Night Critters

A while back I bought a little game camera and have been placing it in various spots around my house. To my dismay, the only "dear" it kept capturing was my husband doing various things in the yard.

So I stuck it in a corner behind some propane tanks where the weather wouldn't get to it and left it for a few days. While I still caught plenty of shots of my sweetie, I also found these:

Rabbit!

Cat!

Racoon!

Same racoon, but look at the rings on its tail.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. How many states have you been in?

A. I'm not exactly sure, but let's see. Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennesse, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Wyoming, Nebraska and maybe others when I was younger. That's 19 states.

2. If a sexist Man is called a pig, what is a sexist Woman called?

A. I call a sexist man a misogynist, not a pig. I guess a sexist woman would be called a sexist, or man-hater, or in some circles (ignorant ones), a feminist.

3. You see the one person who you absolutely despise. If you were guarenteed that he/she couldn't say or do anything back to you, what would you do??

A. Nothing. I'd walk away like I always do. Why do I want to engage someone I don't like?

4. How many states are to the right of you? And don’t give us a map to look at.

A. A bunch.

5. You can go anywhere in the world for free. Where are you?

A. New Zealand.

6. HOW MANY FINGERS AM I HOLDING UP?

A. I don't know, but if it is me holding up fingers, then I am holding up the middle one at this stupid question.

7. Are you a boxing fan?

A. No.

8. What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?

A. I don't eat things that I think are disgusting, but I am not overly fond of deer meat. It's not disgusting, but I don't like the taste of it.

9. Is it cloudy right now?

A. It's dark outside. I have no idea.

10. Someone gives you a $500 gift card to WalMart or Target. What are you going to buy?

A. Towels at Walmart. The last towels I bought at Target were horrible; they didn't hold their color and bled all over everything.

11. When you were little, what did you want to be "when you grow up"? And, how much different is your occupation now from where you thought it would be when you were younger?

A. At various times I wanted to be an archeologist, a geologist, a writer, and a professor. I ended up being a news reporter where I wrote about all of that stuff.

12. What was your favorite toy as a child?

A. Blue, a stuffed dog.

13. What is the last place you had a good cry and why?

A. In my kitchen over my flooring.

14. Which Sesame Street Character do you relate with the most and why?

A. Cookie Monster. Me want cookie!

15. Did you ever make what you believed at the time to be a horrible mistake - that in hindsight turned out to lead you on the best path in your life?

A. Yes.

16. What’s your favorite show to watch on television nowadays?

A. Supergirl or the new Murphy Brown. It's a tie.

17. Do you believe there is life after death?

A. Not in the "living the clouds and playing a harp at the feet of Jesus" kind of life after death, no. I think we all become part of the universe and thus a part of the entirety of all that the universe is composed of. (Mostly I think our bodies turn into compost. Our spirits go on to be one with the stars, and a part of everything that lives and breathes, and thus lives on and on, forever.)
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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Black Magic Woman

Saturday 9: Black Magic Woman (1970)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune: Hear it here.

ooo Santana!

1) Black is this week's signature color because Friday, November 23, was "Black Friday," when retailers cut their prices and consumers flock to the stores. Did you score any "Black Friday" bargains?

A. I did some online shopping but I can't say I scored bargains. I thought the offerings and prices were lacking this year over previous ones. Or maybe I wasn't looking at the right things.

2) On busy shopping days,  carts often litter parking lots. After loading your items into your car, are you careful to return your shopping cart to the store or the designated cart receptacle?

A. I always return my cart, even when I have a difficult time doing it. I do not understand why they put handicapped parking close to the store (sometimes) yet there is no place to put the cart near the handicapped parking. If I didn't need the handicapped sticker, I wouldn't have trouble walking all the way across the parking lot to return the darned cart. That is why you frequently see piles of carts in the handicapped area - because parking lot designers are ignorant.

3) Who on your gift list is hardest to buy for?

A. It varies, but frequently it is my mother-in-law. She's 85. Once people pass a certain age it becomes hard to know what to purchase that would be appropriate.

4) Feasting and football are also popular Thanksgiving weekend pastimes. Do your Thursday-Sunday plans include enjoying leftovers or watching a game?

A. We had leftovers Friday night.

5) Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade is an annual event. It began in 1924 as a local event in New York. Today it's nationally televised. Did you watch it?

