Just when I thought we were turning the corner, the weather reminded us that it can still bite us in the bum. Wednesday was one of those gorgeous “spring-like” days when the sun shone and the birds chirped; Thursday was cold, wet, windy, grey and miserable – so cold that we fired up the wood burner. In the middle of May!
We got back to the bluebells at Everdon Stubbs last Sunday and the display was considerably better than it had been the week before. With the usual apologies, you can see the least bad photos from this excursion here or wade through the slideshow below – click for a larger version, if you dare.
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Back to this week’s weather and Wednesday evening especially was very nice. The sun was peeking out from behind the clouds and the birds were at their raucous and most vociferous, scurrying about gathering grubblings for their off-spring and squawking angrily at anyone daring to venture into their patch. I spent a few moments watching the first of this year’s swallow broods learning to fly which is always highly amusing and entertaining. In spite of how much I complain about the weather, they just get on with it.
Wednesday evening I also had the pleasure of watching the recording of Tuesday’s Dodgers – Marlins baseball game from Los Angeles, with Vin Scully doing the play-by-play. He is truly a master of the craft – sixty-six years at the microphone and his dulcet tones are still as magical as ever. I couldn’t help but be reminded of all those summer evenings growing up in southern California and listening in bed to Scully describing the play of Koufax & Drysdale, et al.
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I was saddened to read the news that BB King had died Thursday night/Friday morning. Most of you know, I guess, that I have always been a big fan since being introduced to his music by someone in high school. I wish I could remember who first played me some of his tunes so that I could thank them for many magical moments listening to and enjoying the sound he got out of his guitar. I remember that Indianola Mississippi Seeds was the first of his albums I bought and straight away I was hooked – who wouldn’t be, especially after listening to that first track:
“Nobody loves me but my mother . . .
And she could be jivin’ too.
In the early 70s, I remember BB King playing at Yale as well as participating in a sit-down and chat session. He was just beginning to become solidly “mainstream” I guess, and was scheduled, I believe, to appear on his first “chat show” – if I remember it was the Dick Cavett show – and he was practising the art of answering questions in that sort of environment. I sat about ten feet away from him while he answered questions from the student audience. Funnily enough, for someone who was already very well-known and used to performing in front of large audiences, he was quite nervous in that more intimate environment but thoroughly fascinating and charming. I was glad to read that my alma mater awarded him an honorary doctorate of music – if anyone deserves to be recognised as a Doctor of Music, it’s BB King. His music will cure just about anything that ails you!
And finally, the question of the week, I guess. If you found the equivalent of $179 million (£115 million) in small change down the back of your sofa, would you run off and buy a Picasso? I like this particular painting quite a bit but is any work of art worth that amount of money?
BTW, the British media found it highly amusing that a New York Fox News affiliate took the precaution of blurring the breasts of some of the women depicted. Thank goodness for that!
Much love to you all,
Greg
That’s a lot of boobs! Preety apparent Picasso was a breast man.
Indeed!