"A Crocus Raised it's Golden Head..."

March 10, K11


 Does anyone else know that song?  My mom used to make the family sing it, in a round no less.  I hated it but it always reminds me of spring, and it seems that spring has sprung!

I just finished a wonderful trip to Idaho, knocking off one more state to which I had never been, leaving just Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and Alaska on my "to do" list in the US.
For those of you who may have wondered I want to save you the suspense and confirm that, yes, the human to livestock ratio in Idaho really is a healthy 27:1 which seemed to work well.  It was a beautiful area and the (few) people there were super friendly and seemed both content and generally pleased with their lives.

My favorite series of books of all time is The Dark Tower by Stephen King and I am listening to it on Audiobook again for perhaps the fifth time through.  I think the books are unusual for Stephen-King, more a hybrid of Lord of the Rings and any John Wayne movie than anything one may expect from "The King of Horror".  At any rate, I drove the highway and listened to my book and was struck by the sensation that I was driving through a land being described in the book, rolling hills, a backdrop of snow covered mountains, sheer cliffs and real cowboys.  It made for a very interesting drive as well as a whole different sense of a book I have read many times.  On the way home I listened to what is in my opinion the most beautiful piece of music ever written, Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on the Theme of a Paganini.  My favorite version starts heavily in piano and other instruments join and build and it seemed perfectly timed to the towering mountains, cliffs, waterfalls and one massive bridge I crossed.  It was truly majestic and awe inspiring.  But then...

it occurred to me what an impact sound has on the visual experience, which made me wonder whether Psycho, Scream or Halloween could have packed the same fear factor accompanied by "Afternoon Delight", "You are My Sunshine" or "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy".  That thought of course got me laughing hysterically and completely ruined the previous moment but let to a swell laugh..




March 24, K11
Well, for the first time since I arrived in Utah, I have to say it's been a pretty uneventful month.  I'm really enjoying the peace and quiet and some time to catch my breath.  Don't worry though.  I am keeping it interesting here.  As you can see, Andy and the dogs continue to enthralled by my many riveting stories and, in truth, the whole gang spends a good deal of time on the edge of their seats.

 

March 25, K11

Last but not least, I hope everyone will join me in a big "Welcome Back" to Howard's waistline.  Two months on his little piggy diet have returned him to a lean and handsome four pounds!