a bird.....worth two in a bush

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SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY



Sunlight filtering through the Texas Sage Bush...casting shadows on a purple daisy.



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SUNDAY'S SUMMARY

I rarely sit in front of a television set for more than an hour at a time, watching. Even with the 3 hour long baseball games, I need to get up and move. I just don't sit that long at one time any more while at home. But this past Sunday, I found myself glued to the TV for nearly four hours! Only getting up during the pledge breaks; the TV was on the Public Network System.. This special was incredible!! The quarter century edition of a classic made into a musical. The cast was such a talent!! Of course the leading man was the highlight. To me, he was an unknown...I'd never heard of him. THE LEADING MAN But, boy howdy, I know who he is now!! His voice!! All I can say is wow, wow, WOW! When he was singing, chills went through my arms. Tears flowed when he sang his solo prayer. He made it feel like a prayer all through the song...only to finish with a standing ovation of hundreds in the audience!! It truly was a masterpiece. Of course, not to forget mentioning a favorite song of mine...sung by a leading character in part one. After watching this showcase, I most definitely now want to pick up the book and read it. Even if it will take me at least a year to get through it's volume...have you seen how thick it is?!!!! This video I found on You Tube is fantastic; from the station's broadcast. Let me give you a reader's digest synopsis if you don't know the story... on why the prayer is sung to God...his estranged 'daughter' has fallen in love...there is a revolution in France...his daughter's love interest is going off to battle. The father [Mr. Boe -aka "Valjean" in character] prays to have his daughter's love to come back to her....

LYRICS:
God on high
Hear my prayer
In my need
You have always been there
He is young
He's afraid
Let him rest
Heaven blessed.
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home.
He's like the son I might have known
If God had granted me a son.
The summers die
One by one
How soon they fly
On and on
And I am old
And will be gone.
Bring him peace
Bring him joy
He is young
He is only a boy
You can take
You can give
Let him be
Let him live
If I die, let me die
Let him live
Bring him home
Bring him home

Friday for the first matinee showing, we went to see our highly anticipated movie release, The Lincoln Lawyer. This is a pretty darned good flick if you want my opinion. The legal system, the lawyers, the courts...the very GOOD twist at the end. And what money can [or can't] buy!!! Pretty excellent. Except for one thing...the background music, the soundtrack themes...all more or less 'rap' and I don't like that genre...that, they could've done better in my opinion. I learned before the middle of the movie, to 'tune that out'!!

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While out in the yard, toiling away [hehehehe], my vision caught a glimpse of a bright yellow object. As I turned to see what it was, the prettiest of small birds landed in the tiny crepe myrtle sapling. [the myrtle looks like autumn foliage, but it's new growth with orange and red coloration] Seems this past week, being outdoors a lot, the yard is a cacophony of birdsong and tons of activity of our feathered friends!! As I moved...it flew off. Of course, me being an amateur bird watcher, I wanted to know what I saw. I dropped my hand shovel and went indoors for my bird book and what the heck....just in case it returned....grabbed the camera too. As I sat in the shade of the bird of paradise plant, thumbing through the pages, I noticed it returned. Arming the camera, I focused in on it...with the click of the shutter, it flew up into the tree--- After searching where it landed in the branches, I took the 'backside' of it to help me identify it. Bud came over by then, and sat with me. As I described the bird to him he said "Look up Finches". I did---finding him just as pretty on the page as in our yard!! It's called a Lesser Goldfinch. Marking it off in our bird viewing chart with the location and year spotted, we both went back to work. What a treat for him to visit. Hope it'll return often. Will have to read up on it to see if it's a migratory bird or year 'round resident of South Texas.