A. No.

6) What did you give thanks for on Thanksgiving 2018?

A. I gave thanks for my supportive husband. He must have the patience of a saint to put up with me.

7) At the first Thanksgiving, there were no forks. Pilgrims ate with spoons and knives, and forks didn't become popular until the 18th century. Think about your Thanksgiving place setting. Did you have both a salad and a dinner fork?

A. I don't recall. I don't think so, though.

8) Pies are a popular Thanksgiving dessert. What kind of pie did you enjoy? Or did you have ice cream? Or did you skip dessert?

A. I had a secret family recipe that I made myself. It is called "Chocolate Lush."

9) This week's featured band, Santana, was named for its founder, Carlos Santana. He was born in Mexico. When at a Mexican restaurant, what do you usually order?

A. Oh dear. Here is the place where I confess that I have never, not once, eaten in a Mexican restaurant. We have them here, I just don't eat there, mostly because of my ulcers. I suppose they offer non-spicy food that I could tolerate but I've never felt comfortable going in to find out.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. (#260)

Thursday Thirteen

Things I am thankful for . . .


1. My husband

2. Thursday 13!

3. My ability to write.

4. My friends.

5. My ability to read.

6. My home.

7. My health (even if it is not the best).

8. My family.

9. Water.

10. Air.

12. Trees.

13. The earth.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 579th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Craft Show

The LBHS Band Boosters put on a craft show annually to raise funds. This year I went.

Lots of jewelry.

It was very crowded.

An old teacher from high school days with author Tammy C. Ferris

The book cover was drawn by Dorothy Etzler Barnett (my husband's cousin).

Some of Dorothy Etzler's Christmas ornaments she had for sale.

Like I said, it was crowded.

Cousin Dorothy.

Icy Mountain Top

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What is your favorite animal? A. Deer

2. Your dream vacation? A. Somewhere where I am waited on hand and foot and have no need to think about a single thing.

3. Last person's house you were in? A. My mother-in-law's.

4. Worst injury you've ever had? A. I messed up my ankle pretty badly in the 1990s.

5. Last play you saw? A. Nice Work If You Can Get It, by the Gershwins

6. Ever go to camp? A. No. Wait, I went to band camp. Does that count?

7. Were you an honor roll student in school? A. Yes.

8. What do you want to know about the future? A. How long humanity lasts.

9. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? A. No.

10. Are you due sometime this year for a doctor's visit? A. I have an appointment scheduled in December.

11. Where is your best friend? A. At home, I suppose.

12. Do you have a tan? A. No.

13. What are you listening to right now? A. The sound of silence. (Real silence, not the song.)

14. Do you collect anything? A. Santa Mouses and notebooks.

15. Who is the biggest gossiper you know? A. I'm not going to say.

16. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over? A. I guess around 1993 when I had a car wreck.

17. What does your last text message say? A. "Thanks. I will catch up with you Mon."

18. Do you like hot sauce? A. No.

19. Do you need to do laundry? A. I always need to do laundry.

20. What is your heritage? A. Somewhere over the Atlantic. I always thought my father's side was Irish but I am starting to think it was actually Scottish. My mother's side was also Scottish and English.


Today is my 35th wedding anniversary.
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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Sentimental Journey

Saturday 9: Sentimental Journey (1945)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Doris sings that she has her bag packed. Tell us about your luggage. Is your bag easy to spot on the luggage carousel?

A. My current luggage is non-descript. However, when I was a teenager, my parents bought some lovely light blue hard luggage (this would have been 1979-1980). I used it when I went to Spain and France with a school tour. My mother thought I should do something to make it stand out, so she put dots all over it. The thing looked like it had Skittles measles. It stood out at the luggage carousel like Rudolph's nose in a snowstorm, and I was so terribly embarrassed when I got it off that I spent a good bit of time trying to remove the dots. Of course they were stuck on like dried shit on a dog's ass, and I roamed around Europe with a piece of circus luggage.

2) The release of this song coincided with VE Day, and so it meant a great deal to troops returning home from Europe. What song has sentimental value for you? Why?

A. Vincent (Starry Starry Night) by Don McLean is a song that I love, though it makes me cry. It reminds me of a time when I was incredibly vulnerable and needy.

3) As a young girl, Doris was passionate about dance. Concentrating in the studio and performing on stage helped distract her from heartache and embarrassment over her parents' divorce. When you want to escape from what's troubling you, what do you do?

