The Sound of Music at the Von Trapp Lodge, Stowe VT

This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the The Sound of Music (as a stage play then a movie), the 90th Anniversary of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, the 50th Anniversary of VT's Lyric Theatre, so Wil and listener felt it fitting to go to their beyond-stellar performance at the Von Trapp Lodge Meadow in celebration of their own 50th Anniversary. In the audience for the standing ovation were the Austrian Ambassador, as well as Samuel Von Trapp (grandson of Maria), and representation from Rodgers and Hammerstein. A truly wonderful and historical event and experience, on Friday evening. On Saturday we learned that, due to rain, the other three performances all had to be held in Burlington at the Flynn Theatre. So this was the only time that The Sound of Music has been honoured on the Von Trapp estate. We are still in awe. 

                          The children were so good.                       photo of Sam Von Trapp

 

                This soloist for Climb Every Mountain…sung here on the Von Trapp estate
                                      in the hills of Vermont…did a finer rendition than the original!
                                                                      We were awestruck!
             The Lyric Theatre chorus

Cornflower

 

Solstice Sunrise on PEI

photo by Roberta Smith, used with permission.

Summer Solstice occurs TODAY at 4:51pm

 MAX PECHSTEIN, SONNENUNTERGENG AN DER SEE, 1921

The Garden in Progress

 

The first Peace Rose

 

 

The first Grace Rose

Fathers Day

Credit for originating the holiday is generally given to Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, whose father, a Civil War veteran, raised her and her five siblings after their mother died in childbirth.

Cedar Waxwing in the Serviceberry (Shad)

 

Flag Day

 

Loch Nest winning the race

 

Wil, making his own shade for weeding!

 

Fun With Flags

 

Only in Vermont…

Stopped at the Bakery

and who was also buying bread?

Bernie Sanders!

He said, “How are you doing?”

I said, “Great, thanks to you.”

 

In Daughter's Garden

 

Bonfire Time

 

Nice Haul!

 

Two Jack in a Pulpits (Two Jacks in a Pulpit?)

 

*W*A*N*T*!!

 

Proud Gramie Alert!

Eldest*Grand in her Regalia


National Honor Society, Highest Honors (4.0 average), Medal for Biliteracy,
Medal for Drama, and three bling pins that I still need to investigate. 
She was also honoured for serving as student rep on the town selectboard.
She received three local scholarships totaling $9K
on top of her university offering her free tuition for four years
due to her outstanding achievements and leadership potential.
All this and she gets up at 5:00am most mornings to work in the local bakery.
Her chosen major is Wildlife Biology, a chip off her dad: PhD*Son
(who, BTW, flew in from northern Alaska at 7am Saturday morning
and had to leave to fly back to Alaska NWR around 3:30pm Sunday.)

PS: Photos shared here with parental permission.

Fellow Mariners

 

Let's Go Sailing!

 

On to June...

 

Farewell, May. It's been lovely!

 

"A Man of Conviction"

 Breaking News!

TRUMP GUILTY

ON ALL 34 FELONY COUNTS

BY UNANIMOUS VERDICT!

The Studio is Open!

Out For a Stroll

 

Memorial Day 2024

If you will be flying an American flag on Memorial Day, please consider checking the Old Farmer's Almanac's US Flag Code: American Flag Etiquette, Rules and Guidelines.

For example, did you know that a faded or frayed flag should not be flown? Rather, it should be given to the Boy or Girl Scouts to be ceremonially burned. And did you know that it is improper to use U.S. flags with different-colour stripes on them to honour/support first responders or others?

These are actually considered desecrations of the American Flag. Know your flag etiquette.

White Bleeding Heart (happy Trinity Sunday, Renee!)

 

Lilacs at the Museum

 

Finally Launched

 

"I don’t understand why he’s not in jail"

On May 19, 2021 Michael Cohen posted this photoshopped image to X (formerly known as Twitter).

I’ve known Donald Trump for 30 years or more. I’ve sang at two of his birthday parties. I’ve even played golf with him. And Donald Trump is a narcissist.

I think that, at first, he was running just to see if he could, just to see what would happen. And he was a celebrity, so many people voted for him for that reason. They thought, “Well, he’s got his own money so he’s not obligated to any corporations or anything like that.”

But then, Donald Trump showed up, and they could see what was going on. I don’t understand why he’s not in jail. I don’t understand how he’s still a free man walking after the insurrection on the Capitol. But I think that the people who are going to vote for him are desperate. And the powers that be in the Republican Party, they’re desperate too

         - Smokey Robinson in "The Last Word", Rolling Stone, March 2023

It's Splash Day!!

  Loch Nest will finally be IN the water today!

                          (We have to be there at 8:00am!) 

It's Sling Day!

Today Loch Nest will be in the Slings, so we can paint the parts of her bottom paint that her cradle covered.

Press Conference Today! (Is Howard Dean running for Governor of Vermont?)

 

Red Bleeding Heart (happy Pentecost, Renee!)

 

Tulips

 

American Robin

 

Red-Winged Blackbird

 

So True

 

Something For Everyone

 

The Eloquent Page: Rare, Used and New Books

 

Happy Mother's Day! 💕

To all who are mothers, have mothers, had mothers,

or listen to others the way our mothers taught us to.