Here we go...

Last season at Salvation Mountain with Leonard Knight.

It's a cold one this winter as we plan our next season's adventures...so, we are heading south and southwest (maybe)!  Look for us to hit the road (and start blogging) in mid to late April.

poe-etic justice

It’s hard to put things past someone who’s seen most all your shows.  Poe Dismuke in Bisbee, AZ.(the man up there hiding behind the clock) knew about the Big Ball, playing catch, guberburgers, and well, just about all our checkered past--thanks to someone sending him the tapes last year.  And he still let us visit!

Poe and his wife Sam relocated a few years back to Arizona from Sebastapol, CA where he was among other things, an artist-in-residence at the local dump.  Turns out he pretty much created that position, but it’s still a great credential.  Poe assembles things from junk, some large and metallic , sometimes kinetic, for outside, some like his clocks and toys more suitable for easy indoor use.  He’s big on ducks (as figures, not targets), duct tape and miniature golf.  But as he points out, fun as they are, most of his ideas so far seem to be “money repellent.”  We trust that will change with all this Public Television exposure to come!

We actually met Poe for breakfast at Dot’s Diner, which fed us both cheaply and well, with a stool for the Ball to occupy too. In all, Bisbee was a definite revelation, what with its old mining town charm and tolerance for the offbeat. This TV Weasel recommends a visit.

And this TV Weasel has turned the Ford Freestar northeastward now, heading home with many, many tapes to start turning into shows.  At last count, we’ve put over 12,000 miles on the van (and ourselves) shooting these shows.  Wish us luck (and no tickets)...  

Music in the Van--Frank Sinatra “Fly Me to the Moon”, Neil Young “Unplugged”, Rolling Stones Rarities 1970-2003, Fiona Apple “Extraordinary Machine”

trailer valhalla

Sometimes you see something so amazing you just have to have it. In this case, it was a foot long hoagie at the grocery store for $5.99 that could also double as a weapon.  We bought it purely for the visual joy it seemed to bring, and the thought that with enough of these things, world hunger might be manageable after all...

And even though we weren’t planning a picnic, we did have the super sub handy for our visit to the Garden of Gethsemane near downtown Tucson. The garden is a collection of concrete sculptures that Felix Lucero made to pay back God for letting him survive WWI.  The Last Supper’s the biggest, but there’s also a crucifixion, a tomb scene and even a self-portrait that Felix did while he lived and worked “down by the river.”

But Bisbee was our real destination.  The brochure says the little mining town near the Mexican border was once the biggest city between St. Louis and San Francisco.  Hard to believe, but it’s certainly very charming, and has one heck of a big hole (copper mine) nearby.  Naturally, we played a little catch outside said hole, and wouldn’t you know, even pulled out the guest lefty glove so Ron from Colorado could join in too!  

As clouds continued to roll in, we pulled up at the Shady Dell Camp Ground--known for the nine vintage travel trailers in which folks can stay.  There’s teeny little ones, and longer, more swanky versions of the rolling homes that Americans fell in love with back in the 40s and 50s. Wesley, the owner, admits that it might be an easier sell if it was closer to something like Route 66, but then again, the weather takes less of a toll here than it might elsewhere.  And Dot’s Diner, a picture perfect retro eatery next door pretty much seals the deal.  We know where breakfast will be tomorrow!

Music in the Van--Van Morrison “Astral Weeks”, Bob Dylan “Modern Times”, Emmylou Harris Starbucks Artist Choice

Metal for the mind

Cowboy movie star Tom Mix died in his Cord on Highway 79 south of Florence, AZ when his metal suitcase slammed into the back of his head.  We hoped not to meet a smilar fate in our Ford, courtesy of the Big Ball!

Good news.  We made it to Tucson, where Jerry Hall was waiting for us.  Jerry runs a landscaping business, and keeps his own World of Imagination.  That’s what he calls his yard, and all the stuff that he’s packed into it, including a spiral staircase made from water heaters that leads up to his treehouse.

Jerry started with a wild west theme many years ago, but has diversified dramatically.  Metal insects, animals (mythical and otherwise) populate nearly every inch outside, and in the house there’s more made with marbles and tin cans.  Sleep?  He’s trying to do more of it, he says, but you know how it is...

We met up with our old chum Annie Andre and her husband Bill at Jerry’s place, and reconnoitered for snacks and a beer at their fabulous folk art filled home.  Great to catch up and strategize for tomorrow’s trip to Bisbee.  Thanks guys!

Music in the Van--Golden Smog “Weird Tales”, Sean Lennon “Friendly Fire”

More rockin’ in the ol’ dry heat

The Phoenix sun bakes you pretty good, even in late October.  We found that out visiting two notable art sites today in the north part of town. Stop #1 was the Sunnyslope Rock Garden, built over a 22 year period by Grover Cleveland Thompson in the yard where he’d retired.  Apparently his wife wasn’t near as keen on his dishware flecked fenceposts and historical heads (we think that’s Red Skelton above) that make the place such an outsider art eyecatcher.

