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The river was beautiful today, as it always is, with mostly little kids and their mamas, at least while we were there. Glen and I brought the umbrella and so we had shade the entire time, and we brought our folding camp rocking chairs, and we swam and we ate our sandwiches and we agreed that mango is the sweetest fruit of all and I felt terrible because I had not brought Levon a peanut butter sandwich but Jessie said that was fine because she hadn't either and all he eats is peanut butter and banana sandwiches and he could survive on a chicken and focaccia sandwich just fine. 

There were some interesting people beside us on the grass- two women and a little boy probably about Levon's age and a little girl who was two. One of the women wore a bathing suit that showed every bit of her ass which was a nice ass, and she had unshaven armpits and an almost shaved head. The other woman looked "normal" which is such a funny thing to say. What is normal? Both women tended the children lovingly and the little girl, when we were eating our sandwiches asked, "Is there animal in there?" in her almost unbelievably sweet two-year old voice. 
We told her that yes, there was animal in there and she looked a little sad. They were vegans. 

This boy swung on the rope swing so many times that I can only imagine his arms are going to be useless to him tonight. I love watching the younger ones swinging out over the water, letting themselves swing back to the tree for the joy, then back out again to let go over the icy water. So different from the big guys who do it as a dare, a thrill, a display. But that, too, I can enjoy. The teenage years are the time for all of that. And I absolutely love watching the young girls who jump now, more these days than there used to be by far. 

The children love the dock. August and a few others glommed on to a little guy who was fishing and August took some daring jumps into the water from the far end of the dock which is so much braver than jumping four feet away into the area where that little boy in the gray T-shirt is. 
"Did you see me?" he asked. 
"I did!" I told him. "Very good jump!"

There was a young man there with a woman who, by appearances, had to be his mother. She was having a hard time of it. Walking into the water, and then sort of losing her ability to stand up straight. But he was right there for her, every second, to lovingly help her and it turned out that he was someone Jessie had known in high school and they greeted each other and the mother told us her story- she had (and has) a brain tumor and for two years could not walk unaided. Her mind was not so great either, she said. And...there were seizures. But she is doing well now, and her son has been taking care of her in Arizona where he moved to do his graduate work. He studies ants. Jessie said that this man's father had died when they were in high school and so he has been taking care of his mother all this time. The mother said of him, "He is my light and my life." 
He put his arm around her. 
"Well," I said, "You gave him life so that's fair." 
"It's been a good deal," he said, beaming. 
Later Jessie said that he's always been that sweet. And his face showed that this is true.

Before we left, I asked Levon if he would allow me to take his picture. He said I could. 

He had obviously just taken off his goggles and Mr. Moon said, "Fix his hair," and I said, "No. This is how he looks right now." 

Pretty cute. 

Both boys are very excited for school to start tomorrow. Levon's teacher will be the same teacher that August had for kindergarten. I think that she loved August so much that when she saw Levon's name, she claimed him for her own. 

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Jaime Royal Robertson died today. He was better known as Robbie Robertson. Guitar player for The Band. I am sure that many of you have never heard of either Robbie or The Band. However, I consider The Band to be the finest band of the sixties and seventies era that America produced. I believe there are many who would agree with me. 

Robbie was the guitar player, song-writer of a band that seemed to spring from nowhere when Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were cracking the charts wide open. Those bands never did a thing for me but when I heard The Band playing "The Weight" I knew they were for real. They were Bob Dylan's backup band when he went electric and the whole world vilified him for plugging in his guitar. It wasn't just Robbie. It was the entire band. The whole group of musicians that came together with magical alchemy. 

Levon Helm.

Rick Danko.

Richard Manuel. 

Garth Hudson.
Robbie Robertson. 

I name them to honor them. 

A boy I loved gave me The Band. I had never heard of them until he came along and opened up my ears. I remember one night he took me out on a date. I was sick. I already had the mono that almost killed me but I was refusing to admit to it, to give up to it, and that was partially because I loved this boy and did not want our romance interrupted. So I went out with him that night and he took me to a lake-side park and we sat at a cement picnic table and he sang me one of their songs. I think it was "Daniel and the Sacred Harp" but I am not sure. That memory will be with me forever. 

Martin Scorsese made a film of The Band's last performance together. "The Last Waltz." It was a work of art. 

Here's a piece of that film. A rendering of Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" with everyone on stage from Ronnie Wood to Ronnie Hawkins to Dylan to Joanie to Van to Ringo but mostly Robbie, Garth, Richard, Rick, Levon. 
Yes, Levon. 

Be released, Robbie. 

Thank you. 

Love...Ms. Moon