I was in San Antone working for a month and was ready for my trip north to New York, but I decided to do a detour west so I could visit The White Sands Desert in New Mexico.

I drove my van onto the White Sands as far as I could go. These are sand dunes, not flat sand. I park my van and get out to enjoy the sunny hot desert day. All around me are sand dunes as far as the eye can see, the desert crystal white beautiful grains of sand. I decide to wander a bit and enjoy the outdoor view.

I start walking, forgetting my sense of direction is not very good, and when I turn around, I quickly discover I am lost because I cannot locate my van, and the wind has blown my tracks away. Mound after mound of sand in the growing heat, and after awhile of wandering alone in circles, I stop to think about my situation, wondering what the Bob Weir would do. I can call for Help, I thought. There was no one in sight, no animal, no bird, plane, or anyone I could see in the sky. I write a message in the sand with my hand and carve big letters  B-O-B W-E-I-R and draw big hearts. I look up towards the sun and say out loud, "God, you can read this!"  I climb the mound of sand above the writing and look out, and there´s my van, what a relief and awesome sight!

I attended my first live Bob Dylan show at the Oakland Coliseum. I had contacted the Chief of Security who escorted me backstage after the show. Bob Dylan was nowhere in sight, but I did meet impresario, Bill Graham. Bill later put me in contact with Bob Dylan´s publicist, Paul Wasserman, and I flew to Los Angeles to talk to him about meeting Bob Dylan. Dylan, however, had left the agency.  I found out there that The Bob Weir Band was playing at The Roxy Theatre that night. I attended the show, and Bob Weir said something interesting between songs. "Just because I need a miracle every day, doesn´t mean I get one!" Later that year the Grateful Dead released a new song "I Need A Miracle" written by John Barlow and Bob Weir, and for the first time at Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Colorado. It introduced the word "Miracle" to the Deadhead culture, inspiring hope, faith and charity. Someone made a sign that says "I Need A Miracle" and held up the sign and a finger because they needed a ticket to a sold-out show. Many Deadheads followed  and it grew to be an integral part of The Terrapin community. Those who couldn´t afford the show or couldn´t get in, would wait and ask for a miracle, and many of them were gifted tickets by people who had extras and could help.

After the show I went backstage. Bobby Cochran was sitting on the couch and Brent Mydland was there, though I did not know who he is because it is before he joined the Grateful Dead, and was providing keyboards for the Bob Weir Band. Weir comes in and walks up to me and says "You know I hardly have time to do my laundry." I say ´his picture and new album "Heaven Help The Fool" covers the windows and walls in all the local record stores. "Just where is heaven?" I ask him and he replies, "Ask Barlow!", and pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket, and writes down John Barlow´s contact information. I thank him.