The Budding Groves Seemed Eager To Urge On
It was an April morning: fresh and clear
The Rivulet, delighting in its strength,
Ran with a young man's speed; and yet the voice
Of waters which the winter had supplied
Was softened down into a vernal tone.
The spirit of enjoyment and desire,
And hopes and wishes, from all living things
Went circling, like a multitude of sounds.
The budding groves seemed eager to urge on
The steps of June -
The Rivulet, delighting in its strength,
Ran with a young man's speed; and yet the voice
Of waters which the winter had supplied
Was softened down into a vernal tone.
The spirit of enjoyment and desire,
And hopes and wishes, from all living things
Went circling, like a multitude of sounds.
The budding groves seemed eager to urge on
The steps of June -
again thanks and joy to Wm Wordsworth
The Bliss of Solitude
- For oft, when on my porch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
apologies - and thanks - to Wm Wordsworth
The Scotch Whisky Coming Attractions
A couple of serendipitous new bottles have appeared in my den room that meet the 'Single Malt' standards - both without the word 'Scotch', which requires being made in Scotland of course.
At a recent family gathering a good family friend that travels the country a bit and I started discussing our various tastes in Scotch. He was really impressed by a unique malt that had a truly unique flavour made in the South-west of the U.S. - Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey (yep - with an 'e') from Santa Fe Spirits - https://santafespirits.com/spirits/single-malt-whiskey - About a week ago the Fed-Ex pulled into our drive with a small package that just happened to be the size of a whisky bottle and which I had to sign as an 'adult' above the word Whisky. Don had really surprised me with this. I have now tried it twice, impressed indeed by the unique southwestern twist on 'smokiness'.
The second of the new bottles is not really as serendipitous in nature as I happened upon it on one of my browsing jaunts in a liquor store in Delaware looking for a nice blended malt but instead came across a nice new Irish single malt, The Quiet Man, 8 year old Irish Single Malt Whiskey - see http://thequietmanirishwhiskey.com/ . The name, The Quiet Man, was not influenced by the old movie of the same name but rather by the distiller's father who had been known locally as 'the quiet man'. I have tried it several times also with pleasing results.
The good lord willing and the creeks don't rise as my own father used to say, I will try to give my own review of these two nice malts soon.
Posting Will Be Renewed Directly
A close friend just helped me update to Windows 10 and had my machine for a few days as there was some problem that required him to do a little 'digging' and then rerun it over-night. Thank you Kevin.
Beans, Leaves Etc
disclaimer - I have no material interest in this shop what-so-ever
Pileated Wood Pecker - Dryocopus pileatus - II
I have been trying to get a decent photograph of this guy ever since I moved here back about 1981. Then the last few years when my skills upgraded due to the fantastic abilities of digital cameras - but still no good shots as this bird is usually extremely wary. But today as I was about to climb into my truck to come uptown for wi-fi I heard the distinctive cry and then a quick drumming sound right in my side yard - I turned and there he was. And unbelievably he hung around while I got my camera and sighted it in. I'm really pleased to say the least.
Pileated Wood Pecker - Dryocopus pileatus
The Pileated Woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. It’s nearly the size of a crow, black with bold white stripes down the neck and a flaming-red crest. Look (and listen) for Pileated Woodpeckers whacking at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, carpenter ants, leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood. The nest holes these birds make offer crucial shelter to many species including swifts, owls, ducks, bats, and pine martens.
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/id
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