Beds of the Bard

With a lovely breakfast inside us from Tucson, we headed straight north on both x and z axises to Flagstaff. A 260 mile drive back through Phoenix and then up into the air to 7000 feet, which took only about 5 hours with the stops for grub, etc. When we got there we were greeted by Mrs. Barton who, well used to the troubadour, had a pot of dinner on the boil and the beds made and waiting for a siesta. So with a little nap and a feed off to the gig in the wonderful town of Flagstaff. Big crowd, fair play to Kari, lovely night and I met a friend, John Cumiskey who drove down from Las Vegas with his fianceé Jessica, who I knew from years ago in Cork which was a nice treat. It was freezing though and the effects of the mountains were catching Jimmy but more so myself. Breathing became hard enough after the second flight of stairs and by the end of the gigs we were falling down on a cake, knackered couldn’t even help Kari’s dad with the sound gear.
This was the last night of the tour so when we got back to the house got ourselves in order and had a lovey cup of tea with the Bartons.
Jimmy had a flight from Phoenix early in the morning so we had to be on the road for 6am. I had an awful night sleep. My stomach was upset I’d say with altitude sickness as well as allergies and exhaustion. The bed was lovely and the room was very spacious. Would you believe it but the woman of the house got up and made coffee and breakfast for us, and we telling her to have her sleep. The kindness of people is unending.
Jimmy drove the first two and a bit hours of the drive and I took the car back to LA after dropping him off at the airport. I was in an awful way, could barely talk to Jimmy as he drove and when the midday heat came down upon me driving south of Death Valley on the I-10 going west, I was the worst for wear. When I got to LA at 4.30pm PST I hopped straight into the scratcher and did my best to recover.
A great tour but exhausting with all the driving.

A lovely breakfast and south the road from Phoenix, to Tucson, Arizona. We send word via Facebook to our awaiting hots that Ireland was playing France in a world cup knock-out match and when we had arrived didn’t the lovely people there, Chris and Melissa, have it ready on the big screen. We barely said hello, order a coffee and watched the match. The signal came and went but with more SOS’ out to the world of Facebook inks to watch it in America were sent from friends far and near. Well, as the coffee started to work it’s magic and the extra time of the match ensued our heart started to skip and beat with fierce pace. Then Henry slapped the leather ball with his big hand and sent us crashing out of the party in South Africa. We apologised to our hosts and finally greeted them civilly. ‘Tis a fright of how peremptory and curt one gets when on the road for so long. Era, we weren’t that bad I ‘bose. Anyhow, didn’t we go to bed quick enough again to get our snooze in before the gig.

The gig was massive in the houses’ front room with the whole town into see us. A great night and a bit of a session followed with a few Melissa’s own compositions round off the evening. Such wonderful hosts who are very sympathetic to wandering weary workmen of the world.

When I hit the bed, didn’t I fall for a long long time in to dreams never to be remembered. A fine breakfast in the brilliant morning sun and north the road again with us to Flagstaff. A photo by one of numerous Cactus and slán to our hosts again.

After a fierce drive in the blazing heat of the California/Arizona desert on the quiet I-10 we arrived at the door of Jim & Ann Daugherty’s House and upon meeting our hosts we went straight into the leaba!! We were exhausted from the 8 hour drive that day and with a gig to be played in the evening, the troubadour does need his nap. A fine sleep although shorter than an hour, but most welcome. A grand gig out on the back porch and the second half in the house itself. A lovely chat and away to bed again. A most comfortable sleep and awoke to a mighty breakfast of omelets and Barry’s tea!! Off to Tuscon with us!

Jim says

Máirtín,

We so enjoyed having you here, it was grand craic.

The bed was part of a cherry bedroom set owned by my maternal great grandmother, Julia V. Lieppe Lengel, and was originally in her house in reading Pennsylvania in the late 1800’s.  It was a “3/4 short” meaning it was halfway between a twin and full size width and only 72” long.  I made new side rails to match the originals, but made them 3” longer to accommodate a “regular” length mattress.  I still have the original rails and the rest of the bedroom set, that I hope one day to restore.  The bed still has the original exposed steel springs.

Do chara,

Jim

On the night of the 15th after a house concert in Vince Keehan’s house in San Fran we had a few tunes in the Plough and the Stars which brought bed time far too late in the house of Chuck le Mere, for the early rise we had in the morning for the long drive to LA was looming ever. The 16th had us in my in-laws place in the suburbs of LA. Exhausted and off again to Phoenix the following morning. They do have a grand bed there though.

Jimmy and myself were invited to a lovely singsong in a lovely house in one of the world prettiest landscapes, a vineyard in the Napa Valley of California. What a night of songs and music around a huge open fire, ’twas like what they would talk of long ‘go. It was very late by the time the pillow met my head and far too early when they parted company. Sleep fell heavy upon me that night, I’ll engage.

Back in San Francisco I got the roll out, pull out bed by the piano in the wonderful house of Chuck Le Mere in the famous Avenues. A great place to sit yourself if you are to be in San Fran for a few days. The bed was grand, the blankets where always in a different shape in the morning and I was getting quite used to the single bed again by the end of it. Chuck was and is an outstanding host for the troubadour on the the constant move. He feed Jimmy and myself like game cocks. We were full of fruit and fried food every morning and given time to rest, read or write as we wished. A safe house if ever I stayed in one.

This is the first of many beds that I will have for you ladies and gentlemen. It was Veteran’s Day and Jimmy Crowley and myself played a house concert in Davis, California. Andreas, a good buddy of mine set us up with the house concert. It was a lovely night. The bed in the photo here was very comfortable, lots of blankets, which were needed as the night got cool enough for the thin blood that surrounds me. Jimmy Crowley was in the bed at the other side of the light and we wondered what kind of spiders might catch us in the darkness. I awoke far too early with the people of the place beginning their day and of course the blades of light seeping in towards me. I got up at 8am and had a glass of water and that was the end of the nights rest. Off to San Francisco for the evening.

A chairde,

I have finally moved into the world of blogging. Here I am with a dictionary by my side ready to keep my mispelling in cheque.
I am going to try and show the beds I stay in on the bumpy road of life for a whole year, excluding the beds I own or family owned beds. That said I may speak of them from time to time but I won’t show any photos of them.

So here we go! I would love to hear what ye think of it as I go along, if anyone has any blogging tips, they would be great too.

Bhur gcara

Máirtín!