Bright and Beautiful

Autumn continues and is still beautiful. We were expecting a nor'easter mid-week which would have taken the leaves down but thankfully, it didn't materialize. It is windy and rainy this morning so we won't be walking today. I opted out yesterday which is unusual but had a concert to attend.

I saw Stan Carew and the Magpies at the PEI stop on their theater fund-raising tour. Stan is the host of a very popular, Halifax-based, CBC radio show called Weekend Morning. Stan and I have had correspondences several times over the years so it was great to put faces to the names. The show was very enjoyable with a Texas swing or Rockabilly country style.

I'm hoping for some nice weather this week to finish up the outdoor chores. Saturday was beautiful and I did a bit of these jobs but was quite exhausted from the earlier hike so did not finish. It's ironic that on nice days when it's good for working outside it's good for hiking and rainy or windy days are good for neither. I am still painting chairs so have chores to do no matter the weather.

With the weather forecast featuring Nor'easters and lots of wind and rain these days, I thought I'd provide some appropriate music. First, here's Ollabelle with The Storms Are On the Ocean and a favorite of mine, Buckets of Rain. This Dylan song has been covered many, many times and I have lots of versions but here is the original from The Bob himself.

Brown Thumbs?

My day is not nearly done in the garden. Everything takes longer than I plan it seems. I don't know if I'm slower, more careful or what. It took me longer than usual to select the plants this morning and the afternoon to plant them. The photo is a sampling of the terra cotta pots I planted today. They have a bit of transplant shock but will be fine in a couple of days. I spent $82. and did not buy tomato plants as planned. I still have so much work to do before planting them so I'll let someone else worry about watering the seedlings. I'll buy them when it's time.

I keep saying this but driving in the countryside at this time of the year is so beautiful and gives one such an uplifting feeling. Spring! By far my favorite season. It just makes everyone and everything wake up and I sure do take notice, being the visually stimulated person I am.

I had music to accompany my planting of course and was groovin' to Gotta Serve Somebody by Mavis Staples. It made my mind wander to the late seventies when the song was first released by Bob Dylan on Long Train Comin' and I was playing it non-stop. To me it's one of his best albums but for lots of people it signified that Dylan had 'gone religious' and thus did not like this period. I love this song and the whole album.

Just a thought. I wonder why planting and gardening is called having a green thumb. As far as I can tell it adds up to brown fingers and thumbs. Could I be doing something wrong?


Back to work tomorrow so I won't be here till Monday unless it turns out I don't have to work on Saturday then - no excuse.

Spring Fling

I've decided I won't post snow photos for a bit. We need a good dose of colour. I think we are programmed to want colour at this time of year. It just comes a little late in Atlantic Canada. I hear the snow is almost gone in Ontario. They got the last storm we had in the form of rain. That makes a big difference. We need warmth and are supposed to get it tomorrow - eight degrees is the forecast. Yeah!!!!!!!

Kenz just left in a huff. She wanted up on the keyboard. I wanted her on the floor. The floor worked if I remembered to use her shoelace to occupy her but I kept forgetting to move it at regular enough intervals so she has unhappily left. She wanted more attention than I was providing.

I had weekly Friday afternoon Happy Hours for a few years. I feel like having one tonight. I didn't arrange it because I did not feel this urge yesterday. Even with all the snow on the ground, I think spring is in the air. The urge to sit on the deck, end the week with a few laughs, and have a few drinks with friends. Nothing wrong with that.

Bob Dylan always has the perfect song for every occasion. All I Really Want to Do is a good title for today. Since it comes from an old vinyl here's a tribute to vinyl -Viva La Vinyl from Twilight Hotel. Listen to that one to feel the Friday Happy Hour feel. It makes me want to dance and sway.

Changes At Any Age

I finally changed the photos here to something new so now instead of stained glass, cedar waxwings or foxes, you get baby lambs for a few days at least. There is nothing as cute as a baby lamb. The above pure white lambs are triplets. There is a set of twins as well and they are spotted with brown.

I used a hair product (mousse) and a curling iron today for the first time in my life. It was not easy nor did the effects last. There was a bit of a wave after the attempt but an hour or two later, there is no sign of it.

When I was a kid my mother put home perms in my hair and had to leave them in longer than the directions because my hair would not curl. The smell and burning were terrible and this was forced upon me to make me like every one else. I think I made the decision way back then to not put chemicals and dyes in my hair. I did do a few perms in the late seventies but have never dyed my hair.

My window is finished now, cleaned and polished with a protective finish. As soon as someone comes by to hold it, I can get a photo. My son has been off in Boston since Friday and returns tonight so by tomorrow, if he gets home before dark, I will have a shot.

