My Time in Lone Pine, Hey that Rhymes

I am going to recount my fabulous trip to Lone Pine. I wanted to go since last year but when my friend Daisy booked our room, I got cold feet but followed through anyhow. I had listed the 1001 things I had to do and what if something at home went wrong, etc... My way of talking myself out of any earned fun. 
                            

What's in Lone Pine? The Lone Pine Film Festival naturally. This year it was an emphasis on Western Film directors. One of the highlights for me was to meet Joel McCrea's grandson, pick up his book signed. Thee other highlights that Ben Menkiewiscz from TCM was going to be there facilitating discussions after the evening films at the high school. So after a quick morning run to Walmart, bank, car wash in Bakersfield, I came home and got packed to be ready for the afternoon pickup. I was driving but we were taking Daisys vehicle.

Lone Pine from Frazier Park is about 2.5 hours. It is the 5 to 138 to 14 to something else maybe to the 395. Some of the highlights are the fatal motorcycle accident on 138, airplane graveyard, Jawbone Canyon, Red Rock and the occasional roadkill. There is always roadkill. Got there in no time and stayed at a major chain on the outskirts of the town center. I did my Hotel Impossible inspection and was satisfied with the conditions and hospitality. What I discovered is that Daisys husband is a known entity in these parts and her name was immediately recognized. Working in nearby Olancha made Lone Pine a place to frequent and he was referenced as the guy with the suspenders. 

This town is hopping with activity from Thursday to the close of the festival on Sunday. We unpacked and drove into town to retrieve our festival passes. Set up at a Lions Club, we got our info and we were off. Dinner and a movie was the course of action. the movie was a silent accompanied by a live player. "Three Bad Men?" Was the flick, directed by John Ford with George O'Brien. It was humorous and entertaining. After, the panel consisted of John Fords grandson, Ben Mankiewicz and William Wellman Jr. Remedy entertaining and I was so engaged that the horrible high school auditorium seats didn't even bother me. At 11:30 we rolled into bed and couldn't wait for the next day. 

This particular motel had a full on breakfast spread so we managed to save our pennies for other fun things. Showered and we were off. At the local park was a 15 vender art/crafts market. Upon arriving Daisy and I were immediately drawn in by the display of metal welded artworks out of salvage. Some kinetic and some not. I purchased one fairly quickly and Daisy contemplated another. We walked around quickly and then made our way to the Film Museum out of which we had booked a bus tour for one o'clock. 
                          

We walked around the museum, totally engaged by the fabulous displays and decided our partners would have loved this. I took numerous pictures of some of the oddities about western film like foreign posters of standard films, advertising notions, etc... That's my thing the odd stuff generally. By twelve thirty we were ready in line to get on our bus. At this point I should add, I was by far one of the youngest participants at this function outside of Ben
Mankiewicz.                  
                                  

Our driver was this cute older fella that immediately engaged us in discussion as we waited for our tour guide. Bus was out of Apple Valley, which I am very familiar with. He mentioned being entertained by early cowboy flicks and demonstrated how he would swing out his six shooters when he was a little guy. Warm and friendly, it added a very calm aura over our day. Our guide came and we boarded the bus. Daisy and I sat behind someone who apparently had befriended Autry in 1946 and worked with him until Autry passed away. Again older fella from Bakersfield and ran a radio show for 40 years. Just all added to the fabric of day. 

Tour guide was a gal whose father had written the quintessential guide to movie locations of westerns in the Lone Pine area. The tour was called the North South and we were on our way. Everything stemmed back to the 1920's forward. We stopped at many locations where they had set up small info kiosks to show the film shot juxtaposed against the current landscape. 3 hours and we were exhausted. At one point out of the blue several Cowboys road up in full garb. Not part of the tour but fun effect anyhow.   

 

We completed our tour, left feeling fulfilled, returned and went to eat. Another great meal in a hospitable town~love it. All day Daisy plexed on the sculpture at the park she wanted and when we finally got done we picked hers up as well. We were exhausted, touring, eating, shopping, it all was exhausting. So we shimmied back to our room and took a little rest before seeing that evenings flick. 

