A Springtime tradition

Every Spring I grab a pillow case, some headphones and a mini- CD player that I can put in my pocket. I drive my truck around crooked gravel roads and past cattle farms, where the new spring calves frolic and play in the deep green pastures of Pike County, Illinois.

As I listen to Lightfoot's powerful voice soothe my soul I spot a dead elm tree along side the road. It's slipped it's bark and the wild flowers grow near it's trunk. I park my pick-up and pop Summertime Dream into
my CD player and slip it into my pocket.

I step carefully into the woods and proceed towards the dead elm tree. As I draw closer and closer my eyes are searching. My search ends when I spot a pale yellow morrell mushroom next to the dead tree bark. It's delicate and spongey top is a sight to behold!!!

As I reach down to pick it. I spot two more!
Then I see five more! They are everywhere!!!
After about thirty minutes of being in my own world I've exhausted my spot and can find no more. I leave the woods with a half-full pillowcase and batteries that need replacing.
I get in my truck and follow a different road home than the one I took to get there.
New sights and sounds and new Lightfoot music. I listen to Pony Man, past Donnie Guthrie's horse farm and I think how nice it would be to own my own horse some day. I think I'll get a white and black painted horse and call him "SUNDANCER".
I listen to Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and think about how scared the men aboard must have been and how their families probably kept hope alive until it was confirmed that she went to the bottom.

Soon I pull in my driveway with a half pillowcase full of wild mushrooms! What a treat! My little girl jumps into my arms as I walk in the door and asks, "Did you find any?" My wife gives me a kiss and and welcomes me home and reminds me to clean up my mess when I clean them.

This is a true story about a spring tradition
of mine that I will try to continue as long as the Lord will allow me to walk this Earth.
It's about getting back in touch with nature after a long cold winter. AND GORDON LIGHTFOOT AND HIS MUSIC ARE WITH ME EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. I just wanted to share this with everyone because GL is part of my everyday existance. I can honestly say my life is enhanced greatly by his songs and their meaning in my life.

Just a Lightfoot Fan,
Titan

Every Spring I grab a pillow case, some headphones and a mini- CD player that I can put in my pocket. I drive my truck around crooked gravel roads and past cattle farms, where the new spring calves frolic and play in the deep green pastures of Pike County, Illinois.

As I listen to Lightfoot's powerful voice soothe my soul I spot a dead elm tree along side the road. It's slipped it's bark and the wild flowers grow near it's trunk. I park my pick-up and pop Summertime Dream into
my CD player and slip it into my pocket.

I step carefully into the woods and proceed towards the dead elm tree. As I draw closer and closer my eyes are searching. My search ends when I spot a pale yellow morrell mushroom next to the dead tree bark. It's delicate and spongey top is a sight to behold!!!

As I reach down to pick it. I spot two more!
Then I see five more! They are everywhere!!!
After about thirty minutes of being in my own world I've exhausted my spot and can find no more. I leave the woods with a half-full pillowcase and batteries that need replacing.
I get in my truck and follow a different road home than the one I took to get there.
New sights and sounds and new Lightfoot music. I listen to Pony Man, past Donnie Guthrie's horse farm and I think how nice it would be to own my own horse some day. I think I'll get a white and black painted horse and call him "SUNDANCER".
I listen to Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and think about how scared the men aboard must have been and how their families probably kept hope alive until it was confirmed that she went to the bottom.

Soon I pull in my driveway with a half pillowcase full of wild mushrooms! What a treat! My little girl jumps into my arms as I walk in the door and asks, "Did you find any?" My wife gives me a kiss and and welcomes me home and reminds me to clean up my mess when I clean them.

This is a true story about a spring tradition
of mine that I will try to continue as long as the Lord will allow me to walk this Earth.
It's about getting back in touch with nature after a long cold winter. AND GORDON LIGHTFOOT AND HIS MUSIC ARE WITH ME EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. I just wanted to share this with everyone because GL is part of my everyday existance. I can honestly say my life is enhanced greatly by his songs and their meaning in my life.

