Salem College - Founded 1772

We're just back from a Thanksgiving trip to North Carolina.  My younger daughter works at Salem College.  My mother was from Winston-Salem, and we still have lots of relatives in and around the area.  And my brother and his family came down from Pittsburgh.  It was a great week!  More pictures to come!

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Thanksgiving Sunset

Hope everybdody had a great Thanksgiving!   Take the time to remember the important things, the blessings we often overlook.  We had a beautiful sunset to close a super day, hanging out with family.

Genius Playlist #41,961 - Bare Trees

On my iPod yesterday, getting me through the work day!

• Bare Trees - Fleetwood Mac (pre Buckingham Nicks)  SEED SONG
• Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave - Dave Mason (post-Traffic)
• Questions 67 ad 68 - Chicago
• Be Free - Loggins and Messina
• Roads To Moscow - Al Stewart
• The Royal Scam - Steely Dan
• Illinois - Dan Fogelberg
• Pre-Road Downs - Crosby Stills and Nash
• Living Ain't Living - Firefall
• Chicago - Grahan Nash
• Heroes Are Hard To Find - Fleetwood Mac
• Carry Me - Crosby and Nash
• Feeling Alright- Dave Mason
• One Fine Morning - Lighthouse
• Angry Eyes - Loggins and Messina
• Monkey In Your Soul - Steely Dan
• Nostradamus - Al Stewart
• Child Of Mine - Fleetwood Mac
• Holding On To Yesterday - Ambrosia
• I'm Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight - Atlanta Rhythm Section
• Only You Know And I Know - Dave Mason
• Morning Sky - Don Fogelberg
• Blue Money - Van Morrison
• 49 Bye-Byes - Crosy Stills and Nash
• Turn That Heartbeat Over Again - Steely Dan

I'll rate that pretty highly.Good job ITunes!  I was going to make a spotify playlist....  but they didn't have the 1st song, so I punted. 

I was so satisfied, I started a new playlist with song "Dream Of The Archer" by Heart.  I guess that was asking too much, because that playlist didn't last more than 5-6 songs before I gave up.  Hit and Miss.

Hanging On

I was amused by these few leaves, who haven't realized the futility of it all...

OK, amused is too strong.  And the whole anthropomorphized leaves is a bit overblown, I suppose.  Call it poetic license, even though this isn't poetry.

Late Afternoon, Late Autumn...

Another from yesterday's visit to Watershed Nature Center.  There were more bare trees than color, but that's OK.

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Seasonal Transitions

Eleven days (11) before thanksgiving, and it is snowing in the heartland.  I guess it makes sense, since most of the stores .are in full Christmas mode, and several radio stations have started playing Christmas music. I'll wait until after Thanksgiving, Thanks you...

The title is an homage to a post from John R. over at My Viewfinder 2.  Which sports a much better photograph than this one. Hopefully John agrees with the homage title, rather than "Blatant Rip Off"!

A Little Wildlife

I made a late afternoon visit to Watershed Nature Center.  As I walked the loop, several deer crossed my the path.  And then stopped to pose.  A very cool encounter...

The first photo here is actually the last one I took.

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First image...  One of the deer is off screen to the left.  The one on the left wandered off, but the other just stood and stared.

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I was able to walk quite close, I got within 30 or 40 ft.  And was able to snape 3 or 4 images.

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Eventually, the deer trotted off.

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Afterwards, I turned around and saw another deer behind me!  

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November 1974

A little late this month, but continuing the series, (Jan, Feb, Mar ,Apr, June, July, Aug, Sep, Oct):

November 1974... 40 years ago this month. 

Meanwhile....  What was happening in music?

Albums released in November include:

• Heart Like A Wheel - Linda Ronstadt (#164 on Top 500 Albums)
• Cantamos - Poco
• Autobahn - Kraftwerk
• The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - Genesis
• Fire On The Mountain - Charlie Daniels Band

I've had all of these since they were current.....


As for singles, 4 songs topped the charts in (the 5 weeks) of November 1974:

• I Can Help - Billy Swan (10/23/74 and 10/30/74)
• You Haven't Done Nothing - Stevie Wonder (11/2/74)
• You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman Turner Overdrive (11/9/74)
• Whatever Gets You Through The Night - John lennon (11/16/74)

A few really good songs made their Top 40 chart debuts.  Notables (IMHO) include:

• Junior's Farm - Paul McCartney (peaked at #3)
• Bungle In the Jungle (peaked at #12)
• Ain't Too Proud To Beg - Rolling Stones (peaked at #17)
• Willie And The Hand Jive - Eric Clapton (peaked at #26)

Pop Music - November 1974

Wordle from lyrics of Kung Fu Fighting

October, 1974...   US files anti-trust suit to break up AT&T...  And the UN General Assembly granted  "Observer Status" to the PLO...

