I never planned on Retiring.
Retirement was for other people. Rich people … maybe? *shrug*?
I’d just work. Till the end.
(Is that ‘Old School’? I don’t know.)
How could I Retire anyway? I had no money. Never did. Never cared about it.
Retirement?
It was finally my health that made the call. Type 2 Diabetes.
Never planned on that either.
I coulda ‘got by’ with my bad back and my hernia.
But it was the pain in my feet (the Diabetes) that took me down.
No blood circulation.
Though I only worked 4 hours a day/4 days a week I was standing all the time.
Gobbling Pain Killers. A lot.
Nobody noticed. Or cared.
But after 8 years – it was too much.
Finally … one day … Rose came up to me and said “I want you to Retire.”
It was a sign. LoL!
The jig was up.
So …….. here I am …
Not knowing what to do??
I’ve made no plans – have no ‘Retirement Dreams’.
Never thought about it …
My present routine is that I go out for a Coffee every day.
Sometimes to Tim Horton’s – sometimes to Muckdonald’s.
A Muffin at Muckdonald’s.
Ever seen this movie? I love this scene. Michael Douglas in Falling Down.
Whenever I head out to the mountains I’m appalled at how much I’ve lost touch with the Earth – with Nature. I feel like a foreigner out there.
I suppose most City Folks could say that.
So I was very surprised to see a group (Pod? Herd?) of Mountain Goats
along the side of the road near Radium Hot Springs.
It used to be very rare to see a Mountain Goat.
Now it’s become fairly common.
???
Why have they come down from their lofty heights?
Climate change?
Something has changed …
A little further on …
Sheep
It’s a parade!
The Eye of the Needle – through a glass darkly
Another iconic Landmark.
The Pass to Radium Hot Springs.
Ever had sunstroke? I have. Sunstroke can kill you.
Trust me.
Back in the early 70’s I got a job on road construction – Asphalt Paving.
It was 85 F the first 2 days. I got sunstroke.
This profoundly damaged my central nervous system.
I couldn’t get proper sleep for months.
Often it would take me up to 4 hours just GET to sleep.
Even then I didn’t get any rest.
Finally it abated. But that was a very tough time for me.
Don’t underestimate this kind of thing.
There’s a saying:
Tip: Let God in on the planning.
Things can then exceed anything YOU had in mind.
Heat that Kills
Severe Heat Alerts continue across the NW
Why we never go to Arizona in the Summer.
You gotta know that a RECORD breaking Heatwave is going to profoundly affect everything you do – or plan. We saw the Heatwave coming, but we had already booked our accommodations in Kimberley weeks before so we couldn’t really change our plans without losing a pile of money.
We decided to go – hoping for the best.
And it turned out to be a really good idea.
Why?
Because in Kimberley we had air conditioned accommodations.
At home we didn’t. The heat back in our poor uninsulated house
was intolerable.
Staying in Kimberley allowed us to get valuable rest – in comfort.
That would not have been the case in Calgary.
On the Way to Kimberley
We see familiar icons.
The Rocky MountainsThe Three Sisters at Canmore, AlbertaCascade Mountain, Banff National Park, AlbertaCastle Mountain / Mount Eisenhower, Banff, Alberta
And some mountains I can’t name …
Unidentified Mountain 2, Banff National Park, AlbertaUnidentified Mountain, Canadian RockiesUnidentified Mountains, Canadian RockiesUnidentified Mountain 3, Canadian Rockies
Back in 2014, Rose and I did a flash tour of Joshua Tree National Park
near Palm Springs, California.
It’s a large Park.The High Desert from ‘on high’.
Sadly, we only had a limited time that day
so missed out on a lot of things here.
Too bad – because we’re not likely to get back.
Make the most of your moments folks.
But it was still good.
Below: The Sign
I look sorta like Fred Couples – without the money.
Neither the graffiti or the bullet holes are mine Officer.
Now THAT is a hell of a Joshua Tree.
Joshua Tree National Park is famed for it’s amazing rock formations.
Many of them are named.
I named this one Rose’s Noodle.
