At that point, he revealed who he is. He is none other than BB King himself standing before me.  It was just about time for him to go on board and finish his last set. I asked for his autograph since no one would actually believe me that I had met him.. All I had was a pen from school. I looked in the trash bin and found a paper plate.  He wrote in big letters BB KING with all the swirls and swipes such a seasoned performer does on such an occasion. Just before he went back on board he turned and gave me the silver inlaid pipe he had been smoking. All this happened in the wee hours of the morning one summer night on the Mississippi River in New Orleans.He also had invited me to his hotel room in the Marriott for a further interview about his music.

       I showed up there the next morning.  It was nearly 10 am.  One of the band mates opened the door  I could see I was way too early for this sort of thing. Everyone was still sleeping and hardly ready to have guests.  I slunk away embarrassed at having disturbed these people all sharing the same suite. No interview was obtained just memories.
        I was touring the country and found myself in Oklahoma at another Music Festival.  I was dressed in cutoff striped overalls which were kinda quirky but very comfortable with plenty ball room. It was a different thing entirely from the City Festivals I was involved with.  I was just hanging out when up walks a tall man with a beard and cowboy hat. This was how Leon Russell looked when he shook my hand to say welcome to his Festival. We had a nice chat about the many performances still on tap. I wished him well as I went back to my camp.
     Suzie Quattro came to New Orleans for a show in City Park at the band shell with Jimi Hendrix and the Experience.  Suzie retreated to her tour bus.  No one answered my knock. I was planning an interview with her asking questions like how do you like New Orleans? It simply was not to be. I left my calling card.  There were so many others that I did interview over the years. When life hands you pickles make relish.
      After a show at Tulane University, Seals and Crofts gave the media a chance to ask questions. I managed to find a chair to hear about their involvement with the Ba Hai sect which was popular among the young. This is one of those all encompassing religions that seek to unify all religions under one banner. 
I saw Peter Paul and Mary perform at Tulane as well as Donovan in those crazy Hootenanny days of forgotten memories. These performers were our heroes of whom we built a music group dedicated to folk music that has not been heard for decades. In those days, there was no audience for our campfire songs and plaintive tunes that told a story and illustrated lessons of life.   I soon was on my way to Nowhere Soon.

     At one huge meeting in Anacortes, I was inducted into this form of Buddhism. They presented the scroll to all the newbies just like a diploma.  You sit on your knees, Japanese style.  It was like any Church meeting I have ever been to.... well dressed people and well mannered kids.  Concern for your well being was apparent..   However, no wealth was ever freely given which is typical.
    I found myself flying to Hawaii to take full advantage of my new found religion.  I went to a few meeting and met a mixed Hawaiian who made her living cleaning barracks for the Army. She hired me to do some of the work. She did no cleaning herself. These barracks were in terrible shape.  No one had ever cleaned them.  It was overwhelming. She dropped me off and said call her when it becomes white glove status.  She really would put on a white glove and search for dirt.  I did not last long at that career. 
    I did take full advantage of her hospitality out there at Halewa.  I went back to being a carpenter.   She had a relative that has Multiple Sclerosis which was just short of a death sentence.  I was given the job of building a wheelchair ramp. I was to do the heavy lifting into her wheelchair.  She got so horny when I touched her.  I could not function well around all this sexual tension. 

   I finally went back to the marina in Honolulu and found work finishing Viveka, a 12 meter yacht.  This was a manic skipper who was as mean as a shark. He put me to sanding the entire hull by hand with a giant sanding block.  He took full advantage of my skills and paid nothing whatsoever.  I soon had enough of abuse and said my AMF.
    My next adventure was trying to get hired on a cruise ship.  Even this was a long shot.  I met Vallaba Sein down in Wakiki one evening. He invited me to come to the Hare Krishna Temple on Pali Highway.  This is the old Fisher Mansion that was given to the grandson of the founder of the Ford automobile company. This mansion was built in the old Hawaiian style using Koa and other hardwoods.  There was a Lichee tree in the circle driveway.  that has since fallen victim to the high winds of the Pali.  This was my favorite tree in all my travels.  I stayed for many moons.

        I helped them develop a restaurant called Govindas within the building.  I soon figured that going back to the University was my best way out of any situation.  I registered at the U of H but lost many credits because of some reason or other.  It took me another two full years to eventually graduate with a self composed degree as a Medical Advocate.  Life is tough then you die.  .

        The reef was still beautiful and very much alive. This reef has been evolving for millions of years and has survived other events worse than what man can throw at it. The fish can be huge.  Listen to the dive master and do what he says. There is no danger if you do this respectful thing. You get two choices. Snorkel or scuba. You must be certified to scuba.  Many people come to the coast just to get certified by a reputable dive master. It is worth the effort. Swimming is one of the greatest things you can do for your body.
          I continued on my explorations northward to the tropics. I caught a ride with a newly married couple heading to the west coast through Darwin. They were going to a new job working at a mine wiring in lights and power for the miners.  She was going to be the new cook for the crew.  This was their last fun thing before the grind of the work life took them down the road.
      I thought Darwin was my best chance at finding a yacht to crew on.  I met many people as I moved around Australia all trying to get the most out of their tour. We would stop at remote campgrounds to save money. We pulled into such a site with a swarm of wallabies and kangaroos hanging around. To get close to them you need to have some food. You also must hold it behind your back . Wild animals key on your eyes. When you are not watching them they will quietly move up for a sniff and a grab.  Any sudden movement will stampede them.
    On my train trip to Port Douglas I met a family who invited me to come home with them.   He owned a golf course and driving range, a new house and a ton of bills.   He took me to the golf course. We drove around the links in a golf cart. There were kangaroos lying in the shade, cockatoos that eat coconuts as well a huge Anaconda lying in the stream bed. The thing was the biggest snake I had ever seen. It had just eaten something and was digesting it in the morning sun.  These snakes do not slither away. They stay and fight. 

