Wasn't quite sure whether to start this or not with the two "Loss of a Dear Friend"threads going.

A very good friend of mine went "home" this morning,so I got out an old 45 of Duane Eddy's "Lost Friend" and have been listening to it this evening.

Bruce "Moose" Grunow was a friend of mine for the last 16 years.An accomplished fiddler,we played a lot of good music together. I first met him at the Strawberry Music festival when we were both part the crew that built the stage.John Hartford was star performe4r at that one and we were buiding the stage with risers.Because it was going to get a soundboard with transducers for John's "Footology",it had to be perfectly level and unmovable.This required alot of work with tie wires and shims. Bruce and I worked together and bonded from that point on.

At the fall '87 festival he and I were one of the few staff to make it in as the 158,000 acre Stanislaus Complex fire raged around us.We spent 4 days as they built the fire camp around us and the ashes fell on us.We finally had to leave without escort and drove through the fire lines to get out.Ended up at his place,which was a 10 acre horse ranch on the north side of Mt.Diablo by Walnut Creek in California.A lot of our musician friends who were also kept fro the festival showed up and we jammed for days.

I particularly remember one night on night in a horse stall with some good smoke, a bottle of Jose Gold, Bruce on fiddle and me on guitar and man was it good.

Another time,Bruce came to visit me when I was a Ranger at Live Oak Park in Fallbrook. Bruce had wandered out back with his fiddle and I went out with my guitar after him.When I got outside, I didn't see him,but I heard his fiddle start playing "If I were a Rich Man".Sure enough, he was on the roof of my house after climbing a ladder that was leaning against the eave.I said, "OK" and got 2 folding chairs and my guitar and joined him on the roof where we jammed for a couple of hours.Pixel( the cat who walks through walls) also joined us on the roof.Gibson(my wolf mix) tried to climb the ladder, but was unable to, so he stayed on the ground and howled.

I will miss Bruce greatly.

So in the meantime I will listen to "Lost Friend" and maybe I'll get some Moose Turd pie.

rr