Gimme Shelter!

If you happen to think that the "Stones" are the only band which should ever sing the iconic song "Shelter", as I once did, then have a listen to Ashley Cleveland's performance of said song. Ashley and Mick are from different planets - he's the devil and she embraces Jesus - but there is no denying the power that both singers bring to the vocals. The polarity just makes it that much more interesting to analyze the nuances in each version of Gimme Shelter. Maybe it's because both Ashley Cleveland and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards experienced the torment brought on by drugs and alcohol to the point that they share a common language - or not - but to my way of thinking she does a credible job of singing a song that few singers have the pipes to pull off. Also, her band has enough talent to excel when it comes to hitting the notes just right on the powerful guitar riffs. Have a listen and see if you agree. Oh, incidentally... this tune sounds fabulous while driving my Crossfire, with the top down, of course - and particularly after hitting sixth gear when heading to Napa on Interstate 80. It's a real rush!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74qWOdNYjLc

Uodate - House Projects!

The house projects have caused us to alter some of our normal activities during the last few weeks. The major projects have been the installation of a new patio door and a kitchen picture window. This happened while we concurrently had the old (twenty years) shake roof removed, so that it could be replaced with a lightweight tile roof. That made things a little more hectic than usual. Fortunately, it looks like the projects will be completed on schedule. Since we will be leaving for Denver next week, and we want to return to a house that is a lot less chaotic than the one we have been living in the last few weeks, we feel lucky that the projects are being completed in a timely manner.

Chili will stay at the Bradshaw Veterinarian Clinic while we are visiting Denver. The clinic is not too far from where we live. We'll miss her, but she did well during her last stay, when we went to Las Vegas, so we fill comfortable leaving her with the canine caretakers at the Bradshaw Clinic.

I've posted a couple new pictures to the blog. One shows the tile that will be installed on the roof tomorrow (bright and early, if things go as planed). The other pic captured a recent Friday Night meal - burgers from the grill - one of my favorite dinners. The burgers, for some reason, always taste better when eaten outside on the patio and fortunately our weather has been quite mild for mid June - perfect for grilling and for enjoying a scrumptious hamburger meal.

Lots Going On!

I've not had much time to do any blog postings lately. We have several home projects going on at this time and it seems that the normal twenty four hour day has shrunk to more like twenty. At least that's how it feels in regards to the amount of sleep that I have been getting. Nancy says she feels the same way. The only one oblivious to all this is - you guessed it - Chili Dog. As long as she gets three squares and a dozen different places to lay her head, she's tuned out to most anything else going on. I guess that is why "dog's rule"! They just don't seem to get too worked up about anything. Another good lesson to learn from your dog.

I'll have some pictures to post shortly. The dust should stop swirling in a week or so and then it is off to Denver for a short expedition to the mile high city. More about that later...