Sometimes I feel lucky to live where I do. Tonight after supper I took myself outside and hopped on my bicycle. Just a short three blocks away and I’m riding along a parkway, more specifically on the Oak Leaf Trail here in Milwaukee County. Just a few miles later and I’m pedaling along the part of the Oak Leaf Trail that goes through Grant Park — one of my favorite bike trails to ride on. On this section of the trail you ride through numerous combinations of woods (including a few with a delicious pine scent), open grassland and along bluffs with beautiful views of Lake Michigan. While cruising along tonight I was fortunate to see a beautiful sunset in the west and a blue heron sitting with his head high in the middle of a pond. And to think I was considering not going out for a ride tonight because it was too warm and muggy…
Al Gore searched
From today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Al Gore searched twice during Wisconsin trip. First when he left the airport in Washington and the second time when he flew from Milwaukee to New York. What a perfect illustration of the lack of common sense these newer measures are from the office of homeland security. I’m sure that the former vice president was considering an act of terror on the plane, yet the possibility of a random screening dissuaded him from carrying out his plan.
Oh look, an elderly woman is getting on the plane. Make sure she doesn’t board with that crochet needle!
Camping at Perrot State Park
I spent all last week in the great outdoors, camping at Perrot State Park. It was the first time I was at Perrot and I was pretty impressed.
Miller Park / MLB
Last night I saw a baseball game at Miller Park for the first time. I must admit I was impressed. The retractable roof was very welcome on a cold, damp evening in Milwaukee. The Brewers even played a good game, beating the San Diego Padres 2-0. Too bad they lost today though. One of these days Major League Baseball has got to adopt some type of revenue sharing, like professional football and basketball do. It’s the only way small market teams (like the Brewers) will be able to compete. I admit I’m not the worlds biggest baseball fan, but I might be if there would be some hope of different teams playing in the World Series, instead of the same ones that keep buying championships year after year.
Neil Finn: One All
Yesterday I bought a new CD by one of the best singer / songwriters around, Neil Finn. He writes intelligent lyrics, beautiful pop melodies and he can also rock out a bit. The new CD, One All is his second solo album. Listening to music has always done a lot for my psyche and my sanity. Since Neil’s early days with Split Enz and later with Crowded House, his music has always been a big part of my “sanity maintenance collection.” It’s amazing to me that an artist of his caliper doesn’t seem to get the recognition he deserves, a least here in the United States. Hopefully he does better in his native country of New Zealand.
Classical ring tones
When I was at the grocery store today I heard someone’s cell phone ringing using Bach’s Fugue in D minor as the ring tone. I got to thinking about all the cell phones out there that use compositions by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, etc. I wonder what those composers would think if they could hear the music they created being played with those tinny, annoying, electronic tones. I can just hear them now… “Who’s cell phone is that?? I can’t stand that song now! Turn it off!”
Or in Beethoven’s case: “What? They’re using Für Elise on that thing? Thank goodness I’m deaf.”
Wonders of the Universe
The wonders of the universe we live in never cease to amaze me. Today NASA released spectacular pictures taken from a new camera recently installed on the Hubble Space Telescope. Looking at those breathtaking images brings several questions to my mind. Will humans ever see beautiful scenes like this in person? If so, how long until we do? Are there beings out there pointing their telescopes toward our galaxy and pondering these same thoughts?
Earth Day
My thought for Earth Day comes from an old proverb:
“We don’t inherit the Earth from our ancestors,
we borrow it from our children.”
Spring ritual
I’ve discovered that as I get older I have some seasonal rituals which I always do. Okay, the word ritual might be a little strong, maybe I should call them traditions. Anyway, today I performed one of my Spring rituals. Usually on one of the first warmer, sunny days of spring, I head out the door for a long vigorous walk with my walkman attached to my belt and the headphones in my ears. The album I always end up listening to on this first walk of Spring is Shadow Man by Johnny Clegg and Savuuka. It’s a definitely an album to listen to in the springtime with its blending of African and Western pop music styles. In my mind, it’s not Spring until I listen to that as I breathe in the fresh air and walk along the parkway with the sun on my back.
The Robins of Spring
Spring is officially here. Today (about a week after the Spring Equinox) I finally got to experience a full day of sunshine and warm temperatures in the mid 40’s. I know what you’re thinking, but after a week or so of 20 degree, windy weather in Wisconsin, 45 really IS warm. The best sign of Spring I saw today happened when I decided to take the long way home from work and go through the park. As I was driving along I saw this big flock of robins. There must’ve been at least 30 of them. All I could think when I saw this whole flock of robins just hanging out together in the park was, what a great thing to do on such a nice day.