OT: Mother Nature's Christmas Present

[RockyMTblue2]

This has never happened in 16 years here. Looked out the breakfast nook window while preparing Christmas breakfast - fine powdery snow falling and what seemed at first blush to be a few mule deer... hmmm, little large for muleys...OMG it is elk! Then we saw the rest of the small herd crest the ridge and work its way down to graze (on what?). Elk will move through the ranch at night from time to time, but this was a singular treat.

Snowing and cell phone camera from 250-300 yards:

 

[RockyMTblue2]

One more of the first small group who caught our eye:

 

[MSGRET]

Love the photos, just glad I live in Vegas, because I hate snow.

 

[LasVegasYank]

OMG, what a back yard!!

Is that Colorado?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

OMG, what a back yard!!

Is that Colorado?

No, Yank, Southwest Montana - Gallatin County, 20 miles west of Bozeman, the home of Montana State U.

 

[msf22b]

No, Yank, Southwest Montana - Gallatin County, 20 miles west of Bozeman, the home of Montana State U.

I was ready to query the location.
Dear friend of mine lives in Bridger National Forest South of Jackson WY
Funny story that.

We met in'62 in the West Point band
He, a choosish boychick from Longa Island
Heck of a Bassoon player
Was 1st in the LA Phil for 30 years.
Retired to the Wyoming highlands
Hunts, fishes, a real Mt Man
Blows my mind

 

[LasVegasYank]

Rocky, it looks like you own half of the county.

 

[huskeynut]

I was ready to query the location.
Dear friend of mine lives in Bridger National Forest South of Jackson WY
Funny story that.

We met in'62 in the West Point band
He, a choosish boychick from Longa Island
Heck of a Bassoon player
Was 1st in the LA Phil for 30 years.
Retired to the Wyoming highlands
Hunts, fishes, a real Mt Man
Blows my mind

msf22b - since you were in the West Point band starting in 62, did you know Sgt. Major Lund? I believe his first name was Art. He was a euphonium player. I started taking private lessons from him in 65. Traveled from Poughkeepsie to West Point every Tuesday night.

 

[huskeynut]

Rocky - magnificent pictures!!

But I'll take my Florida temps. After all my life in the Northeast, I won't give up the sunshine and warm temps.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Rocky, it looks like you own half of the county.

An illusion. I own 40 acres, but no mule. But I can see no neighbors and that works for me, except when I want take-out!

 

[Puppy Love]

In the first photo, Second one from left going in the opposite direction as all the others...is that Swin Cash about to shoot on the wrong basket?

 

[choochoo]

No, Yank, Southwest Montana - Gallatin County, 20 miles west of Bozeman, the home of Montana State U.

Big Sky country! My favorite ski area in the whole USA. I have seen many, none as diverse and beautiful as Lone Peak and Big Sky Montana.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Big Sky country! My favorite ski area in the whole USA. I have seen many, none as diverse and beautiful as Lone Peak and Big Sky Montana.

Just listened to a little local news feature about the Big Sky season and they interviewed a few folks in a family who flew in from England for Christmas and they were going on about the beauty. It is increasingly popular with International travelers who can include a winter tour of Yellowstone in their to dos.

 

[JordyG]

I was ready to query the location.
Dear friend of mine lives in Bridger National Forest South of Jackson WY
Funny story that.

We met in'62 in the West Point band
He, a choosish boychick from Longa Island
Heck of a Bassoon player
Was 1st in the LA Phil for 30 years.
Retired to the Wyoming highlands
Hunts, fishes, a real Mt Man
Blows my mind

Great post msf. Was he first during the Mehta years?

 

[msf22b]

Great post msf. Was he first during the Mehta years?

Mehta, Previn, Salonen, and who else, the Italian: Giulini

 

[msf22b]

msf22b - since you were in the West Point band starting in 62, did you know Sgt. Major Lund? I believe his first name was Art. He was a euphonium player. I started taking private lessons from him in 65. Traveled from Poughkeepsie to West Point every Tuesday night.

