Rose had spotted some American Avocets in a marsh wetland near by.
We head over to snap some photos.
There’s they are!
Don’t recall ever seeing this bird before.
Beautiful! These birds are called Stilts. (because of their long legs). The black and white one is called a Black Necked Stilt. The other is the American Avocet.
Today I will emerge from the tunnel – my cave – having worked 9 of the last 10 days. Whew!
I have my trials. But I’ll get right back to posting something useful up here!
Periodically this happens to me. I get stuck. I’m always working on Posts and I have several in the offing, Just haven’t been able to get anything on the board. I’ve been sick. I was Depressed for over a week which is very unusual for me. I was really low. Don’t know where it came from, but it affected me greatly. We all have our ups and downs of course, but I usually pop right back up and carry on. I’m the guy who is usually cheering everybody else up. Santa Claus. Not this time. I think I’m OK now. ?? Now I’m also working 9 out of 10 days. Crazy schedule. Then I go on a 10 day Holiday – where we had planned to go to Vancouver Island. Then Covid hit and everybody’s plans flew out the window. All things could change back shortly (who knows?) and I expect we will progressively get back to a more usual routine. It’s an amazing experience though and I think we will appreciate what we have here, but that it all can swept away overnight. Love, and our families, friends, are vastly more important than our material things. Love – that irrational and unprovable thing is what we are all here for and all about. Yet, we do have to survive. I hope that you are making it through OK.
I’ll be up and running shortly – like a flower emerging from the snow. Take care All.
GP Cox over at Pacific Paratrooper https://pacificparatrooper.wordpress.com/2020/04/20/francis-the-talking-mule/ has been posting some Wartime Recipes on his blog. This reminded me of a particular dish my (English) Mum used to serve us kids: ‘Creamed Eggs on Toast’!
Now I gotta tell ya that Creamed Eggs on Toast don’t look like much.
BUT Boy!!! it is tasty!!
I’ve heard it said that the the English/Brits don’t have ‘Cuisine’?? They might have a point there?? but they sure got some good honest food.
This is one of ’em. Simple as can be.
‘Down home’ as heck.
This guy shows how it’s done.
I like how he tosses the sausage patty into the pan.
That’s optional though – don’t need no sausage.
He also says this is Cowboy Food.
But I can’t imagine Cowboys sitting around the campfire eating Creamed Eggs on Toast.
You can also use more than 2 boiled eggs. I’d use about 4.
NUM NUM Thank You MUM!
Francis the Talking Mule with the great Donald O’Connor“Singin; in he Rain” Donald O’Connor with Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelly.
Donald O’Connor: His best-known works came in the film Singin’ in the Rain (1952), for which O’Connor was awarded a Golden Globe.
He also won a Primetime Emmy Award from four nominations and received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame throughout his career. In other words, he was damn good.
I was inspired by the Pandemic to try to come up with something that would lift people up during these times. The Lord of the Rings seemed to (me) have some inspiring elements that I could try to so something with …
When I start a project/Post an idea first comes to me. An inspiration. It is Art. And like all Art is it alive. It has a Will and Mission of it’s own – that I am just a vehicle/vessel for it’s message. The greater I am at allowing this – the greater the Art. I do not own it and It is not me. Or mine. It has a life of it’s own. I don’t know where it comes from. I do know that if I don’t allow this, mostly what I do is not worth much. Is there a formula for this? If so, I don’t know it. I can’t make it happen, I can only put my pencil to the paper and start – with no idea if will occur or not. Maybe the greatest Artists, Writers, Musicians, etc (for ANYTHING can be an Artform) were the best at this. I don’t know. I do know when it’s happening though. I can feel it. Writers know I mean – when if flows you can’t get the words down fast enough – and the words aren’t yours.
Here are two pages that I’m working on in Corel Draw: I started with simple idea: Reforge the Ring. Then I started working. Then the project expanded – and truly took on a life of it’s own. This is good – though it may mean I won’t be able to Post much right away. I’m not even sure anything useful may happen. Sometimes I’ll work on a project for days – then weeks – even months. And I have several unfinished. Possibly never to be Posted. Hopefully, eventually, something emerges that is worth something. To somebody. ???
Firstly, I strongly believe there are Spiritual elements / purposes behind all things. Knowing this helps me immensely. Even in my darkest times I could see the great hand moulding me to something of greater use. My Destiny / Fate are a reality, but not premade patterns of my unfoldment. My choices are not limited. I am Soul. A perfect atom of God. His child. And the throne will mine. But not to rule over others – but to serve in any way I can. Total Service / Total Love. Unconfined in all aspects I move higher, deeper, farther toward an infinite horizon …
We’ll get through this thing. And we can help each other.
Blessings … and take care.
John Prine died on April 7th. He had been stricken with COVID-19. He was 73. He won two Grammy Awards in his career and was also presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.
He leaves us with a tremendous legacy of songs.