    After a day like this, he topped it off by taking me to a pub for lunch. He then dropped me off at the driving range where I spent hours perfecting my left handed swing.
     His daughter was 12. I had a old hand held mirror in my case that I gave her just to show her how beautiful she was.  A child should be able to see themselves. It is the only way they can learn posture and how to smile properly. You become your own best friend that way. The next morning, I was back on the train headed north. I will always remember this family.  It is rare to find people who will befriend a traveler.

    I arrived in Darwin and found a hostel with a pool and various totems which are actually grave markers that are brightly colored with mirrors embedded. The scatter of feathers on threads that danced in the breezes at sunset gave a way to tell the wind direction.
Everything was painted with different bands of earthen colors that the Aborigines found so interesting.  These captured totems were erected near the pool.  The youth of Australia have a great love of alcohol in its many forms.  The Abos also view alcohol as a medicine. They can be found nearby waiting for the opportunity to have a pull on the bottle being passed around.  The aborigines are so mistreated by the young guys.  They are severely scorned beaten and abused yet they keep comlng back to find alcohol to lessen the pain of existance.  No one cares.  They are the throw away people to the Australians.

    I now had a job lead.. I always wanted to live on a kibbutz. This was my big chance. Amazingly, they booked me on a direct flight for $100 USD straight to Ben Gurion Airport.  I had to fly on Canadian Airlines which was nice.   I was stopped at Customs and they ran my credit card.  Unless you have the money to spend, they will not let you board an international airline. I had a few thousand so she waved me through. This was not a pleasant experience with Canadian Customs. They make you feel like you are doing something wrong even though I held a letter of introduction.             Once on the plane, there was a mixup with the meals.  The poor lady was served my tray and I got hers.  She was pissed but nothing I could do since I had started already eating.  I was starved and low on blood glucose. 

 The flight was overnight. In the morning, I looked out to see the Gibraltar Strait. Soon after that, the Italian peninsula appeared out to port.  The jet banked right and soon we were waiting to land outside of Tel Aviv. Tel means hill...... Aviv means love.
        The weather was a shock.  It was not the desert heat I had planned for but freezing cold. I can only describe it as California weather.  This was the first culture shock for me. 

     Israel is the birthplace of many of the world's religions. I have deep respect for Israel.  I dropped to the ground like all the rest of the travelers and kissed the tarmac.          

      All I had was an address which I handed to the cabbie.  I had no jacket to keep me from shivering.   I was now standing outside the office of MDA.  I was feeling extremely jet lagged and somewhat confused and disoriented.  I walked in.  I said who I was and where I was from in my best English.  The Director understood every word.  That is because each child is required to learn two languages.... Hebrew and English during their school years.  Boy, was I relieved.  I had to find shelter to rest but the day was not ending there.
            I was given a guide who was going to help me get oriented with procedures and equipment. She was a soldier in the IDF. A Tunisian Israeli who had that swarthy eastern appeal. She was certainly a godsend.   She took me under her wing and showed me the ropes of working for the Ambulance Service in Israel as a volunteer.  Wait?        

        I though this was paid work? Now I was more confused than ever. Well, you gotta start somewhere.  Being apprenticed was going to have to be alright for now.   Besides, this girl was going to be my partner.  I was stoked. She was stoked.   Everyone became extremely friendly and supportive, asking questions about my Jewish background. She invited me to Shabot to meet her family. She had a pretty sister.  Now I was torn between the two.

     Just as refreshing as this was, my three month visa was expiring. I had now completed one facet of my youthful dream.  Living on a kibbutz was out the question simply because of the rules that do not allow for non jews. In an earlier time, this was allowed.   Since the Arabs are creating problems within Israel this becomes an issue.  I was past the age of the normal IDF soldier.  I shy away from guns in general, so carrying an Uzi was not in the cards.  Everybody armed....everybody...
   Shelia was my Jewish background.   I tried to make Aliya but failed simply because to be considered Jewish you need to have a maternal Jew in the family.  It all comes from the mother. Close but no cigar. The only Jew in our family was a male escaping the holocaust in Germany.   I spent many hours and weeks figuring all this out but nothing led to the fabled Aliya.            

       Even marrying a Jewish girl will only lead to diluted blood for the Jew and still no cigar. Ever hear the story of the wandering Jew? This is a Jew who is outcast from the Jewish family because he is no longer considered a Jew.  He is not really outcast but will be always considered a guest to the Family of the Jewish people.
     I was given the waistcoat of shame, which is a hospital green jacket.    I had to wear this for each ride along in the ambulance. I was to support the driver who is the professional health provider in all situations.  He has the radio, the keys to the truck and the knowledge base for every procedure for every case.   He always consults via radio with the ER.  He is instructed to follow the MD's advice to the letter.   Most of the time, it is transport the patient to the hospital as rapidly as possible.
      I met Fast Eddie or Crazy Eddie depending on what story you hear.  This guy is built like a rock and carries a .40 automatic in his waist.   He is a veteran driver who got his name for saving bus passengers from a sabotaged bus back in the mean old days when the Palestinians were allowed to come and go in Israel and plant IEDs.                Eddie is known for his heroics as an IDF soldier and joined the ambulance service after his tour of duty.  Now this is one powerful Israeli.....I  was issued a flack jacket that hung over the passenger seat to deflect bullets. I never questioned my partner and only followed his directions.  Eddie was a great technician. 

