Saturday, August 6, 2016

Backtracking toward a lost sunrise

The "young man" you see smiling for the camera is FramBear. Photographs of him have appeared here in the "distant" past. Once upon a time he and I traveled together. (No sarcasm, please.) He even went to Poland with me, too, liked it and decided to stay there. Conversely, another young fellow from Poland named White Bear decided to return to the United States with me. No doubt, if you "travel" this blog regularly, you have seen his photograph on occasion. You might call this pair exchange students. Anyway .... behind FramBear is Lake Superior, which this post sort of centers upon. This is not the sandy beach I write about today, obviously. In fact, this photograph was taken on the north shore of Superior, while the words in my post describe a place and a time on the south shore. Consider the photograph an extension of "journalistic license" .... or whatever you please .... and a pleasant illustration to accompany the post. So, then .... here we are and here we go:

Sunrise .... July .... Superior .... rock on ....

These words which follow a few of you will understand and a few of you will not.  Hmmmm .... that sounded dumb .... I am laughing .... anyway ....

Among my fondest memories are those when awaking in a shallow pit dug to sort of bury myself in sand heated during the day by a glaring sun on a Lake Superior beach. This was during a string of nights closing bars and retreating for final drinks and talk with friends in the midst of the purity of Nature. We all loved the lake, the woodlands, the rolling hills and the granite cliffs, although some had difficulty expressing it beyond the adoration on their faces.

My habit, after the sun on my face had wakened me, was to light a cigarette, take a swallow or two or three from the quart of brandy next to me to clear the cobwebs, walk to my truck and begin blasting these songs -- "July Morning" and "Sunrise," by Uriah Heep -- from all eight speakers and the pair of amplifiers nestled in the back. There were times when the guitar boys among us would hook the amps up and we would have live music on the beach. Use your imagination. (Someday, I might tell you where, when and how those impromptu "concerts" originated ....)

It was great at the time. As you might surmise, this was between wives, between careers (or even between odds and ends job experiments), between battlefields, between most everything and not having a care in the world except .... except what ?? Well, you can figure it out.

By the way, I saw Uriah Heep perform live in a small, private venue during this same "beach period." I smile when I think of the concert.

You know, I could have stayed there, on that beach, with the crowd I hung with back then: A couple of ex-Marines, a couple of Navy boys and an Army and an Air Force-type or two, as well as their young lady "accomplices" and others who simply liked to party. Beyond that, I had a number of invitations for companionship which could have led into a variety of directions -- a variety of lives and lifestyles. We all experience times like that -- do we not ??

My favorite offer was from a young lady to live with her in the guest house of her parents' home (estate would be a more appropriate description) outside Detroit and be her father's sort of armed "personal assistant" at a nice salary. During my leisure time, she said, I could spend the hours either trying to write the next, great American novel or chasing her around the house -- as my mood dictated.

She (and her father) were serious about it. I think he thought of an "armed escort" more as a status symbol than as a necessity -- but, he actually was "connected" and he flaunted it. (Detroit and Chicago were "fiefdoms" of a sort in those days, if you get my drift.) And, this was not the strangest encounter/offer I had, either -- possibly, though, the most tempting for a few reasons, including a somewhat strange one: The father trusted me to be good for and to his daughter, and I really appreciated his confidence in me.

But, I moved on after a few weeks -- after the month of July -- back to wearing a suit and a tie and to the madness of the "respectable rat-race" style of life I had grown up in and had come to think of as "sort of normal." I made nearly a literal ton of money during the next few months -- simply for being the right guy in the right place at the right time, as good fortune often is described. (Again, someday, I might tell that story, but, baby, that one most likely only to you and only after an evening of brandy.)

Anyway, even though July is over for this summer I am going back to the south shore of Lake Superior for ten or twelve days to do a bit of canoeing, a bit of diving, a bit of pistol play, a bit of waking up on a beach in the middle of nowhere, a bit of reliving those memories and, maybe, even picking a new path into the future. Who can say who or what I might find there .... a familiar face from the past or an unexpected stranger ?? Probably an empty beach !!

I may try for a complete get-away and, although I am leaving this post open for comments, I might not be able to respond. I also might not be commenting at other blogs during this time .... whatever, see you when I get back .... see you sometime .... take care, baby ....

P.S. Happy Birthday, you know who .... you see, I do remember .... just about everything ....





21 comments:

Anita said...

What a great post Fram..and shoot!Looks very nice place...I envy you spending time there..And who is the lucky girl you call baby ..spending your time with..she must be very content and happy staying such nice places with you

You really has experienced alot in your life..I quess that makes you such a reflected nice and good man.
Its nice to travel..very nice to see other people places and what suddenly may pop up..as a traveller quote says A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.

Love that Fram Bear.Was it not you and Magda changing bears sometime..I love the look of that cute little thing!


Wish you all good and take care under your stay at Superiour Lake..Dont brake any bones or catch up with a bear!

You dearest kindly regards Anita

Smareis said...

Essa é uma bela imagem. Esse deve ser um lugar para um bom descanso.
Aproveite, se divirta, e boas férias Fram, aproveitem para renovar as energias.
A musica é boa.

