Quarterly Look Back

Quarterly Look Back - 2nd Quarter 2023 /  by Todd Henson

Looking back at the second quarter of 2023

This has been an overly busy quarter leaving me less time during the week to explore and work on pursuits I enjoy, such as working on photographs, content for this blog, and reading. Thankfully, I have been able to continue hiking through the woods on weekends with my father, which has helped me hold on to at least some of my sanity. 😀

Though I might feel as if I didn’t have any time for those passions that enrich my life throughout the quarter, I’m happy to say that putting together this look back post helps me realize there has still been time here and there and that I did take advantage of at least some of it. So please take a look back with me at this past quarter. Maybe you’ll find something interesting or new to explore.

Photography

Many of my blog posts have been shorter ones due to the busy quarter, often focusing on a small selection of photos. I’m hopeful I’ll find time in the future to get back to a broader mix of content, but even as things are I’ve been happy with what I’ve been able to create and share. I hope you’ve found some enjoyment with it all, and that you’ll enjoy this look back through the 2nd quarter’s posts and photographs.

Field Notes Updates

My First White Trilliums - Shenandoah National Park

Mostly Photos

Old Town Manassas - June 3, 2011

Virginia Bluebells Along Seven Bends

Dutchman’s Breeches in Early Spring

First Eastern Gartersnake in 2023

Blue Ridge Texture

Passing Petals

South Fork Quantico Creek After the Rain

Leafroller Moth and a Little Green Fringe

Techniques

Silhouettes in Nature

Trip Report

First Visit to Seven Bends State Park, Virginia

A Walk in the Woods at Widewater

Reading

Have I ever mentioned just how much I enjoy reading? 😃 As always, it was a great quarter for reading. Even though I may not have read quite as much as I’d have liked, I managed to include a range of material, from my typical science fiction and fantasy reads, to translated works, mystery, comedy/thriller, and non-fiction.

The books I consumed this quarter (paper, ebook, and audio).

Here’s the full list of books: Murder Your Employer: The McMaster’s Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes, Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries 6) by Martha Wells, Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, A Man For All Markets by Edward O. Thorp, Virtual Light (Bridge #1) by William Gibson, Idoru (Bridge #2) by William Gibson, All Tomorrows Parties (Bridge #3) by William Gibson, Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Critical Role Vox Machina Origins Volume III.

And of those, my favorites were:

Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

This is only the second book I’ve read by Carlos Ruiz Zafón and yet I consider him one of my favorite authors. There is just something so very immersive and touching about his stories. Marina is a beautiful story of first love set amidst a series of strange events and strange people, following young Oscar who is attending a boarding school as he meets and is drawn into the lives of Marina and her father who live in a fancy old house. There are so many moments that resonate and that drew me into their lives. It’s a very personal story, one that brought back memories of my own youth. And of course I also enjoyed the speculative elements, and how the author chose to structure the tale, moving back and forth between the present and then taking us back in time to see the world from the perspective of one of the characters. A beautiful and tragic story, and one I look forward to one day reading again.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

It seems just about anytime I read a Neil Gaiman book it becomes a favorite. This one was about a young boy growing into adulthood, a boy who’s world is shattered, leaving him to grow up in a graveyard, raised by the ghosts and other creatures that call that place home. A real piece of magic.

Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries 6) by Martha Wells

Another regular amongst my favorites are the books and novellas in The Murderbot Diaries series. Each time I read one I feel as if I’m returning home, to a place I know and love, despite the fact there’s usually some sort of major problem taking place that puts Murderbot deep in the thick of it. This time around they have to work with the authorities to solve the mystery of who committed murder and why.

All Tomorrows Parties (Bridge #3) by William Gibson

I finally read the entire Bridge series, and though I enjoyed all three, this final book in the trilogy is my favorite. It has more of the cyberpunk feel that I enjoyed from some of Gibson’s other stories.

Movies

The movies I watched this quarter.

I didn’t watch all that many movies this quarter but had a pretty good time with what I watched.

The Menu

The first movie I watched was The Menu, from 2022. It’s a dark but interesting look at obsession taken to the absolute extreme, from the perspective of high-end foodies. I enjoyed it, but looking back I don’t feel any strong desire to rewatch it.

