Crawled into my bunk last night around 2:30am, a few minutes after we pulled away from the venue in Winnipeg. Woke up this morning around 8:00, but having changed time zones yet again, it was really 7am in Alberta.
Whenever I'm in Alberta, I can't help but think of my favorite Neil Young song, "Four Strong Winds." Neil performs it, but it was written by a guy named Ian Tyson. Partial lyrics:
"Think I'll go out to Alberta,
Weather's good there in the fall.
I got some friends that I could go to working for.
Still I wish you'd change your mind,
If I ask you one more time.
But we've been through this a hundred times or more.
Four strong winds that blow lonely,
Seven seas that run high.
All those things that don't change, come what may.
If the good times are all gone,
Then I'm bound for movin' on.
I'll look for you if I'm ever back this way."
Beautiful song, and it's from my all-time favorite Neil Young album, "Comes A Time," from 1978. I have listened to that record hundreds of times in my rocking chair on my front porch. And I'll listen to it many more…
Finally made it to the hotel around 3pm. Up to my room and get some work done for a bit, then shower and head out for dinner. I walked around for awhile, stopping and reading menus at places I passed along the way, but wound up eating back at the pub attached to the hotel. The entrees sounded good, and the appetizers sounded even better. I got the Stilton Cheese Dip, which was served in a pumpernickel bread bowl with Granny Smith apple slices and bagel crisps. Damn good, damn fine.
Also got an order of Blarney chips, which were really nachos without the tortilla chips. In their place, the base was made of waffle fries. Had the usual toppings – cheese, onions, jalapeno pepper slices.
I was drinking some lager from the Netherlands that the bartender recommended. All I remember is that the name started with a "D." Tasty stuff it was, indeed.
Made it up to my room by 9:30 and in bed by 11:30…
4 comments:
Guess great minds think alike. Young's cover of Ian Tyson's "Four Strong Winds" is a fave of mine, too. Young included it on a recently broadcast TV concert show which took place in a beautiful auditorium in Nashville, TN. He was accompanied his wife, the forever beautiful and talented Emmylou Harris, and a host of other extraordinarily-talented musicians. He told a bit of a story about growing up in Canada and the influence Tyson and that very song had had on his early songwriting efforts. Great stuff.
See you soon.
FB
I've posted it before, but I'll tell you again, I really enjoy checking in every day and finding you've updated your blog. It's not like I don't have a real life, I do! But it's far better than anything I've read lately! Keep up the good work/fun!
Bryan in Bowling Green KY
Thanks for the kind words, Bryan!
BD
Hi Bob - I'm on the wrong post for posting this comment (was reading about those big-ass copperheads you came across, and since I can't find my way back to that particular ASAP, and since I have to go ASAP, I thought I'd say hello to another NC'r while I'm here and say WOW to those copperheads! Hope to get back to the post later. Raleigh's nice area - had some good times up there many moons ago.
Thanks for the great pics of those copperheads - hope to visit again.
Jay
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