Murder in Chianti

Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri, 2020

I saw some recommendations for this book in my Good Reads feed after reading several of Martin Walker's Bruno Chief of Police series set in a small French rural community. This series is set in Tuscany, Italy and features a retired New York City detective who moves to his recently deceased hometown in the wine country of rural Italy. 

I quickly read this fascinating book in a week. The murder mystery was fairly straight forward but the descriptions of the food and wine along with the rural life of a close knit small town in Tuscany was amazing. I couldn't put it down. The novel is very well written, keeps your attention and 

The grieving detective from NYC gets pulled into a local and unusual murder investigation which gets him involved in the community secrets as he works the case. He also works at his wife's family restaurant cooking and helping out which leads to many wonderful descriptions of food and wine making.

Overall a very good book full of interestingly developed characters and great descriptions of the culture and land of Tuscany. I really enjoyed everything about this novel and I'm looking forward to reading more books in this new and ongoing series.

Faded Love - Reflections FV

Faded Love. I made the original version of this mix about twenty years ago and it has had a few incarnations over time but always with a country feel. This is the Final Version and it still has Patsy Cline on the cover. Some of my all time favorite songs are here.

I used an image here from an older CD mix.

Faded Love - Reflections FV

1. Faded Love – Patsy Cline, 1962
2. I Can’t Make It Alone – Dusty Springfield, 1969
3. Juanita – The Flying Burrito Brothers, 1969
4. The Grand Tour – George Jones, 1974
5. For The Good Times – Ray Price, 1970
6. Trail of Broken Hearts – k.d. lang, 1989
7. Way We Make A Broken Heart – Rosanne Cash, 1987
8. Love Hurts – Roy Orbison, 1961
9. Hearts on Fire – Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris, 1974
10. Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye – Leonard Cohen, 1975
11. Walking On A Wire – Richard & Linda Thompson, 1982
12. She’s Gone – Hall & Oates, 1973
13. Bell Bottom Blues – Derek & The Dominos, 1970
14. Hummingbird – B.B. King, 1970
15. Alison – Elvis Costello, 1977
16. You and Your Sister – Chris Bell, 1978
17. Caroline Goodbye – Colin Blunstone, 1971
18. Everything I Own – Bread, 1972
19. How Can I Tell You – Cat Stevens, 1970
20. Reason to Believe – Tim Hardin, 1966
21. You Don’t Have To Cry – Crosby, Stills & Nash, 1969
22. Landslide – Fleetwood Mac, 1975
23. Downtown Train – Tom Waits, 1985
24. I’m Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee) – Marshall Crenshaw, 1985
25. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry – Cowboy Junkies, 1988

In The Meantime - Late Night FV

This is a relatively new Late Night mix and part of my Final Version series. The songs on this mix have all been used before in various configurations but this is their first time together. The songs here are from the late 90's and early 00's and almost a hits mix. It runs the usual hour and a half.

In The Meantime - Late Night FV

1. In The Meantime – Spacehog, 1995
2. Beetlebum – Blur, 1997
3. Selling The Drama – Live, 1992
4. I Wanna Be Adored – The Stone Roses, 1989
5. Shine On – The House of Love, 1990
6. Mysterious Ways – U2, 1991
7. Dreams – The Cranberries, 1993
8. A Girl Like You – Edwyn Collins, 1994
9. Buddy Holly – Weezer, 1994
10. Somebody – The Strokes, 2001
11. Bullet With Butterfly Wings – Smashing Pumpkins, 1995
12. This Mess We’re In – PJ Harvey & Thom Yorke, 2000
13. Everything In It’s Right Place – Radiohead, 2000
14. Obstacle 1 – Interpol, 2002
15. Slow Burn – David Bowie, 2002
16. Waitin’ For A Superman – The Flaming Lips, 1999
17. Lotus – R.E.M., 1998
18. Radar – Chris Whitley, 2001
19. One Big Holiday – My Morning Jacket, 2003
20. Strange Condition – Pete Yorn, 2001
21. Love Burns – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, 2000
22. 45 – Elvis Costello, 2002

She Wears Denim - Late Night FV

She wears denim wherever she goes... the opening line of the opening song from Teenage Fanclub. I made this mix many years ago and it was originally part of a Happy Hour series of mixes. This one focused mostly on 90's power pop but of course it has been tweaked over the years. Now it is in the Final Version form and part of my Late Night series. 

