Super Bowl LV Halftime Show 

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known professionally as The Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer. Noted for his versatility in vocal style, music production and eccentric presentation, The Weeknd is often cited as an influence to contemporary music as well as by other artists. Tesfaye was born on February 16, 1990 in Toronto.

Be Safe. 

Pat Locke, Mastro Muse 

 

Eric Church and Jasmine Sullivan

The Star-Spangled Banner” is known to be one of the most challenging songs for a performer to belt, which is ironic since it was written for every United States citizen to sing. To this day, the national anthem, written by Francis Scott Key can be a tough one for even the most trained star to do right by.

But then .. there was Whitney Houston.

In 1991, the then 27-year-old vocalist set the gold standard with her rendition at Super Bowl 25 on Jan. 27. She was at the height of her music career, having released three successful studio albums in the five years prior to stepping onto the football field. The country had just entered the Persian Gulf War and there was a sense of deep patriotism in the air when she performed, something that her rendition upheld to the nth degree.

“If you were there, you could feel the intensity. We were in the Gulf War at the time. It was an intense time for our country. A lot of our daughters and sons were overseas fighting. I could see in the stadium, I could see the fear, the hope, the intensity, the prayers going up.”

One of the teams that played in Super Bowl XXV was the Buffalo Bills lead by Jim Kelly whose number was #12.

Jim Kelly in Super Bowl XXV

The Giants held on to win Super Bowl XXV over the Buffalo Bills, 20-19, on Sunday, January 27, 1991 after Bills kicker Scott Norwood's game-winning, 47-yard field goal went wide right. None of us who watched that game at home or at the stadium that night will ever forget .. that kick. 

Hopefully, for Super Bowl LVI Bills fans will see their team win that game in Los Angeles with quarterback, Mr. Josh Allen ..this time around!

Be Safe.

Pat Locke, Maestro Muse

 

 

A Chautauqua Lake Pops Inspired Valentine

                                                                                

Happy Valentine's Day

The oldest record of a valentine being sent was a poem 

written by a French medieval duke named Charles to his wife in 1415.

According to Hallmark, a whopping 145 million Valentine's day cards are exchanged every February 14 (and that's not even including all those kids' valentines exchanged in classrooms). This makes Valentine's Day the second biggest holiday for exchanging greeting cards, after Christmas.  And how sweet: Teachers receive the most Valentine's Day cards annually, followed by children, mothers and wives.  Needless to say, we've come a long way from 1913, which was when Hallmark Cards produced their first Valentine's card. 

Richard Cadbury, son of Cadbury founder John Cadbury, started packaging chocolates in fancy boxes to increase sales. He introduced the first heart-shaped box of chocolates for V-Day in 1861, and today, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold each year. That's 58 million pounds of chocolate!

And what better day is there for a marriage proposal than a day literally dedicated to love and romance? Valentine's Day is one of the popular days to pop the question, with as many as 6 million couples getting engaged on February 14. And according to the results of this survey, Valentine's Day was voted the best day of the year to propose than any other day — and of those people who voted, 40% were men!

He's the charming cherub that appears on Valentine's Day cards, often depicted with a bow and arrow — but how did Cupid become a common symbol of Valentine's Day? According to Time, the figure can actually be traced all the way back to 700 B.C., to the Greek god of love named Eros, who was actually a handsome, immortal man with the intimidating power to make people fall in love. It wasn't until the 4th century that the Romans adopted Eros into the image of a cute little boy with a bow and arrow, naming him "Cupid." By the turn of the 19th century, Cupid had become linked to Valentine's Day due to his love-matching powers.

Every February 14 from around the world sweethearts exchange chocolates, flowers and lavish gifts to celebrate the most romantic day of the year: Valentine's Day.  This popular day is now known as a day full of Hallmark cards, flowers and dinner for two. 

 

Be Safe.

Pat Locke, Maestro Muse 

 

This is the snowmobile trail in Mayville near the historic train depot and where the Chautauqua Lake Pops is located in the summer months.  Today was a beautiful blue sky day with not a cloud in the sky so I decided to visit the site of the Pops and could hear the sounds of music in my head as I stood on this snow packed trail looking towards where the Pops lawn chairs are placed for concert ticket holders.  

This photo was taken in 2020 as a lone snowmobiler was approaching from the East.  The Chautauqua Belle was nearby though this year it is spending its winter at the South end of the lake.  

