[AGL] Trip

[Gerry]

Thanks for the history Terry. Ah yes, the days of long trips in VW campers on the coastal roads and through the forests of Northern Cal. I only went to Mendocino once or twice. Found my natural place in West Marin, '71 through '76, came back to Austin on July 4 of that year. I lived in San Rafael (Terra Linda), Pt. Reyes, and Bolinas, all of which I visited last month and all of which are still quite beautiful, but crowded. It seemed like the greenery was thicker than ever, very green and rainy in December. There was an Austin gang in Bolinas too: Beckman, Minor, Jack Mc, Houston and I on a regular basis, etc.

Before that I lived in Berkeley in a house I inherited from Frank Lurie and gang, '69 I think. I was there when People's Park went down. Left Berkeley after the big protest march related to that insurrection. Moved to Fairfax for a time and swore to stay out of political intrigues (Benson, etc.). By then I was tired of protesting the War, ready to live the Whole Earth Catalogue dream in the country. 

One night Cat Mother arrived in San Francisco from Mendocino for a gig simultaneous with a pickup full of joy from Austin which I had arranged to store in Gary's place (formerly Fred Todd's studio) on Brady Alley. Cat Mother had arranged to stay in the same place. That night there was a party at Pacific High Studios just down the street. We all went and discovered after awhile that we were all stoned on acid, it was in the champagne, Don Hyde had laced it. The Cat Mother guys crashed in Gary's warehouse, another bunch of us (Houston, Charlie, Stan Poitress, and me) were around the corner in Houston's place. We were up all night, could not sleep or function, couldn't even dial a telephone number for help, couldn't even roll a joint. We did finally get a record player going, and one record played all night, Elmore James. Next morning I wondered out and the doors to the stash house were wide open! Various bodies lying about. I finally managed to call Jamie and he brought us medicine which brought us down. Whew! As they say, God takes care of fools...

Last time I saw Liz was in Marin. She was quite tan from the coastal life and very beautiful. She traded me abalone shell fragments she had gathered on the Mendocino beaches for a lid. I think I still have the abalone...

Influenced by Nick and you I ran a Volkswagen repair shop for a time in San Rafael, mostly rebuilding and modifying 40 horse engines. My old shop is still there, currently serving as a rehearsal hall for Hughie Lewis and the News. 

Say Hi to Barbara for me. She was a good pal. 

Yesterday I turned 70. Wondering how much longer I can keep up the pace. So far it all still seems to work and I give thanks for my health and all the wonderful memories, especially of the days in Northern Cal with transplanted crazed Texans when anything was possible. Guess what I heard on the radio today: "Get Together" by Jesse Colin Young...talk about memories!
G






----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Terry Dyke 
  To: survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s 
  Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2007 5:46 PM
  Subject: Re: [AGL] Trip


  Sounds like a great trip, Gerry. I always loved Mendocino.

  I hung out there for a while right around the time you are talking about. Liz and I were living together in a house on Francisco Street in Berkeley, and I'd taken over Nick's VW repair business, Liberation Auto Service. Nick was living in his VW camper and going back and forth between Mendocino and Berkeley, and we'd go up there in our converted '58 GMC panel truck and stay for several days at a time. We also hung out with Charlie, and I even auditioned for Cat Mother, although they eventually decided they didn't need a second guitar player. I remember the great little cottage he had with the whole Pacific Ocean in his front window. Of course, Jim Benson would show up now and then to spice things up with his latest one-step-ahead-of-the-law caper.

  I left Berkeley in '71 and Liz moved up to Medocino a year or two later. She and Nick hung out with that same group there, but they were never an item, actually. I'm glad to hear he's still thriving -- I'd always wondered what happened to him. I still run into Barbara now and then.

  Terry

  Gerry wrote:

    I just returned from a trip to Northern Cal. Visited Berkeley, SF, San Rafael (Terra Linda), Bolinas, and Mendocino.

    The good news is that Nick Wilson, rumored to have committed suicide a few years back, is alive and well. I didn't see him but I did have a chance to thumb through a book of photographs he has recently published. It is historical by theme and has lots of shots of young hippies of the '70's in Mendocino. I saw Charlie Pritchard in one. Published under the name of Nicolas Wilson and titled something like Historical Mendocino??? Who is Nick? He and wife Barbara were part of the extended Conqueroo family in the days of the Summer of Love. It was at his house that I first heard Hank Williams while stoned on acid. He was also a fine mechanic who rebuilt a Porsche 356 while a student at UT and made a living tuning VW's Berkeley--'68 and '69. He broke up with Barbara and took up with Liz Jacobson and they went to Mendocino and never came back. I was relieved to find that he is still with us and making fine photography.


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