Heat and Summer Flowers

I got off early from work today but haven't been able to even get to the computer till now. I had some really busy days at work that followed a partying weekend. Add hormones to that mixture and I am tired out, spelled OUT. I had a little nap and am feeling a bit better but need more, extra sleep again tonight. To bed by nine three nights in a row and tonight will be the fourth. Wake time is still five-thirty and I'm completely happy with that.

The photos are of day lilies from the garden that we visited on Sunday. I had planned to go back to get a flower that I later discovered was in the sale bin. Maybe tomorrow.

For music I have some African songs that say heat and summer. From Miriam Makeba, her anthem, Wimoweh, that later inspired a rock and roll song. From Africando is Hey Boy that I include on lots of dance playlists. Both fine pieces of music.

We Made It

Oh, what a weekend! The fact that I had no time to post is one indication. I'm tired and to me, that's another. My company left this morning and it's in total agreement that a good time was had by all. We had a great party and dinner on Saturday night. I brought the kitchen table outside and we ate on the deck but another thunderstorm began so we moved back in. It was over fairly quickly so a couple of towels to dry the wet chairs and we moved out again. The only casualty was my stereo which must have shorted with the constant thunder and lightning. It is fried.....dead!

We visited a couple of friend's who have market flower gardens over the weekend because my sister loves flowers but it wasn't really a popular activity for my sister in law. We did the beach in the evening yesterday. Now I just have to catch up on sleep. A friend who is 33 told me the other day that he has a hard time partying because it takes him a few days to get over the lost sleep. He's 33!!!

For music, I have a couple more versions of an old standard blues song. I may have already put Leadbelly's up but since most of the music is gone it would no longer be there anyway. These songs are listed with different titles but they're the same song. I have other versions of it as well. Here's Leadbelly with Where Did You Sleep Last Night and Long John Baldry with Black Girl. The song is also known as The Pines and I have it up a few times under that title.

Storm Has Hit

I'm writing in the middle of a thunderstorm. Now that Blogger auto-saves this shouldn't be a problem. I can't believe that Tuesday was the last time I posted. I've been incredibly busy and have not had a moment. I've not had time for a proper supper tonight. Peanut butter, whole wheat bread, milk, avacados and lime, and cherries will have to suffice. I'm eating the avacado now.

This thunder storm is causing havoc across the island and somehow, again as I've stated here, it is so far passing us by. We see lightning at both sides of the sky and are dry here. There is news of a boat having overturned in Ch'town Harbour. I just visited my workplace and there is a big, whole weekend, outdoor event happening. They are sitting in cars, waiting to see if things will be moved indoors, a couple of miles up the road. Glad I'm off and not helping make these decisions. I'm waiting for visitors who are coming tomorrow instead of tonight.

Music: Well songs are still disappearing from both pages. I'm so sad about it. I wasn't putting them out for download - just listening. I 've already put up a couple of versions of I Think It's Going To Rain Today. They're probably gone now. Here's a slow mood one fron Madeleine Peyroux and for a long, up-tempo song let's hear Pop Staples and the Staple Singers with A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall.

It has just started raining and I like to think my music has something to do with it. God it's now really thundering and it scared the cat away. I probably shouldn't be at an open window at the computer. As a matter of fact, go to page two for the links. I'll link them later.

Walk, Run, Walk, Run

I think I've been too busy. I've not had time to do everything and blogging has been put to the back burner. The fact that my music disappeared has been a real bummer to me though it doesn't seem to have bothered anyone else. I may be at the tail end of the blogging.

I had a friend waiting for me when I got home. We had a wonderful visit. He didn't stay for supper though he was invited and loves my cooking. He and another friend are coming on the weekend when my sister and sister-in-law are visiting. We are counting on a fun weekend for sure.

I've started walking in earnest again. It will be daily or I will dance. I've gained a couple of pounds since starting work. After today's walk, I bathed myself with a fan until I cooled enough to look a normal colour. It is extremely hot and humid, as I've said, and sweat and an altered colour is the result. I hope sweat is heavy.

Music, if it can be trusted to still be there, is about the walking and the running I've been doing. I'll Run Your Hurt Away by Ruby Johnson and 500 Miles by Peter, Paul and Mary are appropriate. I've been going at a much faster spped than Peter, Paul and Mary by the way. I'm way faster.

Save Me

I've given up on Mercury. Why didn't they take Mercury away instead of Pluto? It would never be in retrograde again (or at least it wouldn't count) and maybe my bad luck would change to good luck. I just put my blades through my mower deck again. I ran over a tree root that I've mowed over for twenty three years and has never caused a problem. The deck must be hanging lower since the last incident but how would you know that? I hadn't finished my first circuit of the yard. Egads!!!!!!!(though I feel like swearing) My music yesterday and the mower today. Atleast my friend who had suffered complications is doing better. I was there when the respiroligist lowered her oxygen concentration.

My son is coming to dinner and the roast chicken in the oven smells heavenly. Perhaps I can put the boy/man to work pounding my deck away from the blades. I already have him scheduled to help me with a matress and bed repair job.

I'm not sure how long any of my music is going to last but I'll give a try uploading more. Mercury in retrograde maybe calls for Freddy Mercury. Here's some Queen...with songs appropriate to the situation. Save Me talks about luck and Melancholy Blues is self-explanatory.

In Shock

I am in shock! Most, really, most of my music has been taken off of Page One and is no longer available. Here's a link to the page that appears...any song.... I would say that copyright infringement might be the general reason. I'm devestated, as you can imagine. I'll have to think up a whole new strategy and it's too hot to think right now. Until then, some of the only links left on Page One and they pertain to the moon which is on it's way to full right now. Speaking of moon, what was I saying about Mercury in retrograde?

