Chris Brooks

Album Club: In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson

2026-07-14T06:30:39-04:00

Discussed on July 11, 2026. Picked by Jim.

Song Ratings

#	Song	Jim	Chris
1	21st Century Schizoid Man (including Mirrors)	Starter	—
2	I Talk to the Wind	—	—
3	Epitaph (including March for No Reason and Tomorrow and Tomorrow)	Cut	Bench
4	Moonchild (including The Dream and The Illusion)	—	—
5	The Court of the Crimson King (including The Return of the Fire Witch and The Dance of the Puppets)	Bench	Starter

Legend: Starter = would start a playlist

Bench = solid

Cut = would skip

Jim’s Notes

Glad we listened to this but unlikely to come back to it any time soon.
Chaotic jazz sections give 21st Century Schizoid Man a sense of the craziness the track is trying to convey.
My bench was a bit of a toss up between Moonchild and Court of the Crimson King. I ultimately went with Court. As much as I like Moonchild, the instrumental 2nd half of the track becomes a tedious listen for me.
Not a big fan of the flute with lead lines in rock but I felt was well done in Court of the Crimson King.
You can hear the similarity in the orchestra heavy sections to what The Moody Blues had been doing for a couple of albums.

Chris’s Notes

This one was hard to get into. The jarring start doesn’t help. It took me 3-4 listens before removing “21st Century Schizoid Man” from my cut pick. It grows on me, and I can appreciate it more knowing when the album was released. Had to have sounded unlike anything ever made when it was released. Other thoughts:

Hard to cut a song, so I didn’t
I like the flutes more in this album than I typically do.
Robert Fripp was ~22 years old when writing these songs. Before this album he was giving guitar lessons to Al Stewart.
Did not know member Ian McDonald went on to co-found Foreigner

Recent Bird Photography

2026-07-08T08:40:45-04:00

The wildlife photography continues, and the R6 Mark II is becoming more familiar. Here are some favorite bird shots from the past few weeks.

These four were taken on my journey to Michigan near Sandusky Ohio along lake Erie.

Red-headed Woodpecker

Indigo Bunting

Trumpeter Swan on her nest

Northern Yellow Warbler

The final two are recent visitors to Keuka Lake. I have a hummingbird feeder near my garden and this little guy aggressively shows up when I’m tending the garden.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird coming in for a landing

We had a huge family of about 30 juvenile mergansers show up this weekend. Likely 1 or 2 other moms laid their eggs in this mom’s nest and she was happy to raise them (mom not featured in the photo).

Juvenile Common Mergansers

Solstice Golf in Michigan

2026-06-28T08:11:49-04:00

I took a six day van adventure to lower Michigan to enjoy some amazing public golf and a grueling day of solstice golf with The Fried Egg.

Fried Egg Golf flag at Diamond Springs

I took my time heading west, starting with a golf coach check-in with Erik in Erie and an overnight at ESP Brewing west of Cleveland. Big highlight was a repeat birding stop between Huron and Sandusky. Got some good photos of indigo bunting, some warblers, wood ducks, and swans.

One of my golf overnight stays

Played a small muni golf course then worked my way up to Michigan for an overnight and some pre-storm golf at Woodlawn Golf Club.

Teeing off at Calderone

My first Fried Egg community meetup was with 4 other golfers at Calderon Golf Club in Grass Lake, MI. Excellent course and an excellent value, around $50 walking though I rode a cart to conserve energy for the upcoming solstice. They claim to be a links-style course but I think prairie-land is a better description. Reminded me of Wild Horse in western Nebraska.

Before sunrise at Diamond Springs

After a dinner at a brewpub in Kalamazoo with one of my new golfing friends, we drove to Diamond Springs where we would overnight (Jeremy had an RV) at the course for the next two nights. We would both be up at about 5am to check-in, have some coffee and breakfast snacks, hit a few range balls, then venture to hole number 6 for our long day of golf. I rode the cart out with my playing partner for the day because number 6 was a long trek from the clubhouse. I’d ride for those first four holes then pick up my trolley and walk the rest of the day.

