A Lazy Day

 

Song:  Lazy Calm

Group:  Cocteau Twins

I had awakened this morning to another beautiful day.

Today was just one of those days that I just felt like doing nothing but relaxing...

no projects...

no reading...

nothing but laying in bed while using my iPad.

As it was almost noon before I decided to make something to eat...

and as I was pretty hungry...

I decided to make sausages and somen.

Notice how the day looked...

and in but a few hours...

it had all changed.

I started cooking...

and while the food was on the stove heating up...

I played fetch with Bandi.

Once the food was ready...

Bandi began salivating heavily...

as she knows I always share my meals with her.

With somen...

once the noodles are cooked...

I give them a cold water rinse until the water runs cold out the bottom of the sieve.

Bandi and I finished off five bunches of somen and a full sausage.

I just had this strong craving for both of these.

The meal was so good.

After eating...

Bandi and I retired to my bed.

While this is Bandi's regular spot at night when she sleeps on the bed...

...she sometimes gets very affectionate and cuddles up to me

or lays across my legs to use them as a pillow.

As you can see...

one of the blinds is at an angle.

Bandi sticks her nose under it and raises it up so she may look outside.

It is one of the windows I keep open...

even at night...

as I like my room to be cool at all times.

I felt good after having finished eating...

so I just took out my iPad and played...

...one of my installed games...

...and looked at many YouTube videos...

...and I continued watching a series on NetFlix called The Blacklist.

As I am very nearsighted...

having the iPad on my chest as I look at the screen makes it in focus

and appear as if it were a very large screen TV.

I later got up to see the weather had taken quite a turn.

It was lightly snowing.

I took Bandi out to use the bathroom...

and I then went up to my loft music studio to continue working on my next cover song.

At night...

I like just using the desk red light as it is easy on my eyes...

and it sets a serene mood.

Bandi usually accompanies me when I go up to the loft.

As you can see...

I had brought out my classical guitar as well.

I am working out an introduction using the classical guitar right now.

I may use it throughout one of the tracks...

or I may just use it on the intro...

I haven't decided yet.

What a wonderful day.

I did just what I felt like doing...

and nothing else.

Sometimes people must remove themselves from everything...

and simply recharge.

Spring Mountain Craft Fair

 

Song:  Alone

Artist:  Ray Wilson

Today...

my mountain community put on an arts and crafts fair once again.

These local artists and craftsmen put up their works for sale...

and it provided an opportunity for the mountain people to meet one another.

This is the second one I have gone to...

as the last one was in Autumn.

It is located in the mountain community center at the base of the mountains of our community

(sorry...that was quite redundant...wasn't it? :)

They had just finished putting on their Monthly Bingo night...

and just before that they had a community wine drinking and painting night.

Although I haven't attended many of these meet and greet nights...

or special events...

every so often I do go...

and I always have a good time.

I have yet to try out their indoor heated swimming pool...

their gym...

or their hot tub or steam room...

and I don't think I will...

but for guests...

perhaps they will like the indoor pool.

So far as the other things...

I have my own at home.

There was this metal and wood workers display

(inside the trailer they had many more things).

This talented young lady had just moved into our community last September...

the same month that I had.

She was a very nice lady who was very friendly.

She lives down the mountain a few miles from me.

She had also done some illustrations for some children's books.

I asked her if she had any paintings of bears.

She said that in the future she will be doing wildlife paintings... 

including bears... since that is what the spirit here is...

the wide open beautiful skies and land of Colorado.

I hope to see her during the next arts and crafts fair.

I am looking forward to buying some of her wildlife paintings...

especially those of bears.

I came across this group who takes care of some of the wild donkeys which roam 

the land all around Cripple Creek (the nearest town to my home).

I talked with some of the ladies who volunteer with the group.

One of the things I love about women in general

is their kindness towards those beings who are at a disadvantage in life...

and of whom may suffer without their care.

While I didn't want to become a volunteer

(cleaning out the barns...etc)...

I did become a yearly sponsor

( I chose to support them monetarily and in spirit  :)

I became a member of the Two Mile High Club.

They have a couple of barns to house the wild donkeys in their winter grazing field

just outside of Cripple Creek.

They have a donkey feeding platform for the public...

and you may pet and feed the donkeys throughout the year.

The donkeys may also be seen in the town of Cripple Creek...

as they are allowed to roam the streets at will

(although I have yet to see one in town).

Many of the donkeys are used to protect animals in open pasture lands...from coyotes.

They are very effective as they are great guardians of their territory.

I had gone there after I departed the craft fair.

It is just about a 15 minute drive from home.

I got one of their free donkey calendars.

