Frog Johnson

This colorful little guy, a tree frog, has been residing recently and "singing" at the Johnson's house (Laura, Bryan, Kara, Justin, Pepper, Maddie) in their rose bushes -- thus the name, "Frog Johnson."
(photo by Kara)

Morning Dew on the Agapanthus

An up-close look at dew drops on the agapanthus in our front yard yesterday morning.

From Washington's Highest Restaurant

Dave and I had lunch at Washington's highest restaurant with a stunning view of Mt. Rainier on a beautifully clear day. It was my birthday present. A very nice one. We rode a speedy new red gondola to our great viewpoint where we could even see a bit of Mt. St. Helens, 63 miles in the distance, along with other mountain peaks.

Let Maru Entertain You!

A Fruity Masterpiece!

Jen and I (mostly Jen) collaborated on this fruit bouquet which our family enjoyed with mimosa at our get-together to celebrate Easter and also Jen's birthday (a bit early). Yum!

A Ukelele & Violin Duet! Yah!

It's a Hat!

Kate Middleton, Princess-to-be, has some really unique hats. Check out this website to see ten of them. Actually, this type of hat is called a fascinator! 

She's Hungry!

Jen worked at home yesterday hot-glueing all this stuff together for Oh Snap Studios - a company that brings custom-built photo booths to events and parties. If you're wondering about the infrastructure --  Patrick's talents are at work here. There are dowels, wood, styrofoam, thread and hardware hidden underneath all that "food."

Splashing Happy in a Puddle!

An elk calf....
..

Today is St. Pat's Day

So - my Thanksgiving Cactus decided to bloom -- to celebrate, I guess.... (Actually, this is the only blossom.) But anyway, Happy St. Pat's Day!

Trolls in the News!

Thanks to Charlie Sheen for playing a part in bringing about this delightful monologue!

Our Former Neighbor Matt's Music

I googled "Matthew Marth Vienna" and the first listing included his photo and a free download of his album, Warriors! (with worries). He's still playing the saxophone. Have a listen, and below are his comments about the album.

Royalty-free music for professional licensing

Warriors! (with worries)
another dark age—the war to end all wars was just another war—we live in a culture of death—but there is a sprout emerging from the ashes—life goes on with or without humankind—we try to put on a brave, macho face—we are Warriors!—but deep inside we're profoundly insecure (with worries)
That's the idea behind this album's title. This music is an attempt to be sincere and real, even when that means displaying less glamorous attributes, like clumsiness, weakness and obsessiveness. For the 1-second marketing byte: it's a combination of influences, including modernist "classical" approaches and jazz. The scope is epic, like a Hollywood movie, but the feel is bizarre, like the feeling of putting two magnets together at their opposing ends.
This is my first full-length "electro-acoustic" album. It is unapologetically idiomatic and evades classification. What you'll find within: order emerging from chaos and vice versa, pretty tunes, ugly "mistakes" that really turn out to be opportunites, drama, absurdity, microtonal modalities and  a wide range of textures.
Welcome to my world!

Composed and performed by Matthew Marth. Cello performance on "Waltzes for Capone" by Craig Hultgren. Soprano voice solo in "Let's Find Peace" performed by Mary Means. Cover design by Julia Reinartz.

And here he is!

Snowflakes Magnified

See this link for more photos like this one.

Bach! Whistled!

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Some good reading about this captivating theme.

Have You Heard of Bucklebury Berkshire?

Go to this link to learn about it. Bucklebury Berkshire

Enjoy with a Smile!

Absolutely Amazing

His name, Jake Shimabukuro is pronounced she-ma-boo-coo-row. Have you ever heard a ukulele played like this before? And, yes, I did purchase this album!

Cat and Dog Conversation

Kasey:  So -- you're Laura' s new Maddie, the cute little Coton de tulear with the hot pink harness I've been hearing about. Well -- look how handsome I am in my emerald green collar.

Maddie:  Okay.

Kasey:   By the way, this house is my turf.

Maddie:  Hmm. And have you noticed -- Laura's foot is next to your nose!