I've always liked the feel of this mix and it sounds like a good party or what would sound good in a bar. It's an hour and a half long as usual.

She Wears Denim - Late Night FV

1. The Concept – Teenage Fanclub, 1991
2. Girlfriend – Matthew Sweet, 1991
3. She’s So High – Blur, 1991
4. She’s Electric – Oasis, 1995
5. Divine Thing – Soup Dragons, 1992
6. Hold Me Up – Velvet Crush, 1994
7. I Don’t Know Why I Love You – The House of Love, 1990
8. Found Out About You – Gin Blossoms, 1992
9. If I Can’t Change Your Mind – Sugar, 1992
10. When I Come Around – Green Day, 1994
11. You Get What You Give – New Radicals, 1998
12. Bohemian Like You – The Dandy Warhols, 2000
13. Cuts You Up – Peter Murphy, 1989
14. There She Goes – The La’s, 1990
15. Kinky Afro – Happy Mondays, 1990
16. Laid – James, 1993
17. Friday I’m In Love – The Cure, 1992
18. Talk About The Passion – R.E.M., 1983
19. That Is Why – Jellyfish, 1990
20. She Gives Me Love – The Godfathers, 1989
21. Flying – Blue Rodeo, 1992
22. Counting Blue Cars – Dishwalla, 1995
23. Low – Cracker, 1993
24. International Pop Overthrow – Material Issue, 1991

It's Only Life - Reflections FV

This is a mix I first put together in June of 2014 a couple of weeks after my brother Tom passed away. At the time I made it I described the mix as "pop songs of sad contemplation about life and death. Sometimes over the top and sometimes down in the depths."

When I made this mix I wasn't specifically putting it together thinking about Tom but he must have been in the back of my mind and it turned out that way. I was regularly making mixes as I had been for several decades. Making mixes was how I relaxed and I put a new one together almost every week. This was the mix that came out of my period of grieving and these songs were of that time as they came together. They were not songs that reminded me of Tom or even songs that he would have been listening to himself. He would not have picked them out to play.

These were songs about me in June 2014 that reflected how I felt about losing my brother and they were songs that sounded good together. They created a mood and certain feelings in the listener... me. 

The songs on this mix and their sequence would now forever make me think of Tom every time I played it. I would tear up and remember our lives together. We were very different but the same in so many other ways as two boys ten months apart in age. We would always be intertwined and listening to the CD of this mix and later streaming it on Spotify or on my iPod would always make me think of Tom. I guess this mix could be experienced as sad and depressing, a downer mix or maybe it's just me and reflections of my time of grief. An hour and a half mix as usual.

It’s Only Life - Reflections FV

1. It’s Only Life – The Shins, 2012
2. He Doesn't Know Why - Fleet Foxes, 2008
3. Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear, 2009
4. In This World – Moby, 2006
5. Lost Cause – Beck, 2007
6. No Surprises – Radiohead, 2008
7. In My Place – Coldplay, 2002
8. Turn – Travis, 1999
9. Bitter Sweet Symphony – The Verve, 1997
10. Lightning Crashes – Live, 1994
11. Everybody Hurts – R.E.M., 1992
12. Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen, 1995
13. Building A Mystery – Sarah McLachlan, 1997
14. With Or Without You – U2, 1998
15. No Distance Left To Run – Blur, 1999
16. Do You Realize? – The Flaming Lips, 2002
17. Trying To Get To Heaven – Bob Dylan, 1997
18. Keep Me In Your Heart – Warren Zevon, 1997
19. Hurt – Johnny Cash, 2002
20. Holocaust – Son Volt, 2005
21. These Days – Glen Campbell, 2012

Meet Along The Way - Reflections FV

A collection of indie folk rock and americana songs I put together back around 2015 as part of my Reflections series of quiet reflective songs. I've reworked this mix a couple of times since then. These were nice mixes for hanging out with friends on the porch on a quiet evening. Now they are part of my Final Version series. It runs an hour and a half.

