Thursday, June 30, 2016

Peter Piper.....

Found this so interesting:



I'm not the pheasant plucker,
I'm the pheasant plucker's mate.
I'm only plucking pheasants
'Cause the pheasant plucker's late.

 That bloke's back bike brake-block broke.

 I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, upon a slitted sheet I sit

 Bitty Batter bought some butter
“But,” said she, “this butter’s bitter.
If I put it in my batter,
It will make my batter bitter.”
So she bought some better butter,
And she put the better butter in the bitter batter,
And made the bitter batter better.


Try 'em all!

 Bwahahaha!

:o)



Today's funny :o)












Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Ah, Summer!



Big, puffy white clouds, a warm breeze...

 

..... a  perfect day for laundry!


Even the flypaper is working wonders with those nasty critters:



Came out on the deck with the treat container - those old birds can sure run fast when they want to!


Lots of goodies in there for them. When I sit down in the pen, they line up and wait their turn!



 Such happy little chicken faces!


(All is good in Coopville... until the container is empty!)
 

:o)




Thor's Well





Thor's Well



Sitting on the edge of the Oregon coast is what appears to be a gaping sinkhole that never seems to fill despite the unbroken stream of sea water that drains into it, but Thor's Well, as the natural wonder is known, is not bottomless, but it is very dangerous.

Also known as the drainpipe of the Pacific, the well is actually a hole in the rock that only appears to drain water from the ocean. In reality the huge hole is likely only around 20 feet deep. Even if the well is not quite as magic as it seems, it still manages to produce amazing sights, but is not for the faint of heart.
The site is said to be most spectacular at high tide, or during storms when water washes violently over the rocks and falls back through the hole. During these sudden torrents, unsuspecting visitors to the site run the risk of being swept right into the maelstrom, in which survival seems unlikely. Regardless of the risks, photographers and nature lovers continue to flock to the stunning fountain in the hopes of getting that perfect shot of the aggressive waters that live up to their namesake's stormy personality.


 Source: http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/thor-s-well
 
H/T to wild river!





:o)




Let's go for a ride!

Our monthly trip to the "dump ..er - recycling center, I mean...



 The pond is full!


 Bales of hay:


 The "honey dipper":


 More hay:


 With so much of the dang stuff around here, I don't understand why it is so expensive:

 Fence and gates:




 We take 94 north:

(Did you notice - only one car)!
 
The road to the center:


 Heading back home - no traffic at all!


:o)



Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Got spark plugs?



Found these while wandering around the webz!  Enjoy!







 






What's on your workbench?
:o)



Today's funny :o)











An ordinary day....


Getting visitors:


 Found some raccoon fur. Didn't see the rest of it.....
 

 Looking for bugs:


 These WERE my cucumbers. Chipmunks got 'em the night they were
 transplanted 
in the fenced-in garden...


 Hardworking Hubby taking a break to watch the grass grow:


Just the gang taking a late afternoon stroll.



Not much going on here. Will be getting Charlie some girlfriends at the end of July - he's getting
 fat and lazy and could use some exercise!

:o)



Monday, June 27, 2016

Go Navy!

Amazing!






The uncut and full version of the performance of the US Navy Presidential Ceremonial Honor Guard Drill Team at Norway.

Established in 1931, the United States Navy Ceremonial Guard is the official ceremonial unit of the Navy. Located at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, DC, the Navy Ceremonial Guard’s primary mission is to represent the service in Presidential, Joint Armed Forces, Navy, and public ceremonies in and around the nation’s capital.

Members of the Navy Ceremonial Guard participate in some of our nation’s most prestigious ceremonies, including Presidential inaugurations and arrival ceremonies for foreign officials.  In addition, the Navy Ceremonial Guard serves as the  funeral escort and conducts all services for Navy personnel buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
:o)





Today's funny :o)






:o)



For Barb!

The lilies of Coopville....















We have soooo many of them and every year there are more and more. It's about the only plant that I cant kill, even when I transplant them!


