Suddenly, Autumn-October Glory

We have had a very hot October in Georgia.  The leaves have finally started to change the last few days of the month.  This tree behind my house was lit up by the sun and it startled me with its beautiful color.  It happened so quickly! (Photo taken on Oct. 30th.)

At work, there is a maple tree and I always look forward to seeing the autumnal colors- it is the brightest red!  One of my co-workers saw me taking a photo and he told me that it is called "October Glory".  I looked it up and one of my favorite gardening writers, the "Grumpy Gardener", who writes in "Southern Living" magazine said that it is one of the best maples to plant in the South.
Actually, this is what he said...

"Grumpy's recommendation---if you live in the South, plant 'October Glory'. If you live in the Midwest or North, go with 'Red Sunset'.  If you live on the West Coast, do whatever the heck you want.

Oh, he is so funny!  I so appreciate someone who makes me laugh.

Okay now, I took my camera to work...carefully, balanced my purse and aimed my camera up at the gorgeous red leaves.  I took ONE photo and then...my battery died! Still, here is the shot that I got...

Today is the last day of October.  Come on, November! That is when we really have our prettiest leaves!

  Remember I told you that I had mentioned Ralph McTell in a post before?  I know that I told you that he did a children's album that our son really loved. It was called "Alphabet Zoo" and he did songs about animals, a song for each letter of the alphabet.  One of my favorites on that album was "Impala".  I have it for you again, just in case you missed it the last time!  

Streets of London (Ralph McTell With Crisis Choir and Annie Lennox)

Ralph McTell, do you know him? If you play the guitar, it is most likely that you are familiar with him. He is an amazing guitarist but also a great singer and songwriter. ( I have mentioned him before.)
Now, I just found out that he had a single at Christmas of last year...it was a remake of one of his big hits, "Streets of London". 
(It was to mark the 50th anniversary of both the song and for "Crisis", the homeless charity.)  If you listen to the words of the song, you will know that it is about the homeless in the London...

"And how can you tell me that you're lonely and say for you that the sun don't shine.  Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London, I'll show you something to make you change your mind." 


Richard and I once visited a church in London, St James Piccadilly, and we observed quite a few men peacefully sleeping on the pews.  There was a sign at the front and Richard took a photo of it. I have it for you here and if you can't read it, it says, " Dear Guests, Please be aware that you may only sleep on this side of the church in the front 13 pews."

I hope you are able to see the video. I found it very moving. 

Bohemian Rhapsody Movie

  If you have seen the trailer for the eagerly anticipated film "Bohemian Rhapsody", you will see Brian May having the other band members of Queen, to clap on the 3rd beat of "We Will Rock You".  If you want to read more about the background of that song, I have a link for you just here.  I found this fascinating!

There, if you have read the article, you will know why I long to attend a concert in England, so that I could sing along with the crowd. I would love to do that.  

Also, from the trailer...I recognized two of the faces.

Roger Taylor is played by Ben Hardy (he used to be Peter Beale from "Eastenders", a TV Show that I used to watch from England.)

John Deacon is played by Joseph Mazzello (Tim from Jurassic Park! You know, the young boy who loved the dino-SOWERS. Tickled me the way that the announcer said that in the background.)  


I  already knew the actor playing Freddie Mercury, I really liked him in the "Night At The Museum" movies.

I am very good at faces but please do not ask me to remember names! I had to look up their real names, of course.

Wish I could show you a photo of Carnaby Street in London just now... oh wait, of course, you could see it on YouTube!  "Is this the real life, is this just fantasy?" with other song lyrics by Queen, in neon lights.

Not forgetting that there is a full moon tonight! (Not to confuse you but this past weekend when we were supposed to look at the moon as a global event, it wasn't full then but it is now.)

Stay tuned for more movie trivia AND moon gazing, my friends!

Observe...The Moon

Quick, before the night is over I have to tell you that tonight is International Observe the Moon Night.  Yes, here is some info for you...

International Observe the Moon Night is a worldwide celebration of lunar science and exploration held annually since 2010. One day each year, everyone on Earth is invited to observe and learn about the Moon together, and to celebrate the cultural and personal connections we all have with our nearest neighbor.



Our nearest neighbor, have you ever thought of the moon that way? I think that is lovely.  I have been thinking of the moon recently.  The film "First Man" about Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, is in theaters now.  On BBC , I read that a new book will be released on Oct. 25th about the space landing in 1968 -  "Mission Moon 3D: A New Perspective on the Space Race. It is a 3D book written by David Eicher and Brian May and will have 3D glasses included with it.  Now, you are thinking...Brian May, isn't that the name of the guitarist from Queen? Yes, one and the same.  Brian May is also an astrophysicist and has had a great fascination with the moon landing since he was a boy. (He even met Neil Armstrong once.) You may read the same article from the BBC  just  here.   I urge you to read it, it is fascinating.