Krull

Then I decided I wanted to relive my youth, so I chose Krull, a cheesy but classic fantasy movie from 1983 with trace elements of science fiction. Perhaps a bit melodramatic at times and following very well trodden plot lines of prophecy, the hero’s quest, the gathering together of a rag-tag group of societal cast-offs to save the day, etc. Despite all this, I still enjoyed it, even if mostly for nostalgic reasons.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

I loved playing D&D when younger but have been disappointed with most of the media attempts related to it. But I’d heard good things about the recent Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) and enjoyed some previews and interviews I’ve seen, so I gave it a try, twice! Finally, they’ve created a decent D&D movie with some good acting, an interesting storyline, good special effects, and some great comedy mixed in with the action and fantasy. A perfect movie for the mood I was in both times I watched it, and I could easily see myself watching this again.

Music

I tried to limit myself to sharing no more than four songs this quarter, as I usually do, but this time I failed. There ended up being five songs I kept returning to, so I hope you’ll forgive me, and I equally hope you’ll find something below that appeals to you.

One Voice Children’s Choir - Cover of My Immortal (by Evanescence)

My goodness. What an incredibly powerful and moving cover of an already amazing song. This is my first exposure to this group of young musicians and I was very moved by their performance. It gave me the chills. This choir is part of a nonprofit whose mission is to inspire the world through the power of childrens voices, and if this song is any indication they’re doing a fabulous job.

MAN WITH A MISSION x milet - Kizuna no Kiseki

Two Japanese artists I’ve featured previously, MAN WITH A MISSION (the wolves) and milet, collaborate to create an incredibly upbeat song full of energy. It’s one of those songs where I can’t help but feel better after listening to it, so I’ve been listening to it quite a lot lately. Apparently this is the theme song for the third season of the Demon Slayer anime.

Versengold - Tod und Trommeln

I’ve listened to a few songs from Versengold now and I’m always left looking forward to whatever they create next. This one is sung in German and I’ve not looked for a translation yet so I don’t know what the song is about, but I love the feel of it and the transition from a soft opening to a great drum beat and vocal harmonies.

The Dark Side of the Moon feat. Fabienne Erni - New Horizons

Not every metal band has a harp in the lineup. This group is a supergroup of sorts, being artists from other groups I follow (Feuerschwanz, Amaranthe and Ad Infinitum) who decided to collaborate, and I’ve very much enjoyed the music they’ve created. For me, this particular song has a very classic sort of feel to it in the best possible way.

Ad Infinitum - From the Ashes

Ad Infinitum is back with their third album, Chapter III - Downfall, one I absolutely plan to purchase from bandcamp, just as I did their previous album. I’m completely taken in by their songwriting, storytelling, musicianship and Melissa Bonny’s vocals. And it doesn’t hurt that I really enjoy their music videos, as well.

 

Life

Last quarter I mentioned noticing more changes while out hiking. I thought about that again this quarter when hiking along a creek I enjoy but hadn’t hiked for some time. It has changed quite a bit, with several trees fallen into scenes that had once been very pleasant but are a little less so now. Eventually the trees may break down enough that they blend into the scene and become part of it, but for now they just feel like noise. This has been another reminder to create photographs NOW. Don’t wait, thinking you can always return to photograph the scene later, because later the scene may be drastically different and your opportunity lost. What was it they said in that old Robin Williams movie? Carpe diem. Seize the day. Perhaps this is a very simple example of that, but I think it still holds.

Well, I think that’s about it from me. I hope you’ve enjoyed this little look back. And I hope you’ve had a great 2nd quarter. Tell me a little about it in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you. Thanks much, and have a great start to the 3rd quarter of 2023!

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Quarterly Look Back - 1st Quarter 2023 /  by Todd Henson

Looking back at the first quarter of 2023

I’ve struggled a bit with motivation this quarter, with winding down and getting into a creative mindset in the evenings after work so I can write these posts and process my photographs. That’s always a back and forth sort of thing, easy during one period of time and challenging during another. That’s one reason I’ve been working to a weekly blogging schedule all these years, to force myself to focus enough to at least put together one post a week, consistently, each and every week. Granted, some weeks it’s stressful and I question whether the post was worth it. But I worry if I don’t do that I might drop off the face of the earth and never post again. I enjoy this far too much to let that happen. And your support helps tremendously in keeping me consistent. So thank you for that.

I hope you’ll find something below to enjoy, whether that’s one of my posts you might have missed or a new look at one you’ve already read. Or perhaps you’ll see a book or movie or song that’s new to you or an old favorite.

Photography

I didn’t get out photographing quite as often this quarter as I have some. There were cold and windy days when we just didn’t feel like hiking. And there were a couple weekends we chose to do other things. But with the weather warming, the greenery and flowers returning, I’m hopeful I’ll find a new sense of passion and find more opportunities to make use of the camera.

