Another Day Of Music

 

Song:  It Don't Matter To Me

Group:  Bread

Although I was thinking about doing some more work on my outdoor projects...

after eating lunch...

I decided that I would dedicate today to music.

I brought out all my instruments

(I have yet to unpack the keyboard.

I will work on the keyboard second to last even though it will be used extensively

throughout the song. The bass flute will be recorded last for a special reason).

I am going to experiment using my 6 string Bass

with a classic guitar tuning in place of the classical guitar...

(or as an adjunct to it).

The one octave difference should add a more dramatic flair 

to the cover song I am working on.

However...

it may not...

I will have to see.

In between sessions with the bass guitar...

I will throw in practice with the 12 string guitar...

as my left hand still needs conditioning to hold the chords

for long enough to practice the song with enough repetition

(my left hand still cramps after a short while).

I may also use the electric guitar...

but I will have to experiment with it in the song first.

            

My bass flute is resting on the keyboard.

The bass flute will have the most complicated passages...

but I will mostly be improvising with it in a free flowing manner... 

contrasting and reflecting off the other instruments...

and so...

I shall record it on the last track.

And...

don't worry...

the song will be purely instrumental...

I won't be singing at all  :)

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

I am thinking of taking Bandi to Colorado Springs tomorrow morning.

There is a bike trail (one of many)...

that I wish to try.

It is supposed to have many beautiful views of Pikes Peak...

and of nearby rock formations.

Although...

it may be in the afternoon...

I will have to see.

Once I get started on music...

I sometimes lose track of time and end up 

working at it late into the night.

Again...

this is a long term project.

I have much practice and arranging to do before it will be

anywhere near completion.

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

Addendum 10 PM...

I am practicing the classical guitar by Christmas Tree light...

and the loft computer desk red light.

I tried the bass guitar with alternate tuning...

nope...it just didn't sound right.

I will just use it in a supplemental mode.

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

I may not be going on the trike ride tomorrow. 

I will most likely be up all night.

That is when I am most creative.

Anniversary Supper - More Ornaments

Song:  What Is Life

Artist:  George Harrison

On the day after my one year anniversary living in Colorado...

I went to Colorado Springs to eat sushi.

As you can see...

Pikes Peak had a dusting of snow from the previous night.

I ate my fill at my favorite sushi place.

I had another two orders of food...

but I got so into eating that I forgot to take more photos.

On the way back from Colorado Springs.

Cheyenne Mountain is straight ahead...

the location of NORAD.

Pikes Peak is shrouded in clouds in the center of this photo.

I was in Manitou Springs...

on my way home.

I was in Woodland Park en-route home.

Pikes Peak is partially covered in clouds.

I had stopped off at my mailbox...

and I was just a few minutes from home as I headed up the mountain.

I was almost home here.

I had received the following five Christmas Tree Ornaments as a gift.

Colorful Dragonfly

Beautiful Butterfly

Snow Bear

This dog looks like Bandi.

Northern Lights

I greatly appreciated these gifts.

I will be hanging them up once I receive all of my ornaments...

and the topper.

I expect the rest late next week.

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

I had gone food shopping today...

and on the way back...

I stopped at my mailbox.

I had ordered some ornaments for myself...

and I received the following today.

I still am waiting for the tree skirt...

two other ornaments...

and the topper

(a snow owl in flight).

Autumn Bear

Magnificent Peacock

Tree of Life

Owl of Wisdom

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

As you can tell...

my ornament theme is of animals.

It is so fitting to my surroundings.

 ----------

 I had awakened very early this morning...

and so...

I am going to lie down with Bandi and take a short nap.

Later tonight...

I will practice some more music up in the loft

as I overlook the Christmas Tree.

I just love that tree all lit up at night.

It adds such great ambiance...

it just mellows me out.

I cannot help but feel inspired by it.

--------

Later next month...

they will be having the Autumn Arts and Crafts Fair 

at the community center.

I will surely be going to that once again.

There is one particularly talented artist

who lives in our community.

I expect to buy at least one of her art pieces.

 

One Year Anniversary - Christmas Tree

 

As today was my first anniversary of living in my Colorado Rocky Mountain home...

I decided to put up my Christmas Tree early to celebrate.

And today...

we had the largest and most active thunderstorm I had ever seen here.

In celebration for my first anniversary here...

my sisters and their extended families and I had a video chat

with the Christmas Tree in view on my video feed.

It was originally scheduled for a little later...

but with the highly active lightning...

I called my elder sister to move it up since I was afraid that 

I might lose the internet connection during the storm

(it turned out that everything worked fine throughout the storm).

The above videos were taken after I had finally put the tree together...

and most importantly...

after I had removed the artificial snow from each light.

OMG!!!

There are 900 individual lights on this 9' tree...

and over 2,000 individual twigs which bifurcate from the branches...

each of which had to be bent into shape to provide a natural look to the tree.

I had to clean EACH light by not only scraping each one with my fingernails...

but I then had to dig into the ends of each light with a knife blade to remove the 

artificial snow they had blown on the tree while the lights were already attached

(each light had a deep indentation on the end).

It had taken me about 30 seconds for each light at first...

but with practice...

I got it down to 10-15 seconds each.

On top of that...

as each light had a thick layer of blown artificial snow on them...

 I couldn't tell by sight alone.

I had to feel each of the almost 2,100 twigs to tell them apart.

I had started in the morning...

and I hadn't finished until after 7 PM.

Putting the tree together and arranging the twigs should take about one hour...

and gladly...

I only had to scrape clear each light this once...

and never again.

There were four major parts to the tree.

I had to bend each branch down into place...

 hunt for the lights and clean each one...

and then arrange each twig on each branch.

The Aspen leaves are starting to turn colors already.

As you can see...

most all of the pine needles could have actually been a light...

so I had to go by feel down each twig.

Here is one of the lights that I had to clean.

After scraping down and around the base of each light with my thumbnail...

...I then had to use a knife blade on each end to scrape out the artificial snow.

Here is one of the cleaned lights.

I then splayed each twig to make the tree look natural.

I had finally finished the first stage.

I then inserted the second stage and began the whole process once again.

For the first stage...

I just sat on the floor as I worked.

For the second stage...

I just sat on a rung of a step ladder as I worked.

After a while...

dark clouds began moving in.

Another example of how heavily flocked each twig was.

I found this light by touch...

and then cleaned it off.

The second stage was completed.

For the third stage...

I ended up using my extendable ladder to sit and stand upon as I worked.

Just as I had completed the third stage...

it had begun to hail.

Before I began the fourth stage...

I took a frozen pizza break.

For the fourth and final stage...

I decided I would open it up...

clean the lights...

and arrange the twigs while sitting in my recliner.

My back was very sore at this point.

Finally finished...

...and installed.

I hooked up the wiring and lit up the tree.

Man...

I was happy.

I was in no mood to have to hunt down any shorts in the wiring!

Luckily...

everything worked out.

It has a multi light capability in various combinations as manipulated 

by a remote control unit.

For the time being...

I just left it in the clear light mode.

I then fooled around with the remote to see the different modes available.

So...

was it worth it?

YES...

I love this Christmas Tree.

In the future...

it should take me about one hour to fully install...

and not the ten hours it took me this time.

I also ordered more ornaments...

a tree topper...

and a tree skirt.

---------

Thinking I would finish up the tree early...

I was planning on eating at an all you can eat sushi place

in Colorado Springs to celebrate.

Then...

the large thunderstorm moved in.

And so...

I am planning on having my celebratory dinner tomorrow.

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

Now that I have lived here for one year...

and have experienced each season...

I can honestly say that I have loved every moment here.

I had always dreamt of one day living in a high altitude mountain chalet

(9,650 feet in elevation here).

It has been even better than I had imagined.

It is my mountain temple...

far away from the insanity of today's world.

Living here...

I get a constant feeling of...

 absolute freedom in solitude...

blissful serenity...

being massaged by the fresh and crisp mountain breezes...

and all the while...

feeling one with nature.

Am I going to live here the rest of my life?

I am going to die here...

filled with peace and serenity.

I so love it here.

Each season has its own distinct flavor...

and so...

I can say that living here has been...

nothing short of...

absolutely delicious.