The River "DRAU"

The spot from which these pictures were taken is called 

"Draublick", 

(View onto the river Drau.)

I thought that I'd treat you to this scene, before the snows fall.

 a hazy day on the Drau

Tonc Feinig and Klaus Lippitsch

Two great musicians: 
Tonc on the Piano and Hammond Organ 
Klaus on percussion.
Those two exceptional musicians creat a style of music, all of their own.
You can't call it "Classical", you can't call it "Jazz"
But you sure can call it "Music"!
Beautiful, interesting, challenging new music.
If ever I have regretted not to have a sound channel on this Blog, it surely is now.
So, here they are:

The tall guy is "Tonc" ( pronounced: Tontsch )

Tonc on the Organ and on the Piano 

Klaus is a percussionist in the truest sense of the word.

Above: Klaus rings a cow bell and then slowly

submerges it into a pail of water.

The effect of the changing ring is quite remarkable.

Drums, Cymbals, Bells, Whistles, Rattles, Blocks

and whatever creates a sound, Klaus uses it to create rhythm.

A most enjoyable, challenging evening was created by

Tonc and Klaus.

.

Christin x 3

Christin  at  Lake  Erie

Lunch at 'Chez Piggy in Kingston

Christin swimming in Lake Huron's Georgian Bay.

First Snow of 2015

The,

 very first

Sugar Coating

applied to a steep slope

of coniferous trees on the 22nd

day of November. I hope that it will

go

away

soon

again

What else is Gnu ?

(The German word for "Wildebeest" is Gnu ! )

well, I can tell you what is Gnu !
having been in Africa a number of times, I have learned that 
"the opinion of an elephant carries a lot of weight."

Hohohoho
Bertstravels 
is developing a stomach ache for laughing.

Here are tumor :

You can absolutely rely on it: Horses are very stable animals.

but better than this one:

Time flies like an arrow.
Fruit flies like a banana.

the above is a most unusual pun, since it is based upon two words
with same spelling, same pronounciation but different meaning.

Bertstravels 
kills himself laughing

Get it ?

I had quite forgotten how to throw a Boomerang.
But then it came back to me.

Bertstravels
likes the occasional Pun

Wildebeest crossing the Mara River

I was in Africa. Kenya specifically, the Masai Mara at the shore of the Mara river.
This is, so the guide told us, a favourite place for the crossing of the Mara River by the Wildebeest.
How right he was ! We had no sooner arrived and ensconced ourselves at a sight-protected spot on the opposite shore line, than we spotted the herd coming. 
Hesitatingly first and then with wild abandon they dove into the river.

Each year they come, at about the same time, their instinct telling them that the crossing must be achieved. Despite the many crocodiles awaiting a plentiful feed, despite the hundreds of vultures who expect to find their satisfaction in the drowning bodies, the Wildebeest come and hurl themselves into the fast running water of the Mara.

I saw an adult cow who had successfully crossed, standing at the shore line, loudly baying.
Then she re-entered the river and returned, heading straight for a calf which anxiously had remained behind.
The cow gently pushed the calf into the water and, keeping herself down-river, below the calf, edged it to the opposite shore.
Finally they both arrived and together with thousands of their kind they climbed the shore and continued their migration in a long string of wildebeest.

There are about 1.5 million of them who participate in this ritual.

The first one takes the plunge.

Others follow in ever increasing numbers.

Hundreds of Vultures have assembled for a "Big Meal".

This mother had previously succeeded in crossing,

but had returned for what was clearly her calf.

Gently she urged the young- one into the water ,

protecting her by swimming with her, always keeping herself on the down river side.

Finally cow and calf made it across. The calf, totally exhausted, 

had to have a few minutes rest before it continued  with the rest on this migration.

The majority, of course, made it to the opposite shore

and, climbing the embankment...

... they continued on their treck in a broad line, reaching from the river to the horizon.