I doubt that will catch on.
Beautiful
Chuckawalla Lizard
You can see a long ways in the high desert.
I could climb around in this stuff all day.
So what do you do after a hot day in the desert?
Dumb question.
Hope we can get back there and see all the stuff that we missed.
I cannot recall any Hockey team winning a Hockey Tournament after losing it’s first 3 games in Round Robin competition.
Can you?
If you ever needed any proof that Heart, Will, Desire and Hard Work
are more important that Skill, Talent, and Experience,
it was just provided by a group of Canadian Hockey Players
who just won the IIHF 2021 World Hockey Tournament
(International Ice Hockey Federation)
in Riga, Latvia.
Video Highlights:
After losing the first 3 games, these guys – most of whom I’ve never heard of? (they were NOT Stars!) -proceeded to win every game from then on – usually in Overtime or by a single goal.
A truly amazing feat.
Back in the late 70’s (or early 80’s?) I went swimming at Oak Creek Crossing in Sedona, Arizona. But I believe a few people thought a was exaggerating because much of the time Oak Creek Crossing is shallow and there’s no obvious place you can swim. Yet I recently discovered several photos that prove my case.
Don’t forget your sunscreen / Net PhotoThe water can be cool … but that’s good / Net PhotoIt’s no secret anymore / Net PhotoNet Photo
When I came here back in the 70’s I had Spiritual experiences here – and it was still pretty well unspoiled. I climbed up to Cathedral Rock and I felt like it was a secluded sacred moment – like nobody had ever been up here before. Now there are hiking trails that go up here and people all over the place. The Spell of Solitude is long gone.
Net Photo
But it’s beauty and mystique can never completely be destroyed.
The spectacular Silveradoensemble cast is revealed:
Here’s an alphabetical listing of opening SilveradoCredits and Billing:
Rosanna Arquette John Cleese Kevin Costner Brian Dennehy Scott Glenn Danny Glover Jeff Goldblum Linda Hunt Lawrence Kasdan Kevin Kline Question/Quiz:
The Quiz question is: Without looking below, what order would you Bill the above Actors in the opening Silverado Screen Credits? I ask this question because the Billing order is very often not what you’d figure it would be. Try this quiz and you’ll see.
To me the order of Billing is always interesting.
Who gets Top Bill? – and the succeeding order.
It’s often not what you would think it would be.
Screen Images rom “THE MOVIE STILLS COLLECTION” website: (http://annyas.com/screenshots/updates/silverado-1985-lawrence-kasdan/)
A Critical Showdown
Because of it’s eminent re-watchability
I place Silverado a Western Classic.
That’s how I judge these things.
Time usually tells the story.
Other opinions:
IMDB: “7.2” Not bad.
I’m a big fan of Rotten Tomatoes Reviews
because they also show the ‘Audience Score’
who aren’t encumbered by intellect.
They just know what they like.
MetaCritic: “64” out of 100.
Audience: “8” out of 10.
The audience got it.
Kevin Costner & Modern West from their Album Untold Truths
I recently said some negative things about Kevin Costner on another Blog. I deeply regret those knee jerk remarks. Snap judgements. What do I really know about anybody else? Not a damn thing. I hope to become less judgmental in future.
And I really like what he says here. Not a bad song either.
Cool Water / The Sons of the Pioneers / Written by Bob Nolan
Cool Water
Some things have been around so long we just take them for granted. We shouldn’t. For some things are treasures and a wonderful part of our Heritage. Cool Water is one such gem.
Wikipedia says:
“”Cool Water” was written in 1936 by Bob Nolan.
It is about a parched man and his mule traveling a wasteland tormented by mirages. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as No. 3 on the Top 100 Western songs of all time.”
Justly so. Nolan also wrote Tumbling Tumbleweeds. How many can claim that they wrote 2 of the greatest Western Songs of all time?
Bob Nolan (1908 – 1980) was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, April 13, 1908. In 1929 he moved to California. With Roy Rogers and Tim Spencer, he formed The Sons of the Pioneers in the 1930’s until it broke up in 1949.
