Holiday season in the desert

And just as in the poem, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” by Clement Clarke Moore, “I lay me down for a long winter’s nap.” It had been raining and the skies were lead gray. What better time to catch up on rest? The stockings were not yet hung around the chimney. The Christmas lights were, giving some cheer to a dark and dismal afternoon.

In fact, my nap was short lived. I had too many things on my mind. It was a wonderful day for working outdoors. Cool, light rain and fresh air. For a year, my dear wife has wanted me to clear out the Rat Hotel in our backyard. That’s the leaf-covered wood pile out by the back fence. With the help of Vince, we were able to come close to filling his pickup with years’ worth of tree trimmings. All of this will go to the Winter Solstice fire on December 21st. That will be the shortest day of this year.

I don’t believe this will deter the rats from finding other backyard lodging, but it is a start. And it’s good exercise on a wintry day. We don’t get snow, and this is as close as we’ll get to winter. That’s OK by me. I just checked the temps for our friends in Ossining, N.Y., an hour and a half north of New York City. It’ll be 21 degrees these nights along with snow flurries. I have fading memories of shoveling snow, good memories of fresh snow crunching underfoot. Now it’s light rain, mud and wet leaves. I’ve come to realize that these memories of snow are best relived in a warm living room with a hot cup of French roast coffee.

We went to the Imperial Valley Choral Society Christmas concert in early December. Such talent from beautiful voices. I thought that if this were a big city stage, the concert at the El Centro First Methodist Church might have been recorded and the CD published. It was that professional and emotionally powerful.

My only objection has to do with the lyrics, something the Choral Society has no control over when it wants to perform Christmas songs. Too many of the songs centered on snow. Many of my friends here in the Valley have never even seen it snow. Can we find a more appropriate medium for us ag/ desert dwellers? I don’t know what that is. Fields of lettuce and broccoli? OK. It doesn’t have the right ring to it. Not quite Currier and Ives. So we are stuck with greeting card drawings and movies depicting Dickens’ England while outdoors the bougainvillea are bursting with color and the lettuce is waiting to be harvested.

This past weekend we were fortunate to attend the Valley Jazz 30th Annual Holiday Concert at Southwest’s Jimmie Cannon Theater. Cannon founded Valley Jazz. And again we were treated to wonderful local musical talent that is often hidden away till the holidays. Cannon’s son, Derek, shared band direction with Renee Baker, the conductor of the Great Spartan Marching Band.

I was feeling sleepy when we arrived at the auditorium. Valley Jazz took care of that opening with a number that blew us out of our seats. Big band music at its best. And varied from Count Basie to Santana to Tower of Power. Valley Jazz is a non-profit volunteer organization that promotes jazz and music education. A major feature of Valley Jazz is its integration of high school and IVC students into the band. They play alongside alumni such as Walter Beasley, Sal Ortiz, Van Decker and Patrick Escalante. And do they play. The horns will wake the dead and have the Ghost of Christmas Past tapping his toes.

My hope is that when the Bucklin Park Amphitheater is finally built, Valley Jazz will be invited to inaugurate the outdoor performance venue. Thanks to the amazing musicians and all those who made the Holiday Concert possible. Keep on playing.