Bandi's Cheyenne Mountain Country Drive

 

Song:  Nocturne

Group:  Secret Garden (featuring:  Anne Takle - vocals)

As it was another beautiful Spring day...

I felt the calling to go on another country drive with Bandi.

I made a late morning meal of spaghetti in preparation for another country drive with Bandi.

My basic route.

I had chosen this route which took an old mining road which then skirted Cheyenne Mountain...

as it was another relatively short and local drive...

but one I had yet to drive.

I ended up in Colorado Springs...

and I then took the normal route home.

The temperature was a perfect mid 40s F (about 6 C)...

the skies were clear, and the alpine air was as fresh as ever.

Just after leaving my driveway on my way down the mountain.

I had driven past 3 different lakes on this route.

There was a light breeze the whole way...

and my hair was blown about wildly...

but that is all part of the fun...

even though I must have looked like Doc. Brown of Back to the Future  :)

I had stopped for a bathroom and water break for Bandi.

I just wish I could have captured the wide open views in one shot.

There were distant mountains in view around almost every corner.

I thought this sign was funny.

It says...No Shooting...

but it was filled with bullet holes  :)

That is about as American as you can get  :)

Bandi just loves her country drives.

The top of Cheyenne Mountain with the military complex's antenna arrays up top...

for NORAD.

I had seen...

what I am pretty sure were...

vultures flying overhead.

I was going down the mountain towards Colorado Springs.

I then proceeded back home on highway 24 (my normal route home from Colorado Springs).

I stopped in at my favorite Taco truck in Woodland Park.

This was my view as I ate in the car.

Bandi was sitting like a human passenger when I got back from ordering my meal  :)

I just got one carne asada burrito.

Yeah...

I know...

after unwrapping it to put on the verde...

I had sloppily rewrapped it  :)

Leaving Woodland Park towards Florissant to my Southern route turn off...

and then just a 20 or so minute drive home from there.

I was less than 15 minutes from home here.

I was just down my street here.

Bandi had another great day...

and I had another local country drive under my belt.

I am thinking of leaving early in the morning on my next country drive...

as it will be the longest drive yet.

But...

I am thinking of waiting until I get my car fully serviced, as it is due.

I want everything fully checked out before my sisters arrive.

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Bandi and I are just going to relax the rest of the day...

as we are both a little worn out from our drive.

Vocal Range Test / Umi Sushi

 

Song:  A Pillow Of Winds

Group:   Pink Floyd

The lead singer of Pink Floyd (David Gilmore)...

has a wonderful voice

(Above music video).

I can almost match his range...

although I have no where near his quality.

With him being a naturally big man...

he has natural resonance and a great quality of tone.

I love the way he can sustain perfect pitch on all of his notes.

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

As I practice my vocal studies...

I am still having a very hard time hitting certain notes...

and with all of the notes...

I am having an even more difficult time stabilizing my voice on

any one particular note.

I still find it very difficult to maintain perfect pitch.

I do the frequency exercises as warm up for YouTube vocal lessons.

Since I am still having a difficult time with my singing...

this morning I checked to see what my category of tone is.

I had never checked before.

I did the tests here and found out that I am neither a Baritone...

nor am I a Tenor.

I couldn't reach so low in tone as a baritone...

and I especially could not reach so high as a tenor.

I then tried the test for the mid of each...

a Bari-tenor.

However...

I still could neither reach the high of a Bari-tenor...

nor the low of it.

And so...

I found out my particular category is...

Bari-terrible  :)

I tried the exercises

After I had done many Baritenor exercises...

I had strained my voice.

I am having an especially tough time with trying to stretch my lower range.

It actually makes my voice horse and my vocal cords hurt.

It had very lightly snowed again last night.

Bandi and I rested for a while...

and then I decided I wanted to try a new sushi restaurant.

Just as I was headed down the mountain from my driveway.

You can see the nice formation of clouds.

I was more than halfway to the main road in this photo.

I was on my way to Colorado Springs to eat my fill at a new sushi restaurant.

Just going into Woodland Park.

As I headed South once in Woodland Park...

Pikes Peak stood out.

At the sushi restaurant...

I had first ordered some appetizers.

My first order arrived.

I was surprised...

as the sushi had large portions on each portion of rice.

I hadn't noticed until I looked at the pictures...

they are using beer bottles to hold up each kimono  :)

I then ordered my second round of sushi...

and one more appetizer.

Actually...

their sushi was pretty good...

although, it is still in second place to my favorite sushi restaurant.

I then headed home.

With my voice being sore...

I couldn't enjoy singing so much as my voice kept slipping...

so I just listened to most of the music there and back.

I love passing by the Wolf Preserve on the way home.

I love their colored lights.

On the way home...

I saw the moon just coming over the horizon...

yet occluded by some clouds.

When I reached home...

and then after I got up to the loft...

I could finally see the moon between the clouds.

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

In a few weeks...

I will be going to the community center's Spring Craft Fair.

I hope to see some things I will get to decorate my home a little more.

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

I am strangely tired right now.

I will just go to bed early tonight.