Ray Anderson

There have always been great Trombonists in Jazz: 
There was J.J.Johnson, Kai Winding, Slide Hampton, Jack Teagarten, Trummy Young, and in the very early days of Jazz there was Kid Ory.
Of course, I could go on and on listing the great ones.
Any listing of the great trombone players absolutely has to include: Ray Anderson.
He was here, starring with the Big Band of Markus Geiselhart.
I met the man and took a number of photographs:

The Miracle on the Grass

I truly thought that I had seen it all. 
Yes, I read it in the Bible, where a little guy, called David, slew the giant, called Goliath.
David did it with a rock and a sling.
Todays eleven Davids, whose every name ends in the syllable  "...son" did it not with a rock and a sling but with a piece of round leather. The soccer midgets Islanders defeated the Giant England on the Football field by a score of 2:1.
A bitter defeat for the English and a stunningly glorious victory, for the team from Island about which tales will be told in Island and in England for many years to come.
Fathers in Reykjavik will tell their sons bedtime stories of the heroic efforts of their team on this fateful day, the 27th of June 2016.
Fathers in London will feign ignorance and say to their sons: What game are you asking about, son ?
How did the Islanders do it ? With fundamental, but not complicated skills, with never ending stamina and enthusiasm and heart, heart and heart again.
How did the English under the captain Wayne Roony allow it to happen ? With too little effort, too little heart, too little of everything that wins soccer games.
Island is now in the Quarter Final of the European Football competition and will meet ever stronger competition. 
I would like to issue a warning to all the other soccer giants: Italy, Germany, and others.
Watch yourselves ! 
Island is coming and if you are not looking, they will steal the ball from you and put it into the net behind your  keeper.
That's the way it goes: Fundamental skills, unending stamina and an overwhelming desire to win will do it more often than not.
Today was the glowing example:

Island 2 : England 1

Again: In my neighbours garden

I simply have to stop invading my neighbours garden, 

lest he may charge me with trespassing.

My defense will be simple: 

"Judge, my neighbour has such a beautiful 

and variety filled garden,

that I cannot resist the temptation, 

which he maliciously puts before me.

Come, Your Honour, and see for yourself.

This way, I am certain, I will be declared innocent of trespassing,

but will be classified as an "invitee".

The case of the beautiful garden is hereby closed.

More of: In my Neighbour's Garden

In my Neighbours Garden

I'll go back there tomorrow with my macro lens.

the Last Effort

with this piece of "Modern Art" I may just bring to an end

my new "artistic effort"

I won't even bother trying to find a name for it.

Art ?

Another of my astonishing works of Art.

I will think of a name shortly.

Maybe: "White Dots" 

Just wait ! It won't be long and I shall have an exhibition in the Art Gallery in Klagenfurt.

Why not ? crappier things than that hang there every day.

What in hell is this ?

I have decided to join the overly sophisticated artistic community !

I am still thinking about the possible title for this work of art.

A few come to mind right off the bat:

 Composition # 1

then there is this other one, which I think is simply terrific:

Composition # 2

My imagination knows no bounds:

Composition # 3

What is it really ???

0 : 0

In my days, that's about 100 years ago, soccer was played in the 1,2,3,5 formation.

That is: 1 goal keeper, 2 defenders, 3 midfielders and 5 attackers.
Scores were accordingly high: 6:5, 3:2, or similar scores were not the exception but, more likely, the norm.
During the 1930s, when Austria had, what was called "The Wunderteam" ( The Miracle Team)
they were undefeated for 14 consecutive international meetings. between April 1931 and December 1932 the "Wunderteam" defeated Germany in Berlin by a score of 5:0 and at the return match in Vienna, Austria's team won 6:0. This same team defeated Switzerland 6:0 Hungary 8:2 and all other challengers by similar lopsided scores.
During the late 40s and early 50s a similarly brilliant team was fielded by the Red/White/Red.
They also played in the 1-2-3-5 formation. I remember Walter Zeman in Goal, Hannapi, Occwirk, Happel, the three midfielders, up front the inimitable Charlie Decker, and, of course, several other very talented forwards. 
Then, the line ups changed over several variations to the famous 1, 4, 2, 4 system. (4 defenders, 2 midfielders and 4 attackers.)
Now we are talking about the two "Viererketten" the chain of four, even the chain of 6.
I have observed teams playing the 1, 6, 3, 1 line up. That means: 1 goal keeper, 6 defenders strung in an almost impenetrable line from side to side, 3 midfielders and one lonely attacker.
It must be stated, however, that every man on the field is in motion, which means that an outside defender may well join in the attack and score a goal.
The system is, however, "defense-oriented" and results mirror this attitude.
Examine, if you will, the results obtained during this EM.
In  28 games a total of 51 goals were scored. This means about 1.8 goals per game. (there were also 2 exciting 0:0 results.)
A pretty meager harvest. Don't you think ?

above and below:

Soccer in Bleiburg !

(Not the E.M.)

Braunau am Inn

The upper part of the Main Square 

( less than one third of the entire Square)

In the back ground:

The "Stadtturm" (town tower)  through which one reaches "Salzburger Vorstadt"

City Hall of Braunau am Inn

Building on the right: Stadtplatz 22

where I grew up.

