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Main
Date: 01 Aug 2006 17:22:56
From: Lumpy Darkness
Subject: Cosmic Coincidences
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A favorite family story tells of my Grandma baking cookies for Elvis.
Laugh if you will, but it's true.
Years ago in the misty past, before kids, before marriage, when one was content
to body surf Zuma Beach and spend the days "partying" in post-Vietnam Los
Angeles, I would often visit Griffith Park observatory in the evening. It was,
in 60's vernacular, a "boss" place. I never looked through the telescopes
though. I just enjoyed the planetarium program, the pendulum, and the wicked
looking electric arc that made my hair stand on end when it snapped. At 18, I
had no interest in astronomy.
Grandma lived in a guest house out back of my aunt and uncle's in Los Angeles.
During my childhood my cousins Ron and Bonnie Zee lived there too. My house was
over the hill, in "the valley". Ron eventually got joined the Marines, served
in Vietnam, survived, and came home to be a cop. Bonnie, well... that's where
the astronomy connection comes in.
Bonnie was different. Whereas Ron joined the "establishment", she went off in
the opposite direction... towards music. She was a friend of Elvis'... kind of
a pre-groupie groupie. Elvis would come over to the house and grandma would
bake him cookies.
Bonnie loved music and wanted to "make it" as a musician. She would later join
Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band with Norman Greenbaum, of "Canned Ham"
and "Spirit In The Sky" fame. Dr. West's "top 100 hit" had the insane title
"The Eggplant That Ate Chicago". Look it up, its real.
We then drifted apart and I lost touch with Bonnie for many years... until I
moved to the San Francisco bay area. I found her living in a geodesic dome at
Pacific High School on Skyline Boulevard, atop the Santa Cruz Mountains. She
had become a hippie.
After a brief visit we lost contact again, although I'd heard she was working at
Lick Observatory. This was 25 years ago, before I'd developed a fascination for
astronomy, so the connection with Lick didn't stick and I quickly forgot about
it.
Then a few years back, I began volunteering as a docent for the Summer Visitor
and Music of the Spheres public programs at the observatory. It was lots of
fun. This was when I came to know Lotus Baker, an interesting woman who runs
the gift shop at Lick and is integral to helping organize the public programs.
Nice person. By this time I was fully invested as a active observer, developing
TAC, some star parties, and all sorts of astro-activities, much more active than
I am now. You could say I was in the heat of it. Lick was the flame, I was the
moth.
The years past. Then two weeks ago, I phoned Lotus about an upcoming volunteer
night for which I was scheduled. While on the phone it suddenly dawned on me
that since Lotus had been at Lick for 28 years, she might know my cousin Bonnie
as their time frames overlapped. So I asked, "Don't suppose you knew my cousin,
Bonnie...", and before I could continue Lotus blurted out "BONNIE
ZEE?!?!?!?!".... "Well yes, that's her", I said. It was clearly evident that
Lotus had some very fond memories of my hippie cousin Bonnie. But it gets
better.
Lotus gave me an old e-mail address she had for Bonnie. So I wrote.
Two days later I got are reply... "YOU FOUND ME!"...
Bonnie had inherited and was now living in her parent's home in Palm Springs.
Not bad, eh? Good for her! So we've been corresponding by e-mail.
She told me her ex-husband Evan was still living on the Hog Farm in Northern
California. I had forgotten about this.... she *lived* on a "hog farm".... I
asked if she knew Wavy Gravy, and the bus trips, Ken Kesey....
Her answer almost knocked me over. "Yes", she replied, "I was one of them."
Instant visions of the Merry Pranksters, big painted buses rolling across the
US and Europe raced through my mind... Bonnie, an iconic American hippie pushing
for peace.
We talked about her days at Lick and the people she remembered... Rem Stone -
the director of Lick Observtory? Yes, they had been good friends. She looked at
the Lick web-site and said he looks nothing like she remembered (well, he
recently cut his long hair short and shaved his beard!). Then Bonnie told me
she knew Rem's dad, a wonderful spiritual teacher who would visit the Hog Farm
in Sunland-Tujuinga in southern California near where I grew up and where this
long strange trip began.
I found myself reflecting on what a small world it really is. I chuckled at
the coincidence... my cousin and her friend Elvis, her connection to Lick, to
the director's family, and how astronomy brought us back together after 25
years.. How fun this was! I'd only change on thing if I could... I wish I'd
been there as a kid, eating cookies with Elvis.
They were star shaped...
---
Lumpy Darkness
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Date: 01 Aug 2006 14:08:54
From: Starlord
Subject: Re: Cosmic Coincidences
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Hog farm in Sunland-Tujuinga ? That must have been so long ago as to be
stoneage. I lived in that area during the early to mid 80's and never heard
of ang thing of a hog farm being up there. Now I make my home out in the
High Mojave Desert.
--
The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
Astronomy Net Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/astronomy_net
In Garden Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/ingarden
Blast Off Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/starlords
Astro Blog
http://starlord.bloggerteam.com/
"Lumpy Darkness" <darkness.lumpy@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:44cf8aaa.1760231234@news.sf.sbcglobal.net...