John and I never saw eye to eye on Spiritual things. But I’m sure there’s lots of fishing in Heaven.
It is not despair, for despair is only for those
who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not.” Gandalf the Grey / Fellowship of the Ring / JR Tolkien
“Home is behind, the world ahead,
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadows to the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight.
Then world behind and home ahead,
We’ll wander back and home to bed.
Mist and twilight, cloud and shade,
Away shall fade! Away shall fade!” J.R.R. Tolkien / The Fellowship of the Ring
“I had holes in my jeans well before it was fashionable.” – Kenny Rogers
He went from Folk, to Psychedelic, to Rock, to Country… to become the greatest Ballad singer I’ve heard.
Kenny Rogers has passed at age 81. Kenny was one of the Greatest Entertainment Star of our time
with an immensely successful career in Country and Popular music. Legendary Status.
Along the way he also made a 1980 TV Western called The Gambler that was spearheaded by an iconic Hit Song also called The Gambler which all led to a series of 5 TV Westerns with Kenny Starring as Brady Hawkes, a fictional old-west gambler. Most of these Movies were … well not so good. They rode completely on Kenny’s Star Power and his Song.
(Originally sung by Bobby Bare, Johnny Cash, among others) But only Kenny’s version clicked.
Grammy award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 1980.
It’s one of those songs that sticks in your head.
A winner.
The TV Movies
Kenny’s first movie,The Gambler (1980) was OK …
Worth a couple of watches – despite Bruce Boxleitner.
“6.4” That’s about right.
It’s popularity led to 4 sequels. Most of ’em pretty bad.
Awards and Honors:
Islands in the Stream with Dolly Parton Written by Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb
2017 Texas Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee 2013 Country Music Association Awards Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award 2013 Country Music Hall of Fame Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame 2010 American Eagle Award American Eagle Award[62] 2009 ACM Honors Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award (w/ Jerry Reed, Randy Travis, Hank Williams Jr.) 2007 ASCAP Golden Note Award ASCAP Golden Note Award 2007 CMT Music Awards Album of the Year—Water & Bridges 2005 CMT Music Awards Favorite All Time Country Duet—”Islands In the Stream” (w/Dolly Parton) 2004 CMT’s 100 Greatest Cheating Songs “Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town”—No. 6 2003 International Entertainment Buyers Association Lifetime Achievement Award 2003 CMT’s 100 Greatest Country Songs “The Gambler”—No. 26 2002 CMT’s 40 Greatest Men of Country Music Ranking—No. 19 2000 TNN Music Awards Career Achievement Award 1999 BBC’s Greatest Country Singer Ranking—No. 2 1988 Grammy Awards Best Duo Country Vocal Performance—”Make No Mistake She’s Mine” (w/ Ronnie Milsap) 1986 USA Today Favorite Singer of All Time 1985 American Music Awards Favorite Country Album—Eyes That See in the Dark 1985 American Music Awards Favorite Male Country Artist 1983 Academy of Country Music Awards Single of the Year—”Islands In the Stream” (w/ Dolly Parton) 1983 Academy of Country Music Awards Top Vocal Duet (w/ Dolly Parton) 1983 American Music Awards Favorite Pop/Rock Country Artist 1983 American Music Awards Favorite Country Single—”Love Will Turn You Around” 1983 ASAP Awards Favorite Single—”Islands In the Stream” (w/Dolly Parton) 1982 American Music Awards Favorite Country Album—Greatest Hits 1981 American Music Awards Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist 1981 American Music Awards Favorite Country Album—The Gambler 1981 American Music Awards Favorite Country Single—”Coward of the County” 1980 American Music Awards Favorite Male Country Artist 1980 American Music Awards Favorite Country Album—The Gambler 1980 Music City News Country Single of the Year 1979 American Music Awards Favorite Male Country Artist 1979 American Music Awards Favorite Country Album—10 Years of Gold 1979 Country Music Association Awards Male Vocalist of the Year 1979 Country Music Association Awards Vocal Duo of the Year (w/ Dottie West) 1979 Country Music Association Awards Album of the Year—The Gambler 1979 Music City News Country Male Artist of the Year 1979 Music City News Country Single of the Year—”The Gambler” 1979 Grammy Awards Best Male Country Vocal Performance—”The Gambler” 1978 American Music Awards Favorite Single—”Lucille” 1978 Country Music Association Awards Vocal Duo of the Year (w/Dottie West) 1978 Academy of Country Music Awards Entertainer of the Year 1978 Academy of Country Music Awards Top Male Vocalist 1977 Country Music Association Awards Single of the Year—”Lucille” 1977 Academy of Country Music Awards Top Male Vocalist 1977 Academy of Country Music Awards Single of the Year—”Lucille” 1977 Academy of Country Music Awards Song of the Year—”Lucille” 1977 Grammy Awards Best Male Country Vocal Performance—”Lucille”
Goodbye Kenny Rogers
Charities & foundations supported 7
Kenny Rogers has supported the following charities: