Keith in Laguna Beach -- Sunday, 21Apr2013

I went down kinda late and fully expected to just drive right back home after finding all the good spots taken. But I was surprised to find nobody out at all, so I got Greeter's Corner, no problem.

After just a couple of songs, a trio of ladies came by just at the last two lines of "Landslide". One of them stopped right in front of me and listened, and then complained that the song was over. I said that I'd be happy to play it again if she wanted to hear it, and did so. She stood and listened, and started to cry halfway through. I never know what to do in those situations, but she had asked for it, and could easily walk away if she wanted to, so I just kept going. When it was over, she thanked me as she dried her eyes, and off they went. OK...

For the next song, I fired up "You've Got a Friend", and an elderly lady and her son (I'm guessing) came by, and she dragged him to a stop as they fumbled for some money for the jar. By the time she came over with the dollar, *she* as crying, but smiled at me through the tears, gave me two thumbs up, and walked away before the song was even over. Apparently there's a story there, but I guess I'll never hear it.

But two ladies crying, for two separate songs, in one night? That's definitely some kind of record...

I guess we're in the leading edge of Tourist Season, 'cuz there were several groups of people who were clearly Not From Around Here, taking pictures of stuff. If they've neglected to notice it, and I get to the end of a song, I try to point out the "gate sign" hanging above their heads. It says, "This gate hangs well, and hinders none, refresh and rest, then travel on", and has been there since at least the early 1920's, 'cuz I have an old postcard picture of what's now called Greeter's Corner, and the sign is visible in it. I printed that picture and have it on the back of my song lists, so I can show it to people, who then, duly impressed, take pictures of it (and a story) back home.

That happened a couple of times, and one of the (Japanese) guys asked, "Is this an old town?" I told him "yes", but I suppose that Laguna, settled in the 1880's is pretty new compared to, say, Tokyo, which grew up from a fishing village called Edo, founded in the early 1400's.

Anyway, I made $64, and sold all four CDs that I had with me (I don't take very many down there 'cuz I usually sell none at all). One guy came up and put a five dollar tip in the jar, and then asked me, "How much for the CDs?" I told him "Five bucks", and he said, "Oh!", and happily took one. I really don't know why that doesn't happen more often, 'cuz a lot of people tip a fiver, but they seldom take the CD they're entitled to.