Ashland KY Bus Station: My Greyhound pulled up to this neat restored Victorian Era Warehouse, not far from the Sky Blue Thirteenth Street Bridge, seen in previous panorama. ((NB: Don’t forget to review the How To for my Panoramas, in our Xmas12 Email. These are also on my ZMMQ pages: If you scroll around a bit you will find these instructions, and MUCH more!! ))

The bus driver was allowing only the time of a smoke break, resulting in too much rush for me, and not good shots: Sorry!

At the time I did not realize that not all my photos being saved, a fact I discovered only after I started to post them in this album. Most of the time only, the odd number photos were in the camera memory! :-(

JUST DISCOVERED!! DON’T MISS IT!! Ashland KY Amtrack Station is marked on Google Maps: If you do a Google search for Ashland KY, then click on it to get the full size Google Map version, then scroll in for a close up, you will see Amtrack Icon: Click on it, and you will get a mouse prompt = “Street View”: This leads to a GREAT WONDERFUL 360 degree panorama viewer to show of this shows, as in my photos, this same Neat Warehouse Building(next photo), and the BiColored Twin Bridges over the Ohio River.

With some mouse pushes on the pointers of the “View Controll Circle upper right of the viewer, you will be able to move along the street to new vantage points.

GREAT!! WONDERFUL!! DON’T MISS IT!!


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These “Old Timey” Ceramic Tile Cattle Feed Silos Caught My Attention … Just Neat in the clear morning winter air!!

I’m ~30 miles North of Indianapolis IN, on my cousin Joe Willhite’s place (Son of my Grad Dad's youngest daughter). He in on about 33 acres of what was a much larger dairy farm. He says this was, at one time, one of the foremost Dairy Herds in all on Indiana. Evidence of two lines of dairy cow milking stations, and feeding trough, still mark the concrete pad in the foreground. This was the former floor of the barn that held the whole operation, and conveniently close to the silos, for ease of moving the stored silage to the cows” YUM!!


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After taking the Twin Silos of the previous photo, the morning sunshine & brisk air, spirit-wise, prompt my Psyche, to turn 90 deg to the West and snap Cousin Joe’s home, once the original farm house, for one of the foremost Dairy Herds in all on Indiana!!

It’s a cloud above the chimny, and not real wood-burner smoke: But it SHOULD be, since that’s the main source of heat the Willhite Family within. AND now that I think about it, woodburner hear also for me, during my 4 days here!!

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Russiaville IN: In this ~80 year old photo, a 4th of July parade goes by the former location of the George Eichenberry House, in the photo, located just beyond the brick buildings on the left side of street. The trees are most likely in the front yard of where Suzanne's Grandparents lived, back in the 20's. This faboluous Victorian House, with broad expanse of verandas around three sides, is featured in many of of Suzanne's Mother stories and fond memories, since Mother Hippensteel and Aunt Ruth grew up here. (Ask to see a copy of Mother Hipp’s auto biography “Cat-O-Nine Tales”.)

It took me much angling and positioning of this old framed photo literally "off the wall", to get this photo shot, w/o any glare from the lights of the Beauty Shop which proudly had a "history Wall" of photos.

Thanks to the shop owners, for permission, and Mary Loves of the Russiavlle NAPA Dealer, for persistent phoning around to locate a Senior Citizen, who had the needed memories: And finally, thanks to Mr Oliver Pollex, for filling in all the old stories, about the former Auburn Auto Dealership, just off this photo edge to the right. AND why don't I show any photos of the house itself?? Well a tornado cleared it and many other Russiaville landmarks away into The Land of Oz!! And cleared a space for the Funeral Home where Suzanne & I parked our car fhen at Mother Hipp's Funeral two years ago :-(
If you have more information, concerning this entire topic, or know Russiaville IN history, or If you see any needed corrections to this caption: Please help by contacting Henry Gurr. Click on “Contact”, at the bottom of this (or any of my ZMMQ Web or Gallery Pages.

Thanks also to my cousin Joe Willhite, with whom we had a great day of for driving me (in his ‘90’s Mercedes-Benz Diesel) all over a five county area, just North of Indianapolis IN, for Joe’s Insurance Contacts, and for me: visits to Antique Store Visits, shopping at Kokomo IN’s Miller Variety Store (an Amish Country Bulk Food Store!), and then the following: Having some relaxed extra time on the way back to the Twin Ceramic Silo’s, and Quality Track Inspiration, and continuing wonderful very nice sunny day, decide to take a Road Less Traveled, that by dint of where (by pure accident) of where we turned off the return highway form Kokomo, happened to turn West on: When I discovered that Russiaville IN was ahead, my Problem Solving Brain, on automatic, codgered up an old memory, “Look again for the Eichenberry House”!! This dates back a year ago, when Suzanne and I searched for it, in spare moments after the Funeral of Faith Ritz Engle Hippensteel, Suzanne’s Mother. The funeral was held there because Mother Hippensteel, had so many memories as a child there.

