Monday, March 18, 2024

Not All By Himself #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday, and it's time for music.

Let's introduce the Music Moves me bloggers:  We blog about music each Sunday or Monday and if you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post may be removed, or may  be labeled "No Music".  Our head host is Xmas Dolly, and our co-hosts are Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, joined by the knowledgeable Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and, last but not least, me.

Every other week, we have a theme.  On alternate weeks, like this week, we can blog on any music theme we want.

Today, it's time once again to recognize and pay tribute to a music artist who has entered Rock and Roll Heaven.  Today's inductee is Eric Carmen, the former lead vocalist and guitarist of the Raspberries, who was also successful as a song writer and solo artist. 

Carmen's death was announced March11.  He died at the age of 74. No cause of death was released.

Carmen showed musical talent by the age of two.  At age six, he took violin lessons from an aunt who played violin for the Cleveland [Ohio] Orchestra.  By 11, he was playing piano.  Although his musical training was classical, he fell in love with rock music and started self-teaching himself guitar at age 15.  He was playing in bands as a sophomore in high school.

My favorite Raspberries song - from 1972, Go All The Way.  For a change of pace, it's the woman in the relationship who is asking, not the man.

From a 2007 reunion tour, Ecstasy.  The drumming on this song reminds me so much of Keith Moon of The Who.

Now the songs get softer. Eric the solo artist - from 1976, All by Myself.

 

Eric writing for others: 1984's Almost Paradise, from the movie Footloose, co written by Carmen, sung by Ann Wilson of Heart and Mike Reno of Loverboy.

Another movie hit - 1987's Hungry Eyes, from Dirty Dancing. 

Eric Carmen also wrote several songs recorded by country singer Louise Mandrell.  Here Eric sings a duet with Mandrell of As Long as We've Got Each Other.

I will end with the last Raspberries song that charted, a song ironically entitled Overnight Sensation, from 1974.

And that is a sad wrap, as we continue to lose some of our older rock and roll greats with each passing month.

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me.

Oh, one more thing....

Before I go, a note:  I am participating in the month long April Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  Some of my April posts may be going live on Sundays.  So, if you don't see me on Monday, look for me the day before.  Thank you for your continued readership.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Church Shadow and St Patrick Fountain #ShadowshotSunday

Happy St. Patrick's Day to my readers!

I was in the car with my spouse the other day in Johnson City, New York, stopped at a light.  We were stopped at a light and I saw these shadows on the side of a church.  Bush shadows, a shadow of a streetlight on the ground, and even reflections of clouds on the windows. I took this picture as the light was changing.

(taken March 12, 2013)

In March of 2013, we visited Savannah, Georgia.  Another Johnson - here, the fountain in Johnson Square, with the water colored green.

Joining up with Lisa at Lisa's Garden Adventures for #ShadowshotSunday.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Chipmunk vs Feeder Round 1

Yesterday, I sat outside and read, but I was so distracted by an Eastern chipmunk's antics that I decided to take some pictures.  My spouse has been battling this chipmunk, which is determined to feast on the seeds we intend for our local birds.

The chipmunk makes his approach.

Our feeder has been protected by a store bought baffle but it didn't seem to be working so spouse tried to make his own.  

Let's see how that is going to work out.  The homemade baffle is that shinymetal thing on the pole.  The feeder is at the top right of the photo.

Mr. or Ms. chipmunk eats some seeds scattered by the birds.  I'll call him a male.

He thinks.  These creatures are smart and persistent.

What if I jump up and hit the baffle, Mr. Chipmunk wonders.  Some birds are such sloppy eaters that they shovel seeds onto the baffle.  Yes, his logic works.  A shower of seeds await him when he hits the underside of the battle.  But finally, he runs out of seed showers.

After several rounds of hit the baffle, he finally figures out how to get up to the feeder.

Chipmunk 1 spouse 0.

But no worries, sports fans.  The battle was rejoined today with a second baffle a foot or 18 inches above the first one.  It is far from elegant but so far it seems to be working.

But, as the newly awakened from winter slumber chipmunk knows, the season has just begun.

Let the chipmunk or squirrel vs. bird feeder battles begin.

Friday, March 15, 2024

Flowers and Skies #SkywatchFriday #GardenBloggersBloomDay

Today is Friday, March 15.  It is the Ides of March, and time for two memes:  the 15th of each month Garden Bloggers Bloom Day hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens, and the every Friday Skywatch Friday, hosted by Yogi.

Where do I begin?  How about with the sky, and then to the flowers?  Nothing to beware of, either way.

Like so many others in the United States, our winter has been mild, and we have things blooming that shouldn't be blooming.

Like this tree on a local walking trail.

We have skies that aren't the usual skies of mid-March.

For the flowers, the winter has been kind to my zone 6b (it is going to take a while for me to get used to this reclassification) garden.  For today here are my flowers, both inside and out.

Purple crocus.

White crocus.

Yellow crocus.

Perennial vinca.

A couple of tiny flowers.  First, a viola that survived the winter in a pot which was dug into by squirrels is putting forth one tiny flower.  It opened yesterday.

 

And a wildflower, speedwell.  Does that count?  I'm counting it.  It's in my flower garden.

Last but not least, the impatiens I rooted and kept alive indoors.

Bonus - my yew (I think) bushes are flowering.  From what I understand, this is a male flower.  Yews have male and female plants.

