Saturday was another gorgeous fall day. Heavens, it was beautiful.
A trail walk:
We stopped by the Vet’s to get Scout’s dog food and saw this:
He was loving that butterfly bush so much that I was able to get quite a few pictures. Sweet Monarch Butterfly….a little Saturday miracle.
Good news! Don’s CD is now available to order online. He’s done so much work getting it ready. He designed the cover and the inside of the CD. He arranged for the recording session. He sent it in to be mastered. He’s listened and listened and listened to it, making sure everything is A-OK. All that and that doesn’t include writing the words and music for each song.
Very, very proud of my talented husband.
The inside of it is also very cool!
Some of you have mentioned wanting to order it, and of course that makes us very happy, so here’s the information. It’s on a site called CD Baby – they are great, by the way – and you can order it as a digital download or as a CD in the packaging you see above.
To buy it, sample the tracks, or just see the site, click here. I’ll eventually have something on my sidebar, as well.
We’re very excited here at the Hill-Sparks household. This is something Don has wanted to do for literally (and you know I use that word ‘literally’) years: to make a professionally recorded and mastered CD.
On a personal note, to watch Don doggedly pursue this and make it happen has been a joy.
Yay Don!
Next Saturday is the CD Release Party at our local eatery. That will be a lot of fun. Don and Dan are performing, along with several of their musician friends.
They’re very, very good, you know.
I’m off to the city today.
Happy Sunday.
Sylvia says
Yay for Don!! I will go to the link and order a copy. Just need to decide on download versus actual CD. I think “hard copy” is going to win! I hope you enjoy this beautiful day in the city.
Sylvia says
Here’s an update: I just ordered the CD! The website is easy to navigate, and you can listen to snippets of all the tracks. And I like that I was able to use Paypal. There are shipping options and regular mail is very reasonable. YAY DON!!
Claudia says
So glad you ordered a copy, Sylvia. I think CD Baby is incredibly well organized. Thank you!
Claudia says
I did. It was absolutely beautiful today!
Susie says
Claudia, I loved your photos so much. Hooray for Don. That is a wonderful about the CD. I heard a clip od Don singing once when I first started following your blog…he has a great voice. Blessings to both of you, xoxo,Susie
Claudia says
Thank you Susie!
Wendy TC says
Both my daughters had the same second grade teacher, and Monarchs were one of the subjects they studied. The class raised Monarchs in a special net cage and released them into the school garden, which had been certified as a natural butterfly habitat. I also chaperoned a trip to a Regional Park that was once a working farm. It’s now an educational farm. Monarchs over-winter in its eucalyptus grove….what a sight it was to see huge clusters of Monarchs hanging off of the trees.
Hope your Sunday in NYC completes a wonderful weekend. Does Scout do trail walks with you?
Claudia says
It must have been breathtaking! Scout doesn’t do trail walks anymore. Sadly, it’s just too hard on her.
Wendy TC says
My daughters both had the same second grade teacher, and Monarchs were one of the subject areas. The class raised Monarchs and released them into the school garden, which was certified as a natural butterfly habitat. I chaperoned trips to a local Regional park that was once a working farm. Thousands of Monarchs overwinter in the farm’s eucalyptus grove. We rode through the grove on a horse-drawn rail car. What a sight to behold overhead….huge clusters of Monarchs clinging to each other and the tree branches.
Hope your NYC Sunday completes a wonderful weekend! Hurray to Don!
Claudia says
I don’t know why, but your first comment came through as spam for some reason! I approved it, but thank you for taking the time to write the whole thing over again! xo
Doris says
Congratulations to Don. I will check the site out this week. Have a safe trip to the city. Doris
Claudia says
Thank you, Doris!
Nancy Blue Moon says
Have a good day in the city today..Tell Don that he just got another new fan…I was playing the samples of his songs on the website and my boyfriend walked in…Jack asked if I was playing his good old country music…I said Jack..that’s Don Sparks singing…he wrote all of the songs and music…so he will be ordering the CD too…Good luck Don…
Claudia says
Oh, I’ll tell him, Nancy. He’ll be very happy to hear that!
Barbara W. says
It’s back to driving rain and cold for us today, so I’m forgoing my usual walk to do some on-line Christmas shopping. Thank you for posting the link to the music shop – Don’s CD will be just perfect for the two folk/blue grass fans on my list. I liked how you could listen to the samples of the songs, but I’ll have to return for the download for myself seeing as I played every one!
Hope your day in the city is a good one. :)
Claudia says
Boo on rain and cold! So happy you were listening to the samples, Barbara!
Vicki says
The light in those first photos is absolutely gorgeous and that first trail photo doesn’t even look real. You are so lucky to be living in such a beautiful locale. And can’t help but feel so happy for Don. Sounds like you two are having very good days.
Claudia says
And tomorrow is our anniversary, which means another good day!
Melanie says
Brian “knows” you guys because I talk about you…so I told him about Don’s CD and we listened to a couple of the sample tracks and really liked them. Don has such a gorgeous, deep voice! I am on the site now, trying to order the CD (not the digital download) and my computer is acting up…it’s just sitting on the checkout page with the swirly thing going around and not doing anything. Aargh! It’s definitely my laptop though – it’s old and sites not completely loading are a common problem. I will keep trying!
Claudia says
I hope you eventually got to order it, Melanie. The same thing happens with Don’s laptop, which is my old (2008) macbook.
Addie says
Hey Claudia!!!
Your walking trail is GORGEOUS!!!! That is an awesome picture of it.
Congrats to Don & Dan!!!! I listened to the song selections and I immediately thought
of “Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks”…….anybody remember them??? Am I dating myself???
LOVED them. I will be thinking of this closer to holiday time.
Boy!!! what a talented family you are, Your, photography & Don’s, music!!!!!
Enjoy your bursting hearts!!!
Addie
Claudia says
Aw, thank you, Addie! Don’s a talented guy, for sure!
Kay says
Thank you Don for all your hard work. The world needs more artists like you!
Claudia says
Thank you, Kay. I’ll pass your kind words on to Don.
Kat says
Happy Anniversary! Your story had me in tears. It sounded like such a beautiful day.
Claudia says
Thank you, Kat!
Annie G says
What a wonderful story to share. I tried to go order the CD, because it seemed like the kind of music I would prefer on a CD, and the site shows it is Out of Stock – Get on Waiting List. So, that is a good thing I would think.. Ok, so not good that I can’t order it, however good that it has enough purchased to be out of stock.
Claudia says
You can go ahead an order it, Annie. At least I think you can. CD Baby will only take a certain amount of CDs at a time. Don will send them a batch tomorrow, so they should be there shortly.
Annie G says
I forgot to say – what a wonderful collection of songs performed so wonderfully.
Claudia says
Thank you, Annie!
Jane Price says
The cd is backordered–waaa-. Ordered it, anyway. Great that it’s selling so well. Just hope they hurry and get more!
jane-in-tx
P.S.Oh, the trail is magnificently splendid!
Claudia says
Don sent some off today, Jane! Thanks!