I've got a song for the new hair education. Bob Dylan and Mavis Staples do a fabulous talk and song with I'm Gonna Change My Way of Thinkin'. Something lovely too that fits in is I Taught Myself How To Grow by Ryan Adams.

Distractions - Sia

For today, a storm day on PEI, some pictures from this little hide away. We've had freezing rain off and on all day. The off melts the last adherence. It's not too bad as you can see. It could be serious with the weight of ice pulling down tree branches and electrical wires. I could hear ice falling off (luckily) because the temps here were on the warm side.

I had too much old music yesterday probably, but I enjoyed every bit. Here is some music for today:

Life Is So Peculiar - Louis Jordan, Louis Armstrong

Girl From The North Country - Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash


Que Sera Sera - Doris Day

Back to the Ice and Snow

I make friends wherever I go and this trip was no exception. Georgia, or Miss Peachy Pooch as I called her, was my charge for three and a half weeks. I walked her around a one and a half mile diameter lake twice a day and we got along famously. I walked the distance twenty minutes faster than her master did so got her good and tired which kept her out of mischief, a necessity with this pooch. Her lovely friend Boots, sitting behind her in this photo, took the brunt of her mischievousness. They wrestled by the hour but Boots has been declawed so she's at a bit of a disadvantage. The cat is biting back though and 'starts it' most times so you have to let it go on.

I had a wonderful time with my relative. She is a double amputee and I was very impressed with her abilities at maneuvering a series of wheelchairs and some aiding tools to do basically everything for herself. She just could not manage to walk the dog three miles a day and I was gladly able. We got a lot of shopping done, something her husband dislikes. I normally don't like it myself but there were some good bargains to be had due to the US economy. I got some terrific deals.

Though it was nice to come home, it was a bad experience coming home to the airport last night. It was really cold and there had been a recent snowfall which left my car windows covered with snow and ice. I had a skirt and tights on, a light sweater, a light winter jacket and no hat or gloves. I had to clean the car off and defrost the windows before I could drive. When I went back into the terminal to get my luggage I asked the security guard if the return flight had left yet. We had a laugh. It was 1 am and the flights had ended for the day but he understood. Ah, the Canadian winter! My sister in law said that there has been wonderful weather here and that winter came by just to welcome me home.

I read a lot while I was away and read Howard Soune's biography of Bob Dylan, Down the Highway. Maybe Bob can make winter better with Winterlude and this version of In the Bleak Midwinter by the Crash Test Dummies would make anyone feel better about it. Another Canadian does the same with Song for a Winter's Night by Gordon Lightfoot.

Short But Happy News

Three More Sleeps

I'm taking a few minutes for a quick post after a bit of an absence. I must eat food with my medication so am killing two birds with one stone. Three more sleeps till the kids are here and one day off so I'm very busy. I slept late as I didn't sleep well during the night so got a late start to the day.

Some great news - my music files are accessible again. I have no idea what the problems were but am very, very happy they've been solved. Speaking of music, here are today's songs. My daughter recieved the name Angel as a middle name nickname the day she was born. This song is for her. She's not a country fan but the words 'destination home' are in the lyrics and the lyrics in general are perfect for her. The title is Infamous Angel and the song is by Iris Dement. For my son I have Waitin' For You by his favorite musician, Bob Dylan.

Bob's Day

It's Still Raining!!!!!

Is it morning again already? I'd better get accustomed to blogging in the morning. I just remembered that I am to post and it's 10:20. Even though I get up at 5:30 it doesn't quite fit with me till late afternoon. It's an important day to post though......

I'll get right to the music. It's Bob Dylan's 67th birthday today. He has been one of the greatest influences on folk, country and pop music for five decades. He deserves a post. I planned to give some interesting links and the first is what Googlesearch brought up today. The first item up was a review from The Cronicle Herald saying that Dylan had committed songacide at his concert this past Wednesday night in Halifax. That review could have been written by my youngest brother a few years ago. I took two of my kids and my two brothers to see Dylan in Moncton and we loved it but my brother did not. He'd wanted Dylan to sing his songs the same way they were recorded. He really did change them a lot. I kind of liked that and said that he could do what he wanted with his own songs. The linked article is in agreement with my bro.

Bob Dylan's own website is interesting. Until I had a look through I didn't know he had won a Pulitzer Prize. I also has a link to a gallery featuring his artwork. His tour dates show he's still very busy.

My oldest son is Dylan's biggest fan. Even one of his kids has Dylan as part of their name. Every time he could choose the topic for a paper in high school or university, it was Bob Dylan. It's certainly easy to buy gifts for him. One thing that puzzle me is this. I am a huge Waifs fan. Bob Dylan is a huge Waifs fan and had them open for him for an entire tour yet my son doesn't like the Waifs. Go figure. I can't.