So much so that after his death in the 70s, Sunnyslope caught the eye of a New Yorker named Marion Blake, who couldn’t resist buying it and relocating.  Even though she admits, she really likes cooler weather!

Marion has been a stupendous steward for this whimsical, upbeat assortment of concrete, Fiestaware and whatever else Mr. T had on hand when he was sculpting.  The fact that it all began when he was 65 gives us good reason to believe the best is yet to come. However, it is also worth noting that this TV Weasel strained his back a bit lifting a concrete something or another while trying to help!

Speaking of seniors, Gus Brethauer, the man who calls his yard “Over the Rainbow,” is a spry 82.  And by his estimation he’s spent something like a million dollars collecting pieces of Phoenix area history, petrified wood and cacti that he’s spread in mazes and relic-filled trails around several acres. (Don says several miles.)  Wanna see some of the city’s old underground sidewalks?  He’s got ‘em?  Amusement park rides that Barry Goldwater rode on?  A solar system in rock? A temple of doom, fossils, meteor pieces... Did I mention petrified wood?

And inside, a huge movie collection and 30,000 LP’s! In the category of obsessive collectors, we now have someone who runs neck and neck with the late Max Nordeen.  Gus, take a bow...

Music in the Van-Loudon Wainwright III “Little Ships”

Say it with fire!

It’s only fitting that a day which ended with a flame-spewing Trailer Trash Man in someone’s front yard actually began with a search for another atomic cannon.  “Another” because we’ve seen the grandaddy of this really bad idea outside Fort Riley in Kansas, and wanted to compare Yuma, Arizona’s specimen.  But it turned out to be more difficult than we’d planned, due to lack of good signage, which led to lots of aimless driving around outside the Proving Grounds. Advantage Kansas definitely--both for size and marketing!

Actually, it turned out to be a War & Peace mini-tour, since US 95 out by the Proving Grounds also runs by a tiny white church.  We did some comparing with others we’ve seen in the Midwest, and agreed this classic six pewed beauty was a true title contender, with better than average paneling inside...

Roadside attractions were really the order of the day, continuing in Gila Bend, AZ with the Space Age Motel.  This one went up in the 60s, and has stuck with its spacey ways. Duke Fox, the owner says it’s a lot of fun running a Best Western like no other, what with its saucer topped lobby and NASA graphics throughout.  Plus he and his wife were muy generoso with Space Age mementos and shirts.  Can you say TV Weasels?

And then we hit Phoenix.  Or at least the traffic that surrounds it.  After a bit of wandering we drove by Mr. Lee’s Oriental Rock Garden.  Unfortunately, he passed away a few months back, so no use stopping in...  But the place still looked great, and we rolled a little tape in his honor as we rolled by.

The real destination was Scottsdale by dark.  That’s where Richard Wizardry demoed some of his pyrophonic creations, like Toaster Boy and Trailer Trash Man.  He recycles appliances and kitchenware, metal and wire into sculptured forms and cues them with a keyboard to SHOOT FIRE!  Right there in his front yard while we whooped in approval.  And roasted weenies and toasted s’mores.  Very impressive, and definitely nothing quite like we’ve ever seen before.

Music In the Van--Dixie Chicks “Long Time Gone”, David Byrne “Grown Backwards”,Shout Sister Shout” (Tribute to Sister Rosetta Thorpe)

The man and his mountain

Don’t even ask about our night’s accommodations.  According to Don, the Calipatria Inn was the second favorite place he’s ever stayed.  What was first?  Everything else!  (He’ll show you the pictures.) The thing is, it was only 10 miles away from Niland, which meant easy morning access to Salvation Mountain, one of outsider art’s most incredible environments.

The mountain (and everything around it) is the work of the smiling man above, 74 year old Leonard Knight.  He started back in 1974, with a simple plan to tell people that God is love.  Now, 100,000 gallons of paint later, his rainbow hued peaks loom over the desert floor below.  Which he’s painted as well, in the form of a beautiful blue ocean. 

There are signs all around, reminding us that we should repent our sins, and love the Lord.  But Leonard himself doesn’t preach at visitors.  If you’re there for the art, that’s fine, and if you want to talk religion, he might do that too.  He used to ride his bike around to find raw materials, but now he’s got a car.  No electricity, phone, or water though.  He mostly lives a hard scrabble desert life, painting, meditating and talking directly with “his preacher.”

Turns out we weren’t the only film crew looking for Leonard today either.  A movie (Into the Wild) directed by Sean Penn that was shooting in the vicinity wanted to use Salvation Mountain for a scene or two, with Mr. Knight making a small appearance.  We took him to lunch first, and told him we’d do most of the talking, so he could rest his voice.  Thanks, Leonard.  It’s a take!

Afterwards, we wandered off to see how much of a mess the nearby Salton Sea really is. Plenty of dead fish, and very few people at this bizarre water hole in the middle of the California desert.

Speaking of incongruous, how about the Center of the World?  Did you know it’s in Felicity, just a few miles from the Arizona border?  That there’s a plaque and a pyramid?  And stairs from the Eiffel Tower?  But it’s closed from Easter through Thanksgiving, so we couldn’t really learn the finer details.  That still didn’t stop us from speculating on some of its Francophilic ways during some lively parking lot catch.  Put me in coach, I’m ready to play...

