Spring - Vivaldi's Four Seasons

This would be great fun to play.

Windy Days

The wind just keeps blowing and blowing. It's pretty much been windy since I returned with my new canoe (see below). The wind is exhausting to be out in ... I came close to getting an 'ice cream headache' when I walked the dog this morning even though I was wearing a hat.

I'm sure that the windy weather has nothing to do with me getting this canoe but since I brought it home I've only had a chance to get it on the water twice because of the wind. (Lack of wind is good in a canoe.)

New Canoe

Last week the dog and I traveled to southern Washington State to pick up the canoe shown atop Helmut, our trusty (mostly) Westfalia campervan.

I'd discovered the canoe for sale on craigslist (in Portland) and a short roadtrip seemed like a good idea to pick up a canoe that appeared to be in such great condition.

I'd been looking for a new, lighter canoe and had found a couple made by companies in Ontario that looked as if they might fit the bill. However, shipping added on to the cost of the canoe meant I was looking at $3,000 to get the canoe to Victoria. This canoe (Prism) by Wenonah had all the specification I was looking for at a third of the price. The canoe is in very good condition and my first two paddles have been quite satisfying.

Simply Sublime

Impressions of Chopin

A wonderful piano album that I recently downloaded from Emusic ... not jazz, not classical. Still respectful takes on over a dozen piano pieces by Chopin. Inventive and witty and he gets some amazing sounds from his piano. The pianist's website is at:

Here

The music is great but I hope they didn't pay too much for that terrible album cover.

Grouchy ...

grouchy, originally uploaded by flyzipper.

Ok, sometimes I can be a bit cranky. Friends have teased me about it but I've only just come to realize that some people take it quite seriously and find it off-putting. Sometimes I just can't help myself. Some of my pet peeves can send me off into a rant without much provocation.

On the other hand, last week a columnist in the Globe and Mail wrote about a study that had been done that said that grouchy people are often smarter than those who see the world through rose coloured glasses. They question more ... want to know the why of things ... and, unfortunately, I guess, those qualities can make them a bit more cantankerous.

More Matt Alber

Another song from the talented (and adorable) Matt Alber.