Souvenirs

 Memories they can't be boughten,
They can't be won at carnivals for free.
Well it took me years to get those souvenirs
And i don't know how they slipped away from me.....Steve Goodman

After I learned of that my old friend Bobby Finkel passed it was almost impossible not to start looking back at that period of my life.  I started thinking of all the times we spent together which of course led to thinking about more friends that I had not seen or heard from in years. And of course my iTunes seemed to reinforce this sentiment by coming up with Jeff and Tim Buckley versions of 'Hallelujah' and Steve Goodman's 'Souvenirs' (the John Prine and Goodman versions).
 
A lot if my time with Bobby was spent in and around Spring valley, PA just  outside of New Hope, Pennsylvania. Mostly we gathered at Armond and Anita's house to play poker and backgammon, eat, listen to music and generally indulge in the peculiarities of that time period. Poker and backgammon seemed to take center stage but the conversation was always lively.

There was a music room where we spent most of our time - the painting above is my impression of this room.