A. I either write in my journal, go read a book, play a video game, or play my guitar. It depends on the source of the trouble as to what I do to remedy my emotions.

4) Her dancing days came to an end when, at age 15, she was in a car accident and damaged her leg. During her recovery, she discovered how much she enjoyed singing with the radio, and was delighted to find others enjoyed hearing her. Tell us about a time you unexpectedly found happiness or success.

A. When I was in the second grade, Mrs. Wright, my teacher, told me without any bit of doubt that I would grow up to be a writer. I remember that as being a singular moment of great joy, not because I had actually found success, but because someone recognized something in me and took the time to comment on it. She spent her year with me shoring up my work as well as my self-esteem, to some degree. She was a wonderful teacher. (I daresay she would not appreciate my metaphors in #1.)

5) She moved from singer to actress in the late 1940s and was a major movie star for 25 years. She was paired with the most popular leading men of her time -- everyone from Clark Gable to Frank Sinatra to Rock Hudson. If you could share a kiss with any actor or actress, who would you choose?

A. Well, I bet we all know Kwizgiver's answer to this one! Hmm. As for me, I think I'll go with Viggo Mortenson, but only if he is dressed as Aragorn from Lord of the Rings.

6) 1968 was a terrible year for Doris. First, she suddenly became a widow. Then she discovered that her late husband and his business partner had squandered her money and she had to file for bankruptcy. Oh, wait! There's more! She also found that, in his role as her manager, her late husband had, without her knowledge, committed her to a weekly TV series. Do you have a 1968? What year you can point to and say, "Wow, I'm glad that's over"?

A. The year 2013 was pretty bad and I'm still dealing with the fallout from that so I can't say that it's over, really. I guess 1992, maybe? I finally had a hysterectomy so I knew there would be no more surgeries in our effort to have a child, and the pain I was in from endometriosis went away. I had no idea how much pain I was living with until it was gone.

7) After retiring from show business, she became an advocate for animal welfare. She has said we should be more sensitive to the loneliness, sadness and guilt people feel when they lose a pet. Think of a time you were grieving. What words or gestures helped you through? Conversely, what's something no one should ever say to someone who is hurting?

A. The words and gestures that help include sitting with someone (with or without speaking), talking to the person like they're a normal human being, and talking about the deceased. A simple, "I'm sorry," is perfectly fine. The things that don't help are the platitudes like "better off now" and "thoughts and prayers" or "you'll see him/her again on the other side." (I don't believe in another side, so no, I won't.)

8) Doris' only child was her son, record producer Terry Melcher. Terry had a successful, years-long collaboration with The Beach Boys. Do you have a favorite Beach Boys song?

A. Surfin' USA

9) Random question: What's one thing you've never done, but have always wanted to try?

A. Fly an airplane. Not fly in one, but actually fly it.

___________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.

The Angry Blue Jay

Thursday Thirteen

Sunday marks my 35th wedding anniversary. That is a long time to be married - not many folks can say their marriage lasts that long.

So, 13 things to make a marriage work, in no particular order.

1. Learn to say, "Yes dear." This can solve a lot of arguments, even if you don't agree. Just saying, "Yes dear," will shut the other person up and you can move on to what you really want to do, which is watch the NASCAR race or something. (This one is mostly good for men, I think.)

2. Be friends. I'm not sure how anyone can be married to someone they are not also friends with, but it happens. If you don't like to play gin rummy with your marriage partner, or sit down and talk about politics or the weather or whatever, or you simply don't like to spend time with them, I don't give you much chance of having a long-lasting relationship.

3. Respect each other. Respect your partner's time, their heritage, their opinions, their families, their jobs, etc. Treat them like you would a friend (see #2).

4. Ignore the socks in the floor, the pants draped across the bed, or whatever it is that is your pet peeve about your significant other. If it doesn't matter in 100 years, it isn't worth an argument or festering anger.

5. Be individuals and don't suffocate each other. Let each person have his or her own hobby, job, or extracurricular activity (so long as it's not infidelity, of course).

6. Be loyal to one another. Don't bad mouth your spouse to your friends or family. Take up for him or her when necessary. (Well, don't go talk to his boss or anything, that's silly.)

