Beaver Pond Wildlife: Part 3 - Early to Mid Summer
Watched Part 3 today. It is a wonderful video from RA at New England Forests.
According to the webstite, this film series spans a year's time at typical beaver ponds in New England. In this, Part 3, nesting season has wrapped up for most bird species near the pond, but there's plenty happening both above and below the pond's surface.
Also, finalized our tax returns in West Hartford (great news for us).
Haircut in the 'Locks.
Guitar II
My on-going pathway of learning guitar...
The second Lesson Book I have completed thoroughly was:
Mel Bay's New Sounds for Electric Bass and Guitar by Roger Filberto.
This was something I had learned long ago when I studied Bass Guitar during the summer I began High School.
Originally completed from November 1977 through February 1978.
Worked my way through this once again, but this time with the Guitar.
Shift at JMH & TA.
PT at LED late afternoon.
Michael Hurley, singer-songwriter and 'Godfather of freak folk,' dies at 83.
"It is with a resounding sadness that the Hurley family announces the recent sudden passing of the inimitable Michael Hurley,” Hurley's family said in a statement to Rolling Stone. “The ‘Godfather of freak folk’ was for a prolific half-century the purveyor of an eccentric genius and compassionate wit. He alone was Snock. There is no other. Friends, family, and the music community deeply mourn his loss.”
Hurley, born in Pennsylvania, honed his cracked perspective on bluegrass, blues and folk in the Greenwich Village folk scene in New York in the '60s, after producer and folklorist Fred Ramsey picked him up on a hitchiking ramble. He released his debut album, 1964's "First Songs," on Folkways, the acclaimed home of Woody Guthrie and curator Harry Smith’s "Anthology of American Folk Music."
Hurley's talents were manifold — he designed and illustrated most of his charming hand-drawn album art, and learned a diversity of instruments including banjo and fiddle. His songs had a stark, strange quality that could be both beautiful (as on "Be Kind to Me" and "Valley of Tears") and surreal ("What Made My Hamburger Disappear?" or "You’re a Dog; Don’t Talk to Me"). He was a childhood friend of future Youngbloods singer Jesse Colin Young, who would champion Hurley's skewed vision by releasing 1971’s "Armchair Boogie" and 1972’s "Hi Fi Snock Uptown" on his Warner Bros. imprint Raccoon.
1976's "Have Moicy!" became an underground cult favorite, and his rapidly expanding catalog would grow to more than 30 LPs. This collaboration with the Unholy Modal Rounders (a spin-off of the Holy Modal Rounders) and Jeffrey Frederick & The Clamtones, received much critical praise. Music critic Robert Christgau ranked it as his favorite album of the year.
His song, "Hog of the Forsaken", was used in the closing credits for the pilot episode of the series and the closing of Deadwood: The Movie.
Discography
Locally, I Unloaded fifty bails of Hay with my Pop at the Auction mid-morning, and another two pick-ups worth from other farmers dropping off hay,
Shift at JMH early.
Beaver Pond Wildlife: Part 2 - Late Spring
Watched Part 2 today with DL. It is a wonderful video from RA at New England Forests.
According to the webstite, this film series spans a year's time at typical beaver ponds in New England. In Part 2, we follow wildlife in late spring, as nesting season progresses, new life develops, and young beavers disperse.
Also, attended my scheduled MRI for the sore right Ankle / Achilles tendon in the morning.
Beaver Pond Wildlife: Part 1 - Early Spring
Watched Part 1 today with DL. It is a wonderful video from RA at New England Forests.
According to the webstite, this film series spans a year's time at typical beaver ponds in New England. In Part 1, we'll look at what takes place in early spring, as the pond comes back to life after a cold winter.
Visit with my Mom and Pop today.
Brought our bird "Teeter" with me to leave at her new home with cousin W.
After much thinking over the past three or four years, we've decided to finally transfer ownership of our yellow nape amazon "Teeter" to cousin W.
Not easy decision, we've had Teeter for thirty-years.
But, we are getting older, and we are trying to travel as much as we can in the next decade or so. So it seems we are constantly either leaving home or planning to. Not exactly fair for a bird who enjoys companionship.
