Aww…some Monday

This past week the high school basketball regular season came to an end. The state tournament begins this week. The state tourney starts in Little Rock and the finals are played in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The sites are four and five hour drives from my home so I will not be traveling to the games.

Before the season started a parent approached me and asked me to capture some images of their daughter’s senior season. By now you know that I love photographing high school sports, so I jumped at the opportunity. Here are a few of my favorite images from the season that are now precious memories for the player and her parents.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week is a freedom of choice week at 4M so I am going to feature my all time favorite female artist. I’ve done this in the past, but I do enjoy this voice above all others. Over the years there have been a multitude of awesome female vocalists, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, Celine Dieon, Donna Summer, just to name a few. My all time favorite female vocalist is…the envelope please….Linda Ronstadt! Linda could and did sing everything. She always wanted to be a country singer, she joined the Stone Ponies band and became a rock legend. Linda starred on Broadway and even sang opera. She gathered an excellent group of musicians together and record the songs of her father’s heritage. Her Hispanic mariachi album went double platinum in one day. She joined friends Dolly Parton and Emmy Lou Harris and recorded the album Trio that won a Grammy and an ACM award, also going platinum.

One of country music’s icon voices and song was Patsy Cline’s recording, “Crazy Arms”. Country legend Ray Price also had a hit with the song. I believe Linda covered the song as well, if not better than the original.

Another Patsy Cline hit done by Linda.

Glen Frye and Don Henley both give Linda credit for being the person most responsible for the formation of The Eagles. Here she is singing with the guys and killing it with one of their songs, “Desparado”.

Did I mention that she crushed the Big Band sound by teaming up with legendary composer/arranger Neslon Riddle and releasing an album that featured this song, “I’ve Got a Crush on You”.

Now you know why, in my humble opinion, this lady is the best there has ever been. Let’s wrap this up with one of my favorite Ronstadt rock songs.

Morning Snack

Aww Monday

Lucy’s Profile Pic

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week the theme at 4m is free choice, but it’s Valentines Day and love is in the air so I am going to continue with that theme.

As I was cruising some of the other bloggers entries last week one song caught my ear. I lamented, “Why didn’t I think of that tune?” The song is definitely from one of my favorite artists and it fit the way I felt when I proposed to my wife. Anne Murray is the artist and the question is, “Can I Have This Dance?”

She said, “Yes” and she’s been My Girl for nearly 48 years. Blessed beyond compare.

Happy Valentines Day to one and all. Have a blessed week.

Patiently Waiting

Aww Mondays

It’s February and love is in the air. Also, the night time temperatures are in the teens and we have 8″ of snow on the ground, so what better time to think of spring flowers!

Monday’s Music Moves Me

Moving right along with the love theme and flowers, this week’s theme at 4M is love songs. We are one week out from Cupid and Valentine’s day, so guys you have had fair warning. Go get your valentine something nice. Make her feel special. And now, our musical selections.

First song is from the Marshall Tucker Band. While my wife and I have been together that my boots need to be resoled, I have no intention of going anywhere but right here in this relationship. Still I like the song.

The reason I have no intention of going anywhere is because I’m going to love her forever and ever amen. It’s been almost 48 since we said, “I do” and we’re just getting started.

What was the most popular or meaningful song played in your wedding ceremony? In 1974 this song was probably a part of most wedding ceremonies. It is still a favorite of mine.

Have a blessed week, filled with thoughts of love and kindness towards everyone you know, especially your significant other.

Playing Above the Rim

Aww…some Monday

Friday night my wife and I went to the local high school basket ball games. I photographed the girls game and we watched the boys game together. High school sports provides a great evening of cheap entertainment. Tickets are only $5 each, but we have free life time senior adult passes that give us access to all home games for every sport to both local high schools. What a deal!!!

Jump ball, let’s get this game started!

First two points of the night.

Getting up close and personal.

Old school.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week is a free choice week at 4M. The past few months I have been spinning a lot of vinyls and rebuilding my record collection from a misspent youth. There were a multitude of great artists in the sixties and seventies. Recent trips to a local vintage record shop and a couple of flea markets have turned up some real gems. Some artists just make great music, even if it never makes the charts.

One of my recent finds was the Santana Abraxas album. One cut on that vinyl was a monster hit and a signature song for one of the greatest guitar players in rock music.

The sixties and seventies produced some of the finest female vocalists to ever grace the stage and most of them went under appreciated. There was Grace Slick, Linda Ronstadt, Rita Coolidge, Carly Simon, Janis Joplin, and this lady.

That’s a wrap for this week. I’ll be back on the hardwoods tomorrow night and Friday night. Don’t be surprised if more high school hoop images appear in this space. Have a blessed week.

Feeder Raider

Aww Mondays

We have had a cold weather spell here in NW Arkansas the past week or so. The high temperatures have been in the 20’s while the lows have been in single digits and a northwest wind has sent the wind chill into sub-zero range. I don’t like single digits and sub-zero.

I set out the bird feeders and proceeded to capture a few images of my feathered friends. One morning I managed to capture this sequence involving a female Cardinal leaving a branch. I converted the images to black & white to help filter our background distractions. Here is the launch sequence.

Ready

Set

GO!!!

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week the theme at 4M is in honor of National Compliment Day. So, we are to offer a nice compliment to your readers or dance partners through song.

May will mark our 48th wedding anniversary. Every year I could sing the chorus of this song to my wife.

However wonderful our marriage is, it is because the one who guides our lives, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Over the years, we have faced multiple trials and difficulties, but whenever we looked for hope in the midst of the storm, “There Was Jesus”.

The greatest blessing in this life has been the person that God placed by my side to share this journey with and both of us would tell you that we are thankful for all that the Lord has done for us. have a blessed week.

Dining in the Snow