Mad as a Hatter

Song - French Cafe Accordion Music

Last Friday Mr. B and I headed to the city to visit the Legion of Honor and to see the Degas, Impressionism and the Millinery Trade exhibit.

Degas - The Millinery Shop 1879-86

Unfortunately I brought the wrong lens for my camera so I couldn't get shots of the entire painting and I couldn't back up because it was very crowded as it was the final weekend of the exhibit.

I loved that they matched a number of old hats from the time period with the paintings.  However they were protected in large plastic showcases so the photos do not do them justice.

Berthe Morisot - Eugene Manet on the Isle of Wight 1875

They had an area dedicated to men's hats and above you can see the straw boating hat.

They discussed the use of arsenic and mercury in preserving the feathers and felting the hat. That is where the term "mad hatter" comes from as it is linked these toxic substances that gave the workers shakes, speech problems, hallucinations and emotional instability.

Georges Jeanniot - At the Milliner's 1900

James Tissot - The Shop Girl 1883-85

The Mad Hatter: "Have I gone mad?" 

Alice: "I'm afraid so.  You're entirely bonkers. 

But I'll tell you a secret.  All the best people are." 

--Lewis Carroll

A Face in the Crowd

Song - An American Girl by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Wednesday night was a lovely night in Berkeley. The weather was clear, the moon was watching over us, it was pleasantly comfortable and we were ready to rock & roll. Guess who took center stage at The Greek Theater?

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers!

There was excitement in the air and my friend, Kathy and I were thrilled to join in!

Kathy had texted me late in the afternoon on Tuesday saying she had an extra ticket and could I possibly join her.  After about a nano second I texted back "of course".  Later that night she told me that we also had backstage passes.....oh oh.....do you remember the last time this happened?

Click HERE to read about it.

So I was wracking my brain to come up with something brilliant to say in case we got the opportunity to actually meet Mr. Petty. I texted my three boys and their responses were using titles of his songs....Is it really Good To Be King? - hey I'm just An American Girl! - Yer So Bad - you really don't have to look Like a Refugee - and Mr. B's 2 cents...I Got A Room at the Top of the World Tonight.  Mmmm.....just not going to cut it.

The above photo is of  "the club house"  which is their practice studio and was behind the bands equipment onstage while we were waiting for them to perform.  Just look at all of those guitars!

We had absolutely incredible seats and occasionally they would display a view from behind the stage shooting out into the audience.  I'm the one in a black top, center stage, about 12 - 15 rows back!

 Thanks for the amazing concert!!  All of the band members are talented musicians but I especially liked the drummer, Steve Ferrone who had a big smile on his face the entire concert. They call him the "new kid" because he has only been with the band for 22 years!

After the concert we did get to go backstage and have some fine wine and talk with some very interesting people.  However, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were already heading to their next venue. So I guess I will have to save my great "what do you say to a famous musician" for another time!

Thanks EB!!!

Today it's back to reality....

"A gentle giant with a quick smile and a soulful style...."  

Drummer Magazine's quote about Steve Ferrone

Luna

Song - Moon Shadow by Cat Stevens

So on Monday morning, I awoke early and got my solar eclipse supplies ready.....two pinhole cards, a cheese grater (because I read somewhere that multiple holes look really cool) and my ever ready camera.

But it was overcast and not expected to clear until noon - the eclipse was happening between 9:30-11am.  So I headed over to my mother's house and we sat on her back deck and waited.

And then we saw it between breaks in the clouds.....

We had fun waiting for the sun-moon to peek out from the clouds and it sure did.

Mr. B stopped by for awhile and tried to be my mom's eclipse glasses when it got bright. He is a conscientious son-in-law and loves mom.

Now my brother on the other hand headed up to Oregon and got to experience the total eclipse with his family.  He said it got very cool and the street lights came on. There was also the look of a 360 degree sunrise around them. Now they are stuck in traffic.....

"Yeah, we all shine on.  

Like the moon, and the stars, and the sun."

--John Lennon

Practicing

Song - I Live For the Sun by The Sunrays

In May of 2012 we had a partial eclipse and I remember how eerie everything looked outside.  Above is a photo of Mr. B with a pin hole piece of paper showing the crescent shape onto the deck railing.

I happened to have two pin holes and reflected them onto a garden sculpture of a bird.

 

Shadows were exaggerated. 

And the backyard had a very strange color along with extra long shadows.

So many of my friends and family are heading north to Oregon to experience the "total eclipse".  I hope it's amazing for them!!!

"Dear God, If you want us to 

impeach Trump, give us a sign.  

Like, blot out the sun...anytime in the next week.  

Thanks, Americans"  -- Pinterest

The Zipper

Song - Hungry Eyes by Eric Carmen

"Pardon me but it appears that all of the bird feeders are empty 

and I was kind of hoping for lunch."

--Zipper the squirrel 

looking at me

 through my office window today.

Who Done It?

Song - Summertime by Norah Jones

In mid-June, when we returned from our vacation, I noticed that there was dry grass and leaves in one of my topiary trees in our front entry. I figured it was probably our gardeners who blow the yard when they are finished and they blew some dead grass into this plant.

At the base of the little tree are more twigs and grass bits. 

And upon closer inspection it appeared that it wasn't the gardeners but perhaps a bird attempted to start a nest in the tree and didn't quite finish.  Maybe because we had returned home and pass by this tree several times a day?

So I kept watch to see if the bird might return and finish the nest.  But in 45 days there has been no sight of a resident. I decided to clean up the tree (it's supposed to have a round top) and I wanted to pull out the grass. As I moved around to the side of the tree, I noticed a nice little cup shaped nest behind the loose grass.

And there were three blue speckled eggs inside!  I decided to let it be for a few more weeks to see if there was any activity.

Nothing.  So today I pulled the nest out.  The eggs feel light and empty so I am wondering if they were abandoned and dried up in this unbearable heat?

So....who done it?

Not the gardener.....

But a good possibility is the House Finch!


Upon doing some "little blue eggs" research, it appears that a number of birds lay 3-5 eggs that are blue with brown splotches and the House Finch seems to be a likely suspect.

The male has some red on his head and chest while the female is plain.  Above is an Oak Titmouse and a male House Finch.

"When I learn something new - 

and it happens every day - 

I feel a little more at home in this universe, 

a little more comfortable in the nest" 

-- Bill Moyers

The Tanagers Are Back

Song - Western Tanager Call

Can you spot him?

On Friday my son Andy spotted one on the dead tree near our creek 

but then he flitted away before I could get my camera or binoculars.

Then on Sunday I spotted two outside my office window on the pergola eating the grapes.

I looked at my blog and found that the last time they were in my neighborhood 

was in May 2016.

But by the time I located my camera and put on the telephoto lens....they were gone.

So now I have my camera on my desk so that is how I captured these photos yesterday.

Unfortunately, he is not singing but panting as it was 103 degrees outside.

 

I had Mr. B move a bird bath nearby

 and a friend told me to place some ice cubes in there to keep it cool.

Now I have to figure out what to do with my other grape eaters - time for a new squirt gun!

"The highway of life is filled 

with flat squirrels that couldn't make a decision."

 -- John C. Maxwell

Oh Dear!

Song - Bambi Say Bird


The other day I opened my front door and found this.......

.....happily munching on my white roses!

So I sent her on her way......

.....and behind her were two little ones.

They trotted up our lane.....

....up to my neighbors yard to much on something new!



"I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls.  
They always say because it's such a beautiful animal.  
There you go.  I think my mother is attractive, but I have photographs of her."  --Ellen DeGeneres