I have tons of Bob Dylan albums, cassettes, cd's and files. Lots and lots to choose from if I wanted to play him all day long.....and all night long. Here are a few links from songs already featured here: Spanish Harlem Incident, Girl From the North Country, Cohen's Halleluja, Just Like a Woman, The Times We've Known, Buckets of Rain, Tough Mama, I Pity the Poor Immigrant, Blowin' In the Wind, I'll Be Your Baby Tonight, The Times We've Known, Heart of Mine, Shooting Star (one of my favorites), Cold Irons Bound, Fixin' To Die, and the rest I've put up have been removed. Two additions for today are Gotta Serve Somebody from one of my favorite of his albums, Slow Train Coming. A lot of people didn't like this period of Dylan's, his religious period but I really love this album. Another favorite is Not Dark Yet. Tomorrow I'll put up these two songs by other people. Don't want them to horn in on Bob's Day

Weather Perfection

Oh, the aroma in this house! There's a pork loin slow roasting in the oven and wow, it smells spectacular. It's a hot day (nineteen degrees Celcius, sixty-six point two American) to have the oven going but it let me spend the day outside. I'm a bit exhausted right now and need to get out of the sun and to have a break. Yes, it seems blogging is a break. I had planned to walk to the beach but the day got away on me. It was a pleasure to be here though; birds are singing and busy, frogs are singing and busy and what was I? Singing and busy as well.

I know I say this quite often but I've been listening to some great music these days. I have a regular music blogroll, three are daily and the other thirty something are once a week or whenever I get around to it. Sometimes a week will bring nothing. This week was great. I don't really want to put recent finds up and copy someone's posts so you'll just have to believe me. Some may end up here eventually.

Absolutely nothing new in the music I'm posting today. Old and familiar - essentials. Aretha with Spanish Harlem and Dylan with Spanish Harlem Incident, what can be more familiar? Here are a couple more for today: Dorado with Working Sunday, which, I'll be doing outside the home next week and something I love kd lang's vesion of, Love is Everything.

Back to the deck......

Living In the North Country

I went for a two kilometer walk today and upon returning, when walking down the driveway, it started raining. Now that's good timing!! The above photo of my pond is from the 7th - a little over a week ago. It's hard to get a photo of the pond with a reflection as there is always movement in the water. This was taken very early in the morning, right after sunrise, when the ducks were still sleeping. There's less snow now and I'd say if it warms up, which it is forecast to do, it will be gone in a couple of days.

My son is golfing, believe it or not - on brown dead grass. The golf club he is at is not doing any favors to their grass by opening this early but it's probably the only one open at this time so is attracting all the golfers like my son who can't wait to get out there.

One of my favorite Dylan songs is Girl From The North Country. I came across a great version yesterday by, Mark Everett , of The Eels. I usually put up two new songs a day but today I'm putting up four. The versions I had up already are gone and need to be replaced and this girl from the north country thinks that it's such a great song that exceptions sometimes have to be made. Here's the original version by Bob Dylan and one by Dylan and Johnny Cash and a group effort from M.Ward, Conor Oberst and Jim James. I love them all.

Round and Round

After four days of glorious sunshine we had light rain today but it seems as though the sun is trying to come out. My daughter just commented that it's snowing (or has snowed) in Calgary. We are supposed to get some on Sunday as well. It's all ok though because spring is here. Green grass is poking through the brown, the daffodils are growing an inch or more each day, and people are smiling. That's all the proof I need.

It's funny how one little music search can lead me round and round. On Kat's blog today she has a song sung by Elizabeth Mitchell called Winter's Come and Gone. I thought I knew the song from a long time ago but upon research found it was written by contemporary Gillian Welsh. I looked in my files thinking it was familiar because I had it but no, I do not. It's really bugging me because I was singing along with the chorus. I know that song!

Anyway, above her name I saw That Masquerade by George Benson. That brought back lots of memories. I really liked George Benson years ago and even extravagantly bought a boxed set of his music as a gift for another fan. The song is also a memory of the movie, All That Jazz, which I loved. I looked at the information on That Masquerade and found it was written by Leon Russell who I also am a big fan of. So today's music is about going round and round. Here's Leon doing a Bob Dylan cover, A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall and Bob Dylan doing a live cover of Leonard Cohen's Halleluja. Now if I could only find Leonard doing a George Benson cover......

