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Roach asked me to tell the tale again so we have accurate information. 
It was in 1993 or 94. I was out in Gold River CA, a suburb of Sacramento known for million dollars houses and auto junkyards. 
I'd just started my cactus obsession. I had a PC and maybe a couple more. 
At that point most of information. Came from vendors catalogs and lots of bad info got circulated. Once it was in one tfe others took it for gospel. One bad fact was " t peruvianus is 10x stronger than any other trichos"
Another was "saguaro is tfd fastest growing cactus". An inch a year isn't that fast. 
So I walked into a Lumberjack home improvement store and headed to the garden dept. 
Right there was a big cactus,  5 fat stems with wicked spines.  But I could see that it looked a lot like my San Pedros, just fatter and spined. 
I don't remember what their label said, I think it just said cactus. It was $50 so I took it home.  
   Still not knowing what it was I booked a bunch up with lemon juice added.  This one time I evaporated it down to tar.  I ate some and I knew right away it was way more active than the PC I'd been using.  I named it t lumberjackious ( fake Latin) later shortened to t lumberjack. 
At that point I think I got on line with my first computer and started learning.  I found other vendors and started a garden. 
A few years later, after we moved our whole scene including 200 cacti to our new house 
   I hooked up with Jethro ( now from Cactus Affinity) and he came up for a visit.  We traded a bunch of stuff and he really honed in on the Jack. I gave him a big fat cutting and he did a whole Johnny Appleseed thing with it. Got it into a lot if collections really fast. People loved it then and love it now.  Grows fast and big and is undeniably active.  And it's a pretty good looking too.  
It's gratifying to see it everywhere.  Not sure how much credit I deserve for it.  Best guess it's an Altman's Pach and bridgessi cross. 
It's made it into a number of cactus books.  Some had the story wrong and I've tried to straighten it out. 
But I'm not an ethnobotanist and I didnt find it in the mountains of Peru. Just a hippie gardener who got really lucky. I think what my contribution was talking a chance on something I didn't really know.  
I'm so glad it's so valued.  

Well they (we) are dropping like flies. Friends, family and heroes. 
Joe McDonald and Barry Melton were early influences.  The combination of politics and acid resonated hard.  I saw the band a couple times. Once in People's Park and once at Cal Expo when they opened for the Moody Blues. 
Years later I got to know Barry a little and he played on track for our bands cd.  
But another man done gone.  Every second counts. 

Well it's Déjà vu all over again. 
Trumps wagging the dog so he can cancel the elections. 
So, what are we gonna do? 

Lots happened these past years.  4 years ago we moved to the North Oregon Coast.  
I pretty much hit the ground running, playing with everyone who would have me. 
Being a bass player that was pretty much everyone. 
It took a while to sort through the possibilities but I've gotten it down to 5 or 6 bands.  I got to love the music and like the people or I'll stay home. 
The music never stopped. 

My original rock and roll turn on was in about 1963, before the Beatles hit. My brother turned me on to the Beach Boys and it just hit every mark for me. Every fantasy I had about being a teenager in California, ripping music, Carls Fender Jaguar tone, and the pictures of them in the studio on the  back of the albums. First time I ever saw a Fender bass.

Years later i learned that every note on the records came through Brian Wilsons brain and that Brian WAS the Beach Boys. As years go by and i know more about music, every time i hear them I am blown away by the brilliance of the arranging and production. Brian is like Beethoven writing songs about cars and girls. Even on the first records you could hear what he was going for. Ive read a bunch about Brian and the boys and its like the SoCal version of that great American story we call the Grateful Dead. Quintessential 60s history, right down to Charles Manson's cameo. 

The other night I listened to Smile all the way through and i got to say that its absolutely the most psychedelic music Ive ever heard. It propelled me into a full blown flashback. (Im prone to hallucination) Its nothing short of symphonic. And people always say it was competition between Brian and the Beatles. I always would have gone with the Beatles but Ive been turned around. Beatles are the best rock band but Brian is an immortal genius composer like the great classical music guys.
If there is anyone out there, discuss.