Halleluja by Brandi Carlile, Wish I was the Moon by Neko Case, Moonlight Saving Time by Blossom Dearie.

What to do! What to do?

Lots of Music

The heat wave continues.... I have long grass and am not planning to mow. If I mowed it would be brown by tomorrow. Right now the length is shading the roots and gathering extra dew, both keeping it beautiful and green.

I can sometimes get a little frustrated by my music collection. It would be wonderful to be able to sort it by both performer and song title. Right now I want a certain song I know I have but can't locate. I've too much to go through. As I go through the collection, I've been throwing up songs on a blank playlist, as I do every day. I usually choose six to ten songs to play bits of before I finish the post. Since I can't find my first choice song I have to choose to introduce a great jazz chanteuse or some fun songs or songs from people named Gene, songs everyone reading this knows, latin ballads of which I have too many, or what.

I really have a lot of great music and don't want to sound like I'm complaining about it. It's just the sorting system....not complete enough for my needs. I love my music so much, in fact, that today I'll put up some extra. Some from each of those identifiers above.

For the jazz chanteuse I have the great stylings of Carolyn Leonart with I'm In the Mood For Love. I love her version. Flowers from Emilie Simon is a fun and slightly weird song. I like it too because it reminds me of late sixties movie music. Gene Vincent does Bee Bop a Lula. It can be considered as one by someone named Gene, but also as a fun song and qualifies as the song everybody knows. Multi tasker! For a latin ballad how about with Son Para Ti by Sierra Maestra. Enjoy! I certainly am.

Changes and Stranges

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Is Mercury in retrograde again? The best laid plans have been changed, cancelled and gone up in smoke today. Two of the people coming to dinner have had to cancel. My friend from away has gone back very suddenly with a serious family crisis. I visited with her while I was in town and we're both disappointed that she couldn't come out for a few days. I still have people coming for dinner but have enough food for several more.

I needed two pieces of lumber of a specific measurement and fifty inches long. I had a sample. The person who was helping me at the lumber yard kept saying that I could get them from an eight foot board. I explained that eight feet was only ninety-six inches and I needed one hundred inches. He finally understood. He went off to get this lumber and plane it to get it to the right size. When he came back the two pieces looked a little short and you guessed it; he had cut them each to forty-eight inches. He was embarassed because he actually understood, but forgot, that I needed fifty inches. I was fifty-three minutes in that store for this. The wood cost under four dollars but wasted nearly an hour of my day off.

My friend who had surgery has had a serious post surgery event. Is Mercury in retrograde? I was in to visit and bring roses. She's pretty scared but hubby is at her side and has been wonderful. She won't be leaving anytime soon. I won't be able to get in till Sunday again.

Gosh, sweat is running down my glasses. I'd better get some music up and get outside. The worst of it is that I've got to turn my oven on in a minute. For music, some more Ruthie Foster. I like her so much. I wish she had come to PEI when she was in Saint John. Here's Changes, something to commemmorate all the changes of my plans today. Fruits of My Labor is for all the great food I'll soom be eating. I love this season of fresh garden veggies. Yum!

Hot Stuff

It's been a busy, busy day and I'm just finding time to get a post in now. It's not going to get any better as the whole week promises to be non-stop. I have good things happening though. My day off on Thursday will be partly spent at the beach with a friend from away who will be visiting. We have lots to catch up on.

We're having scorching weather but the only ones complaining seem to be the fellows working outdoors with me. I just tell them that it could be rain falling instead of sunshine like it has been for most of the summer. How soon they forget. I'm lovin' it! I'm spending a great deal of my workday outside but going in for half hour breaks every so often to cool down and having the others do the same. It's the only way to handle it.

Here's some music a little unusual for me to have up but I'm a woman of wide tastes. I just don't have a lot of disco or dance as it's called now. Here are The Pussycat Dolls with a remake of an old disco song, Hot Stuff. I actually like their version as it's much sexier. The other song is more my style. It's a version of Summer In the City, from Joe Cocker. I had a song of the same name by Regina Spector a while back but hers is not the one we're mostly familiar with. I like it a lot too.

Under the Weather

This is a dog friend of mine who is not feeling very well. The owner has spend several hundred dollars and the vets don't know what is wrong with her. It's very sad as she is losing weight, not at all active and just laying there. She is better this week than last week and everyone is hoping she's on the mend. If we only knew what was wrong and could do something for her.

One of my best friends had a major operation today. Her husband called when it was all over and she's well and doing fine with that big old growth gone from her body. Yeah! Everyone has been pretty worried about her.

We certainly mustn't take out health for granted. We have to pay attention to our bodies and try to keep them in good form in case anything does happen. Then we'll be healthy and able to fight what is wrong. I've taken astragalus root for years to keep a strong immune system. I'll keep it up as some day, I'll be glad just like I am that I've taken vitamin A and D since I was a young child. The new study out last month that states there is a 70% less chance of getting cancer if you do made me very happy. If I could only convince my kids......

Yes, I've got music to match the post. Under the Weather by KT Tunstall is for Ulu and Old Fashioned Morphine by Jolie Holland is something my friend with the surgery will probably appreciate during the next few days.

Heaven To Me

Went on a hike today that the other two hikers with me estimated to be around eight kilometers. It was really fantastic. The endorphins were surging through my body along with wood odours and the smell of meadows full of wildflowers. I'm tired now and think I'll be laying back in front of the TV tonight. I hope, in my two channel universe, that something good is going to be on the tube. I do have good books on the go and would be just as happy to go to bed early and read.

