How green is the river? Not as
green as it appears in the photograph. The river is the Snake in Idaho. What is
the name of the waterfall? Hmmmm? You do not see the waterfall? Look again ....
pretty much in the center, cascading down 200 or 300 or 400 feet from the top
of the bluff into the canyon below. And, no, that is not the waterfall coming
down from the heavens onto the bluff (or a geyser going up into the heavens)
although it appears it could be either. It is what I would describe as sort of
an optical illusion created by a contrail from a jet aircraft which passed over
moments before the photograph was taken. Looks great and a bit mysterious,
though -- almost dreamlike or surreal .... does it not? By the way, I never did learn the name of the waterfall,
although it might be Perrine Coulee Waterfall.
We have joining us for a pair of
musical selections none other than David Bowie performing what has to be my
favorite piece in his repertoire: "Absolute Beginners." On stage with him to
sing most of "Under Pressure" is Gail Ann Dorsey, who is a magnificent vocalist
and musician in her own right. There is a pronounced difference in the way the musicians perform the two songs -- see if you notice it ....
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.
Those lines are some from Edgar Allan Poe’s 1849 poem, “A Dream Within a Dream,” in
which he explores
the difference between the real and the imaginary.
A dream within a dream ....
A dream is an imaginary series of events we experience in
our mind while we are asleep. If something recurs, it happens more than once. Voilà -- there we have the definition of a recurring
dream.
Ever have them? I do on occasion. Two stand out. The first
might land somewhere between silly and psychotic, but sometime around the time
I was 14 or 15 I began having a periodic dream about walking around a lake
where I frequently hunted. A man would appear some distance away with a
submachine gun, begin walking toward me and firing at me. I ran / I fell / I began
rolling, seeing the rounds kicking up dirt closer and closer to me. I always
awakened before the bullets reached me.
I no longer recall how many times I experienced this dream,
but it was several times and I do know I have not had it since being in and out of
the Marine Corps.
The other recurring dream seems to be more logical and
involves buildings from where I went to college, the darkroom from one newspaper
and people from two newspapers where I worked and the imaginary, Greek-like
ruins of an old institution with a huge, indoor swimming pool .... but there are
two or three variations to it, as well, which also repeat themselves and it
does periodically increase in length into new areas. In other words, it extends
from the existing end into a new segment.
Hmmmm .... I think I will save that one for another day .... enjoy
the music ....
18 comments:
That'a a beautiful location. I'm glad you explained about the contrail.... I was wondering.
Although Space Oddity ranks fairly high on the "list of songs I love", I never listened to much other Bowie. I wasn't familiar with the first one you shared.
Dreams are interesting. I'm a frequent and vivid dreamer and usually remember them when I wake up. I can often return to one, as well. I don't think I really ever have recurring dreams, though the location in which they take place is often the same.
When you mentioned Dream Within A Dream, it made me think of the album "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" by the Alan Parsons Project. I bought it in a record shop (vinyl, of course) in Houston TX solely on the recommendation of the clerk. It became one of my all-time favorites.
The first time I heard "Absolute Beginners" was during David Bowie's Glass Spider Tour in Saint Paul in October 1987. I loved the song then and still do, more than any of his other pieces. There are DVD versions of the show available, Kelly, if you are curious. I never have seen anything like it -- before or since -- although the Trans-Siberian Orchestra puts on some rather spectacular spectacles.
My own habit regarding music/films/books usually has been to only buy things which I have heard/seen/read and have been lured in by great personal fondness and appreciation. I am sure there are songs among those of the Alan Parsons Project I know and like, but none that I immediately recall. I constantly have to refresh my memory regarding composers and names and lyrics of songs. For instance, I have no recollection of the album, "Tales of Mystery and Imagination," but found it on YouTube and I am listening to "Dream Within a Dream" right now .... I will listen to the other songs on the album before the sun sets. (See how easily distracted I am, and off a-roaming I go?)
We do not know what we do not know and, far-fetched as it might sound, I sometimes wonder if I am part of someone's dream and, if so, what will happen to me when the dreamer awakens. You can stop laughing now ....
Thank you, Kelly, for coming and for writing a comment for me. Yes, it is a beautiful location and Idaho generally is a sort of heaven for the outdoor enthusiast. My first trip there was specifically to see Ernie Hemingway's last stomping grounds. At one time, two Minnesota newspapers and the Twin Falls paper were owned by the same individual, and I had hopes of working at the Idaho place .... never panned out, though ....
Det var ett artigt bilde med spor av den jet jageren!Grønn er elven.Kansje mye alger der?
Du drømmer og drømmer!Nr 1 Må vel være at du har følt deg jaget
Nr2 Du sitter fast i livet ditt ,drømmer om frihet
Ja a dream witin a dream..thats something!Som Gullivers reise hih hih
Jeg tror jeg må høre på Alan Parson jeg også..En slags syre musikk??