Meet Along The Way - Reflections FV

1. We’ll Meet Along The Way – Hem, 2006
2. Down In The Valley – The Head and The Heart, 2010
3. In The Dark Places – PJ Harvey, 2011
4. Take It From Me – The Weepies, 2005
5. Monkey – Low, 2005
6. July – Wiinterpills, 2007
7. When Love Lets Go I’m Falling – Matthew Sweet, 2011
8. Shake Baby Shake – Gemma Ray, 2014
9. Coming Home To Me – Patty Griffin & Julie Miller, 2010
10. After The Fall – Norah Jones, 2012
11. Don’t Leave My Mind – Azure Ray, 2010
12. Chameleon/Comedian – Kathleen Edwards, 2012
13. All The Love – Jolie Holland, 2014
14. Rain On The Pretty Ones – Ed Harcourt, 2006
15. How Come You Never Go There – Feist, 2011
16. Sweetest Kill – Broken Social Scene, 2010
17. There Can Be Only One – Cass McCombs, 2013
18. I Have Loved You Wrong – The Swell Season, 2008
19. Fever – Neko Case, 2009
20. July Flame – Laura Veirs, 2010
21. Zebra – Beach House, 2010
22. Slow Motion – Panda Bear, 2011
23. The High Road – Broken Bells, 2010

Botanical Gardens Visit

It was a beautiful day and we decided to take the kids down to the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens down in South Buffalo. We are enjoyed the gardens and there was so much for us to see and experience. The kids especially loved the cactus room and Clara was especially excited to be there. She was fascinated with the many varieties  and sizes of cactus on display. They also liked the many sculptures and water features throughout the gardens and in particular the ponds full of fish.

We try to get down there once a year but it is usually during the winter. We like going in February when winter seems to be going too long. We usually go to a South Buffalo restaurant then too. This time was different being there with the grandchildren. I think we will do that as a regular thing when they visit and we have the time.

We could have stayed there for hours but we had little Violet who needed to get home for a nap. It was also a lot of walking around for everyone. So we left a little before noon and headed over to Kostas on Hertel Ave for lunch.

Kostas For Lunch

After a wonderful and exciting morning with the kids at the Buffalo Botanical Gardens we went over to Kostas for lunch. We got to the restaurant right at noon and we were still able to get a large table in the front corner for all of us. Me and Becky, Katie and Todd and the three kids with Violet in a highchair. Of course I had my usual Greek chicken souvlaki salad.

Kostas has always been one of our favorite restaurants going back to when Becky and I first moved to Buffalo together in 1979. We went there a lot especially when I was working at the art store down the street on the same block. It became even more of a favorite when we had a family and brought the kids there. Years later it became a favorite of Katie and Todd too during their teenage years and beyond. Long before they had kids. Whenever they were in town visiting their families they would always make time for a meal at Kostas. 

It has always been a great family run Greek food restaurant and when other Greek restaurants in the area closed over the years you could always depend on Kostas for their classic menu including souvlaki, gyro, moussaka and much more. Breakfast was always available at any time too.

This was one more wonderful experience at a great family restaurant.

Come to think of it the last time we were all here at this restaurant several months ago we ran into Dave and Donna having their dinner at Kostas. They had just got back from NYC visiting Jim and their grandson Sonny.

Under The Influence - Late Night FV

This mix was originally part of my Ladies Night series and mostly consisted of songs from the mid 2010's which I put together around the time I retired. That series was incorporated into my Final Version collection and in the Late Night group.

Under The Influence - Late Night FV

1. Under The Influence – Elle King, 2015
2. I Never Wear White – Suzanne Vega, 2014
3. Dark Sunglasses – Chrissie Hynde, 2014
4. Back To Black – Amy Winehouse, 2006
5. I Need A Man – Muddy Magnolias, 2016
6. Archie, Marry Me – Alvvays, 2014
7. Deeper Than Love – Colleen Green, 2015
8. Hi-Five – Angel Olsen, 2014
9. She’s Not Me – Jenny Lewis, 2014
10. Nobody To Love – Gaby Moreno, 2016
11. Set Fire To The Rain – Adele, 2011
12. Nothing To No One – Gin Wigmore, 2015
13. Chandelier – Sia, 2014
14. Every Little Thing – Robyn & Royksopp, 2014
15. Mercy – Duffy, 2008
16. I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore – Lucy Dacus, 2016
17. She Turns Me On – Mary Lou Lord, 2015
18. Avant Gardener – Courtney Barnett, 2013
19. Your Best American Girl – Mitski, 2016
20. The Warden – Chelsea Wolfe, 2013
21. Digital Witness – St. Vincent, 2014
22. Could I Be – Sylvan Esso, 2014
23. Emotions and Math – Margaret Glaspy, 2016
24. Are You With Me Now? – Cate Le Bon, 2013

I Could Be So Happy - Reflections FV

I put this mix together about eight years ago as part of my Reflections series and now it is part of my Final Version series. There are a lot of good songs here from around the mid 2010's. It always sounds nice.

