Hello Diamond Valley. At the time of writing, mid-April, I sincerely hope everyone is doing ok. Life is uncertain at the best of times, and things have and continue to change so quickly, it’s hard to know what to think. I hear many people who are not working and staying at home have been trying to learn new things, or catch up on their hobbies. I have been listening to a ton of music which is something I haven’t had the opportunity to do for some time. So, with that in mind, here are my top 10 songs of the moment, some music and musings.
The first song I’d like to share is “Sleepwalking”, and the version I love is by Amos Garrett. Amos is originally from Detroit, and lives in our area, and he can bend a string on a guitar like nobody’s business. In fact, in a 1975 Rolling Stone interview, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin was quoted as saying Amos is one of his top favorite guitarists in the world. String-bending history is in the blues, it gives the note a vocal tone, and the proper term for sleepwalking is somnambulism, which sounds like a swear word. I had the opportunity to walk with penguins in early March at the zoo, before everything went crazy, and it was a very cool experience. It does feel a bit like we are sleepwalking as time feels like it’s standing still right now.
Song number two is “The Great Gig in the Sky” by Pink Floyd, and the vocalist without words in this song is Clare Torry, from their 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon. We had a “pink moon” on April 8th. I checked out the Rothney Observatory’s telescope online. On clear nights you can see planets, stars, constellations, and the Milky Way, and even the Northern lights when they are active. The Observatory is located near Millarville and is run by the University of Calgary. Check out their Skycam online.
“Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles is song number three, and has always been a favorite of mine. George Harrison wrote this song in 1969 at the country home of Eric Clapton. The sun is the star in the center of our solar system, called a yellow dwarf star. It gives off energy as light that includes infra-red energy (heat), untraviolet light and radio waves. It also gives off a stream of particles which reach the Earth as solar wind. The sun has existed for 4.5 billion years and will likely exist for the same amount of time. So never fear, the Sun will continue to rise and set and the Earth will continue on.
Chris De Burgh is one of my favorite musicians. I saw him years ago at the Saddledome and the entire audience was standing up and swaying and singing along, it was awesome. His song “Where Peaceful Waters Flow” is the fourth song I’d like to share. Apparently the rivers and the skies are the cleanest they have been in forever, as traffic is at a minimum. I know I will be walking more when this is over, as I am lucky to live in a small town where I can walk to the stores and the post office. The Alberta Council for Environmental Education has grants, contests, and awards for Youth’s Ideas for Sustainability. They are a charity organization that supplies youth with the tools they need to create a sustainable future, as children need to fall in love with the planet before they can be asked to take care of it. The website to check out is abcee.org/grants-contests-awards.
Which leads up to song number five, “Way Down Deep” by Jennifer Warnes. This song was cowritten with Leonard Cohen, and it is a little gem. We felt the cold way down deep earlier in March. Typical mid-May weather is a mix of cloud and rain with historical averages of 3 degrees as a low and 16 degrees as a high. Satellite images show how air pollution has changed during the pandemic. In some parts of the world, the change has been dramatic, others not so much yet, and this will most likely go back to what is was. The Canadian Space Agency has a lot of information and fun family activities as well, to check them out, visit asc-csa.gc.ca.
Song number six is “Smolder Blues” by the Travelling Mabels. They are a local band who has done well, and a fan was quoted as saying if the Eagles and Trio (Dolly, Linda, and Emmy-Lou) had children, the Travelling Mabels would be the result. This pandemic has taught me to slow down and smolder. Smolder means to burn slowly with smoke but without a flame. There are still wildfires burning in Alberta, and people were the cause of more than 70% of them last year. Go to albertafirebans.ca to check on our status and to learn tips about fire safety.
My seventh song I’d like to share with you is “Who Will Comfort Me”, by Melody Gardot. Melody is an American jazz singer who at age 19 had a bike accident in which she sustained a major head injury. She says music therapy played a critical role in her recovery. How are you finding comfort in these crazy times? You can find church services online from anywhere in the world if that comforts you. Or call your friends and family more often, reach out to those who have none. Get fresh air and exercise if you can. I find comfort in comedy, as the news can be overwhelming at times. If you need help coping, please call Alberta Mental Health Services toll free at 1-877-303-2642.
“I Ain’t Never Satisfied” by Steve Earle is my eighth song. Steve began playing guitar at age 11, and at age 14 he ran away to search for his idol, singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt. It was in Houston a few years later that he finally got to meet him. Steve is apparently never satisfied because he has been married 7 times! Just one of those people who love to love I guess. I adore his music, it makes me feel. I try to be satisfied with life, because it’s all we have in the end, and there is always someone else worse off. But enough of the lecture, and on to the next song.
Number nine is “One Way Gal” by the Notting Hillbillies. They are comprised of Mark Knopfler and Guy Fletcher of Dire Straits, guitar maker Steve Phillips, Brendan Croker, who recorded with Chet Atkins, Paul Franklin, who was named best steel guitarist several times, Ed Bicknell, who played with Gerry Rafferty, and Marcus Cliffe, who played with Clapton, Manfred Mann, and Rod Stewart. I could listen to these guys all day long. This song has an island feel to the melody. A friend of mine got her daughter to make an island scene in an old shoebox. Bring out the blender, throw some island tunes on and dance around your kitchen!
The last song I’d like to share with you is “Bake My Biscuits” by Little Miss Higgins. Born in Brooks and raised in Independence, Kansas, Little Miss Higgins has played venues around the Foothills and always makes me smile when I listen to her music.
For easy homemade biscuits, mix 2 cups flour with 1 tbsp. baking powder and 1⁄2 tsp. salt, and cut in 1⁄2 cup butter or shortening with a fork until crumbly. Add 3⁄4 cup milk and mix until dough is soft and moistened. Roll out on a floured surface, and cut with floured cookie cutter. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
If you have any thoughts, comments, or suggestions you’d like to share with our readers, please feel free to email me at elaine.w@telus.net. The deadline for this June issue is May 15th. Stay safe and sane and as my mother likes to say, this too shall pass.
Happy Mother’s Day May 10th!
Elaine Wansleeben
