VACATION!

Woo Hoo! We're going on vacation! We're not really going anywhere spectacular, we're just taking time off from work. We WERE going to visit our friends, Jacquie and Bob in Las Vegas. However, they were called up to NoCal to check in on Bob's ailing Mom. Hopefully, she'll be OK and Jacquie and Bob will be able to meet us at our weekend destination, Beautiful Bakersfield!

Don't laugh. Bakersfield can be a historical and hysterical vacation spot. Some people call it the Nashville of the West! The town is loaded with vintage furniture stores, antique shops and cool thrift stores. There are yummy and authentic Basque restaurants. I've heard that Dewar's Candy on Eye St. serves an excellent hot fudge sundae.

My real objective is to visit Buck Owens' Crystal Palace. I've been a Buck fan since waaaay before his "Hee Haw" TV show days. My older brother is a musician and there was a time that he was enamoured with that Bakersfield sound of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. I believe this was during the time that the Byrds, Gram Parsons, Buffalo Springfield and other roots-type rock 'n roll bands were delving into traditional country and western music, mid-1960's. My brother, Ken Bloom, has always been a major musical influence on me. Subsequently, I play guitar, banjo and sing just like Ernest Tubb. The harmonies in early Buck Owens and the Buckaroos music is some of my favorite. Buck still performs at his Crystal Palace on the weekends. I did see Buck perform about 15 or so years ago at the now defunct Palomino Club in No. Hollywood, but I'd like to see him again.

So, I probably won't be posting for awhile....the at-home computer connection isn't the speediest! Ya'll take care now and come back soon! Yee Haw!