Lake George Mineral and Rock Show

 

Instrumental Music

YouTube Channel:  Music of the Valley

As today we are supposed to have some light summer showers...

I decided to take a short drive to the Lake George Rock and Mineral show...

and then once I got home...

I would just binge watch an old favorite show on DVD...

Boston Legal.

This was an outdoor collection of retirees and hobbyists selling their wares.

It was a small gathering...

but sometimes interesting things may be seen at such gatherings.

A color scheme reminiscent of the 60s.

Some people would make jewelry out of rocks or minerals they would collect...

and then polish and mount onto silver or other metals or materials.

The tie dye t-shirts reminded me of what we children did in the 60s and early 70s.

The husband liked gathering rocks and minerals and polishing them...

and the wife would facet gem stones and mount them...

making jewelry.

Many of the vendors just sold raw minerals.

Although it was a small venue...

and there were very few people in attendance...

it was just part of a day of relaxation.

I then stopped by my old BBQ place for a BBQ sandwich.

I will be looking elsewhere for my BBQ in the future.

It took one hour to get my sandwich...

and it simply wasn't so good as before.

I fear this eatery is entering a death spiral.

I know they had a family emergency a few weeks back...

and I think the main cook is no longer there.

It is too bad.

But...

it leaves a vacancy for me to explore in the future...

a new mission to complete...

in search of my new favorite BBQ place :)

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One of the things I like about these type of gatherings is the 

types of people who sell and attend.

They tend to be colorful in personality.

Just like with street entertainers...

their offbeat...

and sometimes quirky...

but almost always free spirited outlook on life...

make them so interesting.

I actually feel more at home with these types of people 

than with the typical big city person.

Even though the people who sell their wares at such venues

don't seem to have much in way of riches...

they seem to be happy in life.

They are doing what makes them happy.

They are chasing a creative passion...

and sharing it with others.

I can relate to them in this aspect.

I like being around artists of all types...

for they know what makes them happy...

and they pursue it.

They seem to have a friendly and serene disposition...

and they seem to be very gentle souls.

I like to see that in others.

It is the attributes of a pure, light, and joyful heart that I value the most

in any human being. 

They remind me of puppies...

for they are pure hearted and joyful

(I mean this in the most positive way).

I love dogs...

and especially puppies...

for they are the purest form of having a pure and good heart.

Happy people bring joy to those around them.

They make me inwardly smile.

I feel so comfortable being around them.

They appreciate what they have...

and all of the simple pleasures in life.

This is what makes them feel like brethren.  

And...

especially with street performers...

they get joy out of performing...

because they love what they are doing...

get joy by giving to others...

and seeing the appreciation they get in return.

Artists...

of all types...

are sensitive souls.

They do what they do...

not for the money...

for they usually do not make much...

but for the richness in life they get by chasing their creative passions...

by having a great love for their art form.

They have the wisdom to know that life is too often...

too short...

and so...

have chosen to balance life more on the side of day to day happiness...

living life appreciating the truly important things...

the great simple pleasures to be had within.

Update: Slow Going / Music Video Shot In Cripple Creek

 

Song:  'Tennessee' Medley

Artist:  Joslin (Pianist and arranger)

View in expanded mode...

the beginning shows video of my town and immediate area.

This music video was shot in Cripple Creek, Colorado...

my neighborhood.

Most of it was videoed just behind our community center...

just three miles from my home.

Wow...

I just came across it on our community web site.

Beautiful music...

and beautiful video of the surrounding areas of Cripple Creek.

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

It is slow going...

although I couldn't dig for a bit.

I actually had too much sun...

mostly from my last sunset outing on the mountain top.

I got sunburned...

yes...

no joke.

I have to be careful in the sun.

I even get lightly sunburned whenever I watch sunrises or sunsets...

as I am very fair skinned.

I also have to be careful during full moons...

okay...

now I am joking  :)

So...

when I spent some time digging again the other day...

it compounded my sunburn.

If I put on sunscreen before I do anything where I could sweat...

it burns my eyes to the point of me not being able to keep them open.

