I saw Geoff Muldaur back in May and his playing has been on my mind ever since.  Because of him I stepped back from the banjo and have been playing a lot of guitar.

I found this video of him playing and I had to share it.  Listen to the whole thing and I"m sure you'll be impressed with his gentle touch.

 Here is a video from way back in the sixties jug band with Maria Muldaur. 

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It is the end of the season for my succulents so this will probably be the last post about them until Spring.  I've been getting them ready for winter and transitioning my energy towards other passions.

I wrote about my Echeveria Nudulosa at the end of August.  At that time it was just forming buds.  I was surprised when the buds formed and then took six weeks for the flowers to emerge.

The flower itself is beautiful although the wife says it reminds her of a pig.  Let me know what you think.

One of the things that has kept me busy is organizing photographs.  Since I am the one doing genealogy and family history I have inherited boxes upon boxes of photographs.  I've decided that it really isn't fair that I keep them to myself so I created a separate blog that is only open to family and extended family.  There I post the photos as I scan them.  I am trying to do ten to twenty a week.  It's nice because blogger sorts them nicely with tags and they can print them out anywhere if they choose.

Here is one I found from my scrubby unshaven youth.  Me and my buddy Paul Azzurro.

Faucaria tigrina is one of the more interesting succulents.  It has rosettes of triangular leaves with pointed fleshy parts, making them look like open jaws.  It is one neat looking plant.  Mine is nice and pink whereas most of the Tigers Jaw that I have seen have been a rich green.  I assume that makes it Faucaria Tigrina Felina.  This is another plant from South Africa.  I plan on separating this and adding it to one of my dish gardens.

I turned fifty-two a couple weeks ago and overall aging doesn't bother me.  The only real downside that I've found is my eyesight.  Around forty-five I suddenly couldn't see close-up.  I went to the eye doctor and needed bifocals.  I was surprised that it happened to me.

Fast forward a few years and I bought a watch.  I love watches (time pieces) and have a dozen or so.

My latest dress watch is a Fossil Chronograph.  It is very big and I have a large wrist so it fits just right.  Problem is it is a chronograph and I had no idea how to use it.

Since I have been on vacation for a few weeks I decided to pull out the booklet that came with it and get all of the features down.  I pulled out the booklet and it made me laugh out loud.

The book was thick and small.  When I opened it up the type was so small that even with my bifocals on I couldn't read it.  I went online hoping for an online guide but to no avail.

Luckily my younger brother Devlyn is a whiz with anything mechanical.  I took the watch over to his house and he figured it out in minutes.

It will be interesting to watch what other adjustments I have to make as I pass through middle age.

Back in the beginning of August, A Succulent Obsession had a photograph of Crassula Gollum that I found fascinating.  I had never seen one before.  On the site they called it Coral but I've seen it called Hobbit's Pipe after JRR Tolkien's character since the leaves are tubular and appear to be tipped with a suction cup.  It is also known as Trumpet Jade or Finger Jade.

I searched high and low and finally came upon a nice specimen.  As you can see when the plant gets sufficient light the tips become red.

 As with any of the Jades  it is easy to propagate.  I plan to mix different jades into a dish garden.  I think that will be interesting.

I wrote a few days ago about my Jade Plant .  Jades are beautiful in their deep rich greens.  There are many varieties of Jade so I started collecting and propagating some of them.  I found a variegated Jade (crassula ovata variegata) at a greenhouse and it is a beauty with thick variegated leaves of green, white and pink.  Take a look.

When I was a kid there used to be a guy who would come down the street with a cart selling vegetables.  He was always smiling, always friendly.  Whenever we saw him coming all the kids would come out and walk with him as he told jokes or small stories.  Women would come out of their houses and buy the vegetables and I'd marvel at his ease with people.  He had such a lighthearted way about him.  I've never met a person so content. 

I haven't thought about him in thirty-five years.

Today I read a story on The American Sentimentalist about a similar person.  Do yourself a favor and click on the link and read:

But who has time for the sharpening guy? (thoughts on an Old World moment in a New World diaspora)

Now this is a great succulent and a real attention getter. Beautiful thick leaves with rich maroon streaks throughout and outlining the leaves. I just got it and it's going to be a nice addiction. I plan to display this in a simple terracotta container and have it in front of a plain wall.