I Could Be So Happy - Reflections FV

1. Be So Happy – Heartless Bastards, 2009
2. Misty’s Nightmare 1 & 2 – Father John Misty, 2012
3. Epic – Calexico, 2012
4. Take Me To Church – Hozier, 2014
5. Down By The Water – The Decemberists, 2011
6. Lorelai – Fleet Foxes, 2011
7. Simple Song – The Shins, 2012
8. Born Alone – Wilco, 2014
9. Whole Lotta Losin’ – Monsters of Folk, 2009
10. Red Eyes – The War On Drugs, 2014
11. Dissolve Me – alt-J, 2012
12. The Less I Know The Better – Tame Impala, 2015
13. Ones Who Love You – Alvvays, 2014
14. A Simple Answer – Grizzly Bear, 2012
15. I Don’t Want To Let You Down – Sharon Van Etten, 2015
16. I Just Don’t Understand – Spoon, 2014
17. If I Wanted Someone – Dawes, 2011
18. I Found You – Alabama Shakes, 2012
19. Talking Backwards – Real Estate, 2014
20. Supernova – Ray LaMontagne, 2014
21. Keep In The Dark – Temples, 2014
22. Out In The Way – Beach Fossils & Wild Nothings, 2011
23. Shuggie – Foxygen, 2013

Dinner and Mask Reversal

Today has been another smokey day. I stayed inside all day to avoid that toxic smoke and did put on a mask to get our trash containers from the street. Becky wore a mask to drive over to her studio again today. There is still a constant blast of news stories about the wildfire smoke all over the country and especially in the East coming down from Canada.

We decided to go over to the Steer for dinner tonight. We put on our masks to go outside, kept them on in the car, wore them in the parking lot and took them off when we entered the restaurant. This was a very strange reversal of our mask wearing over the past several years. Instead of being safe outside and wearing a mask indoors we were now suddenly wearing masks outside to be safe and them taking them off when going into a public place indoors.

We did have a very nice dinner this evening with plenty of leftovers for dinner tomorrow night too. Becky ordered a pizza and a caesars salad which we split and I ordered a BBQ pork baguette sandwich along with sweet potato fries. It was a wonderful meal.

I also had a pint of Flower Power IPA from Ithaca Brewery and a Harp's Lager.

Smokey Skies

Today was a very unusual day here in Buffalo and round the East Coast because of the wildfire smoke plume coming down from Canada. We had been seeing some spectacular sunsets over the past week due to the haze in the sky coming from wildfires across the plains of Canada but it wasn't until the fires broke out all over Ontario and Quebec. Yesterday we were smelling smoke all day around the neighborhood. It seemed like someone was having an all day cookout down the street but this was very different. Then today it got much worse. Very bad. The sun was bright red at sunset because of the smoke and haze.

There was a haze everywhere today and that cooking smell became an irritating  stench. As the day went on we saw news stories coming from all up and down the East Coast about how bad the air pollution caused by the fires was affecting the potential health of Americans. New York City and Philadelphia were especially hit bad. Then Washington DC and down into the Carolinas. Everywhere was bad.

We saw people walking their dogs today wearing masks. The person delivering our mail today was wearing a mask. Becky wore a mask going to the studio and to the store. It was weird to take off her mask when she went into the store which was the opposite of what was done over the past few covid years. New York City was especially bad and there were hazardous air quality warnings.

This evening was the first Parkside Wine on Wednesday and the hosts were two of our neighbors behind our backyard. We didn't go. It might have been cancelled or it should have been postponed. I don't think very many people if any at all ventured out in the smoke haze to socialize and drink wine. 

Tomorrow is supposed to be bad again and perhaps for many days more. It somehow seems like the opening to a post apocalyptic movie or novel. We've seen it before where climate change wildfires block out the sun and create havoc around the world. Of course this is just the beginning of fire season. What is to come?

Let It Happen - Late Night FV

The Let It Happen mix goes back many years as on of my Late Night mixes. Probably around fifteen years. It was also the title of one of my eight hour long Decade 6 Reflections mega mixes. It has always been a collection of some of my favorite upbeat alternative indie rock songs from that time between around 2010 to 2015. It is of a time and sounds it with that rockin' dance feel but definitely modern sounding.

So now it is part of my Final Version Late Night series of mixes and runs for about an hour and a half.