Daliana Pacuraru said...

Have fun, Fram!

Kelly said...

Hello :-)
I have been away soooooo long. I thought you were leaving the blog so I have not come by. I see the last I was here was February! So long ago.

I have enjoyed reading and catching up. I love your pics, your music, and most of all, your writing. It is nice to know you are well.
Do you know it has now been 7 years since we met! Time passes so quickly...
I send you lotsa love and a tight squeeze hug.
Stay well, stay safe and happy!
Kelly :-) Still smiling....

Kelly said...

PS: Still have my postcard from Lake Superior and wilted roses...lol
You broke my heart...
Ahhh, life!
Big Hug :-)

Fram Actual said...

Hmmmm .... where am I ??
I must be dreaming ....
But, somehow, this place looks familiar ....
It is nice to see faces I know ....
Thank you, for coming and for writing ....
I need to sleep for a day or two ....
And, to think a bit ....
Later ....
Hmmmm .... it has begun to rain ....
And, the dog wishes to go outside ....
Me, too ....
Even though the stars are hidden ....

Fram Actual said...

Anita, Anita, Anita .... you never seem to believe me. There is no woman in my life and there has not been one since (briefly) in 2010. I have been living the life of a monk, in the sense of women, anyway. As for "baby," she is the someday girl, the somewhere girl, the maybe girl, the forever girl, the last girl .... you see ?? She might be the girl who never will exist. As in the lyrics of an old song:

"Some way, I don't know how,
"She'll bring her love to me ...."

Yes, as I have said in the past, when I was young I decided my purpose was to experience everything in life in one form or another, in one way or another, and, I think, in large measure, I had accomplished that by the time I was twenty-five. Since then, life has been repetition and variation and searching for things I missed or overlooked.

On this particular journey, I saw a few old friends, all of them guys, and we talked and got drunk and fired guns and did a bit of canoeing and even spent a few hours underwater. And, I devoted a considerable amount of time staring at The Lake and the sky, looking for ghosts and trying to get a glimpse into the future. Then, I drove a few other places just to see things I have not seen before.

I think you must be a good and a wise traveler, and would be a good traveling companion. As for me, I cannot help myself. I always am eager to move along from one destination to the next, searching for serenity, but not pausing long enough to discover if I have reached it.

Yes, after traveling with me for some time, FramBear flew off to Poland. When I arrived in Poland, White Bear was there to greet me and returned to America with me. He travels with me at times now, and always is close to me when I am on the computer. What can I say ??

I see you have posted since I left. I will visit those I have not yet been to, Anita. In the meanwhile, thank you, for coming and for commenting and for staying close to me.

Fram Actual said...

Yes, it is a wonderful place, Smareis.

It is forestland, much of it wilderness, surrounding a clear, blue lake. It is the Gichi Gami of the Ojibwe, the Gitche Gumee of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the Lac Superieur of the French explorers, the Lake Superior of today and The Lake to me. It is a place of wolves and bear and moose and deer and wolverine and bobcat and ....

Back during the days of sleeping on a sandy beach waiting for the sun to waken me, I would tell people that when I became old I would return to The Lake from wherever I lived and, when the time came, I would paddle a canoe out into a storm until the waves overpowered me and there I would drown .... who can say, maybe my end will be that way .... but, it is not that time yet and this was a trip only for memories ....

Thank you, for your visit and your good wishes, Smareis .... your smile gives me a sense of peace ....

Fram Actual said...

Well, I think I had fun, Daliana.

Strike that.

I know I did.

My memories from those times in that place are mostly happy and exciting. Thank you.

It was fun clutching the past and reliving memories and seeing some friends from days gone and lost. It even was sort of reassuring to put a period at the end of a few sentences regarding changes and things and people that have gone away forever from my life -- but, not from my memory.

And, on the other hand, I saw a change which was the result of work I once did at this place -- there now is a rather vast, public park along the Lake Superior shore for everyone to enjoy which would not be present if it had not been for me initiating the concept: The power of the pen is real.

Thank you, again, Daliana. It is a genuine pleasure to see you here once more.

Fram Actual said...

For sure, in hippy talk, I remember you and 2009 well and with happiness, Kelly. There were two songs which made me think of you way back then whenever I heard them. I am listening to one of them right now: U2 .... "With or Without You ...."

I will not tell you the name of the other song right now, but it was one by Boston.

Yes, I miss not having you stop by to talk with me here. Do not ever believe that I do not think about you and wonder how life is going for you and for your banker son and your model daughter and your beautiful mother and your sisters and your gun-toting step-father and even your ex-husband and .... well .... do not believe L.A. and a particular mermaid ever are far from my mind.

If it had occurred to me, I should have sent you a post card from this venture to Lake Superior. It was to the other side of the lake, the south side, my wild side, this time, though. Maybe, someday, even roses again ....

Well, among the things uttered by Private Cowboy in the film, "Full Metal Jacket," were the words: "We're .... heartbreakers ...."

I would add to that, in my case it is more often the result of a bad decision on my part than anything intentional.

