Listen to your BARK!

I like a lot of things that I tend to not do often enough in life…Listening to music is one of them, driving is another. I know that I like to drive…so why haven’t I used this as a tool?

Todays drive led us south of Georgia to the Florida panhandle and west to Mississippi with a brief encounter with Alabama. Let me tell you…Highway 90 down to I10 West was about the most beautiful stretch of road I could imagine…Massive Oaks, draped with Spanish moss create tunnels through small town America…gosh is it gorgeous! the last 25 miles or so we started seeing these tree’s planed on the roadside every 40 feet or so…not sure what they are, some of them almost look like human bones! I will be sure to remember this stretch of road…It is somewhere I want to come back to 10 years from now. ( I was trying to insert a video of this beautiful road but I think the poor internet reception is prohibiting it…I will add it another day!)

What is your Zen? What do you do for your Calgon moment in the day? Do you make sure you take the time each day for a little Zen?

I can tell you that other than the two other items I mentioned…I am pretty damned fond of throwing the ball for Freedom, not only is it relaxing, but I LOVE to see him running back to me so damned proud…he really is a handsome boy.

Speaking of handsome, this kid not only makes friends…now he’s making girlfriends!

Why the heck did I not ever have a dog before??? I mean…talk about Zen! throwing the ball…watching him play with other dogs or stare at the crickets making noise in the bushes…this kid really brings me some joy. Here he is…a day after his bath and he’s all like “Look Dad…A hole to roll around in!”:

Freedom is the ultimate Ice Breaker…I have met countless strangers at campsites, breweries and parking lots and he just MAKES FRIENDS…before you know it I’m having a 20 minute conversation about where we are from and what we are doing…getting comfortable around people outside of my job feels a bit odd to me, I think the confidence I HAVE in my professional life does not always transfer over to my personal life as much…but I have the boy now, so he is making easy lifting of making new acquaintances.

Speaking of Music…As some of you know, I have been singing Barbershop Harmony since I was about 10. It’s a great hobby, and one that I don’t get nearly enough of. Some time ago, my boys and I in ON AIR won the Northeastern District Quartet Contest and ended up being invited to sing on the International Stage the next year in Toronto. We came in last, but last place still gets you a walk on to a pretty big stage…and we had the time of our lives. Barbershop has always been a pretty big part of me, and something that has been hard to integrate into the other facets of my life. I think a lot of people hear the word “Barbershop” and think only of the straw hats and arm bands…but Barbershop has really come to the ages and gotten quite professional.

I haven’t been listening to music much while I drive because I’ve been trying to focus on “my thoughts”…but today I popped on a favorite album and heard a song that will motivate me to get to “Johnson City, Tennessee” before I head home (It seems that is somewhat of a climax of the song…so I should find something good there right?)…This is my friend Sean Devine and his quartet OC Times, singing Wagon Wheel, enjoy:

So…pop your favorite song on…go for a drive, throw the ball for the dog or whatever it is you do to be at peace with the world…I really don’t think any of us do it often enough…no wonder people are always unhappy and bitchin about shit 🙂 See you tomorrow from Louisiana!