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Wordless Wednesday
Tag Archives: Spring
Music to smile about
We made a big sound. It was wonderful.
So. You’ve all probably been wondering how the concert went. Last week I wrote about practicing for it, my worry about a couple of the pieces. Maybe you worried that because I hadn’t written it hadn’t been successful. But that would not be true. The truth is this has been an amazingly busy week for me, something major going on every single day, and I just haven’t had time to tell you all about it.
Katie, of course, got to tell you about our trip up to Midland for her Rally trial on Friday. She’s not particularly patient and wouldn’t wait in line for her turn at the blog. What can I say. She’s a princess.
But now that it’s taken me days to write about Wednesday’s concert I can include the other concert we did on Saturday too. Each was a totally different experience, but both were fun.
I was nervous about Wednesday’s concert, not sure about the piece Pastime, a Salute to Baseball by Jack Stamp. I was worried about a few measures in other pieces too. But I’d practiced, so I figured I was as prepared as I could be. And of course nothing sounds exactly the same when you’re playing on an unfamiliar stage. Turns out I shouldn’t have worried, the music was played as well as we’ve ever played it. And Pastime went a lot better than I expected it to go; we even all ended at the same time, a good goal to have in any complicated piece of music.
I don’t know why I don’t learn this lesson. We can have a tough rehearsal and still pull off a good performance. Most of the time anyway. I think the audience enjoyed the concert and we had fun playing it. I went home humming the music while being glad another event was checked off my to do list.
Saturday morning a subset of the band played in a local farmer’s market. We played a bunch of patriotic music, some showtunes, and a few pieces from our Wednesday night concert. It was a blast. No matter that a heat wave struck that day and we were playing in full sun while seated in a parking lot. No matter that we played for almost three hours. We played fun stuff and pretty stuff. Stuff that made shoppers stop and smile and ask about who we were. Maybe we recruited a few people for next season, I hope so!
That’s me over on the far left in the big hat.
Thursday, while I was having a cracked tooth repaired, my dentist mentioned his wife used to play flute and she wanted to get back at it. Through gauze and novocaine I encouraged him to tell her about a community band I used to play with near his home, one that didn’t require auditions and was welcoming to new members. I hope she checks them out. I can’t say it enough. If you used to play and you miss it, quit making excuses. Dust off the instrument and go find a group. You won’t regret it.
On Saturday we got copies of the concert CD from Wednesday’s performance. I played it on the way home from the farmer’s market and guess what. I didn’t hate the baseball piece.
Actually it kind of made me smile.
A one and a two…
Cee’s Black and White Photo Challenge: Anything that flies
We have Great Blue Herons fly over the house regularly. One of my favorite birds.
Memorial Day – don’t forget the dogs who served
The War Dog Memorial
Katie here.
You probably expect me to spend this post complaining about how mama abandoned me to go hang out with a cat! And I would, but I have more important things to talk about.
Happy Memorial Day!
Like dogs.
Especially dogs that served our country, some even our local communities, and are buried and honored at a very special War Dogs Memorial Cemetery.
Since today is Memorial Day my Aunt Karen, her dog Deuce, and mama and I went out to visit it this morning. (Aunt Karen provided my patriotic attire.) It was pretty amazing.
More than 400 dogs!
I felt very honored and almost overwhelmed to be visiting these amazing dogs and paying my respects. Deuce says he felt the same way. These were very special dogs, loved beyond measure, who worked hard at their jobs and who are honored here in this beautiful place not too far from where I live.
Deuce paying his respects.
We spent a long time walking around, reading stones and thinking about these heroes.
Only 2 years old when he died in 1931.
If you are ever near South Lyon Michigan you should stop by. I guarantee you’ll have a better appreciation for all the work these dogs did while they were alive.
Eleven tours of duty!
And then, if you’re lucky enough to have a Prince or Princess at home, give them an extra dog biscuit today. On me.
Deuce stops to visit Cody, a therapy dog just like him.
Talk to you all later…it’s a holiday and that calls for a nap!