Counting on W providing a long friendly relationship with our bird.
Truthfully, I try to adhere to the idea that it is better to make a change when things are going well, not when they are not or you are backed into a corner and have to react. All is well, this change in home for Teeter should be a wonderful move.
Guitar I
I have been working on learning guitar.
This is something I began making a priority for several years now.
It was a few years ago when I realized it was time to get serious, stop strumming the same passages over and over, and learn the guitar, rather than learn parts of songs or melodies.
It's slow going. Taking this serious is not something that offers shortcuts.
It was time to learn to read music, rather that use tab to make things quicker and easier.
It was time to devote myself to good technique, especially when it came to finger-picking and using all my right hand fingers.
It was time to have dedicated, slow, steady practice.
I began with a guitar lesson book, worked through it a bit, added a second manual of differing technique, and kept at it. Continually adding more "work" to my daily practice.
I am at the point where I can read music fairly well for the guitar.
Often, I can find notes on the fretboard quickly and easily.
My plan is to continue just like this, slow and steady, constantly learning.
It is enjoyable.
Heavyweight Boxer Big George Foreman passed today.
He was a two-time world heavyweight champion and the 1968 Olympic gold medalist.
George Foreman maintained that earning the Olympic gold medal was the achievement he was most proud of in his boxing career, more so than either of his world titles.
Foreman dominating his first Championship fight against Joe Frazier by TKO. Before the fight, Frazier was 29–0 (25 KO) and Foreman was 37–0 (34 KO). Frazier was knocked down six times by Foreman within two rounds (the three-knockdown rule was not in effect for this bout). After the second knockdown, Frazier's balance and mobility were impaired to the extent that he was unable to evade Foreman's combinations. Frazier managed to get to his feet for all six knockdowns, but referee Arthur Mercante eventually called an end to the one-sided bout.
First Retirement
Foreman became ill in his dressing room after his bout versus Jimmy Young. He was suffering from exhaustion and heat stroke and stated he had a near-death experience. He spoke of being in a hellish, frightening place of nothingness and despair, and felt that he was in the midst of death. Though not yet religious, he began to plead with God to help him. He explained that he sensed God asking him to change his life and ways whereupon he said, "I don't care if this is death – I still believe there is a God!"
After this experience, Foreman became a born-again Christian, dedicating his life for the next decade to God. Although he did not formally retire from boxing, Foreman stopped fighting and became an ordained minister, initially preaching on street corners before becoming the minister of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Houston and devoting himself to his family and his congregation. He also opened a youth center that bears his name.
The Comeback Trail
In 1994, Foreman again sought to challenge for the world championship after Michael Moorer had beaten Evander Holyfield for the IBF and WBA titles. Having lost his last fight against Tommy Morrison, Foreman was unranked and in no position to demand another title shot. His relatively high profile, however, made a title shot against Moorer, 19 years his junior, a lucrative prospect at seemingly little risk for the champion.
Foreman's title challenge against Moorer took place on November 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Foreman wearing the same red trunks he had worn in his title loss to Ali 20 years earlier. This time, however, Foreman was a substantial underdog. For nine rounds, Moorer easily outboxed him, hitting and moving away, while Foreman chugged forward, seemingly unable to "pull the trigger" on his punches. Entering the 10th round, Foreman was trailing on all scorecards: two judges had it 88–83 and one had it 86–85, all to Moorer. However, Foreman launched a comeback in the 10th round and hit Moorer with a number of punches. Then, a short right hand caught Moorer on the tip of his chin, gashing open his bottom lip, and he collapsed to the canvas. He lay flat on the canvas as the referee counted him out.
In an instant, Foreman had regained the title he had lost to Muhammad Ali two decades before. He went back to his corner and knelt in prayer as the arena erupted in cheers. With this historic victory, Foreman broke three records: He became, at age 45, the oldest fighter ever to win a world championship; 20 years after losing his title for the first time, he broke the record for the fighter with the longest interval between his first and second world championships; and he also became the oldest winner of a major title fight.
Rest in Peace Champ.
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