Spring in January?

Yesterday, was a glorious Spring-like day!  January is usually a cold and rainy month in the Bay Area.....  but, we have had a few days of sunshine and mild temps.....  as I was hiking, I saw that Mother Nature, herself is confused.  Cherry Blossoms beginning to bloom..... three months early.

It felt wonderful to walk in the sunshine, no wind, just the blue sky, the
oh-so-happy Birds and the flowers, opening up and reaching out towards the Sun!

The down-side to an early Spring is that the rain WILL return...and a lot of the lovely blossoms will be scattered well before their time....  still, it looks and feels wonderful. And..to all my beloved friends in the Midwest and Northeast, I hope these photos will add a spot of warmth and brightness to your day!

Love,

♥ Robin ♥

Love in the New Guinea Jungle - HAW!

The other night, I saw a wonderful PBS documentary on the colourful, dancing birds of New Guinea!  These "Birds of Paradise" are aptly named.  Their plumage is gorgeous....their dance - wonderful! This was the best clip I could find.....

For those of you locked in frigid snow and ice, I thought a bit of the steamy jungle would warm you up a bit!

Love,

♥ Robin ♥

"Ridgies" and Cats - Animal Wednesday

I have been wanting to do an "AW" post on one of my favourite dog breeds - Rhodesian Ridgebacks.  They are exceptionally beautiful and intelligent. 
My dear friend, Marja, (beloved friend to Marianne) has an extraordinary one - Beaudor! The dog above is NOT Beaudor....but I chose this video because it shows how smart these fellows are.   Mar, Monsieur B - this one's for you! 
As for the next clip - well, I know many of you "Cat- Owners Slaves" have equally wonderful footage - but these are adorable.

Enjoy!

HAW!

Love,

♥ Robin ♥

The End of the de Young's Impressionist Exhibit

van Gogh - Starry Night

(Do you know he painted more than one version of this?)

It seems like only a few weeks ago when the "Impressionist Exhibit" began....but that was last September! In those passing months, so much has happened, sad and happy, to all of us...Life, as they say, continues to move forward - and we with it.

Cezanne - Still Life with Onions
(Love the simple, yet strong brush strokes...)

This weekend is the final one for the Musee d'Orsay Exhibition.....so for those of you who couldn't attend in person,  I thought I would show you a few of my favourite paintings...

Rosseau - The Snake Charmer

(A particular favourite - erotic, sensual - can't you almost smell the hot, tropical air and hear the strains of the flute?)

  

van Gogh - The Bedroom at Arles
(What can one say about "The Master"....genius, genius.....)

And last....to leave you with a smile...

Bonnard - The White Cat
(I just fell in love with this!)

There were so many others I could have included....  it was a delight to be able to see all of these gorgeous paintings in person....  I will always treasure the experience.  I hope you enjoyed my "mini-tour".

Love,

♥ Robin ♥

Animal Wednesday - Buffalo, San Francisco and Buffalo Springfield

Some photos for Lynn of the Bison in Golden Gate Park.

Aren't they wonderful!!!!

And.....in keeping with my "theme', here is a musical clip from an old, but honoured band, "Buffalo Springfield". A little before "my" time, but I do like their music!   (Appropro especially after last weekend's tragedy in Tucson.)



But, no negativity here.....  think of how old these wonderful shaggy beasts are....they survive, and so do we.  Life goes on.....love goes on....and we are all a part of it!



Hugs to you all!

♥ Robin ♥

Animal Wednesday - Blackbird Songs

I hope you enjoy these videos.






HAW!

Love,

♥ Robin ♥

2011.....Here We Go!

You KNEW I had to something musical for my first post of 2011.....  and what better than to combine song and dance!  The Opera House: the gorgeous La Fenice (in Venice), the singers: Daniel Harding, Desiree Rancatore, Luca Pisaroni.  The dancers: La Fenice's ballet - and the "Ninja Dancers"!  The music: Verdi's famous "Libiamo"!

Love,

♥ Robin ♥