7. Understand there will be tests for which you did not study, even if they are unintentional. For example, if the woman asks, "Does this make me look fat?" that's actually a test, and the response is always, "no" even if it makes her look like a hippo in a tutu. You might find a way to tactfully suggest something else, like, "no, but I really prefer you that black skirt, it turns me on."

8. Be there for the hard times. You can't live with someone for 35 years without there being hard times. That includes family deaths or divorces, illnesses, stupid relatives, and elections of presidents who are totally not in sync with your values. You have to stick together.

9. Hold hands. We hold hands all the time, even when we're watching TV. We fall asleep holding hands. We hold hands in the store when we're shopping. Touch is important. Do it a lot.

10. Find what you have in common and nourish that. Maybe you both like to play Scrabble. Or cook. Or watch certain TV shows. Or garden. Or watch the deer outside the window. Or listen to music. Or religion. Whatever it is, be in that moment, together.

11. Don't worry about the small stuff. It really is all small stuff until somebody sticks a hand in a hay baler or gets bleeding ulcers. Then you're back to #8. 

12. Love each other. Love is different from being friends. It goes deeper, it lasts forever, and it means that you forgive all the stupid little things. That doesn't mean love isn't breakable - I think it can be broken and lessened and demeaned if you're not careful. So be careful with the one you love.

13. Put your marriage above everything else - your job, your children, the laundry. The kids will grow up, your job will change, and the laundry will never end. But the marriage always needs nurturing and care.

That's my thirteen for today. Be cool everyone.


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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 578th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Friends of a Different Kind

The White Streak

I bought a little game camera to place around the house to see if I could capture footage of animals I don't normally see.

This came about because an opossum scared the wits out of me the other night when it was thumping around on the front porch. I wondered what else might be out there.

So far, mostly I captured 1,500 shots of rain drops and a tree blowing in the wind.

But then there was this:

This intriguing streak across the camera that occurred in the early morning hours on Saturday.

I have no idea what it is. A piece of a tree branch blown off in the wind? A bug? A bat?

A wayward snowflake?

A ghost?

Anyway, so far it's the most interesting image to come out of my game camera. We'll see what else shows up as time passes and I keep moving the thing to different spots around the exterior of the house.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

This is stuff from Australia, courtesy of one of the Sunday Stealers who lives in Australia. Some of the things I looked up, some I didn't.


1. Where to you land on the subject of vegemite? What is the optimum butter/vegemite ratio? Do you also eat Promite or Marmite or do you see these yeast spreads as something akin to treason?

A. I think this is where I land on Vegemite: Lucy on Vitameatavegamine.

2. Who was your favourite Prime Minister of the last ten years? (There have been five – choose wisely.)

A. I'm going to go with Kevin Rudd.

3.  Are you a Monarchist or a Republican? Why?

A. I googled this and couldn't find anything to explain to me what this means in Australia. But I'm going to go with Monarchist. 

4.  What do you think of our current head of state?

A. As best I can tell, that is Queen Elizabeth of England. She's had a long run at it.

5.  What are your feelings on compulsory voting.

A. I think it is a good thing and I wish it were that way in the United States.

6.  What is your favourite footy food?

A. I am making an assumption that has to do with sports, so I'll say potato chips.

7.  Your Nana is having her 80th catered for by the CWA. What CWA standards are you looking forward to at the spread? The Victoria Sponge? Yoyos? Asparagus Rolls? Brandy Snaps?

A. Not the asparagus rolls. But the Brandy snaps are divine.

8. What do you do on ANZAC Day?

A. Have a bit of meat on the barby.

9.  Discuss the merits of budgie smugglers.

A. They have no merits, not a single one.

10. What is outside your back door? Gumboots or thongs?

A. Nothing. I keep my shoes in the garage.

11. As a kid you were given 20 cents for pick and mix. What will be in your bag? Teeth? Spearmint leaves? Gobstoppers? Freckles?

A. A Milky Way bar and a Grape Nehi.

12.  Redbacks or Huntsmen?

A. Huntsmen.

13.   The Mullet. Discuss.

A. They are overfished and more regulations are needed to protect the 16 difference species.

14.   Kath or Kim?

A. Katy.

15. Cricket – which code do your follow? Why? Do you think that 20/20 games are sacrilege?

A. Don't follow sports at all, sorry.

16.   Football. Which code do you follow? Do you have an opinion about Collingwood or Essendon?

A. Same answer. Not a sports fan.

17.   Do you agree that the lyrics to Khe Sahn should be on the citizenship test? Do you know the words to Khe Sahn?

A. I don't think the lyrics to anything should be on any citizenship test regardless of the country.

18. What is your favourite public holiday? If you're in Victoria, which do you prefer? The day off before the AFL Grand Final or Melbourne Cup Day?