>
> A favorite family story tells of my Grandma baking cookies for Elvis.
>
> Laugh if you will, but it's true.
>
> Years ago in the misty past, before kids, before marriage, when one was
> content
> to body surf Zuma Beach and spend the days "partying" in post-Vietnam Los
> Angeles, I would often visit Griffith Park observatory in the evening. It
> was,
> in 60's vernacular, a "boss" place. I never looked through the telescopes
> though. I just enjoyed the planetarium program, the pendulum, and the
> wicked
> looking electric arc that made my hair stand on end when it snapped. At
> 18, I
> had no interest in astronomy.
>
> Grandma lived in a guest house out back of my aunt and uncle's in Los
> Angeles.
> During my childhood my cousins Ron and Bonnie Zee lived there too. My
> house was
> over the hill, in "the valley". Ron eventually got joined the Marines,
> served
> in Vietnam, survived, and came home to be a cop. Bonnie, well... that's
> where
> the astronomy connection comes in.
>
> Bonnie was different. Whereas Ron joined the "establishment", she went
> off in
> the opposite direction... towards music. She was a friend of Elvis'...
> kind of
> a pre-groupie groupie. Elvis would come over to the house and grandma
> would
> bake him cookies.
>
> Bonnie loved music and wanted to "make it" as a musician. She would later
> join
> Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band with Norman Greenbaum, of "Canned
> Ham"
> and "Spirit In The Sky" fame. Dr. West's "top 100 hit" had the insane
> title
> "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago". Look it up, its real.
>
> We then drifted apart and I lost touch with Bonnie for many years... until
> I
> moved to the San Francisco bay area. I found her living in a geodesic
> dome at
> Pacific High School on Skyline Boulevard, atop the Santa Cruz Mountains.
> She
> had become a hippie.
>
> After a brief visit we lost contact again, although I'd heard she was
> working at
> Lick Observatory. This was 25 years ago, before I'd developed a
> fascination for
> astronomy, so the connection with Lick didn't stick and I quickly forgot
> about
> it.
>
> Then a few years back, I began volunteering as a docent for the Summer
> Visitor
> and Music of the Spheres public programs at the observatory. It was lots
> of
> fun. This was when I came to know Lotus Baker, an interesting woman who
> runs
> the gift shop at Lick and is integral to helping organize the public
> programs.
> Nice person. By this time I was fully invested as a active observer,
> developing
> TAC, some star parties, and all sorts of astro-activities, much more
> active than
> I am now. You could say I was in the heat of it. Lick was the flame, I
> was the
> moth.
>
> The years past. Then two weeks ago, I phoned Lotus about an upcoming
> volunteer
> night for which I was scheduled. While on the phone it suddenly dawned on
> me
> that since Lotus had been at Lick for 28 years, she might know my cousin
> Bonnie
> as their time frames overlapped. So I asked, "Don't suppose you knew my
> cousin,
> Bonnie...", and before I could continue Lotus blurted out "BONNIE
> ZEE?!?!?!?!".... "Well yes, that's her", I said. It was clearly evident
> that
> Lotus had some very fond memories of my hippie cousin Bonnie. But it gets
> better.
>
> Lotus gave me an old e-mail address she had for Bonnie. So I wrote.
>
> Two days later I got are reply... "YOU FOUND ME!"...
>
> Bonnie had inherited and was now living in her parent's home in Palm
> Springs.
> Not bad, eh? Good for her! So we've been corresponding by e-mail.
>
> She told me her ex-husband Evan was still living on the Hog Farm in
> Northern
> California. I had forgotten about this.... she *lived* on a "hog
> farm".... I
> asked if she knew Wavy Gravy, and the bus trips, Ken Kesey....
>
> Her answer almost knocked me over. "Yes", she replied, "I was one of
> them."
> Instant visions of the Merry Pranksters, big painted buses rolling
> across the
> US and Europe raced through my mind... Bonnie, an iconic American hippie
> pushing
> for peace.
>
> We talked about her days at Lick and the people she remembered... Rem
> Stone -
> the director of Lick Observtory? Yes, they had been good friends. She
> looked at
> the Lick web-site and said he looks nothing like she remembered (well, he
> recently cut his long hair short and shaved his beard!). Then Bonnie told
> me
> she knew Rem's dad, a wonderful spiritual teacher who would visit the Hog
> Farm
> in Sunland-Tujuinga in southern California near where I grew up and where
> this
> long strange trip began.
>
> I found myself reflecting on what a small world it really is. I chuckled
> at
> the coincidence... my cousin and her friend Elvis, her connection to Lick,
> to
> the director's family, and how astronomy brought us back together after 25
> years.. How fun this was! I'd only change on thing if I could... I wish
> I'd
> been there as a kid, eating cookies with Elvis.
>
> They were star shaped...
>
> ---
> Lumpy Darkness
>
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Date: 01 Aug 2006 21:22:37
From: Lumpy Darkness
Subject: Re: Cosmic Coincidences
|
On Tue, 1 Aug 2006 14:08:54 -0700, "Starlord" <starlord@sidewalkastronomy.info >
wrote:
>Hog farm in Sunland-Tujuinga ? That must have been so long ago as to be
>stoneage. I lived in that area during the early to mid 80's and never heard
>of ang thing of a hog farm being up there. Now I make my home out in the
>High Mojave Desert.