Grinding through 72 holes at Diamond Springs

The course was spectacular and a real treat to play each hole four times. We mostly played from the same tees (white) then moved up a tee box for the final round. We played 72 holes and I walked 68 of them, over 50,000 steps and about 26.2 miles of walking. Lots of lost balls as the first (and only) cut of rough was thick deep grass right of the fairway. The course cuts grass at two levels: one for greens, another for everything else (that gets cut). No distinct tee boxes as they are just an extension of the fairway. This gives a huge range of options for where to drop the tee markers. I don’t understand why more American courses don’t follow this template. Lower maintenance costs, more flexibility.

Bourbon to end the day

We concluded the day at about 8:30pm after 72 holes. A few groups played 74-75 holes, but I’m fairly certain I walked more than anyone else there. I was also one of the oldest players there. Jeremy and I shared a couple bourbons for tasting and had fun chatting with Fried Egg events guru Will and the other sicko golfers.

I wasn’t done with golf yet, joining about 15 other golfers the next day at Mines Golf Club, a Devries design (like Diamond Springs) that was a perfect bookend to my Michigan golf fun. The course started off a bit meh but ramped up in beauty and complexity at about hole 4. Massive green complexes with some very tricky approaches and putting.

NYC Fun

2026-06-16T18:54:58-04:00

Julie and I drove to Jersey City to park our car (and briefly visit Matthew and Lauren) before taking the PATH into Manhattan to meet up with Greg and Matt.

A New York slice

This would be our second NYC / Keuka combo trip. Last time we stayed at an AirBnB way out in Queens near JFK. The neighborhood was great but it was a long haul into Manhattan. We opted for something closer this time - the new Voco Hotel (IHG) at Times Square. Glad we did.

Drenched after our dash to Ragtime

There was weather most days in the city - normal NY afternoon thunderstorm activity. All six of us met up at El Fish Marisquería, a great Mexican seafood and fish spot near Lincoln Center. Because of Greg and Matt’s delayed flight into JFK we were scrambling to get our dinner seating done before our 8pm show so we didn’t get to sample the menu as much as we’d hoped. Everyone loved their dishes. Big storm hit at about 7:40pm as we gathered ourselves to make the leisurely 1-2 block walk to the show. Sideways rain turned it into a mad dash. Hard time finding the theater entrance.

Ragtime was very good - this was the night before they won several Tony awards and we were all impressed with the performances even if we didn’t love the show itself.

View from our Voco hotel

Our hotel gave us some drink vouchers on check-in so after the show Julie, Greg, Matt, and I had a nightcap at the rooftop bar. The winds were still gusting from the storm but it was worth the stop to enjoy the view straight down to Times Square.

Cold brew in IV bags

Sunday had us starting late with some cold brew coffee and a short wait at TKTS to get six tickets to Operation Mincemeat. Seats secured we strolled to mid-town to B&H Photo to wander a bit and for me to buy a replacement case for my new Canon. The store is more amazing than I remembered with a high level of operational excellence.

Outside Operation Mincemeat

Operation Mincemeat was excellent. A good sign for me is “would I see it again right away?” Strong yes from me, and I think all the others. Greg and Matt are looking at seeing it again on the upcoming tour. The show drew out a lot more emotional response than Ragtime - laughs out loud, tears (“Dear Bill”), jaws dropping with the quick costume and role changes from the 5 person cast. Wherever you are, try to see this show.

Dinner for the six of us at Mitr Thai (better than the night before because… more dish sharing and variety), a favorite for repeat patrons Lauren and Matthew.

I had some cocktail and whiskey ideas for Sunday night and we ventured to the upper west side to hit a whisky bar and… it was closed for a member event. This became a running joke for the next few days as we approached a new spot - the Caledonia whisky club members are probably here for a private event.

Monday, our final full day, started with an early lunch at the legendary Katz Diner. The pastrami delivered. I went plain - just bread and a half sandwich. Good way to break my meat fast.

Mixue!

Soft serve and bubble tea at Mixue, then back up town for a few hours at the Met art museum. The Raphael exhibit was there but we focused on 19tb and 20th century American and European art. Vast and confusing museum to navigate.

Because of poor route planning by yours truly we doubled back down to the West Village for dinner at Gjelina - maybe our best meal of the weekend. Not a tapas spot but felt like it - Italian and Mediterranean small plates with lots of sharing. Very good desserts.