Sadly, winter will return early next week, but did I ever enjoy the sneak preview Nature gave us over the last couple or three days.

So that wraps up the Ides of March and Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, and Skywatch Friday.

I hope you enjoyed them.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Pi Day 2024

Today is Pi Day, 3.14 as we write the date in the United States.

Pi Day, March 14, is a day to celebrate mathematics. In the American method of day numbering, today is 3-14:  March 14.  Or, the first three digits of the mathematical value "Pi".  3.14. 

It also would have been Albert Einstein's birthday. (March 14, 1879).  145 years ago today.

Pi Day honors the number representing the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its radius.  Pi is an infinite number: it goes on indefinitely, but, not only that, it is a non repeating decimal.  And it is always a constant - each and every circle, no matter its size, has that same ratio.

That ratio had been calculated by ancient mathematicians with good accuracy.  With our supercomputers, we've computed Pi out to over 62.8 trillion digits (it may be more now).  Try memorizing that.  Some people have. I've read that the record for memorizing the value of Pi is around 70,000. digits. 

In the United States, Pi Day has become an unofficial celebration of all things circular, especially pies and pizzas.  Pizza parlors and bakeries run specials.

Today, we are not going to bake any pies, but I'm thinking of some pies of my spouse's youth.

My late mother in law used to make two types of pies for Easter - what she called a "grass" pie, and a "pizza rustica".  These are both savory pies. When she was younger, she hand made these.  In her older age she bought from bakeries where she used to live near New York City.  She traditionally served them for Easter.

The grass pie, may I reassure you, is not made from grass.  In Italy, it is known as  "torta pasqualina". The green is usually swiss chard.

 Easter is coming early this year and, as rarely happens, doesn't coincide with Passover, so I can actually eat these savory pies at the Easter table.  So I'm trying to talk my spouse into making at least one of these pies.  They are work intensive but I'm hoping he will do it. 

 Of course, he probably remembers the first time we (joint effort) tried to make a Pizza Rustica.

We'll see what happens.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Spring a Week Early #WordlessWednesday

 After a couple of days of winter weather, including a snow squall warning, spring returned to the Southern Tier of New York yesterday.

Yesterday, after work, I sat outside.  All the birds were out celebrating:  downy woodpeckers, mourning doves, white breasted nuthatches, American crows, tufted titmice, house finches and black-capped chickadees.  I heard a red bellied woodpecker.  A male Northern cardinal sat placidly on a fence next to a common grackle before the grackle took off.  The song of male red winged blackbirds filled the air. 

We have some crocuses blooming.  Here's two of them.

Not taken yesterday

My spouse also saw his first chipmunk of the year.

Could it be spring for real this time?  Well, no - it's back to winter next week.  But I'm enjoying this while I can.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Lost in Translation

I admire people who can speak and write in more than one language.  It's a skill I have never mastered, although I am told that my maternal grandfather spoke six languages, and several of my paternal cousins and an uncle are bi-lingual. Additionally, my father was bi-lingual, and my mother spoke two languages fluently and had some knowledge of a third.  My mother in law was also bi-lingual.

I took Spanish in junior high (now called middle school) and one year in high school but it never stuck. 

Something that has always fascinated me are instructions for a product manufactured in another country.  Often enough, the English instructions have obviously been translated from another language, and enough times, something was lost in translation.

Here's one recent example.

I wanted to purchase a couple of collapsible bottles to take on trips.  Amazon was having a lightning deal on a two pack of collapsible silicone water bottles.  Perfect!  But I didn't read many of the reviews, and I should have.  A lot of them complained about the smell.

I ordered them and they came the next day.  I took them out of the packaging, opened one up, and was almost knocked over by the smell.

It was....not pleasant.

The manufacturer was obviously aware of this, because the above smell removal instructions were enclosed.  I wasn't able to get a good picture but it reads as follows:

"Due to our bottle is made of platinum silicone, its normal That there may exsit slight natural silicone smell. We suggest below method to improve if you don't like it:

1. Boil the bottle in hot water for 5 minutes, dry it and then smell removes.

2.  Fill the bottle with 2 gram or more red or green tea and at least 80% of 90degrees C or higher hot water.

3.  Close the cap and seal the bottle for 2 hours, discard tea and water try it naturally.  Then smell is basically removed."

Leaving the translation issues to one side, I can either boil the bottle (I was a bit leary to do that, although the website description says it will take temperatures up to 200C (392F) ) or use the tea method.  I had green tea in the house.  Red tea, I assume, is roobios, and I do not have it in the house.

We in the United States aren't metric, unlike almost all of the world.  So, at the risk of losing all of my readers, some math:  a cup of water is 240 grams, which is also 240 milliliters. (Why can't our system be logical like this?). I am supposed to put two milliliters of liquid, which is about .40 teaspoon, into this bottle.  A 20 oz bottle can hold about 120 teaspoons.  I'm terrible in math, but I have a feeling I'll need a lot more green tea than .40 of a teaspoon to remove the odor.

So what am I doing now?  I went online and saw a recommendation for filling the bottle with half white vinegar and half water for "a while".  Some reviewers used this method with varying results.

If that doesn't work maybe I'll try filling it with hot green tea.

It's interesting, too, that the instructions suggest green tea and the product is made in China. But I also feel like something was lost in translations.

The instructions made some kind of sense after several readings and translations of metric to our outdated system.  I think.

Wish me luck.