I have been struggling with the harmonica, and feel that my progress has been rather slow, but just the other day found a posting on the forum offering some support and encouragement from regular forum contributor “tacobet”. He suggests that old favourite “On Top Of Old Smokey” would be a suitable one to learn as part of my harmonica-playing goal.
And yesterday I had the opportunity to achieve the goal in unusually fine style. Tim was helping his buddy Cliff and daughter Claudia again, by backing them up as they walked another section of the Colorado trail, and suggested we could climb another of Colorado’s 14ers.
The summit of Mount Princeton is 14,197′, one of Colorado’s 54 summits higher than 14,000 feet. It is relatively easy to get to, giving us time to climb up and down and still meet Cliff and Claudia at the end of their trek.
Tim picked me up at 4am, and by the time we had collected Cliff and Claudia, driven a couple of hours and dropped them off at their start point, unloaded Tim’s ATV from the truck and driven up the track to our start point it was almost 9am. We were on the summit just over a couple of hours later, and found a patch of snow in which to tackle goal #90.
We took some video of the musical event, but my camera seems to be failing again. After it’s dunking in the swimming pool in Costa Rica, and it’s miraculous return to life, it has all sorts of auto-exposure problems, and the video is just bright-white, and the audio is almost all wind-blasted!
So unfortunately, there is no video of the wonderful rendition of “On top of Old Princeton, all covered in snow,” but there is a photo.
However, this morning I have made a video of bit of my harmonica playing, and you can view that below. It makes somewhat painful listening, I’m afraid!! I am nowhere near the standard I would like to get to, and still struggle with trickier tunes, and keeping up the right pace, but I am on my way.
“Don’t give up the day job!” I hear you suggest.
Haha. What day job?
On top of Old Princeton,
All covered with snow,
I lost my true lover,
For courting too slow.
For courting’s a pleasure,
But parting is grief,
And a false-hearted lover,
Is worse than a thief.
After the climb Tim and I did a bit of exploring on the ATV, visiting a tiny town called St Elmo high in the mountains, and riding up into the forests. It is so beautiful on a sunny day up among these amazing peaks.
What a long and tiring day though. We finished with a soak in pool at Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort, and eventually headed for home, arriving back at 10.30pm. I was asleep within minutes.
Thanks again to Tim for accompanying me on my 9th 14er, and being there for the achievement of goal #90. Thanks again also to Mel, who bought me my first harmonica back in 2008, and to Brad Capper of Harp Attack in Western Australia for his fantastic intro course.
Also thanks to Tony Eyers, and his wonderful, easy-to-follow online course at Harmonica Academy. And finally, a big thank you to all I have met on my travels who have had to put up with my practice sessions – you were all very tolerant and patient!
Accountability Progress Report:
Saturday 19th June
Learn to ride a unicycle – 15 mins practice, plus GOAL ACHIEVED!
Develop a six-pack stomach – nothing
Learn the harmonica – nothing
Learn how to lucid dream – no dreams remembered
Set up the “BlindsidedNetwork” support forum – no progress
Raise $50,000 for charity – no progress
Night skydive – called in to Skydive Colorado and arranged to jump on Sunday
Book deal for 100goals – nothing done today
Sunday 20th June
Develop a six-pack stomach – The Incline (40 mins)
Learn the harmonica – nothing
Learn how to lucid dream – no dreams remembered
Set up the “BlindsidedNetwork” support forum – nothing done
Raise $50,000 for charity – nothing
Night skydive – 2 jumps at Skydive Colorado
Book deal for 100goals – nothing today
Monday 21st June
Develop a six-pack stomach – no exercise, but ate well all day
Learn the harmonica – 10 mins practice
Learn how to lucid dream – remembered a very vivid dream
Set up the “BlindsidedNetwork” support forum – nothing
Raise $50,000 for charity – sold 3 pix, but some eBay issues encountered
Night skydive – nothing
Book deal for 100goals – some reading, and a long talk with Kris Harty
Tuesday 22nd June
Develop a six-pack stomach – climbed 14er Princeton with Tim
Learn the harmonica – 10 mins playing on top of Princeton, including goal achievement
Learn how to lucid dream – no dreams remembered – slept like a log!
Set up the “BlindsidedNetwork” support forum – nothing
Raise $50,000 for charity – nothing
Night skydive – nothing
Book deal for 100goals – nothing