Ah, home sweet home! It seems as though we've been gone a month. Everything looks the same but feels different. Somehow the enduring road and the challenge of the undertaking just seems to add a new dynamic to the comforts of home and appreciation of where we live. 

Pulled in just before midnight, no time to relax, gotta blog then hit the streets tomorrow, plan to make hay while the sun shines. Cool day today (both temp and situation), started with an early wake-up at the ranch, saw how beautiful it was in the daylight. There is an old barn (with live-in owls), a huge orchard to one side--looks like avocados--and a garden with veggies, flowers and a few fruit trees. Pammy and I snuck out as the others got their beauty rest to get gas. Backtracked to Morro Bay to find the cheapest gas we could, alas, after doing the math we realized that we drove out the savings...yikes! Spend a dollar to save a dollar...my bad!

Dave gave us all a lap around the property on his go-cart (turns out along with mandolin, bass and guitar playing, he's a stunt driver, truck driver and I predict he'll be the Central Coast's impresario of live music). The machines were nosy and bumpy, but sure to put a smile on your face, a ridiculous wake-up potion.

Then, we moved into Cayucos to play in front of Rudell's Smokehouse, right on the beach, world famous for smoked albacore tacos...really, the Food Network, the NY Times! It seems as though Dave runs a jam there every Sunday, we just got it started early, of course with help from Dave


After a great hang, wonderful lunch and some generous people (enough for the next tank) we had to hit the highway and head up to our get together at the River Inn. The toughest stretch of the road happens here at the southern end of Big Sur. Easy to see why the Spaniards just gave up and took the inland route, the road barely hangs to the edge of the continent and the trek is not always for the faint of heart. There were a couple of times when people actually stopped their cars in the middle of the highway for a photo op...I swear, double parking on a highway! (please note that the following shot was taken as we drove...by a passenger). The magic of perspective: I met some Italian tourists and used the opportunity to brush up on my Italian, they were incredulous as I complained about the price of gas, they pay almost twice as much...yikes!


Arrived at the River Inn just seconds late to catch the Cachagua Playboys, but we all got a chance to hang and tell some stories.
 
It seems that when we reminisce, all we ever talk about is the good times, no one in the band harps on the tough stuff: no place to sleep, some of our less than gourmet meals, ok, edible would suffice. It is a testament to the unwavering and irrepressible pioneering qualities that jazz musicians need to survive. Hope all of you don't get the idea that this is a cakewalk, we are busting it out here, but enjoying almost every minute, knowing we are doing it for a good reason, and it is an experience we're not likely to forget, especially Noah, who at the tender age of 16, and Gabe at 21, have a long road ahead. I'd love to hear how they explain this one to their grandkids. 

Hank and Dinah (our truck and trailer) have held up well, they have been good partners and I'm getting better at parking and turning them around. However, turning radius is down from 40 to 20 acres. They are a pretty pair, eh?


The party at the River Inn worked out well, good friends and an nice welcome back to home territory. The Big Sur River Inn--truly one of the most beautiful places I've ever been--have been stalwart supporters of JMW and Cow Bop got many of its first gigs there. So, do yourself a favor, take a day, go down and sit on one of the wicker chairs in the river and sip on a cool one as the water runs below you at your feet.

Can't wait to get in between the sheets. l plan to knock back a few thousand z's and hit it again tomorrow. I hope you all who are here on the Peninsula can come out to visit at the Carmel Youth Center 7-8:30, where JazzMasters Workshop started, and join in on the official point of no return party. Should be great times with lots of people to play along.
 
A gentle yet firm reminder: We are doing all of this so that kids in communities across this great land have access to great musicians (an untapped resource that is crucial to the foundation of our culture). You can help by making a pledge on the website: www.jazzmastersworkshop.org 

Mille grazie!

Here's a shot of the kids playing along yesterday in San Simeon, Mikey's box playing has gotten the same great response it had on or Route 66 trips, our box-set...