That is why I only work during the early morning or late evening hours.

But...

even still...

I must limit my time to no more than half an hour at any one time.

The UV rays are 50% stronger at my elevation than at sea level.

So...

I've had to skip a few days.

There are numerous thick roots and large rocks which greatly slow the process...

but it is the very hard clay that is the real problem.

I am going to try again in the morning.

As I can only dig in small measured amounts...

it will be a while before I may plant my Japanese Maple.

On the plus side...

the soil on the other side of the house shouldn't be so tough.

At least I hope it won't be...

as it is away from most of the hard packed clay...

or so it appears to be.

When I plant my other Japanese Maple once it arrives at the end of October...

I will just keep my eye on both...

for unless they can grow well at my altitude...

I won't be attempting any more Japanese Maples.

During my research...

the upper elevation for the growth of Japanese Maples 

seems to be about one thousand feet lower in elevation than is my elevation.

However...

with special care...

I am hoping they can still thrive here.

They are some of my favorite trees.

Perhaps they will grow more slowly...

but so long as they remain healthy...

there is hope.

Osakazuki Arrived / Clay - Rocks - Roots

 

Song:  World of Dreams

Group:  Future World Music

The first of two Osakazuki Japanese Maples arrived a couple days ago.

This is the smallest one (a one year old sapling)...

while the other one...

 which is coming at the end of October...

is a three year old sapling.

This Japanese Maple will go in on the front door side of the house...

halfway up the walkway.

Once it is fully grown...

it should shade the whole walkway...

and parts of both driveways.

I had made the mistake of thinking this would be an easy job with these tools...

on the day of arrival of the Japanese Maple.

I hadn't realized that the ground was tough...

very tough...

way too tough to dig with my standard tools.

On the following day...

I drove to Woodland Park to their large hardware store.

I knew I needed...

at the very least...

a large and heavy duty pickaxe.

And realizing that the soil was made up of hardened clay and rocks...

I knew I would have to amend the soil with potting soil...

pea sized gravel...

and a layer of mulch on top.

I bought two bags...

as I will initially be planting two trees and multiple flowers before the end of Autumn.

I have my 100 ft. hose...

and 10 cu ft of mulch.

I also bought 360 lbs of pea gravel as I will have to do a lot of soil amending.

I will have to dig down and mix in this to ensure adequate drainage for all of the trees

and flowers I am going to plant in the future.

I got this heavy duty pickaxe.

Even though the pickaxe head is 5 lbs...

and had been built extra sturdily...

I was hardly making headway with it.

I had to do multiple strikes at the ground with it to loosen the soil...

just a little bit.

On some portions...

the clay was extremely hard...

and on other portions...

thick roots or rocks blocked the way.

This is going to take a very long time to complete.

I am going to have to dig deep...

and I will then have to drill down and sideways with an auger 

to ensure root paths and a plentiful amount of drainage.

I don't know how deep the extremely hard clay runs...

but I must be able to penetrate to a layer beyond it to establish adequate drainage...

as Japanese Maples must have complete drainage or they will die.

As I had started digging just half an hour before sunset...

I could only get to this point before shutting it down for the day.

I expect to re-start early in the morning tomorrow...

so long as the weather is clear enough.

There are supposed to be intermittent showers tomorrow.

However...

they usually don't start until the late afternoon or early evening.

I just know that this project is going to run far longer that I had anticipated.

But...

once it is completed...

I hope to have this Japanese Maple as one of my signature trees for my property.

Once it is mature...

it will greet me every time I arrive or leave...

and I will be able to see it from much of my home.

And...

every time I see it in the future...

I will think how all of the effort was worth it.

Lake Of Fire Sunset

 

Song:  Alone

Artist:  Ray Wilson

I had gotten my tools unpacked...

and I identified that one tree.

I will be taking it out tomorrow...

weather permitting.

Today...

I took Bandi on a country drive

and I chose the spot for my Japanese Maple.

After looking it over...