Jeg ser du har det bra .Jeg er glad for det min venn i Amerika gjennom 10 år!
Ha det godt min venn
Hasta La Vista❤
Don't worry..... I'm not laughing.
Here's a little factoid about Alan Parsons: He was the engineer on the Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon" album (one of the best albums of all-time, IMO) "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" is one of those LPs that is best listened to from start to finish. Seems like a lot of prog-rock LPs are that way, one song running into the next.
I've never been to Idaho, but I do have a friend that lives there. Maybe someday I should pay her a visit.
Why does the river appear so green in the photograph? I do not know, Anita, and I never really thought much about it. There are a few reasons why I do not believe it was algae, but was more of a reflection caused by "whatever." The photograph was taken in August, and much of the landscape was tree covered. Why does the ocean appear blue here and green there? Why does the sky show varying shades of blue? I am sure there are answers, probably having to do with an assortment of sciences and subtle shades of light, but I have no idea what the answers might be and no curiosity to look for explanations.
I would need to think more about recurring dream No. 1, but do not believe as a teenage boy it was the result of a sense of me being chased. I thought at the time it might be a vision into the future and it could have been, except for whatever reason it did not become reality. As for No. 2, you might well be correct, but there are many more elements to the dream which I did not mention in this post that must be included in the "recipe" before seeking an interpretation through "cooking" a final product.
You are asking the wrong person about the genre of music "put out" by the Alan Parsons Project. Some bands are recognizable to me; many, perhaps most, are not. There are three or four bands, for instance, I sometimes mistakenly think are the Beatles because they imitate the Beatle sound. APP songs have been described by another as music with a "mix of progressive tendencies with pop sensibilities," whatever that means, and someone else said it was a band that did "pretty much everything." I think I would need to listen to much more APP music before attempting to define it -- which may or may not happen.
Thank you, Norwegian girl, for coming and for writing a comment. I always enjoy your company and hope it will continue far/far/far into the future. Take care and stay safe .... later ....
I have noticed some bands run one song into another .... Boston with "Can'tcha Say (You Believe In Me)/Still In Love" and Journey with "Feeling That Way/Anytime" are two examples. If it works for them, it works for me ....
I never saw Boston during the Brad Delp era and, to me, he and Tom Scholz were Boston. I have seen Boston a couple of times in recent years with Scholz, but Delp is long dead and it is too/too/too late to ever see him perform now. I never have seen Journey, either, which would have been fun, but that group was not as key to me as a few other bands.
Taking a quick look at the Alan Parsons Project left me with pretty much of a blank stare. I am reasonably sure I would recognize some of the group's songs by hearing them, but I am not sure I recognized any by name. It is amazing to me how many bands came and went from the mid-1950s to the turn of the century, which is my self-defined era of "classic rock" and the primary period from which I listen to music .... although some contemporary bands still have "a way about them" and some from the "olden days" probably will keep going until the guys drop dead on a stage .... think Rolling Stones and Scorpions....
I never have been farther north than the Ketchum/Sun Valley/Hailey area in Idaho .... i.e., Hemingway country. I have been in Boise, too, which technically probably is more north, but never been north/north/north in Idaho, if you understand what I am trying to say.
I would recommend you go there, Kelly, especially if you have a friend to "hang out" with and to show you around. My job hunting style when I was in journalism essentially was to pick out places where I would like to live and send out letters to newspapers in those regions inquiring if they had any openings. On one occasion, I sent out 26 letters which resulted in five job offers. It worked out pretty well for me, I think, but I have two former wives who almost certainly would disagree and I never managed to find a job in Idaho -- which I would have liked ....
Thank you, for the return visit, Kelly, and yes, I think sunrises outdistance sunsets, too. Seeing the sun edge over the horizon and into the sky was the best part of duck hunting to me, and I saw many absolutely glorious sunrises which remain vivid for me today ....
Hi Fram.first I want to thank you so much the the good and wise comment at my place.you always surprise!I dont know where you get the wisdom from but for sure I like it:)
Tonight I feel like to party https://youtu.be/_KlsG_x2E9E
But sadly we all have to stay indoor because of the second wave at my little village.Scary shit!
Wish you a nice evening!
Anita
I am not at all sure how to comment on your comment about my comment, Anita. I am sort of teasing, but, seriously, it is nice to be appreciated.
I went to the "party" and found Gretchen Wilson singing. To be honest, I never have heard of her, which probably is because I generally do not listen to much country music. There are some bands and vocalists who occasionally cross back and forth between country and variations of rock, so I sometimes pick up on a song I enjoy in either venue. In fact, I am that way about books and films and even classic rock: It usually is a particular item which draws me in, not a particular group or individual. For instance, I might be mistaken for a fan of Led Zeppelin, but in reality it is only three or four of the band's songs that I really/really like. Bob Dylan has written nearly 300 songs, but I can name fewer than a dozen off the top of my head and I have no doubt that I never have heard the vast/vast majority of his work.