     We rescued a Russian from a roof who was screaming obscenities to the people below.  Eddie took him into the rear of the van and slapped the shit out of the guy.  He sobered up quickly.  This was the most profound lesson I ever saw.
     Upon returning to the states,  I stopped off in Chicago and met the people who got me over to Israel.  This Chicago chapter supplied the brand new Ambulances MDA uses today. They wanted to interview me on video.   I sat for the interview answering questions.I was trying to be encouraging to the viewers who send their children to Israel to learn at the hand of people like Fast Eddie. Everyone  was showing signs of wear and tear.  The stress levels in Israel are very high... Being threatened with annihilation does that to anyone.  No one has forgotten the holocaust.  It is remembered daily at noon when everyone stops for a minute of silence.  Lest we ever forget is the the saying....
    I had plenty of time on my hands in Tel Aviv.  I visited the US Consulate and cased the place. There were weaknesses with the perimeter defenses anyone could see. The barbed wire needed to be replaced with concertina wire,  the fence built higher and more razor wire installed would be the bare minimum improvement along with many more monitored cameras.  Death comes from the unknown. A satchel charge lobbed over the wall would do terrible damage. 

        I had to work nights in a restaurant as a kitchen cleaner just to maintain myself in a hostel. I worked all day for MDA then all night at the restaurant. Sleep was in short supply in those days. Food was cheap. I ate at the open air sidewalk cafes that line the streets and boulevards of Tel Aviv.  You must develop a taste for hummus which is spiced and mashed chickpeas.  This is served at every meal with olive  oil and crackers.  At least I could starve in style.  The cool thing is the protein content of hummus.   You must keep moving or you will be swept aside.  Tel Aviv does not sleep but simply changes its clothes and continues to function as the best city in the Middle East.

   There is a holocaust museum in Tel Aviv.  I found our ancient family name among the victims of the Nazis.   This is a many day adventure for families visiting Israel. You are made to feel welcome.  It is the most memorable of museums.       

        Even the Gypsies are remembered for their sacrifice at the hands of the Nazi's.  My Mother came from the Black Irish Gypsies of Ireland.  I have a vested interest in history. Knowing Isreal from first hand experience will dispel any misgivings about how brutal the Jews have been treated throughout history.  If you love God you will certainly love Israel.
      These were the war years no one wants to remember but the few who study history.  Most of the middle east, like Iraq and Syria as well as Iran, all supported the war machine of Germany. Germany had no oil reserves. Hitler was almost exclusively dependent on middle eastern oil production. These oil stockpiles were shipped to Germany through the underground network of Nazi sympathizers including the Palestinians. Remember Yassir Arafat?  He was actually an Egyptian who took up the Palestinian cause.                However, there is no historical record of a people being called Palestinian.  Yes there was a Palestine. This land has been continuously occupied by the Jewish people since the beginning of the historical record. All the archaeological evidence illustrates this in great detail.  Many choose to ignore the evidence.   Science does not lie. This is pure science.   Even Jesus was essentially an outsider being Armenian by birth.  However, Jesus was a Jew blessed by God and favored by the angels.  All of this history goes to show how desperate the middle east has become.  I found trusting in God is the best way forward. Do you know the word Gentile and its origins?  Look that one up sometime for a real eye opener.

    No tolerance for other beliefs is one of the fundamental differences of Christian belief. Shameless were these radicals. This form of Hinduism is older than dirt. It is from another time when people actually sought to get along with everything. Everything works according to the dictates of the universe personified by that great entity, Krishna.
         All of this effort is a lost cause anyway. We are in the throes of Kali Yuga which is a very dark and foreboding period predicted by the people who seem to know. Another deity is supposed to show up and make right all the wrongs. However, this particular deity decided it was just too dark and cold for his taste and shunned the opportunity, leaving everyone disappointed and confused. As Charlie said better luck next time. There is no next time. The only time we have is the present moment of now. Later means never. Now means immediately, if not sooner.  Find the time to be here now.
        I was given a full on library of linguistic books of the South Pacific by the temple. These were in turn given to to Anna for her center of cultural diversification she was organizing in a bid for credit in her Master's thesis.  These volumes included some rare dialects of the Philippines and other interesting cultures of the Pacific. This is how I got the Temple to participate in the University of Hawaii.  There were other attempts.  I was taking a class on Religion and Medicine and how intertwined these two disciplines are.  The devotees wanted to come to the UH and meet with my Hindi professor. They got all gussied up carrying a picture of Caitanya Prabhu. They were even playing the murdunga.   However, the professor would not even entertain these devotees who had no skill or knowledge but of Krsna Consciousness. A beautiful scene but a true waste of time for everyone.

       Meeting Kanva was a interesting encounter.  He was one of the first devotees of Prabupada.  