I will place it where I will be taking out the tree I was researching

(it is not an Aspen).

I thought about it and both of the other spots...

although they would have been prime spots for the tree...appearance wise...

there were practical aspects I couldn't overlook.

The first place on the raised soil was too near the retaining wall.

The second place near the lower and upper driveway junction

would have put the health of the tree at risk.

As I drove my car on the driveway...

once the tree matured...

the roots would have grown under the driveway...

subjecting them to compaction.

And so...

if there is time tomorrow after I take out the other tree

(taking out the stump and roots may take all of my allowable UV suntime)...

I will prepare the planting site.

---------

I still have to finish the third deck.

I have to finish trimming the carpet on the overhang...

and staple them down...

as well as cap the posts.

But...

covering the second deck has the priority as we are expecting more summer showers soon.

I may have to wait another month to be assured of a long string of sunny days 

before I can finish both decks.

The first deck can wait until I finish the second and third decks...

as each already protects the first deck.

---------

Depending on the weather...

I may be able to take down the tree tomorrow.

However...

anytime there is the possibility of lightning...

I just stay inside.

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

As evening came today...

I saw nice clouds in the sky...

and so...

it was a perfect time to trike up to the top of the mountain with Bandi.

Bandi resting for just a minute or so on the way to the top.

I arrived at the top of the mountain just in time 

to see the sun begin its descent behind the clouds.

As the sun reappeared...

it was framed nicely by the lower clouds.

After fully descending...

the resulting glow of the clouds looked like a lake of fire.

A quick look at the eastern clouds...

...and then one last shot of the western skies.

The colors had faded fast...

so...

Bandi and I headed back home.

The included song (Alone) was playing in my head as I watched this sunset.

It is one of my favorite songs.

It is so soulful.

I just love...love...love...

all of the great simple pleasures of life...

especially that of beautiful music...

 and that of beautiful sunsets.

I am having the time of my life here.

I get so much joy out of everything.

Although I could let certain things bother me...

I don't...and I won't.

Life is just too wonderful to let it be spoiled by the uncontrollable events in it.

By living life...

by filling it with things which move the soul to depths unreachable by sadness...

all that is left is deep happiness.

To have the grand beauty of a sunset from atop my mountain...

and with it being just fifteen minutes away by trike...

and with my arriving with just a slight burning in my thighs and breathing deeply...

I then have my body and soul primed to view one of my favorite sights in life...

a deeply emotional and soul reverberating sunset.

Everything in life just coalesces...

becomes crystal clear...

where all doubts and problems disappear...

and nothing but pure joy remains.

It is during a beautiful sunset that the subconscious melds the orchestra of the mind...

with the movie of the mind...

and into a flight of fancy where you are soaring amongst the clouds

on the wings of the metaphorical god you had become.

By falling in love with music and sunsets...

you fall in love with life.

Love is your armor...

and it is your trusty warhorse upon which you ride through life...

without hinderance...

without fear...

and with everything positive as you live life with great anticipation of a grand future...

 deep appreciation for what you have...

and of all the great simple pleasures which abound in and around us.

In case you missed it...

I love sunsets  :)

Weeding / Deciding On Tree Placement

 

Song:  Dark Night of the Soul

Artists:  Phillip Wesley

Later in the evening today...

I decided to pick another bag of weeds.

I am slowly making headway along the walkway.

On this day...

I took out the left tree...

which was dead.

I was thinking of removing the right tree...

but I think it is an Aspen...

but I am unsure.

If it is an Aspen...

I will keep it...

as it won't spread out horizontally...

but will just grow in a columnar shape...

and its fall colors will be beautiful.

I'll have to research it more.

There are several trees which resemble Aspens.

I may just wait for Autumn.

If it doesn't have Autumn colors...

out it comes.

A possible area to plant the Japanese Maple.

I first began removing the dead tree and parsing it up...

whereupon I put it on the shredding pile.

You can see the weeds...

of which I removed after removing the dead tree on the right.

