You Don't Miss Your Water, Till Your Well Runs Dry

Yesterday morning (Wednesday) we woke up to no water at all.  Not even a gurgle from the taps.  Turns out that our entire village was out of water.  And that they had no idea where the break was or when they would be able to fix it!!  By Wednesday evening, they still hadn't identified where the break was, and speculation was that we'd possibly be out through the weekend.  So we "borrowed" 20-30 gallons of from the neighbor's (above ground) pool, so we could at least flush...  And the Village was giving out flats of drinking water, so be picked up some of that.  And borrowed quick showers from friends outside the affected area.  Ah, drama.

By mid afternoon today, they found the problem, and were working on repairs.  A couple hours later, and we have water!  Still under a boil order, and probably will be for a while.  Lots of appreciation for the folks who worked to find/fix the problem, and the folks who did what they could to help everybody out.  It was great to see people pull together.  But I'm glad that our adventure was not even 48 hours.

The post title is (of course) a reference to the song from the Byrds' classic album Sweatheart Of The Rodeo.....  The photo is from a few years ago, near Pontiac IL.

American Top 40, 1/27/1973

Topping the charts this week in 1973:

1.  Superstition - Stevie Wonder
2. You're So Vain - Carly Simon
3. Crocodile Rock - Elton John
4. Your Mama Don't Dance - Loggins & Messina
5. Why Can't We Live Together - Timmy Thomas
6. Me And Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
7. Oh, Babe, What Would You Say? - Hurricane Smith
8. Trouble Man - Marvin Gaye
9. Rockin' Pneumonia - Boogie Woogie Flu - Johnny Rivers
10. The World Is A Ghetto - War

Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" takes over #1, displacing "You're So Vain".  Only 1 new song in the Top 10, with "The World Is A Ghetto" replacing "Superfly"

  And a bunch of notable Top 100 debuts:

• Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack
• Space Oddity - David Bowie
• Don't Cross The River - America
• Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye) - Gladys Knight And The Pips
• Dead Skunk - Louden Wainwright III

Slice Of Life #41298.72

Sunset this evening, on the commute home.  I actually pulled off on a side road so that I could safely make the shot.  Just off Rt. 159, just north of Fairview Heights.

The Ballad Of...

No, not Power Ballads, that's a whole 'nother list.  But "a form of verse, often a narrative set to music."

So I made a playlist:

• The Ballad Of A Thin Man - Bob Dylan
• The Ballad Of A Well Known Gun - Elton John
• The Ballad Of Billy The Kid - Billy Joel
• The Ballad Of Curtis Lowe - Lynyrd Skynyrd
• The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-34) - Elton John
• The Ballad Of Dwight Fry - Alice Cooper
• The Ballad Of Hollis Brown - Stephen Stills
• The Ballad Of Irving - Frank Gallop
• The Ballad Of John And Yoko - Beatles
• The Ballad Of Lois Malone - Atlanta Rhythm Section
• The Ballad Of Mad Dogs And Englishmen - Leon Russell
• The Ballad Of Possom Potez - Rodney Crowell
• The Ballad Of The Night The Clocks All Quit And The Government Failed - Tonio K.
• The Ballad Of TV Violence (I'm Not The Only Boy) - Cheap Trick

 Interesting collection of songs.  Only two of which made the Top 40 (Ballad Of John And Yoko, at #8, and The Ballad Of Irving, at #34).

 

Other Ballads to hit the Top 40:

 

• Ballad Of A Teenage Queen - Johnny Cash (1958, #16)
• Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde - Goergie Fame And The Blue Flames (1968, #7)
• 
  Ballad Of Davy Crockett  - 4 different versions, all in 1955:  Bill Hayes (#1), Fess Parker (#5),  Tennessee Ernie Ford (#5) and Walter Schuman (#14)....  Oh those wacky 50's!
• The Ballad Of Jayne - L.A. Guns (1990, #33)
• The Ballad Of Paladin - Duane Eddy (1962, #33)
• The Ballad Of The Alamo - Marty Robbins (1960, #34)
• The Ballad Of The Green Berets - S/Sgt. BArry Sadker (1966, #1)
• Love Ballad - 2 versions: George Benson (1979, #18), L.T.D. (1976, #20)

Any other great Ballads??

Slice Of Life #41296.53

Another from yesterday's lunch....   I'll never get used to seagulls in the snow, 700 miles from the ocean.  But they're pretty common around here.  Maybe it's because we're only 11 miles from the Mississippi River.

Regardless, I was trying to take a photo of the patterns of snow, ice and water on the lake.  There were a dozen or more seagulls huddled on the ice, and when I opened the car window (you don't think I was getting out, do you?  It was COLD!), they decided to come see if I was bringing food.

Slice Of Life #41296.51

A solitary figure braving the cold for a lunch time walk.  14 degrees and snowing at Moody Park today.  I stayed in the warm(ish) car.  I didn't have one of my "real" cameras, this is from the iPhone.

Slice Of Life #41266.60

Taken just before Christmas 2012, at a wedding reception for friends' daughter.  That's I-70 passing through Collinsville, Illinois, crossing over Route-157.  With The St. Louis skyline 10 miles away (straight line).  Click on photo for larger version, you can see the Arch better.

Yet another from my iPhone.   A handy tool for "Slice Of Life" photos....