We are supposed to have hot, sunny weather all week. I would imagine the mood on the island will be much happier. I love rain but it can get you down if there is too much.

I had nice farm-fresh, just picked veggies for my supper. I am lucky to have a market garden within walking distance. After the great hike and fabulous supper, I feel really good and healthy. I was the only non-smoker in this afternoon's group of four. Yeah!

Music: I haven't featured any Madeleine Peyroux for a while. I heard she has a new album coming out. My aunt and uncle had taped an evening's concert of Madeleine and her band for me to see when I was visiting them in the spring. It was fabulous. She has a kind of peculiar phrasing but it's what sets her apart. Here's This Is Heaven To Me and I'll Look Around. She always ahs a great band which in itself is worth a listen.

Great Weather For Ducks

The robins are one of the few species happy with the weather on PEI today. It has been raining off and on all day. Thirty thousand wet people are attending an outdoor Arrowsmith concert in Charlottetown and I'm pretty sure a lot of those people are not happy. My son was invited to go with a friend who was coming over from Halifax but that person cancelled because he was coming by motorcycle. Don't blame him there. Who'd want to drive three hours or so over on a bike then stand in the rain for the rest of the day.

I would have liked to spend the day outdoors but since I'm not a duck or a robin, I've been making cd's for different people who are coming to visit. There sure is some great music out there to play with. I realized I had never put any Oh Suzannah up yet. She's a Canadian singer-songwriter who often plays the summer festival circuit. That's where I've seen her though she's also played here in Ch'town. I first heard her on radio a few years previously to seeing her as CBC was playing her quite a bit. Here are two of her songs, Pretty Face and Greyhound Bus.

Whew - The Weekend

Another week of work over. I'm off for the weekend and just got an email that a friend is coming over from a neighbouring province and wants to go to my beach. Oh yeah! I can do that! I get a day off during the week next week and will look at the long range weather forecast before I choose my day. I need some good weather! It rained last evening and we had heavy rain overnight and this morning. Some parts of the province got more heavy rain this afternoon.

I was wishing I had some songs by Kashtin uploaded previous to this. I posted some stained glass window photos on my Shutterchance blog earlier in the week and would have liked one of these songs to accompany them. Too late for that but not to late to enjoy some of the sound that made Kashtin a memorable Canadian band. Here's Akua Tuta and My People (Nikanish).

Roots

I must say I feel like an old fogey tonight. My ex sister-in-law and I have tickets to the Chucky Danger Band concert tonight, one of the two dates they are playing on the Island this summer. Both of us are too tired to go thus have given up our tickets. The event is sold out so our tickets will be welcome to others who want to go. The boys are giving a three song EP to each person at the concert tonight but Robbie said he's sending me the whole cd to put some cuts on the blog. When I get it I'll put some songs up. Mowing - that's what I blame for this. It exhausts me.

The dog nursing the kitten that I mentioned last night was not the same dog that I'm familiar with. It's cool though. The owners talked about how the dog is keeping the kitty happy by running around letting the kitten chase it's tail.

I mentioned the other day that I have lots of versions of Bring It on Home to Me but had none on the music pages. Here are a couple; one by Van Morrison and one by Sam Cooke. Great song!

A Wall

I had planned on posting earlier but Blogger was not being cooperative. Now, I'm in the middle of cooking and have to run back and forth, hopefully remembering to turn things down and not burn anything. I'm also cooking potatoes and eggs for potato salad tomorrow so have all the burners on the go.

I also am looking at music, sometimes checking out my favorite blogs but not today. I hardly know what to do. My favorite ex (sister in law) just left and I usually blog before she comes. It's all different now. I went to the kitchen after the first paragraph and have to go again soon. Oh, Blogger....

Endorphins are great. Have you ever heard me say that before? Even in this heat I find a way to get them moving in my body. I love everything. Now I have to find music to match that! I just read back and realized I could also be talking about the two beers I had. No, it's the endorphins.

It's 6pm and the radio news just came on. I heard a story about people I know through Shutterchance. Their dog began nursing their kitten. I'm thinking that it's the same people anyway. There's no way I can upload new music but can link a few from the past. Here's one, two, three, and four.....a couple from each page. They'll somehow relate.

Music Always Fits

We're half way through July and I can happily say summer has finally arrived. It's very hot but I've not heard anyone complaining. We needed some heat as it seems to have a direct effect on people's moods after all the rain we've had. Everyone is smiling!

I was doing some real physical labour at work again today in all this heat. I had arrived at work nicely dressed and brought work clothes. After four hours of extreme perspiring there was no way I was going to put my nice clothes on again. I came home and had a shower. It's really nice working only two minutes from home and having other staff. Worked for me.

Yes, I have some music to fit this last paragraph. Rosie Thomas has a couple of songs that would fit. One is Pretty Dress. The other is Two Dollar Shoes. There is music to fit every situation.

Seven Hundred Songs

Lucky me! I've been out and about in the countryside two evenings in a row at sunset time.....with a camera! A person couldn't get any luckier than that. Not having a car for two weeks really put a damper on my activities and it feels so wonderful to go where I want to and need to. I've learned to appreciate my mobility.

I was at a benefit for a person with cancer last night but didn't stay long as it was really hot in the community hall and I was having hot flashes. A was with a friend who lives, like myself, in a house in the countryside. We went there and that was so much better.

Today's music was chosen in a most surprising way. What makes it a surprise to me is that no one has ever mentioned the songs were not on the music page after being advertised in the post. Also I'm surprised I forgot, or got distracted, so many times. There are four posts there in about two month (120) of songs.

