Slithering…

 Anybody know snakes?  Or more to the point, snakeskins?  I came across this snakeskin not long ago, along the trail at Glen Carbon Green Space North.  I have no clue what type of snake it housed.

Green Way

 

A little “slice of life”, or Eye Of The Beholder (though there doesn’t seem to be an EOTB challenge active right now)…. Always keep your eyes open, look high, look low, look around.

Exposed!

 On one of my “normal” walking routes, I pass this power pole.  Several weeks ago, I noticed that the door was open, which didn’t seem like a very good thing.  After a recent wind storm, the door was torn off and laying on the ground…. Some googling tells the XM3-hp is a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for broadband power networks.  It is clearly NOT part of the electric power grid, though it is a shared pole.  Looks like 3x car-type batteries below the UPS/controller.  But any way you look at it, having that “stuff” exposed to the elements can’t be good. There’s no indication I could find as to which of the network companies it is, or how to report the issue.  I guess a couple good storms blowing rain into the box and we’ll find out.  

On The Charts - May 1973

  Continuing the review of songs that were on the Top 40 (US) charts 50 years ago (1973).  We're on to May, and 33% through the year!  

All of the 1973 music posts can be seen HERE, btw.

Following the normal format, here's the Top 10 songs for May 1973, based on the average chart position (US charts) over the 4 weeks in the month:

• Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree - Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando - 2
• You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder - 3
• Little Willy - The Sweet - 4
• Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group - 5.5
• Drift Away - Dobie Gray - 6.5
• Daniel - Elton John - 7.75
• Stuck In The Middle With You - Stealers Wheel - 8.5
• The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia - Vicki Lawrence - 10.25
• Wildflower - Skylark - 11
• The Cisco Kid - War - 11.25

"Tie a Yellow Ribbon..." was #1 for the first 2 weeks of May, and the last 2 weeks of April, for a 4-week run at the Top.  I rather dislike this song, probably because it was SO inescapable at the time.  Stevie Wonder's "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" was #1 for the third week of May; a little surprising, I would have expected it to be on top longer than 1 week...  And the month ended with Edger Winter's "Frankenstein".  Back in the days when instrumentals weren't rare, and occasionally hit #1!  Other than "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" it's a really great Top 10.  I own 8 of the 10 songs.

There were 59 individual songs on the Top 40 over the course of the 4 weeks, which is slightly higher than the previous months of 1973.  

Here's the songs that made their Top 40 debut in May 1973:

• Steamroller Blues/Fool - Elvis Presley - 30
• Will It Go Round In Circles - Billy Preston - 30
• Long Train Runnin' - The Doobie Brothers - 30
• Playground In My Mind - Clint Holmes - 32
• Right Place Wrong Time - Dr. John - 34
• Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) - George Harrison - 34
• Super Fly Meets Shaft - John & Ernest - 35
• One Of A Kind (Love Affair) - The Spinners - 35
• It Sure Took A Long, Long Time - Lobo - 36
• I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby - Barry White - 37
• And I Love You So - Perry Como - 37
• Teddy Bear Song - Barbara Fairchild - 37
• I Can Understand It - The New Birth - 38
• Hearts Of Stone - The Blue Ridge Rangers - 38
• No More Mr. Nice Guy - Alice Cooper - 39
• Give It To Me - The J. Geils Band - 39
• Let's Pretend - Raspberries - 40
• Close Your Eyes - Edward Bear - 40
• Blue Suede Shoes - Johnny Rivers - 40

A few gems, and a lot that I don't even remember.

So that's it, look for the post later this month of songs that dropped off the Hot 100 in Maywithout having made the Top 40!

R.I.P. Gordon Lightfoot

 

Last night (5/1/2023), shortly before I shut down for the night, I saw a blurb on Facebook that Gordon Lightfoot had passed away.  After verifying with a couple other sources, I shared the original link, then posted a Youtube of the first Lightfoot song I thought of.  Nope, not "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald".  Rather, his #1 song from 1974:  "Sundown".  