Just a Lightfoot Fan,
Titan

[BILLW]

Great Story!!

Bill

[Sheila Ann]

...and beautifully written!
SheilaB

[SilverHeels]

Nice one, Titan!

Aahh, it sounds relaxing and refreshing after the winter months.
I'll be you listen to "Sea of Tranquility" too, don't you? That song was even in my head while I read this!

Aahh, it sounds relaxing and refreshing after the winter months.
I'll be you listen to "Sea of Tranquility" too, don't you? That song was even in my head while I read this!

[fowlesjohn]

Titan, My husband talks about this kind of hunting for mushrooms frequently, it must be quite yummy. He is a country man and I was a city girl. We now live in the middle, but I hope to move to the country with him someday. Lucky you.
GSS

[gwen snyder]

Titan, My husband talks about this kind of hunting for mushrooms frequently, it must be quite yummy. He is a country man and I was a city girl. We now live in the middle, but I hope to move to the country with him someday. Lucky you.
GSS

[Tyler]

Thanks Titan, that was a great side trip in my day of activity. I may just try that myself when the snow is gone.

[brink]

Thanks Titan, that was a great side trip in my day of activity. I may just try that myself when the snow is gone.

[char]

In an old,old CBC TV special with Gord he was walking around Orillia and talking about how as a little boy he would go out morrell hunting in the fields with his father. He'd be in his boots and watching out for the young calves that were out and about. He considered it a very special time in his life and his dad's attitude that it was an outing, an adventure in nature has obviously stayed with him and presented themselves in so many of his songs.

Yes!! I listen to Sea of Tranquility and many more!! I just let the CD play usually because I don't want to take the time to "cherry pick" the music. Thanks for so many nice comments!!!

Yes!! I listen to Sea of Tranquility and many more!! I just let the CD play usually because I don't want to take the time to "cherry pick" the music. Thanks for so many nice comments!!!

[Cathy]

quote:Originally posted by char:
In an old,old CBC TV special with Gord he was walking around Orillia and talking about how as a little boy he would go out morrell hunting in the fields with his father. He'd be in his boots and watching out for the young calves that were out and about. He considered it a very special time in his life and his dad's attitude that it was an outing, an adventure in nature has obviously stayed with him and presented themselves in so many of his songs.


That was in Lightfoot Forward, wasn't it, Char? I think it was produced in 1966. They also interview his mom and dad, and play a clip of Gord singing The Lord's Prayer at about age 12.

Cathy

[char]

Yep - that was it - I was too lazy to haul out my box of tapes/videos and check!
lol
I love watching that show - there's also him, Red and Terry Whelan performing Pussywillows/Cattails in the studio. I loved the part of him laying in bed and getting up to write some music for it! He was 28 years old and looked so much younger. His mum and dad were a hoot talking about the house being full of kids and their instruments and his mum calling him Gordy. SO cute!
I gotta get that box down and have a video night of Lightfoot stuff.....lord knows I ain't busy doin anything else! Come and keep me company Cathy!
lol
Char

[Steve DeRosa]

Nice story, Titan. I also live out in the boonies of IL, so I can relate to the imagery you created so nicely! Gravel roads, cattle farms, creeks and timber just a step away from our back door. I think that is why I love Gord's music so much...it just seems to go with that earthy country kind of life.

[Oma]

Nice story, Titan. I also live out in the boonies of IL, so I can relate to the imagery you created so nicely! Gravel roads, cattle farms, creeks and timber just a step away from our back door. I think that is why I love Gord's music so much...it just seems to go with that earthy country kind of life.

