RnR Birthdays

Happy Birthday today (1/31) to: Terry Kath, guitarist with Chicago, who would be 59 years old, except he accidentally shot himself in the head... Phil Collins former drummer and lead singer for Genesis, Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music and Harry "K.C." Casey of K.C. and the Sunshine Band are all 54. And "Mr. Congeniality", John Lydon (Johnny Rotten), lead singer of the Sex Pistols, is 49.

Discarded

Last week I was walking in the park at lunch, a crisp clear day, high 30's, crunching through the flats where the lake had receeded after our early January flooding.. I come across this bottle... this old broken bottle... caked in mud... and surrounded by dead leaves.... Almost monochrome... That's it, story's over, gotta take a picture....

I was noticing, this is my second "ARD" shot, after the first ARD, posted 12/27/04. What can it mean? Nikon D70

Sharon D.'s Panning For Gold

Congratulations to Sharon D. for her Second Place Winner from December's contest over at Better Photo. And thanks to Sharon for letting me "borrow" this image for a bit. Be sure and check out Sharon's gallery!

I Need TV But I Got T-Rex

1/29/1972, T-Rex bursts into the Top 40 with their song "Bang A Gong". This one made it all the way up to #10, and remains a Classic Rock mainstay 33 years later...

Jerky Outlet?

Just outside Maryville, TN. Kodak LS443

Got A Feeling Inside......

40 Years ago today (1965) The Who make their first appearance on the British TV rock show "Ready Steady Go!" With the studio audience packed with mods , the band's performance helped put the single "I Can't Explain" into the British top-ten. "I Can't explain" never made the top 40 in the USA......

I Wanna Know......

What's the name of the game?? Yep, 17 years ago today (1/28/1978), everyone's favorite Sweedish band, ABBA, hit the Top 40 with "The Name Of The Game". This one peaked out at #12 on the US charts. It's like a breath of spring, no?

Up the Trail, Into The Sun....

The hiking trail at Silver Lake Park, headed back to the car. For some reason, I've always been drawn to shots that are into the sun... What can it mean?? Meanwhile, this footbridge is the location for yesterday's "Ice Patterns" shot. Still looking forward to spring, when this area will be considerably more "lush"..... Nikon D70

Happy Tom Petty Day!

15 years ago today, TP's hometown of Gainsville, FL declared 1/27 to be "Tom Petty Day"! So breakdown, and dig out those Tom Petty discs, and crank 'em up!!! I especially love the early stuff; "American Girl", "Listen To Her Heart", "Restless"....etc.... Great stuff!

Ice Patterns

I noticed this freeze/thaw pattern in the ice, while wandering around Silver Lake Park the other day. This one was not too far from yesterday's frozen leaf shot. I thought this was pretty cool, but I'm still ready for spring. Nikon D70

Jim Dandy To the Rescue

1/26/1974, Black Oak Arkansas hit the Top 40 with their remake of “Jim Dandy To the rescue”. These guys were probably the biggest thing associated with Arkansas up until Bill Clinton. Jim Dandy made it up to #25, but this is the only B.O.A. song that I remember ever hearing.

POTD at DIC!!

Time for some shameless self promotion! One of my photos won "Photo Of The Day" over at Digital Image Cafe today! That's my first win at that site, yee ha!!

Frozen Leaf...

I was wandering around Silver Lake Park at lunch this week, and came across this leaf, frozen in one of the little creeks feeding the lake. "Little" as in small enough to stand across while taking the picture. But rest assured spring IS coming. Just not quite yet. Nikon D70

The Music Is Reversible, Go Back, Go Back....

1/25/1975, Electric Light Orchestra broke into the top 40 with "Can't Get It Out Of My Head", which would go on to #9.

Ready For Spring...

Still a bit off, but it feels like the world is ready to break free.... Nikon D70 DSLR

Excitable Boy They All Say.....

58 years ago today (1/24/1947), Warren Zevon was born. Sadly, Warren died in 2003 of cancer. Accidentally like a martyr.

Rocky .....

Another Feeebird, Falling From The Sky...

15 years ago today (1/23/1990) Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Allen Collins dies of complications from pneumonia in Jacsonville, FL. He was only 37. AC had been paralyzed since a drunk driving accident (he was the driver) in which his girlfriend was killed. One of the great guitar playes of our time, taken too soon. Hoe sad to have survived the plane crash, then to throw his life away....

afoot

Self portrait, of sorts..... Sorry about it. Nikon D70 DSLR copyright L.P.Lawhead

On a morning from a Bogart movie......

"In a country where they turned back time"......
On this day (1/21) in 1977 Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat" entered the top 40. His first Top 40 hit, it peaked at #8. While perhaps overplayed, YOTC is a really great song, with some wonderful lyrics. "She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running Like a watercolour in the rain".

Deep Green Day

A shot from last summer, I'm missing the warm weather these days....
Kodak LS443, Simplified in Photoshop Elements. Copyright L.P.Lawhead

Layla....... I’m begging, darling please.

1/21/1966 - Beatle George Harrison married Patti Boyd. The couple later divorced and she subsequently remarried Eric Clapton . Patti Harrison was the inspiration for Clapton's song "Layla", when she was still married to George. Derek and The Dominoe's "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" remains one of my favorite albums, approaching 35 years since it's release.

Just Shoot Me #924

Breaking into the charts today (1/21) in 1978: "Happy Anniversary Baby" by Little River Band. This song made it up to #16, but has lingered through the last 27 years to keep tormenting us. Let's just say I'm not a big fan. I could never figure out why LRB was popular then, much less now.... Weren't these guys part of our strange obsession with anything Australian??

