I've posted You Tube videos of Camille Saint Saens, The Carnival of the Animals. To view them in order scroll down to the entry titled "Intro and The Lions" and work your way up to the top.
The kids have had a blast listening to this music and I hope you have as well. Be sure to let us know which is your favorite piece. :)
Make sure to turn off the music player on the right side bar before playing the videos.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Mules and other fast animals
Piece 3. This is a different orchestra playing, but it's still good. :)
Intro and The Lions
I had posted awhile back that we are studying C. Saint Saens. One of the pieces we are listening to now is The Carnival of the Animals. It's a delightful piece of music that he wrote as a joke for his music students. He deemed the piece to be too frivolous and refused to allow it to be performed. After his death, The Carnival of the Animals has become one of his most beloved pieces. As you listen to the videos you might recognize some of the pieces having been used in some movies. The kids recognized quite a few pieces from the movie Milo and Otis as well as Nanny McPhee.
This pieces is the intro and The Lion. Remember to turn off the music on the right before listening to the pieces. :) Let me know which is your favorite!
This pieces is the intro and The Lion. Remember to turn off the music on the right before listening to the pieces. :) Let me know which is your favorite!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Where'd my links go???
My links have disappeared and I have no idea where they went or why. The other strange thing is the links that are there now I was adding to my Keepers blog, but they are here now. How bizarre is that?
Oh, and this is formatted funky because I'm on Safari, which doesn't like blogs other than iMac. ;) .
All those links, sniff, sniff, are all gone.
Sorry to those of you who were on there. I'll try to get you back on soon. :)
Oh, and this is formatted funky because I'm on Safari, which doesn't like blogs other than iMac. ;) .
All those links, sniff, sniff, are all gone.
Sorry to those of you who were on there. I'll try to get you back on soon. :)
Thursday, May 8, 2008
We have a large Silk Oak tree in our backyard that has gone condo. There are various birds co-existing in there raising their new hatchlings to become strong strapping birds. One of the residents is a family of Mockingbirds. I think most people know that Mockingbirds are not to be trifled with.
There is also in residence in the home behind us a family of hawks. We have spent many afternoons watching the hawks ride the thermals and pester the neighborhood birds and most likely rabbits, mice and what ever meets their fancy. They are, afterall, hawks, the top of the food chain in the bird world.
Does anyone see where this is going?
After lunch my 8 yo came running in to say there is a hawk at the top of our silk oak tree and the Mockingbirds are darting at it squawking. We've seen this before and I was able to grab my camera to catch our own Wild Kingdom on film. When I got out there it was evident the hawk had had enough poking and took off. I was able to snap this awesome shot just as he took flight. I love how you can see his feathers spread apart and curled just so to get the lift he (maybe she? I'm not trying to be sexist. :-) ) needed to fly.
There is also in residence in the home behind us a family of hawks. We have spent many afternoons watching the hawks ride the thermals and pester the neighborhood birds and most likely rabbits, mice and what ever meets their fancy. They are, afterall, hawks, the top of the food chain in the bird world.
Does anyone see where this is going?
After lunch my 8 yo came running in to say there is a hawk at the top of our silk oak tree and the Mockingbirds are darting at it squawking. We've seen this before and I was able to grab my camera to catch our own Wild Kingdom on film. When I got out there it was evident the hawk had had enough poking and took off. I was able to snap this awesome shot just as he took flight. I love how you can see his feathers spread apart and curled just so to get the lift he (maybe she? I'm not trying to be sexist. :-) ) needed to fly.
If you know anything about Mockingbirds you'll know that the hawk leaving wasn't nearly enough. No, the Mockingbird chased the hawk far, far away swiping at it every chance he (again, maybe it's she ;-) ) got.
I'm sure there's some lesson we can take from this. Something like "Just because you're smaller doesn't mean you can't beat the giant". Or maybe, "Don't give up, even when the odds seem to be against you". Maybe it's something as simple as "Mockingbirds are just big ol' bullies".
Whatever the lesson is, if there is one, it's always fun to watch God's creation in action.
Whatever the lesson is, if there is one, it's always fun to watch God's creation in action.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Blog Hopping
Do you leave comments when you visit blogs? Well, I know that most people who visit my blog don't, so I guess I'll never really know the answer to that question. LOL
I'm one of those that visit blogs but don't leave many comments. There are a few people that I regularly leave a note, but in general, I read, smile, cry, laugh, ponder and move on never reaching out to let that person know they were heard.