Please take a look back through this quarter’s posts and photographs.

Before & After

South Fork Quantico Creek - Downstream - October 2021

Best of the Year

Best Photos of 2022: My Favorites of the Year

Field Notes Updates

One Morning With Tundra Swans

Observing an Adolescent Cooper’s Hawk

Mostly Photos

Though the Way Forward Be Foggy

Mason Neck in the Mist

Random Thoughts

The Fog in My Head Every Morning

Reviews

A Day at the Green Valley Book Fair - February 2023

Story Behind Image

Sunrise, Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge, January 2023

Trip Report

Foggy Morning in the Forest

Photographing Birds on an Overcast Morning

Variations on a Theme

Creekside Greenery

Reading

This felt like a very good quarter for reading. I did run into some books that didn’t excite me, such as The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, Flatland: A Romance in Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott, The Guest List by Lucy Foley, and The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz, but I didn’t absolutely hate any of these and I ended up loving several other books, which you’ll see further below.

The books I consumed this quarter (paper, ebook, and audio).

The full list of books: Galatea by Madeline Miller, Moon Woke Me Up Nine Times: Selected Haiku of Basho by David Young, Wayward (Wanderers #2) by Chuck Wendig, The Angel Maker by Alex North, The Original by Brandon Sanderson & Mary Robinette Kowal, Moonraker (James Bone #3) by Ian Fleming, The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, The Mist by Stephen King, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman, Second Foundation (Foundation #3) by Isaac Asimov, Flatland: A Romance in Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott, The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura, The Guest List by Lucy Foley, Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie, Invasive by Chuck Wendig, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl, The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz.

Of these my favorites were:

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman

What an absolutely beautiful story. A complete gem. Touching. Lovely. Delightful. Funny. Sad. All told through the eyes of a young girl who must learn to live with the death of the most special person in her life, her grandmother, who left her letters to deliver to others. Slowly little Elsa learns there was more to her grandmother than she’d realized.

Wayward (Wanderers #2) by Chuck Wendig

This was a great conclusion to the story begun in Wanderers. What starts a little slowly soon gains momentum and takes us back into the lives of the characters as they continue trying to deal with all that’s happened in the world, upending everyones lives. A pandemic story that’s more than it seems, full of technology and touching on the increased societal polarization we should be far too familiar with.

The Angel Maker by Alex North

I won an advanced reading copy through a Goodreads giveaway. This was my first exposure to Alex North and I’d like to read more. It began right off with a complete gut punch of a beginning, setting up for all that followed. A family upended by a violent act, another family that might seem crazy but leaves us wondering if so and just how much, hints of the supernatural, questions of determinism. An enjoyable fast paced story blending horror, mystery and thriller.

The Mist by Stephen King

I first read The Mist as part of the anthology, Skeleton Crew. It was the longest and one of my favorite stories of that book. Recently I learned it had been narrated by Will Patton so I decided to give the audiobook a try, and I found I enjoyed it just as much as I had the first time. An ominous wall of fog washes over a Maine community, bringing with it something terrible, and leaving a father and son trapped at a local grocery store.

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

An extraordinary book. The first part is an autobiographical look at Frankl’s experiences within Nazi concentration camps where he was taken in World War II. He tells of all the difficulties and hardships, but also of how even in places like that he and others were able to find hope and meaning in their life. The second part is an introduction to his philosophy of logotherapy, something he’d been developing before his time in the concentration camps, though it seems those experiences may have both validated and influenced his beliefs and development of logotherapy. A very moving and impactful book, something I would think could give hope to just about anyone in any situation.

Movies & Anime

The movies I watched this quarter.

I’ve been on a bit of a roll rewatching older movies and that mostly continued this quarter. I first watched these movies when they came out in the late 70’s to mid-90’s and loved them all at the time. As often happens I found myself loving them all over again during the rewatch. It had been a long time since I’d watched any of them, and though I remembered enough that it wasn’t like watching them for the first time, they did still feel fresh as I slowly rediscovered and was pulled back into stories from my youth.

Hackers was one of those perfect movies that hit at the perfect time (1995) to completely resonate with me. About a group of misfit computer geniuses who’s lives are turned upside down when they find themselves involved in something much bigger than they’d expected, starring a young Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller.

