Sunrises

Picture of the Moment

I have sang at several weddings for friends, the last one in 1984 in Boerne, Texas.

The song I sang for Thad & Charlotte was “Sunrise, Sunset” from the movie “Fiddler on the Roof.”

While I liked the song and realized what it was about, without ever having seen the movie (it came out in 1971, while the musical is from 1964), I was the only one of my friends who was always up in time to watch the sunrise and late enough to bed to catch the sunset, so just the title of the song made it a favorite of mine.

Sunrises and sunsets in 2016 here in the San Diego area have been spectacular almost every day so far.

Following are two of my favorite sunrises, the first one being from this morning.

San Diego (La Mesa) sunrise, January 14, 2016

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

San Diego (La Mesa) sunrise, January 6, 2016

Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

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Pictures copyright 2012 Russel Ray Photos

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20 thoughts on “Sunrises

  1. writeknit

    Beautiful pics. I love that song also. In the 70’s we saw Fiddler on the Roof with Zero Mostel playing Tevye in Chicago. He was fabulous!!! Thank you for the happy memories this morning.

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    1. Russel Ray Photos Post author

      I was trying to remember the church but all I can remember are the directions which went something like this: “Take I-10 from Houston to Boerne. When you get to Boerne, look for the church”……………So I’m thinking it probably was First Baptist Church.

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        1. Russel Ray Photos Post author

          Back in the day I played everything on the violin. I was the world’s best Beatles violinist! Although I used to spend hours and hours a day practicing, I eventually realized realized that I would never be as good as Joshua Bell………..

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          1. acflory

            I am so impressed Russel. Dad tried to teach me but I just couldn’t get the hang of having to /find/ the notes. Decided to stick to the piano instead. 🙂
            Do you still play? or only sing?

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            1. Russel Ray Photos Post author

              My mom was one of the accompanists for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We kids started piano at the age of 2. When we entered first grade, we had to pick a second instrument but before mom would approve the second instrument, we had to write a research paper on either the instrument or a world-renowned player of that instrument. I chose the violin and wrote my paper on Tchaikovsky since his 1812 Overture was by far my favorite piece of music at the time.

              When my wise old grandmother adopted me, I took up singing because we couldn’t afford a piano. Fortunately, Mrs. Casper, the school’s music teacher, heard me “banging away” (that’s what little kids do on pianos) on the music piano one afternoon, was impressed, and let me play the school’s piano after school any time I wanted.

              I loved her so much that I composed a piece of music for her one week, gave it to her on a Friday, and she died that weekend. I was devastated because I blamed myself for her death.

              Fortunately, again, I discovered the practice rooms at Texas A&I University, just two blocks from my wise old grandmother’s house, and was able to go there, find an empty music room, and play the piano for hours.

              I had played violin with the Texas A&I University Symphony while I was in high school; the Corpus Christi Symphony, also while I was in high school; the Houston Symphony my first year in college; and the Brazos Valley Symphony from 1984 to 1993.

              I sang with the Aggie Singers in college, the Brazos Valley Chorale from 1984 to 1993, Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego from 1994-1995 and 1996-2003, and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (largest gay men’s chorus in the world) from 1995-1996.

              I quit the piano when I graduated from college in 1977, quit the violin when I came to San Diego in 1993, and quit singing in 2003.

              My husband has two piano performance degrees from University of Redlands, and he accompanies music students at San Diego State University and in private lessons, and plays in a chamber music group here. Thus, all I do now is sit around and listen to my vast music collection, listen to him practice, and turn pages for him when the chamber music group has a concert (like this past Friday night, all Chopin).

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              1. acflory

                -picks jaw off the floor-
                Piano, violin, voice and composition…and you’ve given it all up?
                Forgive me, I know I’m just a name on the aether but…as beautiful as your photography may be, cutting off the music creation is like cutting off a part of your soul. I won’t ask why, but I hope you let /your/ music out again, one day.
                -massive hugs-

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                1. Russel Ray Photos Post author

                  It takes a lot of effort to be good at music–“Practice, practice, practice” my wise old grandmother used to say. My fingers and elbows won’t allow me to play the piano or violin for longer than 30 minutes or so, and singing still requires memorization (which I’m horrible at), and composition requires too much effort. Photography, on the other hand, I can do 24/7, requires to memorization and very little effort to get out there and click that ol’ shutter button………LOL

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