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This photo shows, the flatness of the South Dakota Prairie, about which, ZMM author Robert Pirsig writes:

“This is grassland now. We are on the prairie. .. I have a feeling none of us fully understands what four days on this prairie in July will be like. Memories of car trips across them are always of flatness and great emptiness as far as you can see, extreme monotony and boredom as you drive for hour after hour, getting nowhere, wondering how long this is going to last without a turn in the road, without a change in the land going on and on to the horizon. .. In my mind, when I look at these fields, I say to her, "See? . . . See?" and I think she does. I hope later she will see and feel a thing about these prairies I have given up talking to others about; a thing that exists here because everything else does not and can be noticed because other things are absent. She seems so depressed sometimes by the monotony and boredom of her city life, I thought maybe in this endless grass and wind she would see a thing that sometimes comes when monotony and boredom are accepted. It’s here, but I have no names for it.” (From ZMM Ch 2, page 17)

This photo is placed here to illustrate what it was like for me on my “Big (Intercity) Bus Trip, from Aiken SC, To Bozeman MT and return”. Although taken some 12 days, after I got on the Greyhound Bus in Aiken SC. This is the only photo I happen to have, with which to illustrates what I saw for some aggregate of 8 days-worth of hours on the bus!!

My Palm Centro Cell camera, recorded that this photo was taken 12/02/2012 at 3:43 PM local time. From the date (same as file number below = mmddyy), I deduce this photo was taken about half way from Oacoma SD & Rapid City SD.

Thus, this is indeed "The Grasslands", otherwise known as "The Prairie"!!


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This photo shows MSU Pirsig Chautuauqua 11 a.m. Session.
Sara Waller, David Buchanan, and Michael Sexson shown here, were to be “A spur of the moment panel, responding to questions from the audience”.

Philosophers, Dustin Dallman, & Anthony McWatt, were on the schedule, but Dustin, having a serious headache, left over from his previous Chautauqua Presentation, was only present spiritually. And somehow Anthony’s non-spiritual physical light reflecting atoms, escaped my Centro Camera Click.

The Honda CB 77 305 Super Hawk, is a featured iconic display, compliments of the major efforts of Lee Glover. He brought this Physical Emblem, all the way over the mountains, from Boise ID, in icey-snowy winter Weather!! Lee, Pirsig Enthusiasts worldwide, thank you, for your Quality efforts!! Wonderful to see this cycle there!!

This Honda CB 77 305 Super Hawk duplicates the Honda Pirsig Rode in 1968, on the ZMM Route, described in his book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". This collectors item, was purchased for, and is shown much in Lee's "Meridian" DVD.

In addition, this cycle was used as a two wheeled energized, moving video camera mount, for about 10% of the footage of "Meridian" DVD.

The next two photos show views of the MSU Pirsig Chautuauqua Afternoon Session, or Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012. Sessions were in the Montana State University, Student Union Ballroom.
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Useful Links:
1) MSU Pirsig Chautauqua Conference
http://www.montana.edu/pirsig/
Or just Google this => Montana State University Pirsig Chautauqua Conference

2) These Two Facebook Links have photos of the MSU Pirsig Chautauqua Conference.
a) Henry Gurr’s ZMMQ FB: https://www.facebook.com/zmmquality NB: PLEASE … PLEASE … Click on lots of “Likes” AND Type comments!!
b) Anthony McWatt’s FB. http://www.facebook.com/pages/robertpirsigorg-Zen-and-the-Art-of-Motorcycle-Maintenance/115214385222925
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More about “The MSU Chautauqua 2012”, In case you need it:
Montana State University, Bozeman MT, was the site for "Chautauqua 2012," a two-day conference on Dec. 7 and 8,2012, celebrating the writings of Robert Pirsig, author of the book, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", This book, a blend of romance, ghost story, travelogue, philosophy, and religious pilgrimage, that have become for millions of readers a reflection of their own quest for quality in a world more interested in 'what's new,' rather than 'what's best,'" said Charles Pinkava, project director and teacher of critical thinking at MSU.

