We'll be playing some great swinging octet arrangements of songs from the big band era for your dancing and listening pleasure. If our first month goes well it may become a regular thing, so please come if you can.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday Night Jazz in Silver Spring
We'll be playing some great swinging octet arrangements of songs from the big band era for your dancing and listening pleasure. If our first month goes well it may become a regular thing, so please come if you can.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
A Robin in my 'Hood
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Snow Remains
Thankfully the snow is only about a third of what it was in most places. And the birds are starting to come back. On Sunday I saw a flock of 16 robins, but I didn't have my camera with me until yesterday. I hope that they'll be sticking around now that they are here.
And the local hawk is back up on his wire, staring down the mice and other critters. My least favorite season is almost over!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
It's always something...
Yuck, more work for us, just what we need. Yesterday we finally shoveled around far enough in the back to see the extent of the damage. It looks like the roof survived just fine, but the bottom section of our cedar tree has been rather severely and crudely pruned by the heavy snow.
So in addition to the work on the house ALWAYS taking longer than either of us could possibly expect, we are going to have to clear these branches out of the way in order to move in. It's pretty obvious that we won't be able to move in by the end of this month. So that's another month of rent we'll have to pay. The snow has really held us back.
Those are some big branches that came down!
Elsewhere in our back yard, a woodpecker sits at the end of yet another broken off tree branch.
Speaking of trees, I'll be playing in the pit for Scott Joplin's rarely performed opera, Treemonisha, next weekend. The music is lovely - operatic ragtime, if you will. And the singer who plays Treemonisha has an absolutely gorgeous voice.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Freedom!
I finally made it all the way out to the street so tomorrow we can go for a walk, or shovel some more and go work on our house.
With the life I've been living for the past three years, there's not been much point in caring how I look when I go out in public (which usually means Home Depot). That attitude served me well today when I devised these knee length waterproof shoe covers. The rubber bands even provide a little traction, and color. I used to have boots for the snow but that is one of the things I never got around to replacing. Anyway my feet stayed totally dry and warm - it was pretty amazing
It was great to be out in the fresh air and snow, getting some exercise after having worked in the basement for the past couple of weeks. It almost felt the same as skiing, except it was cheaper and not as much fun. But there was no risk of injury and the exercise felt good.
I think my car is more than halfway dug out. It'll nice to have options tomorrow instead of being totally trapped.
Here's the Cinderblock Chalet looking more attractive than usual in the snow. Look at all that snow on top of the trash can.
Sentimental Snowfall
This arrangement was going to be the closing tune at the gig at Glen Echo last Saturday which was cancelled due to guess what? Snowfall.
Here's a possibly even more gorgeous arrangement of this beautiful tune which I first became aware of thanks to Washington Cube. Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Groundhogs and Ghosts
Is it ever going to stop snowing? It's been so icy cold lately even when the sun finally decides to come out. I guess the weather feels like it needs to make up for the pleasantly mild winter we had last year.
Today was the birthday of my very favorite groundhog. We had a very low key celebration at the start of the day, which began shortly after midnight.
Last night I finally got a shot of the deer who lounge around in my back yard most nights. The one in the middle decided to get up when he saw my car. The one on the right seems to be completely unphased by the headlights aimed at him while he's relaxing on the ground. The one on the left is munching on my neighbor's azalea bush.
In my other backyard, my soon-to-be ex-backyard, I was attempting to take a picture of the Wolf Moon when a ghost suddenly appeared
And that somehow inspired me to go for an impressionistic effect instead.
I think I've been snorting too much drywall dust lately, or breathing too many paint fumes. I'm definitely starting to hallucinate again.