Channeling Jelly Roll Morton at the Farmers Market

The most wonderful upbeat ragtime piano music right there among the oranges and lettuce--this guy was great, and everyone who passed by had a big grin on. I love the sheet music--in a brilliant cross-media move it's on his iPad. Having pushed the piano from the church across the street on a dolly, the piano player was advertising this weekend's Santa Cruz Ragtime Festival, which has acts running from 9 am til nightfall, including many free sessions downtown.

But the thing that made my day happened earlier this morning when I practically ran smack into a baby hummingbird who was getting flying lessons from his mom. He looked like a hummer, but oddly awkward and a little furrier. They ended up in a nearby bush, where she made sure he was safe and then flew off to get food. He practiced wing flapping for a bit, and then in she came with something tasty. This went on for quite awhile, lots of excursions for more food, lots of fluttering and adjusting. The images on my iPhone are not even discernible, but they don't need to be. Between the birds and the music I had quite a day.