WHAT WE SEE Our first WEEKENDER offering came to my attention thanks to tennis pal, Art. This is a stunning visual. If you can, watch it in HD mode.
IT'S ALL IN THE VIEW
Luke had a frustrating day. Stuck inside, watching life unfold out there.
Brother Hemingway on the other hand, with a great view.
Check up and vaccination day meant he missed his morning romp outside, consigned to fresh air only through the screen.
While little brother finds an endless world of fascination
as does little sis Joy.
Oh, just to be able to hit those open space, and work that gopher hole again. But, time for another cat nap....
SLEEPING TIGHT
The box was intended for the kitten, Joy, but Luke never passes a chance to nap in box, no matter the size.
RUMINATIONS FROM THE ROAD
A few fleeting thoughts from my just completed
1000 mile plus trip up to the Sierra Nevada.
--California is a state of extraordinary grandeur and beauty
--DNR, National Park Service, and State Park information centers are treasures
--Bad news from elsewhere-
The story of the hanging "no-bama" chairs is troubling.
Regardless of your politics that kind of racism, throwback to the age of lynching and lack of respect is repulsive and obscene. There should be no place in America for that kind of action. Perpetrators must be the spawn of pond scum.
Friends advised that we go up to the Emerald Bay overlook when they learned of our first trip to Lake Tahoe.
The magnificent scene was created by glacial melt, leaving Tahoe's only island, Fannette where the Vikingsholm Tea house perches. The Vikingsholm Castle, built in 1929, nestles on the facing shore, wrapped and hidden by towering pines.
The owners hired a retired British Royal Navy sailor as a caretaker during the hard winters. Tough old salt that he was, he would take a dinghy several miles to Tahoe city for supplies and a stop in the tavern. Once a storm tossed him and he bound himself to his small boat and rode out the winter blast, later amputating a couple of his own fingers. After another round in the tavern a winter storm dumped him and his body was never recovered.
Thanks to our pals for the great tip. Emerald Bay is an extraordinary scene.
Here's the moon over that "Mystery Pier" some of you guessed at yesterday. It's in South Lake Tahoe.
It's our first visit to the beautiful blue lake on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada range. TAHOE FACTS Elevation 6229 feet Maximum Depth 1645 feet Average Depth 989 Feet Length 22 Miles Width 12 miles 71 miles of shoreline--42 in California 29 in Nevada Annual Snowfall 18 feet
The legendary blue is indeed beautiful and the water is incredibly clear.
The top half of the frame below is underwater.
In the winter the mountains become a ski and winter sport playground. The lake never freezes.
The surface water temperature ranges from 68 to 41 degrees. It is easy to see why generations have delighted in
Truth is Bonnie Raitt probably would have liked to have had the night off. The previous evening was a "homecoming" show in LA including a reception she said for 180, all of whom she visited with. "We played until 3 or 4 in the morning!" she told the enthusiastic Santa Barbara Bowl audience. It was the audience that seemed to recharge her as the evening progressed. She paid great tribute to the late Gerry Rafferty saying the Scotsman "was a greatly under appreciated artist" who deserves more recognition. Rafferty's "Right Down the Line" is the single from her new album and was warmly accepted by the audience and set the evening on its trajectory.
It started off on a high point and simply got better. The superb band James "Hutch" Hutchinson on Bass, Ricky Fataar on Drums, George Marinelli on Guitar and Mike Finnigan on keyboard also were cranked up by the continuing ovations and response.
Raitt brought guitar handler Manny Alvarez out to play on a couple of numbers. A major talent there as well. Vickie Randolph joined Bonnie in doing a couple of duets which also cranked up the crowd.
Throughout the concert she paid effusive tribute to Mavis Staples who had been her opening act for much of the tour.
One of several emotional high points came when she sang "Marriage Made In Hollywood" written by Paul Brady and her former Husband Michael O'Keefe.
"...like a free-fall chute that didn't open
He looked down to see his dream was broken
He stared back up at a hot grey sky
Re-ran his life and then he died.
Well if you jump off a building, brother beware!
"Cause my friend Jimmy woke up in mid-air
No time to smile, no time to wave
They buried him in a media grave."
Loudon Wainright's lyrics also gave Ms. Raitt a
powerful moment-
"...Mercy is just a warning across the bows
I live for yours and you can't fail me now..."
She is a great solo vocalist with a range from country to blues. And she is a consummate player. Her guitar solo on
Ray Charles' "I Got News For You," had people standing and applauding before she finished.
Audiences at the Santa Barbara Bowl are attentive. Many in the region are music people or are associated with entertainment. Some of the audience are peers. There is a mood of appreciation that just runs high in crowds at the Bowl. Whatever the cause, it makes for a great instant love between performer and audience.
"I love you too," she yelled back to a fan. "It seems to be working out."
We left thrilled by the concert and I'll bet Bonnie Raitt left more pumped than she might have imagined she would be when she opened on the night after her homecoming show LA.