I remember him vaguely, nice guy...In general, the short-timers didn't fraternize
much with the career guys...He wasn't the Sgt Major during my tour...

BTW, my friend, got kicked out for playing wrong notes on a parade on purpose.
A great story there.

 

[JordyG]

Mehta, Previn, Salonen, and who else, the Italian: Giulini

I was just going over much of Mehta's work with the LA at that time. I thought much of it was extraordinary. Petrushka, Holst, even the Mahler and Tchaikovsy 1 through 3 were good. To me his biggest mistake was leaving for NY.

 

[msf22b]

I was just going over much of Mehta's work with the LA at that time. I thought much of it was extraordinary. Petrushka, Holst, even the Mahler and Tchaikovsy 1 through 3 were good. To me his biggest mistake was leaving for NY.

He was much beloved in LA but eventually destroyed in NY.
I wrote about it in a recent thesis
He had (IMHO) great strengths; perhaps the most able accompanist of his time.
Soloists loved to play with him and I mean every single star.
He also built the orchestra up by hiring many, many super-qualified players, especially woman.
But after a while, it became clear that the center of the repertoire from Haydn to Brahms was not of any great interest to him.
And when he announced he would step down in 2 or 3 years, his lame duck activity was ravaged by the critics and orchestra itself.
A fascinating story and there's a lot more to it...

 

[HoopsFan21]

Connecticut looked just like that yesterday except without the cows walking past. We had a white Christmas too.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Connecticut looked just like that yesterday except without the cows walking past. We had a white Christmas too.

Cows in an orchestra? This thread is about orchestras ... apparently. A great BY tradition - the hijacked thread.

 

[JordyG]

He was much beloved in LA but eventually destroyed in NY.
I wrote about it in a recent thesis
He had (IMHO) great strengths; perhaps the most able accompanist of his time.
Soloists loved to play with him and I mean every single star.
He also built the orchestra up by hiring many, many super-qualified players, especially woman.
But after a while, it became clear that the center of the repertoire from Haydn to Brahms was not of any great interest to him.
And when he announced he would step down in 2 or 3 years, his lame duck activity was ravaged by the critics and orchestra itself.
A fascinating story and there's a lot more to it...

Perhaps you need to expand on that thesis and make it book length. That story needs to be told. Metha conducts mostly, though sparingly now, with the Israeli Philharmonic these days, correct? It was interesting that the NY Philharmonic went immediately to Masur after he left to fill that Germanic void, yes? And look at how that worked out.

 

[triaddukefan]

Elk Ribs and Steaks.... cooked over a charcoal grill.... with a side of rosemary garlic bacon cheddar cheese mashed potatoes

 

[msf22b]

Perhaps you need to expand on that thesis and make it book length. That story needs to be told. Metha conducts mostly, though sparingly now, with the Israeli Philharmonic these days, correct? It was interesting that the NY Philharmonic went immediately to Masur after he left to fill that Germanic void, yes? And look at how that worked out.

I'm actually working on a different book from my research: Three independent, post-war chamber orchestras that fascinate me: Tommy Dunn's Festival Orchestra from '58, Julian Fifer's Orpheus and the Y Chamber Symphony and Omus Hirshbein

 

[msf22b]

I apologize Rocky
Should have gone to PM

We just drove up to Vt.
Can't compare to Big Sky Country, but hey, it's where our comfy house is
and...when there's snow (like now) the skiing is great.

Have a warm spot in my heart for the West.
Thinking of an Epic pass next year...just piling into the car and spending a season in Colorado, Utah, Tahoe, ending in Whistler.

Enjoy your magnificent countryside.

 

[JordyG]

Cows in an orchestra? This thread is about orchestras ... apparently. A great BY tradition - the hijacked thread.

Yeah, I'm sorry too. My apologies. I held the thread for ransom and the buy back price was a little deserved gruffness aimed at us. But man, it was so much fun.