Folks gathering for Knicks game near Washington Park

After dinner we roamed the village, visiting the boardgame cafe and a vintage vinyl shop. And of course Washington Square, where folks were lining up for watch parties for Knicks game 3 (Trump and the Knicks lost).

Cocktails

The night ended with a long awaited visit to Death & Co. where we were shut out three years ago because of a water main break. I’ve read both of their books and was excited to see their game in real life. The place is dark. The cocktails were excellent - there were five of us and all cocktails ordered were short and mostly old fashioned variants. Our server was extremely knowledgeable.

Our adventure ended with a nice twist - a walk to the mid-town Hudson ferry terminal with a stop at two first rate bagel shops (some for today, some to bring back to Keuka). For $10 it is is so worth it to cross back to New Jersey via ferry instead of the PATH subway.

Album Club: Close to the Edge - Yes

2026-06-14T11:10:13-04:00

Discussed on June 14, 2026. Picked by Chris.

Song Ratings

#	Song	Jim	Chris
1	Close to the Edge: I. The Solid Time of Change / II. Total Mass Retain / III. I Get Up I Get Down / IV. Seasons of Man	Starter	Starter
2	And You and I: I. Cord of Life / II. Eclipse / III. The Preacher the Teacher / IV. Apocalypse	Bench	Bench
3	Siberian Khatru	—	Cut

Legend: Starter = would start a playlist

Bench = solid

Cut = would skip

Jim’s Notes

One of the great Yes albums.
The organ part during the I Get Up I Get Down portion of Close to the Edge is kinda jarring to me but otherwise one of the best songs to take up the entire A side of a rock album.
Not picking a cut because all 3 songs are very good to great and I cannot see dropping any of them.
Yes lyrics often don’t make sense. I’m looking at you: “We hear the total mass retain.” Yeah, it’s all metaphors but WTF?!?

Chris’s Notes

Cutting a song from this album is a bit silly, so think of this is as a forced ranking. The album is perfect as it is.

Side 1 is addicting: great hooks, ear worm lyrics, lyrical beauty. Julie just finished Siddhartha and I read a few years ago. Spending more time parsing the lyrics.

Siberian Khatru is fine - lacking finesse of rest of the album. More organ-progressive than I like.

Fledgling Blue Jay

2026-06-03T16:36:02-04:00

Shoot. I was deep trimming a shrub here at Keuka and about two thirds of the way through one of my blue jay friends (I’ve been feeding them whole peanuts in the shell) got very pissed off at me.

Blue jay fledgling

I searched and searched and finally found a nest near the top of the shrub. The little guy is hiding out on the ground and I’m hoping the parents can see the fledgling through this. I’ve ceased my trimming activity.

Wildlife Photography

2026-05-31T09:56:22-04:00

About 10 years ago I sold off or gave away all of my Canon photo gear, which I had used for sports and wildlife photography. After struggling with a Canon PowerShot SX70 on my last Africa trip, I resolved to re-enter the serious wildlife photography game.

After much discussion with three photographers experienced with the Canon mirrorless world, I settled on the Canon EOS R6 Mark II, starting with the RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens and RF 2x extender. I’m very happy with the results! So many opportunities right here at Keuka Lake, plus I made stops near Erie PA and at Allegheny State Park last week.

Baltimore Oriole

Blue Jay with peanut

Chipmunk

Common Merganser mom with ducklings

Eastern Cottontail

Eastern Phoebe

Green Heron

Northern Yellow Warbler

Red-winged Blackbird (male)

Red-winged Blackbird (female)

Album Club: Sixteen Stone - Bush

2026-05-29T09:37:41-04:00

Discussed on May 29, 2026. Picked by Jim.