[Cathy]

quote:Originally posted by char:
Yep - that was it - I was too lazy to haul out my box of tapes/videos and check!
lol
I love watching that show - there's also him, Red and Terry Whelan performing Pussywillows/Cattails in the studio. I loved the part of him laying in bed and getting up to write some music for it! He was 28 years old and looked so much younger. His mum and dad were a hoot talking about the house being full of kids and their instruments and his mum calling him Gordy. SO cute!
I gotta get that box down and have a video night of Lightfoot stuff.....lord knows I ain't busy doin anything else! Come and keep me company Cathy!
lol
Char


Terry Whelan is in that? I only remember seeing Gord, Red and John Stockfish.

Cathy

[Cathy]

quote:Originally posted by char:
Yep - that was it - I was too lazy to haul out my box of tapes/videos and check!
lol
I love watching that show - there's also him, Red and Terry Whelan performing Pussywillows/Cattails in the studio. I loved the part of him laying in bed and getting up to write some music for it! He was 28 years old and looked so much younger. His mum and dad were a hoot talking about the house being full of kids and their instruments and his mum calling him Gordy. SO cute!
I gotta get that box down and have a video night of Lightfoot stuff.....lord knows I ain't busy doin anything else! Come and keep me company Cathy!
lol
Char


I'm not coming near Toronto until next fall. I've got a couple of shows in your area. I sure hope the SARS thing is over by then, because I don't know how well I'll be able to sing if I have to wear a surgical mask.

Cathy
Visit my website at http://www.cathycowette.com

quote:Originally posted by char:
Yep - that was it - I was too lazy to haul out my box of tapes/videos and check!
lol
I love watching that show - there's also him, Red and Terry Whelan performing Pussywillows/Cattails in the studio. I loved the part of him laying in bed and getting up to write some music for it! He was 28 years old and looked so much younger. His mum and dad were a hoot talking about the house being full of kids and their instruments and his mum calling him Gordy. SO cute!
I gotta get that box down and have a video night of Lightfoot stuff.....lord knows I ain't busy doin anything else! Come and keep me company Cathy!
lol
Char



Now, I'd like to see that. In fact, I'd pay some good money to see any videos of Lightfoot at all!

quote:Originally posted by char:
Yep - that was it - I was too lazy to haul out my box of tapes/videos and check!
lol
I love watching that show - there's also him, Red and Terry Whelan performing Pussywillows/Cattails in the studio. I loved the part of him laying in bed and getting up to write some music for it! He was 28 years old and looked so much younger. His mum and dad were a hoot talking about the house being full of kids and their instruments and his mum calling him Gordy. SO cute!
I gotta get that box down and have a video night of Lightfoot stuff.....lord knows I ain't busy doin anything else! Come and keep me company Cathy!
lol
Char



Now, I'd like to see that. In fact, I'd pay some good money to see any videos of Lightfoot at all!

[char]

Not Terry - I meant John! I was thinking of Terry C.!
oops!
Char

I have not been able to get on line because my system had a hardware failure. I've been down about a week. I miss everyone and would like to thank everyone for all of the thoughtful replies. This years mushroom season was very good!! I found enough that I was able to give some away!!

I sure do enjoy this site and everyone's company. It's good to know that other people
feel the same about music and life. I enjoy being part of this group of Lightfoot fans.
I'm gonna go get my kids some ice cream now.
They want to listen to The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and talk about our vacation to the shipwreck museum at Whitefish Point, MI and eat ice cream!!!

Ya know what? Life is pretty damn good right now.

I have not been able to get on line because my system had a hardware failure. I've been down about a week. I miss everyone and would like to thank everyone for all of the thoughtful replies. This years mushroom season was very good!! I found enough that I was able to give some away!!

I sure do enjoy this site and everyone's company. It's good to know that other people
feel the same about music and life. I enjoy being part of this group of Lightfoot fans.
I'm gonna go get my kids some ice cream now.
They want to listen to The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and talk about our vacation to the shipwreck museum at Whitefish Point, MI and eat ice cream!!!

Ya know what? Life is pretty damn good right now.