Then I decided to go back even further in time to 1981 when I first watched Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first Indiana Jones adventure. I’ve always enjoyed these movies and the first has the greatest draw for me, though I hope to rewatch some of the others, as well.

After getting back into Indiana Jones it seemed almost natural to go back just a bit further and rewatch the 1977 hit, Star Wars. I remember sitting in the theater with my mouth open, smiling, my eyes wide, completely sucked into the story, the special effects, the music, the quirky characters. I loved it all, and walked out of the theater almost dizzy. I felt as if I’d been in space with them.

Of course, I had to also rewatch both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi so I could experience the entire story again. Such fun, though I do wish I had access to the original versions and not the remastered ones where George Lucas went back and changed or added various scenes. I respect his desire to do that as a creator but they never worked as well for me as the original versions. Regardless, though, I loved rewatching these classics.

Music

I don’t think there’s ever been a bad quarter for music. There’s always something to listen to, whether that be music from years ago or something brand new. Below are some of the songs I’ve listened to the most this quarter, and I ended up purchasing most of them. As often happens, I had a difficult time narrowing the list down to just four.

Beyond the Black - Forget My Name

I recently discovered this band and this song has become one of my favorites of theirs. I love the dynamics from heavy to soft, the mix of electric and acoustic with a great acoustic guitar solo that gives me the chills alongside the more traditional electric guitar solo, some very tight drumming, and the mix of melodic vocals with occasional harsh vocals. The relaxed studio environment in the video was nice, getting to see all the musicians perform and interact both together and individually. You could see their passion for the music. I’ve completely lost count how many times I’ve listened to this song this quarter, and I’ve already purchased two of this German symphonic metal band’s albums from bandcamp, Heart of the Hurricane: Black Edition, and the newly released self-titled album, Beyond the Black.

Lyrre - Call in the Wind

Lyrre continues releasing new tracks, this being their third. They’ve also recently released a couple more. I love their mix of genres with rock elements mixed with more traditional sounds. The hurdy gurdy provides such a great layer of droning sound, it perfectly fits their style. I purchased this track at bandcamp and plan to continue purchasing their music.

Band-Maid - From Now On

I love Band-Maid. They have such range in their songwriting. Pop, rock, hard rock, metal, punk. But each song sounds like them. In this case they decided to write an instrumental heavy metal piece and it’s fantastic. Great guitar riffs throughout, some great bass moments, incredible drumming. Granted, that’s what I’ve come to expect from this band (as well as awesome vocals on most of their songs). They’re one of my favorite groups out of Japan.

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Descending to Nowhere

Thanks again to Joseph Smith of JWSmith Photography for introducing me to the incredible guitar duo of Rodrigo y Gabriela. I’ve still only listened to a small amount of their work but I’ve enjoyed it all, and this song continues that trend. So very catchy with their mix of melody, rhythm, acoustic and electric guitar, and percussive elements. I immediately preordered their new album, In Between Thoughts… A New World, from bandcamp based on this song.

 

Life

As I mentioned up top, motivation has been a struggle recently, though it hasn’t been crippling by any means. More recently I feel I’ve been “seeing” more when out hiking, finding potential in the scene. I’m not always able to convert what I see into a compelling photograph, but I think seeing is the first step so I’m happy about that.

Recently, I’ve also noticed more changes when out hiking, both the typical seasonal changes with flowers slowly appearing and some of the browns turning into shades of green, but also longer term changes as trees fall or grow, sections of trails collapse into a creek and are rerouted elsewhere, areas where flowers once bloomed being covered over by brush and vines. These are all typical and normal changes and I don’t necessarily feel happy or sad about them, though that does happen, but I find myself more aware of how things change and more aware of how very different it all may be years from now. Food for thought, if nothing else.

And to end on a positive note, I have to say it’s been a good quarter. I had many opportunities to spend time with family. I had time outside in nature. I made it back to the book fair a couple times and stocked up on more books to read. I also started visiting more of the wonderful little free libraries hidden here and there, dropping off books I’m done with and sometimes picking up a new one. I listened to some fantastic music that motivates me and leaves me feeling better than before. And I rewatched some classic (to me) movies that I loved as a kid and was able to appreciate as an adult looking back.

What about you? How was your quarter? Anything fun or interesting happen? Leave a comment below and let me know.

And I hope you have a fantastic 2nd quarter of 2023!

