Rufe Davis

            On Monday morning I memorized the fifth verse of "Que tu es impatiente, la mort" (Death You're So Impatient) by Boris Vian. There are two verses left to learn. 

            I worked out the chords for the intro and the first line of "Vieille Canaille" (Old Rascal) by Serge Gainsbourg. 

            Before song practice I shortened the guitar strap for my Martin because it was slung too low. That seemed to solve some of the problems I've had playing it over the last couple of days. I like it low but it was too much and I was reaching too far. 

            The pickup for my Martin is not working properly. It keeps on losing connection and I have to push the jack back in. I did a satisfying take of a song but then I looked and saw there was no wave form. I started redoing it but then the battery ran out on the camera. I might have to take the guitar back to The 12th Fret to get the pickup fixed or replaced. I don't know if I'll have to leave the guitar there but I guess if I have to and it solves the problem, I can play the electric for a few days while I'm waiting.

            I weighed 86 kilos before breakfast. Around midday I rode up to the Home Hardware lumber yard at Morrow and Dundas West to see if they had any eight or nine millimeter thick plywood. But the thinnest they had was a centimeter and that's too much. I think now I have to keep my eye out during my bike rides for thin sheets of wood or panelling . I have some already that I've saved to do collages on. I'll start seeing if they'd be enough after cutting to fill the depression in my kitchen floor. If they are I'll glue them down and then cover them with tiles. 

            I weighed 85.8 kilos before lunch. 

            In the afternoon I took a bike ride downtown and back. 

            I weighed 85.7 kilos at 17:30.

            I chiseled a little more of the rock encasing my amethyst but some of the smaller crystals got knocked off. That might be an inevitable sacrifice I have to make. 

            I was caught up on my journal at 18:45. 

            I reviewed the videos of me playing "Love Like a Boomerang" and "Boomerang" from June 11 to June 19 of last year. For "Love Like a Boomerang" on June 11 it was pretty good but I fumbled a word. On June 13 the camera was out of focus and there was traffic noise. June 15 was pretty good but the spit screen was often over my mouth. June 16 was pretty good but there was traffic noise and the spit screen was at my chin. June 18 was pretty good with possibly tolerable traffic noise. For "Boomerang" on June 14 the spit screen was in my face and there was traffic noise. June 17 was pretty good but there was a bit of traffic noise. June 19 was the best so far, plus it's already synchronized in Movie Maker. 

            I finished my search for videos to fit my line, "refer to current literature". I'll settle for downloading the silent movies "Faust" and "The Golem", plus the video on evil books in movies. I'll start with "Faust" and try to find a copy of it on YouTube that doesn't have a water mark. 

            I sprinkled five chicken legs with paprika and grilled them in the oven. I had one with a potato and gravy while watching season 1, episodes 2 and 3 of Petticoat Junction. 

            The first story is a continuation of the story in the series premier. Mr. Bedloe, the vice president of the C & FW train line came to investigate the Hooterville-Pixley branch of the line, which due to a broken trestle has been cut off from the main line for twenty years. He finds that Charlie the engineer and Floyd the conductor run the Cannonball train in a very casual and unprofitable manner and declares at the end of the first episode that he's shutting it down. He spends the night at Kate Bradley's Shady Rest Hotel and plans to take the train to Pixley in the morning to notify the main office of his plans. But Kate has the train leave without him and as soon as Bedloe wakes up she begins treating him like a king. She feeds him sumptuous meals, has her daughters sing to him, and explains to him how important the Cannonball is to her community. He says it doesn't make any money but she says it doesn't lose any money and it costs the company nothing to run it. He says if something goes wrong with the train the company would be liable. Bedloe stops the train on its way back to Hooterville and gets on, but Charlie disconnects the engine from the passenger car and as the train pulls out, Jo and his three nieces shake the car so Bedloe thinks it's rolling. Kate rides into Hooterville to talk with Sam Drucker. Bedloe finds an old hand car and heads for Hooterville on the track. But he meets the Cannonball coming the other way and has to pump the handcar ahead of it back to the Shady Rest. Sam Drucker introduces himself to Bedloe and it is explained that Sam not only owns the general store, but he's the mayor, the postmaster, the marshal and the judge. Sam serves Bedloe with 27 summonses, complaints, subpoenas, and overdue bills for damages caused by the train and services rendered to maintain the train by the people of the community over the last twenty years, amounting to about $150,000. He says in his capacity as judge he'll forget about it if Bedloe lets Floyd and Charlie run the line the way they always have. Bedloe gives in. 

            In the second story Bedloe returns to the C & FW to tell the railroad president Norman Curtis the news. Curtis is disappointed in Bedloe and decides to go to Hooterville himself but incognito. A helicopter sets him down ahead of the Cannonball to wait for the train but he falls down and dirties his face and tears his suit. The train stops for him but everyone thinks he's a hobo. Curtis has forgotten to bring money, thus making himself seem even more of a bum. The train stops on the trestle so everyone can fish. But Kate is on the train and shows Curtis compassion. She takes him back to the Shady Rest where he is showered with kindness and good food. Kate puts him to work doing the chores Uncle Joe has been artfully avoiding and he performs them willingly. When Curtis leaves he goes back to the main office and no longer wants to scrap the line. Instead he goes back to stay at the Shady Rest and it seems there's a budding romance between him and Kate. 

            Floyd Smoot was played by Rufe Davis, who joined the Weaver Brothers and Elviry vaudeville touring troupe in 1929, which specialized in country themed comedy. In 1932 he starred in the radio show Rufe Davis and the Radio Rubes and in 1936 they starred in the short movie "City Slicker". In his act he imitated various instruments and train whistles. He appeared as Lullabye Joslin in 14 of "The Three Mesquiteers" movie series. He co-starred in the movie "Cocoanut Grove" as a singer. In many western films he played the comedic sidekick to cowboy heroes, such as Gene Autrey. He appeared regularly on Petticoat Junction for the first five years of the series and then in guest appearances.