Home is where the heart is

Posted 8/21/12

Well, my heart anyhow, and I suspect most of yours as well. Now that we’ve had a few days in a row with temps above 40, I’m once again reminded of how much I love where I live and that without …

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Home is where the heart is

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Well, my heart anyhow, and I suspect most of yours as well. Now that we’ve had a few days in a row with temps above 40, I’m once again reminded of how much I love where I live and that without winter, spring would never smell as sweet. Zipping around the Upper Delaware River region with unfettered abandon, I couldn’t help but notice the sheer joy in my neighbors’ faces as well, as folks raked and swept, sprucing up their homes, waving at the Wonder Dog as we drove by. Noting the rushing waters of Callicoon Creek, I paused briefly and took a few photos, careful to not get my feet wet, knowing that I was about to make an attempt to fill some very big shoes—those of photographer, sportswriter, teacher, philosopher and all-round bon vivant Richard Ross, who has been homebound recuperating from surgery and was unable to emcee the 29th annual Hortonville Talent Show last Saturday, causing the steering committee to scramble.

Ross has been hosting the event for decades, and the very thought of the homespun cavalcade proceeding without him caused widespread panic as far away as Cochecton. Thankfully, the hosting job wound up going to Kathy Aleschus, who volunteered to fill in for Richard, allowing me and fellow celebrity judge Carol Montana to concentrate on our duties while selecting winners in the never-ending door prize raffle. I suspect Aleschus thought she’d be a shoo-in for winning an award by doing double duty as both performer and hostess, but bribes have been attempted in the past (you know who you are) and they rarely work. Besides, in her zeal to get a leg up on the competition, it must have slipped poor Kathy’s mind that at this yearly show, which features a wide variety of incredible homegrown talent, everyone is a winner, and they all go home with a beautiful “faux-parchment certificate suitable for framing.” As always, a flag-waving, foot-stomping, aria-singing, poetry-reciting, hip-hopdancing, fiddle-playing, comedy-sketching, pen-playing (you heard me) good time was had by the standing-room-only crowd filling the Presbyterian Church and raising funds for the Youth Economic Group based in Liberty, NY. Word on the street is that Ross is healing fast and will be swimming laps again soon, preparing himself to host the 30th extravaganza already being planned for next year.

On my way home, I stopped in Bethel, NY to hear Honesdale, PA’s The Crackers putting their cool spin on Americana, with great vocals, super tight harmonies, terrific fiddle playing and guitar strumming of their own. John Rocklin, Ron Huber, Jan London, Laura Kortright and Shawn Caden entertained with two nice sets in spite of my incredible rudeness and inability to sit still for more than three minutes, as I photographed the group, while Dharma shook paws all around and the two of us proceeded to disrupt the crowd wherever we went. The Crackers surely deserve better than the likes of me, so with head hung, I slunk out the door, determined to be on my best behavior the next time these folks travel far from home and grace us with their music again. Sorry, guys, blame it on the bossa nova (I mean me).

Looking for a way to spice up your marriage and keep the home fires burning? If local legend Ramona Jan and her husband of “too many years” (her words, not mine) workout guru Andre Turan, are any example, forming a musical act (janturan) and recording a CD are just the ticket. The duo’s first album (Whoopah!) and official CD release party took place on Sunday at Café Devine in Callicoon, NY, where streams of well wishers flowed in and out, and fans purchased copies of the pair’s original tunes, while they performed selections, many of which were oddly not featured on the debut CD. I’ve known this couple for years, so was thrilled to discover that they’re pretty good (IMHO) at this new venture, and while she toyed with every weird little instrument known to mankind, he stuck to the more traditional guitar and led the way with his signature strong vocals.

In between “autobiographical” songs like “Flying Horses,” “Drive” and “Enjoy the Ride,” the pair exchanged quips and cajoled each other in what one casual observer noted was “reminiscent of Sonny and Cher.” I’m not entirely sure what was meant by that, but I wasn’t the only one in the café who was entertained, and I did breathe a sigh of relief that I didn’t hate their routine. Instead, I actually found it heartwarming that the two appeared so happy to be on stage together. She looked ridiculously attractive, and he looked pretty much the same as always, but one could see that home is where their heart is, and that’s pretty sweet.

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