Just Like Women

I have two friends with breast cancer. I went to a fundraiser for one on Saturday night and spent the afternoon with the other this afternoon. My sister-in-law and I had long planned a visit but didn't want to take up precious nap time. She is undergoing radiation treatments right now and has almost a 150 km round trip each day and is tired. When I called to see if a visit would be ok, she got really excited and said she would prepare a tea party. I insisted that this was not necessary but this woman, dynamo that she is, planned a great afternoon . She had invited another mutual friend who had recently lost her husband and whom I'd not seen since that event.

The afternoon was absolutely wonderful!!! Her husband left when she was showing us her breast saying that when his friends got together they had absolutely no desire to show each other their vasectomies. We told him that he just didn't understand and that it was his loss. We had some fun conversation and some serious conversation and we could feel the womanly bond that exists in our gender that is understood but can not be explained.

I think I've reached a new stage or joined a new club. I'm having a body part removed. It has nothing to do with age though as we get older more and more people join the club. I'm glad to find out the meetings are so much fun.

We need the Bob today. First, Just Like A Woman, one of his best known songs and then a live version of The Times We've Known from disk 6 of the bootleg, The Never Ending Tour.

Good Weather For Mushrooms

Click to Play:
I Think It's Going To Rain Today - Randy Newman
I Think It's Going To Rain Today - Nina Simone
I Think It's Going To Rain Today - David Gray
Buckets of Rain - Bob Dylan
Buckets of Rain - Jimmy LaFave
Buckets of Rain - Beth Orton & M. Ward
Eighteen Inches of Rain - Ian Tyson

Ice Follies

I'm getting to this late today and will have to be quick about it. Blogger has a scheduled outage coming up before the hour is out.

I had an eventful day. I had appointments in town and since I can't yet drive, was depending on someone else. She called me a short time before our arranged pick up time and had decided not to go in because of forecasted freezing rain. I could not miss these long awaited appointments and had to scramble to get another ride in. My son called a friend and lo and behold he was running late and hadn't left for work yet.

I walked several kilometers through town in pouring rain doing errands and what a time it was. Before the rain we'd had an hour or so of freezing rain. The sidewalks were pure ice. With my poor one-armed balance, I had to be extremely careful. In addition, a friend had picked up some groceries for me which included a turkey and I was carrying the very heavy bag with my good arm. Can't you just imagine the sight with the careful baby steps required. I am exhausted tonight and I'm sure it is due to the stress of that walk.

Some old music for today. Bob Dylan wrote the song Tough Mama and here is his version as well as one from the Jerry Garcia Band. I'm a tough but tired mama this evening.

Feelings This Friday

Spent the afternoon supporting an immigrant friend who was being interviewed by CBC TV to discuss an unfortunate incident that she was involved in. It's very hard when someone comes from another continent and is not familiar with our laws. They expect the same laws, standards and protections as they had in their former country. They researched everything in the three extended trips they had here before immigrating even coming for several months in the winter to be sure it was the right move. The world is not the same everywhere. I can't talk of the incident as I don't know where libel laws start and stop. Better to be safe than really sorry.

The main problem too, is that as soon as the couple moved here the husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer and has passed away. The woman knows very few people and since she's been here has only been involved with hospitals and doctors and extreme grief sickness. She certainly needs support and a small circle of us are doing what we can.

I bought a catnip pillow for my grandson's cat last week. I had to run to the bathroom when I got home that day and threw the bag on the floor. When I came out the cats had torn apart the bag it was in, the tissue paper it was wrapped in and the little plastic bag it was packaged in. Since they loved it so much, I went back today and got several for cat lovers on my list. One hundred percent of the money raised by the pillows and some really cool handmade cards goes to feed and care for homeless cats. Needless to say, I've put the bag in the fridge for the time being.

Music today? Thinking of all that is happening with my friend, Tragedy by Brandi Carlile seems like a good choice. Bob Dylan's I Pity the Poor Immigrant is appropriate too. Bob has a song for every situation, you know.

The Land of Dunes

This south shore dweller got a trip up to the north shore dunes yesterday. Went to the beach at several spots between Morell and Lakeside. There are some beautiful properties in that area and some pretty fine 'cottages'. See above photo. The day was cold, windy and grey again. It seems every time I've gone out on these jaunts with my friend, the weather has been cold, windy, and grey. The great thing is that neither of us really mind the weather but it would be nice to get some photos with a blue sky. Everyone that is not accustomed to the island will think the sun never shines.

I can say this here. The grandchildren can't read and the parents know. I just finished packing the grandkid's presents to mail. They are very large ceramic piggy banks that I bought before I thought about how to get them 1300 miles away. I personalized them with paint and have just prepared them for the mail. I'm pretty confident about the packing but you can never be sure. I packed glass for the mail for years without any breakage. The only breakage occurred with a window for Newfoundland, packed and crated by a professional packer who came good for it. I had to make the window again, which I hadn't planned when buying the glass for the first one. A pain all around!

