Welcome! I hope I bring a spot of calm and happiness into these uncertain times. I blog about my photography adventures, flowers, gardening, the importance of chocolate in a well lived life, or anything else on my mind.
Where I live in the Southern Tier of New York, the last time we had a weekend without any measurable precipitation (be it rain or snow) was the weekend of November 16 and 17, 2024.
Let's see, that's 29 straight weekends, I think, with rain or snow.
We are hoping that this weekend breaks the cycle. Today is Friday the 13th. Maybe the 14th and 15th be our lucky days.
But, back on June 7, it had rained and it was supposed to rain again later in the day. What an opportunity for some puddle pictures.
The sky and puddles did not disappoint.
Puddle picture 1 - clouds.
The only time I like potholes.
Puddle picture 3 - along a curb.
Oh, so you want to see the sky that the puddles are reflecting, too? No problem.
Here you go.
Everything, at least, is green.
Let's hope the 29 week streak of weekend rain ends this weekend.
Yesterday, I caught sight of a bee hiding in a rhododendron flower.
Can you see her?
Peek-a-boo, I see you!
Now she's more out in the open.
I have two rhododendron bushes. Years ago, there were bees all over it. For the past 10 years or so, the numbers have dwindled. I was grateful to have seen these.
Today
I am joining up with other Music Moves Me bloggers (and you can join us
at the linky above). We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music
each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most
welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video,
please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.)
Every
other week we have a theme. This week's theme is "Your choice". I'm choosing another induction into Rock and Roll Heaven.
Rick Derringer passed away on May 26 at the age of 77, possibly from complications from a triple bypass surgery.
I was first introduced to his music with his band, the McCoys, and the song "Hang On Sloopy" from 1965.
The other big hit I loved was 1973's Rock and Roll,Hootchie Koo.
Many people knew Derringer through the 2007 hit Real American, which became wrestler Hulk Hogan's theme song.
Derringer also played with a number of bands and produced many albums for other famous rockers. I could have filled several posts up with hit songs he was involved with, but let's just choose a couple.
Derringer produced Weird Al Yankovic's debut album (and five other Weird Al albums). So why not play one of "Weird Al"'s songs that Derringer produced? Here's "Fat". (You'll have to click through to You Tube to watch this video).
Another hit Derringer produced was the Edgar Winter Group's Frankenstein.
And that's a monster wrap.
Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.
In my neighborhood, several curbs have had these signs painted near them during May.
Here's another one of them. There are also arrows on both sides pointing to the "ADA" spray painted on the curb.
I had thought "ADA" referred to the Americans with Disabilities act, which requires curb cuts that a wheelchair or other disabled user can use when crossing a street and accessing the sidewalk on the other side. It isn't just for wheelchair users, though. I sure appreciated these when my son was young and I was wheeling him through the neighborhood in a stroller.
But these curbs already have curb cuts. However they are many years old, I think. Laws change.
Today let's turn the clock back to early May when the air wasn't sticky with humidity and the sky wasn't hazy.
A collection of blooming branches.
It was so nice when the sky was blue.
Especially when the clouds were visible.
Back to the blooming branches for one more picture.
Now, in my backward, I hear cicadas and American robins sing. Fortunately our hazy skies are still in the moderate category. Yes, summer is on its way.
May this smoke clear out from Canada and my country soon.
I don't know if these cookies actually have Hatch chile peppers in there, but I wouldn't be surprised. Here, these chiles are sold for a limited time (a week or less) in August.
This is what they look like. They are grown in a limited area of New Mexico, where the soil and climate are just right.
Turns out there are a lot of Hatch chile products out there, and I did find a recipe for Hatch chile chocolate chip cookies. Would you try it?
Today
I am joining up with other Music Moves Me bloggers (and you can join us
at the linky above). We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music
each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most
welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video,
please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.)
Every
other week we have a theme. This week's theme is "It's your graduation, what year is it?"
Well, that depends on which graduation I'm thinking of. There's elementary school, junior high (nowadays called middle school), high school, and college.
So I won't say which one I'm paying tribute to, but the year I chose was 1970. Here are some songs from the Billboard charts from June of 1970.
Ball of Confusion (That's What the World is Today) - The Temptations
Which Way You Going, Billy?- The Poppy Family feat. Susan Jacks
The Letter - Joe Cocker was one of these covers that, in my opinion, was better than the original.
Vehicle - The Ides of March. I chose a live version from 2014 because of its power. Rock on!
And, to end the set, two of my favorites: First, The Beatles and The Long and Winding Road.
And, last but certainly not least, Miguel Rios and Song of Joy.
And that's a wrap!
Join me gain next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.
