November 27 - Happy Thanksgiving, Tuolumus

With Frank and Marie looking over the house, Harriet and I are near Yosemite,



in Room 18 (dubbed The O'Shaughessy) --




rather than 15 (Lyle's Room)



which is said to be haunted by its wealthy, eccentric, blythe goldminer namesake --



at the Groveland Hotel, Tuolumne ("To all o' me") County,



having left the Coast Ranges,



crossing the Central Valley via 113 South, 12 East (where gas is $1.65/gal), 99 South,



to 120 through the Sierra Foothills west of Oakdale



and up the Priest Grade. Turkey and roast beef in the 1849 dining room and general merriment.



Before leaving, finish the orchestration of Samson and Delilah: IV. Deborah, with a nod to Charles Wuorinen's Percussion Symphony.

July 5 - Feeling Romantic

OK, so we're talking Romantic Art (Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix [April 26, 1798 – August 13, 1863] Lady Liberty above -- would have been appropo yesterday, although, of course French, rather than American Rev, so never mind, maybe), 19th-century Romanticism, the romance of music from c. Schubert to c. Joplin -- perhaps too broadly conceived....



And here's ED's conception in a more odalisque-perspicacious-quixotic-roaming-seductive mode, meanwhile writing up Romantic era at markalburgermusichistory.blotspot.com and preparing page 3 of section D of Scene 2 of Act V of Mice and Men for (of?) publication.



Off. Out of the house for a sunset over the English Hills and Vaca Mountains, the heat breaking late,



with palm tree, and on the phone (not in car, of course, since now it is after July 1 and traditional cellphone usage in auto heretofore verboten....after all, IT'S THE LAW as the freeway signs kindly remind us) -- as every night this month -- with Harriet.

June 18 - In the Darken Light

Teach much of the classes directly on the Music History book blog (markalburgermusichistory.blogspot.com), including triggering musical examples from same -- bit of downtime between post shifts can be covered with a little judicious narration. Returning home, feverishly placing more musical examples in the posts, and am all ready for class tomorrow, finally, so the reward is off to the pool again (always via bike), this time in the still-warm growing darkness, skies red with smoke of distant fires.



After this, spikily through the dark, see the way clear to prepare for publication page 3 of Mice and Men Act V, Scene 2, B.

June 16 - First Day Early Shift Fog Blog

It's almost the middle of the night, given the typical schedule, but this is summer -- up and early to the bank and petrol station for newsprint,



then sprinting down 680 with the fog teasing the Sulfur Springs Mountains....



Past horse farm to first day of new semester, which goes well -- nice crop of new students, and enrollment is up -- teaching both classes with visuals off the blog and mostly audio from itunes.



Home and head for pool,



and, in the shadows of the evening, prepare for publication Mice and Men, Act V, Scene II, B, page 2.