The Front Page
Arm Update
Written by k Friday, 26 February 2010 15:53
Some have commented on Pa't recent trip, the one which caused a broken wrist and toes.
I'm happy to report that she is healing fine. Wednesday, the doctor removed the long-arm cast and replaced it with a short-arm cast. This does not cover the elbow, so she can move it. That's a great improvement, she feels!
In another three weeks, that will be removed and replaced with a removable "splint."
Then it will be time for us to think about heading back north. The weather will dictate how rapidly we actually make the trip.
Whooping Cranes
Written by Keith Friday, 26 February 2010 15:27
One of the attractions of Rockport, TX, is the whooping cranes. Not many years ago, there were believed to be only 17 of these creatures left on the face of the earth. Now, there are estimated to be 217.
We saw three of them this morning.
About five miles north of us is The Big Tree, a live oak tree estimated to be over 1,000 years old. Its trunk is about ten feet in diameter.
Near the tree is a field with a man-made pond. In that field, we saw three whooping cranes. They were too far away to photograph, but we were able to see them up close and personal through binoculars. They are pure white and stand four or five feet tall!
They nest in Canada. From the time they are hatched, a man dressed in a whooping crane suit becomes their "mother" and trains them not to be afraid of a big noisy bird which is really an ultralight plane. As fall comes and winter approaches, the ultralight leads them, and they follow, along the traditional route to the winter grounds—which just happens to be here.
Another interesting thing we saw on this outing was the graphics on this vehicle. Yes, I know "our" Kenny and daughter Patty do not have an "s" on Peter, but the coincidence was just too great to pass up.
Internet = World's Largest Library
Written by Keith Sunday, 21 February 2010 21:49
I've often said that browsing the Internet is much like walking into a huge library at nine in the morning, with nothing special in mind other than to "go to the library," and coming out in what seems to be a short time and discovering that it is five in the afternoon!
Here's an example of what can happen.
When I learned that Cantus was performing, I thought I should learn a bit about them. So, from the comfort of my own home (trailer), I went to the Internet and Google.
And that was the beginning of a full evening of browsing the Internet "library"—or in this case, only the You Tube library, actually.
After finding Cantus, I thought, "I wonder if the Welsh National Anthem is on You Tube?" It was, in several renditions. Most were sung at stadiums before rugby games, but there were others. Performers ranged from school kids to men's choirs of hundreds of singers in true Welsh tradition.
Here's one version for you to enjoy. But you might want to to go to You Tube and find your own favorite.
With that bit of success, I wondered if I could find any neat polkas on You Tube. (Some might consider "neat polkas" an oxymoron, but I happen to like polkas. Especially those with great umpahs from the tuba. As you might expect, there were many from which to chose. But, honestly, I did not find any which appealed to me so I did the logical thing: moved on.
How about barbershop quartet music? That provided lots of great choices, including many by the Buffalo Bills and their original Music Man songs. One interesting one I found was by a recent medalist quartet which sang Stars and Stripes Forever. You, too, can enjoy it if you'd like:
If you're really into barbershop music, you might find this link interesting. It gives the top 25 quartets of modern time, according to the author, of course. Your mileage may vary. http://josephmathieu.blogspot.com/2009/06/top-25-barbershop-quartet-champions-of.html
That was about it. In effect, I had spent one evening in one small corner of what I view as the world's largest library: the Internet.
Culture at the Cathedral
Written by Keith Sunday, 21 February 2010 21:21
The Corpus Christi Cathedral Concert Series provided another evening of great entertainment Friday!
We enjoyed a concert by "Cantus"—an ensemble of nine young men from the Twin Cities. It was amazing how those nine voices could totally fill that large cathedral!
To be honest, they only sang two songs with which I was familiar: "Loch Lomond" and "They Call the Wind Maria." But that's OK! I usually don't hear words in songs anyway, and I certainly could not at the cathedral because of the reverberation.
It's the harmony that I enjoy! And there was plenty of it with Cantus. As with most groups, they have a sound all their own. Someone more knowledgeable in the art could probably describe it, but I can't.
Cantus performs on National Public Radio and also educational TV. If you want a sample, check out the YouTube offering below.
Previous years, we have enjoyed the St. Olaf Choir and the United States Naval Academy Men's Glee Club. What treat will be in store us next year?
Three Deaths
Written by Keith Friday, 12 February 2010 19:53
There are three deaths to report, albeit belatedly, which might be of interest to Lime Springers.
These first two are actually cousins of mine. Hazel Davis was a first cousin of my mother, as was Tommy Hovey's father.
Hazel's husband was John W. Davis, as opposed to John E. Davis. They lived north of Lime Springs. Her obituary can be found here: http://lindstromfuneralhomes.com/ You might have to click on "Obituaries" first, then on her name.
Tommy grew up on the state line road, very near the east end, NE of Foreston. He married Darlene Troxel, who lived almost across the road from Hoveys and who rode the school bus with us. They have lived in Cedar Rapids for decades, but I haven't seen Tommy for even more decades. His obituary is here: http://murdochfuneral.frontrunnerpro.com/runtime/3056/runtime.php?SiteId=3056&NavigatorId=53731&op=tributeObituary&viewOpt=dpaneOnly&ItemId=376321
Everyone who grew up in Lime Springs during the middle part of the last century knew Arlow and June Johnson. They operated the drug store for years, and Arlow was mayor. Both were very active in our community. Arlow's obituary is here: http://lindstromfuneralhomes.com/ You'll have to click on "Obituaries" to find it.
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