Let It Happen - Late Night FV

1. Let It Happen – Tame Impala, 2015
2. Midnight City – M83, 2011
3. Zero – Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 2009
4. Cult of Love – Dum Dum Girls, 2014
5. 11th Dimension – Julian Casablancas, 2009
6. Last Dance – The Raveonettes, 2009
7. Seasons (Waiting For You) – Future Islands, 2014
8. Rolling In The Deep – Adele, 2011
9. Break The Walls – Fitz & The Tantrums, 2013
10. Gold On The Ceiling – The Black Keys, 2011
11. Electric Feel – MGMT, 2007
12. Love Is The Answer – Aloe Blacc, 2014
13. Love That Girl – Raphael Saadiq, 2008
14. Back Seat Lover – Mayer Hawthorne, 2013
15. Happy – Pharrell Williams, 2014
16. Crazy – Gnarls Barkley, 2006
17. Ooh La La – Goldfrapp, 2012
18. Get Lucky – Daft Punk, 2013
19. Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars, 2014
20. Just Dance – Lady GaGa, 2009
21. After The Disco – Broken Bells, 2014
22. To Dust – Alice Russell, 2013
23. Elevate – St Lucia, 2013

Chilly

We had some really exceptionally hot weather over the past few days and then suddenly it got chilly. Jacket weather after 96 degrees. Now it's in the 50's at night and getting into the 60's during the day. Suddenly. We went for walks with our hoodies on.

It was nice weather to work in the garden.

Lost Together - Reflections FV

This mix goes back about twenty years and was originally posted to the Art of the Mix site around that time. It really hasn't changed very much and the last time I posted it anywhere was in 2017 as part of my Love & Heartache series. Now this is the Final Version and is included in the Reflections FV group.

The first song and title track is a great song from Blue Rodeo and most of the songs following it are in the Americana style of indie rock and includes many of my favorite artists. The music is from the mid to late 1980's, through the 1990's and into the early 2000's and the mix runs for an hour and a half.

Lost Together - Reflections FV

1. Lost Together – Blue Rodeo, 1992
2. I’ll Stand By You – Pretenders, 1994
3. You’re Still Standin’ There – Steve Earle, 1996
4. Still I Long For Your Kiss – Lucinda Williams, 1998
5. I Think I Need A New Heart – The Magnetic Fields, 1999
6. Devil With The Green Eyes – Matthew Sweet, 1993
7. Real Fine Love – John Hiatt, 1990
8. There She Goes – Chris Isaak, 1995
9. If You Don’t Get It At Home – Greg Brown, 1996
10. Turn Around – Whiskeytown, 1997
11. Nobody’s Angel – Nanci Griffith, 1994
12. Baby’s Got New Plans – Alejandro Escovedo, 1993
13. Time To Move On – Tom Petty, 1994
14. Dry My Tears and Move On – Richard Thompson, 1999
15. I Will Not Forget You – Sarah McLachlan, 1991
16. Tougher Than The Rest – Bruce Springsteen, 1987
17. Fourth Of July – Dave Alvin, 1987
18. Misery – BoDeans, 1986
19. A Matter Of Time – Los Lobos, 1984
20. No Love At All - T-Bone Burnette, 1986
21. Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken - Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, 1984
22. You Can't Say No Forever - The Go-Betweens, 1988

Miami of the North

Sometimes recently I've heard Buffalo referred to as the Miami of the North. This past week Buffalo has certainly lived up to that name. Today the temperature went up to 96 in our backyard and 92 yesterday. So, yes, it has been really hot. For the past two weeks the temps have been in the mid to high 80's. No rain either. We did have a rather chilly April and rainy early May. The plants have been loving it and the tulips lasted a very long time this year. Once the rains stopped we have been spending a lot of time working in the garden. Then it got brutally hot.

Well, tomorrow the weather should go back to normal. It will be sunny and cool and we expect rather seasonally cool weather for the next couple of weeks. There will be some off and on rain too. Back to normal maybe.

Becky has been out in the garden multiple times a day watering the flowers. She has made several trips to the garden centers and has come home with many flats of flowers. After planting they have all needed constant watering because of the lack of rain.

Today we had the AC on for the first time. Cooled the house down great. Earlier in the week we had the windows open and the fans going. I think this was the earliest we've ever ran the air conditioner. We went out to dinner on Thursday night of this week but avoided the outdoor patio seating because it was so hot. We looked for a nice air conditioned dinning room.

We have been talking about Buffalo as the Miami of the North but it certainly has not been the tropical style of Miami. Just the heat.