Spring has Sprung and When Trouble Comes

I spent the better part of a day recently going through my collection of stained glass and sorting it by colors while cleaning off the dust from pieces that haven't been handled in years. I threw away quite a lot as well—some opaques that I'll never use. I'm really liking the way I have it organized because if nothing else, we Virgos are all about organization. It's so much easier to find what I'm looking for.

Now that my shop is as clean as it's been in a while, I think I'm done working in my glass studio until next winter. Spring has most definitely arrived and my focus has turned to outdoor interests. I managed to do this sun-catcher last week before turning out the lights. When I first began making my Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired sun-catchers 25+ years ago, this was the first design I came up with. I've replicated it numerous times over the years.

I've been out on my Orbea mountain bike a few times in the past week. It's nice to finally get it on the trails. It's everything I could hope for in a mountain bike; relatively lightweight and responsive—plus, it's one sexy-looking bike! I'm fortunate to have found it when I did because bikes are in such short supply now with supply lines having been disrupted due to the pandemic. I stopped by Erik's Bike Shop recently and while I was there I snapped this photo of their sparsely stocked bike racks. A sign of the times.

I purchased a new bike rack for my car and I'm quite pleased with it. I wanted something that wasn't going to rub against my bikes' frames the way my last bike rack would. It only holds a single bike but that's what I wanted because for 99.9% of my rides that's all I need. I especially like its small profile when it's not in use. Plus, I'm able to tilt the rack away from the car and access the rear hatch of my Forrester if necessary. I listed my other rack on Facebook's Marketplace and had no trouble finding a new home for it. The price was right: free!

Clay Fulton is a friend we met through Rachel and Drew. Clay and Drew played in a band together for years and now Clay has ventured off in another direction. He just released an album of new material called When Trouble Comes. I'm liking it a lot. It can be found on all of the popular music streaming platforms—here's a link to it on Spotify. Give it a listen if you're so inclined. I especially like Call My Bluff; Ain't It True; Walls Of St. Paul; Ballad In Drop D, and American Folk Song. 

 

Drew is playing a set in Rochester in a couple of weeks as is Clay with his band. We plan to be there to see them. I'll be one week into my 2nd Moderna vaccine by that time so I'm feeling fine about mingling with others. 

That's all I've got.
 

Comments

Sherry said…
You THREW OUT stained glass instead of giving to your friend 😩
April 8, 2021 at 5:53 PM
Kevin Gilmore said…
I'm sorry, Sherry. They were some really dark colors that were taking up space. I should've contacted you.
April 8, 2021 at 6:22 PM
Sherry said…
Just joshing with you, I have enough glass to last two lifetimes
April 8, 2021 at 6:39 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

David Crowder Concert, NWA188 and Photo Review

Image
I got up from laying down after the all-night shift Thursday morning and figured I'd better get a ride in while I could because the forecast wasn't looking so good. The temp was just above 40 with a northeast wind steady at 15 mph under overcast skies. 40 degrees is very reasonable cycling weather but the key is to be somewhat chilled when you start out. Being warm and toasty at the beginning leads to being sweaty, cold and clammy before the ride is over. While putting air in my tires before leaving I could tell that I needed a lighter top layer. I'm glad I made the switch. I loved the ride  ( Strava link ) and would like to have gone further but David Crowder was playing at our church and I didn't want to be late getting in line for some good seats as it was general admission. I considered a quick detour by Hosanna on the way home to get a pic of their tour bus but I figured I should really act my age. The concert was worth every penny and better than any of the o
Read more

Riding, Retirement and a Home Revisited

Image
I skipped out of work a couple hours early today to take advantage of some mild weather. I took the pups for a walk then headed west on my bike putting my heart, lungs, and quads through some paces. It felt so nice to be out there. I'd have stayed out longer but I had to be back to take Rachel to dance class for 5:00. It's possible that today will be the last time I'll have to take her to class if she passes her road test this Thursday. I'd like to have taken some time to hose down my bike. It's full of road salt and that can't be a good thing. Every large vehicle that went past me had a cloud of salt dust trailing in its wake and settling on me. I'll spend some time cleaning it tomorrow and have it ready for a ride on Wednesday after work. Speaking of work—I've been kicking around the idea of bidding on a staff job. Believe me, it's not something I want to do. It's about self-preservation. I want to work another five years to get Rachel thr
Read more

A Tragic Loss

Image
I received a phone call from my sister-in-law two weeks ago this morning. Tracee was sobbing heavily but I could make out that she had some terrible news to tell me. For a moment, I imagined that my brother Keith had passed away and she was letting me know. It wasn't that. Their grandson Madden had died the night before after a fall off his bike. I didn't press her for details and we soon ended the call. I was so stunned by what I'd just heard. Madden had just turned 13 and he meant the world to Keith and Tracee as well as to his mother and father and so many others who were part of his life. Madden's life cut so short is nothing less than a tragic loss. Here's a news report from one of our local stations. I didn't know Madden well but I was able to spend time on the golf course with him last summer and fall with Joe (his father) and Keith. He was an exceptional golfer for his age, that was clear, but he also had a talent for basketball and football.  I feel t
Read more