So, now that you have reappeared, Kelly, I hope you will make your presence known a bit more often. Thank you, for this journey to visit me and for your comment and for bringing back memories of some enjoyable conversations we had when we were "sort of young" -- well, at least younger !!

Again, do not be a stranger, Kelly ....

Kelly said...

Yes, I remember the music too :-)
Nice times we spent together that I remember fondly as well.
Time is so precious and it seems I have so little of it these days...my life is very full.
So I am happy to find you here again and your new puppy is adorable! I think he will be a good friend and companion for you.
I send you love and well wishes...

Fram Actual said...

Well, I am listening to Boston right now, Kelly. I guess you have put me in that kind of mood. It is my absolute favorite rock group ever, and one of the few bands for which I recall where I was, what I was doing and who I was with the first time I heard a Boston song. I have seen the contemporary band in concert a few times, but, to my regret, never the original lineup with Brad Delp.

While that first paragraph may have sounded a bit melancholy, the words were happy with thoughts of sights and sounds and senses of people who have made me happy -- even if momentarily !!

I am happy for you if you are enjoying life and content with it. I agree with you about time, for sure ....

How much I will be on the sea of blogs, I am uncertain. I think I am lost in a maze (the maze ??) again .... or still .... actually, sort of perpetually, and the world is beginning to outrun me so I wish to use more of my time in other places for other things.

My thoughts often are with you and I am glad whenever our words meet, even if only on this sea of blogs. Thank you, for being here, Kelly ....

Fram Actual said...

P.S. Oh, yes, Kelly .... about Junior. (Still searching for a name.) He really has the instincts and the traits of a natural born hunter, somewhat to my amazement. (Must be fate !!) Yes, he will be a great little buddy.

One of these days, I want to make a calculated estimate of how often I have had a dog or dogs with me. An educated guess would be fifty to sixty percent of all the days of my life, beginning when I was two years old.

Smareis said...

Sorrindo, sorrindo, haaaa você esta querendo mais férias rindo aqui. Desse jeito eu vou desanimar do meu blog também.
Até qualquer dia Fram!

Fram Actual said...

I was smiling, too, until it began to rain again today, Smareis .... so much rain this spring and this summer. I am ready to move to a desert.

Yes, I want more vacation, in a sense. I want to clear my mind completely and to re-visit a few places from my past and, maybe, to resume a few outdoor activities I once relished. I would like to see some people who were once-upon-a-time friends. Yes, I want more vacation -- although, there is a number of people who would say I am on a permanent vacation since I do what I want and go where I please most of the time.

Anyway, I will not neglect my blog entirely, and I hope you are inspired to write more and more posts. Thank you, Smareis, for your smile, and always remember I am as close as the nearest cloud in the sky.

Smareis said...

Pois é, Fram, é muito bom com certeza poder re-visitar lugares do passado que foi importante. Mais olha, vê se você não some, depois de tantas férias tiradas. O blog está te esperando e seus leitores também. Depois nós conta sobre essas férias tão prolongada. Estamos tão perto como as estrelas do céu.
Até mais!....

Fram Actual said...

You surprised me with another note, Smareis. It is a nice surprise.

I have been thinking about another brief trek to last two or three weeks toward the end of September or early October, before the arrival of colder, autumn weather. This one would not be to see any individuals from the past, but to see a few of the several battlefield sites I went to during what I called my Plains Indian Wars tour more than a decade ago.

On such a trip, I could take the dog with me, and I could also be looking for a place to live which is more suited to my temperament than is suburbia.

Yes, there is a cosmic connection of sorts among us, it is said, both literally and figuratively. I look for something more, something I cannot even define, which, probably, is why I never will find it and am only able to hover near it.

Thanks, Smareis, for coming once again. You know I enjoy your company.

Smareis said...

Sempre que você sumir e não dá noticia, eu venho Fram.(sorrindo).
Desejo que setembro seja um mês de muitas alegrias pra você.
Você conhece essa canção? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tr98I7xNZk
Essa canção traduz uma calma interior muito boa. Nós coloca entre céu e terra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOIHHMnI_Ig

Até a volta Fram!

Fram Actual said...

Well, in that case, Smareis, I will expect you when I do not expect you and enjoy your company when I have it .... and, I am smiling, too ....

I have heard the songs before, but not the Leo Rojas renditions. The music is soothing and calming, something a person almost can take hold of and drift along with it into a dream-filled sleep. Thank you, for them.

September often is a good month for me, and I hope it will be good to us and for us both this year, Smareis.

The leaves are beginning to fall here .... autumn, once more, rushes toward me ....

Thank you, Smareis, as always, for you presence ....

A Cuban In London said...

Well, I won't ask. But Derek and the Dominoes kicked ass back in the day. :-)

Greetings from London.

Fram Actual said...

That they did, CiL .... and, still do ....

They were great even before they knew they were great and, in my book, "Layla," easily is among the top ten primo songs of the rock era. Some of the band's music has special meaning for me, as you might infer from the tone of the post.

It is nice to see you back in the saddle again, to quote Gene Autry. Thank you, for stopping by and for writing a comment, CiL ....

Something special ....