The event will open at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, in room 101 of Gaines Hall with introductory remarks by MSU President Waded Cruzado, a short film on Pirsig's legendary motorcycle trip, as well as talks by three philosophers. Sara Waller, MSU philosophy professor, will speak on "Consciousness, Focus, and Not Knowing about Motorcycles." Dustin Dallman, a student at MSU, will address the issue of Pirsig as an American philosopher, and David Buchanan, a Denver-based Pirsig specialist, will talk about motorcycle maintenance as the central metaphor in the two books. Following a question-and-answer session, a catered reception will be provided for attendees. Michael Sexson, MSU professor of English, will be the master of ceremonies for the event.
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This photo shows MSU Pirsig Chautauqua 1 pm Open Forum Session.
The forum’s Open Microphone was in the center of the room, where you see the persons, standing in line waiting for their turn, to give their testimonial: The speakers, really life experience story tellers, presented very personal statements, as to what their reading of ZMM meant to them. Most presentations, came over to me, as statements of deep personal meaning for the speaker, and in these cases, the teller spoke clearly became very emotional in voice, gesture, & body movements. This was, for me a high point of the conference.

In the near fore ground, paying rapt attention, you will recognize Tom Thornton, Tina DeWeese, and Henry Gurr: Well, correction, just my thick winter coat, since I’m actually behind the camera!! We were all in the front row for hearing the speakers on stage, but forum organizers had other ideas, and put the microphone behind un.

The next photo shows my last view of the MSU Pirsig Chautauqua Afternoon Session, or Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012. Sessions were in the Montana State University, Student Union Ballroom.
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As Is The Case For The Previous Photo, Here Are More Useful Links:
1) Oct 18, 2012: MSU’s first announcement of the MSU Pirsig Chautauqua Conference, with many quotes by Chas Pinkava, of the event Organizing Committee. . http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=11543
2) Although, there is much of interest to Pirsig Fans on my ZMMQ Links WebPage, you will be especially rewarded, if you bring up following ZMMQ New Link, and in page search box type DeWeese!!! Especially note the Facebook Postings of Photos of the artwork of Bob Deweese, and separately, Gennie DeWeese.

3) For your interest, below is a long email from Tina DeWeese, about trials & thrills of setting up this Chautauqua Event:
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Subject: announcement...
From: tina@deweeseart.com
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2012 19:58:28 -0600
CC: HenryG@usca.edu; markrichardson888@gmail.com
To: leelg77@msn.com

Greetings friends!

I've been working with a committee for a few months on a project that I was just today given the "go-ahead" to share, so am excited to tell you about plans that are moving forward.

One of the people on the committee, Charlie Pinkava, has for some time been exploring ways that MSU might acknowledge Pirsig in a more public way beyond the plaque of acknowledgement that he and his class created a couple of years ago - I'm sure you're all familiar with the plaque. Charlie teaches ZMM as his only text in a Critical Thinking class through the Liberal Arts program at MSU. A few meetings with Charlie, my brother Josh, and Michael Sexson, (English prof Emeritus) have evolved to include Waded Cruzado, the President of MSU. With her immense enthusiasm and support, we've begun the process of planning a celebratory event which will honor and dignify Pirsig in ways that he has long deserved through MSU.

The early stages of these meetings involved correspondence with Pirsig, inviting him to join us for this celebration. He has graciously declined, primarily due to his health. We all know his resistance to the lime light…and that he is not comfortable with the celebrity of his fame, but he never the less has accepted the 'honor' of the acknowledgement, and we've begun the process of planning the event. We're thinking it will be in December, and I will inform you all of more specifics as they evolve. I volunteered to be the messenger to inform the "pilgrims", and am initiating this conversation with the three of you with whom I've been in most recent contact. It was difficult not to mention this when you were here, Mark, but the meetings have until now been confidential…so please accept my apologies for not engaging further in that conversation!

All of us agree that such an event would certainly include the 'Pirsig Pilgrims' as much as anyone is able to attend. It's been considered in conversations about your film, Lee…that it would be wonderful if it might be premiered at this event. You and I have talked about this peripherally, and although I know you're working toward December 21st, perhaps this would be an appropriate "prelude" to your greater intention. And although it's not a film about Pirsig's work, it is exemplary of the influence his work has had, which is a great part of the intention of this occasion. Mark brought it up in our recent conversation, that it would be wonderful to premier it at MSU. I hope you might "entertain the notion"…as James Hillman would say…

I'm also thinking that Anthony McWatt might be invited to speak, as his work is so intensively focused on Pirsig's contributions. I know that Pirsig did attend his doctoral graduation ceremony in Liverpool, and has been supportive of the MOQ website initiated (?) by Anthony. It would be wonderful if all of the European pilgrims could attend, but we'll see what happens!

Henry, because you've been so helpful in posting news as it comes up…am wondering if you would like to do so for this occasion. I'll be contacting folks I've met, but am sure there are many others who would be interested in attending, or just being informed. At this point we're looking at mid December, and I know travel might be difficult, but knowing about it sooner than later is a good idea. I'll try to gather dates for you to post ASAP!