Yes, the covid-19 business .... I believe the worst is yet to come and would wager it will rival the Spanish flu of 1918 in noterity before it has run its course.
Take care and be safe, Anita of the Far North .... and stay young and beautiful and sweet ....
Beautiful rugged landscape. Exciting illusion in the picture.
It is unfortunate that there is algae in the Snake River.
Do not go into water and do not drink water that is toxic.
Agriculture and industry have also polluted the water here as well.
In the past, there was ignorance or indifference about water contaminants.
Fortunately, these polluters have been brought up and are being prevented.
Both videos with David and the performers are good, but the other video is my favorite.
I liked the woman’s intense singing deeper.
Have a nice week!
Idaho truly has much rugged and beautiful country, Liplatus. I have been there a few times and seen the Snake River before, but never had the opportunity to "toss a canoe into it." I have lost track of how many rivers and lakes and sloughs and seas I have canoed in over the years. Two of my more enjoyable ventures were the entire south shore of Lake Superior and, much shorter so much faster, the entire Minnesota River.
I like to think I separate fact from opinion, but in the case of algae in the Snake River, I failed miserably. I stated that I thought the green appearance of the water was not caused by algae, but rather from reflection. That was my opinion, largely based on algae I have been seeing in Minnesota waterways since being a boy and witnessing people swimming in the Snake. In reality, I should have checked before "opening my mouth." I have since learned water samples from the Snake indicate high concentrations of toxin-producing cyanobacteria -- toxic algae -- which can be harmful to people, pets and livestock. It has been at a dangerous level in the Snake at least since 2019. My initial thoughts probably fall under the category of "wishful thinking" .... live and learn ....
We each have our personal tastes and preferences in music. I will clarify that the song, "Under Pressure," composed and performed by David Bowie, is among my personal favorites, although I enjoy the rendition by Queen, with Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor doing the vocals, above all other versions. As for this piece performed by Bowie and Gail Ann Dorsey, I think when it is over both reveal their displeasure with their own performances. If you have the time and want to see a better display of their compatibility on the piece, try this one: https://youtu.be/yTHUPvL9ghY
Thank you, Liplatus, for coming and for writing a comment for me. It may or may not surprise you to know that although they often are contradictory in goals and objectives, I not only am active in the National Rifle Association, but also in the Sierra Club.
Take care, stay safe and be happy ....
Autumn is one of my two favourite seasons. Spring is the other one. Death and rebirth. :-)
Greetings from London.
I often have said if January could be moved between September and October and February between April and May, the world (my world) would be perfect for me in terms of weather. I enjoy living in a place with four distinct seasons, but the harshness of mid-winter in this neck of the woods is beginning to bore me.
I agree with you about autumn and spring, CiL.
Thank you, for your visit and your comment .... I trust you will keep London rocking ....
Hello Fram :)
Your picture and the waterfall are beautiful. I only went to Idaho once and it was a wonderful place to visit. I believe you are correct that it is an outdoorsman or woman's playground. I have many friends that are heading out of California and retiring there. I was in my early 20's when I went to Idaho to take the State Board CSR exam. It was kinda like a practice run for the California test and a fun vacation with friends. I remember the night after our exam when we all went to a super fun country western place and enjoyed a night of revelry and stress release after our exam! It was great fun and I remember thinking maybe I should just begin my practice in Idaho as it was such a pretty and fun place with nice people. Alas, back to California and still here today.
I love, love, love David Bowie and Absolute Beginners is one of my favorites, a great song with great lyrics!
Stay safe and happy and well, Fram :)
Big Hug and Smile across the moon to you!
PS: Buddy is sooooo cute! I really like him :) You are fortunate to have such a cute and loyal little friend :)
I leave to Tennessee and the Carolinas soon so I'm looking forward to Autumn colors and adventures. My daughter is coming along. We recently saw that a tiger was loose in the exact area we are traveling and I was thinking back to your war story you told me once about the tiger...very scary! Thankfully, it ends up that it was only a bobcat but he has stripes like a tiger. I've never seen such a bobcat before but he was quite beautiful....although I still would not wish to meet him on the trail.
Take care, Fram....
See ya :)
The first time I went to Idaho it was specifically to roam the "last outpost" of Ernest Hemingway. I spent the better part of three days in his old neighborhood -- in the Ketchum/Hailey area -- sleeping under the stars, as you might imagine, Kelly. In those days, the newspapers in Mankato and Owatonna, Minnesota, and the one in Twin Falls, Idaho, were owned by the same individual. I swung through Twin Falls on the way out of Idaho and was given a tour of the newspaper. I would have loved to have worked there, but never got the opportunity .... not meant to be, I guess ....