(Researching a bit more, I see that Brian May will have a 3D book about Queen which will come out in November.  Perfect timing, of course, since the film about "Bohemian Rhapsody" will premiere the same month.)

May I just say, if you happen to read this post AFTER the official "International Observe The Moon Night", do not despair!  Look up at the night sky and observe the moon all year long.  Once you notice the beauty of it, you will always see it. You don't have to have a special night for it.

Must have a moon song for you.  "Shine On Harvest Moon", you say?  Good choice.

Forgot to mention, looking at children's books recently, I saw one that I fell in love with just from the title..."If You Decide To Go To The Moon" by Faith McNulty and Steven Kellogg.  I really do judge books by the cover. So sue me!

Patience

Over the weekend, I saw an episode of "Graham Norton" on BBC America.  One of the guests was Gary Barlow.  He seemed to be such a nice guy but I had never heard of him.  Our son was visiting us and I think he was surprised that I didn't know him.  He promptly produced a CD for me and played one of his favorite songs from that particular CD, "Patience".   I have it for you here...

You may read more about Gary Barlow just here.  And I hope you WILL read about him if you don't know him! He is one of Britain's most successful songwriters and you all know how I love songwriters! Not only that, but he is a such an inspiring person. If you look at that link that I gave you and scroll down to his charity work, you will see what I mean.

My friends, I see that I have only written two posts for the month of October.  Is it because I have nothing to say? No! I have loads of things to tell you...you will just have to have...wait for it...PATIENCE!  Ha, you knew I would say it, didn't you?

So, am I the only one in the world who didn't know Gary Barlow? Tell me! 

Wishing I was in England just now! When you walk along the seafront in Eastbourne, the air is clean and fresh and you hear the surf pounding the pebbles onto the beach.  It is beautiful. I will get back there, but you know, I must have...patience!

Hope you are all well, my friends.

Rockdale Art Farm- Approved!

  Remember me telling you about the Rockdale Art Farm? Happy to say that it has now been approved.   Full steam ahead!  Richard and I are pleased over this and very happy for Joe Eifrid, the gentleman who is behind this great venture.  Way to go, Joe!


Wonderful article written about the Rockdale Art Farm, you may read it just here.  Please read it if you can, it is very well written and it explains the very personal reasons behind Joe's determination in making this park a reality.  

I think I told you that they plan to have a pollinator garden at the Rockdale Art Farm.  Wonderful!  Just now, before I began typing this post, I read that hundreds of Monarch butterflies were spotted in the gardens in Asheville, North Carolina...so they are headed to Georgia! By this time next year, there should be flowers at RAF for them.  Love the thought of that...

A few years back, we were lucky enough to be at Arabia Mountain when we had hundreds of Monarch butterflies fly over us as we walked up the mountain. What a lovely thing to witness. I will never forget it.

We still have butterflies in our garden today but it is expected to cool down this weekend.  The last day I saw my hummingbirds was Oct. 6th.  See you next year, little hummers...maybe at the new Rockdale Art Farm, expected to open in the Spring of 2019.

Appalachian Trail- Emma Gatewood

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail more commonly known as the Appalachian Trail or the AT is a trail that runs from Maine to Georgia (or from Georgia to Maine, depending on where you start and finish.) It is about 2200 miles long.  I have only hiked very short sections of it in Georgia. And when I say short sections, I mean just a few hundred yards from where it crosses over a road! I would love to hike more of it but I suspect I am getting too old to hike it for any great length ...but wait, you will never guess what I just learned!  Let me tell you about Emma Gatewood!
What, you have never heard of her? Neither had I!  (She is more commonly known as "Grandma" Gatewood but I prefer to call her by her given name.)  In 1955, she hiked the entire Appalachian Trail all by herself when she was 67 years old.  What is more, two years later, she did it again.  (She also hiked it for a third time, although she allowed herself to do that last one in sections.)  Emma Gatewood died in 1973 at the age of 85. This year,  the New York Times published an obituary for her as part of its "Overlooked" series about remarkable people whose deaths went unreported in the Times.

  You may read the NY Times obituary just here. You will read that she suffered terrible abuse from her husband and she said later that the nature on the trail was healing to her. Nature is a balm to the soul, I believe.

Happy to think that I have walked in the steps of Emma Gatewood!

On her first hike on the AT, she sang "America, The Beautiful" when she completed her journey in Maine at the top of Mt. Katahdin. (highest mountain in Maine at 5,270 feet.)  Isn't that wonderful to know?