:o)






Sunday, June 26, 2016

Easy Listening for a Sunday Afternoon

Chris Botti





Chris Botti

Chris Botti at Thorton Winery 2006 retouched.jpg
Background information
Born October 12, 1962 (age 53)
Portland, Oregon, United States
Genres Jazz, smooth jazz
Occupation(s) Trumpeter, radio presenter
Instruments Trumpet
Labels Verve Records, GRP Records, Columbia Records, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment
Website chrisbotti.com


Botti plays a Martin Committee large-bore Handcraft trumpet made in 1939, and uses a No. 3 silver-plated mouthpiece from Bach made in 1926, having recently retired his 1920 3C Bach mouthpiece. He uses a Leblanc Vacchiano Harmon mute from the 1950s


Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Botti


Saturday, June 25, 2016

At the Hop!

Ruby and the Romantics!







Ruby & the Romantics

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ruby & the Romantics, 1965. Clockwise from bottom left: George Lee, Ronald Mosely, Ruby Nash, Leroy Fann, Ed Roberts
 
Ruby & the Romantics were an Akron, Ohio-based American R&B group in the 1960s. The group had several pop and R&B hit records, but are sometimes wrongly considered as a one-hit wonder for topping the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1963 with their first recording, "Our Day Will Come". The song, written by Mort Garson and Bob Hilliard, was a world-wide hit, reaching No. 1 and selling over one million copies in the US, also topped the Billboard R&B chart at # 1, and peaked at #38 in the UK Singles Chart. it also reached No. 11 on the Australian Charts.

They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2007, and are winners of The Rhythm and Blues Foundation's prestigious Pioneer Award. In 1963, they were also nominated by The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for the Best Rock and Roll Recording for "Our Day Will Come".The members of the group were: Ruby Nash, George Lee, Ronald Mosely, Leroy Fann and Ed Roberts. Despite their relative obscurity compared to many of their '60's contemporaries, Ruby and The Romantics reign as one of the most-covered and influential R&B vocal groups of the 1960s. In 2013, Ruby & The Romantics became charter inductees into the inaugural class of the new Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

History

Ruby Nash, the female lead of the group, originally sang with a group, consisting of her sister and three friends. They sang at record hops, mixers, talent shows and clubs in Akron and surrounding areas. Ruby attended Central High School in Akron. No one knew she could sing until after she graduated from high school. Some of the male members of the Romantics sang with The Embers. Eventually, The Embers became known as The Supremes (not to be confused with The Supremes of Motown Records fame), and then The Feilos.

Since they all grew up in Akron and knew each other, Leroy Fann, a member of The Feilos, (pronounced FAY-LOWS) asked Ruby to sing with them on occasions. After auditioning, the group was signed to New York-based Kapp Records; Kapp Records artist and repertoire chief Allen Stanton changed their name to "Ruby & the Romantics". Their hit song was originally intended for another artist on the label,crooner Jack Jones of "Wives and Lovers" fame, but the group saw its potential and persuaded Stanton to let them record it.Their song became a smash, going all the way to # 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Chart, as well as reaching # 1 on the Billboard R&B Chart.


By the year 1963,The group's next release, "My Summer Love", reached The Top 20, charting at No. 16 on the Hot 100 and a third release, the original version of "Hey There Lonely Boy" climbed to No. 27. Several more singles were released by Kapp which generally achieved minor chart status. A short spell with ABC resulting in three singles and an album was unsuccessful. A single for A&M in 1969, "Hurting Each Other", saw them re-united with Allen Stanton. Originally recorded by Jimmy Clanton some years earlier, it proved to be their final recording before the group broke up in 1971.

Cover versions and influence

Ruby & The Romantics were known throughout the music industry for their smooth, rich, full-range harmonies-from high tenor, to deep, abyssmal bass. In a 2011 interview with Ruby, Tom Meros of Rock and Roll Universe revealed that, according to Damon Harris, David Ruffin, and Eddie Kendricks of The Temptations ,the background harmonies of Ruby & The Romantics on "Our Day Will Come",actually served as the original model for The Temptations' background harmonies in 1963. In this, The Romantics proved very influential.The group was also very influential on the music of The Carpenters, who recorded no less than three of their tunes (see below),and Donny and Marie Osmond, who also covered several of their songs.

