It was Brilliant

Happy Saturday Morning – Back in town. Back to enjoying the town’s Blink. Back to not driving on a leaky tire. Back the battery having recharged – vehicle and body!

Having said all that, the one piece of the ‘puzzle’ that stayed constant was the coffee. Lovely, or as the Brits and Canadians would say, brilliant!

Ben Hur – While in Canada I started to read Ben Hur, a book written by then local Union Major General L. Wallace (the same one who saved my city of Cincinnati from being overrun during the Civil War). I loved Wallace’s opening dedication for his book, so here it is and used by me as my quotation for this week:

“to THE WIFE OF MY YOUTH
who
still abides with me”

Northern Comfort – Our little cabin, Northern Comfort, up north has been sitting idle for way too long. Keep it that way for too long and Mother Nature begins to take ownership. The Dutch have a saying for that situation. I don’t think that there’s a need to translate, it’s pretty obvious.

My lake neighbor said that this winter there had been an inordinate amount of snow. As the melt got underway it reached a point where snow (not sure how many feet, but feet it was) finally slid off the roof. That caused a massive smash onto the stairs that connect yard and deck. The force caused the deck-screws attaching the stairs to the deck to snap.

The fix was a reset and in place of deck screws, four 6” Carriage Bolts took over the task.
Fixed!

Then, I ended up playing lumberjack by cutting 3 growing Pine trees, two of those were right against the cabin.
Fixed!

But there’s more. The snow and winter weather had decimated the tarps which were supposed to protect our SeaNymph fishing boat and the Pontoon.
Fixed!

Screenshot

Plumbers are Great – I hadn’t been up north a day before the call came in. Back home the ladies were experiencing an overflowing toilet. They called our plumber but were advised they could not respond unless the owner ordered the call. So, from the depths of the forest I got a hold of our plumbers. By two o’clock they were on site and unleashed a massive snake on the issue – 60’ to the main line.
Fixed!

And thus it was how I spent a few short days in camp. Truth be told, it could easily have been weeks. Can’t forget, the color was glorious!

Blink – is a big event for our town. What is it? Blink is an internationally celebrated immersive light and art event. Two years ago, it drew interest from artists from here and around the world, with 944 total submissions from artists in 65 countries. That year’s festival featured 37 projection mapping projects, 31 light-based installations, and 19 permanent murals.

This year it extends to 30 city blocks (2.5 miles). The art runs across many mediums including projection mapping, light-based sculpture, interactive installations, and mural works. The only issue is coping with the many, many thousands of fellow ‘gawkers’.

Adrianne, Vai, and I went to the opening which was a drone show, and we then went into Washington Park to see how Music Hall was done up. I shot the video below showing two of the several variations of displays on the building. I loved it!

PS. Do yourself a favor and up the volume a tad.

Bellingham Church – the little church, in nearby to the cabin in Kynoch (a four-house widening in the road), had a celebration for an event almost impossible to repeat. Their church member and their organist, Margaret Reed, had passed earlier this year after being the organist in her church for SEVENTY years (yes, that’s 70). That’s Guiness World record stuff!

Mid way the last century it was Marcia’s dad and my father-in-law, a preacher who would on occasion lead the service at Bellingham United Church while vacationing in the area. Just think, a then young, Margaret Reed could have already been the organist. Wow!

It was a lovely service. At one point a bronze plaque in her remembrance and recognition was unveiled. That, along with a tasty luncheon afterwards – especially so for me during my solo stint.

This week’s Interlude – There was a time in the mid-20th century where in clubs and on radio segregation was the norm. Today’s musical interlude began as a black R&B number. Through a whole series of convolutions, the song became a pop song in England and eventually a college Marching Band number. In time, several decades later it became an official U S State’s R&R track.

Good luck, I know you’ll get it right! Remember, no cheating on the answer.

Enjoy!

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk
BONUS POINTS:

Yesterday was the day that the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded. Over the years many names have been submitted. Which of these names listed below is the one name actually selected as the winner over the years. The actual award is awarded on the day of Alfred Nobel‘s death, the 10th of December since 1901.

1. FIFA
2. Castro
3. Pillay
4. Putin
5. Jackson
6. Hitler
7. Mussolini

Last week’s Bonus Points answer – # 1
Answer, this week’s Interlude: Hang on Sloopy, McCoys