Cotati 2025

8.21.25

Posting on Steve’s birthday, he would be 77 today. So, we have cake! I am going to The City tomorrow to have birthday dinner with my first beau Pilmer, carrying a mid-price Bordeaux and a gluten free chocolate cake that is about to come out of the oven. He will make Beouf Bourguignon once his roommate leaves for Burning Man today. I’ll pack a stainless steel flask to decant the wine lest he has no appropriate glass container for the job. It’s my birthday dinner: his birthday was this week, the delay comes from my reluctance to hike home from Bart past twilight vs the awkward kitchen scheduling of roommates.

Saturday was the long-awaited Cotati Accordion Festival, and all kerfuffle aside it was splendid. A few people dancing to almost every tune we played, and my friends of Stony the Cat fame came and took photos. It’s so great to be onstage again, and I attribute my current relaxed demeanor to having this creative outlet. I went all out on my outfit, finally wearing the blue beaded and fringed flapper dress my niece had sent me in 2021 (which had needed some poorly placed details removed). It was spectacular. Afterward a change of costume, and a barn dance near Petaluma.

The previous weekend we hosted the International Musical Saw Festival, and I helped set up the stage and run the sound board. It was a 180 from last year when I was so bedraggled and out of sorts, still bruised and baffled from the separation. I felt quite welcome and at home, and quite enjoyed myself.

I had Westied out to Canyon early on the Friday to sort and pack the sound system Art had set up in his music room. I spent some time in the Roofing House, now replete with rodent droppings. I swept up a bit and picked out a couple of keepsakes. It was sad, but not terribly so. I hadn’t been to Canyon since the unhappy April of the previous year, and the Petaluma parade. Nothing had changed except for the mysterious arrival of a large gold-framed mirror, almost a welcome-back gift, which I set up in the little window bay.

Art made dinner, and I spent the night in Westy in our old parking space. Saturday we drove separately down to Santa Cruz and I spent an hour in a traffic jam from bridge to beach. I got to the Saw Jam at the statue just after 2, and Art showed up right behind me. I had a yummy crepe and we played until 3 when we headed to Roaring Camp for a picnic with all the sawyers, and a sleepover in the parking lot for the (two) sound crew (us). Up at 6:30 AM, I made coffee, we got to the stage at 8 and were mostly set up by 10:00. All went well, great fun had by all, and I was home by 7 PM. It’s all good, I am looking forward to the Sunol Harvest Festival October 18, with two sets, the full band, and yet another spectacular costume. Plus, I’ll get to sing a couple or so of my songs . . .

photo credit: Laurie Brook; except selfie, me.