What?? It’s May 24th already??! How did that happen? Ay-yi-yi… Well guys, my intentions were certainly to jump back in to the Battle of the Bands groove and be efficient and timely but alas, life is having its way with me and my stamina isn’t quite up to optimum levels yet so I must apologize for the tardy Results post. It’s been so crazy around here that I even had to cancel not one but two physical therapy appointments this week! And I only go two times a week. That’s not good. But I am definitely doing all my exercises here at home so I don’t think I’ll fall behind too bad. I mean what’s one week when you’re looking at 16 – 20 weeks of it, right?
Anyway, thanks for the warm welcome back from all my BOTB pals! I sure have missed you guys and it’s good to back with my ‘people’…
I’m glad that so many of you expressed really liking my comeback battle which featured the classic R&B single “Too Late to Turn Back Now” by the soul-singing group of siblings, Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose. It has proven to be a decent battle and at one point was tied as both contenders were neck and neck with the votes.
For me it was a challenge to make a decision on who was going to get my vote. I think both versions are very strong. Taylor Manning’s upbeat delivery and refreshing Carolina Beach vocals were very appealing. And then Pepe Marquez, with a little assist from Tierra’s Steve Salas, gave us a lighthearted rendition, complete with a fun exchange and a few quips between the two, and then we’re treated to a delightful sax solo. Tough choice because I could truly go back and forth between both covers and enjoy listening to each immensely…and that’s just what I did as I composed this post.
I could go either way and be happy with my choice. I think tonight I’m feeling the Pepe Marquez/Steve Salas version just a wee bit more than Taylor Manning’s. I really liked their amusing dialogue at the beginning and throughout. And then that sax solo, well, that sealed it for me.
–a brief interruption to share something cool that just happened:
It’s a little after 2am as I’m composing this post and my dogs signaled that they wanted to go outside. Time for their final pee before we head to bed. So I let them out, strap on my headlamp and follow them around the yard, picking up any poops that drop. As we are winding it up and walking across the yard, I hear a branch break. I immediately look up into the weeping willow tree and spot movement. My headlamp light is shining into the middle of the treetop and I’m focusing to find out what it is that is moving. I see a long tail and I’m thinking it’s probably a possum (I know, it’s ‘oppossum’ but I just like saying plain ol’ possum). And then I see its head. It’s a SNAKE!! A snake is slithering along; slowly it’s head turns and explores and it’s body winds around the branch, as it’s tail dangles. I stood there fascinated, watching it. I ran in the house real quick to grab my phone and get some video but when I came back out, the snake was no longer visible. And that’s when my obsession took hold and I stood beneath the willow, seeking, shining and searching for a glimpse of the captivating creature. Luca was my protector: he stood there right with me, leaning his body against my legs as if he was acting as my bodyguard. We stood out there in the middle of this night for the longest time, staring up into the tree and slowly moving around it to try to catch another sighting. Literally I think we were out there looking up into that tree for at least 30 minutes! I’m still astonished over the whole thing. I mean I never gave a thought to there ever possibly being a snake cruising around above my head, for God’s sake! That’s a trip!
Here’s a quick 17-second video of the area of the tree where the snake was last seen hanging out. Not much to see (although he’s in there!) but the best part is the ambient sounds of the night…
Anyway, back to the business at hand:
A tally of the votes means crowning Pepe Marquez the winner of this battle. Pepe came in with 7 votes (including mine) and Taylor Manning had a very respectable 4 votes.
Thanks to all of you for participating in my comback battle! I’ll be back on the 15th of next month (June). Until then, keep rockin’…and be sure to look up when your under a tree…
Angels Bark 
Hi, Michele!
Thanks for reporting the final score of your contest. I’m happy to know my vote as a member of the losing side helped keep your battle close.
You told a strange tale, dear friend. You are braver than most people if you poked around your property in the middle of the night searching for a sssssnake in a tree. 🙂 Angels bark, you tell us, and I wonder why your dogs didn’t raise a fuss. I just now read that greyhounds are not known for barking unless they are in a pack and that they are better known for their “rooing” which could be considered a form of howling. Were your hounds rooing at the snake? 🙂
Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend Michele. If at all possible, please visit SDMM this Saturday when I will be running a special and very important post. Your attendance would mean a lot. 🙂
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Hey Tom,
Thanks for checking out my (late) results post. Sorry your pick didn’t win but a few of us for sure could’ve went either way and maybe had I (we) been in a different mood, Taylor Manning might’ve come out on top.
