Have been out touring around the last few days. It's springtime and there are good days when one gets drawn outdoors after the cold winter. There was also a fresh sprinkling of snow on the higher elevations, and this morning the water in my bird bath was frozen..... so it is up and down....that time of year when you have to take shorts and a parka with you where ever you go! Just in case. This weekend is the first long weekend of the vacation season in this country - the weather is 'supposed' to be warm — and I do recall years when I have been swimming in the lake on this weekend, as well as ones when I have ended up with a horrific sunburn because I was unprepared for the heat. But this is not one of those years. This is a come-prepared-for-anything year.

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A surprise coating of snow on the upper levels. Not the usual thing for mid-May.
Everyone seems to be carrying through with their plans, regardless, though. Traffic is already streaming through town even though it is only 8 AM and the actual holiday doesn't start until tomorrow. People are hauling trailers and boats; bar-b-q's  strapped down in pickup boxes; driving their antique cars to the weekend shows. The gas stations and fast-food outlets are buzzing with people gathering together and everyone is in a friendly mood.
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Heading to one of the weekend car shows.
It's a time for gathering and beginning anew. Re-connecting with people you haven't seen over the winter. It's high energy - everyone is rushing, unable to wait until they make those connections again.

I have come with my coffee to sit in the early morning sunshine by the river, and watching the traffic and people rushing is like watching the river. It too is high energy at this time of year - rushing to the sea like it can't wait to get there. All those little flakes of snow and droplets of rain are anxious to reach their destination and begin the cycle once more.  The energy and flow of the river and the traffic will build up until it reaches a balance and can settle back and return to something more calm and regular. But, right now, the people and the rivers are busting at the seams to get out.
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The river is picking up speed - and sediment along with it, turning it the brown colour of spring run-off.
 
 

I love the internet. Some days, yes, it is like pulling hens teeth to try to find exactly the information we are looking for. We have to slog through much rubbish to get to where we want to go. But, other days it is so serendipitous and rewarding—everything just falls into place. Today is one of those days.

Was dutifully checking my ImageKind pages and browsing through other people's work just to keep updated on what friends where doing. Found that Leah McNeir is also on Facebook Pages, so clicked over to there to see what she had. Then I noticed she also had a blog, so slid on over there to see what she was saying. Checked out her latest fractal works and some project sketches and found a post on Hang Drums, which led me of course to YouTube.  This first one is Davide Swarup's promo for a cd he has produced, but the music, the sound this instrument makes, touches my soul. Just had to share.

Here is another one from a different musician, with other instruments included. Filmed in Israel I believe.

Considering the fact that this instrument is only made by a couple in Switzerland and apparently can cost enormous amounts of money, never mind the fact that there is a waiting list of customers, I found it amazing the number of videos there on YouTube of people playing them. Some are alone, some mixed with other instruments. Found one mixed with didgeridoos (which is another of my favourite instruments). Check it out if you find them interesting.

 
 

Out driving the other day I noticed some activity in the field across the river so I pulled off to check it out.  Seems there was some kind of disagreement going on between the cows in the pasture. They spent quite some time pushing each other back and forth across the field. Once or twice they got rather insistent about things and one of them almost toppled over - but mostly it was just pushing.

Here come the cow police!

Finally a couple of other cows came over and broke them up for a few minutes, but as soon as the others wandered away they were back at it again. I watched for quite some time and finally decided that they weren't going to quit so I left them to it and drove away. No idea what the result was ..... or if anyone got them to behave! It was rather amusing to watch. Very stubborn and persistent.

Then I spotted two eagles in the trees. One was a young one just resting and preening, the other an adult that had just finished off his supper.

It is on days like these that I consider myself fortunate to live where I do and have the time to stop and pay attention to things around me. I love my life!