This day of Satan, 6/6/06, was indeed portentous. A hellpuppy has been nipping at our heels.
The Hawks awoke and breakfasted with Sally and Geoff, jammed with Geoff on mandolin, and jumped in the Suburban, down highway 290 to visit Hill Country guitar shop in Wimberly, a long Texas drive through pastures, scrub and oaks, thence to our live performance on Ray Wylie Hubbard’s radio show.Judy Hubbard called us on cell phone–their engineer had left town, didn’t tell them, and they have to cancel the radio show. Judy invited us to come down anyway and get Mexican food, and so we drove onward down 290 and a side road into very picturesque Wimberly, another great hill country hamlet with old buildings and even some great looking new ones. Modest. The scarring of the American landscape comes from the arrogant size of the new buildings–McMansions, outlet centers, malls, gated communities. It’s all too big.
But we digress, and the devil wants his due. The Hawks and Geoff tried out every guitar in the Hill Country shop, some great old Gibsons, new Collings, and soon enough we were doing what every guitar shop owner dreads–jamming. Ray Wylie and Judy came by and took us to a Mexican joint nearby, and we had a grand old time, gave Ray and Judy the long version of how I See Hawks In L.A. got its name. The Hubbards invited us over for coffee, and we followed them over hills, down gravel roads, across a narrow concrete levee that crosses a creek and floods with every rain, to their house, an amazing log house built by a Conoco heiress and then abandoned. Ray and Judy have beautifully restored the house, which has a spectacular view of hill country. Like everyone else we’ve met in Texas, they are good and kind.Ray made everyone cappucinos and Judy showed the Hawks around the house, and then we watched Ray’s new “Snake Farm” video, then a new one shot at the Salton Sea, both very innovative and colorful, then watched the Hawks “Motorcycle Mama” video (coming soon to a website near you). A good time was had by all.
At the Wimberly supermarket, two young female high school grocery checkers straight out of Ghost World were talking about trying to recover a stolen car. Use your psychokinetic powers said orange haired Ghost Girl I, sardonically. Better be careful using those powers today, we said, attempting humor. Oh, yeah, 666 day, said Ghost Girl I. She rang us up and called out as we left, Merry Christmas! With a mock (?) demonic leer.Back at chez Sally-Geoff, a celtic guitar jam in near darkness was interrupted. Sally hollered, and Geoff and the Hawks all ran over to the pool, where Sally had spotted a deadly coral snake in the pool. After much prodding, Geoff and Shawn managed to catch the red, yellow and black snake in the pool net and toss it into the brush. Paul L. thought about his last night’s swim in the darkness and shuddered.
Satan’s day is over, and none too soon.