It was very quiet out there in my backyard last night (this morning) with the snake. Picasso wasn’t even aware: he peed and wanted right back in so he missed the whole thing. Luca was really something: I swear he sensed it and the way he was behaving was so touching: it had me giggling out there, the way he was ‘guarding’ me. He wouldn’t leave my side. Every time I moved around that tree, he was right with me, leaning his body up against me as if to shelter me from harm. Normally Luca is a curious dude: he’s all over the yard, sniffing everything, trying to sneak and eat mulch behind my back when I’m not looking, but this was different. He was my ride or die all the way last night… Lol.
And no, greyhounds are not typically barkers. My guys will bark at the doorbell but that’s about it. Now rooing is a different story. And apparently my guys roo almost every time I leave the house! Back when my Dad was alive and my folks were visiting here, they would tell me that as soon as I’d leave and drive away the dogs would start rooing. And they’d roo for several minutes. From what I was told, it would be quite the symphony when there were a bunch of dogs here. I never knew that of course, their rooing behavior every time I left. How would I? So it was really cool to have people here to hear and experience it. I LOVE when they roo. It’s the neatest thing and really makes me giggle.
There are several videos on YouTube of folks documenting their greyhounds rooing. Here are a few:
It cracks me up how they throw their heads back. It might sound annoying in the videos but to experience it firsthand is a rare treat — a true call of the wild…
I will definitely stop over to your place this weekend. Thanks for the heads up. The email notifications aren’t very timely…
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It is indeed touching that Luca never left your side out there. What a wonderful pet! All of these rooing videos made me smile but, at the same time, I got teary eyed because they remind me of my Toto. Whenever the sound of a siren was heard in the distance, Toto threw her head back that same way and rooed to beat the band. 🙂 How I miss her!
Thank you very much for pledging to come by this weekend, dear friend Michele. You will understand the importance when you get there. See you then!
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Nice battle result–it went the way that I was leaning. I don’t want to be seeing any snakes near where I live. My wife would probably drop dead from fear if she saw one. 2 AM? That’s way too late for me these days.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
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I’m always out in the wee hours of the mornings. I can’t tell you the last time I actually got to sleep through the night. Inevitably one or more of the dogs will wake me up because they need to go out. And of course if one goes out, they all go out. And then I”m wandering around the yard doing poop-duty and by the time I come back in, I’m wide awake and end up sitting down at the computer for a bit. Yep, that’s my life…
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Nice to know I’m not the only up at 2 am! 😀 I’ve yet to see any snakes (thank goodness, as I’d probably scream!), but we have had raccoons a few times. Great idea to use a headlamp to find the poop! Hadn’t thought of that. This was a fun battle and a well-deserved win for Pepe. It’s good to have you back in the fray! 🙂 Hope all goes well with your shoulder and the physio.
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Girl, I am always up in the middle of the night. I was just telling Lee that I can’t even remember the last time I was able to sleep through the night. The dogs always get me up for a wee-hours wee…
The headlamp is an absolute essential tool for poop duty. I highly recommend it. A few months back I also had an electrician over to add two additional double flood lights for the backyard so there’s a total of 6 LED flood lights and when I turn the lights on it looks like a night game at a baseball stadium out there. I added another flood light in the dogrun a few years ago so all that coupled with my Atomic Beam headlamp, it’s a good light situation here for nighttime poop-pickin’. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great weekend.
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Snake in the tree? HELL NO! Time to burn down the property and MOVE! I’m sure your insurance will cover it 😉
I used to love writing at 2am. so few distractions at that time of day. Now, I just lay in my bed and try to tell myself that I’m tired and I need to sleep. That usually goes on for another few hours and then I pass out from sleep deprivation around 4am.
Hope things calm down for you soon so you can get back to being on the mend.
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Lol. Your first paragraph made me laugh.
