Wacky

We escaped the severe damage that could have happened. Today the temperature is up to 17C and it's gusty. This isn't over but it sure is less wild than was forecast. Sadly I see in the news that there have been some crazy heavy snowfalls in the prairies. And heavy rainfall led to mud slides that hit parts of California already stripped of trees by serious fires earlier this year. Wacky!

Wild

Today the temperature has gone to 21C and that's very warm for October 26.. The heat will cause havoc this evening as it cools down. The winds should start blowing violently and fast as the thunderstorms erupt! Already the sky is an eerie grey. Outside my hotel window, across the street by the conference centre, the flags flutter and suggest the wind's coming up from the south west. Wild westerlies?? Hopefully not too wild.!

SammieSue

Happy Birthday wishes are in order for our 'SammieSue'. 

This Saturday is her birthday. Buddy loves his sister. It was his wish to buy her a new winter jacket and a watch. A surprise edible bouquet from her sister is on order. And I get to bake her a cake and pay for her much needed Honda repair. Mr.K's making time to take her to see 'Wicked'. She'll be celebrating with her friends too. Lucky lady! :)

MARIANNE

      Common Chicory            Blue Cornflower  

This is a wild flower I have loved from the time my mother, Marianne, pointed it out to me and I was able to remember it. It has become symbolic for me. It is fused in my mind with fond memories of my mom. Her life was not an easy  one. I shall write more about her but not today. I am feeling too blue.
The sadness comes from not understanding the forces stacked up against my ways. My brand new (less than one week old) MacBook Pro is showing me that I have untrusted keychain certificates. How can that be? A cable ethernet IP address is telling me that I'm logged into a 'bot' net with some BELLNEXIA-11 thing. But I'm not using any ethernet connection!! And these are not a new events for me. I have struggled with this and ID issues for a long time.
As I type this an eery silence falls over my home. All the fans stop. Everything seems to be on alert. Is it because I'm her daughter? Or? His wife? Taxman hubby. My keyboard just relit itself. It had gone off. It liked the word 'wife'. LOL! 
There's a story waiting to be told. Alerts are everywhere and I'm not referring to the calendar kind but some 'ESP' ones. I sense them. I wish I understood them. I think I hear them. I imagine I see them but do I?  Do others? Spirits pushing alerts? Is Marianne involved? How wacky will it get? Spooky October!

A Burr Thing

Wild or whacky?
In my previous post, sometime in September the burrs were covered with spider silk. The spider did not stay long. It's outcome is your guess  Chance plays a timely role in all things. Here it is; I stumbled upon something odd as I googled 'sticky burrs' yesterday and that took my post into a completely different direction. I have always likes books. In my early school days I managed to read every book that was catalogued in our school library by the time I reached the eighth grade. When new books came in they were given to me first. I was proud of that honour especially since English was not my first language. My passion for children's literature remains but it's a bit of a mystery how some material seems to find me.  Sticky Burr is the main character in a relatively new children's book series, "The Wonderful World of Sticky Burr". I imagine kids who like creepy, crawly things might enjoy it. Seems Sticky Burr is as talented as his multimedia young author, John Lechner. Would his books be a worthwhile Hallowe'en treat? You can see for yourself by getting a glimpse here.

Sticky Situation

WILD or WHACKY?
Strands of a silky substance are connecting the burrs which are themselves rather sticky. I guess that could be considered a double whammy or a very sticky situation.  Wild life offers us many interesting webs to unravel. Our curiosity can lead us to seek out some fascinating facts. What creature left it's silky strands on this plant? Why? Is it possible to figure out the season from the photo? 

Vibrating Echos

How often had I drifted to sleep to the sound of Dad playing the piano? Countless nights since the arrival of his brand new WINTER apartment size piano bought from the Queen Street Eaton's store in May 1958. He  loved this instrument and used it daily playing the music of Schumann and Chopin as much as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. He tended to labour more on pieces by the two former composers perhaps because he found them more challenging? I heard them even in my sleep. My room was directly over that piano. It was comforting to be serenaded nightly. It was part of a routine, a good one that ended tragically in September 1962.
Yesterday was our first concert outing for this season. After a lovely dinner at the Elephant and the Castle on King Street, we strolled over to Roy Thomson Hall on Simcoe Street for the TSO opening night. The programme was to highlight the music of two composers celebrating their bicentennial, Schumann and Chopin. Guest artist Louis Lortie, pianist, was performing to mark the occasion.
As his fingers danced over the keys and the melodies of Schumann's piano concerto in A minor op.54 reached my ears it was as if I had been transported back in time. I knew the melody so well. I was deeply touched. A thunder of applause let me know it was over. WOW!!
After intermission Lortie played again. This time it was Chopin's Andante spianato and Grand Polonaise op.22.  My senses were reawakened to another deluge of very familiar tunes. Who knew that I would be so emotionally entwined with the vibrations echoing from that grand piano? And my days of bedtime routine were flooding through me. I cannot describe that feeling except to say it was simply comforting. Peaceful. Although there was a full orchestra present and playing, my mind elevated the piano part and transported us to a place I had forgotten. Blissful moment. Sweet. Calming. One more time. Timeless. The celebration of great art is it's timelessness. And I guess I had a first hand experience of just that.
As I type this and reflect I wonder if my recent 'Heidi' posts have awakened something sweet, my dad's spirit? October is here and with it come some wild and wacky moments. Let the fun begin!