Song Ratings

#	Song	Jim	Chris
1	Everything Zen	Bench	—
2	Swim	—	—
3	Bomb	—	Cut
4	Little Things	—	—
5	Comedown	—	—
6	Body	—	—
7	Machinehead	Starter	Starter
8	Testosterone	Cut	—
9	Monkey	—	Bench
10	Glycerine	—	—
11	Alien	—	—
12	X‐Girlfriend / Comedown (acoustic version)	—	—

Legend: Starter = would start a playlist

Bench = solid

Cut = would skip

Jim’s Notes

My biggest surprise about this album is why didn’t I know about it when it was popular in the ’90s?!? I was listening to Collective Soul, Creed, Goo Goo Dolls, Smashing Pumpkins, 3 Doors Down, Third Eye Blind, Eve 6, Pearl Jam, etc. and I missed this album?!? Crazy!
I feel like the lulls and quiet moments in the tracks make the loud parts punch harder and are more effective than they would otherwise be.
Is the reference to Strawberry Fields in Glycerine a nod to The Beatles?
X-Girlfriend is like a Minutemen song with less interesting lyrics. :D
Machinehead is a memory trigger along with a few other tunes that immediately evoke my time cycling indoors on the Zwift platform.

Chris’s Notes

This holds up way better than I expected. Honestly hard to pick a cut for this album. I started with Testosterone but the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. Start to finish every song has something of value and I think the obvious cut is X-Girlfriend, the song at the end. But that’s a throwaway end track.

And by the way, my version does not have the Comedown acoustic version but I did listen to that – pretty awesome. I’m going to learn that. The cut came down to Swim or Bomb for me as a cut. But I could have kept either one. But I’m telling you that run from Little Things all the way through Alien is just solid music that holds up really well.

My starter is Machinehead. That’s the song that’s always stuck with me. It’s a song they opened up with in their concert when I saw them with Goo Goo Dolls and No Doubt. Comedown might be the better song but Machinehead is just such a great rocker.

Alien is like their November Rain from Guns and Roses. It has this epic orchestral feel to it. If I were going to characterize where Bush fits in terms of influences, I would probably say Led Zeppelin and Guns and Roses. And that’s a pretty solid compliment for this band.

35 Years

2026-05-19T16:17:11-04:00

Julie and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary yesterday. In normal fashion for us it was low key, no gifts, culminating in a dinner out at a new-to-us restaurant.

Backpacking with Julie in Olympic NP

Julie is my trusted partner in so many areas: planning, cooking, adventuring, accountability, parenting, grandparenting (!). Yeah, pretty much everything.

Yes, I had to pursue her and convince her to go on a first date with me. Then to say committed to me. Then to marry me! All within the span of a year. When you know, you know.

Streamsong Golf Trip

2026-05-14T07:06:33-04:00

About a year ago, I started planning a trip to Streamsong for my two brothers-in-law and son, Jacob. It is exciting to have a group to start traveling and enjoying golf together in some cool destinations.

The windmill at Black

Sadly, the timing for this trip was a little rough as Dave and Mike’s dad and Jacob’s grandfather died just a few days before our trip was to start. But we decided that it would be for the best of the group to stick to our plan and find a way to celebrate Jerry while we enjoyed some beautiful golf in Central Florida.

Playing The Chain

Streamsong was our destination, a course that I had played about four years ago with my nephew and was excited to return to, especially with the opening of the new-to-me course called The Chain. That’s where we opened up our adventure on the arrival afternoon, playing the nineteen-hole match-play short course that’s right near the lodge. I set up a number of partner games for us to play throughout the golf outing. And given the design of The Chain, it made sense to start with a two versus two match play, and we turned it into a skins game. What’s unique about The Chain, and the reason it’s named as such, in tribute to the mining operations on which this golf course was built they have these giant chain links that are buried in the ground and can be as far as a hundred yards away from each other. Whoever wins the prior hole can choose where to tee off the next hole, which means some of the holes could be eighty or ninety yards, or they could be a hundred and sixty to two hundred yards. And it created some interesting choices and variety for all of us that we really enjoyed. The greens were wicked with very challenging hole locations, but that’s certainly part of the fun.

Florida cottonmouth

We hadn’t yet seen an alligator while at Streamsong but we were greeted coming off one of the greens on The Chain with a Florida cottonmouth, a very deadly pit viper that I don’t think I’d ever seen in real life before but managed to get a pretty nice photo of.

Walking Blue

On day two, we played Streamsong Black followed by Blue, walking thirty-six holes and playing in some moderate heat but with pretty significant winds throughout the day. The courses were very challenging, especially with the wind, and we all felt a little battered and bruised, I guess black and blue, by the end of the day. My golf game struggled. I had some good holes, but we all really had some challenges playing there.