I've been working to provide links for all the music in all the past posts as well as tags for the song names. It makes finding music easier for me. I'd thought about linking from the beginning but tagging wasn't available at Blogger then so it seemed a step that didn't need to happen. Anyway, these are songs that I was supposed to have uploaded as a day's musical selections. I most likely went on to something else and forgot to upload. This doesn't happen anymore because linking closes the loop.

The songs.....

• Lets Get Together The Youngbloods

• Big Long Slidin Thing Dinah Washington

• Woke Up This Mornin Ruthie Foster

• Reasons Why Nickle Creek

• Caledonia Mary Black

• One Less Bell To Answer The Fifth Dimension

• Besame Mucho Nana Mouskouri

• The Huron Carol The Crash Test Dummies

These, in a backward order, relate to specific posts, in pairs. I'm not finished the job yet, not by a long shot. I work on it every couple of weeks, usually on a Sunday. I just started with linking the music today. I've been doing tags for months.

These songs need an addition of one song to make an even two hundred songs on Page Two. That's seven hundred songs I'm working with now and you can see I need a system for finding songs when I want them. This song and also, the name of the band, works on a number of levels; the photo, talk of the countryside, and closing the loop. Here is Back Porch Blues doing Bring It On Home To Me.

After all this I couldn't find the song. I forgot I have a file specifically for the song as I have ten versions and realized I've never put one up. I will on a future post. Whew!

Dancin' In the Moonlight

It was kind of strange having Friday and Sunday off this week and working Saturday. I kind of like it. Some people need two days in a row off but it doesn't matter to me. One of my jobs today at work was to take a walk on the beach. Well! Some things in life really work out. I can't have bad luck all the time.

I visited a friend last night who lives on a beach near here. I was there for sunset and got some great photos. She doesn't face the setting sun but the light was still nice as you can see in today's photo. When the weather is nice, we feel like PEI is heaven but with the weather we've been having, our self esteem is slipping.

My sister and former sister-in-law and maybe my nieces are coming for a visit in a couple of weeks. That's exciting. When I first moved to the Island thirty-one years ago I'd have visitors most of the summer. Times have changed and now I'm lucky if even one family member makes it over.

Today for music are oldies but from different time periods. The oldest is Let's Get Together from The Youngbloods. From two decades or so later is Thin Lizzy with Dancin' In The Moonlight. Can you tell I'm going out tonight?

Party In My Heart

So much for making plans. I didn't get to the beach but I'm off again on Sunday and it is supposed to be hot. I may even go to a different beach than my local one. We had heavy fog that didn't burn off till almost 2:30 pm and I was into other things by then after doing a rush trip to town to make it back early. It's absolutely beautiful right now but the tide is in and I want to go at low tide.

One of my stops today was at a site where I was commissioned to do two stained glass windows for a new office building. I took photos during installation with a film camera but had never taken any with a digital. I think I'll go back in the late afternoon as the light might be better. Most that I took today were over-exposed. The above photo is a small detail of one of the windows. Dried flowers are in one hand of the figure and leather is in the other. It is designed so that a fresh stem can take the place of the dried flowers.

I think this post started with plans as the subject. My favorite ex (sister-in-law) just dropped by so here it is an hour later. I usually do this blog in the order of what you see is what you get in that photo first, blah blah second and music third. The only reason you are getting this music is because I actually uploaded it first today (didn't go to the beach). It's latin. I've not been walking so I've been dancing. Here's Fiesta En Mi Corozon Raphy Leavitt and Cumbia Tipica by Mongo/Justo.

A Change Has Got To Come

When describing my recent bad luck in an e-mail to a New York friend the other day, this is what she said - It's been Mercury retrograde, which ends on Monday. Hopefully, they'll be able to figure it out then. This is what I predicted a former friend would have said. Anyway, someone should tell Mercury that Monday has passed and it's ok to give up the retrograde.

Last night I put my mower blades right through the mower deck and bent the deck all to heck. It is fixed but not without a great deal of anxiety on my part, thinking that I may have another expensive repair bill. The guy didn't charge me but a beer - he's a good guy.

We had a hot humid day yesterday then rain for the morning today. Now it's sunny and cloudy, windy and we're expecting thunderstorms. Rain till noon tomorrow then sun and clouds....a repeat of today. I'm taking the day off so I'll do all the chores in the morning and go to the beach for the afternoon.

I just got this song today but it's title is certainly appropriate for this post. Mercury by Kathleen Edwards is to be a prayer to Mercury to change things around for me. I have many, many versions of A Change is Gonna Come up on the music pages but I have many more not up. Here's one more by Terence Trent D'Arby. I need some cheering up.

Music Stats for July '07

I haven't been putting the music stats up for the last few months. People didn't seem to be visiting page one that much but that has changed. I still have to click each song once a month to keep the songs up and that doesn't necessarily work as one has disappeared and I clicked it on the 10th of June and now again on the 9th of July and it was gone. With 686 songs it took two days to get through them. As usual, I only mention songs that got more than 20 hits. Without further adieu....