Gordon Lightfoot was a big star in Canada, where he was born (not for from Toronto), with his first Canadian hit in 1962.  He'd had 1/2 dozen Canadian Top 40's before he cracked the US charts in 1970 with "If You Could Read My Mind", which hit #5 on the Hot 100, and topped the US country charts.

Still, he didn't break big until 1974, with Sundown, which started a run of 4 big hits in 2 years:

• Sundown - #1
• Carefree Highway - #10
• Rainy Day People - #26
• Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald - #2

All very solid songs. I didn't own any Lightfoot albums back then, but I certainly knew the hits.  Later, I acquired his "Summertime Dream" album when I got married, which I have dubbed to digital.  

I noted that "Sundown" was the song that first popped into my head.  His 1st (US) hit, it peaked right about my 14th birthday, the summer before I started High School.  It spent 18 weeks on the charts, 11 in the Top 40, and 7 in the Top 10, making it a notable part of my life soundtrack at a key time.  That said, it is the only one of those mid 70's hits that I don't currently own.  That will have to change.

Anyway, rest in peace, Mr. Lightfoot, and thanks for the music, and the memories it brings!

1973 In Music - April's Almost Made the Charts

Continuing my look at songs that dropped off the charts during the month, but never made the Top 40.  And for the April, I counted 16.  That's notably fewer than previous months in 1973. February and March.

Here they are, with peak position noted:

• Superman - Donna Fargo - 41
• Down And Out In New York City - James Brown - 50
• Pardon Me Sir - Joe Cocker - 51
• Let Your Yeah Be Yeah - Brownsville Station - 57
• Yesterday I Had The Blues - Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes - 63
• If You Gotta Break Another Heart - Albert Hammond - 63
• Gudbuy T' Jane - Slade - 68
• Mama Was A Rock And Roll Singer, Papa Used To Write All Her Songs Part 1 - Sonny & Cher - 77
• Wish That I Could Talk To You - The Sylvers - 77
• Sail On Sailor - The Beach Boys - 79
• Delta Queen - Don Fardon - 86
• River Road - Uncle Dog - 86
• If I Could Only Be Sure - Nolan Porter - 89
• Saw A New Morning - Bee Gees - 94
• Mr. Magic Man - Wilson Pickett - 98
• Friend And A Lover - The Partridge Family - 99

Pond 17 - Color or Black and White?

Pond 17 at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in Marion, IL.  

Just a simple iPhone shot, converted to B&W later (on the computer).

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Watershed Nature Center

A couple of bird shots from a recent wander at Watershed Nature Center, Edwardsville, IL, USA.  

I was watchingthis Heron hunting, looked down to adjust my camera settings for the tricky light, and completely missed the catch.  But he (she?) held it nicely for a quick photo!

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I caught his Egret (Heron?) at the end of our walk, across the main pond.  I liked the layers, especially the Redbud in the background.

 

On The Charts - April 1973

 Continuing the review of songs that were on the Top 40 (US) charts 50 years ago (1973).  We're on to April, and 33% through the year!  

All of the 1973 music posts can be seen HERE, btw.

Following the format from last year, here's the Top 10 songs for April1973, based on the average chart position (US charts) over the 4 weeks in the month:

• The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia - Vicki Lawrence - 2
• Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree - Dawn Featuring Tony Orlando - 2.75
• Sing - Carpenters - 4.5
• The Cisco Kid - War - 5.5
• Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye) - Gladys Knight And The Pips - 5.5
• Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got) - Four Tops - 5.75
• Masterpiece - The Temptations - 10
• Danny's Song - Anne Murray - 10.5
• Little Willy - The Sweet - 11
• Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack - 11.5

"The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" spent the first 2 weeks at #1, followed by "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree" for the next 2 weeks.  

There were 56 individual songs on the Top 40 over the course of the 4 weeks, wich tracks pretty closely with the January, February and March.

