Well, well, well. I made a mistake in my last post by stating that Country Nation was going to be at Lit Lounge inside of Fantasy Springs Casino. So much has been going around that I guess I looked at the schedule wrong, They will be there soon. Anyhow, what treat last night was in the Lit Lounge. The band Whiskey Maiden from Las Vegas, NV was rockin’ the room with their style of country and rock tunes. The last time I had seen them was in November 2017. They had a different singer, Sandy Knights. They have a new singer, Krystal Goddard. She was fabulous! I loved that the band performed some of the songs that you don’t normally hear on country night. One of these days hubby and I will have to check them out in Las Vegas. The bass player had this rad bass and I am still trying to figure out what it is. Hubby thinks it’s a Schecter. I just googled Schecter basses and yes, it does appear that is what he was playing. Also, the guitar player had this gorgeous guitar, and if I had to go by the head stock, I would say that it is also a Schecter. What ever they were playing, they played very well. Also, they all sang, at least I know that I saw the drummer as well as the guitarist fronting some of the songs. I only snapped a handful of photos and am happy to report that finally I got the setting right for that room – without reading the manual!!! I am trying my hardest to limit how many shots I take while I am in a room so I only stayed in there for a few songs. So thank you to Whiskey Maiden as well as the other performers that I have attempted to shoot in that lounge with the Sony. I finally figured out how to set the shutter speed and got all the necessary adjustments to the camera and shot in Aperture Priority and kicked up the ISO even though I hate too because of noise. Well, I was starting to hate, really, the Sony. I love it now! You see with me, I can never read directions as they confuse me. I am sure there is a label for this, maybe I medicate to much, who knows? Anyhow, the photos have not been edited. I know that I can set the memory for these setting and adjust as needed. This will make things so much easier.


This song brings me so many memories. I used to sing this frequently at karaoke. Besides, it’s Miranda Lambert and she is one of my favorites. I love the chorus of this song:
Every last one, route one, rural heart’s got a story to tell
Every grandma, in-law, ex-girlfriend maybe knows it just a little too well
Whether you’re late for church or you’re stuck in jail
Hey, word’s gonna get around
Everybody dies famous in a small town
Miranda sure has a way with lyrics and storytelling.

The Sears KX-1000 arrived! It came with all the original instructions, a coupon, the business card of the Sears salesperson that sold the camera, the electronic flash and even the brown, padded, patent leather camera bag. The one thing that got me a little nostalgic was that the camera strap is exactly like the one my Mom’s camera had. It must have been a package deal when this camera was originally sold in the mid-eighties. Hubby and I left the house to check out Cactus City and sadly there were no cactus, that I could see or a city for that matter. It was just a rest stop before The Joshua Tree exit on the 10 Fwy East.


After leaving Cactus City, we drove through the back road to Mecca. I have mentioned this before but it always reminds me of the Grand Canyon, well not really, but sort of.


I got to use my “new” camera and can’t wait to see what I was able to capture. Like I mentioned. It felt good in my hands and in my eye. I love the weight of it and that the film needs to be manually moved forward after every shot. It all came back to me in an instant, how to load and where the batteries were located. I can’t wait to try it out with live music. Hopefully, I will get a chance soon to try and capture those kind of shots.
To you dear reader, where ever you are today, be well. Take time for yourself even if it is just a moment or two. Where ever you are going, get there. Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again,