We've been in another rainy stretch of weather. Yesterday, I don't think it even made it out of the 50'sF (around 12 C), but it is supposed to get hot by Tuesday.
I guess summer is arriving soon.
So I chose pictures of bearded iris from the last week.
Purple.
White and purple. I only have one white iris. I can't even remember where I got it from-I think it may have been from an iris show several years ago at a local library.
It's so hard to believe that it's almost June. Spring has finally come but so many of us have experienced rainy weekends, week after week.
We've been in a rainy stretch of weather where I live in the Southern Tier of New York.
Sunday, rain was again in the forecast.
The temperatures have milded up,and so far this week we haven't been under threat of severe weather.
Later that day, after sundown, I looked outside my window and saw this beautiful blue hour sky. I decided to take a picture. The tree is lit up by a streetlight but I love the shades of blue it captured.
The past and present exist side by side on this site.
I took a picture of this historical marker in 2023, shortly after it was erected. For many years a minor league baseball team (mainly affiliated with the New York Yankees) played here. The stadium was demolished in 1968 and a senior center (sign on the right of the marker) was built on the site.
If any of my readers are interested in baseball history,here is a list of players who later made it big in the major leagues or in broadcasting, including Whitey Ford and Ken Harrelson.
Today
I am joining up with other Music Moves Me bloggers (and you can join us
at the linky above). We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music
each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most
welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video,
please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.)
Every
other week we have a theme. This week's theme is "Your choice". I'm going to be jumping around a lot in this week's post.
I can't believe it is (in the United States) almost the end of May. In the United States it is also Memorial Day, the day we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice so we at home could live free. Although Memorial Day is designed to honor those who made that sacrifice, I am casting my net (so to speak) a little broader.
Before I get into the cost of war, here is Dolly Parton with "Color Me America"
I was born, and spent my childhood in, New York City. I grew up among first and second generation Americans, many of whom had fled from one war or another. It is humbling to think of those who served in armies fighting against evil and how many young lives were lost so others could flourish. Some boys I grew up with ended up going to Vietnam, although, as far as I know, they all came back home.
Billy Joel's family was touched by the Holocaust. In turn, Billy has sang about the horrors of war. Here is Billy Joel and Goodnight Saigon, written from the point of view of a soldier serving in the Vietnam War.
Two songs from the country genre:
From last year, 21 Guns from Jamey Johnson.
George Jones and 50,000 Names, from 2001.
For too many people, war has touched their lives in ways they will never forget. Here is a classic song about war: 1970's War Pigs, from Black Sabbath.
I will end this post with an anti-war song from Simon and Garfunkel from 1966: 7 o'clock News/Silent Night.
I dedicate this post to all who have felt the horror of war.
And that's a sad wrap.
Join me again next week for a (hopefully) happier Music Moves Me.
Today, some early evening (around 7:20 pm) pictures of flowers currently blooming in my front yard.
Itoh peony. The first one we bought died (we thought) and we bought another one. But the following year, we realized it had come back. Now we have three of them, all the same color (leaving me wondering how we ended up with a third one, because we had only bought two). Here's one of them.
I've had these bearded irises for years and the variety is unknown. They have a nice grape-like scent.
We've been in a rainy pattern this past week so I am going back a week to May 16.
Taken about 4:35 pm that afternoon, before the wavy clouds.
Just after sunset, I went outside and captured this view with wavy clouds.
From this direction you can really see the waves. This picture isn't blurred; it really looked like this. I am no weather expert but I wonder if high altitude winds caused this effect.
We are fortunate (so far) no flooding and no severe weather. I hope it stays that way.
I hope you are having a week free from severe weather.
This year (long story) we haven't put up bird feeders. So today I wanted to share a memory from last April 18 (2024) when...
...a brown thrasher, a bird we've only seen this one time during now five years of birding, visited our yard. And, my spouse was actually able to get a picture of it.
Today
I am joining up with other Music Moves Me bloggers (and you can join us
at the linky above). We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music
each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most
welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video,
please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.)
Every
other week we have a theme. This week's theme is "International Artists/Songs".
Since we have bloggers from several countries participating in this weekly meme, this should be interesting. As for me, I'm going to somewhat stick to the familiar: international artists whose songs have charted in the United States (although the song I choose may not be one of their hit songs). Bonus points if the song is in a language other than English.
This song is a bit outside the genres I usually listen to. Here's Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor, better known as Lorde, who holds dual New Zealand and Croatian citizenship. She's perhaps best known for her hit song "Royals" but I chose a song "Te Ao Mārama" ("World of Light"), which has had some controversy surrounding it, but here it is.
The Swedish group ABBA has recorded several of their hit songs in their native Swedish language. Here is "Waterloo".