  He became the chief gardener of the Temple in India.  Now he was specializing in growing ginger which is highly sought after by healers and tea fanatics. The farm on the Big Isle is where he perfected ginger and bananas.

   I asked how he got to Hawaii from New York City.  He told me he had no money for the flight. We great balls of fire he crawled up into the wheel well of a 747 bound for Honolulu.  Amazingly he survived almost freezing to death at 33 thousand feet which is the normal altitude for these kinds of flights.  He crawled out inro the bright and warm sunlight and made his way to 51 Coehlo Dr where Prabupada was staying and resumed his duties as an entourage member of this Saint.

   Kanava had many good money making ideas.  He distributed dried bananas to the healthfood stores that were beginning to sprout up.

The profits began trickling in. Soon he was supporting everyone with his farming schemes.   We admired his determination to raise cash crops.

     We perfected the hammock as a way to deal with vermin that inhabits the forest floors of Louisiana.  We first sewed heavy canvas that we bought by the yard.  We found jungle hammocks at the army surplus.  There were many fax types.   We were looking for the genuine VietNam type with the false bottom and the tiny holed screen that keeps noseeums at bay.  You must use driplines if you want to stay dry in rainstorms because the water will run right down the ropes eventually leaving you wet.  Being wet is miserable.

       If was in Costa Rica living in mine when hit by a monsterous rainstorm.   The feeling of water seeping in is unnerving.  You are on your own.  Solve those problems before you lay down.

       I dressed as a motorcycle rider with the black engineer boots my brother lent me was how I presented myself for the annual Talent Show.   Our group consisted of two guitars, two female singers with me holding the bass line on the gut bucket.   These boots were heavy enough to hold down the bucket and show off these well polished boots.  The girls loved it. Our English teacher organized the talent show.  She was a special lady with great ideas for the young people who came to know her. She taught English at John McDonogh Senior High School.  That is where I met Frenchy.

      I took art class with Vin Scully who taught me how to mold art with paper mache.  He was a master of artistry and always had innovative ideas regarding painting.  I got into painting by numbers with John Nagy learn to draw kits.  

     I made a well dressed squirrel complete with a waistcoat just like Wind in the Willows characters I knew of.  So many of my creations vanished when we moved. I also created paper mache tribal masks reminiscent of Africa. These were the kind that I saw in the Mardi Gras parades being worn by the black voodoo dancers.  New Orleans is very famous for Voodoo rituals.  When I was  writing for the NOLA Express there was a voodoo shop next door.  These guys were into chicken blood and gris gris to sell to the tourists.  I talked to the struggling Haitians in an attempt to under the nature of voodoo.  All I came away with was another mystery to be unraveled at a later date.  I presented a involved thesis to the Fairhaven College examiners about this subject.

      I was the guest of Mr Brin in the afternoons.  He was the Capdau Juinor High libaraian. he introduced me to chess and the world of literature. He worked in the Louisiana section of the downtown Library.  He had a son from a broken marriage.  He adopted me into the world of education with his advice.  

    Mr Gillespie was another teaching wonder that was high bred and taught his subject well which was Louisiana history.   These educators were my mentors along with the school counselor who helped a great deal in my studies and life direction. No more juvenile problems now that I joined the Boy Scouts.  I now had somewhere to be after school ... in the library reading and playing chess.  My days were full but my nights were still restless.

    Barry was my best friend whom I played chess with along with his older brother. These guys knew everything about everything. He was quick to invite me to his home where his mother fed and nurtured us.  He is the smartest human I have ever known. He and his brother were beyond brilliant. If you lost a chess game you became the winner's slave for a day.  Who said there was never any white slaves?  Barry's insights into everything was amazing. He moved to Georgia. I had trouble following his movements after that. We exchanged letters for awhile but alas, that friendship disappeared like smoke on a clear day.

     I knew my classmate Joe Wong was a brilliant science scholar and astronomer in my Physics class. He succeeded in his life's direction simply because of his heritage which taught discipline in the mastery of learning.   His parents had a Chinese laundry near the campus of UNO which gave him early access to the University. He could simply walk across Campus and go home to have lunch.   His parents could then share in his discoveries and advise him.   One night he invited me to the small observatory in the Science Building at UNO.   He focused the telescope on Saturn. I had a small reflecting telescope but this was far better resolution.... Those images stayed with me for a very long time.   I was the master of the Moon, though.  But I digress.... back to the Scouts...

