By Fred Owens
Everybody likes Santa Barbara. They come here to visit and they say, "We had such a good time. It's so beautiful."
You
should come to Santa Barbara this winter. You can pick oranges and
persimmons off the tree. And we have really good strawberries too.
Santa
Barbara has plenty of problems too. Of course it does -- this is planet
Earth after all --- but it's so nice in Santa Barbara that I can't work
up the energy to complain. When I lived in LaConner all I did was
complain. Go around town and complain. Nothing was ever like I wished it
to be. Then finally, after way too many years, I came down here for the
sunshine and the waves and the beaches and the mild winters and there's
nothing to complain about.
Houston, Texas. Let me
see if this makes sense to you. The first time I went to Texas was in
1967. We were hitchhiking through and we stayed over with friends at
Rice University in Houston.
Just by coincidence, these same
friends had invited Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters to come for the
weekend. Kesey and his pals were on some cross-country journey to
anywhere and back again. I mean, you didn't ask dumb question like
"Where ya going next?"
Kesey invited us on the bus and we rode around town for a few hours and then they went on their merry way.
Now,
here's the point -- Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters were the first
people I met when I got to Texas. That was my first impression. Cool
people. Nice place. So I Iiked it there.
It is true -- all
the bad stuff you ever heard about Texas, completely true. But I never
had any truck with those idiots so I always enjoyed myself when I was
down there. I am on the track of Lyle Lovett,Willie Nelson and Armadillo
World Headquarters.
However, I will not even attempt to
persuade other people to change their opinion about the Lone Star State
-- hate it, by all means, never go there, whatever. It's a free country.
Chicago. I
grew up in Chicago, on the North Shore, near the lake. That's Cubs
country. Being a young boy growing up I watched the Cubs lose year after
year after year. It was a blot on my youth. Last place. Every year,
last place. Losers. Nice guys, but losers. I hate the Cubs. That's why I
live in California. The Dodgers are winners. I saw the Dodgers on TV in
1955 when I was nine. They beat the Yankees in seven games. I saw
Johnny Podres pitch to Roy Campanella. I saw Sandy Amoros make that
catch.
I was nine. I didn't want to be a loser like the Cubs.
Sure, you're supposed to play fair and make your best effort and all
that, but every once in a while it just feels good to win. Coach, can't
we ever win? I didn't like Chicago after that. I liked the Dodgers
better -- sometimes they win.I'll never go back to Chicago.
Serve the People. My
friend Brian Cladoosby is chairman of the Swinomish tribal community
-- that's the reservation next to LaConner where I used to live.
I
know Brian and his home and his family and his neighbors. He's doing
all right. I call him The Chair. We have talked a few times in his
office. He lives next door to my good friends Pat and Kevin Paul.
Way to go, Brian. Cool hat! Serve the people!
I only Work for Nice People. My
Craigs list ad wasn't working. It said, "Experienced gardener, expert
pruner, all around energetic worker, local references, reasonable rates,
etc...." But my Craigs list ad wasn't getting me any new customers. My
ad was no different than a hundred other guys. So I changed the headline
to, "I only Work for Nice People." It works. Now people call me and
ask me to come work for them.
But it's true. I only work for nice people.
Frog Hospital Subscription
Drive. Your
contribution of $25 is greatly appreciated. The Frog Hospital newsletter
has been cruising down the Internet for 16 years now. I have tried to kill this
newsletter several times – tried to stomp it out like the ember from an old
campfire, or dig it up like a pestiferous weed, but it won’t die – Frog
Hospital just keeps on going.
So please send a check. Your
contribution keeps me from getting cranky. It helps me to maintain a detached
attitude. Let’s keep it going….
or
Send a check for $25 to
Fred Owens
1105
Veronica Springs RD
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
--
Fred Owens
cell: 360-739-0214
My gardening blog is
Fred Owens
No comments:
Post a Comment