All posts by baba

Idomeneo

September 24, 2011

Idomeneo, An opera by Mozart performed by Opera San Jose with George Cleve and the Midsummer Mozart Festival.  By special performance, courtesy of David Packard.  Free tickets.  3 hours and 45 minutes long with two intermissions.  Red carpets, velvet curtains, glass chandeliers, brass hand-rails and beveled mirrors.

Idomeneo

Idomeneo

The gods and heroes they’d read about in D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Mythology came to life in lavish sets and costumes accurately depicting the early lives of Classical Minoans in Crete and their conflict with the Trojans.  So wonderful to see the vengeful spurned lover, Elettra – played exquisitely by Christina Major – and her spiteful machinations and dramatics.  The orchestra could not have been without George Cleve, maestro of the Midsummer Mozart Festivals.

 

Deer Lake Residence Camp 2011

“Come Sail Away”

This is a Girls Scouts residence sailing camp in the High Sierras.

Residence Camp Description

“Grades 6-9
With the wind in your hair and the sun on your face, spend your days on Kidd Lake. Balance the board, pull up a sail, navigate and experience the rush of windsurfing. Have a blast building crazy rafts and get a chance to paddle around Deer Lake. For some extra excitement, you’ll take a tour of Lake Tahoe aboard the 50-foot sailing yacht Tahoe Cruise.”

Happy Camper Departing
Happy Camper Departing

August 10, 2011 (Wednesday)
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August 11, 2011 (Thursday)
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August 12, 2011 (Friday)
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August 13, 2011 (Saturday)
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August 14, 2011 (Sunday)
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August 15, 2011 (Monday)
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August 16, 2011 (Tuesday)

"Tie Die"
And She Returns As "Tie Die"

Summer Art 4 Kids Internship

As an artist’s assistant, this will be AMS’ first real job! She will be assisting Anna (Anna’s Art Workshop) in her children’s art workshop. Her duties will include helping the artist and helping to manage the younger kids attending the workshop. What a great experience!
C.

July 9, 2011 (Saturday)

Today’s theme was trains.  No girls came.  First I helped paint wooden trains.  I got a lot of paint on my hands wiping off paintbrushes.  I had to fill up the paint canisters and help the kids chang colors

Then I helped make paper trains covered in stickers and filled with popcorn.  I also attached bells to the trains that the kids made.

After break, I helped a  boy named Watt make train tracks.  He was the youngest there so he was a really messy drawer.  I also helped glue on bridges and tunnels with a hot glue gun on all the boys’ train tracks.

At the end, I got paid $15.  That’s a lot of money.  Anna, the art teacher said she’d let me know if there were going to be any other camps I could help with.  I liked my first job.

Midsummer Mozart Festival 2011

July 16, 2011 (Saturday)

This will be our fifth consecutive Mid-summer Mozart Festival at the Gundlach-Bundschu Winery, Napa.

Midsummer Mozart Festival
Midsummer Mozart Festival

Once again we will get our usual stage right front seating in the Gold Circle.  As usual, we’ll bring great snacks and food for a stage front picnic.

Festival Program One
Program One

We’re so lucky we have the Complete Mozart Edition on CD from Philips.  I’ve loaded the Program One from above into our iPad and have started listening to it in advance of the festival.

Our menu this year is:

  • Sliced tri-tip steak, Santa Maria style
  • Wild rice, clam mushrooms and shallots
  • Pelegrino with grenadine and orange juice
  • Strawberries and cream
  • Hot chocolate
  • Popcorn

 

Festival Time

Yaay!
Yaay!
Christina Major, "Ruhe sanft" from "Zaide:, K.344
Christina Major
Cleve and the kids
G. Cleve and the kids
Jon Nakamatsu
Jon Nakamatsu

Ticket Memories

Ticket Memories
Ticket Memories

California’s Great America Park 2011

June 18, 2011 (Saturday)

To celebrate the end of the school year and beginning of summer!

Summer's Here!
Summer's Here!
On The Eagle's Flight
On The Eagle's Flight

Great Barrier Reef

Barrier Reef Wave Pool
Barrier Reef Wave Pool
Water Everywhere
Water Everywhere
At Wave Pool
At Wave Pool

 

The Rides

1. Celebration Swings

2. Vortex

Click for Video

3. Demon

Demon?  Where?
Demon? Where?

4. HMB Endeavor – 4th Best Ride

HMB Endeavor
HMB Endeavor

“I refuse to close my eyes”

Click For Video

5. Flight Deck

Click For Video

6. Drop Tower

Time to go home!