Tag Archives: Cycling

Coming Up Close

Hi! And happy new year! For those who receive my posts by email, it probably comes as a surprise to see a message from me today, since I haven’t published a post since April 29, 2022. If you’ve dropped by here in the past, you will know I enjoy listening to music throughout the day. AndContinue reading “Coming Up Close”

Champions of Red Wine

I can’t remember for sure but think I first heard “Champions of Red Wine” by Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers on KEXP Seattle’s The Morning Show with John Richards. Either that, or on Apple Music. Anyway, The New Pornographers aren’t a band I know much about, though after reading about them today IContinue reading “Champions of Red Wine”

Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007, I: Prelude

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) wrote the Cello suites, BWV 1007-1012, six pieces for unaccompanied cello, between 1717 and 1723. The suites are very technical and complex; not unusual characteristics for Bach’s music. Surviving copies of the original manuscript were not annotated and, therefore, difficult to interpret. The music was not well known or publicly performedContinue reading “Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007, I: Prelude”

One Quiet Night

It’s a snow day here on the prairies in Canada. A spring blizzard started overnight and is expected to continue until Friday morning, bringing up to 80 centimetres (31 inches) of snow in some areas. We’re more likely to receive less than half of that amount in Winnipeg, Canada. Today’s snow is heavy, wet andContinue reading “One Quiet Night”

String Duo No. 1 in G Major for Violin and Viola, K. 423, II: Adagio

Earlier today, I thought I would like to post about a piece featuring the viola. It’s an instrument with a beautiful tone, slightly deeper than a violin and less so than a cello; it helps fill out the soundscape of a string orchestra. Surfing around YouTube, I landed on a wonderful string duo featuring AmericanContinue reading “String Duo No. 1 in G Major for Violin and Viola, K. 423, II: Adagio”

Melody

I have been thinking a lot about the people of Ukraine as the Russian aggression continues. We see the Ukrainian people’s indomitable spirit and examples of the worldwide support being offered to them during this horrific time. Yesterday afternoon, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress held a rally at the Manitoba Legislative Building. Organizers say about 5,000Continue reading “Melody”

Like Lightning

I don’t recall where or when I first heard “Like Lightning” by Canadian indie pop/folk singer-songwriter Matthew Barber. But the metadata in my Apple Music library tells me I bought the track from the iTunes Store on the morning of December 25, 2015. A little Christmas present to myself, I suppose. Since then, the songContinue reading “Like Lightning”

Blackbird

Well, I finally did it. I signed up for a music streaming service. I know… the horror, right?! I decided to take on a free trial of Apple Music, as I found it can co-exist with the owned content in my iTunes library. As I’ve often said here, I buy music to support the artistsContinue reading “Blackbird”

Symphony No. 1, Op. 25, I: Allegro

The Soviet Russian pianist, composer and conductor Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) began writing his Symphony No. 1, Opus 25, also known as the Classical Symphony, in 1916, completing it in 1917. He wrote it in a classical style inspired by the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) and Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). Last night, my sweety andContinue reading “Symphony No. 1, Op. 25, I: Allegro”

Ave verum corpus

After this past Wednesday’s post on a rap song by Little Simz, I started looking for classical music pieces in which the brass section came across as boldly as those in Simz’s song, “Introvert.” I haven’t found one yet, and I feel that speaks to my lack of knowledge of the genre. I’ll keep lookingContinue reading “Ave verum corpus”

Shape of My Heart

The British artist Sting (aka Gordon Sumner) released “Shape of My Heart” as the fifth single from his wildly successful fourth solo album, Ten Summoner’s Tales (1993). Like “Wild Is the Wind,” “Sultans of Swing,” and many other songs, today’s selection sounds perfect for the ending credits of a film. And, in fact, Sting’s songContinue reading “Shape of My Heart”

Friday on My Mind

Yes! Another Friday! This weekend, pandemic restrictions will loosen significantly in my province, Manitoba, Canada. While I’m grateful we are closer to having family gatherings (at least outdoors, like the latest one we had in September 2020), I do feel some of the measures the government will implement are once again too much, too soon,Continue reading “Friday on My Mind”