   The Troop is divided into 8 Patrols meeting in separate homes, usually on the evening before the Thursday night Troop meeting.  The Patrol has a flag that is hand sewn by a member usually by an  overworked Mother.  There are specialized skills which we all must master. I was now a Tenderfoot, soon to be Second Class, then Star, then Life.   If you had the right stuff you became an Eagle Scout.  It takes considerable effort to reach this level. There are the higher rankings but it is rare to achieve those.  Only the true Lifer Scouts were able to succeed. And that success depended on a very intense family life and Christian values.    These higher rankings included the Palm Leaf, both silver and gold, as well as the Pelican which is a profound honor since the Pelican is a symbol for Louisiana.   Interestingly, it is the Mother who received all the honors when the Scout reached the Eagle plateau. 
      This system of rank is based on the merit badges you earn. You must study sufficiently to recite all the information accurately.  You meet with leaders who question you about the specific merit badge you are seeking.  Whether you have studied sufficiently to recite the information accurately is how you are approved.  Demonstration is also essential.   One is not always approved.  You might have to come back many times.  You are presented with the badge in front of the Troop at the awards ceremony.   When you have earned 36 badges you become inducted into that honor of Eagle Scout.  The distances were too far for me to travel by bike. I realized I would not make Eagle only Life.  Life Scout is also a distinguished achievement. It is a heart shaped red badge of courage. I had been involved with the Scout now for 5 years.  I received the Voyager patch having taken part in a fifty mile canoe trip down the Bogue Chitta River during summer camp. This trip is a story in itself with many guys learning how to canoe in fast water.  It was a situation comedy in the making when guys would tump over and lose everything.  Others had to chase down the supplies like the oranges.  This patch hangs from your shirt pocket flap.  I really kept my Mother busy sewing merit badges on my merit badge sash. The heady world of Scouting was consuming me.
  I quickly moved up in the ranks.  Tenderfoot Second Class and First Class were no problem.  Star Class was a little more difficult then Heart Class was where I stopped because it is based on how many merit badges you are required to earn.  Eagle requires 36 badges along with passing the intense grilling of Scouting lore and structure of the body of scouting.  You must deliniate clearly to the review board.  If you fail you get a second chance.  I was drawing a blank. At the investure ceremony I forgot my lines in front of everyone.  Stage fright has always been a part of my makeup. Jeez

   Camp Salmon was the place to be for summer.  Total immersion is the only way to learn anything.  For breakfast at one of our many jubilees we made pancakes out of Bisquick Flour from scratch which was a group activity.  Everybody had suggestions for the mixture but only I was doing the mixing.  I suddenly had enough of everyone's suggestions and started slinging flour at these guys as a way to get them to shut up.  However, they took it as a sign to play and suddenly we were involved in a giant flour war that left everyone covered in flour.  No harm done. We were in white face now.
 
      I was inducted into the Order of the Arrow at the Brotherhood level which is truly the highest accomplishment possible. You only get there by election when your leadership skills are more fully developed.  I was now spending my summers at Camp Salmon.  You get two weeks of complete freedom and immersion in scout traditions. These included storytelling, fire starting and water boiling competitions and many other camp skills that stay with you for life.  I could scare the willies out of everyone with my ghost stories.  My Patrol won every water boiling competition at every Jamboree we participated in. We could build fires that took mere seconds to roar to life.  They always put a little soap in the pail so if it a close call the soap does not lie. Ours always jumped out of the pail. Scouting was not only about helping old ladies across the street.  Your survival skills were well developed.  We used the air force survival manual to prepare us.  Nothing prepares you like direct experience.

   The Camp itself was an old brick factory which Mr. Salmon donated to the scouts some time ago.  This area is known for its red clay deposits which is the main component of brick making.  The bricks are formed out of this clay then kiln dried.  These bricks were then shipped to New Orleans to help build the city.  Many of the Civil War era forts were built with Salmon bricks. There are many of these Forts built guarding the waterways to New Orleans.  Fort Massachusetts on Ship Island was a wonderful playground for us during these formation years.  It became an annual event for us to travel there to eat french bread, summer sausage and cheese.  We would smuggle a few bottles of cheap wine with us just to keep the tradition of our French heritage. We could chase fiddler crabs on the beach at night in complete drunken freedom.  I kept one Salmon brick for a long time until it became another lost treasure of my life.  I had a keepsake drawer where boys keep all their interesting stuff.  Every child should have one.

      Each night at Camp Salmon was the council fire led by Greek the Clown whose antics kept us all laughing. A true joy of a man.   Information was shared, skits performed and schedules announced by our fearless leaders at these nightly bonfires. Show and Tell is how we are taught new skills like knots, camp cooking and a host of other interesting skills.  There was never a dull moment.  He would call down some boys to participate.  They had to recite this pledge over and over, faster and faster in order to join the tribe.  OH WA TA GOO SIAM
   The council fire was right on Bayou Liberty.   The fire was lit each night by arrow shot from a tree from across the Bayou.  We finally figured out how this was done.  The older scouts strung a wire across the Bayou. They attached the arrow.  They lit the carefully tied bundle soaked in lighter fluid to the wire and with care managed to hit the target every night with the arrow.  Clever scouts are common.  It created a dramatic scene that lives in the memory for some time.  I took this skill to the KC Abbey Youth Camp where I worked with young boys trying to become individuals.  I performed an Indian torch dance to the delight of the campers.  Fuzzy also performed a fire breathing trick done with white flour and a lighter. You spew out the flour held in your mouth over the lighter. A great blue flame appears as if it were gasoline.  Petroleum products will kill you FYI.    I also worked for the Kingsley House Summer Camp on the Mississippi Gulf Coast which has since blown away.

    I was working with inner city black boys that had never seen the good side of life.  I was required to sleep in the same cabin with these boys.  One night one of them snuck out and brought back a big butcher knife from the Camp Kitchen.  They quietly gathered around my rack and stood there holding that knife close to my neck until I awoke.  Needless to say they went home early.... in fact, the next day.  It took me weeks to get over that incident. It was some kind of joke that was not funny in the least.