I’ve always been a night owl, even when I was very young. Back when I was in Jr High and High School, I was always up in the middle of the night doing homework and projects. It’s when I’m at my best. Always has been..
Thanks for coming over today Mary! Have a great weekend…
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Best O’ Irish Luck with the rehab, MICHELE.
Now I’ll probably have that song stuck in my ear for awhile, but it was indeed a good return to BOTB.
If that snake returns and offers you an apple, “Just Say, NO!”
Just last night, about 10:00-10:30, I killed a gigantic black widow spider that I found hanging around near my front steps. Yeah, “Man Kills Murderess Spider”. That’s known as “direct karma”. Ha! (Men 1 – Female Spiders 10,000.)
See ya on June 1st for more musical merriment!
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC Presents ‘Battle Of The Bands’
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Yikes. I’ve only seen a black widow spider once or twice in my life! We have the brown recluse around here and they are super scary. Their bites are really bad. I remember one of my bar customers had been bit by one and I couldn’t believe what he went though and what his arm looked like.
Here’s a video of a time-lapse progression of bite reaction:
https://vimeo.com/91541100
and another one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJA3LZN4rc4
Crazy shit there!
Another crazy spider story I have, also involving my bar: One afternoon, I was behind the bar. It was early as we had just opened and a few guys were shooting pool. All of the sudden I heard a commotion and looked over: a HUGE tarantula had fallen out of the ceiling onto the middle of the pool table! It was insane! Those guys were freaked out, as was I. Imagine, lining up your shot and suddenly a big hairy spider falls out of the sky right near the cue ball. OMG! It was alive and well and one of the guys got it and put it outside in the back. That was trippy. Wish I had photos of it…
Anyway, enough spider talk. “Too Late to Turn Back Now” is not a bad song to have stuck in your head!
Have a great weekend Stephen…
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Sheesh-Alou! Those spider bite videos were horrible. I was barely able to make it through them. Came close to clicking Stop.
I have a bit of a spider-phobia to begin with. Snakes and rats don’t bother me much — I’d get a rake or shovel and kill one without much worry. And when I lived in Phoenix, it was not that uncommon to see scorpions, especially after it had rained. (My Sister used to have trouble with them crawling up the pipes into her kitchen sink.)
But spiders — YEEE! Just too damned many legs and they move too damn quickly! Hate to admit it, but I get kind of “girlie” when it comes to spiders. Especially if I find one anywhere under the same roof with me.
Your tarantula story is horrifying! Even though most tarantulas — unlike black widows and brown recluse spiders — are essentially harmless, they’ve freaked me out ever since I nearly stepped on one while camping at the age of 9 or 10.
If I had been in your bar when that tarantula fell from ceiling and onto the pool table, I’d have been the very first person OUT THE DOOR, and yelling behind me, “SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR!!”
~ D-FensDogG
Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends
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Hahaha. Yeah, I’m right there with on the spider thing. I hate bugs period. I mostly freak out at Junebugs. OMG, they are the worst! Their big hard bodies that whap into you when you least expect it. Makes me jump every time! I hate those things: probably because one got stuck in my hair when I was a kid (they have sticky legs) and my Mom had to cut it out of my hair!
I’ll tell ya what really sucks: going out at night to do poop-duty with my trusty Atomic Headlamp on and, well, you know how bugs are attracted to the light… I”m always jumping and swatting at bugs trying to convene at the light on my head. Gross!
Sorry that the brown recluse bite videos grossed you out but it’s just baffling to me that a spider bite can do that on someone’s body!
Hey, when you get a minute, go check out my 4M post. It’s my Red edition in my color songs series. The first one in the playlist is for you… 😉
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Michele,
It takes time to bound back. DH still tires easily from his eye surgeries three weeks ago. Take it easy. Now, you won’t find me outside in the dark while everyone’s sleeping let along with creepy critters dangling overhead or slinking around the backyard. Oh, that just gives me the willies thinking about it! I’m such a scaredy Cathy, I know but I am curious, do you know what kind of snake it was?
My pick lost this round. 😦 It is indeed good to have you back but I understand the need to not rush yourself. It’s a slow process of getting back to your old self again. Have a good weekend, dearie!
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