I intended to post this last night, but was floored by a migraine. My head still hurts this morning, but I might as well post this update.

The weather over Crisfield, Maryland, for the past week has been alternating from searing heat to pouring rain. Every time a new front rolls through the atmosphere, my neuropathy, and arthritis pain goes from hellish to a place that is impossible to describe.

I’m not complaining. Doing so in this age of TL;DR would be futile. I am simply giving some perspective as to why my work in front of the camera has been slow.

While chronic pain is, to put it mildly, unpleasant, I do have Crisfield. Somehow, with help from my family and friends, I have been able to marshal my strength enough to walk around the block. I broke my right foot badly in a fall years back (isn’t epilepsy fun?), so I can’t go far – and it hurts like hell, but it is good to be outside. It is, to be honest, a shock to find myself socializing after years of being housebound, but it is good to see my friends once in a while. I had an invitation to play dominoes last night with some old-timers, but I am hurting too bad for company or the short walk.

Still, the invitation is like gold.

I have to get my hands on some kind of mobility scooter, so I can get over to the workshop and hang out more often. It would also be nice to get to the grocery store on my own. I have a couple of packages to mail here in the office that are getting dusty because I am waiting for the chance to get to the Post Office on my own.

While I don’t get around easily, and it has been years since I have been able to get to Assateauge, Blackwater, or even Brick Kiln, my knack with wild animals has turned the backyard into a small ecosystem.

Every night sees whitetail deer, foxes, raccoons, possums, and a groundhog the size of a VW Beetle roaming under the pecan tree.

We have always been lucky with attracting songbirds, but this year has been particularly abundant. Several varieties of woodpeckers, cedar waxwings, and meadowlarks are visiting the bird feeder. Bats, swallows, lightning bugs, and massive dragonflies fill the air at twilight.

My hands are too clumsy for the camera now, so I stopped trying to take pictures for the moment. It is enough to just sit on the back steps and take in the wonder all around me. Then I go inside and compose my feelings during those sunshine and twilight moments into music.

I guess it’s time to start recording that stuff.

In addition to my overgrown garden, inside the house, my family, Daisy the dog, and the three cats are good company. When the pain gets intense, one or all three felines are quick to curl up next to me. While the pain can make me more misanthropic than usual, I am aware that this time with my dad is a gift. I can’t wait until I get work caught up enough to start some of the projects we have lined up.

Work on Zen in the Five-String Banjo continues. Dear Old Dad and I have several irons in the fire. I just need to be strong enough to swing the hammer.

Over the next week, I will be recording and experimenting with the new tools. I have to learn the interface, PreSonus, and get used to working a mic again. I’ll be using dad’s ears and the car stereo to work around my hearing. If anybody wants to be a sonic guinea pig as we work out the mix, drop us a note.

This first recording will be entirely acoustic. Just banjo and voice. Once the parts are here and the electric banjo is upgraded, we will be doing a separate project. It would be cool to hook up with a drummer and bass player, but I’ll let that happen on its own.

Well, I guess that’s all the news that fits. I pushed too hard, setting up the recording gear for tomorrow. I’m going to curl up with the cats and a bad movie until this headache passes. Then, I have work to do