As we’ve been saying, on Saturday night the Long Beds played on the International stage (thanks, George!):
The view from inside the venue:
There were some sweet red tractors there as well. And I signed a lot of these.
The event was in support of these folks.
Used that ’51 International last night. Had a four-year-old ridin’ co-pilot.
Just got an email from a reader who writes:
i just finished Truck. i came across it accidentally at the library while looking for books on anti-lock brakes. go figure, huh. but what a grand stroke of luck.
And a grand stroke a luck for me as well. Because as I wrote here, it’s not the first time my Truck has been stuck where you might least expect it.
I’ve done several posts about the 2009 Red Power Parade (perhaps because I got to be grand marshal of a parade consisting of nothing but International Harvesters…surely a Top Ten country boy moment) (as a result of this book), and here’s another one inspired by an email I just received from Jean Cointe, an International Harvester dealer and aficionado from France. Seems Jean was clearing out his digital camera and found these two photos:
Fearless leader “Other Mike” reviews the parade route.
You may be the Grand Marshal, but when the Scout runs dry halfway through the parade, you will bail out and push just like everybody else!
(Sent by fellow IH addict Mike S.)
Music project continues. We gathered in my little office this week to record a few additional bits for the Long Beds album due out next March. Today I will try to get some (over)due writing done and stow the last of the pig fencing. I have been using the International around the farm a lot lately. Right now it’s loaded down with lumber and steel fence posts. It seems happy to have its springs flexed. Speaking of loaded Internationals:
As far as I know, that is not my truck, although I like to think it might have been her in a prior life.
The other night at the Heyde Center I explained that over the years I have developed two groups of friends: The pickup-truck-and-gun-rack crowd, and the artist/dancer/poet crowd (or, the pale-and-tortured contingent). They need not be mutually exclusive, but often are. This is a shame, as both continue to enrich my life in ways I never dreamed.
Anyways. (As we say in pickup-truck circles.)
Way back when I first started going to poetry readings, I wrote a poem in which I tried to explain to my new poet friends why I so loved the pickup-truck-and-gun-rack life. I performed it the other night at the Heyde Center and a few people have asked if it’s in print anywhere. It’s not. As poems go it’s not much of one, but it’s a blast to perform out loud.
So I’ve posted it after the break. (more…)
Back in July I had the privilege of serving as Grand Marshal (or was it just Marshal?) (it felt Grand!) of the International Harvester Red Power Parade. Tonight a piece I did from the parade will air on In Wisconsin at 7 p.m. Central. Eventually I believe the piece will be posted here. A special tip of the hat to videographer Rick Fatke, who wound up having to run part of the parade route and also caught that part where we…um…ran out of gas.
I’m headed down to Portland, Indiana, in October to talk about Truck: A Love Story. As part of the preparation, a husband-and-wife team reviewed the book for Indiana Public Radio and were kind enough to send a link:
Can’t wait to ride in the parade (see page 2).
And here’s a great article about the size of this event. Wow.
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