The view where Red and Blue intersect

On our final day, we played Streamsong Red in the morning with the hope of some lower winds, but it still blew up, and the course was just as challenging as the Blue and Black were. We were all pretty fatigued from the long day prior, um, and the heat was ramping up even a little bit more, so we were all getting a little on edge by the time we were in the middle of the back nine. Jacob put together a very solid final round; the rest of us struggled.

Our foursome

Things relaxed a bit on the eighteenth tee as I pulled out a flask and some souvenir shot glasses from Streamsong, and we all shared a toast of early times in tribute to my father-in-law, Jerry. Overall, the resort was great. The food was as good as could be expected, at times pretty decent. The beer was cold, the service was great, and they always provide shuttles to get you around where you need. We enjoyed the high-quality practice areas throughout.

Mike and I will return in February next year with 10 other folks from the Keuka Lake area.

Gerald Saxton - 1941 - 2026

2026-05-12T08:16:44-04:00

When I started my solo drive to FL then NY from CA I mentioned that Julie flew back to NY to help her dad the day before I left. She was able to be with him in his final week as he passed at the end of April.

Four generations of Saxton-Brooks

I knew Jerry from shortly before Julie and I married, so over 35 years. He is inextricably linked to Keuka Lake in my mind, and in our sons’. In 1992 after getting stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB Julie and I took a late spring drive to the lake for my first visit. Jerry took me out on the family Flying Dutchman in cold water and cold air for my first sail. I can’t say I enjoyed it much but it was the start of a love for sailing.

Around the campfire with Jerry, Julie, and Matthew

Once Matthew started at West Point in 2015 we began spending our summers at the lake. So my time with Jerry pivoted from maybe-a-week-a-year to living with him at the cottages for at least two months every summer.

Projects with Jerry

I fell in love with the pace and the feeling of mostly living outdoors. And I became a caretaker and owner, engaging in my own maintenance and improvement projects under the tutelage of Jerry. There was never a situation that came up where he couldn’t add his experience and wisdom. Yet he was bold with new ideas and welcoming of change. We added a heat pump A/C to his primary living cottage. I built elevated garden beds. We added an outdoor shower. And he worked on projects all through his last summer at Keuka.

Our final golf outing with Jerry

One non-obvious thing about Jerry and me: I spent far more time with him in my adult years than I did with my own dad. At the end of every summer when we would all part ways again, he was effusive in his gratitude to Julie and me, generous with his hugs, and clearly at peace with where his life had taken him. Last summer I was surprised when he told me he wanted to get out on the golf course again - not to play, but to just drive the cart and be with family. We did this twice - once with Julie and Judy, and another with his sons Dave and Mike and with our sons Jacob and Matthew. It was a special treat to spend a day like this and enjoy lunch after in the clubhouse.

Lastly, we are all grateful that he had two different summer visits by his great-grandson Rory. While it is sad to think that Rory won’t remember him, Jerry was able to meet and enjoy him all while appreciating what a great father his grandson Jacob is and will be.

Album Club: Lust for Life - Iggy Pop

2026-05-09T11:20:14-04:00

Discussed on May 9, 2026. Picked by Chris.

Song Ratings

#	Song	Jim	Chris
1	Lust for Life	Starter	Starter
2	Sixteen	—	—
3	Some Weird Sin	—	—
4	The Passenger	Bench	—
5	Tonight	—	Bench
6	Success	Cut	—
7	Turn Blue	—	Cut
8	Neighborhood Threat	—	—
9	Fall in Love With Me	—	—

Legend: Starter = would start a playlist

Bench = solid

Cut = would skip

Jim’s Notes

Can definitely hear the Bowie influence on the album. Iggy sounds like Bowie on Tonight even.
I didn’t care for the call and response approach to Success where the response was almost always a word for word recitation of the call.

Chris’s Notes

This album was incredible. I knew about the Iggy Pop / David Bowie collaboration during their time in Berlin but did not expect the Bowie feel to be so omnipresent here.
I like this original version of “Tonight” more than Bowie’s 1984 version. Related: didn’t know “China Girl” was also a cover of a Bowie/Pop collab.
Great live performance

Wilco x2

2026-05-07T19:38:34-04:00

A month or two ago I realized our planned drive from Napa to Florida lined up perfectly with Wilco’s gulf coast tour schedule.

