Fishing Boats Docked at Galveston Bay, Texas — Image by kenne
[Verse 1] Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ come Watching the ships roll in And then I watch ’em roll away again, yeah
[Chorus] I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay Watching the tide roll away Ooo, I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay Wastin’ time
[Verse 2] I left my home in Georgia Headed for the ‘Frisco bay ‘Cause I’ve had nothing to live for And look like nothin’s gonna come my way
[Chorus] So I’m just gonna sit on the dock of the bay Watching the tide roll away Ooo, I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay Wastin’ time
[Bridge] Look like nothing’s gonna change Everything still remains the same I can’t do what ten people tell me to do So I guess I’ll remain the same, yes
[Verse 3] Sittin’ here resting my bones And this loneliness won’t leave me alone It’s two thousand miles I roamed Just to make this dock my home
[Chorus] Now, I’m just gonna sit at the dock of the bay Watching the tide roll away Oooo-wee, sittin’ on the dock of the bay Wastin’ time
Jack “Old Jules” Purcell — Photo-Artistry by kenne
In June of 2006 Old Jules wrote on his blog So Far From Heaven “The More It Stays The Same.”
I hadn’t watched Easy Rider (Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson, circa 1968) in three decades.
When I saw it again this past weekend I appreciated it again for the first time:
Nicholson: You know, this used to be a helluva good country. I can’t understand what’s gone wrong with it.
Hopper: Huh. Man, everybody got chicken, that’s what happened, man. Hey, we can’t even get into like, uh, second-rate hotel, I mean, a second-rate motel. You dig? They think we’re gonna cut their throat or something, man. They’re scared, man.
Nicholson: Oh, they’re not scared of you. They’re scared of what you represent to ’em.
Hopper: Hey man. All we represent to them, man, is somebody needs a haircut.
Nicholson: Oh no. What you represent to them is freedom.
Hopper: What the hell’s wrong with freedom, man? That’s what it’s all about.
Nicholson: Oh yeah, that’s right, that’s what it’s all about, all right. But talkin’ about it and bein’ it – that’s two different things.
I mean, it’s real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace.
‘Course, don’t ever tell anybody that they’re not free ’cause then they’re gonna get real busy killin’ and maimin’ to prove to you that they are.
Oh yeah, they’re gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom, but they see a free individual, it’s gonna scare ’em.
Hopper: Mmmm, well, that don’t make ’em runnin’ scared.
Nicholson: No, it makes ’em dangerous.
Three young men searching for America who found it wasn’t what they bargained for.
Years ago, my friend Lindy and I were driving in Central Texas to conduct a teacher in-service when we saw an “Entering Mexia” sign. Not being from Texas, I said, “Oh! We are entering Mex-ee-uh.” “No, you Yankee! That’s Mu-hay-uh,” she said. We kept arguing, and finally, we decided to settle the argument by stopping at the first place we came to, go inside and ask a local citizen. We went in, and I asked the girl behind the counter to very slowly pronounce the name of the place. She said,
The Double Bayou Dance Hall, “The Place”, where you could get good smoke brisket
and local women offered homemade pecan, lemon meringue and sweet potato pies. (October 19, 2002) — Image by kenne
Break Between Sets at the Double Bayou Dance Hall, “The Place” (May 25, 2003) — Image by kenne
But the most dangerous thing in the world is to run the risk of waking up one morning and realizing suddenly that all this time you’ve been living without really and truly living and by then it’s too late. When you wake up to that kind of realization, it’s too late for wishes and regrets. It’s even too late to dream.
April 12, 2009 Dave had friends and family over for a crawfish boil, after which he played guitar and sang some of his songs. One of the songs was the recently written, “You Can’t See Main Street from Wall Street.”
Chorus
You can’t see Main Street from Wall Street, any more.
The wolves of Manhattan keep us Standards, Poor.
A trillion more dollars, just borrowed on time.
But who signed your name, on the long dotted line ?
The Woodlands, Texas, October 10, 2004 — Images by kenne
(CLICK ON ANY OF THE IMAGES TO SEE A LARGER VIEW IN A SLIDESHOW FORMAT.)
After Virginia passed away this past April, I began going through photos to have in a video. I thought I had identified all family images with her, however, recently I was looking for an old document and discovered untitled images misfiled in a folder, “Master Plan ISD.” I wonder how many others I may have misfiled.
Billy Joe Shaver, Conroe, Texas (June 3, 2006) — Image by kenne
I was listening to NPR this morning and there was a segment on one of my favorite country singer/songwriters, Billy Joe Shaver. His songs are probably better known than he is — Billy Joe Shaver Writes Country Songs — And Lives Them, Too. If you didn’t hear the segment, click on the segment title — he’s real country!
If you want to get even more of a feel for who is Billy Joe Shaver, watch the following video:
Somedays, the hillbilly in me just comes out — like I can’t help it.
Raising Funds For The Friends of The Blues (09/06/02) — Images by kenne
Jack “Old Jules” Purcell — Photo-Artistry by kenne
Computer Art by kenne
The Double Bayou Dance Hall, “The Place”, where you could get good smoke brisket
Break Between Sets at the Double Bayou Dance Hall, “The Place” (May 25, 2003) — Image by kenne
Early Morning in Ft. Stockton, Texas — Images by kenne
Billy Joe Shaver, Conroe, Texas (June 3, 2006) — Image by kenne
East Texas Blues (Ken & Mary’s Blues Project, August 20, 2005) — Image by kenne
Surfing Off The Galveston Island Seawall — Image by kenne
Ruthie Foster
