Sounds Alive Music is Universal (2026)

26/08/2026

August 25, 2026…

Today, while I was at work, I received a notice that Dolly Parton had died!

I’m sure by now, most of you know this sad news.

Dolly Parton has always been my 2nd-favorite female singer of all-time…only Olivia Newton-John is ranked above her in my list!

I’ve spent a good amount of time tonight reading other people’s stories, comments, and posts about Dolly Parton, and their favorite songs.

And so, finally, I am posting mine!

This featured song is one of Dolly Parton’s most-known, and best-loved songs.

Although…it was NOT a #1 song for her…it peaked on the Country chart at #4 in late-1971-early-1972.

But it is probably her most biographical song about her childhood days.

This song certainly tells how, just because you are financially “poor”…it doesn’t mean that you can’t have “riches” in other ways…like love, and family, and fun!

I found a great “live” video for this song. And Dolly talks about the song to introduce it to the audience.

It is a Special artist that can make an audience of thousands be so silent, that you don’t think there is anyone really there…they are hanging onto EVERY WORD! You will see part of the size of the audience at several points in the video, especially at the very end.

And a Special artist that can keep that audience in the palm of their hand with just their one voice and one instrument! About halfway through, another instrument joins in…then some more instruments and backing voices to build it up.

Dolly Parton has said that she estimates that she has written over 3,000 songs…nearly every day, she writes a song, she says.

Most of those songs have never been recorded…but hundreds of them have been…and I know a ton of her songs.

Oh, by the way…this is my favorite song from Dolly!!

BUT…before you listen to this song…here is a list of a bunch of other songs from her…certainly feel free to check them out!

So, here is a list of a bunch more to keep you busy for a little while, if you want to learn more songs from her that you didn’t know:

“Put A Little Love In Your Heart”…“Heartbreaker”…“Jolene”…“I Will Always Love You”…“To Daddy”…“Eagle When She Flies”…“Don’t Make Me Have To Come Down There”…“Big Dream And Faded Jeans”…“Love Is Like A Butterfly”…”The Bargain Store”…”Baby I’m Burnin’”…”Mule Skinner Blues”…”Just When I Needed You Most”…”Sweet Summer Lovin’”…”Country Road” (NOT the same song as the famous one from John Denver)…”Save The Last Dance For Me”…” Two Doors Down”…”All I Can Do”…”The Better Part Of Life”…”Sweet Summer Lovin’”… “Why’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That”…”Romeo”…”Silver Threads And Golden Needles”…”Backwoods Barbie”…“My Potential New Boyfriend”…”Tennessee Homesick Blues”…“My Tennessee Mountain Home”…“Wildflowers”…“Hello God”…“Light Of A Clear Blue Morning”…“Applejack”…“How Does It Feel”…“The Seeker”.

This is Dolly Parton performing “Coat Of Many Colors”:

Coat of Many Colors, subtitulado al español, versión en vivo desde ...

22/08/2026

August 21, 2026
Today is a special day in our family!
Sooooo…this song might make you sad…it might even make you cry.
And my story here might even contribute to that emotion.
Today is a day to remember in my family.