This view is near where the Chautauqua Lake Pops floating stage was anchored in 2019, the first Pops concert season since leaving Bemus Point NY in 2017.  In the month of Feburary when the lake is frozen several inches deep one can see many ice fishing huts dotting the shoreline near Mayville, Chautauqua Institution, Dewittville Bay, Bemus Point and many other locations.

Photo Credit to Dr. Jeanne Wiebenga

Photo Credit to Dr. Jeanne Wiebenga

Photo Credit to Dr. Jeanne Wiebenga

Be Safe.

Pat Locke

Maestro Muse

 Punxsutawney Phil

Punxsutawney Phil is the famous groundhog in Punxsutawney, PA who is the central figure in the borough's annual event called Groundhog Day celebration.  On February 2 each year, the town holds a civic festival with music and food.  During the ceremony, which begins well before the winter sunrise, Phil emerges from his temporary home on Gobbler's Knob located in a rural area about 2 miles southeast of town.  According to tradition if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, he has predicted six more weeks of winter-like weather.  If Phil does not see his shadow, he has predicted an "early spring".  The town's event is the most famous of the many Groundhog Day festivals held in the United States and Canada.  The event began in 1887, although its roots go back even farther. 

The event is based upon a communal light-hearted suspension of disbelief.  It is organized by the "Inner Circle" which is a group of men recognizable from their top hats and black overcoats.  The Vice President of the Inner Circle prepares two scrolls in advance of the actual ceremony, one proclaiming six more weeks of winter and one proclaiming an early Spring. 

According to the Stormfax Almanac, which has been tracking Phil's predictions since 1887, Phil has been correct only 39% of the time.  According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which analyzed Phil's predicitions from 2008 to 2018, he was right only 40% of the time. 

Here Ye, Here Ye, Here Ye

Now this second day of February, two thousand and twenty-one, the one hundred and thirty fifth annual trek of the Punxsutawney Ground Club.

Punxsutawney Phil the Seer of Seers, the Prognosticator of all Prognosticators, was awakened from his borrow at 7:25 a.m. by his handler and friend, on this quiet morning where few can attend.

In Groundhogese, Phil directed the President of the Inner Circle to his prediction scroll that reads.

It is a beautiful morning this I can see,

With all my fans viewing virtually.

With my faithful followers being safe and secure,

Our tradition of Groundhog day must endure.

We all have passed through the darkness of night,

But now see hope of morning's bright light.

When I turn to see, there is a perfect shadow cast of me.

Six more weeks of winter there will be!

Punxsutawney Phil isn't the only famous groundhog on February 2.  On the list are  Chattanooga Chuck in Chattanooga, TN; French Creek Freddie in French Creek, West Virginia; Buckeye Chuck in Marion, Ohio; Essex Ed in West Orange, New Jersey; Jimmy the Groundhog in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin; General Beauregard Lee in Jackson; Georgia; Staten Island Chuck in the Staten Island Zoo, NYC; Chuckles IX in Manchester, Connecticut; Sir Walter Wally in Raleigh, North Carolina and Pierre C. Shadeaux, the Cajun Groundhog in Broussard, Louisiana and Queen Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina and Buffalo Bert in Buffalo NY. 

A groundhog named Grover is giving Punxsutawney Phil a run for his money in the State of Pennsylvania.  Over in Schuylkill County's Pine Grove, Grover has been known to make a different weather prediction than famous Phil.  Imagine that!  Locals in that PA County say "Grover's prediction is more centralized for Schuylkill County".

So let's give a round of applause for these other little guys who aim to predict the arrival of Spring.   

 Last, but not least is  DUNKIRK DAVE, a local groundhog who resides in nearby Dunkirk NY. Dunkirk Dave holds the auspicious title of being the world's "second-longest prognosticating groundhog" reports his official website (www.dunkirkdave.com). In 2019, the New York-based animal predicted an early Spring.  Bob Will, Dunkirk Dave's handler, attributes his furry friend's popularity to an article that appeared in the Dunkirk Evening Observer.  "I have used a groundhog for over 58 years to predict the coming of spring weather," says Will.  On the website, Dunkirk Dave has a guestbook so sign it and let him know you came by.  

The town of Punxsutawney PA is 15 miles South of my husband, Bill's hometown of Brookville PA.  Several years ago while visiting Brookville we drove to Punxy as the locals call the town and paid a visit to the town's famous groundhog.  Even though there are many groundhogs who seem to predict the weather, there is only one original and he resides in Punxy!  

If you know of other weather-predicting groundhogs that I have not mentioned, leave a comment.  Thanks and Happy Groundhogs Day!  

Be Safe.

Pat Locke

Maestro Muse