They are so cute.

This is the same place that I had purchased Fire Extinguisher Bear last time.

Were I a fisherman...

I probably would have gotten Fishing Bear as well.

A food truck was just outside...

and I bought myself a grilled ham and cheese sandwich...

which I then proceeded to eat in the outside eating area of the community center.

The temperature was a perfect 50 F (10 C)...

with a light and cool mountain breeze blowing.

I love the blue skies and bilious clouds of Colorado...

in conjunction with the almost ever present cool and refreshing mountain breezes.

Although I stopped by the donkey feeding platform...

all of the donkeys were in their winter grazing field.

Later on...

I will cut up some apples, carrots, or some other treat for them to eat 

so I may feed them by hand.

Perhaps I will compose a song just for them for the bass flute 

and play it for them from the feeding platform...

as I have seen on YouTube that many animals love music.

These are their two barns.

Although they also have other grazing fields in other places...

this is their winter grazing field.

Every so often...

I will be visiting the donkeys.

I will feed and pet them in the future.

I love animals...

and so...

I was happy to be able to at least help support this group.

I really like my community.

I have yet to meet a rude or angry person from the mountains.

To be able to live in this slice of heaven...

a place to really breathe and feel the freedom and natural beauty 

of the mountainous and forested surroundings

makes it almost impossible to feel anger or depression.

All I have felt here

(minus momentary frustration at stupid little things...

mostly of my own doing  :)...

is a deep seated happiness and an almost never ending state of peaceful serenity.

Although for most of my life I had lived in the suburbs...

in my heart...

I have always been country.

Here...

there is no noise...

pollution...

congestion...

crowds...

rowdy and rude people...

or angry or emotionally detached faces...

each of which reflects their state of despair in a rat race of over crowded conditions...

and of timelines to be met.

I really love the state and people of Colorado...

and especially that of the people of the mountains.

When you live amongst the clouds...

the very air is delicious...

the beauty is ever present...

and every change of season or weather condition is met with great anticipation...

as each one has its own flavor and beauty.

I present to you a few words of encouragement to those still part of the necessary

rat race in order to improve your later lives...

keep your dream alive and work relentlessly towards it...

It is worth it.

Today's Project: Home Recording Studio

 

Song:  Chevaliers De Sangreal (Live in Prague)

Original Composer:  Hans Zimmer

From YouTube Channel:  Trung Vu Huu

I spent the better part of yesterday in the garage...

going through the boxes from my move.

I had wanted to set up my home recording studio...

but I couldn't find key electronic components.

So...

today I just did some basic studio set ups.

The wiring will have to wait.

Although the studio won't be functional until I get those components...

I have the basic set up complete.

The loft is the perfect place for the recording studio

because of the cathedral ceilings.

The sound reflection will add a natural ambient reverb

and an open and airy feeling to the recordings.

While I may later get a proper L shaped computer desk...

for right now...

this will do.

I will keep the moving protectors on each instrument until I use them...

as it may take some time before I start recording

(I will move the keyboard to the front...facing the windows...when I practice and record with it).

The microphone I will keep out of the way in the corner until it is ready for use.

It snowed yesterday.

It is a familiar pattern here in the mountains.

It will snow for a day or two...

followed by many days of sunny blue skies.

It is just a magical setting.

The open cathedral ceiling is what makes this such a good place to record.

But...

it is not just that.

I will be practicing and recording facing the large windows.

The feeling of freedom as I look out at the distant views will be inspiring.

Now...

I am not particularly musically talented...

not with my instruments...

and especially not with my singing.

However...

it is one of my bucket list items...

and one of my great passions in life...

and so...

 I will continue with my cover songs...

and with my compositions.

It is one of my great loves in life.

I will be working on a cover of a song that so perfectly matches 

the feeling of the mountains of Colorado.

Again...

it will take some time to complete...

as I also have many other projects in the works.

This summer in particular...

I will be very busy sealing the wood on the outside...

including the house...

the deck...

and the fence.

I will also buy a special waterproof covering to go over the outside deck floorboards.

But...

little by little...

I will practice and lay down the separate tracks for each instrument for the song

(as it stands now...at least the bass flute...the 12 string guitar...and the keyboard).

The way the ceiling is structured

 will make for a magnificent sound in my recordings.

When in use...

I will place the microphone stand in the middle so I may look out 

upon the clouds and the land as I record (and practice).

It will also balance out the reflected sound.

My other instruments I will keep wrapped and in the master bedroom closet...

until I use them.

--------------

Tomorrow...

I will drive into Colorado Springs to conduct some quick errands.

Today...

I will start working on the 12 string guitar component of my next cover song.