• Kanye West's Gold Digger is the song that disappeared.
• I Gotta Get Drunk by Willie Nelson got 20 hits as did Kris Kristopherson and Steve Earl's version of Sunday Morning Coming Down. These may be related. Certainly the subject is.
• Martha Wainwright's song, These Flowers, was played 21 times.
• With 22 hits are As Long As I'm Movin' by Ruth Brown and Mama's Chant by Nil Lara.
• Tupelo Honey, the version by Van and Brian Kennedy from Live in San Fransisco got 23 plays.
• Whiskey for Everyone by Gary Jules got played 24 times.
• Hank Williams', I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry got 25 hits this month.
• Goin' Home from The Skiffle Sessions and Feelin' Good by Nina Simone got 26 plays.
• There Are Places I Remember by The Beatles got played 28 times.
• A few surprises, as always. Baby, It's Cold Outside by Leon Redbone and Zooey Deschanel got 38 hits. Maybe my daughter has a new favorite version but normally she listens to a different one.
• Willie Nelson was popular this month. His song, You Are Always On My Mind, got 58 plays.
• Don't Lie by The Black Eyed Peas got 67 plays this month. No surprise there.
• Biggest surprise and the song with the most plays is Summertime by Albert Ayler. It got 80 hits this month. Amazing!

Here are some random songs. One, Two, Three, Four, Five. Don't you love surprises?

I'm Mobile (Hopefully)

My car is fixed! My car is fixed! I don't know what it cost and I hardly care. This past two weeks of being house-bound has been difficult. The problem was a faulty coolant switch. Toyota is shocked and they should be after what their solution was to be. They said their $13,000.00 computer was supposed to pick up the problem. The independent guy's didn't either when looking for a code but when looking at what has happened as it stalled, they were able to pick it up.

My favorite ex (sister-in-law) is taking me over to get the car after the garage closes and I'm heading straight to Charlottetown to a memorial service for a friend who died of breast cancer last week. That's another story........

Only one person's music always makes me feel good.....Van the Man. Here's a couple that do just that. In the Afternoon is very sexy and can't help but make you feel good. I really love that song! I also have an old live version of Here Comes the Night. I actually like his voice as it matures and sometimes I wish these old ones has the vocal depth of the last ten years but I love, love, love Van Morrison in almost any song at any age. Voice isn't everything.

Sunday Evening Dinner

My son is coming to dinner today. I'm excited about that. He stops in for short visits quite often and eats my leftovers or raids the fridge in general but we will actually sit at the table at the same time tonight. I'm having a chicken dish with an Indian sauce, new potatoes and the boy's favorite veggies, broccoli, stir fried with other veggies. Fresh strawberries and cream will be for dessert.

We've been having showers off and on all day. This is beginning to get depressing. England has been having a rainy summer too and according to my fellow bloggers on Shutterchance, the sun has finally come out and they're getting their summer. I hope it happens here soon.

I've got one song up for today's music that is frustrating me as I can only find one version of it. I was sure I had two and will of course, find it someday. The song, Everybody Eats When They Come To My House is by Cab Calloway. My son is following me to the garage tonight where they want my car cold tomorrow morning to figure out what is going on. So another song today is Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee with, Children Go Where I Send Thee. It's an old Negro spiritual and they do a good job of it.

Lord Tunderin' Jesus

Whew! This is the calm after the storm. We just had a doozy of a thunderstorm with little pellets of hail and really heavy rain. My friend and I were sitting outside having a relaxing visit when it suddenly became apparent that this was going to happen. Mad scrambling ensued guaranteeing that neither of us melted.

Last night's blues and jazz festival performances would get mixed revues from my little circle of friends. I loved, absolutely loved, Viento Flamenco and my friends did not. My friends loved Kevin Breit and I did not. He is certainly a skilled guitar/mandolin player but he used very high pitched keys and his instruments were all electric and that combination hurt my ears. Harry Manx was great, I thought, but one friend thought he went on and on. He loved it when Kevin and his band came back on stage (they have made an album together) but I preferred Harry without Kevin. We all have different musical tastes which I am well aware of and that's cool. To all of us, who are all music lovers, it was just great to get out and hear some live music.

I am having new potatoes and our first strawberries for supper. It's cooking now and my mouth is watering. Yum!

Music: Hmmmm, haven't thought about it too much. I have lots of rain and storm music but I think I've put that up a couple of times already this week. I don't think I have strawberry or potato music so, when thinking of all of those things combined, I think of one word.... Summertime, so here we go on that....Mungo Jerry's famous rendition of In the Summertime and Regina Spektor doing Summer In the City. This is not the version you've heard before but it's very nice.

I Love Surprises

A quick post.... I'm off to the blues and jazz festival, mainly to see Harry Manx but others as well. My car is not working well at all so friends are picking me up at a pre-arranged spot where I don't have to go all the way into town.

I went on a really long hike this morning. The photo above is from that hike. I was almost eaten alive by mosquitos as the wet weather has helped them flourish. Everyone is complaining about them but again, what can you do?

Music today is already up on either page one or two and a surprise. Yes, one is a Harry Manx. I am also seeing Kevin Breit who Harry has played with. Number one of the surprise songs is both of them. I'm also getting to see Viento Flamenco tonight who I've heard on public radio but have had no luck finding on the internet.

Surprise number one, two, three, four, five. That should do.

I heard a couple of days ago that Ruthie Foster is playing at a festival in Saint John, NB in a couple of weeks. I sure wish I could get the time off. I lived in Saint John for five years and Ruthie would be a major reason for me to go back but in this seasonally employment area..... OK, another surprise by Ruthie.

Stormy Weather

I have a 45 minute break then back to work for the evening. I get to attend a concert and get paid for it. Not bad...

My car was looked at and tested by another mechanic and he is 99 percent sure that I don't need a distributor, the $332. part that Toyota wants to put on. He cleaned the intake today and is going to fix me up on Monday. Mechanics are very busy around here, that's for sure. I just hope this guy can make it all work.

It's pouring out right now, a few hours earlier than forecasted, and very cold too. More rain and storm music would be appropriate, I'd say. I already have Dinah Washington's version of Stormy Weather up. Today I'm adding Willie Nelson and Leon Russell's version, as well as, the wonderful, Sarah Vaughan's.