American Top 40, 1/20/1973

Topping the charts this week in 1973:

1. You're So Vain - Carly Simon
2. Superstition - Stevie Wonder
3. Me And Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
4. Crocodile Rock - Elton John
5. Your Mama Don't Dance  Loggins & Messina
6. Rockin' Pneumonia - Boogie Woogie Flu  Johnny Rivers
7. Clair - Gilbert O'Sullivan
8. Superfly - Curtis Mayfield
9. Why Can't We Live Together - Timmy Thomas
10. Oh, Babe, What Would You Say? - Hurricane Smith

"You're So Vain" continues at #1, the last of a 3 week run at the top.  Again, only 2 new songs in the top 10. "Why Can't We Live Together " and "Oh, Babe, What Would You Say" replace "Funny Face" and "Keeper Of The Castle"

  Notable Top 100 debuts:

• Love Train - O'Jays 
• Hummingbird - Seals & Crofts
• Little Willie - Sweet

 

Winter Stream

Winter scene, just outside Miner Park, and across the stream from the Bike Trail.....

American Top 40 -1/13/1973

Topping the charts this week in 1973:

1. You're So Vain - Carly Simon
2. Superstition - Stevie Wonder
3. Me And Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
4. Clair - Gilbert O'Sullivan
5. Funny Face - Donna Fargo
6. Your Mama Don't Dance - Loggins and Messina
7. Rockin' Pneumonia - Boogie Woogie Flu - Johnny Rivers
8. Superfly - Curtis Mayfield
9. Crocodile Rock - Elton John
10. Keeper Of The Castle - Four Tops

No change at #1, and only 2 new songs in the top 10.  "Crocodile Rock" and "Keeper Of The Castle" replace "It Never Rains In Southern California" and  "You Ought To Be With Me"

Notable Top 100 debuts:

• Dueling Banjos - Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell

Bare Trees #6847

A sibling shot to the one I posted Thursday...  yet another bare tree photo....  Like this, or but not like  this.

Slice Of Life #41285.52

Pretty day today, especially considering it is still early January.  I took a lunch time walk, this is maybe 1/2 mile from the office, just a little snapshot from the iPhone.  But ya gotta love having a sidewalk and some sun!

Of course we have a Winter Weather Advisory for tomorrow night, calling for "A Variety Of Winter Weather" tomorrow night...  Precipitation will likely start as rain, then mix with and change over to sleet, and finally end a s light snow.  And the typical mid-west caveat:  "The track of the storm system is still uncertain.  A small deviation from the forecast track will likely change the expected amount and type of precipitation".

Bare Trees #6846

It probably seems like I've posted 6,846 photos of bare trees.  But I doubt it is quite that bad.  But I'm still a fan.  Always have been, always will be.

Taken toady at Pleasant Ridge Park.  A misty, foggy day.  Kind of like this:

Abstract - Dry Reeds

Taken yesterday at St. Ellen Mine Park....

American Top 40 - 1/6/1973

Topping the charts this week in 1973:

1. You're So Vain - Carly Simon
2. Clair - Gilbert O'Sullivan
3. Me And Mrs. Jones - Billy Paul
4. Superstition - Stevie Wonder
5. Funny Face - Donna Fargo
6. It Never Rains In Southern California - Albert Hammond
7. Rockin' Pneumonia / Boogie Woogie Flu - Johnny Rivers
8. Your Mama Don't Dance - Loggins and Messina
9. Superfly - Curtis Mayfield
10. You Ought To Be With Me - Al Green

Notable Top 100 debuts:

• Danny's Song - Anne Murray

Stare It Cold

Lunch time today at St. Ellen Mine Park.  It was actually a pretty nice day, mid 40's.  But the lake was still mostly frozen.  Larger version here.  Post title is inspired by the Black Crowes song:  "Don't you want to feel it, Don't you want to stare it cold?"

Goose Overload...

Stopped by Moody Park at lunch today.  This place is always infested with geese, but today it was positively overrun.  A few snapshots from my iPhone:

40 years ago this month - January 2013

Key albums released in January, 1973:

• Greetings From Asbury Park - Bruce Springsteen & E St. Band.  Released 1/5/73. The debut from the Boss.
• Aerosmith - Aerosmith.  Another debut , spawned the hit "Dream On".  Released 1/13/73
• The Six Wives Of Henry VIII - Rick Wakeman.  Debut from the Yes keyboard player.  Released 1/23/73.
• Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player - Elton John.  Not a debut, but yeilded Elton's first #1 in the USA (Crocodile Rock).  Released 1/26/73
• Life And Times - Jim Croce. 

A rather impressive collection.  I have almost all of this, lacking only "Greetings...".  And I only have 7 of the 11 songs from "Life And Times".

A Good Crop?

Ansel Adams has been quoted as saying “Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop”… Now, I don’t claim to have created anything of significance, but I decided to review my photos from last year and pull together a “favorites”. Frankly, the search reminded me of a lot of mediocrity.  Far from my best year, but I did find a few I like.  Semi-chronologically:

Overlooking the Confluence







More Oklahoma

The Best Camera.... Revisited

Petrified Forest Panorama

County Road 36

Skyscrapes At Dusk










Weathered Wood #555

Corner Post







Hite

A Rare Portrait

Desert View Watchtower Panorama

Welcome 2013

Peaceful...

Another from last Monday's excursion to Watershed Nature Center.  This is a 2-image photomerge.  I can only hope that I captured some of the spirit of the moment.............

Just added this one as my Facebook banner, yee ha!

Welcome 2013!

This photo was taken at from the same spot as yesterday's photo (and the same time). but zoomed in..  Watershed Nature Center, Edwardsville..