Mozart: The Requiem Mass

The 70 members Cathedral Choir and Orchestra of Klagenfurt was in an old Church with beautiful accustics, in Eberndorf, very near here.
Although I am not normally a great lover of Choirs ( with the laudable exception of a good Barbershop Quartet :-) ) I went there and what a treat for the ears this was. A simply gorgeous performance of an old and much admired work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was presented to a full house ( church ) in a beautiful orchestral and vocal rendition.
I'm sorry that I can only show you a picture, but no sound of this work.
The Soroptimists had a stand there, selling Gluehwein and local sweet-bakery goods.
What is a "Soroptimist" you ask ? Google it !

Christin founded this chapter ( Lower Carinthia ) of the Soroptimist Club in 1987.

The three ladies above are (l to r ) Waltraud Liesnig, Bärbel Pucker ( outgoing president) and 

 Edith Riegler  (incoming president )

Strong updraft required !

I used to love "kite-flying" and have never lost an affinity for it.

If I could not fly them myself, 

I photographed somebody else doing it.

These are two images from my distant past.

Bertstravels 
has often been told to
"Go! fly a kite."

That's what it is !

It's just a  small decorative "Corn on the Cob"

What might it be ?

I'll give you three guesses:

Write your answer into the "comment" page

and you might, or you might not win a prize.

DO YOU WANT A SHORT CHUCKLE ? ( a very short one ? )

Three "elderly gentlemen" are out for a little walk.
First one says: "It's windy, isn't it ?"
Second one says: "No, it's Thursday !"
Third one says. "So am I. Let's go get a beer !"

*******************************

Charly mentioned to his friend that he has bought a new hearing aid. The latest of hearing-aid-technology. Cost me over four thousand bucks, he boasts to his friend. It is the latest. It's perfect !
Is that so, says his friend. "What kind is it ?"
"Three thirty" says Charly.

********************************

Sidney, age 84, has a complete physical check up.
Three days later the doctor sees Sid walking down the Allee with a gorgeous young chick on his arm.
"Hey, you're doing great, says the doctor.
I'm only doing what you told me answers Sid:
"Get a hot mamma and be cheerful"
The doctor is astonished and says: I did not say any such thing! 
I said: You've got a heart murmer; be careful.

**********************************

When Bertstravels has nothing better up his sleeve, he digs up some crummy jokes.

NEW ART

In recent times I have visited an inordinate number of 

"Art Galleries",

"Private Showings" and "Vernissages"

Some, the rare one, told me that the "artist-painter" truly wanted to 

talk to the viewer.

The vast majority, however, struck me as simply trying to fool me and all the rest

of the gaping public.

There was one, for instance, who clearly dropped some dollops of different coloured paint 

on the top edge of the canvas, 

and then spread his fingers and thumb 

and drew them through the paint from top to bottom, 

making wiggly lines.

He called these "Works of Art" about 30cm by 30cm

"Fingerschmierereien"

literally translated: "Finger Smearings"

and, believe me, he asked and, I am told, he actually received €3000.00 for some of them.

It seems to me, and I believe I have once before stated so, 

that this Charlatan actually tells the art-buying public:

"You people are so stupid, that even if I tell you, that these "Smearings" have nothing to do with art,

you will still pay me several thousand of your hard earned Euros."

... so I got me some paint !

and a big white canvas,

and some brushes

and a white coat,

I already had an easel

and when the sun was shining

I set my tools up in our garden

and I splashed some paint around.

I haven't thought of a name yet.

Maybe I will call them:

Green on Green 1

Green on Green 2

Green on Green 3

It will be a long time before I ran out of titles.

In fact I surmise that I will run out of paint

a considerable time before I run out of  titles.

I just thought: If they can do it, so can I !

The way in which these "works of Art"

saw the light of day, is actually quite different 

from the above description.

Bertstravels

just wants to have some fun.

Three, which don't belong together !

Ontario Place lights !

Not a good landing place for seagulls !

He is right at home !