Heartbeat

The new wave band The Psychedelic Furs was formed in London, England, in 1977. They took a hiatus in the early 1990s, reformed in 2000 and are still active today. They are definitely up there on my top-thirty list of bands, and I often like to listen to their music. In fact, they were theContinue reading “Heartbeat”

Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano in C Major (Triple Concerto), Op. 56, II: Largo – attacca

After a short walk-run this morning, followed by a short bike ride, then lunch (and a very short but pleasant snooze), I started looking for a classical music video. None of YouTube’s suggestions sparked my imagination, so I went over to the always-reliable Deutsche Grammophon channel, where I was pleased to find today’s selection. LudwigContinue reading “Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano in C Major (Triple Concerto), Op. 56, II: Largo – attacca”

In a Big Country

Well, happy Friday, friends! Another week has gone by so quickly… how does that happen when we are still so restricted and isolated? Surely, time should be dragging! If you’ve been following along here in the last few weeks, you might have noticed I have a bit of a thing going on with the 1980s.Continue reading “In a Big Country”

Losing My Religion

It’s been a busy day of appointments plus a bike ride, a few phone calls and an online gathering before I took the time to sit down and complete today’s post. During a free moment this afternoon, I thought I’d visit my YouTube feed for a song idea. Of course, several of Rick Beato’s WhatContinue reading “Losing My Religion”

Prisencolinensinainciusol

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know I’m really into cycling. I poked around trails on a hybrid bike for years, but two years ago at age 59, I bought a road bike and have never looked back. During the cold winters in my city of Winnipeg, Canada, I ride on aContinue reading “Prisencolinensinainciusol”

Flying

It’s been a while since I posted a song by the Beatles. If you query for them on my Index of Songs/Search page, it’ll point you to posts on “Here Comes the Sun,” a supergroup cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Help,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “All You Need Is Love,” and, most recently, “Let ItContinue reading “Flying”

What a Wonderful World

“And I think to myself / What a wonderful world…” (from “What a Wonderful World,” by Bob Thiele [aka George Douglas], George David Weiss) Today’s my birthday. It’s my second pandemic birthday, and while last year I felt a slight tinge of sadness about not gathering with family and friends, this year my feelings ofContinue reading “What a Wonderful World”

All Mixed Up

Just over a year ago, when “lockdown” was still a new term, I wrote a blog post about the song “Good Times Roll,” from the 1978 debut album by the Boston, Massachusetts, USA band The Cars. (Months later I posted “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight,” another song from the same album.) Today, I was outContinue reading “All Mixed Up”

Can’t Let Go

This week, former Roxy Music founding member and frontperson Bryan Ferry released a live solo album, Royal Albert Hall 2020. The collection was recorded in London, England during the a world tour that was to be cut short soon after the UK shows due to the global pandemic. Today, an email blast advertised that theContinue reading “Can’t Let Go”

The Course

Today I’m sharing a folk song I heard during an online gathering over a month ago and which has stayed with me since. “The Course” is a stirring, soulful anthem by Ayla Nereo, a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, dancer and filmmaker from northeastern California, USA. The song evokes, for me, a sense of fellowship and the togethernessContinue reading “The Course”

Always Returning

After a wonderful morning that began with a delicious cup of coffee and then went on to reading, journaling, meditation, some music and a moderate bike ride early this afternoon, I’m resting before meeting a friend at Canadian Blood Services. We are former colleagues and haven’t seen each other in a long time, so weContinue reading “Always Returning”

The Last Exit

The few songs I know by the British/American band Still Corners all have an aspect of long-distance driving… and apparently, that’s not by accident… Such was the case for “The Trip” (from their 2013 album Strange Pleasures), the only other song of theirs that I’ve posted. I like hearing that song when I’m in theContinue reading “The Last Exit”