Now for something to eat.....

Clouds Are Gathering

Getting a late start at this tonight. I've just finished mowing and smell like gasoline exhaust and will be heading to the shower after this. Mowing can't be healthy for you. I know it's hard on my back and lungs.

Today was a really beautiful day. It was 23 degrees which is not too hot....kind of perfect for working. Yesterday was very cool and the next several days are going to be rainy. It's a strange summer. I deal with tourists all day and I find they are actually enjoying our cooler weather because they're coming from someplace hotter and appreciate this relief from the heat.

Tomorrow I may have to wear my raincoat. It's not famous or blue but some certainly are. Here are a couple of versions of Famous Blue Raincoat. The first is, of course, by the originator, Leonard Cohen and the second is from Marissa Nadler.

Normal?

Back to normal today; not hung over, returned to work with a newly hired student to orient and take care of. I've known him his whole life so that's kind of cool. Still haven't got to the bottom of my car problems. Toyota thinks it may be the distributor (very expensive part) but aren't sure. I've ordered a gas filter which is someone else's suggestion. It costs $25.00.

Every moment outside this weekend required the wearing of a sweater....in July. I'm not sure if I remember a cold summer like this ever happening before. The whole week is supposed to be showers, then rain and continuing cold. As I said recently, with weather, you take what you get. What else can you do?

Music today is from Harry Manx again. You know I like him and this weekend he is playing on the Island and I'm hoping to get in to see him. It depends on the car, really. Long Black Veil is one of my favorite songs and here's Harry with his version. It's hard to believe I have only one version of the song up already - Johnny Cash's which is nice because of his fabulous voice. Harry's has his characteristically fabulous guitar and wonderful rhythm. A Little Cruel is another song from Harry and I'm not sure that he isn't talking about our weather.

Holy Hangover!

I had a little mini party for Canada Day! It was pretty impromptu but a load of fun. I actually stayed up till two-thirty in the morning which is very, very, very late for me. I am paying for it now and now is not a load of fun. We danced and danced all night so all the extra calories from the drinks got burned off. That's a good thing.

I think I'll walk to the beach in a while to clear out the cobwebs but it may not be the brisk, fast walk that I usually do. I'm feeling a little weakened.....for some reason. I would say I'll never drink again but I don't lie. I will do it again but hopefully not that much again.

For music today a little bit of country cause who knows drunk better. Two versions of I Gotta Get Drunk; Norah Jones and the Little Willies' version is nice with it's great stand up bass. The big Willie (Nelson) does his live version with a happy audience in the background. Willie's song was already up somewhere on page one but I'm too tired to look for it so I've uploaded it again.

Stuck

A repeat. I've been passing by beds of them and wanted to see a red poppy close up so that's the reason last years's photo is up today. Better and safer than stopping at stranger's gardens. They're beautiful, both close up and far away.


My car saga continues. I managed to pick up my car on time after leaving work early yesterday. I was about two kilometers from home and it stalled. It had threatened to a couple of times. I walked home at a monster pace, adrenalin rushing and my favorite ex (sisiter-in-law) Toyota is closed till Tuesday. My car will start but it won't go far, I don't expect, but got me back and forth to work today. I'm pissed. I've paid for two repairs, neither of which fixed my problem. It's a long weekend and I can't go anywhere safely. I was planning to go to an awesome sounding party tonight and I'm going to stay home. Bummer!

I had a couple of songs by Loudon Wainwright a week or so ago. It's time for Rufus this week. I love all those Wainwrights, as is noticable if you've paid attention to the music featured here every day. First up is a song he and Dido performed for the soundtrack of Bridgit Jones - The Edge of Reason - I Eat dinner (when the hunger strikes) ......This while I smell my delicious dinner cooking. I'll have to check that his original, solo version isn't already up. What I'm not doing tonight is Going To a Town. That's sad, I'd have thought but not if you listen to Rufus. Why bother going to town? The second is from his newest album, Release The Stars.

A Small Peek

My niece at prom. Credit to Cody Caissie for the photo.

I know I go on and on about the weather. The introduction to this blog does says that it's a glimpse of a small life, and the weather is a big part of it all, so.......

What an amazing thunderstorm we had last night! It hit here around 3:30 am and was the most awesome storm I've witnessed in a long time. I swear there was enough light to read a book by and the thunder was rolling and very, very loud. It was really close, went away for a bit and came back very close again. Bella was lying on the bed and awake too. I went to the bathroom and found Kenz sitting outside my room, looking in, scared. The cats are very respective of individual space and will not usually get on the bed with me at the same time. I could tell she was really scared so I picked her up and walked around with her for a bit.

For music, Wasnt That A Mighty Storm by Nancy Griffiths Oh, no. I just realized I have that font problem again. Sorry. Bear with me. I'm a luddite sometimes. For music today Allison Crowe is saying it best about the last two nights sleep for me. For last night Throw Your Arms Around Me and for the dream/awakening the night before, Skeletons and Spirits. Sorry about the font thing.

Reality

I returned the Yaris to Toyota this morning, picked up the Camry, drove six or seven minutes and it again stalled at a traffic light. I was pissed!

I was to be to work at nine back out here in the country. In that six or seven minutes they had given the Yaris to someone else for a couple of hours. A service guy had to drive me out here to work. He and his wife drove two vehicles out to return the loaner after work but were extremely late because of construction on the bridge out of Ch'town. I had to ask my sister-in-law to pick me up after work. I was pissed!

