I can’t find the comment on this blog that recommended this film, but whoever you are, I am so grateful. I’ve never seen a film that captured the special  spirit of San Francisco in the mid-60s as well as this one. It’s hard to describe what went on in the Haight-Ashbury district from say, 1963 to 1967 (when the “Summer of Love” proved to be the death knell). It was a joyous, harmonious, sharing, open, friendly, and loving community, and the San Francisco music was unique. It wasn’t London or New York or the Beatles, Stones, or Dylan; it was uniquely San Francisco, and the Red Dog Saloon in Nevada city played a key role in the music and style and spirit of the times.

If you were there, I’d hazard to say you’ll love this movie. They got it right! A bunch of it was filmed in 1991, and all of these people are still together: articulate and insightful. Filmmakers and editors did a fabulous job of piecing together videos, stills and interviews. The  music! The clothing! The hair!

The Charlatans and Big Brother and the Holding Company stand up to the test of time. The latter was one of my favorite bands (before Janice came along). (Deadheads, there is no Grateful Dead music in this film.) There is one beautiful mandala-like sequence of the ’60s posters,  giving you a sense of this powerful new art form. A bunch of wonderful black-and-white stills interspersed with moving footage. The reminiscing comes off well. There was joy then, boy was there, and it’s adequately reflected here.

Plus the DVD is $3.99.

https://www.amazon.com/Rockin-Red-Dog-Dawn-Psychedelic/dp/B0009GX2JG

Music du jour: Keep on Smilin’ by the Wet Willie Band/I Don’t Trust You Man by Willie Big Eyes”Smith/Amsterdam Rag by Ben Prestage

Jim Tolpin is a woodworker, author, and a faculty member of the Port Townsend (Washington) School of Woodworking. This is one of his gypsy wagons.

https://is.gd/jtolpin

Sent us by Phil Miano

Went off on bike yesterday in search of sunshine. It’s been the foggiest summer I can remember. When I got back down to the bottom of the hill, 2 friends came along on their bikes. As we stood there, the sun came out, and we rejoiced.

About a year ago I got whacked by a log sliding down a hill. ( https://lloydkahn-ongoing.blogspot.com/2010/08/wham-bam-accident-in-woods-friday.html). Didn’t knock me out, but struck my ribs and face, knocked me to ground. I drove home. The paramedics came and decided I needed to go to the hospital, so off I went in the ambulance. I wasn’t worried about cost, since I had Medicare. They ran me through a battery of tests, including cat scans of my head, chest x-rays. I’d lucked out, nothing other than a slightly cracked rib and cuts and bruises. I was out of the hospital in about 5 hours.

I got the bill yesterday, over a year later: $32,368,35! (Medicare paid all but $300.)

Some of the major charges:

-Emergency room: $8,997

-Trauma level III: $12,420

-CT scans head: $6,733

-Ultrasound $1,041

A couple of thoughts from all this:

1. Medicare works, at least for those lucky enough to have it. It’s a program the Tea Partiers and Republicans would never have allowed through, just as they’re trying to scuttle health care for U.S. citizens.

2. Ooo-wee, are hospital costs expensive! I’m grateful for the fine quality of care, but if I didn’t have insurance, I’d hold off an all this stuff unless things were dire. (Here they weren’t.) No one said anything to me about the costs while I was in the hospital.

I saw a guy being rescued a few years ago out in the hills, he’d been lost all night. A helicopter came and when they EMT came down with the basket, the guy asked the price and when told $6,000, he said “No thanks,” and the chopper flew off.

3. The big problem right now is not in making medical care available to citizens, but the high costs of it as it stands.

Email we received Friday:

I wanted to write and say thanks to Lloyd Kahn and company for the Shelter series of books.

I just went through all of them again last night.

I never get tired of reading those books.

I attach a picture of our cabin in Montana.

Thanks for the inspiration.

Your Pal,

Jeremy Goers

AFMO Zigzag Ranger District

Mt. Hood National Forest