Talk about dense morning fog !

An Island in Lake Opeongo !

disandatandanotherting

At the very tip of the Bruce Peninsula there is a town called Tobermory.

I used to rent a boat there and visited a number of little islands.

One of them is called the "Flowerpot Island" because of its shape.

There is something interesting, peculiar on Flowerpot Island:

Almost dead centre there is an opening to a cave, out of which emanates an air stream,

at the same lukewarm temperature all year long.

Summer and Winter.

The same temperature

Right in this airstream grows an orchid:

The Calypso Orchid.

Just a hand full.

This is truly not the latitude where Orchids grow.

But here you have it:

The picture above: The Calypso Orchid of Tobermory.

Also from this general area,

The Lady's Slipper.

Not quite as unusual as the Calypso,

but a very beautiful flower.

What is this I just saw flutter by ?

Must have been a Butterfly.

A very early morning on the Bruce Peninsula.

Dense clouds above, dense fog below.

Trees on the lake shore in the middle.

The bud of a rose.

Promising new life !

Promising beauty!

The KENNY GARRETT Quintet

Direct from the USA, via London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna to Bleiburg comes the most unbelievable group of musicians, I have ever heard or seen.
Unbelievable ever heard ? Yes ! and in my days I have heard most of them:
A Stan Getz Quartet, Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, Ben Webster, Cannonball Adderly, Paul Desmond, Charly Parker and so many more, too many to list them all here.
Talk about "Energy" ! Nobody comes close to Kenny Garrett: Not Stan Kenton in his heydays, not Count Basie's Big Band, not even the Jazz Messengers.
The Kenny Garrett Quintet started playing at 9 O'Clock sharp and played at the highest level of intensity until almost 11PM interrupting only long enough to catch their breath  between numbers, not even waiting for the applause to abate.
Half way through, Garrett stopped long enough to introduce the members of his Combo:

Vernell Brown, - Acoustic Piano
Corcoron Holt - Acoustic Bass
Marcus Baylor - Drums
Rudy Bird - Percussion
sand himself: Kenny Garrett - Alto and Soprano Saxophones.

and back again into a 45 minute uninterrupted session of brilliantly played Ballad-style melodies.
Even those he offered with an intensity only demonstrable by a 'young' Genius.

I have never heard a Bass player with the musical sensitivity and mechanical dexterity as great as  Mr. Holt. 
And, I have heard, if not all, then many of them. I will not show off again by mentioning their names.

Marcus Baylor on Drums must be heard and seen in order to believe this Genius of Rhythm...
and, yes, I have heard and seen many of them too.

With Oscar Peterson as his idol, Mr. Brown can play up a storm which leaves you gaping....

Rudy Bird, commanding a multitude of rhythm instruments displays imagination and style which simply draws you to him. Even from the stage to the last row of the audience (where I sat ) he radiates an attractive personality and a mastery of his many percussion instruments.

Last, but surely not Least comes Mr. Garrett. If ever the expression: "must be heard to be believed" had value, it has value in spades when applied to Kenny Garrett.

Unbelievable Group ever seen?
Yes this too: At a time when musicians seem to vie with each other as to who is more sloppily dressed, Who has the filthiest T-shirt, whose blue jeans are more ripped, here comes The Kenny Garrett group: Mr. Garrett himself in an elegantly tailored medium-dark brown suit, elegant, open neck grey shirt and colour co-ordinated cap, The drummer having taken off his jacket plays in a blue shirt and bow-tie. Vernell Brown wears a pin striped blue suit, and so on...
In this way, the group, in my opinion shows respect for the audience as well as for themselves.

So here you have it: I you did not hear this group yesterday or any other time: Shame on You.

More sights during a walk

Just below here I told you about all the things I see 

when walking wth our DDD....

I almost forgot to show you one or two of the most important sightings:

DDDis very camera-shy,

or he is a secret agent of the CIA

and does not want his face to become known.

DDD's best friend !