NOW…before I get into the real reason for this post…I have to share another story…one I Believe is related…you’ll see what I mean…
Last Friday, I went to a concert…and for a good part of that concert, I was talking to several people on each side of me…just being my normal sociable-self.
Most of the conversations were about music…the bands we were there to see, and other musical artists, and many different songs.
BUT…there was one particular lady…near the end of the concert, and for a little while after it ended, while the venue crew were packing things up on stage…this woman and I continued talking for about 15-20 minutes, before her and her group and I all decided we would walk to our vehicles to drive home.
ANYWAY…I don’t remember how we got to this topic…I believe she started talking about her camping in the Adirondack Mountains…and I told her about my Grandparents home up there…and then we asked each other where we were from…about 4 hours apart…and she told me that she had to do her nursing internship in my city years ago, and she asked about certain parts of the city today.
I answered her…but then I said…”Wait…you’re a nurse?”
She said…”Yes!”
I told her…”My Mother was a nurse…but she died a year after graduating from nursing school.”
I told her more details…and she told me that she lost BOTH of her parents to cancer…and that she was a nurse who worked with patients in a cancer hospital!
And this meeting and conversation took place last Friday night…exactly one week ago tonight!
As we shared details, I told her…”I don’t know how these kind of ‘connections’ happen…but there is always something that brings me to certain people…’signs’ that are for a real reason!”
She said…”I don’t know how ‘connections’ happen either, but I’m glad that it happens…and I’m Sorry, I’m getting real emotional talking about this now.”
I said…”I understand…I’m feeling emotional also telling you about my Mother…and hearing you talk about losing both of your parents, and that you are a nurse treating cancer patients!”
I could see her eyes starting to get glossy with tears…and I knew that my eyes were doing the same thing!
We talked a little more…then it was time to go…we hugged…and Thanked each other for talking!
Her and I, and the few people with her, chatted a couple more minutes as we walked toward the parking lot to find our cars, then we went in opposite directions.
I’ll probably never see her again…we were so into the conversation, I don’t even remember us introducing each other by name!
BUT…for a little while…on one night a week ago…I felt drawn closer to my Mother in Spirit again!!

Sooooo…now to the real reason for this post tonight…and you will immediately understand the ‘connection’ of this previous story……
On this day in 1938, my Mother was born…if she was still alive, she would be 88 years old today.
BUT…her life was cut short by cancer.
When I say “cut short”…I mean REALLY SHORT!!
She was only 24 years old when she died…in the 1960’s, a cancer diagnosis was most certainly a “death sentence”, just a waiting game till the final day.
For her, it was only 9 months from diagnosis to the day she died.
I was just 3 weeks past my 3rd birthday…and I have a sister that was only 21 months old when our Mother died.
Growing up…all the things she missed in our lives…and all the things we missed her being here to celebrate with us!
Losing my Mother at such a young age…her and me both too young for this to happen…her being too young to die, and me being too young to no longer have my Mother in my life…but it certainly changed how I look at everything.
The way I look at life…and at death.
My search for love…a love that will stay.
My desire for happiness.
My own faith took time…years to come to spiritual understanding of “why”.
My fear of being abandoned!
And so many other things I look at in life…that most people don’t look at the same way…experiencing life…almost my entire life…without my Mother, is different than the way other people experience their lives.
If you haven’t had the same experience, it’s hard to fully comprehend what life is like that way.
AND…that old saying that “time heals all wounds”…I don’t believe that!!
All these years later…and I still get emotional when I think about my Mother, and everything I missed out with her!
This day, August 21st, is Johnny Reid’s birthday…and it is also my Mother’s birthday!
I always post a song on this day, to keep her memory alive!
The lyrics to this song, don’t exactly fit how our Mother died…but people who knew her, often told me that she was always smiling, always singing a song…and I have always felt that she would want others to carry on and “LIVE” like there is “no tomorrow”…because tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone…so ENJOY TODAY!
The lyrics are powerful, and emotional…and the vocal performance starts softly…but builds with the instruments…and finishes very strong especially the final bridge (bridge lyrics below) from 2:27—3:31!!
“I want you to live…And never say goodbye
I want you to laugh…So hard that you cry
I want you to rise…Whenever you fall
I want you to fly…Above it all
I want you to love…For all love is worth
I want you to shine…Like the stars above
I want you to dance…And let your heart sing
I want you to live…Like there's no tomorrow”
But then, it slows down the ending from 3:32—3:45…to remember the person once again.
It certainly is a refreshing way to deal with the sorrow and healing of the death of a loved one!
Happy Birthday to my Mother...Audrey Elaine Firsching Schmelcher.
This song was only an album track…so there is no real video of any kind…just the photo of the album it is from.
This is Johnny Reid singing “No Tomorrow”:

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupNo Tomorrow · Johnny ...

17/08/2026

August 16, 2026

Today is a special day in our family.
Our family officially added a new member!

NO…not a new-born baby!
An adult entered our family!

On this day, in 2015, my oldest son got married!
Today is the 11th Anniversary of their Wedding!