There will be more news as ideas come together. I'm excited to TALK about it! It's been tough keeping it all zipped up!

Enough for now. Let me know your questions, ideas…

> XTina

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((Side Note To Dave Matos:: Tina’s email above, was once on ZMMQ News Page, but gone now: Needs posted again. How about new page of Tina’s own?))
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This 2nd photo close-up, shows MSU Pirsig Chautauqua 1 pm Open Forum Session.
I believe it is Lee Glover, you see at the Forum’s Open Microphone: As usual he is in “story telling” mode, accompanied by intense gestures, and smiling face!!



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: "A Celebration of Robert M. Pirsig Chautauqua December 7-8, 2012," A close up of Montana State University‘s Library Display Exhibit Wall In this photo (and the next 7’ wide Panorama Photo Next), you see letters, manuscripts snapshots, and other memorabilia (really artifacts) displayed in MSU Library Display Wall: All are related to Robert Pirsig, and His book “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” (ZMM). Many of these artifacts are from the Robert (Bob) & Gennie DeWeese Family Archives, compliments of their daughter Tina DeWeese.

A) At right, you see hand written letter, perhaps Bob DeWeese’s, since not look to me as Pirsigs hand. This letter and many others displayed in this Wall, are, part of extensive correspondence between the DeWeese’s & Robert Pirsig, who have been close friends all these years. This correspondence, all on snail mail paper, continues to this day, to and from, 14190 Cottonwood Canyon Road. Now the current location of The Cottonwood Gallery (www.deweeseart.com & www.tomthorntonbronze.com).
B) In center are DVD’s Concerning ZMM & Pirsig. These are available from Anthony McWatt, with a complete listing at RobertPirsig.org

C) At lower right, one of many important ZMM quotes, very early on page 5. Never wasting a word, here Pirsig introduces a VERY important theme of the book of ZMM: “It was a puzzling thing. The truth knocks on the door and you say, "Go away, I’m looking for the truth," and so it goes away. Puzzling.”

D) At left, a worn & tattered, broken in half (from intensive usage), is a New Age ZMM Edition (Pink ~1981), here open to page 196. We speculate that this “broke-in-half-point”, is because of the concentrated extra reading, and re reading pages of the pages before & after the page 196. Note how this page is about 1/3 yellow highlighted!!!. All this evidence of deep study by book owner MSU Professor Charles Pinkava, who teaches Pirsig's ZMM Book to MSU sutdents.

Below is the full text of this ZMM page 196, with yellow hilighted passages bolded.

[ START Page 196. ] “ … The wave of crystallization rolled ahead. He was seeing two worlds, simultaneously. On the intellectual side, the square side, he saw now that Quality was a cleavage term. What every intellectual analyst looks for. You take your analytic knife, put the point directly on the term Quality and just tap, not hard, gently, and the whole world splits, cleaves, right in two—hip and square, classic and romantic, technological and humanistic—and the split is clean. There’s no mess. No slop. No little items that could be one way or the other. Not just a skilled break but a very lucky break. Sometimes the best analysts, working with the most obvious lines of cleavage, can tap and get nothing but a pile of trash. And yet here was Quality; a tiny, almost unnoticeable fault line; a line of illogic in our concept of the universe; and you tapped it, and the whole universe came apart, so neatly it was almost unbelievable. He wished Kant were alive. Kant would have appreciated it. That master diamond cutter. He would see. Hold Quality undefined. That was the secret. ---
Phædrus wrote, with some beginning awareness that he was involved in a strange kind of intellectual suicide, Squareness may be succinctly and yet thoroughly defined as an inability to see quality before it’s been intellectually defined, that is, before it gets all chopped up into words . . . . .. We have proved that quality, though undefined, exists. Its existence can be seen empirically in the classroom, and can be demonstrated logically by showing that a world without it cannot exist as we know it. What remains to be seen, the thing to be analyzed, is not quality, but those peculiar habits of thought called ‘squareness’ that sometimes prevent us from seeing it." [[As you see in the photo, here this page has the word ASSUMPTIONS, in bold ink, all capital lettersm, hand written by by book owner, MSU Professor Charles Pinkava.]] Thus did he seek to turn the attack. The subject for analysis, the patient on the table, was no longer Quality, but analysis itself. Quality was healthy and in good shape. Analysis, however, seemed to have something wrong with it that prevented it from seeing the obvious. .. I look back and see Chris is way behind. "Come on!" I shout. .. He doesn’t answer. .. "Come on!" I shout again. .. Then I see him fall sideways and sit in the grass on the side of the mountain. I leave my pack and go back … “ [ END Page 196. ]

Photo posted on FB & ZMMQG
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