Well piggies, summer is coming to an end. Here in Santa Cruz that means things will quiet down in the next couple of weeks with the tourists gone. I had relatives visiting from NY and taking them around definitely made me appreciate what a beautiful place we live in. They were amazed by the redwoods and the sight of surfers, seals and pelicans mixing it up out in the water.

Saw a couple of shows recently. Shawn Mullins at Don Quixote’s was excellent. I didn’t really know what to expect. He took hold of the crowd, played lots of great songs (including covers of Sunday Morning Coming Down and House of the Rising Sun) and told some great stories. It was nice to see a full crowd out for the show. We’ve got to support these artists and the local promoters by making an effort to get out there and see live music or we’ll have less and less to choose from here in our back yard. I know I rarely (never) make it up to San Francisco, so I hope we can continue to support people making the effort to come through these parts.

Also got the chance to see Amos Lee and Patty Griffin at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Another great show in a beautiful outdoor venue. The new seats are a real improvement over the old folding chairs. Actually felt like I had a seat all to myself without having to share it with part of someone else’s butt on either side. Also didn’t have to wait long to hear “Chief” - one of my favorite Patty Griffin songs.

Take care of each other pigs!

Hey piggies – Time to check in after being gone from the sty for a couple of weeks. Took a trip to visit some friends who have a house in a little village in Spain about an hour and a half from Barcelona. Crespia – a medieval town that dates back 1,000 years. Kind of changes your perspective on things.

Spent time walking though medieval towns, learning a lot, eating great food and drinking great wine. Lunch takes a couple of hours and then a siesta. Dinner at 10:00 p.m. I got used to it real quick. The Catalan people are incredibly nice and I was surprised how well we got by with just our little bit of Spanish (which is really different from Catalan – but works well enough). Even got to swim in the Mediterranean Sea after exploring some Greek and Roman ruins. The water was turquoise and clear and a whole lot warmer than the Monterey Bay.

The timing – dollar wise – wasn’t the greatest. But sometimes you just gotta jump on things when you get the chance, cause you never know . . .

Always great to be back in Santa Cruz. Missed the sty and good live music—James McMurtry, Lyle Lovett, Los Lobos and Sonny Landreth all came through while I was gone. Oh well, I’m sure another great show is just around the corner!

The 4th of July is almost here. Usually I’d be cursing the fog and cold about this time, but right now it feels like a blessing with all the fires going on in California. The sky is white, the ashes are blowing and it’s going to be a different kind of celebration this year for sure—these fires and gas and food prices, among other things, making it really hard for a lot of people.

I grew up in Massachusetts and the 4th of July was the biggest day of the year. We’d all pile into the station wagon at the crack of dawn and head out to my cousins’ house. There was stuff going on all day—contests, a huge parade, concerts in the band shell—and then, what we’d been waiting for all day—the fireworks.

Being the youngest, my mom always tried to keep me at the house. I was the one who always got hurt, stepping on glass in the lake, lighting the firecracker and holding on to it a little too long . . . But my uncle would give her a cocktail and before you knew it, I was out the door with everyone else before she could stop me. Just the beginning . . .

Like everything else, the 4th of July has changed over the years. Whatever you end up doing, have a great time and don’t forget to let go of the firecracker.

I popped into the Blues Festival last Saturday to hear Bonnie Raitt. I’ve seen her a million times over the years and she’s always great. This time was no exception. She was obviously happy to be playing in Santa Cruz with lots of her friends. Jon Cleary on the piano. Maia Sharp doing vocals. A lot of us were dancing the whole time (I know—some of you wanted to be sitting—but when Bonnie tells you to shake it, you shake it). She knocked us to the ground with heartbreaking versions of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and “Angel from Montgomery.” Thank goodness she didn’t leave us there. Back on stage with the guys from the Boneshakers, Stephen Bruton, Pinetop Perkins, she put the smiles back on our faces. What a talented and inspiring woman.

Speaking of inspiring women, Bonnie took a moment to remember Laura Ellen and thank her for playing her records when hardly anyone else was. You could tell she meant it too. It’s easy to forget that there was a time when you didn’t hear Bonnie Raitt on the radio, when you could see her play in a little nightclub (and it wouldn’t be sold out). That was when she really needed all the exposure she could get and of course, there was Laura and the PIG playing her records before everyone else caught on.

Laura and Bonnie – strong, smart, honest, sassy, deeply caring—the kind of ass-kicking women who put their whole heart and soul on the line for the things they care about and believe in.

Thanks for all the great music ladies. And, Laura, well there really is no way to thank you for everything else . . .