Today was 81 degrees around here…not too hot…and a little windy to help it feel comfortable today.
Welllll…in 2015, it was 92 degrees…a little hotter!!

It was so hot…that the “Best Man”…my other son…felt like he was going to pass out…and had to sit in a chair at the alter during the Wedding Ceremony!

The Wedding was at an outdoor gazebo…with outdoor theater-type seating stepping up the little hill from the alter of the gazebo…and a river in the background behind the gazebo!

After the Wedding Ceremony…everybody boarded a ship…for a 3-hour cruise on the river!
During this cruise…dinner was served…and the dancing took place!

And it was ME doing the DJing!!!
Just two years earlier, my oldest daughter would not allow me to DJ her Wedding…hahaha!
BUT…for this Wedding…my son asked me to do it…and I loved that opportunity!

My son, his fiancé, and I went through tons of songs to possibly include that day!
We had to fill an entire day…music while family and friends arrived and were seated before the Wedding Ceremony started…the Bride’s walk-down-the-aisle…the song after the Ceremony ended…the photo shoots while the passengers boarded the ship…the music for dinnertime…the dancing…and the “send-off” when everyone made a “tunnel”…two lines of upheld long, giant sparklers, for the Wedding couple to walk under on their way to leave!

So, we went through fast songs for up-tempo dancing…and slow Love Songs for special dances too!
For tonight, I will feature one of the slow Love Songs.

This song was originally recorded by a male Country singer in 1988…it went to #1 for two weeks…and then he died 5 months later!
Then in 1995, a female Country singer also recorded it…and it went to #3 on the chart.
And somebody put together a mix…a special “duet” of the two recordings!

And this was the version that I featured for one of the slow-dances in their Wedding reception dance-time!

Happy 11th Anniversary to Shawn & Rachael.

This is Alison Krauss & Keith Whitley singing “When You Say Nothing At All”:

Credit for pics and audio to their original owners. No copyright i...

