Tree Town Batiks

First, thanks so much for your thoughts on my two-year blipversary, #730. Your words and your pictures are a source of inspiration for me.

This is Jerusha and Baba of Tree Town Batiks, doing business at the Portland Saturday Market. We stopped by their booth because we dug their colorful styles, and their Grateful Dead-inspired wear. We traded tales of Dead shows over the years, 20-plus years apart. I liked the colorful background here and these two colorful characters seemed more than blip-worthy. Get online and check out their website. Heck, go ahead an buy something from them! You know you want one of these cool shirts! Here's their link - go buy something, and tell them I sent you!

Every year, August 1st through August 9th are Garcia Days for us. These are the days between Jerry Garcia's birthday (August 1, 1942) and his passing (August 9, 1995). Consequently, we listen to lots of Garcia and Grateful Dead music, more so than we do otherwise. So for the next week-plus, I'll include some of my favorite Dead/Garcia/ Robert Hunter lyrics. First up, "Uncle John's Band":

Well, the first days are the hardest days, don't you worry anymore
'Cause when life looks like easy street, there is danger at your door
Now think this through with me, let me know your mind
Whoa oh, what I want to know is, are you kind

Now it's a buck dancer's choice, my friends, better take my advice
You know all the rules by now and the fire from the ice
Now will you come with me, won't you come with me?
Whoa oh, what I want to know, will you come with me?

Goddam, well, I declare, have you seen the like
Their walls are built of cannon balls, their motto is ''Don't tread on me"
Come hear Uncle John's band playing to the tide
Come with me or go alone, he's come to take his children home

It's the same story the crow told me, it's the only one he knows
Like the morning sun you come and like the wind you go
Ain't no time to hate, barely time to wait
Whoa oh, what I want to know, where does the time go?

I live in a silver mine and I call it beggar's tomb
I've got me a violin and I beg you call the tune
Anybody's choice, I can hear your voice
Whoa oh, what I want to know, how does the song go?

Come hear Uncle John's band by the riverside
Got some things to talk about here beside the rising tide
Come hear Uncle John's band, playing to the tide
Come on, come on or go alone, he's come to take his children home