Push + Pull

Today has been a great day! In my city, Winnipeg, Canada, the temperature rose to an unseasonably high 14° Celcius (57° Fahrenheit), compared to the March monthly average high of 0°C/32°F. I took advantage of the day by hauling my bicycle out of the city to ride it in Birds Hill Provincial Park. The roadsContinue reading “Push + Pull”

No Milk, No Sugar

How do you take your weekend morning coffee? Yesterday, I tried something different while doing a workout on the bike trainer: instead of listening to music, I listened to a couple of episodes of the The Ongoing History of New Music podcast, hosted by Canadian broadcaster Alan Cross. I listened to the first of aContinue reading “No Milk, No Sugar”

I’ll Bring the Sun

Happy Friday! Today I’m sharing a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Jason Collett, a solo artist and member of the Canadian band Broken Social Scene. In an earlier post, I shared his collaboration with fellow Canadian musician Hayden (aka Paul Hayden Dresser) on the melancholy but captivating “Lonely Is as Lonely Does,” from the Arts &Continue reading “I’ll Bring the Sun”

Shut Your Eyes

I am not sure how I lost track of it, but before Apple’s iTunes program was divided into its constituent parts in the last year or so, I had used the Genius playlists function. Genius would build a playlist of music compatible with a specific song a person selected from their library. This morning, aContinue reading “Shut Your Eyes”

Roundabout

Today it’s Groundhog Day. And, as in the Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell movie, every day in pandemic time might seem to be a repeat of the one before. The same chores, the same game played with Perry Como the cat, the same coffee and breakfast, etc. I’m trying to change it up as muchContinue reading “Roundabout”

Nocturne in F-Sharp Major, Op. 15 No. 2

The Polish composer Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) wrote 21 nocturnes. The three that make up his Opus 15 were written between 1830 and 1833, and he wrote “Nocturne in F-Sharp Major, Op. 15, No. 2” in 1832. The nocturne is made up of three sections. The first is slow and intricate (larghetto), followed by a doppioContinue reading “Nocturne in F-Sharp Major, Op. 15 No. 2”

Alive and Kicking

It’s Friday! (And, to begin, my apologies… I planned to post much earlier in the day, then an appointment, groceries and other obligations got in the way. But here we are now. Let’s settle in and enjoy, shall we?) Back when I was working, Friday was a day that arrived with much celebration of planningContinue reading “Alive and Kicking”

Capsule

Today is a fine day. A morning meditation shared with friends across the country; appointments made for car and house maintenance; a few text chats with various friends and family; then this afternoon, time outside with my sweety. We walked along the river path in the sun with the temperature hovering around freezing. It wasContinue reading “Capsule”

Absolute Beginners

At the start of a year, we’re all beginners. We start fresh, with a new beginning, a clean slate… or so some of the clichés go. In “Absolute Beginners,” David Bowie captured this notion, from the perspective of one telling his lover that, even though they’re absolute beginners, the two of them can do anythingContinue reading “Absolute Beginners”

New Year’s Day

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2021. This blog will be one year old in a few days, and I’m looking forward to sharing more music with you, each day this year. It might be a corny choice for today to pick “New Year’s Day,” the lead single from Irish band U2’s 1983 album, War.Continue reading “New Year’s Day”

Für Elise

Okay, just one more track from the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown Christmas. It really is a great album… I highly recommend it. Today is Classical Sunday, so I’ve chosen a piano piece from the album, one composed by Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827). It’s another lazy afternoon, after a fair bit of exercise. MyContinue reading “Für Elise”

Linus and Lucy

Yesterday I posted one of the family favourites from the Vince Guaraldi Trio album, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and promised that today I would post my personal pick from the collection. After a busy day of Different Christmas, I’m looking forward to a relaxing day of reading, listening to music, and riding my indoor bikeContinue reading “Linus and Lucy”

Let It Be

The day has flown by today. I was up early and did the usual routines, playing with Perry Como the Cat and all that. And having had that one last opportunity to take my road bike out on Tuesday, I gave it a season’s-end scrubbing and buffing in the basement, then covered it up forContinue reading “Let It Be”

Piano Concerto No. 23, K. 488, II: Adagio

It was a long day of online Christmas shopping yesterday. No hassles with crowds and parking, but many different websites, all with very different, sometimes confusing online experiences and slow responses from my computer, the internet, and or websites; it was good to complete all that, hours later. Then I relaxed, listening to an archivedContinue reading “Piano Concerto No. 23, K. 488, II: Adagio”

Oh, the Boss Is Coming!

