A.M.K.

 

Dells of the Eau Claire

The Dells of the Eau Claire is a small county park east of Wausau, Wisconsin.  Over time the Eau Claire River wore away the granite rock creating this beautiful little glen and river dells.  It was a great "hang out" spot in the summer.  You could go hiking, soak up the sun on the rocks and swim in the river.  The waterfalls created deep holes alongside the rocks inviting adventurous teenagers to dive off the rocks.  These pictures were taken on Thanksgiving Day in 2006.  The late afternoon November sun was covered by a light hazy overcast creating long filtered shadows.  The shadows added depth to the natural “root beer” like color of the river.  The “root beer” color of the river comes from the tannic acid that leaches into the river from the needles and bark of the Tamarack trees that grow along its banks.  In the fall, the short deciduous needles of the tree turn a deep reddish brown color before falling over the rocks and into the river.

Filed under  //   Scenes of Wisconsin  
Posted November 11, 2009
 

Gill's Rock Door County Sunset

These sunset pictures were taken in the summer of 2008 in Gill’s Rock on the northern tip of Door County just after a heavy shower.  We were on the edge of the rain shield and the clouds simply fell apart as the rain poured down.  Once the rain stopped, the sky  turned a beautiful red as the last rays of sun reflected off the moist air and the waters of Lack Michigan.

Filed under  //   Door County   Scenes of Wisconsin  
Posted November 11, 2009
 

Piazza Navona

Cafe Bernini in the Piazza Navona was our favorite spot in Rome to have a glass of wine, a little pasta and some great gellato. It was also a great place to people watch and was always filled with street musicians and artists. Enzo was one of those street musicians playing his guitar on a beautiful warm sunny afternoon. Great company, good food, wonderful wine and beautiful music made it a very memorable moment. Seeing these pictures and listening to the music brings back that wonderful feeling. All I need is a glass of wine!

Filed under  //   Italy   Rome  
Posted November 10, 2009
 

Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam

Davy is an incredibly talented young blues guitarist from the Isle of Mann.  This kid has it all!  Only in his early twenties and he is already a seasoned performer, talented songwriter and a fabulous guitarist.  He has talent comparable to Clapton and Hendrix.  I had the pleasure to see him live at Milwaukee's Summerfest and was blown away.  He plays the guitar effortlessly and has a deep rich bluesy voice that belays his young years.  Davy is an incredible young talent with a very bright future.  The songs in this post are from his first two albums, "Stay" from Roll Away and "You Can't Take This Back" from Coming Up for Air.  I highly recommend both albums.

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Filed under  //   My Favorite Music  
Posted November 9, 2009
 

Mark Knopfler

Mark is another one of my favorite guitarists and songwriters. His latest solo studio album "Get Lucky" is intoxicatingly gorgeous.  There does not appear to be any "automatic Top 10" out of the eleven songs but the album is a beautiful collection of completely original short stories and character sketches, set against music by one of the planet's great guitarists.  At 60, Knopfler's songwriting continues to explore new personal territory. This album has a nice English countryside feel to it but opens up with friendly Scottish vibe check out the song "Border Reiver". 

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Filed under  //   My Favorite Music  
Posted November 9, 2009