Ford Econoline For Sale Pt2

The van feels good, it hugs the ground well, it moves fast and strong while driving on flat ground as well as downhill, when she tops 60-70 mph, there is no shaking, she is solid, uphill, well she goes down to about 35mph, this is ok with me, like I say, I'm never in too much of a hurry and this is country I have not seen yet, I was sure to get a van with windows all around, don't want any of us to miss a thing.

We stop at Mt Shasta first, we are camping in the campsite, we are the only ones, there are no gigs tonight, we are due to play first in Ashland Oregon. Now there is Tequila in our bellies, we are excited to be on the road and away from familiar places and people, now we are drunk and slowly we evaporate into the canvass as our tents offer a sanctuary for our polluted minds, now we are asleep.

I am awoken to a heavy whack to my face and collapsed tent upon me as I start to scream and ready myself to wrestle with the creature that has come to take me away into the night. As I turn to face the beast I hear a quite murmur, " Sorry Dave".

A confused band member has lost his way during the night and has landed on top of me, I copped a strong elbow the the face, I will carry the scar for the rest of the tour, it felt good.

We are moving through Oregon, it is beautiful, so beautiful, we are playing shows now, we are running into old friends and sharing stories, sharing songs.

We are in Portland, someone has broken into our van, we search the van and find that the robbers have left all our expensive equipment and taken our tents only, an interesting theft, we can continue.

Somewhere along the way now, i can't remember where exactly but it was before Montana and after Mt Shasta and one of my companions gets a text message from back at the warehouse, " It's Jesse, he went into a coma last night, he is in hospital"

I smile the same smile I smiled as when my father passed back in 97, he called me out of the blue and we chatted, after I put the phone down I had a strange feeling, the same one I got from Jesse when we said goodbye, my father died of a sudden heart attack approx 2 minutes after that phone call.

The shows continued and Montana surpassed any poetic description I have read as far as it's beauty, I would like to be a leaf in Montana and fall from a tree, then I would like to cover it with my golden gown, then I would like to slowly disappear into the earth of Montana, maybe then, I would truly know the nature of it's beauty.

Our last show is Pocatello Indiana, we will make our way back slowly, Jesse has passed away by now, this we have been told. We will come back from Indiana, we stop at Bend Oregon and watch the Giants win The World Series, then through Ashland and do another show. Then slowly the landscape changes into the vineyards of Sonoma County.

I am back at the warehouse and have missed Jesse's memorial by 4 hrs, we stay up late and drink to his memory.

It is 2 weeks since Jesse's memorial and our return to Sonoma County, it is approximately 6pm, the van is parked outside the warehouse, i have driven it around with the memory of Jesse and our time fixing cars and chatting through the last 5 yrs and have looked forward to the years ahead with this van. I have a feeling to go and look outside, I don't know why, through the doors of the warehouse I see flames, I scratch my head and look closer and move toward the door, the van is in flames, it looks like a dream or a David Lynch movie set, the flames grow bigger, it is a strange sight and there seems to be no reason for it but the van is very quickly disappearing into flames. Fire brigade comes, after water and axes have been added to the fire, the van appears to be relieved from the mayhem and somewhat surprised at the commotion, just like myself and the others around me. The van is an ashtray now, it has been well and truly smoked, Jesse is also gone, i will miss them both.

The leaves of October are now growing tired of their golden parade, they wish to disappear into the ground, they will return again soon, they will have new faces, i will be pleased to greet them.