Everytime i look at the "visitors" list its like 1 member, 92 guests.  Who are these guests?

How many of you are out there?

Has anyone bought ethnobotanical products or plants on ebay? How did it work out?

I had a real thrill last weekend. Id did a show with Matt Rainey and Dippin Sauce. We play a lot psychedelic blues, Americana, and we can do a full night of Dead covers. The gig was in the heart of Dead territory, 19 Broadway in Fairfax, in Marin County, CA. We were blessed by having Phil's keyboard player Scott Guberman join us. As usually we did about half Dead covers and the rest Matts originals and some deep blues. What a treat it was!! Scott is a lot like Brent, mostly plays organ and sings the high parts. After being just a little star struck and nervous we just totally got it on for 4 hours. And what a nice unpretentious cat Scott is! I remember playing Cassidy and thinking "the last time this guy played this song Bob Weir was probably singing it. Ive gotten to play with Melvin too.

Playing that music with these guys, in Marin is like a life long dream. I got a full adult dose of Dead!  The music never stopped because its bigger than any of us, including Garcia.

I remember way back when, when Garcia was still alive hearing the Deadbeats, one of the first Dead cover bands and being more than a little creeped out. At that point I knew the music buy hadnt played much of it since trying to learn the tunes on Skull Fuck when i was a teenager. Since Garcia checked out there has been a rash and rush of bands playing the Grateful Deads extensive book. Now Im often called on to play the tunes made famous by the great band.

And I really love playing those tunes, especially the ones that open up for some outside jamming. Most of the time they are just tunes on a list, part of a bigger repertoire but this last weekend I played 2 shows with the Saints of Circumstance, all Dead or JGB tunes. And while it is a pretty good band and some great songs,  it felt a little weird.
Now Ive seen DSO 4 times and they do a spot on imitation of the OGs. And again, while Ive enjoyed the shows it did feel a little weird.
Your thoughts?

Looking for some potent amanitas or extract would be better. I can trade cactus or........

Anyone here in the Sierra? Ill be at the Bar of America Friday and Saturday this week. (Today and tomorrow) Mention SPF and win a prize or something. You like beer?

One of my brugs has a rare seed pod. Whats the best way to get viable seed? When to harvest?

Tune Tommy wrote about getting high with Willie Nelson. True story!! Yeah, Fire One Up!!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzVEBwONWxs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SACxOtm_zc

We got a whole night on video plus the audio came out so good, we're making it into a CD. Will be called Raw by Michael Ray. It will drop in early April.

What is the legal status of SD in the US now? Ive had a plant on my front porch for close to 20 years from one of  my first trades.

Hey folks. My band Matt Rainey and the Dippin Sauce won the local round of the International Blues Challenge and we are headed to Memphis, Tenn. Next week to compete with 240 bands from a round the world. We well be ther 1/15-21. If youre in the area get a hold of me and maybe we can hook up.

Hey now, I thought heads liked music a lot but no one has anything to say about it? When did y'all get your music bones removed?

How do you like your hero now?

Who marched yesterday? I, along with 20,000 of my closest friends marched to the California state capitol. Now Ive been around for a number of years and feel like I have experienced history being made but yesterday was far beyond anything I have been part of before. It reminded me of tales of the Human Be-in. We were all looking around in amazement that we are so not alone. The vibe of the event was peaceful, intelligent and determined.

You guys that know me well realize that no one has ever accused me of being an optimist, but when I saw the pictures of sister marches around the world I felt hope kindling in my heart.

I know us heads sometimes are antipolitics or at least apolitical but I believe now is not the time to be silent. Speak your truth loud and clear and keep on keeping on. Time to use the lessons in freedom we have been given!!

Yours in solidarity,
Your old buddy JRL.