A. Oh, Melbourne Cup Day all the way.

19.   What do you do at Christmas? Ham sandwich on the beach? Seafood and salad next to the pool? Endure a full English roast with all the trimmings when the thermometer is pushing 35 degrees centigrade outside?

A. If I can change the seafood to something I'm not allergic to (chicken?), then let's sit next to the pool.

20.  Ford or Holden?

A. Ford.

21.  What is the best Australian invention ever? (And yes, the Hills Hoist can be mentioned)

A. Scratch-resistant plastic lens for glasses.

22.   Describe the following:

    Fairy bread - little crumbs the fairies pick up after you go to sleep at night.
    Lamingtons - isn't this the elven bread that Frodo and Sam ate in Lord of the Rings?
    Chiko rolls - chicken rolled up in cabbage.
    Snot blocks - daycare centers.

23.  What are the following traditional items found in all Australian homes?

    Dead horse - this seems self-explanatory. Great-grandpa's horsie all set up and ready to ride. Taxidermist must be a great job in Australia.
    Hills Hoist - This would be the same thing as a kitchen mixer, I presume
    A slab - ready-made coffin so that when you go all you have to do is lay down and they close the lid
    A ute - a form of guitar, like a lute but without the "l" - so I presume it is missing a string.

24.   Who is your all time Australian hero?

A. Tommy Emanuel, who is an Australian guitarist that I've actually heard play here in the States.

25.   Translate the following: “Strewth! Nev was going flat out like a lizard drinking. But he had a nana nap and he's raring. Told him to get here pronto by not to miss the gate cos it’s impossible to chuck a u-ey for miles. Told him to bring a slab. We’ll have a barby. The kiddies can have snags. Joe the Pom will moan about everything. Jeez, he’s a bastard. Yeah…nah… no flies on him.

A. Goddamnit! He was driving fast and hit a water spot and spun out! But he stopped the car, backed it up, and started going again. I told him to get here immediately and not to forget to stop at the convenience store because there isn't another one for miles. I told him to bring his coffin, too, because we're going to have a helluva party at the BBQ. The kids can have Benedryl to put them to sleep. Joe, that old ape, will whine about everything because Jeez, he's just a bastard. But that other guy never stops.

26.  What is your favourite Australian holiday spot?

A. Whatever one I am at.

27.  Do you eat the coat of arms?

A. No, I put my arms in my coat and wear it.

28.  You are stuck in a lift with the following: Karl Stefanovic, Peter Dutton and Alan Jones. Who do you kill last?

A. Karl Stefanovic.

29.   What is the NBN?

A. National Bouncing Nation. It's because of the kangaroos.

30.   “Where the bloody hell are you?” Discuss.

A. I'm the bloody hell in Virginia. Where the bloody hell are you?

31. Complete the following sayings.

    Am I ever going to see your face again? - Hell no, you one-eyed turnip eater!
    You're terrible, - you cockneyed piece of seashore driftwood!
    Coupla days, - you're gonna regret you ate that Barby.

32. Potato scallops or potato cakes?

A. Potato cakes.

33. Provide three uses for cane toads.

A. (1) Lick them and get high. (2) Suck on their little feet and get high. (3) Take away their canes and watch them limp down the road as they try to find a pond.

34. If you give a politician a koala to cuddle, what is the likely outcome?

A. The koala will rip the politician's throat into shreds.

35. Bagpipes are perfectly at home in rock songs. Discuss.

A. I don't see why not. Bagpipes, if they are played well, can blend right in with some wild guitar and a good bit of drums.

36. What is a Tim Tam Slam?

A. That's where you take the hat off the head of a guy named Tim and you slam it into the wall.

37. If I ask for a FruChoc, where am I from? What are FruChocs?

A. You're asking for chocolate-covered fruit, and you're from AUSTRALIA.
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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: The Middle

Saturday 9: The Middle (2018)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about compromise. When did you recently give in a little and meet someone halfway?

A. I'm married. I'm pretty sure I do that nearly every day.

2) She sings that the floors are wet. Are there any floors in your home that could use a good scrub today? If you answered "yes," will those floors get cleaned this weekend?

