Swimmin' As Fast As I Can

It's an early post today or none at all. I need a break from couch root removal and I am going to work in a bit to fill in for someone, so this is the only time I have. I am back working full time now so posts will be less often anyway. I just can't keep up with everything.

We are having wonderful weather so I've happily been outside in the gardens. The birds singing, the ducks quacking, and the frogs trilling are wonderful music to work by. The cats help as best they can coming by to get little rubs against my legs and dirty gloved hands. Yesterday a friend and I saw a very lively courting ritual; between three herons in the pond. I think it was probably two males competing for a female. They were fascinating to watch. I did not get photos for I knew that if I opened the kitchen door they would have flown off.

Some music is as wonderful as bird song. Here are a couple of songs that fit for me; Aretha Franklin with Nessun Dorma . When she filled in for Pavarotti at last minute on The Grammys with this song it blew people away. One that blows me is Lila Downs with the best ever version of Besame Mucho. There's nothing else even close.

Hoya Who

I have six pots of sweet peas planted. The benefits will be great this summer with sweet pea bouquets that spread fragrance throughout a room. The scent of certain flowers send me. Mayflowers or trailing arbutus, as it's formally known, is one of those flowers. I've not been in any woods yet to find some but their scent trigger fabulous scent memories for me. We picked them as children and when I was really young I remember people selling them door to door.

The night-scented hoya, pictured above, is another of those great scents. They can be overpowering and are sometimes, in this house. I have several and when they're healthy and blooming, which mine usually are, they can be be a little too strong. I have three in my kitchen that surround the dining area of the kitchen but for about seven inches. They will meet before the summer's over. The hoya in my studio, pictured below, has been blooming for about three months. I thought it was finished a couple of weeks ago but it took a short break and started budding again. I have them everywhere and when they're filling the house like they are now some might find the scent overpowering. I love them!

I have no idea whether this will work, I'm going to try to link to a photo of a the hoya in my studio last year. It's overexposed but if you're interested.... It may not even work.

Enfin le Printemps by Edith Piaf is perfect for today. It honours spring and so do I. I'm going back outside. I'm doing a couple of expirements. When I went into the folder for the song, her version of Besame Mucho reached out. As you may have read in this blog, it's one of my favorite songs and I have many, many versions. Here's another.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

It's been a cool and rainy day. It's spring after all and the weather is very changeable. The old joke about weather in the Maritimes is that if you don't like it, wait five minutes. I don't mind rainy days at all. I've always liked rain and like walking in it if it's not cold. I must say though that nothing depresses me more than extended periods of rainy weather. My brother lives on the west coast (or wet coast as they say) and he gets a tremendous amount of rain. That's not for me.

Saturdays have turned out to be telephone days for me. My mom's cousin calls me from Florida every Saturday as her husband has free long distance to Canada on weekends. I usually talk to my son and grandchildren on Saturday and I have a friend who always calls on Saturday as she has only two days off and spends Sunday with her Mom. I was expecting a friend to call from Ontario but she will probably call tomorrow. That's good because my ear is a bit sore.

It's not sore from music though. If I'm in front of the computer I have music on and never, never tire of it. There is a never-ending supply and that's a bit of a problem. I will never be able to listen to all of it no matter how hard I try; the same with books, I will never read them all. At the moment I'm listening to Lila Downs and of course I plan to share. Most I had uploaded of her has disappeared but there's still the best ever version of Besame Mucho, Cancion Mixteca, Una Sangra, Mi Corazon Me Requerda and La Iguana. The best version of Quizas, Quizas Quizas is still here too but I hadn't linked it properly. It is now. I'm not blue today but the songs I'll add of Lilas have blue in the title. Arenita Azul is a favorite of mine that has disappeared and I did not have Alcoba Azul on the music pages till now. Enjoy Lila Downs! I've linked her new website.

Many Kisses and A Punch to Grow a Bunch

It's that auspicious day again. My youngest two are having a birthday. He's twenty-two and she's twenty-four. All growed up! This is several years now that they haven't been together on their birthdays. He was away at University for four years and she's been out west for a year.

