I can't go home to Yellow Springs, Ohio without a night out at The Gulch on Dayton Street.  The Gulch has been around for years and years.  When I was a kid it was just a nasty old bar where men who drank too much sat on the stools along the long bar and sipped at cheap drinks.  During my teenage years Jake Jones (a legendary black Lothario!) owned the bar and changed the name to the Majaga (named for Maxine,his wife and Jalyn and Gale, his two daughters) and touted it as a nightclub.  Jake built a loft seating area and installed a stage.  I remember the night when my boyfriend took me there to hear his friend's band play R&B.  I loved the dark, smoky atmosphere as we rocked to the loud Motown hits that shook the rafters of the old wooden building.

Now when I go home to The Springs my friends and I make at least one trek down to The Gulch.  Jake has been gone for years, but the long bar is still there although the loft is gone and the stage has been replaced by a billiards table.  This year we purposely went down to the bar after 10  on Saturday night to hear live music by Dr. Skillet, a local jazz trio comprised of a classmate's' younger brother on drums and a bass player and keyboardist.  Dr. Skillet was cramped into a corner just inside the front door so that I was able to wave hello to the group as I first entered.  We walked halfway down the bar, stopping to say hello to half a dozen people that we knew.  Finally we reached a spot open enough to cozy up to the bar to order a couple of beers.  Two guys I hadn't seen in years were standing close by and we struck up a conversation with them.  "How've you been?  Where're you living?  What's new?"  Just bar talk - nothing heavy as the band was playing so loud we could hardly hear each other talk.  Folks just kept walking by - many we knew and said our hellos to; others obviously from out of town.  The billiard table was crowded with guys playing pool and the tables along the wall were full and getting fuller as friends stopped to chat with those who were already seated.  The place was hopping!!!  Everyone was in a good mood - it was Saturday night, the music had soul and we were out and having fun!  And it didn't matter if you were White or Black - everyone loves The Gulch!

After awhile my friends and I needed a break from the close quarters, hot still air and loud music.  We stepped outside the front door to encounter a whole other group of people milling about on the sidewalk.  There were people standing around chatting,  smoking cigarettes or just sitting on the benches that were nearby.  I greeted some old friends who were enjoying the cooler air on the street and avoiding the crowds.  The atmosphere in the bar had carried into the street - hot, sultry, friendly, good natured.  This is The Gulch in Yellow Springs - no other place like it!!!



Real Estate Hint - Don't lie to your broker!  You would think this would go without saying, but too often real estate brokers actually catch their customers in a lie.  No need.  If you don't want to continue to look in a certain town for a house, tell your agent good bye and thank them for their help.  If you don't like a house, tell your agent that the house doesn't suit you and could you see others.  If you don't want to look at any more houses on that particular day, tell your agent that you're too tired to keep looking and apologize for cancelling the rest of the appointments.  If you are getting a divorce; having a baby; losing your job; getting the kids on weekends only - let your agent know!  The more information that brokers have about you, the more they can help you find the right house.  And don't lie - tell the truth!