Today, I was doing a moderately strenuous ride on my bike trainer; close to an hour of almost steady climbing during a ride that lasted 90 minutes in total (including cool down), with 687 metres (2,254 feet) elevation gain over 32.3 kilometres (20 miles) travelled. I rode a bit beyond the 30 km structured workout,Continue reading “Oh, the Boss Is Coming!”

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough

Today I did another “thing” on the bike. Not a long distance outdoors, like the 100 kilometres (60 miles) I cycled on September 18, but inside, on the trainer. I rode one of the most challenging climbs on the smart trainer platform, Zwift, the Alpe du Zwift, a virtual course designed through GPS data toContinue reading “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”

Wintergreen

Today there’s been light, off-and-on snowfall and some blustery winds. A good day to hang about indoors and maybe do a virtual bike ride on the trainer. Instead, after the usual morning routines dictated by Perry Como the cat, then a Zoom meditation and a meeting, then lunch, I had a snooze while my sweetyContinue reading “Wintergreen”

Holiday

Holiday, anyone? “If we took a holidayTook some time to celebrateCome on, let’s celebrateJust one day out of lifeHolidayIt would be, it would be so nice You can turn this world aroundAnd bring back all of those happy daysPut your troubles downIt’s time to celebrate” (from “Holiday,” by Lisa Stevens, Curtis Hudson) If there wasContinue reading “Holiday”

Just Breathe

Happy Friday, friends! This morning I’ve been catching up on past episodes of Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour on the BBC Sounds app, as they’ve been collecting on the e-pile. In one sense, I suppose it’s a good thing he returned to two hours from his pandemically-induced three-hour slot (partially filling in Amy Lamé’s time); however,Continue reading “Just Breathe”

Rain, Rain, Rain

Rain, rain, rain. That’s the one thing I didn’t plan for on my bike ride today. After all, the weather forecast said 0% probability of it. But then, the outlook also called for a mild wind out of the south at ten kilometres per hour (six miles per hour). So I headed south as theContinue reading “Rain, Rain, Rain”

Taking Tiger Mountain

Today I was thinking of posting an ambient piece — something to chill out on. You see, last night, I was not feeling tired at all, and so I stayed up to watch two episodes of a new series I found on Netflix, Away, about a NASA mission to Mars. I enjoy a quality scienceContinue reading “Taking Tiger Mountain”

Two Cold Nights in Buffalo

This morning was a little warmer than yesterday, so I set out with fewer layers hoping I’d be warm enough on the bike. Soon the knee-warmers came off and were stuffed in my jersey pocket. Then just south of Saint Adolphe, Manitoba, where I turned around after riding 40 kilometres (25 miles) against a mildContinue reading “Two Cold Nights in Buffalo”

Round and Round

Happy Friday! It feels like the weather has suddenly changed. When I set off on my bike this morning, it was just 7°C (44°F). It stayed on the cold side through the ride, so I was wearing some extra clothing to keep warm. It felt good to be moving after a few days off theContinue reading “Round and Round”

Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

We have come to the second-last track on Arcade Fire’s 2010 album, The Suburbs. The song begins with a bounding, hopeful-sounding beat, and there is a soft, almost playful affect to Regine Chassagne’s voice, in contrast to the conflict-charged vocals in previous tracks sung by her lover in the story (and partner in real life),Continue reading “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”

I Want to Know What Love Is

When I think of it, it’s funny how the relationships in youth often seemed so predicated on competition, on one being better than the other. Today, Sweety and I were on a mission to find some fresh-picked corn-on-the-cob. There’s a farmers’ market we went to once this summer, but it did not feel safe toContinue reading “I Want to Know What Love Is”

