Dragonriders of Pern

Dragonscliff: another reason for my blog name is the series 'The Dragonriders of Pern' by Anne McCaffrey. I was hooked from the first Pern book & have endeavoured to find each & every one of around 18 novels. This is a link to the Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonriders_of_Pern Todd McCaffrey, Anne's son, now co-writes with Anne on some novels & sole authors others, playing within & expanding on the world of Pern with which he must have grown up. The series is ongoing with future novels in the pipeline. Also Anne McCaffrey's best-selling and long-running sci-fi/fantasy series "The Dragonriders of Pern" is getting the big-screen treatment via Canadian production company Copperheart Entertainment". This was announced in 2006, what has happened since then I don't know.

Anne McCaffery "lives in a house of her own design, Dragonhold-Underhill (because she had to dig out a hill on her farm to build it) in Wicklow County, Ireland." The name 'Dragonhold' sparked my imagination & I combined it with my 'fanship' for Cliff Richard. The weyrs of Pern are built on, around & inside cliffs to facilitate living with flying dragons. So 'Dragonscliff' became a name I could relate to on several levels.

Sir Cliff Richard again! & other singers

Cliff has finally done it, or will in October anyway - a swing album! 'Bold As Brass' to be released in October. Fantastic! I've heard him say he admires the music singers like the 'Rat Pack' produced. A while ago I was commenting to a certain daughter that a lot of singers were getting on the swing/early Broadway bandwagon especially the last 3-4 years. Now it's Cliff. (She's laughing.) I'm going to get that CD, it should be good. I've listened to a couple of tracks & it sounds promising, especially in his unique style.

I do have a couple of Dean Martin's cd's which I enjoy greatly. I think I watched every episode of his tv show/series back when, he was so good. UK singer Russell Watson, great voice, can do a good Dean Martin song, sounds just like. One day I might do a list of the singers & bands I follow & the vmany I like. It would be a long list! Bryn Terfel & Josh Groban would have to be near the top.

I am enjoying a number of the 'metal' bands, though the ones I like should have a genre of 'power metal' or something similar. I have followed Scorpions, with that sting, for a long time now, such a pity they are going to retire, even if their last tour is going to last several years. They have never toured over this side of the world, for all they announce 'World Tours', Japan is as far as they ever go. I actually posted that comment on their website but I guess Aust & NZ don't exist as I got no response at all. Disappointing. But a great band & music.

Within Temptation are another 'power metal' band I enjoy, & Nightwish & Dark Sanctuary are up & comings I'm watching. I'm amazed at how professional these 'new' bands are, a number of their members have come through the various 'Conservatorium''s around the world. Vprofessional & have learnt their craft from the ground up so to speak.

It's been announced that Robin Gibb of BeeGee's fame is touring with Bonnie Tyler as 'special guest'. I enjoy Bonnie's music hugely, have several cd's & dvd's of hers, but may not be able to see that concert as I'm going to holiday in Melbourne just before then & may not be able to swing the ticket. But I'm going to try!

I'm still walking, about 30-35k's per week, just slowed down over winter. I'll do more when summer rolls round again.

Sir Cliff Richard
The second part of my blog name is, of course, a reference to Sir Cliff Richard. I have just been to his latest concert reunited with the Shadows. As always, Cliff was fantastic, a consummate showman, & the Shadows were great, those guitars especially. I'm hoping Cliff will make at least one more tour on his own though before he decides to quit.
I have been listening to Cliff & the Shadows since they started in the '50's. I can remember, at the end of my last year of primary school, a group of us wandering round the playground singing 'We're all going on a summer holiday' which of course we thought was a clever reference to our imminent move to secondary school. When Cliff & the Shadows split, I continued to 'follow' Cliff as I am v'into' the human voice, guitar riffs notwithstanding. I have been to one concert on nearly every one of Cliff's tours since 1974. I think I only missed one due to moving from Auckland to Chch after a certain child was born.
Later on, that certain child & I became joint members of the Sir Cliff Richard Fan Club in Chch & enjoyed the socialising there. When we moved to Australia & I joined the fanclub in Brisbane, I was informed that children were not allowed. Needless to say, I never went to one meeting & let my membership lapse. Strange people, Australians! Jan has been to Cliff concerts since she was 7 & was certainly there for this latest one. She even put it on her FB page despite the teasing from her friends.
Anyway, I'm a 'dyed-in-the-wool' Sir Cliff Richard fan & will continue so.

Walking

Walking has been a lifelong pleasure for me, starting in my young days through Brownies, Guides, Senior Guides & Rangers. We seemed to spend most summers hiking & camping. These days I'm definitely not into camping at all, especially not in Australia. But I still walk for pleasure & exercise. I have become lazy over the last 6 months & have limited myself to only the most necessary. Now I have decided to resume walking & I gave myself the aim of 35ks per week to start with. 2 weeks on, I covered 51ks the 1st week & 59ks the 2nd. Yay me! It is relatively easy to cover the ks by getting off the train 2 or 3 stations before my destination & walking on. Also most libraries have large floorspaces, so I clock up the ks walking round the shelves there too. So I'm vpleased with myself, now I've got to keep it up. I did take an amusing lazy way today though. I had to get from the pool at Southbank to the State Library in 10 minutes for a show I was taking a certain little 4yr old to, but she was not able to walk that far nor that fast. Solution: pedicab! We sat back in the carriage & watched the cyclist do all the hard work for us. It was great.