They're writing off the bill I paid this morning and not charging me labour on this new bill. The car has now been diagnosed as requiring an ignition coil. I'm not pissed about that.

Kenz and I went outside after supper and I forgot that she was out there. In the middle of the night a little meow woke me. I jumped up, said "Clarke" and heard another meow. I ran downstairs and opened the door to Kenz. I was still half asleep and was totally confused then woke up completely just aching over Clarke but glad to see Kenz. She was really glad to see me too. She was so patient waiting till 4am for me to let her in before bothering to let me know.

Music: For my un-reality - The Cat Came Back by Cisco Houston already been uploaded but here's the link. I just finished mowing my beast of a property. For my reality, a couple of songs from Loudon Wainwright III, Living Alone, and a live version of I Am the Way, one of those talking songs he does so well. I sure like him and his kids. I know I've said that before. Music takes some of that pissed off feeling away

Movin' On, Travelin' Light

Raccoon Paw Print

Today is a bit calmer and nothing terrible has happened. I found out that my EGR valve was stuck closed on my car. It's been acting up for a couple of years but hasn't caused problems. It is very expensive to have replaced so they just removed it for me. It is a necessity to own a car if you live in rural PEI as there is no bus system but it surely is a huge expense.

I should be out mowing between the rains but maybe tomorrow........manana. It is supposed to be cludy and showery most of the week. We take what we can get when there as long as there is no chance of snow.

Speaking of snow....check out this link of a frozen building.

For today I've chosen some traveling music. Long Ride Home is a song I really like of Patty Griffin's. Here is a live version. Fabulous song! I've got Car Wheels on a Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams. Funny that I had her up just a couple of days ago and now again.

One of Those Days

I wonder how many people have had as bad a day as I have today. It has been horrid but I actually know a good friend who has had one even worse. It's still happening for him so I won't be talking to him till later tonight. I had a friend once who would say that Mercury was in retrograde or something.

There is a loaner car in my driveway. A weird car I must say, a Toyota Yaris. My Camry died in the middle of my appointments in town. I've used the services of a tow truck for the first time in my life. That is only one of the strange occurances of this day. It's not been fun.

I am invited out for supper which is a very good thing because it means that this day is not going to entirely be a write-off. Lobster is on the menu so it bodes well, as I'm hoping, A Change is Gonna Come. I'm going to find some links to this song that I already have uploaded for speed's sake. I have many, many versions, lots which I've not uploaded yet. Al, Leela, Van, & Taylor.

Joy in a Beautiful World

I'm still putting flowers in vases. I went walking and when I came back went for another walk, this time with scissors. Lupin season is upon us and I needed a couple more vases done. I got some yesterday when I was driving and came upon a really nice field of them. Here are some photos of last year's: I always do a vase for outside. They are so pretty up close. I also cut some wild carrot, columbine and more lily of the valley for more vases. There now isn't a bare spot in the house to place another vase.

I wanted to save today's photo to show one of the same view as yesterday's but later in the day. Thunderstorms continued all around and didn't touch us. The sky was incredible all day and I got some pretty awesome photos. It's cloudy today but warm. The sun has come out since I sat here.

Music: If you've read this blog for a while you know I love Bettye Lavette's version of the song Joy. Here is Lucinda Williams'. It seems like a good song for today with endorphins flowing from walking and flower arranging. Beautiful World by Colin Hay is a good choice for today for those same reasons.

Weather We Do Or Not

One of my favorite activities in the whole world and anywhere in that world is filling vases with flowers. I've just finished doing that and am in a very satisfied space. I have a beautiful red, frosted, and carved glass vase filled with white lily of the valley beside me and the odour from it is wafting under my nose. Is this heaven?

The photo above is of outside a minute or so before I sat down. There are thunderstorms happening to the northeast but the sun is shining and it is absolutely gorgeous here. My son was just visiting and he may be heading into them as he's going into Ch'town on a fundraiser pub crawl. We could hear thunder a ways off.

Since he left I've been out in the gardens cutting flowers and taking photos. The sky is absolutely beautiful with the thunderheads rolling by. We live in this funny little weather pocket here and these storms historically pass us by. It often rains or we have thunderstorms around us while we remain dry. In the summer of 2000 we experienced this all through the summer and had drought conditions. The communities surrounding us were fine and there was even severe flooding in Charlottetown in August.

For music today I wanted something with flowers. La Violetera is quiet, lovely and dignified Gotan Project. Since I'm already here in their file I'll give you another. Gotan Project is always dignified and lovely so you'll get that in both cuts but this second song, Queremos Paz is a more lively selection from the great band. I sure do like them and include them on almost every cd I make.

Update: The thunderstorms headed southeast and have passed us by. It's still beautiful out. That's where I'm heading.

Rain on the First Day of Summer - Lovely

Yesterday's plea for summer was for heat and sun. I also wished for rain. No matter what the weather, summer is here by default. It's the the 21st of June.

Innnn (Kenz wanted to add her two cents.) got my wish for rain. We had steady, gentle rain all day. It was wonderful. Finally! I feel replenished. I've always been a lover of the rain. It matters though if it is a reasonable amount of rain. There is nothing more depressing than too much. My visit to BC for three weeks, years ago, convinced me that I could never live with their extreme rain. My brother lives in a rainy area along the BC coast and he is fine with it.

You've probably guessed the music today. Rain, of course. Light Rain is a lovely, mellow folk tune by Eric Von Schmidt. Buckets of Rain is an old favorite of mine by Bob Dylan and it's up somewhere on Page One of the music pages. Take time to look for it if you want to hear the original. Here's a great version by Jimmy LaFave. I like it a lot. I have other versions too that will eventually make it up here.

