California Ought to be Our Own Country... Mad Donald is Not My King! I Feel a Kinship with Oregon, Washington State and Canada... But everything to the East is just Weird... What were those people thinking?

In fact, We did not elect Mad King Donald... That was done by people that live to the East of California... And those people are welcome to be ruled by him... But not me!

I lived near Washington DC for 12 years but I always felt that I was just visiting... I felt like a Stranger in a Strange Land... I had some fun times and toured New York City, Boston, Canada... all the way down to Key West... But the people that live there were strange... You're welcome to keep their country but it sure as Hell isn't mine... 

I spent about 5 years living in Chico... With the Chico Freakos... And that's another one of those places that is isolated and our own little world... We See on TV News that there are places outside of our community where the people are behaving crazy and suffering... So we just change the channel... Those people far away ought to get it together... Or maybe not... Doesn't have much effect on our life... 

One of the great things about Chico is it's in the California Central Valley and so everything is flat... So it's perfect for riding a bicycle... So all those expenses about automobiles just don't happen... If you own a car you got to make a car payment... You got to buy car insurance... You got to buy gasoline... You have to pay to park... It's just a horrible mess... But I lived in Chico for 5 years and never once owned a car... I had a girlfriend that owned a car... And sometimes she would drive around and take me... And having a car was really great when you wanted to go up to Mount Lassen... Or Paradise...

There's about 90,000 people that live in Butte County... And Chico's the main city... In the center of town is Chico State College which I attended for two years before flunking out... And a lot of people are brought to Chico by the school and then never leave... Surrounding the college town is a lot of farmland... And a lot of the people that live out there are Hispanic... So when I joined Alcoholics Anonymous... We had a lot of White People that were former Chico State College Students... And a lot of Farm Workers... And also a lot of American Indians... So we all got together and had a lot of fun!

I'm always reminded that Mad King Donald hates a lot of people... I wonder what happened to him that caused so much hatred? Growing up in Queens, did the Black Boys beat him up and take his lunch money? Is that why his dad sent him to military school???

Legendary Beat writers outside City Lights in 1956, left to right: Bob Donlin, Neal Cassady, Allen Ginsberg, Robert LaVinge and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Photograph: Allen Ginsberg/Corbis

In the 1940s and 50s, a new generation of poets rebelled against the conventions of mainstream American life and writing. They became known as the Beat Poets––a name that evokes weariness, down-and-outness, the beat under a piece of music, and beatific spirituality.

And some art by me!

Spaceship

I'm Reminded of a story... The ghost that haunts rivers and lakes in Mexico, is the spirit of the first Indian woman that got pregnant by a conquistador... When she gave birth to her half-breed child, she drowned it... Because of the shame of having a child with a European... And then her grief made her commit suicide... And she haunts the Waters of Mexico forever... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Llorona 

Later those half-breed people are called mulata... As in the Tito Puente song Oye Como Va... Made famous by Carlos Santana...

Bidwell Mansion in Chico, CA Burned Completely - Sad to see her go...

Chico State is saddened by the news that Bidwell Mansion, the historic building adjacent to our campus, was destroyed in an overnight fire. The state historic park was the home of John and Annie Bidwell and has been significant to Chico State since our founding.

Beyond serving as a beautiful landmark and gateway to the northeastern side of campus, Bidwell Mansion played a key role in the University’s history. It was owned for a period by the Normal School and served as a dormitory for Chico State Teachers College students. Later known as “Bidwell Hall,” it held classrooms and offices for several years. Its loss is deeply felt by all of us, and we join the Chico community in mourning the loss of this historic home.

Miracle or coincidence? I went into Annie Bidwell's Church on 1st Street, Chico, and asked God for a job for my friends V. and M. I wrote my prayer on a dollar bill and put it in the envelope for the poor... And within one week both of them had jobs... No one knows if God exists or not but... This happened.

I was reminded of this event by the newspaper article stating that the Bidwell Mansion in Chico has burned to the ground... I went there as a tourist to see the historical exhibits... And I'm really glad that I did when it was still possible.

Add THIS to Your Bucket List: Swimming at Bear Hole in Upper Bidwell Park, Chico California. Crystallized Black Lava Rocks - Basalt from the Eruption of Mount Lassen.

https://gvan42.blogspot.com/2018/10/swimming-at-bear-hole-in-upper-bidwell.html