My most specific memory of this concert concerns waiting for the doors to open. Mt. St. Helens had just blown the day before, and many of the freshly arrived travelers were fairly dusty. I can’t recall how long we sat, but I do recall feeling – er, well – quite happy to be there – grinning like the village idiot.

All of the sudden, I turn around and there, in a tan trench coat, stands Buddy Hackett – the squat, Johnny-Carson-era comedian who has starred in Disney’s “The Love Bug” – (come to think of it, a fairly psychedelicized Disney movie concerning a Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own). He’s obviously just gotten out of a meeting, walked by the line, and is now surrounded by a crowd of dusty, celebrity-addled Deadheads (of all shapes and sizes) -- a whole sidewalk full of village idiots. “Hey, Buddy,” about ten people say in unison. Looking somewhat bashful, he stops and chats briefly – and then, rather briskly, makes his way further on down the road. Without looking back once. A fond memory.

Whaddatrip. alone and free. jerry did a grand space with the alien oopsy woopsie. I loved the little curve at the side, where the arch lowers towards the exit. nice people. Security was stripping down pockets for a few years in that town...and finally got sued.

keep your character, enjoy living, share your fortune,
OXOX Merple Reddin