Just wanted to wish all of you a happy summer. We’ve been busy landscaping our yard, enjoying every moment we can outside. This past Winter seemed unusually cold, icy, and LONG.

The birds nested everywhere this Spring...on a lavender wreath on our front door, on the front porch in potted plants, not to mention in all of the roosting boxes and birdhouses we have around the property. We were hosts to ruby finches, chipping sparrows, wrens, phoebes, and bluebirds.

We also experienced a rise in the turtle population, both painted turtles and snapping turtles. When Nellie, the dachshund, went out for a stroll she encountered a snapping turtle about her size laying eggs in a flower bed. Wisely, she retreated.

All of our sponsored “buddies” at Hearts United for Animals (www.hua.org) were adopted, so we’re now in the process of sponsoring four more.

On the feline front, we transferred some red kittens from our local town shelter to another organization about a hundred miles south of us and couldn’t resist a photo op.

Lately we’ve been watching some Swedish noir on DVD: Wallander, Beck, The Bridge (fortunately, every show includes English subtitles).

We’ve been enjoying our Time Together--after 37 years it’s still a joy to do the simple things in life together--I was on the Road in the old days so often and for so long.

I’m in the middle of Donna Tartt’s new book, The Goldfinch, which is amazing. Almost impossible to put down.

Claudia is working her way through Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s new vegan cookbook Isa Does It. Happily, I’ve been on the receiving end of these experiments. This week we had malai kofta one day and kappa maki the next, spanning two of my favorite cuisines: Indian and Japanese.

I hope to see some of you out on the Road this Summer. It’s a milestone birthday year for me and I’m grateful to share it with you.

Health, Prosperity, Happiness
Peace, Love, and Rescue

S.O.J.G.*

* A few years ago we were playing the House of Blues in New Orleans (a perennial stop for us). I left after the soundcheck to hunt down some vegan food. When I returned just before showtime there was a large crowd lined up in front of the club. I had to cut through this line to get to the stage door. A young House of Blues employee was directing people and when a couple passed by and asked “Who’s playing tonight?” he replied “I don’t know. Some Old Jazz Guy.” And this is how I’ve referred to myself to Claudia ever since...