What's It All About, eh?

Cape Breton evokes deep memories and strong emotions for me as well as a deep appreciation for the beauty of my adopted island. My hopes are that you too might find the photos evocative - maybe a view you've not enjoyed before, or an 'Oh I've been there', or if from away that you may be encouraged to visit this fair isle so that you might come to love and breathe Cape Breton as I do. One word about place names that I use - some are completely local usage while others are from maps of Cape Breton that I've purchased over the years. I frequently post travel and other photos that are of interest to me - and hopefully you.

On the right hand side bar find my take on Single Malt whiskey - from how to best enjoy this noble drink to reviews (in a most non-professional manner) of ones that I have tried and liked - or not. Also musings, mine and others, on life in general.

Photographs are roughly 98%+ my own and copy-righted. For the occasional photo that is borrowed, credit is given where possible - recently I have started posting unusual net photographs that seem unique. Feel free to borrow any of my photos for non-commercial use, otherwise contact me. Starting late in 2013 I have tried to be consistent in identifying my photographs using ©smck on all out of camera photos I personally captured - (I often do minor computer changes such as 'crop' or 'shadow' etc but usually nothing major), and using
©norvellhimself on all photos that I have played around with in case it might not be obvious. Lately I have dropped the ©smck and have watermarked them with the blog name.

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Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star - all my life I knew the first verse and that was that, and thinking about this in my sleep I decided to see the whole poem

 

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the traveler in the dark
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
How could he see where to go,
If you did not twinkle so?

In the dark blue sky you keep,
Often through my curtains peep
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark
Lights the traveler in the dark,
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
 
 
 
The lyrics to Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, come from a poem titled "The Star" written by the English poet, Jane Taylor (1783-1824). Taylor published the poem in her book Rhymes for the Nursery in London in 1806. 

 Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, and The Alphabet Song all share the same tune! The famous melody is also used in many other songs including German, Hungarian, Spanish, and Turkish Christmas carols. So who composed this famous tune? Many people think it was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but that's not true. The tune is actually an old French melody titled "Ah! Vous Dirai-Je, Maman" ("Shall I tell you, Mother?") that first appeared without words in Les Amusements d'une Heure et Demy by M. Bouin in Paris in 1761. Twenty years later, when Mozart was 25 or 26, he composed a set of 12 improvisations based on "Ah! Vous Dirai-Je, Maman."

 

DECEMBER TWENTY-FIRST (being that shortest day of year)

 

DECEMBER TWENTY-FIRST

(being that shortest day of year)


Today, the sun rolls on the tops

Of the elms and soonest drops

Into the pinewood at the west.

The hens are scarcely off the nest

To scratch for hot corns in the straw

Before the umber shadows draw

Across the henhouse, and they must

Fly to roost in clouds of dust.

The cows eyes grow their biggest early

The ferns of frost renew their curly

Fronds the soonest on the pane,

The little mice creep to the grain.

While little ponds are hardly thawed

Before their surfaces are flawed

With new needles of green cold.

Farmhouse windows turn to gold

At barely half-past three o’clock.

The briefer sun, the longer talk

By fireside , where sweet the bloom

Of popcorn flowers scents the room, 

And the roasting herring’s smoke

Mingles with the smell of oak.

In the sunlight of old wood

Homely furniture looks so good,

A star shines in each scoured pan,

And it feels good to be a man.


Robert B. Tristram Coffin

 

Tree Up Today


 My young son and I went out to get our Christmas Tree today, 20 Dec, just about the earliest I have ever cut a tree.  Over Colora way we had spotted this little tree farm with closed, weekends only sign and decided to go back today.  Again closed, but we knocked on the door of the house and a very nice lady agreed that we could get out trees (Calum wanted one also) if we wanted.  And we did after about 10 to 15 minutes surveying the trees and making our choice. 

Close Up


 

The Little Thrush Did Recover


 If I had been outside away from the house when this little thrush (Hermit I think - re they are the most likely winter candidate in this area and the colorations fit) flew into the window pane I am fairly certain he would have died in the cold icy snow for he was in disarray and not moving when I picked him up.  No chest movement at all and completely limp.  I cupped him in my hands and went inside before the wood stove and after about 10 minutes or so his chest started to move even though his eyes were still dull and distant. Gradually he became more living though not making any efforts to wiggle or escape being cupped within my hands.  I loosely wrapped him in an old worn bit of cloth table napkin and took him outside and after a small amount of time maybe 10 minutes or so he wanted free.  The above picture is where I put him on the porch chair just before the one I already posted with my hand across its shoulder - when I had moved my hand off, it flew off like new.