Reflecting the Cliffs

Walking along the beach at Torrey Pines State Reserve, I saw this pool of water. I liked the white rock contrasted with the black-"highlights" in the sand, with the reflected cliffs and blue sky... blah, blah, blah..... Kodak DC210 Digicam

Do Ya Do Ya Do Ya Wanna Dance?

Making it's debut in the Top 40 on this day (1/20) in 1973, "Do You Wanna Dance" by Bette Middler. A wonderful, slow and sultry remake of a song with 3 previous charting versions. Bette's version made it to #17. Of course, in 1978, this tune was completely redefined by the Ramones.

Pacific Ocean from TPSR

.
Getting to the end of the Torrey Pines State Reserve shots... Another shot of the ocean from Guy Flemming Trail. You can almost see where the rental car is parked, just past where the cliff exits the right-hand frame.... Kodak DC210, Photoshop Elements

And The Road Goes On Forever......

Hitting the Top 40 this day (1/19) in 1974: Midnight Rider by Gregg Allman. This is Gregg's version of the Allman Brothers song, just slightly different, and just slightly better. It peaked at #19, pretty good for a non-"pop" record. One of my all time fav's, and provided to title for the best ABB hits Album:

.

On The Road Again.... (2)

.
Still life, Marriott San Diego Del Mar, CA. a "readymade" shot of last week's home-away-from-home... Sort of a follow up to On The Road Again from back in November... Kodak DC210 adjusted in Print Shop ELements.

Better Photo Finalists!

The December finalists are finally posted at BetterPhoto.com. A great place to see some great photography!! I've got 1 finalist...... feel free to seek it out.

Your Bulldog Drinks Champagne....

30 years ago today (1/18/1975), Jim Stafford hit Top 40 with "Your Bulldog...." Frankly, I don't remember ever hearing this one, though it made it up to #24. I do remember 3 other songs which debuted on the charts 1/18/75: "Lonely People" by America peaked at #5, "Lady" by Styx made it to #6, and "Nightingale" by Carole King reached #9....

Long Way Down....

.
Looking over the cliffs at Torrey Pines State Reserve, towards the Pacific Ocean. This is from the north end of the Guy Flemming Trail.

And love's so distant and obscure.....

Entering the Top 40 29 years ago today (1/17): “All By Myself” by ex-Raspberries lead singer Eric Carmen. This somewhat whiney song made it all the way up to #2. Just imagine the Celine Dion cover version. The main notable fact about this song is that the melody is lifted directly from Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto #2. I didn’t discover this until 1980 or so, when listening to Rachmaninoff for the first time…..

Can't Explain

15 years ago today, The Kinks and The Who (along with some other less notables) are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The ceremonies are held at New York's Waldorf Astoria, even though the RRHOF is in Cleveland. That says a lot, huh?

We Must Learn To Live Together As Brothers.....

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools" Martin Luther King Jr.

On the day we set aside in rememberace.

Plane Tails......

.
Another repost, gotta get my computers all straight......
Plane tails at sunrise on a snowy morning.....

Cliff-face, Torrey Pines

Another shot from last week's trip to San Diego area. Walking along the beach, by the sandstone cliffs...

The Kid.......

Born today (1/15) in 1948, Ronnie Van Zant, lead singer, songwriter, heart and soul of Lynyrd Skynyrd. RVZ would be 57, if not for the crash....

Do You Remember.....

Walking in the sand... (Remember) Walking Hand In hand...
Lookng down at the Pacific Ocean beach, from the cliffs at Torrey Pines State Reserve.

Fame, Fame, Fame, Fame

39 years ago today (1966) , David Jones changes his last name to Bowie to avoid confusion with Davy Jones from the Monkees.

Torrey Pines

Sandstone formation, Torrey Pines State Reserve, north of San Diego. Not far from the trailhead on the Guy Flemming Trail. The Torrey Pines reserve was only a mile of so from the hotel this week, managed to spend a LITTLE time there.

Hey Kids, Rock N Roll.....

ROCK ON...... 1/12/1974, David Essex's anthem "Rock On" debuts on the top 40. This little ditty made it all the way to #5. "And where do we go from here? Which is the way that's clear? Still looking for that...... "

May Be The Last Time, I Don't Know.....

A repost....... Hey, I'm travelling......

running.

Frosty??

My not-quite-4 -year-old son made his first snowman yesterday, with only a bit of help from dad. With a hat and scarf donated by his sister, he has everything he needs (but arms!). The Nilla Wafers fo eyes were NOT my idea.

Snowy Night

Cold Friday night, rented a movie from Blockbuster, picked up from Pizza Hut, made a fire in the firplace, settled back with the family... nice way to spend an eveining. Closing up for the night, looked out the back door and discovered it had snowed 4 inches!! It really was beautiful, decided to try out the new Digital SLR under low light conditions.... Nikon D70, 3.0 second exposure @ f-3.8

Gray & Rainy

Kind of makes you long for spring... Nikon D70

They Waited For Him Winterlong?

34 years ago today (1/6/1971) Neil Young returns to his homeland of Canada for his first concert there since his pre-stardom days.

Come Hell Or High Water.....

Reposted from 1/6/05.... St. Louis area had almost 6" of rain in the first 4 days of 2005.... everything was saturated. This is the boat launch at Silver Lake, 1/5/05. I don't think I've seen it this high since the great flood of '93.

.