John Wise

Caroline, Jessica, and I headed downtown to the annual Matsuri Japanese Festival. We haven’t been there for a while, good thing really. The fest has turned into a cosplay event where kids are dressed up in every form of costume from Anime characters to goth tragedy looking for a good belt of belladonna to take them out of their dark misery. Little in the way of culture is still available here, unless greasy food, t-shirts, and kids more interested in putting themselves on display is your idea of a great time. Maybe in a year or two, we’ll be able to attend virtual festivals set in time two or three centuries ago so we can at least get a taste of the history and real culture that used to exist prior to pop culture. How could that be any more fake than this?

Tonight after the sunset, a group of Jimmie Petersen’s friends and family gathered around a large bonfire at Chile Acres, led in memorializing Jimmie by his wife Celia Petersen. As the flames licked at the heavens on Jimmie’s favorite place on Earth, those gathered offered warm memories of the man and a toast to his well-being, in whatever form that takes in his hereafter. Chile Acres embodied the love of place, person, creature, and life that had become the dream Jimmie chose to be his everlasting resting place.

After the bottle finished its trek around the fire circle, Celia picked up Jimmie’s ashes for a final walk of the pasture. Now forever at home, we all wished Jimmie farewell and will fondly remember this generous and kind man who will always be a part of Chile Acres and all of the hearts he touched over his long life.