Late afternoon yesterday, as the day transitioned into evening and then darkness descended upon us, Dick and I sat encircled by mature pines at the Clearwater Forest Camp outside the small town of Deerwood near Brainerd (Minnesota). Informal rows of lawn chairs faced an outdoor stage in the early September afternoon sunshine and pre-autumn, sweater-cozy night.
Labor Day Weekend 2011, we were drawn to this same event to hear Ellis Delaney perform. Ellis was not in this year's talented folk musicians lineup, but my disappointment rapidly waned when I discovered Austin Texas musician Carrie Elkin had returned. In this photo... my one and only before my batteries pooped, Carrie accompanies Nels Andrews on stage.
It was, however, Carrie's "Company of Friends" duet with her guy Danny Schmidt, who wrote the lyrics, that impacted my life... my lifetime. The message. Oh, the message. "When I die, let them know me as the footprint that I left upon the sand. When I die, let them toast to all the things that I believe." What is the legacy that we leave behind when we depart our earthly home? What do we want to be remembered for? What are the things we believe? The little things that bring us joy. The things we stand for. The way we choose to spend our days. Carrie accompanied another folk musician named Sam Baker in a song named "Cotton." Ya gotta take a listen. Oh, yes. I do love Sam Baker, too.