Suspicious Minds

Life has been busy for the last few weeks, particularly since I’m cycling a lot… Two hundred forty-four kilometres (152 miles) on four rides over the previous seven days. How I love being retired! One indicator of how full life has been is that I only this week finished listened to the August 2, 2020 episodeContinue reading “Suspicious Minds”

Clear Desert Night

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, Sweety and I planned to drive out of the city last night to try to view some of the Perseid meteor shower.  We left home a bit before 10:00 pm and arrived at Birds Hill Provincial Park about three-quarters of an hour later. We tried viewing the sky fromContinue reading “Clear Desert Night”

Stars

After a bike ride in the heat today, I was grateful to be lounging in the shade of our summer porch and listening to some oldies this afternoon. At some point, I got onto Simply Red. Someone among our family and friends was talking about them in the past week… I can’t remember whom orContinue reading “Stars”

Ezy Ryder

Today has been a full, busy day so far.  This morning I set off at 8:00 on my bike. I had planned that I’d do a 75-kilometre ride sometime this week, to reach my goal of a 100-km trip ( a “metric century”) before the end of the riding season. I’m also trying to rideContinue reading “Ezy Ryder”

Yellow Moon

Last night over Winnipeg, Canada, the Moon appeared big and yellow in the southeastern sky. A friend and neighbour had told us on Friday night, at an outdoor, socially-distanced dinner hosted by another couple of neighbour-friends, that it would appear like this, and so we all took note to watch the next night.  On Saturday,Continue reading “Yellow Moon”

Love Songs for Robots

Last night, the song “Love Songs for Robots,” by Montréal, Quebec band Patrick Watson (led by a fellow named that), came into my mind as a possible song to write some thoughts on. I wrote down the title in my document of blog notes. It’s an interesting song I first heard on CBC Radio 2Continue reading “Love Songs for Robots”

Fade into You

Mazzy Star, an alternative rock band from Santa Monica, California in the USA, is an act I keep stumbling across. Their single “Fade into You,” from the 1993 album So Tonight That I Might See plays often on KEXP Seattle, and it popped up in the YouTube suggestions when I was working on the postContinue reading “Fade into You”

Who Loves the Sun

Happy Friday, friends! Who loves the sun? I do… though it was almost mostly absent for my 68-kilometre (42-mile) bike ride south of Winnipeg to Saint Adolphe this morning. When I set out, the temperature was 21°/28°C humidex (69.8°/82.4°F) but was up to 27°/38°C humidex (80.6°/100.4°F) by the time I returned. I was wearing aContinue reading “Who Loves the Sun”

The Pushbike Song

It was only a matter of time before I featured a song on cycling, right? Well, today’s is my 200th post, so I thought, it’s about time. Pedalling around the internet and the iTunes Store, I found today’s selection. I don’t remember the song, which the British band Mungo Jerry released in 1970. But theContinue reading “The Pushbike Song”

Thank U

Today I was looking for a song about gratitude, and when I thought about it, Alanis Morissette’s “Thank U,” from her 1998 album, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie was ideal. Let me tell you why.  I’ve mentioned before that a few years ago, my mum died. Months after, I took part in a retreat themed onContinue reading “Thank U”

Summer in the City

Here’s an excerpt from an afternoon conversation from today. For context, I met up with a friend who is trying out his new e-trike (which he bought to replace one that was stolen last year by some heartless thugs, breaking his heart). I rode a reasonably short 28 kilometres today, which brought it to 150Continue reading “Summer in the City”

Ultramarine

Today, I’m feeling a little low on energy. I’ve been cycling in the high heat and humidity, so am taking a couple of days off. It also has been an emotional day, attending the COVID-socially-distanced, outdoor interment service for our dear friend’s mother; she was a delightful, vibrant and kind soul who was taken tooContinue reading “Ultramarine”

