Just When You Thought…
… that Spring was here and summer was just around the corner you wake up and there is a white blanket of snow on the ground. That is exactly what has been happening almost every morning this week. It was just last weekend that I had the rake out and was cleaning up the front yard. Now the deck needs shoveling. We were all saying how the thaw seemed to be a bit early this year and I suppose that was true enough. Well, now it’s winter again. Ski season doesn’t end for another couple of weeks, so more snow isn’t actually a bad thing. However, when Mother Nature starts to tease you with green grass and brightly colored Crocus, Spring fever has a way of setting in. After spending five months looking at a white landscape and staying inside huddled around a fire all you want to do is sit outside in the sun and watch the grass grow. Well, that’s going to have to wait just a bit longer.
Sharing the Music
Music, like all of the arts, is meant to be shared. And just as there are thousands of painters and sculptures, the vast array of music is dizzying. It is impossible to hear it all, therefore, we rely on each other to sample what’s out there. Having said that, I would like to share a song with you by the great Stevie Wonder. The song is off the album Songs in the Key of Life which is considered by many to be his magnum opus. Without further delay here it is:
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The lyrics to this song are quite amazing. If interested, you may find them here.
I hope you enjoy it.
House of Leaves
I have had this book in my “to be read” pile ever since it was published in 2000. I even tried to read it a couple of times and just couldn’t get into it. The book eventually got buried in a crate of books and put into storage somewhere in the back of the closet. Then one day, out of the blue, someone asked if I had ever heard of the book. I told them that I had a copy somewhere in my closet but it could take me a while to find it. In truth I wasn’t expecting to since I hadn’t seen the thing in a number of years and it was possible that I had given it away. Well, it took me all of thirty seconds to locate the crate and the book was just sitting right on top. Almost like it was waiting for me.
House of Leaves is a tough book to describe as any information given would be a spoiler. The premise is a bit Blair Witch-like. The story is supposed to be based on actual events that take place in a house with some very interesting architectural details. If you randomly flip through the book you will notice that some pages are printed upside down or sideways. While others may only contain a few words. There are also loads of footnotes to follow and sometimes footnotes for the footnotes. All of these details are meant to mimic what is happening to the characters. The writing style is rather clever and makes the book fun to read. I am not quite sure why this book is filed under horror as there isn’t anything horrifying about it. In fact, the book has quite a cult following on the Internet and a lot of information can be found online.
Suffice it to say, that I completely enjoyed House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski and I am very glad that it waited for me.
Springtime in the Rockies
Don’t blink.
You might miss it.
After almost six months of winter, spring literally springs upon you without warning. One day it’s snowing with temperatures at or below freezing and the next is sunny with temps in the fifties. The changes are very subtle. First comes the warmer temperatures. Then the amazing melt off. You can have three to four feet of snow in your yard and it can be gone in a matter of days. As the snow recedes, spring flowers such as Crocus and Daffodils begin to pop out of the ground. The Crocus will actually start to bloom while still covered under a thin layer of snow.
I know that spring is here by the arrival of the Red-Winged Blackbirds. They begin flocking in early March and are soon followed by the Robins. Well, the Robins are here and today I noticed the first tips of Daffodils poking up through the mud. Within the next couple of weeks the hillsides will start to turn a beautiful spring green as the Aspen trees bud.
We will probably have a few more days of snowfall, however, it won’t stick for long. As soon as you blink, it will be summer.
No “Formula Stores” Welcome Here!
The beautiful thing about living in a remotely located little town is that there is always some association or organization getting its panties in a wad over something. This week’s Wedgie Winner is Main Street Steamboat with their call to arms regarding “formula stores”. You can read the article in its entirety here:
‘Critical’ time for downtown
If you can’t be bothered reading it here’s a quick summary. This summer construction will begin on appproximately 90,000 square feet of new retail space. Local business owners are concerned about who will fill these spaces and they want to put ordinances in place to keep formula stores (The Gap, Pier One, Barnes & Noble, etc.) out. Why? Allowing these types of businesses in would take away the “small-town feel” and also keep Steamboat from becoming a major destination for shopping. First of all, the “small-town feel” was killed years ago, so let’s quit pretending that it exists. When I moved here around 15 years ago you could cross-country ski downtown, ride your horse and hitch it up outside the local bar and not risk dying by crossing the road. Secondly, who in the hell is going to drive hundreds of miles out of there way to shop here? Steamboat Springs will NEVER be a shopping mecca. People come here for the things they can’t get at home; mountains, fresh air, open spaces. Once they get here they will spend their money at whatever stores and restaurants we have. Where else are they going to go? What is really at the heart of the matter is that the local businesses are afraid of some competition and competition is exactly what we need. Too many current shop and restaurant owners have grown complacent and lazy in running their businesses. So, I say come on in formula stores! Let’s start shaking things up a bit.
2010 F1 Schedule
Date Location Mar. 14 
Sakhir - Bahrain Mar. 28 
Melbourne - Australia Apr. 04 
Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia Apr. 18 
Shanghai - China May 09 
Barcelona - Spain May 16 
Monaco May 30 
Istanbul - Turkey Jun. 13 
Montreal - Canada Jun. 27 Valencia - Spain Jul. 11 
Silverstone - Great Britain Jul. 25 
Hockenheim - Germany Aug. 01 
Budapest - Hungary Aug. 29 
Spa-Francorchamps - Belgium Sep. 12 
Monza - Italy Sep. 26 
Singapore Oct. 10 
Suzuka - Japan Oct. 24 
South Korea Nov. 07 
Sao Paulo - Brazil Nov. 14 
Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates -
