Over a decade ago I can remember celebrating my sixtieth birthday.  I remember posting on my previous blog about the Beatles song, “When I’m 64”. Paul McCartney wrote that song when he was 16. When I was sixteen, the thought of turning 64 never crossed my mind. It’s not that I didn’t expect to live that long, it’s just that we were more worried about tomorrow than five decades into the future.  I mean, even my parents weren’t 64 in 1964. But five decades later and a few months after celebrating my sixtieth birthday I pondered a few of these thoughts.

I have noticed a few things have changed over the years. Remember as a child you could sit in the floor with your legs crossed and come to a standing position without uncrossing your legs. At 60, that doesn’t even sound like a good idea.
In your 30’s you enjoyed getting outside and mowing the yard. At 60, you take two ibuprofen before mowing and two after mowing just to control the swelling in the joints. If you can afford it, you’ve already bought the riding mower.
In your 40’s you still spent one Saturday a month washing, waxing, and detailing your favorite ride. At 60, you’re thankful for the drive-thru car wash with the auto applied wax.
In your 50’s you were at the top of your profession and enjoyed going to work everyday. At 60, your still at the top, but if you’re in management, it’s starting to look a lot like adult daycare and retirement can’t come soon enough.
Don’t get me wrong 60 is a great age. You have a much better perspective of the world around you. You’re not too excited about the Democrats or the Republicans because in the end, they’re all just a bunch of politicians trying to get elected or re-elected. You realize that life is too short to always be in a crisis management mode. Slow down, enjoy the time with family and friends. I was a “child of the sixties”, now I’m going to enjoy the sixties again.

Now that I am north of seventy and several years into retirement, my statement about politicians rings truer than ever. So does my view of spending time with the ones you love, friends and family. That’s why most of my photography is dedicated to family events. A hundred years from now no one will care about my photos of birds, automobiles, motorcycles, and flowers. What they will enjoy are those images that capture the family in this day and age. And now, for a little music.
The theme for this week’s Monday’s Music Moves Me is “Songs about being a grandparent or growing old.” What better song to start with than “When I’m 64”

The song that best speaks about growing old together and answers the question posed in the Beatles tune comes from the country charts and Randy Travis. When you marry your true love and you do life together the way God intended, the answer is, I will love you forever and ever…amen. My wife and I are at forty-four years and counting. I think this marriage is gonna last.

There are some railroad tracks on one side of town where the passenger trains used to run decades ago. There is a metal building that serves as an office where one of two depots used to sit. Now freight trains make a couple passes through town each week and bring with them examples of what goes on in the big cities. The box cars are turned into rusty canvases and graffiti artists work through the night to complete their work before sunrise and the steel canvas is gone forever or at least moved to the next city for another artist to add their work. While I am not a fan of defacing property, I find these works fascinating. I still don’t know how they get the clean edges to many of the lines. Are they using portable airbrushes instead of spray cans?

The creativity is truly something to behold. I’m sure that there is meaning hidden is some of these works and I imagine that a few of these artists are well known along the rails.

Did “Zoe” pick the color of the rail car canvas based on the paint colors that they brought with him/her?

I saw that blue design on several cars. My question is, “How did the artist get that high?” I don’t get by the tracks as often as I did when I was working. At one time my office was across the street from the tracks, then we moved a mile north of this location, then I retired. I have to remind myself to drive by occasionally to see the new exhibit. After all, it changes quite often. Have a blessed week-end.

A Rose by Any Other Name

Hibiscus – Variations on a Theme

 

Image converted to B&W in PhotoShop Elements 15 then post processed using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 filters.

Soo…what did you do last week-end. I got the yard mowed, took care of the two grand-dogs and hung out around the house. Our youngest granddaughter decided to “Conquer the Gauntlet” in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Conquer the Gauntlet is a timed event that is four miles long, laced with twenty-five obstacles and multiple changes in elevation and water hazards. It is not for the faint of heart and is a favorite activity of many serious cross-fit enthusiasts. This ladder run is something that I remember from basic training in the Army. The granddaughter is the one on the ladder on the far right

No gauntlet race would be complete without a few water hazards. They also serve to cool down the competitiors. Again, the youngest granddaughter is on the far right.

Over the course of the four miles, every muscle and fiber in your being is tested. There is a vertical wall to scale and there is this inclined obstacle that is conquered by means of a rope.

Lexi has been working with her dad at cross-fit as a means of staying in shape for spring track and soccer. This was the first time she has ever competed in this type of event. How did she do, you ask. Well she finished 2nd in her age group. Did I mention that she is 16. She finished 13th among 1600 women contestants and she finished 72nd against all 2600 male and female participants. Somehow the phrase “tough as nails” comes to mind. Have a blessed day.

The youngest granddaughter is pictured here with her parents. Saturday afternoon and evening the local high school celebrated the new school year by having “Tiger Pride”. The event is held at the football stadium. All of the fall sports teams go through fifteen minutes of scrimmage and all of the spring sports teams are introduced. This spring the ladies track team won the state championship. Our granddaughter was the conference champion and runner-up at the state meet in high jump. That is her state championship ring that was presented to her and other members of the team at Tiger Pride.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week is an open week and I am torn between two choices. I could pick up where I left off with the female country vocalists or I could reveal a bit more of my edgy side from the late sixties. What to do, what to do. Maybe a couple of each.

It is no secret that Linda Ronstadt and Trisha Yearwood are my two favorite female vocalists from a country background. Although Ronstadt crossed over into folk rock similar to the Eagles, her roots were firmly planted in country. The first song that Don Henley and Glenn Frey wrote together was covered by Ronstadt and like all of her arrangements, she made it uniquely hers…Desperado. 

Trisha Yearwood, like Ronstadt, can sing anything and like Ronstadt, her voice is timeless. She can take any song and put her stamp on it. There is no mistaking that voice when it comes on the radio…I mean, Everybody Knows!

As a child of the sixties I grew up with The Beatles, Mowtown sound, and The Beach Boys. Near the end of the decade the music had taken on a more serious lyric and complex sound. I’m sure the Vietnam war and other national events contributed to the influences on the music of the day. I listened to Cream, Blind Faith, Santana, Steppenwolf and bands like Emerson Lake & Palmer, but I also liked Sir Elton John, Creedence Clearwater Revival and groups with a bit of blues in their soul. The story of Cream is all wrapped up in this video and their most famous song, “Sunshine of Your Love”.  For me the most special thing about Cream was Eric Clapton…nuff said.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer continued the tradition of great instrumental play and complex arrangements to move rock forward into the decade of the 70’s. One of my favorite bands. “Lucky Man”

Carlos Santana has been a rock/blues legend since the mid-sixties. Along with Eric Clapton he has always been one of the premier guitar players of all time. Santana’s inital mega hit was Black Magic Woman. The very first time I heard this song, I was hooked.

Now you know about my edgy past. Have a blessed week.

Final blooms of summer rendered in color and  B&W. Fall is just around the corner.