When we moved to the desert in 2022, I had very little understanding of how extreme climate influences cultural behavior.  For example, I grew up on the East Coast in the suburbs of Philadelphia and raised our kids in the rural setting of the Pocono Mountains and hills and  woodlands of the Northern Lehigh Valley. A siesta in the middle of the day was not only frowned upon, it was a sign of laziness. The only people who took daily naps in the middle of the day were my grandparents. 

We moved here to the dry heat of the Upper Mojave desert and I noticed that by two o’clock P.M. the labor work force  would disappear, the trash trucks would arrive at 5in the morning, commercial buildings would take years to build.  Siesta time was real here and it was borne out of necessity- when the temperature hits 115 degrees, it is not advisable to work in the garden.  Besides, once those July-August heat waves hit- you are simply nurturing your flowers to their demise.

Yet no matter how hot the weather, every other Friday night a group of musicians arrive at the historic USO building on Ridgecrest Blvd and we participate in one of the best Open Mic events I have ever had the honor of performing at.  Every time I would write a new song, I would play it at the open mic and those live performances would help me to further develop the songs in the studio.

The Open Mic is run by true professionals and the musicians, songwriters, singers, and cover artists are exceptional at their craft.  It is an honor to perform on the same stage.  The event iu usually well attended and the sponsors are kind, supportive, and totally professional.  The admission fee is three dollars.  THREE DOLLARS. 

And somewhere in the middle of the desert, between the studio, the open mic, and the TIK TOK streaming, I finally found my true voice, my natural style that has elevated my writing, my musicianship,  my vocals,  and my performance to a level I didn’t think was possible.

This place has woven its hard earth around my soul, and I hear the good Lord clearer in my heart.  This is what success actually feels like, and I will embrace all I have learned here in the Upper Mojave desert of Southern California.

-Rick

Waterbunny and I were living a lovely life in Maine.  In 2022, private family matters led us to an important decision, to move from the moderate climate of Bangor, Maine to the desert climate of Ridgecrest California. We had aging relatives with no family available to provide the love, care, and assistance they needed.  Over the 2022 Thanksgiving holiday, we packed a 26 foot Uhaul, with an attached trailer for our car, and we trekked 3,000 miles to this Upper Mojave desert city in Southern California.

 I converted one of the rooms in our beautiful new home into a recording studio, named it Fishfire Studio and soon began on a new songwriting journey.  This is my home base today and will remain that way for the foreseeable future.

As for the desert climate?  Well, it’s a dry heat.  (that sound in the background is me laughing)

-Rick