Oh, What a Beautiful Morning (1/3/16; WC 945) Q
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Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
"Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'"
(from Oklahoma)
There's a bright golden haze on the meadow,
There's a bright golden haze on the meadow,
The corn is as high as an elephant's eye,
An' it looks like it's climbin' clear up to the sky.
Oh, what a beautiful mornin',
Oh, what a beautiful day.
I got a beautiful feelin'
Ev'rything's goin' my way.
All the cattle are standin' like statues,
All the cattle are standin' like statues,
They don't turn their heads as they see me ride by,
But a little brown mav'rick is winkin' her eye.
Oh, what a beautiful mornin',
Oh, what a beautiful day.
I got a beautiful feelin'
Ev'rything's goin' my way.
All the sounds of the earth are like music,
All the sounds of the earth are like music,
The breeze is so busy it don't miss a tree,
And a ol' weepin' willer is laughin' at me!
Oh, what a beautiful mornin',
Oh, what a beautiful day,
I got a beautiful feelin'
Ev'rything's goin' my way.
Oh, what a beautiful day.
- ~ Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II ~ Music by RICHARD RODGERS
The morning walks with Alberto lengthen, frequently enlivened by the addition of Sarita, and sometimes Cu. The digital camera is always in attendance, and is soon recording all sorts of naturally occurring alphabets. Although Alberto's photos are frequently blurry, Sarita has a real eye. One alphabet is done entirely with rocks, another with animals, a third with vegetation…
Gradually, Despina begins to notice more refrigerators parked behind village houses. She delights in the vivid artwork they boast. No hogan is complete without one, she reflects happily.
School is interrupted later that day by a tourist who stops to ask permission to photograph one of the boys as he places the papers inside a box resplendent with eagles on the inside door. The Rockies loom in the background, creating a very pleasant vista.
"No, necesitamos Guillermo primero," he shouts, waving the tourist off until the artist can replace him.
I bet all these tourists have no idea there's no electricity available to RUN those recycled refrigerators before they became discards, Despina thinks as she patiently waits for the dog and pony show to move on.
Still on her preservationist kick, Despina teaches her young charges to use a video camera, also on loan from that master of technology, Bruno.
After each student has chosen a part of tribal life, they then will video people doing it. Elderly people with dying skills are special subjects. She plans to market the videos, and maybe collect written descriptions into a book, if she can gather enough interesting material. She is very aware that her research turned up nothing on this tribe, so she figures it is a wide-open field.
As she works one on one with the students, she invites some to accompany her to town that afternoon. Nobody turns her down. Once every student has mastered the basic shots and can operate the camera, Despina again dismisses class early.
That's all I can stand for now... I sure hope PP was right about the hours around here. I don't think we've put in a full day yet.
That afternoon, while waiting for her selected students to assemble, the sound of hammering draws her out on the shady side of the hovel. Shading her eyes, she sees Bruno with several high school students. Under his careful craftsmanship, distinctively designed frames are being fashioned for the artwork going to the fair. That's what Alberto's natural alphabet photos need. Distinctive framing.
Paul Peter’s caustic voice interrupts her musings. "Need a second chaperone for your unscheduled field trip this afternoon?" A perfect smoke ring floats above his head.
Despina turns, eyeing Paul Peter sourly. "Drunk or sober on the return trip? I'd hate to expose my charges unnecessarily."
"Just a quick trip to the store on the schedule, here."
"Okay, I guess so. They don't seem to mind riding in the back."
"I'll pick up the tribe's mail, then, too." Paul Peter crushes out his smoke, knowing from experience that Despina will not allow him to foul the air in Baby Blue Ram.
When they get back, Despina is pleased to see construction rising on the very plot of ground she’d suggested for the open air-art display. Sturdy panels in sets of three are going up quickly. The material is heavy duty and will support a variety of artwork.
Cu was evidently successful with the tribal counsel. Now, I just hope the Indians posing for pictures remember to suggest the tourists stop to see the artwork.
She wanders over. "That's the same kind of pins I've seen on metal horse corrals to allow them to be hooked and unhooked rapidly. But, to do it out of wood… You are really skilled."
"Fast move when rain," Bruno explains.
As fast as a panel is erected, framed artwork appears. Carefully, the top and both sides are fastened. Despina spends considerable time admiring the pieces as they are placed, both from afar and close up. Glancing from the panels to the refrigerators blooming behind nearly every hovel, she smiles.
Time to suggest a big town TV station or Sunday Supplement writer bring a cameraman on the road. There's enough good quality work to make a nice feature. No thirty second sound bite here. A little PR would insure sales, or I'm no judge of art!
"Why so many hooks?"
"Wind."
I bet those artwork owners won't have to be told to get out here and cart the panels inside by nagging mothers or wives. The pride in their workmanship is obvious.
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Last updated 1/3/16 Standardized top link; 1/1/16 added missing second spaces after end punctuation as needed; 12/29/15 switched link order; 12/25/15 added comma after sales; added second space after end punctuation; 3/16/10 corrected artwork twice and open-air. 2/20/10 In the paragraph starting Time to suggest, changed his to a, removed him. 2/9/10 Added bit about construction of outdoor art gallery. 2/4/10 Once every 2/3/10 For variety, changed each to After every student has mastered Corrected tense each student has chosen. Changed material to descriptions. Added Paul Peter’s caustic voice interrupts her musings. and from experience that. Changed floated to floats 1/10/10 Added more tells. Last updated 7/19/08, corrected chaperone and craftsmanship; (1/2/06 remove mention of Brandon Gannon, add PP picking up mail again.) 8/13/04.
Word Count: 945
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