Summer Pleas

As promised, the photo that was in the Toronto Star, though it was cropped quite differently. It was very long horizontally.

Almost finished mowing the lawn. I've been at it an hour and a half and have about twenty minutes more. Needed to do some supper prep or I'll be waiting for supper and I can't have that.

We had frost last night. It was supposed to be six overnight but when I got up it was one degree and there was heavy frost. I'd say a lot of gardens were damaged. A mate at work got up at 5:30 and watered his garden thus saved it. I remember frost at this time in '89 (I think) where many gardens were lost. For some reason, my garden wasn't harmed so I shared tomato plants with friends and relatives who had lost theirs. It certainly is rare to have frost this late but it obviously is possible. We are having a wonderful day today but the rest of the week is going to be cold and a bit rainy. We need rain but more than is forecast and we need warmth.

Maybe if we call up summer, it will come. I'm willing to try. I've got lots and lots of versions of Summertime, that old standard. Here's a long version by tenor sax virtuoso, Albert Ayler and a short one by guitarist, Gabor Szabo. More next week.

Four Hundredth Post

I received the copy of the Toronto Star that my photograph was in. They cropped it differently and I love the effect. Since the article is about digital photography, it's a glossy supplement and really cool.

I woke at four this morning. I prefer that to sleeping in, believe it or not, as then my morning routine is not ruined and I don't have those morning dreams. Maybe tomorrow will be back to normal. Strange that less sleep would leave me feeling great today but it's certainly the case. Not at all tired and yesterday being tired all day after more sleep. Weird, eh?

We've had two days of really, really cold temps. It's going to be six degrees overnight. Summer starts in a few days, for goodness sake! It is supposed to be sunny and 22 tomorrow, thankfully.

Multilingual jazz, anyone? I discovered Pink Martini a while back and really like them. The band is on my list for the next cd I make for my latin and jazz loving aunt and uncle. Hmmmm, they sent me that Toronto Star this week........ Anyway, here are two really great songs with a latin/mediterranean feel from this newish discovery. Have a listen to Amado Mia and Cante E Dance.

All By Myself

Is it Monday already? It seemed like a short weekend with either being tired or sleeping late. I slept in again this morning and it thoroughly messes me up. Also, when I sleep in I have dreams or more accurately, nightmares. This morning I dreamed my daughter, sis-in-law and her son discovered a dead body and asked me to call 911. I did and the dispatchers started questioning me as though I had committed this murder. Let me up at my usual 5:30 thanks.

The beach last night was wonderful. We didn't have a very spectacular sunset, quite non-descript as a matter of fact. The beach's salt air is, to me, one of the most exhilarating features of being there. It seems to cure me at the moment as if it is so basic to life. I feel the same of the saltiness of oysters and truly believe that they are the magical cure. The salt air and the salt brine of an oyster are somehow related in my mind.

For music today is Notes On Air by Alejandro Escovedo. I'm certain he's talking about PEI's salt air. All By Myself by Eric Carmen is an oldie now. I think it's from the eighties or maybe before. I always liked it and it's valid for me these days.

Father's Day

We can't get a much better day than this. It is twenty-four degrees and there's a great breeze. That is just about perfection. It's Father's Day Sunday so perfect for family get-togethers and picnics. My sister was having a Father's Day dinner and I called just as they were sitting down. Bad timing. I talked to my Dad this morning. I'm so thankful to still have a Dad. Lots of my friends no longer do.

I'm going to the beach in a while. Maybe even late enough for sunset. I'm feeling much better today though I slept till seven a.m. which is totally strange.

Weird picking music today as I'm listening to African and it's not something my father would like. I'm going to have to stretch the brain here. My father loves fiddle music so it's back to The Duhks for one song. Three Fishers goes quite well with the photos showing my Dad fishing and his catch. Beloved One by Ben Harper is fitting in own way too. I love my Dad.

Sleepy Day

I didn't make it to the beach today for one reason and that reason, I'm ashamed to say, is laziness. I woke up tired and haven't felt that well, as a result, all day. Made it to town for the errands and that's about all I could manage. I probably should taken the hammock under the trees for a nap but it's too late now.

My son thought he lost his wallet again but with his mother's persistance found it. He said he and his friends had looked and looked in the vehicle very thoroughly but I convinced him to look once more with me helping. It would have been embarrassing to have to order a new bank card, credit card and ID again after just doing so a couple of weeks previously.

No Bad News is an uptempo Patty Griffin song with 'sad little boy' in the lyrics. That's what my son was earlier. Another Patty song but much mellower is Let Him Fly. I'm practicing that with my boy these days; but helping him out when he needs it. These mark 150 songs on Page Two.....already.

I Smell a Bird

Isn't yesterday's photo of Kenz a funny one? It looks like she has just caught a whiff of something really horrid. Today's shows a bird sitting on her tail.

We are having a really beautiful day today at last. It is sunny and 22 degrees which is just about perfect. Tomorrow will have to be a beach day for me. I have errands to run in the morning but for the afternoon, I've booked the beach. Beach days can be few and far between even if it is in your backyard.

I brought some cd's to work that I had a bit of Daina Krall on and now I want to hear more. I'm listening to her as I type. I've been a big fan of hers from the beginning. I bought her first cd in Halifax because there were none in the record stores on the island. The first song on both of my music pages is Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby. I have Louis Jordon's, Joe Jackson's and Renee Olstead's versions. Here's Diana's. Also up today is Diana with Mark Oster with Detroit Blues.

Putfile has changed things up a bit and it took a long time to dao anything there today. I hope it won't take long for you when you press the link.