We are expecting a snowstorm and it's not the first time there has been a storm on their birthdays. For both births the weather was fine which is good. You always worry about that with a baby due in the winter. My sis in law was born after the snowplow plowed the road to get her to the hospital. That would be a tad scary, I'd say.

I've just checked the forecast and the heavy snowfall warning has ended. Now it is snow turning to rain and, the staple of Island weather, heavy wind. My friend canceled a hike today and I may be canceling tomorrow's though we usually hike in the rain, last week being a good example. We'll see.

I upload to my Shutterchance Blog a week at a time. I uploaded this photo of birds and when I went to enter the date, realized it was the kid's birthday. A look at the photo made me think of the three kids with one to the side and one right on top of the other. It was a coincidence but turned out to be quite perfect symbolism. There are other birds around too - family and friends to soar along with them.

What will I give my kids for birthday music? Many Kisses. A couple versions of Besame Mucho that are part of the essential music are appropriate. Here is a version by Omara Portuondo that is very romantic and one by Trio Los Panchos that with my eyes closes, can make me feel like I'm in Mexico. I love both these versions and play them quite a bit.

Mixed Up

I haven't taken the photos off my camera after today's hike so here's one that could be from today. I did the six km. in an hour and thirty-five minutes. I was alone and walk much faster without a partner - unless that partner is my sis-in-law whom I can't keep up with. I then helped out a stranded friend and got some groceries. I had no list but knew I could get anything I missed tomorrow as I have to go to that town again.

I have been invited out for supper tonight. I have to help cook but that's ok. My bro-in-law is away and when he is, sis-in-law and I eat fish at her house. He can't stand the smell of it cooked there. Maybe tomorrow there will be lobster or something.

I just looked at that photo above and realize it could not have been today because in it, the sun is shining. It was not shining today and the temp was around three. Cool but wonderful for walking. I was in a lather from all the hills when I got back but started out with a hat and gloves.

I've been working on getting rid of the listings for the songs that are gone from my music pages. It's a time consuming job. I got a hundred and seventy-five done last night. I find that a whole lot of essential songs are missing so it is my job to get them back up there. Like Lila Downs' versions of two of my favorite songs ever. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas or Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps if you're so inclined and Besame Mucho. I have twenty-three versions of Besame Mucho and this is by far the best of any. I had five or six versions up but they were all gone. Yes, these songs and an essential few others will be going back on the pages straight away.

It seems funny to see the 0 (zero) in the number of plays for Lila Downs' , Quizas,Quizas, Quizas. It was month after month a favorite song and in July, before it disappeared, had 273 hits. Goodness, I've just discovered that Lila's version of Besame Mucho hadn't disappeared so I'll put up another missing one. Andrea Bocelli's was popular so I've chosen it, but have a listen to Lila's as it is more than spectacular.

CBC's Worst Segment Ever

I was subjected to the worst radio segment I've ever heard on CBC this morning. Michael Enright had voice coaches attempt but not succeed to teach him to sing and it was truly awful. I was in the bathtub and momentarily thought of hauling the radio in to stop the pain. Luckily I couldn't reach that radio. That we Canadians paid for this CBC piece and were subjected to this crap was beyond belief. Thankfully the music for the rest of the program was good, preventing Michael Enright of having had the absolute worst program of the year, just segment. Heather Bambrick saved Michael's butt; she was fabulous!

I have a favorite Christmas song version and I can't find it. I usually hear Tom Jackson's version at least once during the season on CBC, but not this year. Crash Test Dummies has a pretty good version. Here's The Huron Carol. For a Christmas present, a great version of Besame Mucho from the vaults. My Christmas collection may be exhausted, but never versions of this great song. Here's Nana Mouskouri.

A young people's party here tonight. They can party here late into the night because nothing wakes me but the smell of smoke, so they smoke outside, and thumping which has stopped now that the boys aren't 14 and 15 and wrestling anymore. I'll have a great time until 10 or so then turn in and dream of sugarplums. All sounds good to me.....a Merry Christmas!

Big, Big News

I should be out taking photos as pickings are slim. That won't be happening for a while so cows will have to do in the meantime. I do have LOTS of great cow photos and I hardly ever put one up. Thank God, some are saying.