06/08/2026

August 5, 2026
JOHN DENVER CONCERT TONIGHT!!
This has become a tradition here…as I have been doing this post for a few years now!
If you are a new friend to my pages since last year…then this will be your first time hearing this.
And if you are not new…you may have heard this before…but it was a year ago since the last time…and it is time to hear it again…hahahahaha!
On August 5, 1997…I saw John Denver in concert for the last time.
It was at the Saratoga performing Arts Center, in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Saratoga Performing Arts Center (S**C), located in the historic resort town of Saratoga Springs in upstate New York, is one of America’s most prestigious outdoor amphitheaters. Its tranquil setting in a 2,400-acre park preserve surrounded by hiking trails, geysers, and natural mineral springs.
The amphitheater has 5,103 seats under the roof…and capacity limit of 20,000 on the lawn.
29 years ago today…the last time I saw John Denver “live” in-concert…he died exactly 2 months & 1 week later!
I have to start this story this way…John Denver said in many interviews “If I come back, I want to be an Eagle”.
Wellllll…exactly five years ago today, as I was driving on the highway from the job-site, back to the company warehouse…I was a passenger, so I could look around…and there on the side of the highway, perched on top of a dead tree…was an eagle!!! THIS DATE, of all days…I hardly ever see an eagle…and this is now the third time that I have seen eagles on a day related to John Denver…the other two times occurred on October 12, 2007; and October 12, 2015…the anniversary of the day he died, October 12, 1997.
NOW…about seeing John Denver in concert:
I have seen him a bunch of times…solo and with a band of as many as 14 members.
I have been front row where I could put my feet on the stage, and I have been much further back from the stage…hahaha!
This particular venue where I saw him the final time, hosted John Denver 16 times, although I did not make all of them because of conflicts in my schedule…several of those concerts at that venue happened when I was in another state, participating in a National Championship sports event as an athlete, coach, and referee!!
However…ironically…this was the venue where I saw him my first time, and my last time…and in between…but the first and the last concerts were the only two times that I saw him solo, with no band…so it was kind of a “full-circle” thing…obviously though, I didn’t know it would be that way on that last concert!
This particular concert was the first time for my children to attend, well, the oldest three anyway…the youngest two were not born yet.
The three children were:
One was about to be turning 10 years old in October
One had just turned 7 years old in June
And one would be turning 4 years old in September, one month after this concert.
And they were singing along just like the rest of the crowd.
This was a two-hour drive from our home. And no one besides me knew what they were going to until they got there.
It was held at an amphitheater, with many permanent seats under a roof, and many more people with folding chairs on the lawn. We were under the roof.
This concert was taking place just 2 months and 1 week before John Denver died.
I have been to many concerts of many different singers and bands. John Denver's were very different.
Ten, fifteen, twenty thousand people in the audience; sometimes even more.
And when he would speak, you could hear a pin drop...everyone hanging on every word, listening very attentively!
And when he would sing, there was still that silence, but it was a silence that was in awe of the beauty of the simplicity of the melody...and the silence of wanting to hear the meaning of the lyrics!
But on certain songs, he would ask that the audience sing along. And when you are surrounded by thousands and thousands of people...all singing...NOT SHOUTING DRUNKENLY like so many concerts of other artists...it gives you an exhilarating feeling.
For this concert, John was doing a solo-show, no band. He mostly played one of his various guitars in their stands on-stage. But, for a few songs, he played the piano. And a couple of songs he had recorded instrumental tracks backing him.
And for about half-a-dozen songs, he had a local string quartet.
John Denver never gets enough recognition for his guitar skills. He played this instrument with both hands, and made it sound like there were TWO GUITARS playing!!
This show that I am featuring here, was actually from August 1, 1997 in Connecticut. But August 5, 1997 was a few days after that show, and the August 5th date was the one I was at, in Saratoga, NY…it was all part of the North-Eastern United States segment of that tour
The song-lists for both shows were identical…and even the stories are the same…”Take Me Home, Country Roads” is funny…other good stories also.
I usually don’t like recordings done from the audience…BUT…this one is decent quality.
And you will feel like you are there in the middle of the audience of about 15,000 people that night.
If you have never been to a John Denver concert…this will give you the feeling and sound of “being there”, in the middle of that crowd.
And when John asks the audience at times to sing with him…you will be right there in that audience with voices all around you…it is an awesome experience to be in that “Surround Sound”…hahahaha!!
This is a 2-hour+ show…35 songs!! There is no actual video…just audio. So, close your eyes, picture yourself there tonight!
As John would say…”sit back, let yourself go wherever the music takes ya…and have fun everybody, we’re gonna get high tonight!”
Oh, AND…check out the first comment under this main post…I will have a photo of the amphitheater from the outside, and from the inside!

John Denver / Connecticut Concert, The venue OakdaleTheatre, Walli...

05/08/2026

August 4, 2026
Today is a special day in our family!
YUP…another one…I know there was one just yesterday…hahahaha!
Today is the birthday of my youngest child…Shane…who is turning 24 years old today!
For over 2 years now, Shane has had a job…adulthood has kicked in…and a pick-up truck of his own!
Of course, he needs to have the job…to pay for the truck…hahahahaha!
OH…AND…in May, he got married to his girlfriend of three-and-a-half years!
Shane has sometimes been the “quiet one”…until you get him going…or if he feels like clowning around, then he’s not the “quiet one” anymore.
But…many times, he is comfortable just playing video games, and listening to music…I don’t know where he gets that “listening to music” from…hahahahaha!
Bothering no one, and keeping to himself…that’s why I say the “quiet one”…even though the rest of the family will disagree…when he’s NOT playing his video games, the others would be right.
So…for the song I have chosen for Shane today…has an appropriate title…but I’m going to keep you in suspense for a little while longer yet.
I’m going to share a story about this song…and a conversation about it, between Shane and me!
This was about four years ago.
Shane was not playing a video game at the time…instead, he was in the living room, talking with his mom and sister.
And I was in my music room, preparing one of my Tributes.
And I got sidetracked by a song suggestion that popped up…and I had to hear it right then.
It was a cover by a couple of girls that I had recently discovered, and they were really good at the other song covers I heard them do.
So…I’m listening to their version of the song, which sounded very close in style to the original version of this song from 1966 by Simon & Garfunkel.
Well, Shane immediately came into my music room…and asked “Why are you listening to THIS song?”
I said…”This is a great song! But it’s an old song…I’m surprised you know it!”
And then I remembered a newer version that he had probably heard…by a Rock group.
I said…“You probably know the Hard-Rock version by the group called Disturbed. I heard that version on the radio a few years ago…and I thought the radio DJ made a mistake, and played the song in a slower speed…until almost 2 minutes into the song, and then I knew for sure the deep voice, and slower style were actually recorded that way…by someone else…and it was NOT the original version that I knew.”
And Shane and I both laughed…because he preferred the Hard-Rock group’s version…and I preferred the two girls version.
Now, I must say…I have heard MANY, MANY versions of this song…besides the ones that will be featured here, and in the comments below…I also love the Celtic Thunder, Helene Fischer & Santiano, Dana Winner, and others…if you want to check out any of them.
So…the featured video here is the “official” video for the Hard-Rock group’s version…since this is for Shane!
To WARN some of you that have never heard the Hard-Rock version…don’t be fooled by the first half of the song…about 3 minutes into the song, the singer gets very forceful with his voice, and an angry tone.
BUT…in the first comment under this featured video, I will have the cover version by the two girls.
AND…in the second comment under this featured video, I will have the original version by Simon & Garfunkel…just to compare.
Happy 24th Birthday to Shane!
This is Disturbed singing “The Sound Of Silence”:

New album Divisive out now: https://Disturbed.lnk.to/Divisive🔔 Su...

04/08/2026

Top of the poll: It’s John Denver, Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Highlight
By John Moore July 25, 2026

The state of Colorado just celebrated their 150th birthday of statehood this past weekend…and in honor of that…one of it’s newspapers…the Denver Gazette…decided to rank the 150 Top significant cultural pathmakers.
Everything below are quotes from the newspaper…

And here is the person that was chosen at the #1 position…
The man who gave Colorado its voice…JOHN DENVER!

John Denver is the musical and environmental icon whose uplifting 1972 anthem “Rocky Mountain High” remains one of our official state songs. He represents the emotional marrow of our state, bridging urban concrete to alpine sky.

And for us … it came down to soccer.

Last month, nearly 30 years after his death in a plane crash, U.S. Soccer officially selected Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” to play after every American victory. Seeing 70,000 belt it out in unison was a moment of paradox: a song explicitly detailing the geography of West Virginia, written by a man who legally changed his name to match the Rocky Mountains, being sung by an entire nation on the international sports stage. Each note reaffirming Denver’s enduring place as the definitive, cross-generational embodiment of the Rocky Mountain dream.

The World Cup made it plain that Denver’s music remains a source of universal comfort in an increasingly fragmented world. The huge resurgence of interest in his music this summer proves that the man is no longer just a musician – he is forever woven into the fabric of American identity.

“John is gone, but his spirit is not gone,” his first wife, Annie Denver, told me in 2001. That’s as true now as it was then.
“I don’t think John knew how loved and respected he was when he died. But I think he would be truly amazed and very pleased at what has happened since his death.”

John Denver launched Colorado into the global imagination.

When John Denver (1943-97) died, perhaps the only person not certain of his public and private legacies was Denver himself. Born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., the beloved singer-songwriter adopted his stage name from Colorado’s capital. “I liked it because my heart longed to live in the mountains,” he said. He lived in Aspen and was named the state’s poet laureate in 1974. Beyond the Rockies, his impact reached far beyond Colorado: He co-founded the Windstar Foundation, served on the Presidential Commission on World Hunger and advocated for wildlife conservation. Nearly 30 years after his death, Denver’s music and activism continue to inspire listeners to protect the planet.

Everything above was quoted from the newspaper.

And now…my (Bill Schmelcher) turn…

John Denver was more than just music!
Yes, he wrote and recorded many songs…wrote over 300, and recorded over 400 total songs on 43 studio albums!

And he acted in a bunch of movies…the best-known one being “Oh, God!” with George Burns!

BUT…he also was the single biggest voice for Nature in my lifetime!!

His former manager, Hal Thau, once said…
“John Denver was singing and speaking about the environment before most people knew how to spell the word!”