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Quarterly Look Back - 4th Quarter 2022 /  by Todd Henson

What?!?! We’re just about at the end of the 4th quarter and of the entire year? You’ve got to be kidding me. I feel completely dizzy, as if someone’s been spinning me round and round and just let me go. And speaking of going, where did the year go? I know this is all cliche, asking where the year went at the end of each year. But this year I genuinely feel that way, as if I’m just being pulled along for the ride. I wish I saw it changing anytime soon. Perhaps I just need to work harder at being in, and appreciating, the present moment.

How about you? How do you feel at the end of this year, and how has your year been? What do you do to better relax and appreciate all you have, versus allowing schedules and pressures to get you down? Leave a comment way down below and let me know.

And now on to the far more positive side of the quarter (and year): a look back at some of the things I did manage to accomplish, the photos I created, books I read, music I listened to. I hope you find something below to entertain you.

Photography

Other aspects of this quarter may have been stressful, but not photography. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every outing and all the time on the computer processing the images (I’m really enjoying the new computer). My folks and I made a trip to see relatives in Massachusetts, and then later to see the colorful Ginkgo Grove at Blandy Experimental Farm. My father and I went on a number of hikes and I went on at least one solo hike. Photographing busy and dense forest scenes has been a real challenge for me and yet this quarter I felt as if I were beginning to make some sense of them. I even had some fun creating a series of abstract images taking advantage of the colors of autumn. All in all, I had a great photographic quarter.

Please take a look back through this quarter’s posts and photographs.

Holidays

Happy Halloween - 2022

Merry Christmas - 2022

Mostly Photos

Venus’ Pride

Violet Wood Sorrel

Fungi and Ferns

A Field of Webs

Two Views of Huntley Meadows Woodlands

A Day for Abstracts in the Forest

Appreciating the Boardwalk

Random Thoughts

Determination & Perseverance

Reviews

Gift Ideas for Nature & Outdoor Photographers (updated repost)

Trip Report

Views From Mount Sugarloaf (Massachusetts) on a Clear Day

The Glowing Golds of the Ginkgo Grove

A Walk Through the Autumnal Woods of Prince William Forest Park

Variations on a Theme

October on Aquia Creek

Reading

I finished fewer books this quarter. I’d really been on a roll earlier in the year, but I wasn’t able to continue the pace. I’ve increasingly found myself less able to concentrate in the evenings after work so I’ve spent a little more time watching videos than reading, and when I do read it’s most often in the form of audiobooks. I’m working on trying to relax faster when I get home so I can spend more time reading. We’ll see how this next quarter goes. Thankfully, though, I’ve mostly enjoyed everything I’ve read.

The books I consumed this quarter (paper, ebook, and audio).

The full list of books: The Wall of Storms (Dandelion Dynasty 2) by Ken Liu, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson, The Last Seance: Tales of the Supernatural by Agatha Christie, Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi, Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates, Foundation by Isaac Asimov, Peril at End House by Agatha Christie, The Lost Metal (Mistborn) by Brandon Sanderson, The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon, Flight Risk (Booking Agents 2) by Cherie Priest, Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie, Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery by Agatha Christie, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov.

Of these my favorites were:

The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book, one I received in a giveaway through goodreads. This is a mystery/thriller with hints of the supernatural. It’s told in varying perspectives, both from different characters and from different times, weaving together parts of the past with the present and with parts of a book written about events in the past. This was my favorite read of the quarter.

The Lost Metal (Mistborn) by Brandon Sanderson

This was the final book of the 2nd era of the Mistborn set of series. The first era series was more of a traditional epic fantasy series. This 2nd era series plays out in the same world but many years later after the population has progressed to the point of inventing industrial processes. The 3rd era will be further in their future. My favorite of the entire series so far is still the very first book of the 1st era. But The Lost Metal ended up as my favorite of the 2nd era series. I don’t think it’s all that common that I prefer the final book of a series.

The Wall of Storms (Dandelion Dynasty 2) by Ken Liu

The books in the Dandelion Dynasty series are very long and full of characters so it takes me time to get through them. I think I enjoyed this second volume more than the first. The first, at times, felt like a retelling of history, perhaps to quickly get us up to speed. In this volume there seemed more depth of character, and I enjoyed that. I already have book 3 and I look forward to it.

Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi

It was only in the past year of two that I first started reading Ronald Malfi’s books, most of which seem to have horror elements. I’m really enjoying his style and his stories. This one brought back vibes of Stephen King’s It, where a group of kids must return to their childhood hometown as adults to confront a terrible evil once again. That said, it was a very different read than It.

Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Along with Dracula, this is one of the two classics of horror that I’ve always enjoyed. I came to both through movies first and only later read, and reread, the original novels. I love how different the books are from the movies and I suspect I’ll continue to reread them through the years.

Movies & Anime

The movies I watched this quarter.

As I mentioned above, I watched more movies than usual this quarter. At some point I’d decided I wanted to watch the entire series of X-Men related movies in the order they were released, so this was the quarter I started that. So far I’ve watched X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X-Men: First Class, The Wolverine, X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, Logan, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and The New Mutants. I’ve been really enjoying this. Some of these I watched for the first time while others have been rewatches, and while some are obviously better than others I’m getting a lot of enjoyment watching them close together so they gel well in my mind and continue from one to another.

Two of my favorites are X-Men, where it all began, and X-Men: Days of Future Past, a storyline I also enjoyed from the original comic books when I was a kid. It’s always fun trying to remember how the original comic book stories played out and which characters were actually in them as compared to what they chose to do for the movies. My favorite of all these movies, without a doubt, is Logan. Though a very violent movie it was also very different from any of the other Marvel mutant movies, with a very personal story. And for a movie about mutants with superhuman powers, this was the most human movie of them all.

For Halloween I decided to rewatch the horror movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street, which was one of my favorites when it first came out in 1984. It’s interesting looking back at it now. I still really enjoyed it but I wonder how much of that was nostalgia.

And I watched a teen action-drama called Nerve, about a somewhat twisted game where folks agree to perform in the real world whatever daring action the online audience has voted on, recording the entire thing on their phones and competing to become the most popular player and winner of this iteration of the game. Of course, things quickly get out of hand.

Music

It seems every quarter is a great quarter for listening to music, and I always have a very difficult time picking just a small number of songs to share with you. There are so many I discover, listen to, and love each quarter. Some quarters I spend more time than others watching music videos and this quarter I did a lot of watching and listening, and below are some of the songs I listened to and enjoyed the most.

LYRRE - North Star

LYRRE is a very new band from Kraków, Poland. They say they merge the old and the new, medieval with modern, legendary with cinematic. I really like the sound and feel of their song, North Star, making great use of the droning sounds of the hurdy-gurdy mixed with a rock beat and almost haunting vocals. I look forward to hearing more from this band.

dArtagnan - Felsenfest

dArtagnan is back with more of their brand of musketeer rock mixing traditional and modern instruments. This particular video happens to be a lyric video so you can follow along with the song. Keep in mind, this is a German band singing in German, but I think their music can be appreciated regardless of whether or not you speak the language.

Alan Gogoll - Mulberry Mouse

Alan Gogoll is an absolutely incredible acoustic guitarist from Australia. Mulberry Mouse is a magical tune with some percussive elements and loads of fast harmonics. A truly inspiring guitarist, one I was introduced to by a good friend and musician.

Wintersun - Sons of Winter and Stars

Intense! Aggressive, dark, epic, harsh, melodic, some great harmonizing, progressive elements to songwriting, incredible musicianship, and a marathon runner of a drummer. With many bands and/or songs I often find harsh vocals too much for my taste but in this case I’m onboard. Wintersun is a Finnish band I discovered recently because their drummer became the full-time drummer for Nightwish, and now their bassist plays with them as well.

 

Life

It’s been an interesting quarter. The biggest change over typical quarters was a trip with my folks to Massachusetts to see relatives. We had car trouble on the first day after we’d passed into New York when suddenly the entire car started shaking and vibrating as I drove, most especially when turning the steering wheel at highway speeds. We were able to get to the hotel and the next morning spent a number of hours finding and visiting a repair shop that could see it right then. Thankfully it all worked out and after having some control arms replaced (and the battery which happened to die at the same time) we were back on the road with no more harm done than a bit of stress and some time.

Later that night, after we’d already unloaded the car into the hotel room in Massachusetts my father went up to the room to grab something and discovered the door lock no longer functioned. One of the risks of all these new high tech gadgets like card slot door locks. So we had to load everything up and move to another room. Thankfully there were extra rooms available and the hotel did give us a nice discount for the inconvenience. With no further mishaps we went on to enjoy the rest of the stay and the visits with multiple groups of relatives.

All in all I’d say I’ve had a reasonably good quarter. I have felt a bit more stressed in some regards and struggle to relax after work, but things like that sometimes come and go. Hopefully it’ll go before too much longer. But beyond that it’s been good so I really can’t complain. How about you? How has your quarter been? I hope you’ve had a great one. Let me now in the comments below.

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