  During our camping forays into the different wildernesses of Louisiana,  we lived in jungle hammocks for the most part.  We even sewed our own hammocks out of sailcloth.  We gave up tent camping sometime ago preferring the hammock so the critters find it harder to get to you. They still get to you, though.  Louisiana is filled with creepy, crawly things.  We bought Nam era jungle hammocks with mosquito nets and built in tarps for when it rains. You still get wet until you hang drip strings on the lines.  The Army Surplus was our go-to supplier of anything we needed for survival in the Louisiana swamps..You have got to be careful because a lot of it is just Chinese knockoffs that fall apart on its first use.   Fort Polk is not too distant so there was plenty of surplus around.  Now you can find specialized jungle hammocks at any camping outlet.  We believe we pioneered that industry.  When you find a good thing market it as best you can.
    We were getting excited about our next camping trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  We knew of a wilderness behind those mansions that proved to be fertile hunting grounds for the proverbial
Sundew carnivorous plant.  This is a smaller plant looking like a small sun growing close to the ground.  It captures small insects like ants or mosquitoes that have the audacity to crawl on its outstretched sticky petals.  It quickly folds inward to the waiting, glistening, enzyme laden center where the captive is slowly dissolved.

      We found pitcher plants in these bogs that have never been seen by a human before.  We harvested all of these for our terrariums back home indicating to our mothers they will take care of the roaches too. We were capable of saying anything to get our parents on our side.  These bogs were also filled with sunfish like bream and perch which readily took anything that looked tasty.  As a scout you learn what the best bait is for each species.  Yarrow sometimes has a swollen stalk.    If you investigate this you will find a juicy grub inside that drives the fish crazy....Many times it was just crickets or earthworms that brought the most fish to the frying pan.   Occasionally, we would find other woodland insects and try him out on our hooks just to see...

      On these trips we always kept the coffee pot hot because you never know who will pop in for a visit.  Sometimes it was a neighbor who was curious enough to ask what the hell we were doing there.  Many times, it was the local sheriff who took an interest in our forays. Nothing calms down an irate person like an invitation to sit a spell and have a cup of New Orleans coffee and chicory.

   One our best trips was to the Bogue Chitto River on our annual Father Son camp out. The river wilderness holds many surprises for newcomers.  One of the more interesting was the soft shell turtle which has become exceedingly rare in this crazy mixed up world.  This turtle is a true survivor of the paleo era.  It has not changed except in its size which has gotten smaller as the world moves in on them.  Some southern boys put gill nets across the rivers and inadvertently catch these turtles.  When trapped they simply drown. 

    By now, we had many new members engaged in our troop.  Brewster was one character who needed a lot of guidance about Scouting.  You can only do so much with what you have.  Ted from Florida was a big guy who had all the mastery of Scouting but he was impossible to work with. That huge ego he always tripped over was a complete turnoff to our savvy way of thinking.   He wore those Pacific Northwest lumberjack boots that lace up to the knee with those giant hobnails in the heels.  We laughed at these newcomers among ourselves.  We never put down anyone for any reason. It was challenging to think of a creative way to describe these guys and their many problems of adjustment to the Louisiana swamp lands.

       Bill almost blew my foot off with a 12 gauge shotgun.  We were hunting in Plaquemines Parish one Christmas. We had driven down in the old Hoopie Doop which was a huge DeSoto touring car with the luggage rack and fluid drive transmission much like the big touring ones in Glacier National Park.  It was a true relic of the past.  It was so cold out there on the levee.  We were walking three abreast when his automatic shotgun with the hair trigger went off in front of me. To his benefit he was carrying it in a safe manner but so close... It blew a large pattern of annihilation into the levee.  I escaped injury, however my nerves were shot. This kind of luck has always followed me.  I don't think of it as luck but awareness of dangers.  But I will take luck when I can get it. Some call it God's protection.

        We started playing war games in those pinewoods along old logging trails above Lake Pontchartrain.  This was a very bad idea because the boys became way too serious.  The meanness was shocking.  With no guidance it just spiraled into the Lord of the Flies scenarios. They were carving sharpened spears out of the forest putting on war paint and running around crazy.  It took some real leadership skill to get them out of that mindset and back into purposeful Scouting.

      One year, we started building monkey bridges as a demonstration of scouting skills.  We even built one in the shopping center to attract new boys into scouting.  We were masters of our domain and second to none.  We knew it.   I became a Den Chief as well.  This is mentoring Cub Scouts and teaching new Scouting skills to the younger boys.  I had the shoulder epaulet with the braided colors of Cub Scouting which is blue and yellow.  My brother and I started in the Cubs some time ago out there in Metarie  We moved around to new housing situations frequently so finding a new Pack was difficult. We abandoned scouting for a few years. That is when I met Frank at school.  This started a whole new episode in my scouting life which was the only place I could shine my light.

   One Thursday night we had organized a presentation about the 12 points of the Scout Law.  We were up on the stage.  Each of us held a candle.   All of us were kinda a nervous since public speaking had never been practiced by any of us.  I was the last one to make a presentation.  I froze like a deer in the headlights. I could not speak.  Someone took over a said my part.   This w

as the first case of stage fright that I encountered.  There were to be many more.  