Music in the van--new Madeline Peyroux, REM “Eponymous”, Jayhawks Rainy Day Music” 

Desert with a view

Talk about varied ecosystems.  We started today in LaJolla, peering out at the Pacific from Mt.Soledad, where our search for what were known as the Munchkin Houses turned up nothing except McMansions and a great view.  And while we were in the high-priced neighborhood, we also rolled up LaJolla’s gravity hill.  Not your big-time no-holds-barred thrill ride, but way better than our feeble attempt months ago in Salt Lake!

Then we hightailed it down to Primitive Kool in Ocean Beach, the only outsider art gallery in a hair salon we’ve ever seen.  Lynn and Paul, the owners, were haircutters first, then art lovers--who’ve found a way to display their inventory right in the salon.  Stories were shared (Dr. Bob and Big Al in particular), art was purchased, and the Big Ball sat under a dryer. No cuts, trims or waxing for any of us, though...

We really didn’t have time anyway, since the desert was waiting for us.  The Desert View Tower near Jacumba, that is. It’s an old school roadside attraction that’s been there since 1922, offering up a spectacular panorama of rocks and sky, with an assortment of folk art sculptures out back to boot. Ben, the current owner, bought it five years or so ago, because, he says, he’s “a misanthrope” and the desert’s a good place for guys like that!

Stories about the good old days when cars struggled to climb through these hills and desert rats drank in the tower’s bar, as well as new ones involving the Border Patrol kept us listening raptly.  Souvenirs aplenty were liberated from the Tower Gift Shop (it’s a good one) and we left with only one small wound, suffered when Don slipped on his way up the boulder trail. Pass the Neosporin, and get ready for Salvation Mountain tomorrow!

Music in the van--Jim Lauderdale & Ralph Stanley ”Lost In the Lonesome Pines”, Janis Joplin’s Greatest Hits, Sting “Dream of Blue Turtles” 

Don’s found money count--$5.70 (including a really great beat-to-a-pulp Kansas quarter)

Do you believe in magic?

Yesterday Encinitas, today Escondido.  Kinda confusing, though one’s by the water, one’s a bit further inland. And today in Escondido, as the 300,000,000th American was being born, we saw our first Muffler Man actually still holding a muffler!  He’s downtown at Joor Muffler, where he’s been standing at attention for more than 30 years. With a pencil-thin mustache and rugged physique, he’s a truly striking specimen of mannus gigantus! 

   That was fine and dandy, but in no way prepared us for the jaw-dropping splendor of Queen Califla’s Magic Circle in the city’s Kit Carson Park. It’s a semi-stealth (very few signs) fiberglass, rock, tile and concrete installation in a distant corner of the park, created by a self-taught French-American artist named Niki de Saint Phalle.

   Niki got the idea from an old Spanish tale about an Amazon queen who ruled California (at least we think it’s fiction), which would speak to the state’s poly-cultural blend.  She wanted to create museum quality work in a family-friendly outdoor environment, and judging from the folks wandering through today, we’d say she succeeded in spades!

  There are totems, snakes, birds, female forms, funny faces and of course, the queen herself riding an eagle in the center.  Niki died before the work was finally completed, but the crew she assembled made sure that her wishes were carried out, and the Magic Circle has been open since 2003. With this much color and beauty staring you down, how can you help but believe?

Music in the van--Elvis Costello’s Starbucks Artist Choice

Oh yeah, we can dig it!

Here’s a bit of irony.  We’re driving south towards San Diego, the city with the country’s best year round climate--and it’s rainy and a wee bit chilly. After Oregon had been dry and in the 90s!

Encinatas was our actual destination, but the first stop in this bustling beach town turned out to be less than fruitful.  The topiary Cadillac we’d read about in front of the 7-11 was, in the words of the sales clerk, “no mas.”

  

 At least the city’s renowned boat houses were still there.  A pair of most distinctive ship-shaped properties that Miles Minor Kellogg built from recycled materials 80 some years ago.  Like Don said, “one’s Ginger, one’s Mary Anne.”  And they might be really handy in a tsunami.

But today’s focal point was a site that may well be gone in another six months--Richard Margolin’s Rock & Roll House.  The problem  here is that the place is a rental, and the whole block may soon be condos.  Which means that the purple swirls and playful pieces of semi-psychedelia which this tree service operator has blanketed the grounds with are at serious risk. 

The founders of rock’ n roll are all honored here (quite colorfully)--from icons like Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters to the Rolling Stones, Elvis and Dylan.  Also Buddy Holly, Mama Cass, Ike & Tinas, most of the Beatles (not Paul though) and artistically related figures like Lenny Bruce, Timothy Leary and Albert Einstein.  Hey, it’s Richard’s house, he can put up whoever he wants! 

We brought the Big Ball out to sit on Little Richard’s face, and snapped pictures a plenty, knowing that history was being made here.  And trust us, Mr. M., we really can dig it.

Music In the Van--Little Willies, Counting Crows “New Amsterdam”