Wilco in Jackson

Sadly new superfan Julie wasn’t with me. She joined me a year earlier in Tallahassee for an amazing show, our second time seeing opening act Waxahatchee (she’s a wee fan of them too).

Wilco show poster for Jackson

I tried to give away the extra tickets via the Wilco subreddit but the first night in Jackson I had no takers. And a front row seat at that! After a tasty and unhealthy southern meal on the north side of town I parked downtown for an evening with Wilco.

John takes the helm

The “evening with…” designation means no opening act and two full sets plus an encore of Wilco. Three hours and a chance to roam their vast back catalog. The Jackson show was amazing, including a rare chance to see John Stirratt take the guitar and lead vocals for “It’s Just That Simple” from debut album A.M. from over 30 years ago. If you’ve been reading this blog since I started it over 20 years ago you’ve known for a while that my Wilco love goes way back. John was not yet with predecessor band Uncle Tupelo when I would see them at Cicero’s basement bar near Wash U in St. Louis, joining for the much lauded Anodyne.

Wilco in Mobile

The Mobile show was the next night, and my hope was a divergent setlist similar to what I might see in a Chicago residence or festival. I was a bit disappointed as the Jackson and Mobile set lists were more alike than different. In hindsight it makes sense: Jeff’s been on a “solo” tour with his family band all winter (Julie and I saw Jeff in Phoenix) and they (1) haven’t been hanging out producing a new album and (2) didn’t have time to do that much different than their last tour.

Chris and Eddie outside the Saenger theater

I did find Wilco buddy Eddie who reached out to me before the show to snag the extra ticket. He bought dinner for me at a beer garden next to the theater and we shared our love for the band and history seeing them (and similar acts). Thank you Eddie!

Texas and Louisiana

2026-05-02T21:58:46-04:00

I crossed Texas west to east without getting on an interstate. Didn’t feel slowed down and the enjoyment ratcheted up.

Golf in big sky Electra TX

My only Texas night was in Electra at Crooked Creek Golf Course. The course is a 9 hole track with different tees for a back nine. Completely flat and walkable yet everyone was roaming around in carts. When I checked in to pay the green fees she paused thinking maybe I didn’t owe anything because I was walking. I assured her that I should still pay green fees. The course was fun.

Scissor-tailed flycatcher

An on course highlight was the many observed scissor tailed flycatchers. A first for me, and fun to find the bird on the cover of Wingspan.

I overnighted in the van there after considering pushing further east after golf. Major thunderstorms and a tornado warning near Wichita Falls had me wisely choose to sit tight.

More crooked golf in Louisiana

My next night was at another crooked course - Crooked Hollow near Shreveport. Fun course that exceeded my expectations, even with a seven-some and six-some playing ahead of me as we raced to finish before sunset.

The bridges at Vicksburg MS

I quickly crossed Louisiana and the Mississippi at Vicksburg where I spent some time wandering the civil war battlefield and birding.

Arizona and New Mexico

2026-04-26T09:15:28-04:00

I flew through Arizona and New Mexico but made some time for golf and some good food.

Hidden Cove golf

At the end of two miles of washboard dirt road in Holbrook AZ is the Hidden Cove Golf Course. Classic small town golf with an honor box inside the wide open clubhouse. The course is well cared for and situated inside a series of red rock ledges. 90 minutes and 9 holes is a great way to break up the drive.

Camping in Cibola

I overnighted a few miles off I-40 in Cibola National Forest. Classic high desert environment and… cold! Mid 30s overnight.

Los Altos muni golf in Albuquerque

Made my way to my home town from 1982-1984, Albuquerque. I was anxious to move away from there but now I’m always eager to return. Parked at Los Altos golf course where I took two school calls and did some full swing work on the range.

Perea’s New Mexican restaurant

Lunched at Perea’s for a classic New Mexican lunch: stuffed sopapillas with green chili sauce. Picked up some green chile and pinto beans for the road.

Wine display inside Enchantment Vineyards

Ended the day going off interstate (always a good move) to Portales and an overnight at Enchantment Vineyards, a lovely Harvest Host with beer, wine, and on that night a local college steel drum band.