We thank them all for their service.
My drive home – a study in green (plus a few other colors)
Click on any photo and you’ll be able to scroll through larger versions of all the images above.
I stopped at a few places on the way home. What would have been a five hour drive turned into nine. And I got rained on. A lot. Still, it was so much fun.
I have lots of other things to show you, but they weren’t necessarily dominated by green…so they didn’t fit here. I suppose that will mean a post with random photos coming soon.
On the other hand, Katie-girl has much to say and you know how hard it is to silence a princess.
A study in blue
Saturday on Lake Michigan.
A walk in the woods…and sunset too
Yesterday, after the fog lifted I wandered in the Leelanau State Park hiking trails that wind through cedar and beech trees, then up to the dunes that separate the woods from the shore of Lake Michigan.
Come with me for a walk in the woods!
It’s a magical place, and I was lucky – there were very few bugs! I loved how the light sifted through the newly minted leaves.
Spring green.
And though there were few bugs, there were plenty of natives scurrying around in the leaves on the forest floor…
Anything good to eat down there?
…and scolding me from behind tree trunks.
Stay away lady!!
I enjoyed the cool trail through the damp deep woods…
What’s down there?
…but after a bit the trail left the dark woods and began to climb up and around sandy and more open dunes. The trees changed too, from deep dark forest to open and airy.
Let the sunshine in!
Eventually the trail spilled out onto perfectly beautiful dunes and provided a view of the lake. What a pretty picture!
Such a pretty place.
I probably should have climbed over those dunes to the lake. You never know what you’ll find. But it was getting late in the day, so I headed on through the woods. I met a new friend sleeping in a sunny spot on the trail. He wasn’t as excited to meet me as I was to notice him, and he silently moved away.
See you later lady!
And just before the parking lot I found a sweet little patch of forget-me-nots.
As if I could.
Later in the evening I waited in anticipation for sunset. I must have run down to the beach a dozen times, hoping that this was the one great shot. Turns out it was a pink and purple, more gentle kind of sunset. Still it was pretty. I’ve put together a short slide show for your enjoyment.
That way you don’t have to do all those stairs yourself.
Magical
Foggy morning
No swimming today.
Overnight I listened to a lighthouse fog horn warning ships that the shore wasn’t visible. This morning the horn was still blowing and the lake had disappeared behind a heavy veil.
My plan for today was to explore nearby orchards; I’ve never been here when they were in bloom, and I saw several on my drive that looked promising. But in the fog?
Mysterious beach.
I thought about it while I was eating cereal, staring out into grey nothingness. Contemplating. After all, a flowering tree is beautiful in the sun, but might it be more interesting in the fog?
Certainly worth a walk.
Going for a walk.
Everything is so green up here, and the fog made it seem to drip green dew into the green air.
Green green everywhere.
At the top of a hill was an orchard in full bloom.
Standing in formation despite the weather.
I’ve tried many times to catch the patterns and symmetry of orchards. It’s hard to show the patterns, they’re so large. But every time I’m up here, whatever the season, I try.
Trunks create a pattern.
I guess I find orchards fascinating.
Rows line up.
I love the patterns and textures, especially when they’re in bloom.
So pretty.
Later this afternoon the sun came out. I went for a walk in the woods, and on my way back I drove by the orchard to see what it might look like without fog.
Hills full of orchards.
Turns out they are just as pretty in the sunlight.
Sun shines through blossoms.
I’ve got to organize the photos from my walk in the woods. Maybe you’ll see those tomorrow. But the sun is still shining here, sparkling on the water. There’s a chance we’ll get a sunset tonight.
If so you’ll probably see that first.
Sun diamonds.
WordPress Photo Challenge: Evanescent
ev·a·nes·cent [evəˈnes(ə)nt]
adjective:
Soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing.
Only here a moment.
I saw this unusual trillium on my walk in the northern fog this morning. I’ve never seen one like it. Trillium season is so short I’m lucky to get an extension by being in the north this weekend.
Change Is Hard 