In another measure of the group's profound influence,several of the songs they recorded went on to become hits or important recordings for other artists, such as "Hey There Lonely Boy" (which was recorded by Eddie Holman as "Hey There Lonely Girl" and peaked in the US at No. 2 in February 1970). It was also covered by Martha & The Vandellas, Stacy Lattisaw, Donny Osmond, Will Downing, The Softones, Shaun Cassidy, Barry Biggs, and Robert John. "Hurting Each Other" recorded for A&M in 1969 which became a No. 2 hit for The Carpenters three years later; The Carpenters also covered their song "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore", which reached # 12 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, and also their hit "Our Day Will Come" The group's hit "Young Wings Can Fly" has been covered by Titus Turner, The Essex, Johnny & The Attractions, Tähti Kaukainen, and a cappella group Windsong The Romantics' hit, "When You're Young and in Love" was covered by the Motown group The Marvelettes which peaked at No. 23 in the US in May 1967.It was also covered by Ralph Carter (of the T.V. series "Good Times"), and The Choice Four,both of whom reached the Pop & R&B Charts with their versions in the autumn of 1975.Stacy Lattisaw also covered the song in 1979 . The song has also been recorded by Donny and Marie – as "(When You're) Young and in Love" – and the Jets. British a cappella band The Flying Pickets also took the song to No. 7 in the UK Singles Chart in 1984).

 Additionally, "Our Day Will Come" has had over 60 recorded cover versions by other artists, including Frankie Valli, (whose version peaked at No. 11 in the US in the fall of 1975), Cher, Donny and Marie Osmond, Bobby Darin, Patti Page, Dee Dee Sharp, Pat Boone, Amy Winehouse, Nancy Wilson, Trini Lopez, The Supremes, Cliff Richard, James Brown, The Slackers and numerous others. The Searchers covered their song "Does He [She] Really Care for Me".
The "Romantics" were:
  • Ruby Nash (lead singer) - still alive and living in Ohio as of 2014.
  • Ed Roberts (second tenor) – worked as a bank teller and died of cancer on August 15, 1993.
  • George Lee (first tenor) – died of cancer in 1994
  • Ronald Mosley (baritone) – died on December 3, 2011. He was 72
  • Leroy Fann (bass) – died of an apparent heart attack in New York in November 1973.
Contrary to popular belief, Ruby & The Romantics had remained intact, with all five original members, throughout their entire 10-year recording career, (1961–1971), as confirmed by Ruby in an interview in 2008 with Marv Goldberg (R&B Notebooks). She returned to the Akron, Ohio area after the break-up and remained there as of 2012. As of 2013, Ruby is the only surviving original member of the Romantics. Neither she nor any of the descendants of The Romantics receive any royalties for the group's hit records.


The "Last FM" website stated: "Ruby & The Romantics continued to produce outstanding music such as "By The Way", "(When You're) Young and in Love" and many more favorites. Fans of the group continue to place them among the best groups of the 1960s."
iTunes referred to Ruby and The Romantics as "One of the great male/female soul vocal groups.Ruby & the Romantics had an epic single in 1963 with "Our Day Will Come." It topped both the pop and R&B charts and for many is the definitive love/angst track."

In August 2013, Ruby & The Romantics became charter inductees into the new Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.



Friday, June 24, 2016

Friday Night Steam

Wonderful steam in the Netherlands
& Germany. No stats tonight, just sit back and enjoy!

Oh, those whistles!


 :o)


Today's funny :o)









Travel time!

Just some pics from Tuesday when we went to the graduation. 

We passed through many small towns.....



.... and many farms:



Lots and lots of Victorian homes to admire!




It took us almost two hours to get to the ceremonies - Hubby and I forgot about ALL the traffic!





 Would have loved to go down some of the side streets - the homes were beautiful.




 This is the M&M factory - it is enormous!


It was a wonderful, exciting day and so glad that we were able to be there, but it sure
 was good to get home!

:o)