Red Wing Blackbird Invasion

"O Blackbird! sing me something well: While all the neighbors shoot thee round, I keep smooth plats of fruitful ground, Where thou may'st warble, eat and dwell."
Lord Alfred Tennyson

Wow. I have something in common with Tennyson. Outside the red winged blackbirds, are flocking. Males are dancing and flaring their wings for the females. They are eating my bird feeder empty.

And inside..........

Gradual Dazzle's art is back from the framer and the second piece of my collection.



Blackbirds everywhere.

Fallen Angel Movie Review

See all my Larry Norman posts by clicking here.

And old friend sent me the following review of the Larry Norman documentary film. Fallen Angel - The Outlaw Larry Norman.

The reviewer, Donnie Gossett, actually knew Larry and worked with him one on one.

Give it a read.

Donnie Gossett Review.

Farrah and Michael

Was sitting at my desk this afternoon, listening to yet another thunderstorm banging on the metal roof of our shop.

Intercom call from a Coworker informed me that Farrah had died. I guess just about anyone who cared, and most of the rest who didn't, knew that the end was coming. You knew her death had to be pending because Barbara Walters had the special all locked and loaded.

My Coworker, a 39 year old single male, talked about "the poster". Farrah's iconic image hung on the walls of every guy I knew in the 70's.


As a teenage girl, she was our nemesis. The girl you couldn't possibly measure up to. The smile, the hair, the girl next door giggle.

Though she seemed all fluff and hairspray, some of her later work impressed me. The Burning Bed was a shocking role, and she was amazing. One of those rare TV movies that stood out was Small Sacrifices which I always check out when I see it on the cable guide. I'm sure both will pop up in upcoming weeks.

Her death seemed tragic, as cancer deaths always are.........but somehow spoke to something more. In 2009 I turn 50, and it seems like the halfway point. That's only true if I live to 100, but Farrah seems somehow part of my all important teenage landscape. The 70's was the decade of my adolescence and those impressions are burned on your brain.

Only a hour or so later, the same coworker told me as he passed my office, that there was an Internet rumor that Michael Jackson was dead.

Whoa.

As I heard a local reporter quote someone............"These people were on our lunchboxes." Ya, exactly.

I grew up with Michael. With him so close in age to me, it literally felt as though he was a classmate of mine.

We sat on the hardwood floors with mouth agape when he clearly overshadowed his brothers on every TV show we ever saw him on.


He was musical brilliance. And yes, "I'll Be There" gives me a lump in the throat nearly every time I hear it.

Shocking, shocking shocking.

A flawed.... deeply disturbed man who was a genius in his career......... and a train wreck in every other facet of his life.

Though opinions vary, few will dispute his talent, his impact on the music industry and the pop culture.

I was surprised at my own sadness.

Fame is a ruthless partner, who woos then destroys.

A Wordle For My Dad

Happy Father's Day

A little something I made for you, Dad. Click on the picture.

Wordle - My Dad: ""

When Cars Were Cars 1973 240Z

I was reading Lileks this morning and he had posted a youtube video of a commercial for a 1957 BelAir. Got me thinking about how great cars used to be, before someone decided to round them all off and make them all look the same.......

One of my first cars was a 1973 Datsun 240Z and even though it needed work....I loved that car. Ended up selling it and never really got over it. So I thought I'd see if youtube had any memories for me.

Sure enough.........





This is exactly what my car looked like, the color, louvres on the back window.....man what a car. Seldom see these on the road anywhere but this video brought back some great memories.........

My New Best Friend

I'm pretty sure the hummingbird who buzzed me on the patio Sunday, is the same one who gave me another look through the window last night. There's a window at the bottom of my stairs that I open as soon as I get home. Outside there's a honeysuckle bush right next to it. As I slide the window up I heard the buzz and there he was.........looking at me (or more likely his reflection) in the window.

Only 90% sure it's a broad tail. It takes my brain too many seconds to process what I'm seeing before he's off and away.

Hot Fun in the Summertime

Well Sunday it finally becomes summer. With the cool and wet spring we've had here At Altitude, it will be welcome. Days and days of afternoon rain and weather alerts going off continuously........we are ready here for some heat and dry.

So here goes the boring details of everyday life.

All the late spring moisture has wrought the invasion of the garden pest. My honeysuckle and columbines are being overrun with aphids. Plant expert at the local garden center said the summer will be filled with bugs.

It's official..........we have hummingbirds visiting us on a regular basis. We knew they lived over the ridge to the south. Heard the odd sound a few times last summer. But only in passing. Then two weeks ago, at dusk I thought I heard a psycho cricket. When I investigated, I saw the hummingbird at the neighbor's honeysuckle bush. While enjoying Sunday morning outside time, a hummingbird came and sat in the aspen tree. Later that afternoon, as The Husband was at the grill, another little whirly bird flew up on the patio, gave me the look..........and then darted around the corner.
This is exciting stuff to the nerds that The Husband and I are.

We are in awe of the small things.

Since last weekend, we hear the random crackle and pop of fireworks. Cool beans.

Sitting outside in My Tiny Garden is every bit as helpful as a Valium.

I always miss ScooterGirl............but it's worse when its warm outside.

How do people live with the windows closed?

My across the street neighbor started mowing his lawn at 6:45am this morning.

Pinon wood fires in the chiminea are only a few doors away from heaven.

I told The Husband that that our backyard is officially now, 50% as good as Ouray. Not bad for twenty steps away.

Better Homes and Gardens #1

For many years I lived in an apartment and dreamed of being a home owner. For four years now I have lived in the house The Husband and I bought.

I never take it for granted.

Each day, I leave the relative peace and quiet of the the "burbs" and head to Central Denver, where my office is, and where I lived for nearly 15 years. As I head to the local lunch spots, or hit the retail outlets for lunch time errands, it takes me through the INCREDIBLY ECLECTIC neighborhoods of Central Denver.

On a regular basis, I find myself glancing in the rear view mirror, to make sure it's okay to slam on my brakes, and take a look at the incredible landscapes and home improvement projects on display.

They should do a show on HGTV. So I thought I would start a continuing series on my blog, of the amazing homes I see. Fasten your seat belts, and welcome to the land of

NO HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS.

Which of course leads to unlimited creativity. Think how happy you would be to live next door to.................



It's a freshly painted, cute little white house, with an ornate front storm door, a Texas (I think) star and landscaping that defies description.

This is Xeroscaping at its finest. Notice the lovely red mulch. Accented around the edges by brown mulch.

Who needs grass? We are about saving water.

Lawn statuary always adds some pizazz. Let's take a closer look at my favorite of the statuary on display.



Scattered around the rest of the yard were other things of note. Faux dinosaur fossils, a fairy on the bench and then my favorite.



A seashell collection, with a tombstone marker.

There were many other lovely things I could have taken photos of, but frankly I was afraid of a zombie running out the front door and telling me to get off his lawn.

Ahhhhhh

Central Denver.