That’s a heck of Legacy Bob. In the song “Dan” is usually assumed to be the subject’s horse, but the term “Old Dan”
usually refers to a trustworthy mule in traditional cowboy colloquialism. While he wrote cowboy songs including subjects like the desert, this song became popular
during the droughts of the Dust Bowl and Great Depression era. He wrote this poem as a teenager
after he had moved with his divorced father to Tuscon Arizon, and he put it to song twelve years later.
Bob Nolan’s original Cool Water lyrics:
All day I’ve faced a barren waste, Without the taste of water, cool water. Old Dan(2) and I with throats burnt dry, And souls that cry for water, Cool, clear water.
(CHORUS:) Keep a-movin’, Dan, Don’t you listen to him, Dan, He’s a devil not a man, And he spreads the burning sand with water. Dan, can you see that big green tree, Where the water’s running free, And it’s waiting there for me, And you?
The nights are cool and I’m a fool, Each star’s a pool of water, cool water. But with the dawn, I’ll wake and yawn, And carry on to water, Cool, clear water.
(CHORUS)
The shadows sway and seem to say, “Tonight we pray for water, Cool water.” And way up there He’ll hear our prayer, And show us where there’s water, Cool, clear water.
(CHORUS)
Dan’s feet are sore, he’s yearning for, Just one thing more than water, Cool water. Like me, I guess, he’d like to rest, Where there’s no quest for water, Cool, clear water.
(CHORUS)
Sung by Many
“It was first recorded by The Sons of the Pioneerson March 27, 1941, for Decca Records and briefly charted in 1941 with a peak position of No. 25. However, the best-selling recorded version was done by Vaughn Monroe and The Sons of the Pioneers in 1948.
The record was on the Billboard chart for 13 weeks …”
Over the Cool Water years it’s been interpreted by many Artists:
Cool Water Bob Atcher 1940 First recording on June 13, 1940 Cool Water Sons of the Pioneers April 1941 Cool Water Sunshine Girls with Cliffie Stonehead’s Harmony Homesteaders 1945 Cool Water Smiley Burnette with The Sunshine Girls 1945 Cool Water Dude Martin and His Round-Up Gang June 11, 1946 Cool Water Foy Willing and The Riders of the Purple Sage July 1946 Cool Water Kate Smith May 1948 Cool Water Nellie Lutcher and Her Rhythm July 1948 Cool Water Tex Ritter and The Dinning Sisters August 1948 Cool Water Sam Browne with The Quads and The Squadronaires directed by Jimmy Miller December 1948 Cool Water Vaughn Monroe with The Sons of the Pioneers 1948 Cool Water The Four Tunes November 1950 Cool Water Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters with Orchestra Directed by Matty Matlock 1952 Cool Water Bob Nolan 1954 Cool Water Frankie Laine March 1955 Cool Water The Norman Luboff Choir 1955 Cool Water Roy Rogers and Dale Evans August 1956
Cool Water Dave Pell Octet February 1957
Cool Water Roger Williams September 1958 Cool Water Polly Bergen and Bill Bergen May 1958 Cool Water Cliffie Stone August 1959 Cool Water Marty Robbins September 1959 Cool Water Johnnie Ray October 1959 Cool Water The Ames Brothers with Hugo Winterhalter and His Orchestra and Chorus 1959 Cool Water Jimmie Rodgers [US2] 1959 Cool Water The Diamonds 1959 Cool Water Hank Williams January 1960 Released more than 10 years after its recording Cool Water The Browns featuring Jim Edward Brown March 1960 Cool Water Jack Scott July 1960 Cool Water Kate Smith with Bill Stegmeyer and His Orchestra 1960 Cool Water The Randy Van Horne Singers 1960
Cool Water Jack Marshall April 1960 Cool Water Burl Ives June 1961 Cool Water Stu Davis 1961 Cool Water Tex Ritter with Stan Kenton’s Orchestra July 1962
