The Farm and John Barry or how I spent my wicked youth?

Many years ago in a land far away on a magical July afternoon, I met a new part of myself…or why John Barry is still the king of magical music in my mind.

This is a true story. The names have been changed to protect the innocent and my co-conspirators. The place is still there, yet remodeled once again.

This all started yesterday (September 21, 2023) when I stumbled on Joni Mitchell's performance at the 2022 Newport Folk Music Festival, during some late-night YouTube-ing. She was singing "Both Sides Now" in a stunning new arrangement that evokes one to remember their past. (I am telling you to find this performance on YouTube. Then with a bit of search compare it to her singing the song 50-plus years ago in early TV performances, the Later 60s 70’s, 80s, 90s, and 2000’s- it will make you want to study musicology and reflect on what a wonderful time we have grown up in)

This musical and video surfing started a cascade of musical memories and associated emotions of love, joy, pain, and suffering -what happens as you walk through the hallways and the windmills of your mind, one performance leading to yet other song and then another from the soundtrack of my life, . After a few songs up comes John Barry's Movieola and the "Somewhere in Time" suite which makes me think back a few decades. (cue a slow plaintive, Kenny G-ish rendition of Summer Loving had me a blast (in a minor setting) intermingled with Michel Legrand’s “Summer of 42” and you will feel the background mood and vibe)

All this led to an old beautiful memory:

The time summer 1982(July), The place: the northwest part of the USA. Spokane County-to be exact- just off the Little Spokane River. It was a Saturday and two friends of mine had just recently bought a huge old farmhouse on three acres. I was just a few months past 22.

I was still a gay hatchling. Mostly new to being out. I had great arm muscles, a muscled built butt, and legs, a 4 pack stomach, and cock that would get hard enough to pound 16-penny nails with a stiff breeze,

This was the time before Marky Mark, introduced us to white boxer briefs, It was Bruce Weber putting a fresh twist on classic tighty whities with Tom Hintnaus on billboards showing his god-like beauty in basic white Calvin Klein Briefs (The little black dress of gay men.) Polo and Z14 were the hot scents on men in the know and we all owned a plethora of shirts with alligators biting our nipples. We were dancing to Its Raining Men, Various HIts by Paul Parker, Laura Brannigan (Gloria) and oh so much much more.

The friends were a high school teacher of mine and his husband. They became my gay fairy godfathers, guiding me in the ways of gay culture.

Seth (the high school teacher) and my gaydar connected on my first day of high school in 1976 as we passed in the Hall of the New 500 wing at a now retired Spokane High School.

That moment was the first time I became aware of "gaydar". I had a few pings before, but this was the first time I felt it bury the needle to pin and the pain and pleasure it gives.

In the 70s we were not able to be openly out yet. I had worked hard to create a safe place and lifestyle in the school culture. Being gay is a target for bullying, abuse, and humiliation unless you learn to make the system work for you. I had learned to use all my skills and knowledge to stay safe and in one mostly unbruised piece.

That first year of high school was a time of a lot of emotion, energy, and exploration.

Seth and I steered clear of each as much as possible for those three years. He and I did do several projects together and he taught me a ton about the practical application of art and graphic design and as it turns out provided loving and gentle guidance to my budding hatchling out self.

So with that background, we spring ahead past my high school graduation, a few years of college, and my mother's death.

Mom’s death redirected my life. During this time Seth and Malcolm showed their true blue colors, they were there for me through Mom's slow process of dying providing emotional support and guidance

During my first years of college, I was able to continue my association with my safe place- high school and with Seth being hired back as an adjunct teaching technician by the school district to help with a teaching/coaching shortage in the music fine arts, and biology departments.

Seth became my department head. I worked primarily with the theater arts programs. I was assigned to teach or co-teach Musical Theater I and II, Play Production, and Theater Science Aka Stage and Make-Up Design II. I made great bucks and was able to carry on with my pre-med coursework at a local college.

I taught musical theater and life was good it was extra income. College was great. Then Mom spiraled, her death took a year and the entire school was aware of it. My sister was still a high school student, a cheerleader, and a 4.0 student. I promised her that she could finish high school with her friends, so I was forced to drop out of my premed program to move home and take on rearing my sister…and growing my gay self.

By this time I had turned 21 and encountered Seth and his husband in one of Spokane's two gay bars. As Seth put “At least you waited to be legal to officially come out to me”

So that background done we proceed with the farm…

Seth and Malcolm were house flippers before the modern term existed. They bought gross properties and made them into modern stunning palaces. Every project was unique and different and in the end stunning. Seth and Malcolm were the kings of Salvage, they knew where what, and how to take that which was torn out, cast off, or thrown away and magically give it life again. 10X10 foot skylights from an old sky scratcher, old gym floors sanded and reinstalled (both bought for pennies on the dollar) Even a baby grand piano for free from a home that had a partial burn down. I got to participate in several of the projects over the years. The Farm was my favorite.

The structure was a working farm built in the early 1900s when Seth and Malcolm got it it was tired and had not had any updating or remodeling for over 3 decades. That was where I and many of their other friends came in. Seth and Malcolm know how to use the resources and skills around them in the gay community. It was there I met Taylor. Taylor was a few years older than me and an educator at a local community college. He was handsome refined, strong like an ox, and sexy.

Seth and Malcolm called several of us out to help with interior demolishment on the farm, it was dirty, hot, sweaty work. We met early at 6 am worked hard and got the kitchen stripped to the studs and all the “goop” in the dumpster by 1 pm. Our task was accomplished, and we took a break. Seth and Malcolm paid us in amazing dinners and treats, love and companionship, and the building of community. (someday I will tell you about Boniet Dinners)

The Farm sat on the Little Spokane River and had its wonderful sandy beach flanked by large weeping willows and pasture meadows.