The Stadtturm from the other side. 

The beginning of the "Salzburger Vorstadt"

Salzburger Vorstadt 15, 

the house in which Adolf Hitler was borne.

The property is now under consideration for demolition

to avoid its becoming a "shrine".

The granit block, brought from the area of the Concentration Camp Mauthausen bears the inscription:

"For Peace, Liberty 

and Democracy

never again Fascism

so warn Millions of Dead."

I grew up there.
From 1937, at age 4, almost 5, I had the pleasure of living in this lovely old town, which received the right to call itself a "Stadt"       ( town or city) as far back as 1260. 
It was, at times, a turbulent place, but all in all I was always happy there.
I left in 1951 to go first to Vienna and then to Linz, and finally in 1955 I packed my bags and arrived in Toronto, Canada.

Why am I telling you all this ? Because I want you to know that I knew and know this place intimately and I know well, how many people of this quaint town think and what makes them tick.

From the main square, through the "Finktor" (so it was called then) you get to the "Salzburger Vorstadt" and as you go outward, on your left hand side, you pass a yellow building.

Adolf Hitler was born there: at  Number "15 Salzburger Vorstadt in Braunau am Inn".
This is a fact! 
It is not bad and it is not good. 
It is simply so !
Now, after years and years of wrangling, authorized Government expropriated the property from its owner, and some folks would like to tear down this structure to prevent it from being used as a shrine.
What a lot of nonsense this is! If you tear it down, what do you do with the land ? 
Build a hospital ( too small ), a library ? (useless in the day of Google)  or a little parkette ?
Now there is a great idea: Build a little Park with benches, so people, so inclined, will come and tell their friends and children: "This is where He was borne, here, on the grounds of this park, stood the house where he first saw the light of day."
Some few will come, because they are interested in historical facts. Fewer still will come on the 20 April to memorialize his birth in the year 1889.
Let us make no mistake about it: Hitler was a very, very bad man. In fact, words in any language are inadequate to describe the evil of this man.

If, however, we were to tear down every building in which a 
"bad man" was borne, there would be many empty spaces on many a street, in many a town and in many a country.

The removal of bricks and mortar will change nothing.
The changes must come from within the minds of men.
It is important to not forget what lead to the excesses, to this murder of millions, to this mayhem, which almost destroyed Europe. What made it possible ? 
Why did so many intelligent and educated men and women, Judges, Teachers, Doctors, Engineers, previously good men and women all, follow without a question this lunatic and his mad ideology, and contribute to this mass murder ?
.
So, if you must, remove the stones and binding agents, destroy the edifice but expect no positive results.

But teach each new generation about what happened, what caused it and create in the minds of all who are here now a breeding ground not of prejudice and hate, but of understanding and respect.

Did he really say that ?

I am the Greatest ! 
I said that even before I knew that I was !
Mohammed Ali.

... Albert said:

Two things are infinite: The Universe and Human Stupidity... and I am not certain about the Universe.
Albert Einstein

Moon over Bleiburg

As I said before: Some pictures need no words.

The Lippizan Horses of the Spanish Court Riding School.

The story of the Lippizan Horses, used by the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, is a complicated and varied one. Relocated many times due to a variety of wars, the mares finally ended up in the town of Piber (Styria, Austria ), while some of the stallions are being trained in the “Wiener Hofreitschule”

(Viennese Court Riding School )

Throughout various wars, beginning in 1797 ( the War of the First Coalition ) and several times thereafter, the horses were saved from extinction by relocating them away from war action.

The end of WW II saw the horses again endangered by the oncoming Russian Amy, who, it was feared, would butcher them for horse meat.

General George S Patton and Colonel Charles Reed of the United States army once again rescued the Lippizan horses by re-locating them to a safe area.

If you ever get to Vienna, please treat yourself to a performance of the “Spanische Hofreitschule”

You will never forget the experience. Trust me !

The arena with three viewing levels will impress you with its splendor.

OOOps

If this happens to you in the south end of Zimbabwe,

about 150 km from the nearest town,

where you might, or might not, find a mechanic,

it pays to have all necessary tools and two spare tires

as well as the knowledge to do it yourself.

fortunately our guide was ready for all eventualities.

Two more - Just as an afterthought

Blue Flag - Iris

A late Brunch

Good Stuff

There are pictures which need no words !

1951

June 1951

This is the day after we got our results 

from the Senior Matriculation Exam.

There is no prize for recognizing me or Christin.

6 of our professors decorate the front row.

some Oldies

Whenever I haven't traveled about much and therefore not taken any new pictures, I dig back into my treasure chest of photographs. In this way, I know, I run the risk of  repeating earlier posts, but some repeats are, I think, better than nothing.
So, there. Let your imagination reign freely.

A mother Fox, having a careful, protective look out for her brood.

The Entrance to Misty Lake

Raccoons are very clever and dexterous animals.

They can empty your food bag in a jiffy,

even if hung from a high branch.

Seven turtles.

Are they waiting for a street car ?

A young Fox.