Megabytes

I am performing on alto sax with the Portland Gay Symphonic Band in our upcoming concert, April 12. You can get tickets from me at my studio. Or the link below will take you to our website where you can order tickets online.

Saturday, April 12, 2008 5PM
Shades of Blue
Portland Gay Symphonic Band in Concert
Reed College, Kaul Auditorium

The word blue is used in the English language to refer to a color, emotion, style of music and even political affiliation. While the connection to ‘blues’ with music is obvious, the imagination often lends itself to seeing certain colors while listening to music. Shades of Blue will attempt to interpret the many ways that blue is involved in the human experience. Including music by Tchaikovsky, Whitacre, Ticheli, and Saint Saëns; Please join the Portland Gay Symphonic Band as we explore the many Shades of Blue.

Joe Accuardi, Artistic Director

Program:

• Danse Diablolique -Joseph Helmesberger/arr. Takahashi
• Amazing Grace -Frank Ticheli
• Blue Shades -Frank Ticheli
• Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Finale - Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky/arr. Safranek/Van Ragsdale

Intermission

• October -Eric Whitacre
• Washington Grays -Claudio Graffula
• La Reine de la Mer - John Philip Sousa
• Danse Bacchanale -Camille Saint Saëns/arr. Singleton

The new image of the crocuses in the masthead marks the 12th image used in my year-long experiment to update the top of my blog each month. Here is the full-sized un-cropped image.

In balmy Portland, where the meteorologists have been predicting rain for the last week, we’ve had sun, partly sunny and mid-60-degree weather. It IS a bit unusual for February, but we had a good rainy season already and the snow pack is deep. Nevertheless, the daffodils, crocuses and daphne are blooming everywhere you look.

Our goddaughter hangs out with us every Friday night; has since she was a few weeks old. Now that she is 12 and a budding teenager, we appreciate even more, our time together.
Last night, we got out some acrylic paints and a couple of canvases and had fun with a new activity together. I chose my usual pen and ink medium and created this.

This month, my masthead reflects the return of the light. The days are getting longer; since the Winter Solstice on December 22, 2007. This time of the month, we are getting one more minute of daylight each day through about the third week of January. Then two minutes are added to each day for the remainder of the month. We are enjoying an 8 hour, 46 minute day here - 30 miles north of the 45th Parallel North. By the end of January, we’ll have a 9 hour and 42 minute day. Yeeha!
I have a string of lights on my blog, to welcome back the light.

New month - new image in the masthead. What you see up there now is a slice from this image.

We redesigned our front yard a year and a half ago, removing the grass lawn and straight sidewalk. Replaced them with a gravel bed, drought-tolerant and native plantings, and a winding walkway through it all. I love the minimalist appearance. Feels comfortable and is way easy-care.