown Valdosta, Georgia.
As I dined on crème brûlée and Turkish coffee (hey, I’m a grownup, if I say it’s dinner then it’s dinner) Bird’s down home hollerin’ blues voice filled the evening air.
Bird was then joined by harmonica virtuoso Murray the K and Sage Khan, who blows a hot horn.
That sidewalk turned into a dance party!
Fine food and fun music are two of life’s greatest pleasures… and Mo’s Mediterranean Table hosts live music often. Check online for upcoming performances.

Seven years ago in a Valdosta dive bar I was quite taken with the music of a singer-songwriter from a Brooks County farm family, Johnathan Coody. Recently, at long last, I saw him perform live again at the BASH Festival in Gainesville, Florida.

He played the song that I found most memorable seven years ago, “Independent Operator”, with even better musicality and equipment. It is a fine statement about a real job delivering bread to grocery stores, a job Coody really worked in the grand tradition of American folksingers.

All Coody’s songs come from his life experiences, some painfully so.

The man is a poet with a guitar and a charmingly modest manner. Hearing him live is a must, if only for the diffident little chuckle that he gives at the end of all of his songs.