19 December …

 

It’s been a quiet week … with exception of Saturday. 

Before I left for the opera last saturday, I checked the Met’s website and people were checking in for the HD showing … from all over the globe.  What a blast.  One audience worldwide.

Neera and I left home a little after 0800.  We arrived at Punky’s in time for a QUICK breakfast (we told them we were late and going to the opera and they rushed our meal).  

We got to our seats just in time.

It was a four hour opera, so full and intense that when it was done we were washed out … through the wringer …

Choose your own metaphor.

The leads were excellent.  So dramatic.  But the star was the baritone who sang Alfredo’s father.  Such a voice and such an actor.  He received two “by-himself” curtain calls.  I’ll be watching for him in the future.

This was a special performance.  It was the premier of the new staging and the Met introduced a new Musical Director who also conducted the opera.  The new Maestro was involved in a couple of asides that made his performance stand out.

First was as he took the podium at the beginning of Act two.  He picked up the baton which immediately flew out of his hand and had to be retrieved from the violin section. 

Second was that following the cast curtain calls, when the Diva calls the Maestro up onto the stage for a bow, he called the ENTIRE orchestra onto the stage.

This was a debut that will not soon be forgotten.

Next HD trip will be in February to see “Carmen”.

~~~
The radio club is in transition.  The “Elmer”s are dying off or no longer traveling so far, especially after dark.

No one signed up to bring food and/or attend the holiday potluck, so it was cancelled.

I will not be running for re-election.  I thought about it and decided that since it seemed not quite right that another member, younger than I am, was trying so hard to hold onto an office for which they were no longer qualified, maybe that applied to me as well.  So I am stepping down.  I will still be available to do a station at any event in which the club is involved, but I will no longer be responsible for meetings or other arrangements.

Time for the younger hams to take charge.

~~~

Weather is WET.  We had been having a few showers, then Saturday the rain set in.

Our weather comes over Mt Eddy from the Scott Valley and by Saturday afternoon/evening it was rain-Rain-RAIN… and it continues.

No snow … at least not so far.  But plenty of cold.  Here’s a shot of the windshield as I went out to open the chickens this morning.

~~~
I told you we lost our rooster when he learned how to fly over the 7 or 8 foot fence.  I think I told you we were gifted a new rooster from some folks in town who had to get rid of him because of city noise ordinances. Mark thinks he is an Americana breed. 

He is NOISY and beautiful.His colouring is gaudy and his vocal range is high.  That made me think of Juan Diego Flórez, the tenor, who sings parts calling for extravagant costumes. Hence the rooster is now named Juan Diego.

The other interesting fact about Juan Diego, the rooster, is that he is a “Cock-a-doo” singer.   Apparently he has no “Doodle”.

And speaking of chickens reminded me of a poem I wrote several years ago.

 

SACRED CHICKENS

 

I heard a tale of sacred chickens

And I laughed.

Sacred chickens?

It’s a joke, right?

 

However . . .

Life reached a point

Where chickens are an apt metaphor.

Laying an egg may be a matter of will.

Scratching the earth may be necessary

To differentiate the dirt

And expose the bugs.

Pecking order may foster security

As well as inspire ambition.

 

And cocks certainly have their place.

 

Sacred chickens?

Why not?

~~~

A month or so ago, I remarked on the idea of a crack or space being the place where light comes through.  I had read it in a mystery by Louise Penny.  I had not come across that thought before and was intrigued.

I am now reading another mystery by Ms. Penny and there in the Acknowledgments was the quote from lyrics by Leonard Cohen …

“Ring the bells that still can ring.

Forget your perfect offering.

There’s a crack in everything.

That’s how the light gets in.”

So now I’ve caught up with all of you who already knew where the thought started.

However, the concept has stayed with me. 

A few days ago I was unable to avoid the news out of DC and my reaction was “What a mess.  It’s really broken.”  That led to “It seems to be cracking apart.” which in turn led to “Maybe it is time for some light to get in.”

As a result of that line of thought, some anxiety was relieved.

Thank you Mr. Cohen … wherever you are.

And thank you Louise Penny for the introduction and the following thought that “… things are strongest where they’re broken.”

~~~

Another thought about weather.

A few years ago there was a rather large avalanche on the northwest side of the Mountain.  As I was going into town one day last week the scar was very clear.  Here’s the distance picture …

and here’s her close-up … 

showing six distinct paths.

~~~

Finally a thought for under the holiday tree …

 

Things don’t make us happy. Happiness and pleasure comes from focusing on what we have. If you don’t appreciate what you have, you won’t appreciate what you get.

 

So … ‘til next week …  I wish a Happy Holiday Season to ALL !!!