Summertime

In the late 1980s and through the 90s, I sat on several committees of my local church. First, I was a member of the property committee, then took over chairing when my mentor wanted to take a break from leading. Then I was on the official board (or council as it was called), which IContinue reading “Summertime”

Goldberg Variations: Aria

After a longer ride today (55 kilometres), I was feeling a bit lazy and tired, and it seemed like a good time to listen to a little Johann Sebastian Bach. One piece I heard was from the Goldberg Variations, BW 988: Aria, played by American classical pianist Simone Dinnerstein on J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, releasedContinue reading “Goldberg Variations: Aria”

Isolation

Happy Friday, friends! Of all John Lennon’s compositions for The Beatles and his solo work, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard today’s song, “Isolation,” before today. This morning I was poking around the BBC 6 Music website and delved into some April 2019 archives of Cillian Murphy, the Irish actor in Peaky Blinders (a show IContinue reading “Isolation”

Adagio in “G”

This week I took another trip out to Birds Hill Park to ride my bike around the perimeter roadway. The park is officially open now, and as it is the May Long Weekend, the campground is open, and many camper-trailers were being hauled in. I stood half an hour in a physically-distanced line at theContinue reading “Adagio in “G””

Ahead by a Century

Content warning: This post contains references to the Canadian Residential Schools system. Today’s post is really late. Almost missed the day, really. It’s been a hectic day with an important project, many conversations, and a couple of special, physically-distant visits. Plus, I wasn’t nearly as organized as yesterday when my daily post and most otherContinue reading “Ahead by a Century”

I Don’t Want to Go Home

This week’s edition of my perfect afternoon of music enjoyment (or more, if I dole out bits of listening to the program at a time), BBC 6 Music’s Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour, just finished an hour before I sat down to write this. The archive was already pasted up on the BBC Sounds site atContinue reading “I Don’t Want to Go Home”

Out of the Blue

Elton John has had a couple of mentions in this blog, here and there. Today is the first time I’m featuring a solo piece of his. I vaguely remember the record, Blue Moves, which came out in 1976 though I do remember the melancholic hit that came from it, “Sorry Seems to Be the HardestContinue reading “Out of the Blue”

Good Year for the Roses

Today: spring, day #2! It was lovely here in Winnipeg, Canada; not quite as warm as my cycling day yesterday, but moving in the right direction. Sweety raked the grass, leaving the flower beds alone as we’ve read that it’s best to leave those until the temperature is consistently above 10C (50F) for a fewContinue reading “Good Year for the Roses”

Birthday (a teaser)

Today has been a good day! And no, today is not my birthday. I spent some truly wonderful time in an online connection this morning with some men who are vital to my existence; it’s a small group that feeds my soul. Then, a bike/smart-trainer ride using an online platform, Zwift.com, connecting my trainer to theContinue reading “Birthday (a teaser)”

Wildflowers

I had been browsing through my vinyl collection to refresh my memory on which Pink Floyd records I own when posting the song, “Wish You Were Here” (as those details somehow seemed important at the time). When I had grabbed that bunch of records, the next LP sidled up to them was the 1979 albumContinue reading “Wildflowers”

Here Comes the Sun

I was still only three years old when I was allowed to stay up late, already in my pyjamas, of course, to watch The Beatles when they debuted on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964.  The Beatles have remained a part of my life ever since, coming in and out in greater measure whenContinue reading “Here Comes the Sun”

My Shadow

Content warning: contains discussion of bullying. Sweety and I saw the band Keane play in the Winnipeg theatre affectionately known as “The Walker” on September 16, 2009, and also gave tickets to our already active musician lad, Kieran as an early birthday present. It was an excellent concert; we all loved it. The band wasContinue reading “My Shadow”

Straight Shot

Happy Friday, everyone! It’s been — and continues to be — quite a week with global events. The pace of life is fast and can be overwhelming. Plus it’s Friday the 13th! Whoa. But fear not: I woke up with this song in my head today, and it’s got a great beat that I thinkContinue reading “Straight Shot”