    I moved up the chain of leadership.   Assistant Senior Patrol Leader then Senior Patrol Leader and Assistant Scoutmaster under Mr Vander Meer's leadership.  I spent nearly 5 years in the Boy Scouts.  I learned everything there was to learn in Troop 87.  I graduated from High School in 67 then went to UNO for awhile.   Dave became the head honcho of Orleans Parish Sewerage and Water Board.  He eventually gave my younger brother a job he still holds today.  Ricky became the manager of the Mushroom Record Company which became famous before the world of CD's took over.  Ricky and I shared an apt. in the French Quarter.  We played a talent show at UNO in the Flambeau Room.  It was reviewed by many people.  Applause is very addicting.   Frank got married and took up the hippie lifestyle with Ellen.  They ran away to San Francisco during the Summer of Love.  Frank was always carrying that 12 string guitar that was so beautiful to listen to. Things were changing fast.  Frank came back to N.O. with Ellen in tow living on Esplanade street near me.  One night, I was over at their apt drinking beer when a stray cat decided to enter the apt with us sitting at the kitchen table.  All the old houses in N.O. have kitchen fireplaces.  When the cat stepped onto the bricks around the fireplace,  Frank hurled an empty beer bottle.  It shattered into a thousand fragments.  This cat had been fragged.  He never made another appearance.

    I was becoming overwhelmed by the University and society in general.  I soon dropped out.  The Science curricula was just was way too hard, especially Chemistry 2B...2.2 GPA is the cutoff.    If you go lower than that you are booted.  I was not a good enough student to master the University yet.  I left at 2.3. Chem 2B killed off any dreams I had of a science degree along with Algebra and Statistical Analysis which were the final nails in the coffin of educational dreams at UNO. 

    My brother was the absolute master of the field of geological formations of the Gulf Coast.  He became a world famous oil man with many awards.  He went on to graduate school at the University of Missouri. When I did manage to return to the University I took up Psychology.  Even that required too much of me.   I had to ride the public bus to school each day.  There are always troubled, distracting people riding the public buses in New Orleans.  I could see I would make a terrible therapist.  I was quickly running out of options.  Those days were especially hard because now I was eligible to be drafted.  I became a draft counselor.

   The one class I really enjoyed was Roman History.  That pantheon of history was well told by the lecturer who obviously enjoyed teaching and acting. He even described how Roman sandals were made.  I made my own sandals in those days having learned from my friend Neffer.  They had a specialized twist. I was using tire tread rubber from the side walls of used tires easily found in the trash.   It takes lots of glue and boat nails that are clenched to hold everything thing in place.  I laminated an arch of stacked leather which looked really cool.  My design was picked up by other sandal makers in the French Quarter....Handmade shoes fit right in with the Heckmann Shoe Store my extended family ran in New Orleans.
     My Uncle Abbie and Aunt Irene owned the Heckmann shoe store across the street from the Seven Seas Bar on St. Philip near Rampart.  I had many wonderful days exploring the rooftops and pigeon nests above the shoe store.   My Great Uncle Abby was said to hide cash in those boxes of shoes.  The Heckmann family immigrated from Hitler's Germany just before the war broke out. They came through the Netherlands as did many escaping the persecution.  They married the Arcadian French of New Orleans who had been waiting for Napoleon's arrival up the Mississippi River. The old Napoleon House even has a cupola with windows to watch for the Emperor's arrival.  Handmade sandals were very popular then.  Frank also made a pair of Ho Chi Minh sandals from tire tread and twisted bed sheets just because he could. He wore them to San Francisco during the Summer of Love of 1967.

       I worked at Vaucresson Cafe Creole Restaurant on Bourbon Street.  I moved out of my parents house.  I should say kicked out because of my long hair.  I had no choice but to work now.  I was a very talented artiste,  extremely talented... if I may say so.  My family did not really support my artistry like Ricky's folks did.   I moved to the French Quarter.  I found a place on Esplanade having lived in various places supported by my very kind Mother in spite of my rebellious nature..  During these many months, I met Sheila at the restaurant on Christmas Eve.  She and her brother had driven to New Orleans on a whim from LA.  We liked each other instantly and soon were making plans for me to travel to LA in the Spring.  The war was raging and I was about to get drafted.  It was pretty bleak times.  I went to my physical and by some miracle I was given a 4 F rating.  Thank God for bad eyesight.  Hallelujah, I'm a bum again. The Scouts were fast becoming a memory.  We all had plans to advance into the Explorers or become Sea Scouts but the world was pressing in on us now.   The draft was overwhelming.  I became a draft counselor for a few months.
      New Orleans was a very dangerous place then with the highest murder rate in the country.  I was walking home one night after some gig.  The streets were empty after midnight.  I heard footsteps approaching from the behind.  I tensed up hoping they would rush by me.  These black heroin addicts grabbed me and twisted my arms back throwing me to the ground as they rifled my wallet and my Omega watch that had been a gift from an admirer worth many thousands of dollars when new.  It was an Astronomers watch.  I staggered erect and made it to a friend's apt on Esplanade.  Lindy patched me up and let me sleep on the coach.  This is as bad as it gets.  The next morning, I ached so badly but was able to catch the bus to my parents.  I never returned to the French Quarter or my waiters job.  If New Orleans was going to kill me it will have to find me in California.