I considered this particular spot for a possible placement 

for one of the Osakazuki Japanese Maples...

but if I do so...

I will have to remove these big rocks.

But...

a bigger concern will be the mature tree's width.

It will grow anywhere up to 25 feet tall...

and almost as wide.

So...

I must take that into consideration before picking the spot for it to grow.

The Japanese Maple which is supposed to arrive this week...

is but a one year sapling.

It was all there was left...

but I enjoy watching trees grow from season to season anyway.

I also have a three year old Japanese Maple coming at the end of October.

That one will be planted on the other side of the house.

I also got most of the tools I will need to plant the Japanese Maple, today.

I plan to dig and prepare the tree hole tomorrow.

I also got a 100 foot hose so I may water it...

and the flowers I will get for the walkway...

on a semi regular basis

(when there are no summer rains).

I got the weeds on the front half of the walkway.

It took me a while...

 as many were wedged between the rocks.

My two top spots to plant the Japanese Maple is to the right of this picture...

in the upraised soil...

or to the left of the walkway.

Once it grows...

the branches will greet me as I drive towards the garage if I use the lower driveway...

and will do the same if I use the upper driveway.

It will provide shade to the juncture of the upper and lower driveways...

and will form a half arch under which I will drive...

as well as providing shade for the walkway.

But...

most of all...

its Autumn colors will be a spectacular crimson.

There are still many more weeds to pull...

but...

little by little...

it will be done.

There is no rush...

as I enjoy the whole weeding process.

I love seeing progress...

whether it is through the pulling of weeds...

or through the sight of my trees growing from season to season.

I can hardly wait to plant my flowers as well.

I have picked two particular wildflowers for the walkway...

as they are not only beautiful and perineal...

but their blooming season is almost half a year long.

Although...

I will wait for Spring before I plant the wildflowers...

as I don't wish to risk a winter kill of them...

as their root systems won't be developed enough

( I was going to do an Autumn planting...

but I have since learned a Spring planting will be better for these particular flowers).

After completing the walkway...

I will work on the upper driveway...

and then the space between the bedrooms on the second floor.

These are the garden gloves I had bought.

They are much more comfortable to use...

as the chainsaw gloves had a lot of protective padding...

which made gripping the weeds rather difficult.

After resting a bit...

I then went up to the third deck to take this photo of the sun setting.

I just love working around my home...

steadily improving my surroundings.

Just through planting...

it brings hope of a more beautiful future.

I can envision the mature Japanese Maples...

and it is a wonderful sight.

----------

It is funny...

when we were young children...

if my sisters or I had misbehaved...

one of the punishments for us was to pick so many buckets of weeds

out of my mother's garden.

Now...

I actually enjoy weeding.

Not only is it a time for me to get a measured amount of sunlight...

but there is a certain amount of joy to be had seeing things neat and tidy.

Just being out there in the fresh air is so peaceful.

And...

as an added bonus...

I generally utilize the Asian squat when I pull weeds.

This will help keep my legs supple...

as it takes me about half an hour to fill one bag.

Just concentrating on a singular purpose...

all the while being in the fresh air and sunlight...

is a form of moving meditation.

I always look forward to weeding...

as I can accomplish many therapeutic things at the same time.

I always feel better after having pulled a bag of weeds.

Who would have thought?

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

There have not been any summer rains lately...

but I must be sure there will be sunny days for many days on end

before I install the carpets on the second deck.

The deck is just so large that it will take me many days worth of work

to cover it completely.

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

Having a home surrounded with serenity is so important.

My taking of Bandi out for a short forest walk for her bathroom usage...

while sometimes seemingly inconvenient at the time...

is always enjoyable once I am out there...

as the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest are so welcoming...

and the feeling of the mountain breeze on my face is deeply soothing.

My high altitude mountain chalet is the perfect refuge from a crazy world...

and even from summer heat...

as it never gets hot here.

The breeze is always so refreshing...

and it is here that I may remove myself from all problems...

and where I may feel so grateful for all that I have.

The views I am constantly treated to from my home always calms my mind.