And, since the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest concluded this past Saturday, why not also feature the 1974 Eurovision performance of Waterloo by Abba which helped to launch their career?
As a matter of fact, a number of Eurovision Song Contest winning songs have charted in the United States. Although he was not the artist who won with this song, French musician Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra charted in 1968 with an instrumental version of Love is Blue (L'amour est bleu).
The late, great Austrian artist Johann "Hans" Hölzel, better known to us as Falco, charted in 1982 with Der Kommissar. He later reached #1 with his 1986 "Rock Me Amadeus" but tragically died in a car/bus accident in 1998. (Yes, I know the big hit was Rock Me Amadeus but I was in the mood for Der Kommissar.)
Thanks to social media, this arrangement of Barry Manilow's Copacabana by Dutch musician Emma Wieriks went viral several years ago.
Last but not least, although he sings in English, there is Canadian Tom Cochrane, one of many (many, many) musicians who have hit it big in the United States. Today, with his group Red Rider, is the hit "Lunatic Fringe" from 1981. I love the beginning of this song.
And that's a wrap!
Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.
Today, I bring you skies from yesterday, several hours before thunderstorms hit our area of the Southern Tier of New York. What I did was point my camera at each direction and took a picture.
Now I can't remember which direction was which, so let's just let the clouds and sky tell the story. Direction #1
Spring has arrived in my zone 6a garden in the Southern Tier of New York. Or, should I say, it's been shot out of a cannon? That's how it's been: one flower after another, boom boom boom! And many of the flowers haven't lasted long, either, due either to the weather being either too warm or rainy. But other flowers are soaking it up.
Shall we peek outside and see what's blooming today?
Our tree peony flowers are just starting to open.
Euphorbia is in full bloom.
Violets are hanging on.
These are, or were, orange.
White and orange
Then, there are the almost-done-but-hung-on for GBBD flowers, like the last of my late daffodils.
But so many of my spring flowers didn't make it, even my lilacs, although one lilac hung on. My purple lilacs were disappointing this year, and I'm not sure why.
In my sideyard (very shady), cranesbill geranium.
Star of Bethlehem, which I never planted but showed up several years ago, being choked out by vinca.
In the back, another resident wildflower I never planted, yellow Corydalis.
We all dream about May, we in this clime, when the flowers bloom and the weather (maybe) finally becomes springlike.
Joining Carol at May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Why not click on the link and visit other gardeners who, each 15th of the month, show what is blooming inside or outside their abodes?
Today
I am joining up with other Music Moves Me bloggers (and you can join us
at the linky above). We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music
each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most
welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video,
please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.)
Every
other week we have a theme. This week's theme is "You Pick"
My last living uncle passed away earlier this month at the age of 100. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend his memorial service via the magic of the Internet (aka Zoom). I mentioned a little bit about him in my blog post yesterday.
My uncle was the lastborn of his six siblings (one of whom died as an infant), born into an immigrant family who had settled in Brooklyn. (Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City). My father's father owned a candy store in the Ocean Hill section of Brooklyn and all the children were expected to work long hours in the store. They lived in poverty, in an apartment that only had heat in one room (the kitchen).
My uncle excelled as a student, but his mother died when he was only 10 years ago. He was raised by his older siblings (including my father) and, eventually, he earned a PhD in chemistry. Much of his life was spent in the field of organic chemistry. But that only tells a part of his story.
As a college professor, he mentored many of his students. When I first visited him as a teenager, he and his family were hosting an exchange student.
He loved to work with his hands, and loved poetry. He memorized entire (long) poems like the one I posted yesterday. I remember him reciting Oscar Wilde's The Ballard of Reading Gaol on a long drive.
When my spouse was in basic training in the military, I lived with his family for two months in a small town in Iowa called Fairfield. Several years previously, my father and I had flown out to stay with him and his family for a week. What an adventure that was for a New York City born and bred girl.
Here are a couple of my blog posts about my visits to Fairfield, Iowa.
Some of the memories shared at the memorial service brought back happy memories of that time.
I wanted to share a song I remember from that time, and a couple of songs played at the memorial service.
Mason Williams and Classical Gas was released in 1968, when we visited my uncle and his family out in Iowa for the first time.
One of my Iowa cousins introduced me to Larry Fast/Synergy and their cover of Slaughter on 10th Avenue during my 1976 stay with them. You have to love electronic music to listen to this - for me, it was instant love.
And from the memorial service, two of my uncle's favorite songs.
Danny Boy was played by the pianist at the service so I decided on an instrumental.
Finally, John Denver and Take Me Home Country Roads.
My uncle didn't have an easy childhood or, in some ways, an easy adult life, but he impacted everyone (I suspect) he came in contact with. May he forever rest in peace.
And that's a wrap.
Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.