Not the greatest month for me, as far as top 10, I only own 6 of the 10 songs, but only one I didn't remember (Masterpiece).   On the other hand, there were quite a few great songs making their Top 40 debuts:

• Reeling In The Years - Steely Dan - 25
• Pillow Talk - Sylvia - 30
• Thinking Of You - Loggins & Messina - 32
• Out Of The Question - Gilbert O'Sullivan - 34
• Daniel - Elton John - 35
• "Cherry Cherry" from Hot August Night - Neil Diamond - 36
• My Love - Paul McCartney And Wings - 36
• One Man Band (Plays All Alone) - Ronnie Dyson - 37
• Funky Worm - Ohio Players - 37
• Armed And Extremely Dangerous - First Choice - 37
• Step By Step - Joe Simon - 38
• The Right Thing To Do - Carly Simon - 38
• I'm Doin' Fine Now - New York City - 38
• Bitter Bad - Melanie - 38
• Hallelujah Day - Jackson 5 - 39
• Frankenstein - Edgar Winter Group - 39
• Hocus Pocus - Focus - 39
• Pinball Wizard/See Me, Feel Me - The New Seekers - 40
• Oh La De Da - The Staple Singers - 40
• Leaving Me - The Independents - 40

So that's it, look for the post later this month of songs that dropped off the Hot 100 in April without having made the Top 40!

Toulouse Street

 

"I'm walkin' in shadows, I cannot see.  Faces, they smile when I fall or flee.  Doors without windows all shuttered tight.  I just might pass this way again" - Doobie Brothers - Toulouse Street.

Doorway, Toulouse Street, French Quarter, New Orleans, USA

Monument to the Immigrant

 Statue on the waterfront in New Orleans...  

As noted on the internet:  "The “Monument to the Immigrant” was erected in March 1995 and stands along the Mississippi River in Woldenberg Park. The monument depicts an immigrant family on one side and the other side a stylized figure shaped like the front of a ship, reminding people that New Orleans is historically a port city and a city of immigrants."

This is the side facing the city, the other side (with an immigrant family) faces the river.  I like this side much better than the other, but that's just my opinion...

Elizabeth Female Academy, Natchez, Mississippi

During our recent travels, we drove 100 miles +/- on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Just 5 miles from the Natchez start is the remains of the Elizabeth Female Academy, which was the 1st female educational institution in Mississippi, and was active from 1818 to 1845. I took a handful of photos, but these 2 are my favorites. 

 Shot with the camera's B&W filter (not converted on the computer).  First one is SOOC (straight out of camera) and the second has very minor tweaks (I think I  added a hint of "warmth".

 
Which do you prefer?

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One of my favorite thing about digital is that it is "free".  there is no cost to take reference photos, like the signs at historical places,  So, here's some notes on the Academy: 

Yellow Crowned Night Heron

 During our recent trip to New Orleans, we took a drive to Venice, LA, which is (reportedly) the Southernmost Point in Louisiana. They even have a sign where the road runs out. This Heron was hanging out where the road ended, and was polite enough to pose for a couple of photos. This is a new entry in my gallery of birds I've photographed!

Hiker's 365 Challenge - March update

 March is in the books, and we're 25% through the year!  Through 3/31, I've completed 127 miles, still nicely above pace (90 miles).  That said I managed 0.7 fewer miles in March than February, even with 3 more days.  Blame it on weather, travel and work.  

I did add hikes in Louisianna, so I've hiked in 6 states over the past 3 months (IL, LA, MO, OH, PA, VA). Not that it means anything, but I think it is cool.  I'll be pleasantly surprised if I make a dozen for the year, 10 is probably more realistic.  

 I did continue to lengthen my hikes, my average for March was 2.0, up from 1.8 in February and 1.4 in January.  I tried to be better about posting to the Weekend Adventurer Facebook group, but still pretty spotty. 

Looks like I only posted 3 shots of my badge, I need to be better about that!

Color or Black and White: Owens Creek Waterfall

Owens Creek Waterfall is at mile 52.4 of the Natchez Trace Parkway, about an hour from the SW terminus (at Natchez, MS).  Very cool spot, although the creek was a little slow.  I took this photo in color, but with black and white in mind.  Both images are tweaked in a hotel room, on my iPad, using Snapseed editing ap.  The original photo is from my Fujifilm X-T4,  Zoom was at 18mm (27mm equivalent).

So, what do you think?

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