"The Three Godfathers", was on the agenda with John Wayne and Harry Carey Jr. Big landscapes John Ford film. After the same panel got together and we were in for a treat of a discussion again. It really didn't occur to us how late these things ran since we were so transfixed on the discussion. At 11:30 again we rolled into bed for our last night. 

Early morning we got our eats out the way and went back to the museum to pick up a few trinkets and bid our farewell to Lone Pine. I purchased a senior membership for Daisy and Don, got my McCrea book and we were off. Let me mention there was numerous things to do and see since Thursday but we were just getting our feet wet and planning our next years trip. Daisy already booked it. 

                                             
     Home was quick and I found that I really don't know where the time went. We stopped to pick up some homemade jerky for the boys near Olancha and then high tailed it. Daisy mentioned she wanted to go to Antiques at the Barn in Lancaster so I planned on our exit at "I" street but got off at "G" which was a great mistake. On this street we encountered the musical street, which played as we drove over. It was a nice surprise and one of only three in the world.      

                                 

We stopped at the "Barn", I bought a few things and we went home to Daisys because the boys had actually gone out hunting together and I could get a ride from Chris back. We unloaded are metal works, hung out waiting for them, fed the horse, looked at all the stuff piled in the stable that can be utilized and called it a day when they rolled up. 

Do I want to go back? Hell ya! But like Daisy, I want Chris to go with and even Wes. One of the things Mankiewicz mentioned was that in the sea of movie viewers it consisted of gray and bald, except me of coarse. I thought how greatful my love of film has started from the moment I could dance and be like Gene Kelly to today. It let me go away when all things bad were let loose in our family. Wesley, I find, watches old films on a regular basis and has his favorites. Definitely something to cultivate. "Ben! We are bringing a youngum!"


                                               my sculpture

Industrial, salvage, upcycling and oh yeah urban farmer?

Transformation is always a great high and and an uncertain low. The high is change and the process that takes us there and the low is we are leaving something of us behind. As I have gone from mom to stuudent to educator to dealer to this new mish mash of a title, I discovered that the high and low are very congruent at times. So I sit over breakfast wondering how did I get here and what's next.

It evolved from personal stylings on the sideline of my life, to here I am now with a vast array of interests, duties and loves. In the mornings I complete reading the current issues of Dwell, Elle Decor, Atomic Ranch, Modern and Urban Farmer and some vintage collecting mags, I realized how varied my world has become. On the other hand, maybe we as individuals have become varied as a whole. Especially when we can "goggle" just about anything. (Which I love, btw)

I also don't think it is just me who has come to this. The cover of this mag kind of sums up some of the connections. What is in our food for pets, water rights and IKEA hack for hydroponic farms. With a hip approach and fun play on words. Not your typical mag for sure. Might I add the Beekman Boys of Sharon Springs, NY gave a complementary subscription to original customers. So now I am hooked. But I also am hooked on high end art and design, then I go to the next thing that random piece of salvage and how can I incorporate it in my existence. Do I have room for another antique foundry mold? Do I have time to set up the chicken coop that came from England this week or moving the 57 travel trailer? Where does it start and stop?

Well, it doesn't need to, me thinks. But what I can not grasp is that I don't have the time to absorb all my loves of living. Conventionally, I should be on a task to completion and then next task. I don't operate that way though. I start a task, start another, another, another and then circle back to the first task. It seems to work that way for me. Conventionality makes more sense and probably more constructive, but for me it is a turn off. 

For example, my list for the day is new trailer tires go on, trailer gets moved to property, set up new chicken coop, tear down old chicken coop, move some inventory, move some of our veg garden to green house, pack some inventory for November show, make list of ornaments that needs to be made this month. Possibly going to transfer site and possibly not. Work out menu for the week, work out dinner, clean, organize. Did I mention that the fact it is a weekend doesn't matter?

Cut herbs to dry and then layout master plan for growing net year. Drive out to Lockwood to collect rocks for landscape and come home unload and lay them. 

Not much in a weekend considering that it is always that way and I do get up at 4 am to start. So how to fit in all of the above is just the way of an eclectic life. Love it.