End of Year Sign Off. Getting Ready to Turn the Page.

Skyline Drive just west of Twin Ponds.

Through most of November and December, Mother Nature has been fairly stingy as regards Northland snowfall. She made up for it here during the Christmas season, and despite the extra work involved, the scenery certainly becomes quite stirring.

This week's big media news has been a Sandra Bullock film called Bird Box. I've not seen it because I am wearing a blindfold, but something like 45 million people purportedly watched it the first week after it was released.

In other news, the Yellow Jackets are on the move. Belgium, Israel, Italy and elsewhere, people are making a fashion statement. Not exactly an "electrical banana" mellow yellow, but it seems to be catching on as the color of the year.

The color yellow was fairly prominent in California news this year, too. As in wildfires, also out of control and difficult to contain.

TRANSITION

Since we're knee-deep in the Northland winter season here, it seems like a good time to recall to mind a bit of that ol' Summertime. Here are a handful of jazzy, schnazzy and bluesy versions to help you dream and ring in the new year.

George & Ira Gershwin' classic rendered by Andrea Motis with The Joan Chamorro Quintet and Scott Hamilton.

Here's Charlie Parker's rendition of the same classic.

I had the privilege of seeing Doc Watson in 1972 at a Folk Festival at Ohio University. 

I doubt the Gershwin's could have half imagined Janis's emotive rendition.

If you are in any way a creative being, 
strive to go beyond yourself this coming year. 
Dreams help all of us to thrive.

HAPPY NEW YEAR