So, I thought I'd give visiting blogs on my friends and links list and leaving a message a try. Monday's will be my "reach out and touch a blog friend" day. Not only will I visit and comment on their blog, I'll share the blog addy's of those I visited, so you can meet some new friends as well. :)
My first visit tonight was to my dear friend Jen's blog. Jen always shares what fun they are having in school in great detail. I want to go join their school, they look like they have so much fun. Jen and I met online through FIAR's website. Our kids are close in age and we discovered we have a lot in common (and keep discovering more interests that we share all the time). We finally met last fall in Atlanta. One of the really cool things is our kids hit if off really well and our two oldest girls, whose names are even close, are having fun with their weekly telephone conversations.
I'm looking forward to finding a time we can go visit them in AL!
The next blog I went to was Amanda, another "rower". However her blog seems to be gone. So, no comment or link for that one.
Number 3 was, yes, another "rower's" blog. (from this point on just assume they are all rowers (as in Five in a Row(er)) unless I tell you otherwise. It'll just be easier that way.
) This is Christina's blog and as much as I would have loved to have left her a comment, I don't have a blogger account, so I couldn't. (actually I do have an account, I just can't remember my user name or password LOL)
Number 4 was Shauna who always has really interesting things to share on her blog. She gives great book reviews and heads up on good deals. I enjoyed her post on her and her kids Homeschool Support group classes, so that's where I left the comment. :) I enjoyed her post on the political books, I'm just not real political so I didn't think I had much to comment on there. LOL Shauna is the one who told me about using the Mozilla server w/ our Mac so I could start blogging again. You can either thank her or curse her for that, depending on your opinion of my blogging.
My 5th and final blog I visited (going straight down my list on the right) was Jess's blog. However, sigh, this is her old blog. I have her new blog linked further down, so I'll hit that one eventually. ;) Because it was an old blog, I didn't leave a message there either!
Well, that was not a real successful first time out. But it has shown me I need to do a little pruning on my template.
Hope you stop by their blogs and leave a message along the way. (you can leave one on my blog too ;-) ).
I'm one of those that visit blogs but don't leave many comments. There are a few people that I regularly leave a note, but in general, I read, smile, cry, laugh, ponder and move on never reaching out to let that person know they were heard.
So, I thought I'd give visiting blogs on my friends and links list and leaving a message a try. Monday's will be my "reach out and touch a blog friend" day. Not only will I visit and comment on their blog, I'll share the blog addy's of those I visited, so you can meet some new friends as well. :)
My first visit tonight was to my dear friend Jen's blog. Jen always shares what fun they are having in school in great detail. I want to go join their school, they look like they have so much fun. Jen and I met online through FIAR's website. Our kids are close in age and we discovered we have a lot in common (and keep discovering more interests that we share all the time). We finally met last fall in Atlanta. One of the really cool things is our kids hit if off really well and our two oldest girls, whose names are even close, are having fun with their weekly telephone conversations.
I'm looking forward to finding a time we can go visit them in AL! The next blog I went to was Amanda, another "rower". However her blog seems to be gone. So, no comment or link for that one.
Number 3 was, yes, another "rower's" blog. (from this point on just assume they are all rowers (as in Five in a Row(er)) unless I tell you otherwise. It'll just be easier that way.
) This is Christina's blog and as much as I would have loved to have left her a comment, I don't have a blogger account, so I couldn't. (actually I do have an account, I just can't remember my user name or password LOL) Number 4 was Shauna who always has really interesting things to share on her blog. She gives great book reviews and heads up on good deals. I enjoyed her post on her and her kids Homeschool Support group classes, so that's where I left the comment. :) I enjoyed her post on the political books, I'm just not real political so I didn't think I had much to comment on there. LOL Shauna is the one who told me about using the Mozilla server w/ our Mac so I could start blogging again. You can either thank her or curse her for that, depending on your opinion of my blogging.
My 5th and final blog I visited (going straight down my list on the right) was Jess's blog. However, sigh, this is her old blog. I have her new blog linked further down, so I'll hit that one eventually. ;) Because it was an old blog, I didn't leave a message there either!
Well, that was not a real successful first time out. But it has shown me I need to do a little pruning on my template.
Hope you stop by their blogs and leave a message along the way. (you can leave one on my blog too ;-) ).
Gill and the Hummingbird
One rambunctious toddler + one curious hummingbird = some of the most delightful moments of spring.
The blur is the hummingbird LOL
Can you find the hummingbird in this and the following pictures?
The blur is the hummingbird LOLCan you find the hummingbird in this and the following pictures?
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