And Mojo was sniffing the breeze, wondering if a squirrel might dash across the yard.
I feel much better now.
LSW
P.S. I feel I owe an apology to Barbie for the comparison to Sarah Palin. Barbie has a lot more on the ball and would be a much better choice for a running mate.
Yes, indeed it is a vinyl 33-1/3 rpm long-playing record album. Not too long ago I was commenting on how I learned to handle them correctly way back when I was about 6 years old (never mind when that was).
Now, what you probably did not guess correctly is that I just bought it from an EBAY dealer. It's probably been at least 15 years since I last purchased a vinyl record. But, (to quote Sarah Palin) gosh-darn it they just will not release this particular album on CD. I ran across it doing some idle searches and the dealer promised it was in near-mint condition, so I bought this example of archaic music media. It arrived this afternoon and it was as promised. It played flawlessly and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing it.
I was a big Burt Reynolds fan back during his popular period. This was the soundtrack from one of his lesser-known films, W. W. & the Dixie Dancekings. Part of the appeal of this movie was that Burt's character took up with a band and they cast well-known country-western musicians as the band members and in the supporting cast: Don Williams, Conny Van Dyke, Mel Tillis, Ronnie Stoneman and Jerry Reed. I always loved Jerry Reed no matter what he was doing - picking and grinning on the Glen Campbell Good-Time Hour or in the Smoky & the Bandit movies. This was his first movie role and he nailed it.
Every time I've seen the movie, I'm always taken with the final musical number the band sings over the radio as Burt's character is leaving town. I was not surprised to discover that the song, "A Friend" was written by Jerry Reed. It has bounce and feeling and that unique Jerry Reed touch. Jerry Reed also wrote one of my favorite songs, "A Thing Called Love", which contains one of the best of his special guitar licks. Jerry Reed died a few weeks ago and the world lost one of the all-time great guitarists. A little piece of trivia - when Elvis set out to record Jerry's song "Guitar Man", he was frustrated that his musicians could not deliver the intricate guitar licks that Jerry's original version included. A call was placed and Jerry Reed brought his unique guitar style into the recording session and played the backup for Elvis' cover of his song. He was a unique talent.
I was listening to Satellite Radio in Big Red the other day, tuned into Laugh USA, and heard a comic describe his son's first encounter with a 33-1/3 vinyl record. The boy was non-plussed and asked his father what it was. The father explained that it was his generation's CD, with the sound recorded on the surface and requiring the same care in handling, being careful to only touch the edges. The boy seriously inquired, "did people have bigger hands then?".
I'm thinking that this year as my Christmas present to myself, I may just buy a turntable that will allow me to record some of my old albums and 45s onto CD. There's a lot of wonderful music tucked in the back of my closet that no one has seen fit to re-issue on CD. This little taste of long-unheard songs has whetted my appetite to rediscover the hidden jewels in my collection.
LSW
Mojo also battles the squirrels, but in the course of doing so has discovered sunflower seeds and is becoming as much of a seed pig as Mr. Squirrel. Nobody ever told him that dogs don't eat seeds.
At the end of the first silent auction and before the big cattle auction, presentations were made and notable people were introduced. My aunt and her sister-in-law watched the proceedings from a shady vantage point (front row center). I parked myself on a hay bale nearby.
Cousin Lisa was part of the recognized survivors group (middle of the 3 ladies on the right).
The folks who are behind the event gathered for a group photo.
The general store was manned by my uncle and their friend Charlene while the presentations were being made.
And at two o'clock, the big cattle auction was getting ready to take off. I watched the first heifer get bought and sold and donated back and bought and sold and donated back and bought and sold a third time and at that point decided that it seemed it was going to be a long afternoon at the auction barn. It would have been fun to stay and watch, but today I had to get other things done and had to leave.
It's an interesting event and it's for a good cause. The mood is upbeat, everyone is there to enjoy themselves and raise money for cancer research. Doctors and scientists mingle with ranchers, and cancer survivors mingle with the craftsmen who donated items for the auctions. It is a day to feel good and to do good. Everyone did.
LSW
See Building Blocks for a related item.
I am reminded of a time a few years back when I was headed to the funeral of my great-aunt Ruby. As we were leaving the house to drive to Wharton, one of our group remarked on the fact that I was wearing red high heels to a funeral. "Of course," I said, "I'm wearing them for my Aunt O." I was given a quizzical look, but the subject was dropped.
My Aunt O, sister to Ruby, always had a love of bright and vivid colors and was especially partial to pink and red. Everyone else in the family always paled next to Aunt O. I, too, love bright colors. I, too, like to stand apart from the crowd.
To make a short story long, when we arrived at the cemetery, my Aunt O was there wearing a pair of bright red shoes. No one that knew us considered it inappropriate apparel for the occasion.
The Sisterhood of the Red Shoes.
LSW
P.S. See today's entry over on Building Blocks for a reminder of Aunt O's love of pink.
