Sunday 26 July 2020

AMERICA - The Nice

R.I.P. Peter Green laterly of John Mayall's Blues Breakers, founder of
Fleetwood Mac, regenerated into The Splinter Group and
recognisable as my Twin Brother.
A whole book could be written but we will do a skit on our similarities when time allows.
For now let's return to The Nice a progressive rock outfit active during the late 1960's, comprising Kieth Emerson - keyboards, Kieth 'Lee' Jackson - base guitar, David 'O'List - lead guitar and Ian Hague - drums, which survived until 1970 when Emerson recruited Greg Lake - bass / vocals and Carl Palmer - drums and formed the eponymous E.L.P.

My personal experiace of them was at the 1969 Bath Blues Festival where Emerson
put on a fine exhibition of knife throwing from the opposite side of the stage.
The Bowie knives can also be seen in this clip holding the organ keys in place!
You didn't have to be a Meteorologist to predict
what was on the way for Saturday as at
‘lighting up time’
on Friday evening just a glance to the
 
North
and then one to the

South
with the glow of the Airport lights

the picture was quiet clear (but not for much longer) and the news not good!
 With that in mind it was decided to make provision and take you on another of our

Tours de Force
(extracts from a number of visits to the USA)
but we did still have to tend the almost empty 
Moth Traps.
Even as far back as 1968 and my first brief visit to the
United States of America
there seemed to be something 'magnetic' about the country so no surprises when in
1995, along with my youngest daughter Lisa, we embarked on a 
Trans-Continental Sojourn
more or less following the words of the song and the well trodden track that is
“Route 66”
Well if you ever plan to motor west
Just take my way that's the highway that's the best
Get your kicks on Route 66
With a further 3 much longer trips there before retiring the trusty back-pack
"we'll visit ever state" as Sinatra once sang became the objective, and grew to love everything found on the ground - only the ethic is faulty!
and would very much concentrate on the indiginous People's such as
Lakota War Leader 
CRAZY HORSE
 who was prepared, along with his people, to stand and fight for their patch of land
against the invaders!
It is not known when or even if the massive monument to him in the

 Black Hills of Dekota
will ever be completed due to the enormity of the whole project but the
Artists Impression
gives some idea and showing the Great Chief pointing to his tribes birthright!
Asked by the conquering US General what right he had to this place he simply said
The Museum there is also Fantastic
 just a few of the relics.
Well it winds from Chicago to L.A.

More than 2000 miles all the way
Get your kicks on Route 66
 ACORN WOODPECKER
 BROWN THRASHER
 HAIRY WOODPECKER
 The birdwatching there is also incredible and while not easy it would be described as
manageable!
Well it goes from St. Louie down to Missouri
Oklahoma City 
 looks oh so pretty
Well, not being a City Boy we will reserve our judgement on that one,
but for sure the
 City Museum of Art
was a dream come true and what was described as the
 Museum Cafe
 where a rapport was struck up with
CANDICE
the maître d ‘hôtel
was a contradiction of the 
Trade Descriptions Act as more like a 'high end' Mayfair restaurant.  Surely we have all had one of those Magic Moments when you gel with someone right away?
 This was certainly one as the conversation flowed, she abandoned her post, the bottle of wine wasn't orderer or added to the bill, but have to say, 'tongue in cheek'
that the Yanks on the Ground simply LOVE the British!
 WESTERN BLUEBIRD

 WILLOW FLYCATCHER
This relatively large and nonedescript family of birds
are know by American birders as Trail Flycatchers as usually seen,
in one guise or another, while walking trails.
GULF FRITILARY



 STELLER'S JAY
You'll see Amarillo and Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona don't forget Winona
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino
By sharp contrast a visit to
Mount Rushmore 
showed the other side of the coin, the invaders as I call them,
it often makes me wonder what it would be like if the 
white-man and the black-man had never been a part of it, a 'fools dream'
with no disrespect intended on either side!
 GEORGE WASHINGTON
 THOMAS JEFFERSON
 THEODOR ROOSEVELT
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Would you get hip to this kindly tip
And go take that California trip
Get your kicks on Route 66
Having passed through 
 on a previous trip and already totally enchanted by the
 Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) 
 track of the same name, written by a collaboration of 5 composers, 
including Plant.
 this visit was a no-brainer!
We will endeavour to tack together a second part should
similar circumstances visit us again!