So many of his songs were about Nature…
“Rhymes And Reasons”
“Sunshine On My Shoulders”
“Whose Garden Was This”
“Calypso”
“Eclipse”
“Rocky Mountain Suite”
“Fall”
“Winter”
“Spring”
“Summer”
“Singing Skies And Dancing Waters”
“Windsong”
“The Eagle And The Hawk”
“To The Wild Country”
“Plant A Tree: Trees For America”
“Eagles And Horses”
“Durango Mountain Caballero”
“Amazon (Let This Be A Voice)”
“Boy From The Country”
“Mother Nature’s Son”
“Dancing With The Mountains”
“Yellowstone, Coming Home”
“The One World (For All Of Us)”
AND…of course…”Rocky Mountain High”

Even…”Annie’s Song”…a song he wrote for his first wife…the lyrics describe his love of things in Nature, comparing it to his love for his wife!

John Denver also was on the Board of Directors for over 30 different important organizations…including:
UNICEF
The Jacques Cousteau Society
The Wildlife Federation
The National Arbor Day Foundation
Save The Children
Friends Of The Earth
Global Citizens Against Nuclear Proliferation
The Human/Dolphin Foundation
The Wildlife Conservation Society
NASA…Yes, you read that last one right…a singer/songwriter on the Board of Governors for American Space Exploration!

PLUS…he was appointed by then-President Jimmy Carter to his special commission of World and Domestic Hunger!

AND…as if that was not enough…he created or co-founded three other organizations…
The Hunger Project
Plant-It 2000: Trees For America
The Windstar Land Conservancy Foundation

I could write so much more details about John Denver’s involvement in these groups and others too!
But I believe you get the picture!!!

It has been said by many people…
“John Denver is responsible for more people MOVING TO COLORADO than any other single human being!”

He was the first…and only…inductee to the initial class of the “Colorado Music Hall Of Fame”…and a huge statue of him is displayed at it’s home at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, outside of Denver, Colorado!

The statue is a replica of a real-life event…when John Denver had an eagle land on his arm…the man surely spoke to Nature…and told the rest of the world about his conversations with the animals, trees, mountains, sky, and waters!!!!!!

As you watch this video…from a “live” concert performance…look at the scenes in the background…but more importantly, pay attention to the lyrics…watch this twice if needed…once to watch…and once to listen!

This is John Denver performing “Durango Mountain Caballero”:

John Denver - Durango Mountain CaballeroLive at the Apollo Theatre...

31/07/2026

July 31, 2026
I am featuring this song today because in 1974, this song was at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Pop chart for two weeks...the last week of July, and the first week of August!

It also peaked at #9 on the Country chart...his first "Top 10" hit on that chart!

AND...it also went to #1 on the Adult Easy-Listening chart...and in fact, was the #1 song of the entire year of 1974 on the Adult chart!!!

This song was written by this singer for his wife!
BUT...her name appears in the title of the song, but no where in the lyrics of the song!
That made the song fit universally for anyone...and was one of the top Wedding songs of the 1970's decade!!!

He compares his love for his wife, to his love of other things in his life!
The lyrics are so easily relatable to so many people...describing such a simple pleasure of loving someone so deeply...
"You fill up my senses"...is the way he begins.
Then he later says...
"Let me give my life to you...
Let me drown in your laughter...
Let me die in your arms...
Let me always be with you"

This singer would perform this song in countries all over the world!
AND...he would sing part of it in the language of the country he was performing in!!

This video will feature him singing it in Spain...first verse in English, second verse also in English, then repeated in Spanish!

This is John Denver performing "Annie's Song":

Annie's song versión en inglés y español.

