Back in Mississippi

We are back in the magnolia state after 3 and 4 week vacations in the Northwest. We had such a great time seeing friends and family. As we talked with people I realized what a support network we have from our friends and family around the northwest and the country. We truly feel loved and cared about and we are grateful for it.

We had a great time with Em's family in Sunriver OR. Thanks to the network of bike paths we were able to ride bikes everywhere.
Julian and I golfed several times and enjoyed playing the nice courses of central Oregon. Emily's Aunt Carole bought a raft so we could float a beautiful section of the Deschutes river that runs through Sunriver. Emily and I floated it twice. The first time we did about a three hour float the last half hour of which was in the dark. There's nothing like being in the middle of a river in a tiny raft in the dark with bats diving all around your head. We loved it.


Playing in the Sunriver open tennis tournament


Emily floats on down



check out our make-shift snow shovel paddle, it worked great!

At lunch with Em's mom


Outdoor office on the back deck of our sunriver house

Emily's Dad Dave snapped this shot while waiting for us to come down the river. 30 min later we made it

Em and her son

on poker night Paka the cat says, " im all in"



Our time came to a close with 3 days in the Rose city where we visited Powells city of books, Petes coffee and tea ( again), Old wives tales cafe, Henry's Cafe, Everyday music, Music millennium, the Laurelthirst Public House, and many other places we love in Portland. We also got to see one of our favorite bands, Old crow Medicine Show, perform at the Aladdin theatre. We met up with Katie, Bobi and Mike at the show and none were disappointed.

Last night when we got back in to Mississippi Emily and I we're trying to figure out whether we'd just got home or just left home. I guess we have a lot of homes which is nice. We are looking forward to this next season in our lives. I am particularly looking to re-invest myself into our community here in Jackson. I want our time here to continue to be one of growth and learning. I want to find the passion again that drives us to get beyond ourselves and to become concerned with the needs and wellbeing of our neighbors. Im sure seeing the children later today will help to inspire that passion. We have missed our young friends.
come visit us,

Johnny

CD now available

I have recorded a 6 song acoustic EP that is available for order now. If you would like one please email me ( johnny.bertram@gmail.com ) with your name and address. I had several people request them while I was away in Oregon if you are one of those people please remind me via email that you would like a copy.

track list

1. Come Down
2. Change
3. Fortification
4. Hurricanes
5. Stabbed By an Unseen Blade
6. Flying in patterns

Photo of the Day

Poker Face

Recommended listening

I haven't recommended any music for a long time but I found a couple of new releases that are worth a listen. Emily and I picked up two new albums while here in Portland and have nearly worn them out on our travels.

Former Portlander M. Ward's new album is the greatest music Ive heard in a long long time. This album is full of songs that to me seem timeless. I cant stop listening to this great collection of songs. Highly recommended!



The Old Crow boys are back with another stellar album. This five man old-time string band puts on the best live show Emily and I have ever seen. After stumbling across them at a Be Good Tanyas show about 4 years ago we will be seeing them for the 4th time this Monday night. The new album is produced by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch lends a hand on drums. Great album and amazing song writing.

Photo of the Day

Emily Photographs Little Redfish lake at sunset

Photo of the Day

cannon beach last week

Oregon And Idaho

Emily and I have been thoroughly enjoying our 3 week visit to the great northwest states of Oregon and Idaho. We are currently in Sunriver OR, just north of Bend where we will be vacationing with Em's family for a week. So far we have been to some of our favorite places including: Petes Coffee and Tea, Cannon Beach, Old spaghetti Factory, McMenamins Edgefield pitch and put golf coarse, Redfish Lake Idaho and many more. Not to mention the time with our close friends and family. I guess I'll post pictures and explain them as a way of documenting our time.
thanks for reading!
Johnny





Johnny is thrilled to be back in Portland


A concert was played to friends and family

Em plays like a pro at Edgefield

Em gets some instruction from her brother Julian



WE went to Cannon Beach for a day trip. This is the small coastal town where we met and fell in love. Its always hard for us to leave this beautiful place.

We did a hike down into Cresant Beach

EM does yoga on the beach




While visiting my family in Idaho Emily, Julian, and I went camping for a night at Little Redfish lake.

Live! In Katie’s Back Yard

a review of the concert by Dave Martin

The air was balmy and the atmosphere convivial as 30 or so family and friends gathered in Katie Perkins’ back yard in southeast Portland August 27 to hear our own Johnny B. Johnny had been hard at work the past week in his Mississippi home laying down tracks and burning discs so that attendees could take home their very own “Live in My Bedroom” CD.

As darkness fell and JB skillfully worked his way through a set of his own compositions, ranging in theme from Hurricane Katrina to religious hypocrisy to the pain of love betrayed, wife Emily glided among the guests making sure that liquid and solid refreshments did not fall to dangerously low levels.

East Asia was well represented at the concert as several English language students sat on blankets in the front row, basking in the headliner’s aura. Though many of us were strangers to begin with, we experienced the unique sense of community that a shared appreciation of good live music can engender.

The appreciative audience was not about to let Johnny close the show without a struggle, and he obliged with a Bob Dylan tune, an unfinished composition, and (at the special insistence of Em’s folks and Aunt Carole) a beautiful song he wrote a few years back about his girl when they were in the first blush of true love. Not to say they’re not still in love…not at all.

(If you have any photos from the show, email them to me and i'll post them on the blog. thanks to all who came or wanted to come. It was a fun evening)