Cool Water Billy Vaughn 1962 Cool Water The Rooftop Singers November 1962
Cool Water Boston Pops Orchestra – Arthur Fiedler, Conductor 1962 Cool Water Jack Elliott March 1963 Live Cool Water Eddy Arnold August 6, 1963 Cool Water Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles 1963 Cool Water Odetta 1963 Cool Water Four Jacks 1963 Cool Water The Willis Brothers 1963
Cool Water Bobby Gregg and His Friends 1963
Cool Water The Bill Black Combo 1963 Cool Water Kai Winding August 1964 Cool Water John Hore accompanied by The Nick Smith Trio with Jerry Merito 1964 Cool Water Walter Brennan 1964 Cool Water John Hore 1964 Cool Water The Rangers [US2] 1964
Cool Water Dick Contino 1964 Cool Water Hank Snow with The Jordanaires November 1965 Cool Water Jim McNaught January 1966 Cool Water Gary McFarland and Gabor Szabo 1966 Cool Water Tom Jones March 24, 1967 Cool Water Teresa Brewer May 1967 Cool Water Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians July 1967 Cool Water Frank Ifield July 1967 Cool Water Nick Taylor 1967 Cool Water Johnny Nash March 1969 Cool Water Keith Manifold 1974 Cool Water Sleepy LaBeef 1976 Cool Water Sven Liljegren 1977 Cool Water Paul Bogart 1977
Cool Water Grady Martin 1977 Cool Water Royston 1978 Cool Water Trevor Adams 1978 Cool Water Spinning Wheel 1979 Cool Water Windsor Davies & Don Estelle 1979 Cool Water Lee Conway 1980
Cool Water Floyd Cramer 1980 Cool Water Fleetwood Mac August 18, 1982 Cool Water Shady Grove Ramblers 1983 Cool Water Riders in the Sky 1983 Cool Water Mason Williams 1984 Cool Water Joni Mitchell March 23, 1988 First release Western Medley: Back in the Saddle Again … The Jordanaires 1991 Cool Water The Son of San Joaquin / 1992 Cool Water Jim Hendricks 1993 Cool Water The Gatlin Brothers June 8, 1994 Cool Water Michael Martin Murphey with The San Antonio Symphony Orchestra September 12, 1995 Live Cool Water Wylie & The Wild West 1996 Cool Water Roland 1998 Cool Water Opera Cowpokes July 1999
Cool Water Craig Duncan 1999 Cool Water Swingsters 2001 Cool Water The Stay Tuned String Band 2002 Cool Water Viva Las Vegas 2002 Cool Water Trails & Rails October 2008 Cool Water Johnny Cash February 2010 Cool Water Michael Martin Murphey June 28, 2011 Cool Water Cow Bop 2011 Cool Water Daniel O’Donnell October 22, 2012 Cool Water Christian Masser 2013 Cool Water A Little Farther West January 6, 2017 Cool Water Jen Mize – Mark Sholtez 2018 Cool Water Hank Shizzoe 2019
There are many interpretations of Cool Water that are not listed here.
(November 1, 1858 – August 26, 1957)
Was a Canadian geologist, cartographer, and mining consultant. He discovered dinosaur (Albertosaurus sarcophagus) bones in Alberta’s Badlands and coal around Drumheller in 1884.
Canada’s Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Alberta was named in his honor.
You may have noticed my Blog is in a state of … kerfuffle.
CHANGE.
After several years I’ve finally decided to upgrade things. So I asked my Son-in-Law Ray,
who happens to be a champion Blog and Website designer, to help me out.
Ray Krohmer Director, IT Specialist, Consultant Monolith Solutions
www.monolithsolutions.ca 1-800-637-5090
I’ve given Ray full reign to do whatever he thinks will work: Therefore things will be in a state of upheaval ’round here for a bit. But Fear not! It will all come together … shortly?
The fires are just starting and will involve most of Western North America.
Beautiful
I could climb around in this stuff all day.
That’s GOLD Baby!
IMDB: “7.2” Not bad.
I’m a big fan of Rotten Tomatoes Reviews
MetaCritic: “64” out of 100.
ALLMOVIE: “4.5” out of 5.
I’ll just pop a couple of meds …