   Spring was almost here.  I couldn't wait any longer to see Sheila again.  She had been a well paid NYC model making many thousands of dollars during her prime. That red hair is a sign of a high birth which is the same in the Heckmann family from Germany.  She became an elementary school teacher having graduated from UCLA with a perfect 4.0 grade point.
   I had a lot to be grateful for..It was my chance of a lifetime.   I started down the road via the magic thumb.   Getting out of  New Orleans is very hard.  There is only one road called Hwy 61 aka Airline Highway to the locals made famous by Bob Dylan.  It's always better to travel with someone. The road gets lonely.  It is easy to get discouraged and saddled with a mass of traffic tickets. The cops love nothing better than to paper your life with tickets.   My traveling buddy turned out to be AWOL from the Army.  He looked like John Lennon.  By working together and being honest we gained the confidence of many drivers who took an interest in our many stories about New Orleans, travel and society in general.  Sharing information is what social interaction is all about. 
   We made it to the Texas Panhandle.  It was cold, windy and miserable. It was looking like wet snow was coming.  We had on absolutely nothing to keep us warm. We were dressed for the city not the ice cold Prairie.   We waited for hours, freezing in the sleet as darkness overtook the desert landscape.  I jumped the fence and started to build a fire as our last hope for survival.  The few matches I had got wet and useless.  Suddenly, I heard the whine of a VW in the distance.  I jumped the fence again, with the white scarf Sheila had given me blowing in the wind, the VW came to a screeching halt.  He asked how far are we going? I said LA.  He said get in.... that is where I am headed as well.  I wouldn't have seen you guys except for that white scarf.  He dropped me at Sheila's door.  Truly amazing.
         Sheila was very glad to see me.  She was teaching in an elementary school.  She had a VW almost the exact model.  Bright red and jam packed with features. This was the true LA car of the 70's.  I was privileged to drive her to work then have the car to go exploring LA.  My most memorable time was going to Griffin Park listening to the Conga players gather in the afternoon.  The syncopated rhythms made you want to get up and dance.   This was the hippie paradise we all had heard about. Long haired guys chasing pretty girls through the hillside made me instantly want to join in.  I had to find work though, so my best bet was music stores in the vicinity.  This was the very worst time to be looking for work.  I dressed in my best hip clothes wore my black suspenders like Cheech.  It was impossible and I soon new things were going down fast. We went to a few events like to watch Wilt Chamberlain play volleyball.  That was amazing to see him just take control of the game, effortlessly. We also went to a few political rallies that were actually fund raisers.
        Sheila's family had hosted Bobby Kennedy at their dinner table just before he went to that hotel to meet his fate.  She never got over that.  Mark, her brother told me stories and remained an ally for sometime afterwards.  When I think back to those days, I wonder about how this fits into God's plan.  The Jews believe we are all part of the same family of man.  God blesses the Jews as he does for all the faithful people of the world.
       My traveling buddy stayed in Austin thawing out with some girl he met.  I ran into Crystal again.  Strange how people seem to travel in the same ruts. This house was open to travelers and other desperate types looking for a start in Texas run mostly by college types whom I represent very well.  She was sleeping with some other guy.  Her lips were cracked.  A sign of a poor diet. Actually a Vitamin B deficiency is just one of the causes but when you are on a downward spiral it is just an indicator of deeper health issues.  I could tell she had fallen in with some bad white trash.  We said hello but that was it as they passed by me into the cold, rainy night.  Her tuna casserole will live forever as the best dish on an empty stomach.  Time waits for no one.  The road to Nowhere Soon just got longer.  This did not have to be this way.  The Vietnam war was raging with many caught up in its meat grinder draft.  I was so very lucky not to have been drafted.  I was actually proud of my 4F deferment.
     The Bogue Chitta river held great fascination after the 50 mile canoe trip that made us stronger and more determined to get that voyaguer patch we coveted so badly. Remember the history of Iberville and Bienville trip down the Mississippi to found New Orleans for the French King.  The City changed hands many times.  The Spanish laid claims then the British then the War of 1812 finally settled this nest of Catholicism into the protection of America. Louisiana still is the only state in the union that has the religious designation of Parishes instead of Counties. That fledgling upstart country was making huge strides.  The Louisiana Purchase added nearly a third more territory which still is the  biggest land purchase the world has ever seen second only to the later Alaskan purchase called Fulton's Folly.
     The canoes were heavy.  Camp Salmon had a canoe carrier that held 6 canoes.  Getting away from the younger scouts was a prominent concern.   Their big thing was lighting farts at night to get that blue light that they found impressive. This was a weekend trip.  We drove upstream to one of the bridges that crosses the big Bogue.  Our guide was ti John.  This full fledged Cajun was the master of this trip.

   Our Patrol got interested in Ship Island off the coast of BILOXI MISSISSIPPI.  We found out there was a ferry that services the island where the confederates built a huge fort to guard the channel to New Orleans which was the hub of the South.  We were more interested in getting drunk on the cheap wine we brought and the french bread and cheese along with the summer sausage was to be consumed in this overnight excursion.  We walked the beach that night watching the fiddler crabs scurrying ahead of our flashlights. 

We sang songs that drifted on the sea breezes for no one to hear but the three scouts on an adventure that has never been done before.

The fort was named Fort Massachusetts so it would lure Union ships close in before the guns were rolled out to annilate the despised Unionists.  As far as I can recall never a shot was fired from this massive fort.  It was the loneliest sentry duty for those soldiers of the era. 

We got sunburned and dirty waiting for the ferry to appear the next day.  

     We discovered Horseshoe crabs in the shallow lagoons.  These critters are now studied because of their blue blood and how it retains oxygen so well.  This research led to the development of synthetic blood used on battlefields today. 

  These crabs are actually from the family tree of spiders.  Certainly interesting to hung over Scouts waiting now impatiently for the mail boat.

  Tough way to find out you get seasick.  This was our first boat ride into the Gulf of Mexico.