21/07/2026

July 20, 2026
On this day, one of my greatest personal heroes was born.
In 1909, my Grandfather was born. He died at 81 years old on October 17, 1990.
He was a hero to me in so many ways. But I want to share this particular story.
In the late 50’s, before I was born, he bought some land in the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York.
It was 3+ acres of mostly woods, but with 525 feet of lake-shore. On the other side of the lake, and the other end, you can see 18 mountains.
I learned a lot about Nature through my Grandfather. And he and I took many canoe trips on that lake and into two other connecting lakes. At about 5 or 6 years old, I first hiked up Panther Mountain with my Grandfather, and did so dozens and dozens of times in my youth. Hardly ever were we inside the 1200-square foot cabin that he built…even lunches and dinners were often eaten outside.
Sometimes we cooked on the outside fireplace, sometimes my Grandmother would cook inside. Breakfast was about the only meal that consistently was eaten inside at the dining table…except Winter-time, when we always ate inside…hahahaha!
My Grandfather was a very athletic person…he was on a traveling exhibition Gymnastics team when he was a teenager…and he played semi-pro Soccer until his mid-40’s.
But there is the Nature side of my Grandfather that I want to focus on here.
Let me elaborate on two particular stories about Nature.
For the past few years, I have told two stories about my Grandfather…one about a game he played with a chipmunk…and the other about how he revived hummingbirds that would have died.
Many of you have read those stories, so I thought it was time to tell a couple different stories.
(If you’re new here, and don’t know the chipmunk or hummingbird stories, message me…I will tell you there.)
Sooooo…I want to tell you about the bears!
We never saw them on my Grandparents property…BUT…on the other side of the lake, there used to be a trash collection site.
And we often saw bears there…black bears…going through the garbage for food!
We never got out of the car…but we saw other people do that sometimes!
My Grandfather always said that was foolish…that bears are wild, not friendly…respect them, and stay safe in the car!
One time, my Grandfather and I went to that location…it was early-morning, and no other people were there.
BUT…a bear WAS there…a big black bear!
He heard our car coming…and he scrambled up a little hill, and was hidden by the tall grass and trees.
My Grandfather shut the car off…we were parked about 200 feet away from where the bear was.
Because the bear didn’t hear the car anymore, he decided to have a look around.
He stood up on his hind legs…and he must have been 8-10 feet tall…he looked HUGE!!!
We watched him for a few minutes, as he came down that little hill, and went back to going through the garbage for food!
We watched him for a little while…and as soon as we started the car again to go home, the bear scrambled back up that little hill to be hidden.
Now, the next story is to show exactly “in touch with Nature” my Grandfather was!!
Their home’s water supply is from a well. My Grandfather found an underground spring by the home…with what is called a “divining rod”.
Now…there are MANY skeptical people…people who say “it doesn’t work!”…people who say “it’s a trick!”…people who say “there’s no scientific proof this is real!”
Wellllll…I KNOW that’s how my Grandfather found the place to dig for his water well.
AND…one day when I was visiting them…I was in my mid-20’s…my Grandfather wanted to show me!
He got out his wooden divining rod…a “Y-shaped” ordinary stick he found years ago…and he showed me how to hold it…one hand on each top split of the “Y”…and let the single bottom part of the stick hang out straight in front of you…and told me where to walk with it…about 10 feet straight in front of me.
I got no reaction from the divining rod!!
He took it from me…walked the same pattern…and the divining rod pointed down to the ground as he got over where his well is.
NOW…the well is covered, and pumped into the house, so I didn’t know exactly where it was.
So, after his success, he had me try it again…when I got to the spot where I saw the divining rod bend down when he had it…I still got no reaction!
He said stand there…and he walked up to me…and put his hand on my shoulder…and the divining rod pointed down to the ground…it was pulling hard in my hands!!
He took his hand off my shoulder, and the rod went back up to normal!
He put his hand on my shoulder again…and down it pulled again!!
This featured song has a particular line that fits for my Grandfather and me…
“One is a teacher, and one a beginner…just wanting to be there, and wanting to know.
And together, they’re trying to tell us a story…that should have been listened to long, long ago.”
My Grandfather was my “teacher”, and I was the “beginner”.
And now, I try to teach my children and Grandchildren those things about Nature at that same home in the mountains.
The video for this song is a “live” audio.
BUT…the visual part is scenes of Nature…and I have shown this to my GrandCHILDREN many times.
This is John Denver performing “Rocky Mountain Suite (Cold Nights In Canada)”:

For Clarry who kindly shared his pictures with me.

Sounds Alive Music is Universal

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