Looking at American Top 40 charts for November, 1974... 40 years ago this month: What songs made their Top 40 debut? What was new and trending?

Well, there were 29 songs entering the Top 40 during November(5 weeks).  Includinf four (4)eventual #1s!  Here they are, ranked by eventual peak:

• Laughter In The Rain  - Neil Sedaka - #1
• Cat's In The Cradle  - Harry Chapin - #1
• Kung Fu Fighting  - Carl Douglas - #1
• Angie Baby  - Helen Reddy - #1
• You're The First, The Last, My Everything  - Barry White - #2
• Boogie On Reggae Woman  - Stevie Wonder - #3
• Junior's Farm  - Paul McCartney - #3
• Only You  - Ringo Starr - #6
• Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)  - Al Green - #7
• One Man Woman/One Woman Man  - Paul Anka - #7
• You Got The Love  - Rufus - #11
• Bungle In The Jungle  - Jethro Tull - #12
• Must Of Got Lost  - J. Geils Band - #12
• Fairytale  - Pointer Sisters - #13
• Promised Land  - Elvis Presley - #14
• Ain't Too Proud To Beg  - Rolling Stones - #17
• Touch Me  - Fancy - #19
• I Feel A Song (In My Heart)  - Gladys Knight & The Pips - #21
• Woman To Woman  - Shirley Brown - #22
• After The Goldrush  - Prelude - #22
• Willie And The Hand Jive  - Eric Clapton - #26
• Fire, Baby I'm On Fire  - Andy Kim - #28
• La La Peace Song  - Al Wilson - #30
• Let's Straighten It Out  - Latimore - #31
• Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)  - Three Dog Night - #33
• You Can Have Her  - Sam Neely - #34
• Doraville  - Atlanta Rhythm Section - #35
• Three Ring Circus  - Blue Magic - #36
• Whatever You Got, I Want  - Jackson 5 - 38

I was actually able to find 25 of these 29 songs on Spotify.  And added to a playlist covering all of 1974.  It includes 228 of the 251 songs which entered the Top 40 in the entirety of 1974. I'm pretty impressed that they have over 90% of these songs...
Check it out: http://open.spotify.com/user/lsqrd42/playlist/23G0cY9o6mflTaGwievQ9z

Late Autumn, St. Ellen Mine Park

I suppose it is technically mid Autumn, but we' saw our first dusting of snow yesterday, so I'm sticking with "late" Autumn.  This was taken last Wednesday, a brisk but pretty day.

And I Need You More Than Want You...

 

 

Witchita Lineman.  written by Jimmy Webb, and a hit for Glen Campbell in 1968.  And covered by contless folk.  Campbell's version peaked at #1 on the Country Charts, and #3 on the Pop Charts.  More than 35 years later, it was ranked #192 on Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.  (Revised down to #195 on the 2011 version).  It has been a favorite of mine since it was current. 

 

I am a lineman for the county, And I drive the main road
Searchin' in the sun for another overload

I hear you singin' in the wire, I can hear you through the whine
And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line

 

I know I need a small vacation, But it don't look like rain
And if it snows that stretch Down South won't ever stand the strain

And I need you more than want you, And I want you for all time
And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line

 

And I need you more than want you, And I want you for all time
And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line

 

 

Image is from fall 2012, I recropped and added the text.

Veterans Day 11/11/14

Another image from last Sunday's Veterans Day observance in Glen Carbon, IL.

THANKS AGAIN to all our vets!

Veterans Day 2014

Veterans Day is officially until Tuesday (11/11).  But our community does an observance on the closest Sunday.  Which was today.  My son's scout troop participated, and I managed a few images. here's one...

Thanks to all who have served, and are serving, or will serve!

Piano Recital 2014-11-08

My son at his recital today.  He played Waterfall (ENYA) and Take5 (Dave Brubek) during the recital.  And then played some "after music", mostly excerpts from Peer Gynt.  Try this video.

He's getting quite good...

Reflections #41,944

Just a little "something" taken yesterday morning, wandering the bike trails at SIUE...

Grave On The Prairie

On the campus of SIUE, surrounded by restored prairie, there's a small graveyard.  I've taken photos here before, but it has been several years.  But I had a chance to wander over there this morning, and nabbed a few images.  The dominant feature is a obelisk gravestone, the writing is worn and illegible.  I haven't been able to find information on the site...  I used to know, but it has been too long.

There are a couple of other small gravestones here, but mostly overgrown:

If anybody knows more, feel free to enlighten us in the comments!