A. My floors were mopped a few days ago. They are clean.

3) She also sings that the cabinets are bare. What's currently on your shopping list?

A. According to my husband there is nothing to eat in the house, but the only thing on my list on the refrigerator is lotion. I guess you can't eat that.

4) You may be familiar with this song from Target's TV commercials. Do you often shop at Target?

A. Not very often and I don't remember ever hearing this song before.

5) The lead vocal is handled by Maren Morris, a Grammy winner for "My Church," which is all about singing with the car radio. What's the last song you sang along with?

A. Uptown Funk.

6) This past April, Maren married singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd and they have performed onstage together. Who is the last person you sang along with?

A. Probably my friend Teresa. But generally I only sing by myself.

7) This song was composed by brothers Kyle and Michael Trewartha. With their bleached hair and sunglasses, they look like a pair of surfer dudes -- which they are, having grown up in Huntington Beach, CA. Is there a body of water near your hometown?

A. We are not that far from Smith Mountain Lake, which is a manmade lake put in place to create electricity.

8) January 2018, when this song debuted, we had a total lunar eclipse. When things like that happen in the sky, do you go out of your way to watch?

A. Yes, I do.

9) Random question -- They say we're all young at heart. In what way can you be childlike?

A. I like to be brought presents, even if it's a box of Tic-Tacs.


___________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.

Thursday Thirteen - Stairway to Heaven

Since today is the day that Led Zeppelin released the album with Stairway to Heaven on it, here are some facts about that song and the band.




1. Every guitar store I've ever been in has a sign up that says, "No playing Stairway to Heaven" or some derivative thereof. (I have been known to play it anyway. Softly. Nobody's ever said anything.)

2. Led Zeppelin has sold more than 100 million records in the United States.

3. Stairway to Heaven, which is arguably the most famous rock song of all time, was never a hit on the charts because it was never released as a single to the general public. However, on Tuesday, November 13, 2007, all of Led Zeppelin's back catalogue became available for download in the UK, and the track made the singles chart for the first time.

4. Led Zepplin has received Kennedy Honors, been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and they received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (the latter in 2005).

5. Robert Plant wrote the words to the song. The song is basically about a woman who accumulates money, which she thinks will get her into heaven, but she finds out that is not the case. Plant called it, "a woman getting everything she wanted without giving anything back."

6. Plant had to defend the song in court 2016 as part of a plagiarism trial over this song. He said he wrote the song and first played it for his band at Headley Grange in Liphook Road, Headley, Hampshire. This is also where they recorded it, using a mobile studio owned by The Rolling Stones. Headley Grange was a huge, old, dusty mansion with no electricity but great acoustics. (The jury in the plagiarism trial ruled in favor of Led Zeppelin, deciding that the chord progression in dispute was common to many other songs dating back decades, and therefore, in the public domain. However, the case this year was sent back to trial on appeal.)

7. Plant wrote the lyrics in a flash of inspiration. "I was holding a pencil and paper, and for some reason I was in a very bad mood. Then all of a sudden my hand was writing out the words, 'There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold/And she's buying a stairway to heaven.' I just sat there and looked at the words and then I almost leapt out of my seat," he said.

8. After the song became famous, many people decided it was inspired by Satan, and that there were messages on the album if you played it backwards. Plant, in Musician magazine, said that Stairway To Heaven, "was written with every best intention, and as far as reversing tapes and putting messages on the end, that's not my idea of making music. It's really sad. The first time I heard it was early in the morning when I was living at home, and I heard it on a news program. I was absolutely drained all day. I walked around, and I couldn't actually believe, I couldn't take people seriously who could come up with sketches like that. There are a lot of people who are making money there, and if that's the way they need to do it, then do it without my lyrics. I cherish them far too much."

9. The song is 8:03 minutes long. It is still thought to be the most-played song on American FM radio.

10. It has sold more sheet music than any other rock song, selling about 1 million copies total. About 10,000 to 15,000 copies of the sheet music are still sold each year.

11. This was the only song whose lyrics were printed on the inner sleeve of the album at its initial release.

12. There is no bass guitar in this song. Instead, it has a string section, keyboards, and flutes. There are also wooden recorders used in the intro.

13. There are no drums in this song until 4:18 minutes into the music.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 577th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Nutty Squirrel