Ten years ago, my younger sister sent me an e-mail about a group of Ultimate players who were looking to form a band. They were a close-knit collection of friends who had met at university with shared interests in playing Ultimate frisbee and musical instruments (but not at the same time!). The one thing they were lacking was a drummer and that's where I came in. From that first tentative jam session, the Picklecatz were born and while that band only lasted eighteen months, it produced some fine music and memorable performances.

The leader and creative genius of the group was one Troy Jones, a bona fide artist and gifted songwriter with a wicked sense of humor. I liked Troy from the moment I met him. Everything he says, sings, howls, or writes can be entertaining, enlightening, or both. Maybe it's because we were both born in New Brunswick (although my Maritimer credentials are undermined by the fact that I haven't lived there since I was a baby). Maybe it's because we both like dogs. Maybe it's because we both like writing songs (although he's much, MUCH better at it than I am). Or maybe it's just because he's a genial soul whose observations strike a chord with me whether he's commenting on life, people, or the environment in which he finds himself.

Which leads me to "Las Vegas: A Mountain Man's Experiences in the Desert". Troy and his lovely wife Tanya have moved to Nevada and he's sharing the experiences through a blog. I'm embarassed to admit that this is Troy's fourth attempt at a blog but only the first that I've read myself. Definitely a lost opportunity there as even though our days as bandmates is a decade in the past, he hasn't lost a single bit of his ability to paint imagination masterpieces with words.

I don't read many blogs primarily because I just don't have the time to keep up with them. But I'll be reading Troy's on a regular basis and enjoying every word, phrase and paragraph. Give it a read. You'll be happy you did.

Write on, Troy! Write on!