Seth had packed an amazing picnic for us, complete with the rattan basket, appropriate tablecloth, fine linen napkins, and beautiful soft cashmere blankets. Packed in that basket was an amazing repast with wines, (and real crystal goblets found in the farmhouse attic), amazing bread, sliced meats, cheeses, condiments, and German chocolates from Geno’s International Market. (Spokane’s go-to for the exotic and import fine European gastronomic curiosities of the era)

What I forgot to mention was that all of us were skilled musicians in voice, strings, piano, and brass, and each of us was skilled in multiple instruments. That said Seth brought down a boom box to the shady beach and in it was a pre-release cassette of the soundtrack to John Barry's "Somewhere in Time" Mutual friends had helped orchestrate the score and performed on the recording. This version was longer that the actual released soundtrack.

We all had gotten naked and frolicked in the water to rinse off the dust and grime of the demo of the nearly 100-year-old kitchen… and had settled on the blankets with wine goblets in our hands ( Chateau San Michelle) when Seth started the tape. Taylor was a skilled symphonic conductor and Ph.D.-level pianist. He was the first to be mesmerized by Barry's stunning score,

we each fell silent and were soon consumed and vibing to the score. Silent, the emotion of the music spreading between us. When the tape ended all of us had tears of joy and sadness, of emotional release.

We sat stunned, quiet, and immediately hit replay. 4 naked men on a secluded beach were emotionally engorged. The next thing I knew Seth and Malcolm were making love. This triggered Taylor and me to do the same as our mentors. Summer outdoor sex is special- It is about the energies of nature, humans, the earth, the sun, the water, and the pheromones.

Taylor and I began to explore each other's bodies. Slowly making out, Passionate, deliberate, to Barry's luscious score. Warmed up by several glasses of wine, the lovemaking went from making out to unbridled passion. Taylor and I explored every nook and cranny on our 20-something bodies and the exploration brought forth the passionate love-making sounds that come with a tongue in a dark pink spot before being entered probed and slowly worked to a sweaty froth.

Taylor and I took turns entering each other and working to near orgasm over and over as the music ebbed and flowed. As the symphonic masterpiece built to its conclusion so did the 4 of us, I lifted Taylor's legs high into the air and went down to rewet the tight hole and entered him Taylor moaned, We hear Seth whimper as Malcolm has him in the same position. Malcolm and I enter our partners at the same time and slowly synchronize dto the bass rhythm of Barry's iconic score,

Malcolm and I percussing into partners at the same speed and timing, our partners panting and groaning at that point I realized that Seth and Taylor were holding hands and that Malcolm and I were touching each other's feet - an electric energy circuit of sexual energy driven by a musical score. Strings, percussion, winds, and brass build us to a dramatic and huge climax.

I felt Taylor tighten around my turgid cock, his sweet ass ring convulsing, breathing louder and harder, his rigid hot cock throbbing against my belly…Seth was the first to cum with a loud baritone yell, followed almost immediately by Malcolm's bass, and then almost in conducted precision Taylor and I cum together simultaneously- my baritone and his tenor proclamation of orgasm. All the while we all continued touching and the tape ended. All that is missing is the audience applause for the stunning musical, sexual energy, and physical performance.

Malcolm and I stayed in our respective bottoms- all of us wet with sweat from passion and hot July heat and humidity. We were content, relaxed, complete. Several minutes later we all rolled apart but still touching. We were all exhausted, the rut and heat of summer satisfied. Mellowed, -all relaxed.

By this time the sun was starting to set, we looked at our watches and found we had been on the beach for over 5 hours or about 4 auto repeats of the Somewhere in Time soundtrack.

We decided we had better wash off the afternoons' pleasures in the river. Seth changed the tape to Donna Summer's Last Dance for some “washing-up” music.

As happens the July warmth, waning light of early evening, and 4 men chest-deep in warm water we end up triggering another round of rock-hard erections …this time Malcolm and I bracing up each other in the warm flowing water as our mates take us…I hear Malcolm gasp and feel his grip as Seth’s 8 inches enter him and Malcolm hears my yelp and feels my grasp as Taylor slides his 7 inches of mushroom-headed cock into my tight ass and starts pounding to the driving rhythm of Donna summer.

Malcolm reaches down and starts jacking my cock and I reach for him, I feel Taylor biting the back of my neck, grabbing my nipple pinching hard, and whispering to me to clench, release, clench, hold it, harder, hold it- a maestro conducting a sexual score and all too soon I feel Taylor's cock growing hotter and harder in my ass, his breathing coming faster and harder. Malcolm and I are pulling each other's cocks faster and harder to the thumping disco beat of Donna Summer. I feel Taylors throbbing cock and the heat building in my balls --the orgasm is evident, Taylor starts speeding up, and Malcolm's cock head is throbbing harder in my hand. Malcolm's breathing is faster and I hear him let out a loud grunt and moan, I feel the hot splash of genes sperm in my hand against the cooler river water, and with that, I explode. My ass clamping down on Taylor's thick cock. I feel Taylor release into me. The hot warm gush and throbbing inside my ass…and his groan, grunt, and long sigh. Round two is complete. we all look up at each other and lock eyes and laugh in joy, comradely, friendship. and Love.

We finally got out of the water all four of us satiated, tired, fulfilled, and locked in a bond that has lasted decades.

Malcolm and Seth are still together, in their mid-80s, Taylor is still alive and musically active and I am nearing full retirement. We have all reminisced over that magical day…Every time I hear Somewhere in Time my heart beats faster…I wonder why….