Saturday, February 25, 2006
The Grand Canyon (as in the hike).
Returned two weeks ago from a hike to the bottom---3 nights at "the Phantom Ranch" (named after a creek which feeds into the "Bright Angel" Creek just up the way a bit.) It's a serene little spot, nestled at the bottom of a side canyon. From there you hear the incessant rippling of the creek, and look up to see towering walls all about you. The hike down isn't easy, and the one out is even more taxing, but it all went better than we thought it might. Our group of 10 had bonded very well (ages 14 to about 70) and become fast friends.
Any of you who would like to see some of this (we were treated to excellent photographing conditions!), I have a DVD of some 40 minutes, combining video and slide show footage. Let me know.
Returned two weeks ago from a hike to the bottom---3 nights at "the Phantom Ranch" (named after a creek which feeds into the "Bright Angel" Creek just up the way a bit.) It's a serene little spot, nestled at the bottom of a side canyon. From there you hear the incessant rippling of the creek, and look up to see towering walls all about you. The hike down isn't easy, and the one out is even more taxing, but it all went better than we thought it might. Our group of 10 had bonded very well (ages 14 to about 70) and become fast friends.
Any of you who would like to see some of this (we were treated to excellent photographing conditions!), I have a DVD of some 40 minutes, combining video and slide show footage. Let me know.
Of Road-Runners and Game Boards:
We have a friendly "road runner," one of those delightful birds who'd rather run than fly, and made famous in cartoon lore. He comes around, looks you in the eye, and says (if body language can be interpreted), "where's the food, doc?" After a bit, frustrated no doubt, he moves on. Today I heard that he walked in one door of the golf "pro" shop downstairs, took a look around, and walked right out the other door. What a bird!
On another note, I checked out www.jokersandpegs.com on a Google search today. I was pleased before, when I showed up on the first page. Today, I find that the website turns up number one....and get this, NUMBER TWO as well, on a search. My counter shows something more than 22,000 visitors. Wow! I got an order from upstate NY yesterday---the man paid $14 postage to get a check to me via "next day" Priority Mail. I never fail to be amazed by the ways people spend money.
Weather in the greater Phoenix area is going onto the longest recorded drought ever. 130 days, or maybe more; I lose track. But that translates into an equally long spell of really "terrific" weather: sunny, cool-but-warm-enough, and the irrigated flowers smell up the air. Palm trees gently waft in the little breezes coming in off the open desert, and the mountains show up in ultimate clarity.
We have a friendly "road runner," one of those delightful birds who'd rather run than fly, and made famous in cartoon lore. He comes around, looks you in the eye, and says (if body language can be interpreted), "where's the food, doc?" After a bit, frustrated no doubt, he moves on. Today I heard that he walked in one door of the golf "pro" shop downstairs, took a look around, and walked right out the other door. What a bird!
On another note, I checked out www.jokersandpegs.com on a Google search today. I was pleased before, when I showed up on the first page. Today, I find that the website turns up number one....and get this, NUMBER TWO as well, on a search. My counter shows something more than 22,000 visitors. Wow! I got an order from upstate NY yesterday---the man paid $14 postage to get a check to me via "next day" Priority Mail. I never fail to be amazed by the ways people spend money.
Weather in the greater Phoenix area is going onto the longest recorded drought ever. 130 days, or maybe more; I lose track. But that translates into an equally long spell of really "terrific" weather: sunny, cool-but-warm-enough, and the irrigated flowers smell up the air. Palm trees gently waft in the little breezes coming in off the open desert, and the mountains show up in ultimate clarity.
LEAHY (a Celtic family band group)
I expected a "step dance" group (think Riverdance style dancing), so was a bit surprised to see mostly instrumentalists stride out onto the stage at Chandler's Pavilion for the Performing Arts. The theater is a great place: just the "right" size (big enough to have a formal appearance and comfortable seating and those great "opera theater" chandeliers.) I always feel like I should have a tux and cumberbund on when I step into such pretentious (in a good way) surrounds. Small enough that you're not lost somewhere back amidst the thousands, with a sound delay of too many milliseconds.
Leahy is a family of 12 children. Mother and father were both musicians in Canada, and Darwellian probabilities all aside, spawned 12 children, ALL of whom are musically gifted. At any one time, 8 or so of the 12 are on the road, touring, and the other 4, so the family spokesman said, "Are home tending the babies. Any more, it seems there's one being born every day..." They trade off.
They waste no time; they walk out, hit the first chord, and the audience is enthralled. Wrapped up in bigger-than-life sound and sights. From that first chord, the show never abates. Will your hands and feet to stay still, and it does no good. They are beating, tapping, step-dancing, right at your seat. The fiddlers saw away at breakneck speed, the dancers step up to the dance floor strip and pound away, and the pianist thrashes the piano frenetically. It's a huge sound, electrifying. There are no fewer than 4 or 5 standing ovations, and they occur throughout the performance, not just at the end.
Here's a group I'VE NEVER HEARD OF, and they are fabulous. Makes me wonder just how many more incredible artists there are out there who never make world renown, for whatever bad luck-of-the-draw that excludes them. Or, perhaps they don't care. These folks appear to have a grand time, and maybe that's the key ingredient.
I expected a "step dance" group (think Riverdance style dancing), so was a bit surprised to see mostly instrumentalists stride out onto the stage at Chandler's Pavilion for the Performing Arts. The theater is a great place: just the "right" size (big enough to have a formal appearance and comfortable seating and those great "opera theater" chandeliers.) I always feel like I should have a tux and cumberbund on when I step into such pretentious (in a good way) surrounds. Small enough that you're not lost somewhere back amidst the thousands, with a sound delay of too many milliseconds.
Leahy is a family of 12 children. Mother and father were both musicians in Canada, and Darwellian probabilities all aside, spawned 12 children, ALL of whom are musically gifted. At any one time, 8 or so of the 12 are on the road, touring, and the other 4, so the family spokesman said, "Are home tending the babies. Any more, it seems there's one being born every day..." They trade off.
They waste no time; they walk out, hit the first chord, and the audience is enthralled. Wrapped up in bigger-than-life sound and sights. From that first chord, the show never abates. Will your hands and feet to stay still, and it does no good. They are beating, tapping, step-dancing, right at your seat. The fiddlers saw away at breakneck speed, the dancers step up to the dance floor strip and pound away, and the pianist thrashes the piano frenetically. It's a huge sound, electrifying. There are no fewer than 4 or 5 standing ovations, and they occur throughout the performance, not just at the end.
Here's a group I'VE NEVER HEARD OF, and they are fabulous. Makes me wonder just how many more incredible artists there are out there who never make world renown, for whatever bad luck-of-the-draw that excludes them. Or, perhaps they don't care. These folks appear to have a grand time, and maybe that's the key ingredient.