80's? It was all over by then I suppose. We're talking ancient photons.
Weren't you off fitghting for America back in the 60's?
A quick google search on sunland-tajunga hog farm gave this as the top hit:
http://www.erinsullivan.com/articles/heavens%20_above_article.htm
And I quote...
"The Road Hog, painted, collaged and montaged by Paul Foster and me early in
1968 at the original Hog Farm in Sunland Tujunga, epitomizes the mobile
consciousness-raising tribe that the Hog Farm inadvertently became."
Interestingly, it is from another "astro" type site... Heavens Above
All I can say it, its fun reading.
--
Lumpy Darkness
|
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Date: 01 Aug 2006 17:42:17
From: Starlord
Subject: Re: Cosmic Coincidences
|
1966 1968 Stationed in West Germany , 1968 to 1969 4th Inf. Div. Central
Highlands S.Vietnam
But I did live in S&T during 1980 to 86 and ran my Lawn Service there too,
lived in a small place behind one of the oldest homes in S&T, house has been
there since about the 1910 time. Place still there on about 5ac's of land.
--
The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
Astronomy Net Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/astronomy_net
In Garden Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/ingarden
Blast Off Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/starlords
Astro Blog
http://starlord.bloggerteam.com/
<darkness.lumpy @ gmail.com (Lumpy Darkness) > wrote in message
news:44cfc3b9.1774841031@news.sf.sbcglobal.net...
> On Tue, 1 Aug 2006 14:08:54 -0700, "Starlord"
> <starlord@sidewalkastronomy.info>
> wrote:
>
>>Hog farm in Sunland-Tujuinga ? That must have been so long ago as to be
>>stoneage. I lived in that area during the early to mid 80's and never
>>heard
>>of ang thing of a hog farm being up there. Now I make my home out in the
>>High Mojave Desert.
>
> 80's? It was all over by then I suppose. We're talking ancient photons.
> Weren't you off fitghting for America back in the 60's?
>
> A quick google search on sunland-tajunga hog farm gave this as the top
> hit:
>
> http://www.erinsullivan.com/articles/heavens%20_above_article.htm
>
> And I quote...
>
> "The Road Hog, painted, collaged and montaged by Paul Foster and me early
> in
> 1968 at the original Hog Farm in Sunland Tujunga, epitomizes the mobile
> consciousness-raising tribe that the Hog Farm inadvertently became."
>
> Interestingly, it is from another "astro" type site... Heavens Above
>
> All I can say it, its fun reading.
>
> --
>
> Lumpy Darkness
>
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Date: 01 Aug 2006 13:21:00
From: William C. Keel
Subject: Re: Cosmic Coincidences
|
I'm blown away - I remember Bonnie when she would try to introduce
us grad students from the benighted east to the wonders of
avocado and bean sprout sandwiches. Shocked me the first
time I opened one of those in the dark while observing at the
Crossley, perched on a platform umpty feet off the floor...
And speaking of Elvis - I recently talked to the von Braun
Astronomical Society in Huntsville. Their planetarium dome
was once the fiberglass protective cover for the upper tank
of an S-IC. They have von Braun's original homemade Newtonian -
a light shield installed on the open tube was cut from a shipping
crate bearing his name and address. And, while I might have
expected to see a dozen Apollo astronauts in the guest book,
there it was - Elvis!
(More odd connections - my dad, while still a cub reporter in Mississippi,
went fishing with Elvis early in his stardom. Dad went on to
be the first to use "Elvis the Pelvis" in print, for which the
singer didn't care at all. That, of course, was the lead item
in my father's AP obituary.)
Bill Keel
(suddenly feeling connected all over the map)
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Date: 01 Aug 2006 13:22:18
From: Dan Mckenna
Subject: Re: Cosmic Coincidences
|
Bonnie made the best night lunches ever and at times
it was like a gypsy caravan arrived at the diner when she was there.
Dan
William C. Keel wrote:
> I'm blown away - I remember Bonnie when she would try to introduce
> us grad students from the benighted east to the wonders of
> avocado and bean sprout sandwiches. Shocked me the first
> time I opened one of those in the dark while observing at the
> Crossley, perched on a platform umpty feet off the floor...
>
> And speaking of Elvis - I recently talked to the von Braun
> Astronomical Society in Huntsville. Their planetarium dome
> was once the fiberglass protective cover for the upper tank
> of an S-IC. They have von Braun's original homemade Newtonian -
> a light shield installed on the open tube was cut from a shipping
> crate bearing his name and address. And, while I might have
> expected to see a dozen Apollo astronauts in the guest book,
> there it was - Elvis!
>
> (More odd connections - my dad, while still a cub reporter in Mississippi,
> went fishing with Elvis early in his stardom. Dad went on to
> be the first to use "Elvis the Pelvis" in print, for which the
> singer didn't care at all. That, of course, was the lead item
> in my father's AP obituary.)
>
>
> Bill Keel
> (suddenly feeling connected all over the map)
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