This last trip primarily was simply to "get out of Dodge" for a while, metaphorically speaking, and to do a bit of paddling in a river again.
I never was what I would describe as a fan of David Bowie, but I do like some of his songs and I saw his show at the Civic Center in Saint Paul in 1987 during his Glass Spider tour. A local newspaper described the show as "avant-garde performance art, modern dance, European theater and rock music." It was all that and more, I think. I never had seen anything like it before and I have not since, either, although the Trans-Siberian Orchestra puts on a lavish production.
Both the melody and the lyrics of "Absolute Beginners" are fantastic, I believe, and Bowie has the "perfect voice" to sing it.
I have two tiger stories from my USMC days and I cannot recall which I told you. Maybe both. If the story truly was scary, it probably was the one where a tiger snatched another Marine only a few meters away from me in pitch blackness while a group of us was staked out in a night ambush attempt. No one knew it had happened until in the morning. The other story was about being perched on a hill slope and seeing a tiger charge at a patrol walking on line in a savannah-like valley below us. The trooper the tiger was heading for opened up with his rifle and killed it. We learned later he had emptied a 20-round magazine at it.
By the way, I have meant to mention that the youngest daughter of the Fram Clan is following in her father's footsteps in a few ways. She could give Annie Oakley a run for her money with handguns and has made two static line jumps from aircraft. I did not know about her parachute escapades until after the fact. She said she loved them, but has done no more. I sort of think they probably fightened her as much as they thrilled her.
By the way again, my son is living in the Dakota house and utilizes trail cameras. He has captured photographs of both a bobcat and a mountain lion multiple times a stone-throw from the house. I used photographs of both in posts not too long ago, if you are curious.
The rolling hills and vast forests encountered driving through portions of Tennessee and parts of the Carolinas are a fantastic sight. I envy you your coming adventure.
Yes, I think both Buddy and I are lucky to have one another.
So, Ms. California, I thank you for your visit and for your comments. I would like it if you were more of a regular. I enjoy your company and I am lonesome when you are absent .... hint/hint .... although I am not certain how much longer I will be posting here. This new blog system is frustrating enough to make me seriously consider walking away from the sea of blogs. I suppose I will try a couple more posts before I make a final decision ....
Take care, be safe and drive carefully, especially when you take to the highways and byways heading east .... how is that for being bossy? Seriously, I do think about you and miss your presence. Once more, take care and stay out of mischief, Kelly ....
Hello again :)
The story you told me was about the tiger in the darkness. It haunts me to this very day! It sounds like we both have had nice Idaho experiences...roads traveled and yet not really taken. The choices we make and the places we land on this earth...We wonder "what if," and yet I believe we are just where we are supposed to be. At least this is my hope, otherwise our regrets could make us very sad. I choose to be thankful and I am very much so. :)
I think my daughter and I will have a super trip! We're both excited to get out and explore new areas.
So Sweet Pea, don't be lonely... I enjoy visiting with you too and it is always nice to hear your voice. Even though I am not always present here, you remain present in my thoughts along with good wishes for your happiness and health :)
Once again, big hug over the moon to you :)
Oh, and PS: I really don't find you to be bossy. There are other words, but not bossy (smiling)
Have a nice night :)
I am tempted to make a macabre joke about tigers, but I shall refrain.
It is a strange memory, though. I still can remember seeing the guy settling in as darkness arrived. We were acquaintances who talked and goofed off together at times, but not close friends. I tried to put the incident out of my mind immediately, and we were so busy it worked. There was no time to think about it. I actually did not think about it until a few years later. That is when I started to play back some of the events of those days in my mind.
I am not sure you are aware, but Ms. Fram the Younger has a master of fine arts degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. I drove down two times and flew a few more while she was working on her degree. That is how I know what the countryside looks like in that region. I liked Knoxville as a potential place to live, saw a couple of Volunteer football games, shopped the Old Town, roamed every cemetery I could find with my camera and even tossed a rented canoe into the Tennessee River. My longest stay there at one time was three weeks, babysitting her "critters" for two of those weeks while she and her then-boyfriend went on a camping tour back north.
I guess I will never know if I am in the right place or not, but I have adjusted to the reality I am where I am due to decisions I made in years past. I always have felt we should have two chances to go around the circle of life (maybe we do .... I would like to believe in the transmigration of souls / reincarnation), but those of us who are lucky enough to survive into "middle age" certainly have opportunities to make course corrections in our lives in multiple ways.
I almost hate to admit it, but there are some features to the new blog system I like. I am getting used to it, anyway, and will have another "nonsense post" going up before long.
Take care, Kelly of Kalifornia, be safe, stay sweet and watch out for those hillbillies when you are in the mountains of Tennessee and the Carolinas. Later, young lady ....
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