Page One is down to fifty-nine songs - I think. Started at five hundred. It makes me realize how much is missing that I have to replace so it frees up even thinking of new - I'm just replacing old for awhile. In honour of a trip to the dunes here's There Are Places I Remember by the Beatles and for the photo trips I've had lately it's Dylan with a live version from Belgium in 1998 of Blowin In the Wind. Essential don't you think?

Horsing Around

My son just left in a quandry. He is going to a Halloween party and has no costume. He's been to the stores, his friend got something but he just couldn't find anything. I gave him one suggestion and the props to go with it but that didn't satisfy him so they've just had supper and are off to try to figure something out.

My daughter in Calgary is going to a party too and was out buying costumes last night. I didn't talk to her after she got one. Maybe when I'm finished here I'll give her a call its just the afternoon there.

I had a friend over for the afternoon. We did some gardening things - dividing plants, planting this year's spent mums and things like that. I have a lot more to do yet.

I've been listening to the Lonely Days playlist every time I'm on the computer since I made it the other day. I keep playing one song at least twice per session.. It is such a truthful, brave song for the writer to write. I love it. I like emotional ballads, you've probably figured out by now. Here's Colin Hay with I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You. Amazing song! How long has it been since I played a Bob Dylan song? Too long. Here's one of the best - I'll Be Your Baby Tonight. Ha. I just looked. I last put up a Dylan song on the 16th.

Buckets of Rain - Miles of Roads

I was too tired for my hike yesterday so did it today. I didn't really listen to the weather forecast so got caught in a few rain showers. We were out for two and a half hours and it was absolutely great. You could ring out our socks when we got in. Today's route was new to me in that we were on a road that vehicles can travel on as well. That's not usual for us but this route took us to our regular woods roads and afforded some really great views of wet, curvy, red dirt roads with gorgeously coloured trees.


We plan to go again on Saturday but I just hear that rain is expected for that day. My friend can't go tomorrow and I can't go Thursday or Friday so, we'll see what Saturday brings. We were both willing to walk in the rain today so we maybe will do that again. It certainly was a great workout today and I want more!

I've got some rain songs in honour of today's soaking wet footwear. One of my favorite Dylan songs is Buckets of Rain. I put up this one by Jimmy LaFave in June on the first day of summer. Here is Bob's version and one by Beth Orton and M. Ward. Love that song!

Time For Birthdays

I've heard about thirty people having birthdays this week with one in my own family tomorrow. I know why there are so many birthdays right now. These were people concieved Christmas/New Years week. A popular time for conceptions, it seems.

I attended my good friend's fiftieth birthday last night but left before the other celebrant (who was fifty-eight) arrived. I had to be up early for the new job so was a good girl and thought better of staying late. It was really fun though. These friends live in a beautiful beachfront home but thought the weather might be cool because of it being September so planned the party elsewhere. It turned out to be the hottest day of the summer. Sure would have been nice to be in the water yesterday but we had lots of fun anyway. It was just sweaty fun.

Music is for my son who is having one of those milestone birthdays. I just don't understand how he got to be this age. I'm not sure I'm as old as he is yet. It has to be Dylan for my boy and since he's heard it all, I'm sending along a live cut from a concert and a bootleg. Here's The Times We've Known and Heart of Mine. Happy Birthday, Darling!!!!

Where We Go

I and everyone in my community is in shock. A happy, healthy seventeen year old has suddenly had an embolism a few days after knee surgery and has passed away. Her grandmother and I closely work together as she is on the board directors of the organization I work with. Her dad worked with me at our family business when this girl was born. Entering grade twelve in a day or two and was showing her brother around the highschool for his upcoming first day there. The shock runs deep. I have no words.

I went visiting a couple of people after dinner. Brought a houswarming gift to one and had a regular visit to my senior friend. Ha, he would be a great-great uncle to this girl. These things hit everybody in a community.

Music: Where I'd head to for music at a time like this is straight to Van Morrison. I could choose from so many wonderfully fitting songs. Here are two I already have up: Across the Bridge Where Angels Come, Whenever God Shines His Light, . For today, Contacting My Angel which has personal meaning for me with this child. Van and Bob Dylan get together for Knocking On Heaven's Door. Just found out that it was already up too. Not surprisingly, all three were up on a post when my friend lost her Dad in March, two days after the funeral for my other friend's Mom on the aniversay of my Mom's death. Yes, Van's where I go.