I have good news. I don't know when this started but Putfile is now allowing you to download the music files. S and I both tried it (her on her Mac) and encountered the same thing. This is the text shown:

Download File: To download the file "John-Mayer---Waiting-On-The-W-orld-To-Change" you must click the NEXT PAGE link located below until the download link shows.

Status: Your are on page 1 of 10 before the download page. NEXT PAGE

You actually press "next page" ten times then you can download the song. This is fantastic to me. It's kind of weird having to go through the rigamarole of pressing Next Page ten times but you can now download the music.

No one ever comments on anything about the music so I have no idea if the listeners are also the readers or what but I am personally so pleased that the songs can now be downloaded. From the blogging beginning I wanted to share music because I love it so much myself and it literally moves me spiritually. I want it to move other people. I know that it doesn't always transfer that way but if I can have someone feel joy or pleasure from a song that I recommend, I feel further moved.

Another way to think of this is that I've done all the hard work getting this music to you. Take advantage of it. I have no idea if it will last.

For such an auspicious occasion, another version of Besame Mucho is in order. Sending Kisses to Putfile is Mina. I heard this next song on the radio yesterday and really liked it. I knew of Diane Reeves more as a jazz singer before but never heard this song which is not really jazzy but womany, Endangered Species. I love it!

For a link I feel like reiterating my music page but will also add a photograph I liked. Try out the day and night buttons on the top. All photoblogs should have this feature.

Oh my, I'm ready to publish and tried to upload the music and I've been sent to a new page (I hope not ten). This could be disasterous. It also says that all files are automatically removed after 30 days. You now have fair warning. My clicks on the 11th will now be obsolete. It is now called PutStuff. Oh my, I hope this continues to work. All this great news then this "fly in the ointment".

The Stats Again

The photo is of my Dad's significant other who was stepdancing while passing out the devilled eggs. She and my dad are dancing fools. They were with their former (passed away) spouses too and still love a good party. They danced all night and not many could keep up with them.

The monthly stats for my music page have all been figured out. I should have been a statistition. Maybe I would have if only I could have spelled it.

Three songs were not clicked at all. Baby, It's Cold Outside, Father and Son by Johnny Cash and Fiona Apple, and Johnny Cash again, with Bob Dylan, singing Girl From the North Country. I find it funny and ironic that I put that song up by someone else on my last post.

I only mention songs that got over twenty clicks this month. They are:

• Besame Mucho by both Dalido and Andrea Bocelli each got 20
• Rufus Wainwright with Across the Universe and Dan Hicks', I Scare Myself, each 20
• Sophie Milman has some new fans. Lonely in New York and Back Home to Me each got 20 hits and My Heart Belongs to Daddy got 24.
• Also getting 20 hits were Heartbeats by Jose Gonzales, Que Sera by Doris Day, Nina Simone's version of I Think It's Gonna Rain Today and La Larona by Chavela Vargas. It was popular two months ago also.
• Gold Digger got 22 hits and it too was popular two months ago. Also with 22 was My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas.
  
• Battle of Jesse James from the Skiffle Sessions got 24.
• With 28 was both I'm Confessin' That I Love You by Lizz Wright and Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby by Renee Olstead.
  
• I love this...The Haircut by The Waifs got 38 hits. Yeah! It's not even the best version. Whoever likes it can let me know they'd like the better version and I can e-mail it. I can't upload it to Putfile but am able email it.
• Quisas, Quisas, Quisas which was the most popular song last month continues to be popular with 48 hits.
• This one I don't understand for a moment. Could it be an error? Don't Lie by the Black Eyed Peas got 236 more hits this month. It really is a catchy song and I'm glad it got that many hits off my little music page.

I find this all very fascinating. I constantly play music on my computer and a good part of the time when I'm not on it. It's what keeps those alpha waves bouncing around to put me in a boppin' and happy headspace. I'm glad that other people are listening...even though I don't know who.

Music: I think I'd better put up more Black Eyed Peas. Jack Johnson joins the band in Gone Going. I still have many versions of Besame Mucho that haven't been put up. I love the song sooo much. Here's another, this time by Omara Portuondo. Long be the music!!!

Link: Great conceptual artist worth a look at.