It is a glorious time of year. Spring is my favorite. Promise and hope. The thought of writing a post about it crossed my neurons earlier and then Fairweather asked for pictures. Once again, the fickle finger points the way. My digital camera has a bad case of flatulence and refused to store any pictures. But do have some from last year at the same time. Lots of stuff not on them, however.

What the pictures do not show is the weeds. Not a real gardener, more of a messing-around-outsider. The yard has as many dandelions as grass. Nor do they show the moles. Nor the pollen. Lots of sneezing and running eyes.

Do like volunteers and freebies. The trees - pines, dogwoods, crape myrtle, magnolias, hollies, bridal wreath – are children of trees already around. The phlox started with just a couple of plants about five years ago. The pinks are from a couple of plants left by the previous owner. Lots of folks think the snowdrops and violets are weeds. I just move them where I want them. The flags are not in the pictures but have a nice patch of them. The town yard sale got hit by rain last year and got a whole mess of them for five bucks. Flags are one thing I might spend a few bucks on. Some of them in the catalogs are spectacular. And the moles-voles which ate up all the tulips don't like iris. Tried a couple of columbines almost free from the little nursery around the corner run by the disabled. Even though they are biannuals, they reseed and spread. Like that. Neighbor gave me some dinnerplate dahlias. They flourish, are spectacular summer show. All they need is staking. Gave some to friends and relatives. The clematis and the garnet climbing roses over the porch only need trimming.

And like stuff that is meant to grow here. No special feeding or watering. There are some azaleas around the front porch and they get by. But do not flower like the neighbor up the street who feeds and tends his. Voles ate up the tulips a friend gave me. Could fight them but would rather co-exist. The chrysanthemums don't like most of the places I try them. Need to find something else for late summer fun.

Planted some 'maters yesterday. Spring is a glorius time of the year.

While working in the garden this afternoon, a thought struck. Perhaps heat prostration dizziness. What if Obama wins?

There is another election in four years. And Hillary knows it all too well.

Machiavelli's “The end justifies the means”, “Win at any cost.” still apply. She is a master at this. You can bet your bippy that Hillary and the Democratic machine will do their damndest to make certain that she wins in 2012. Even if it means that our economy and everything else that can be blamed on Obama goes to hell in a handbasket. Do they care if we live in misery? Not a speck as long as Obama can be made to appear at fault and Hillary gets elected. Facts are unimportant. Spin is everything.

Or am I just being a pessimist? Hey. t'is politicians we are talking about here, after all.

Just returned from a long weekend trip to The Big City. Three daughters live in the Northern Virginia and D.C. area. Some Big City observations.

Did not plan well. Hit 395 about 5 PM. Traffic! After cruising along in the Grand Marquis for about four hours, crawling through the last few miles is not a pleasant event. The Car Guys called the Grand Marquis a Barcolounger on wheels – and they are right – but sitting in traffic in a padded leather upholstered easy chair with good music on the great speaker system with the one you love beside you is still not a fun thing to do. And being fifteen years old with 250K miles on her, the old girl (that is the Grand Marquis, of course) did not like it either. She talks to me and I talk to her all the time. She and I would both go bonkers if we had to do that twice a day every day.

One of our daughters and her intended met us in D.C. for a burger. In the Turkish Tent Room at Mie N Yu. Mie N Yu also has a Hong Kong Bar, Moroccan Bazaar, Bird Cage, etc. A good burger, buffalo meat and blue cheese. But $12! Who ever heard of a $12 burger? In a restaurant called Mie N Yu? With a Turkish Tent Room? And putting the car in a lot for $12 parking fee.? The local Diner has a great burger – plain beef and cheddar cheese but still a great burger – for $3 and free parking next to the pickemups out to the front. A great bunch of folks and only one counter and eight booths. But, having a meal with your delightful daughter – priceless.

Walked down to Chinatown to see a movie. The streets were packed, could hardly move. There was a game about to start, also, and everyone was in a hurry to get there. There is only one day a year when the streets here are busy and that is the annual town yard sale. Even then, they are not packed and no one is in a rush. Walking packed Chinatown streets is still an interesting experience. Am a people watcher and the variety and the interactions of stressed Big City people is better than a trip to the zoo. Fascinating – once in a while. The movie, “Leatherheads”, was so-so. Walking Chinatown streets was much better.

Took a cab back afterwards and that was another Big City experience. Talk about high stress! Any slow or stopped car was something to zoom around even if it meant going on the wrong side of the street and a LOT of horn honking. Parking lot attendants trying to get cars out of the lot, pedestrians hurrying across to beat the light should have had targets painted on their coats. Just knew that it was the last few seconds of our lives. We did get back, however, safely and $15 out of the pocket. Glad I am not a cabbie.

Shopping in The Big City is better. And going to the movies. Needed a good suit for an upcoming wedding and found one very pleased with. Certainly not cheap but reasonable. Got to see “Miss Pettigrew” (recommend that one) in a nice theatre, the Shirlington. And a trip to Costco. Things just not available around here. We have a Peebles store and The Idle Hour Theatre. Not the same.

The Big City was fun but it surely is nice to be home.

Put up posts about the human voice and music some time ago (10 September, 07, 8 July, 07, 25 July, 06). There is an article in my Scientific American a little bit ago that keeps coming to the fore in my thoughts, also. The January issue, “The Human Instrument”. Read it, a great article (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-human-instrument)

The Scientific American article goes over what a miraculous instrument our voices are. The 20 cm that include the vocal cords and the tissues a little above and below can achieve notes that a two meter long bass string or a nine meter long trombone tube or a 10 cm penny whistle can. A trained voice can do five octaves. And with volumes comparable to those huge instruments. Remember reading that the two most astonishing physical things us human beans can do is our vocal abilities and moving on two feet abilities, including all the cerebral wiring to accompany them.

Along with that,of course, is the ability the voice has to stir our souls. Why is it that listening to George Jones “He Stopped Loving Her Today”, Carousel “You'll Never Walk Alone”, All of “La Boheme”, can wring your heart so? And Toby Keith “I Love This Bar”, Gary P. Nunn ”Homesick Blues”, all of Bob Wills and Asleep at the Wheel can make the rest of the day a joy?

Other animals use sounds. Birds and whales sing beautifully. No other large mammals near our lineage do that however. Gorillas and chimps are as good as they can be without having the equipment we have. But they just communicate every day junk like keep away from my woman. Where did all of our music come from? When we aquired the FOXP2, did music automatically come with it? Who was the first cave man to charm his way into a cave woman's furred pants with a song? The Pavarotti of 10,000 BC.

Do we relate a particular song with an event in our past? Tried to find conscious times and places but none come to mind. They just sort of hit us out of the blue.

The human voice is truly a miracle. Both the sending and receiving. One of Mother Nature's greatest gifts. 'Tis a wonderment.

I have found who I want for President.

"It's good, it's nice, to live in peaceful harmony"

Saw the Alvin movie via Netflix this past weekend. Not memorable but I liked it.