I had hoped for a fun day in Detroit on Saturday. However, we just found out that the annual Grand Prix race is this weekend, and the Toronto Blue Jays are playing ball against the Tigers. So the border will be much more jammed than usual. I really wanted to get to John King books, but it will have to wait.
We are just finishing up a nasty week long heat wave and attack of humidity, brought on by the approach and presence of tropical storm Alberto. Things are supposed to improve by late Friday, but it's been a bad week. Kids are literally burning out in overheated schools. Detroit had the good sense to send home students three days over the past week. Our kids (and teachers) sit and swelter in classrooms above 90 F.
We just finished listening to Haydn Symphony #25 in C Major, pairing it with Mozart Piano Concerto in C Major (#13). Last weekend we watched a 1966 BBC production of Britten's Billy Budd, a full-length opera based on the book by Herman Melville. It's a jolly time aboard a British warship in 1797, as men are conscripted (kidnapped) to serve in the navy. It's a laugh a minute as Billy is persecuted by an officer to the point where he strikes the officer and kills him. The final scene, where Billy is hanged and the men are shown watching, is one of the most chilling things I have ever seen. For King and Country, and all that....
I am now teaching Monday to Wednesday, and so have Thursdays off instead of Monday. Had I realized earlier what was going on this weekend in Detroit, I would have gone over today instead of waiting for Saturday. Damn!
Sunday, May 27th/18
All of the London journal work is complete. It took nearly a month, but such are things during a busy life. The website is complete. Columbus, Ohio is coming up in three weeks, then a solo trip to Sudbury in July, Deb to Lindsay in August, and then off to New Mexico on a long road trip in September.
I've had to rearrange some teaching. Instead of Thursday, I will now teach on Monday. So this week I get a shortened weekend, but I am done on Wednesdays now until early September!
The heat has arrived! We are suffocating under a heat warning, and mostly staying indoors. Either too cold or too hot. As the moon nears full we have had four or five nights of clear skies, too. Because of late sunsets, June is a less than ideal month for observing anyway. Still, it would be nice to occasionally have a clear night when the moon isn't bright.
A favourite shot of Arundel castle.
Thursday, May 24th/18
Another busy week of teaching has flown past. All students showed up except for one, making it a pretty long week. But it's over, and a very hot, long weekend lies ahead. We got the air conditioner installed upstairs, otherwise there would be no sleeping or reading up there. The grass got cut, the third time this year. And actually it was the first time that a big part of the lawn got mowed. It was still wet and muddy in places, but at least not under several inches of water. More rain coming Saturday. Yay.
Tonight I am working on the final page of the London blog, the one concerned with pubs. It's always fun to do that one. I will continue to add a photo or two here that I have not used on the webpage, until I run out.
The listening program continues apace. Haydn Symphony #23 is up next, and Britten's Op 50, an opera called "Billy Budd." Brahms Op 50 will follow the opera. Piano practice has been more sporadic than I would like, but progress on the new pieces is steady, if slow.
In gaming news, we have finished our replay of "The Longest Journey," a fabulous story based game that we first played many years ago. And we have started on a much older game, "Gabriel Knight 1: Sins of the Father." It was remastered in 2017, and is playable on modern equipment. So far it's a lot of fun! I have played the two sequels and enjoyed them both very much (Jane Jenson is the writer, and her work is quite special).
Anita had her 2nd round of the new chemo treatment today. It's bi-weekly, so a bit less driving involved. Hopefully we will see her on the weekend. Even more hopefully there will be some good news to report in a few weeks.
Walking along the River Crane, London Loop.
Sunday, May 20th/18
2018 is showing signs of being just as hostile to amateur astronomers as 2017 was. There has been no let up with the clouds and the rain. Yesterday we had 1.7" of rain, and today has been darkly cloudy and threatening, though no rain has fallen. It's been amazing weather for the lilacs and flowering trees, however.
Without astronomy to interfere with my life, I have had time for piano, writing, and the London project. I have finished working on the written journal of our recent voyage to London and its environs, and have now completed two parts of the on-line version. Look left for a link to the London blog! Enjoy some amazing photos, and our memories of yet another fun trip to the 2nd best city in the world!
Wednesday, May 16th/18
We are one day past new moon, and the clouds won't let up. I've had two decent outings in two weeks, and that is all I'm going to get. Despite promises of "excellent" skies tonight, it is completely hopeless. Always nice to know that people get paid for these forecasts.
Last Saturday was the 11th annual Michigan Cask Ale Festival. I did a short write up on my Midwest blog (see links at the left on this page). It was in the mid-40s, raining (we were outdoors but under a big tent), but the crowds were out regardless. Jenn and I sampled about a dozen ales of the 25 on offer, discovering a few choice ones on our journey. Deb walked to the nearby shopping mall for a few hours, then joined us at the festival near the end. She had the job of driving us home safely afterwards, and she aced the task. I might even use her services again (and again!).
The rains have finally ceased for a few days. I was finally able to get out and cut grass today (along with the entire neighbourhood), though there are parts of our lawn that are still underwater and I have been unable to cut at all this year.
While we have no plans for the weekend (it is a long weekend for Canada--Queen Victoria's birthday!), we have been planning summer visits to family. I will go solo to Sudbury this year, and Deb will visit her Mom in Lindsay for her 90th birthday. Deb's trip will be a combination of train, bus, and plane. Mine will be strictly flying. Our next big trip is to Columbus, Ohio, as we return to Origins to the film festival there, where two of Deb's movies will be shown. There is seldom a week somewhere where one of her films is not shown. If only we could somehow get rich from all this success!
Friday, May 12th/18
An entire day at home seems like such a luxury! And a good thing, too. It was cold and it rained much of the day. Two hours of piano done, finished a novel, worked a lot on the London journal, and basically had a day to just relax with the cats. They always appreciate a day when we are both around. We have a fire on just now.
Tomorrow I will be paying a visit to the annual Detroit Cask Ale Festival. This will be my 2nd visit; I have not attended in many years. There is a shopping mall nearby, and that's where Deb will wait, before driving me home (I will likely be singing much of the way back). Jenn G. is coming along, too. Should be a lot of fun!
Anita G. is now in a new phase of chemotherapy, undergoing two drugs untried on her. The first batch did not give her the kick she needed, so it's on to Plan B. So much is happening with Anita just now that it is difficult to report on it. But we are in constant touch with Randy, and are trying to keep up with things. A long-awaited allergy test is finally scheduled. This will indicate whether or not contrast dyes can be used to help better diagnose her progress. Hopefully this is one test that she will ace!
Thursday, May 10th/18
It has been a very busy and hectic week. At least the teaching part is done. It was clear Monday night and Tuesday night, throwing off my entire schedule of practicing and writing up my London travel notes. The nights were clear, crisp and dry, and I logged so many objects that I just managed to finish up my notes today. It is now supposed to be cloudy forever, so that may be it for this session. Tuesday night I taught till 8:45. I was out the door before 9 pm, heading for the observatory. I was pretty tired, having got bed very late the night before. Two nights in a row in spring means a badly shifted body clock.
On Wednesday night Deb had a short film being shown at a small independent film festival in Detroit. I shortened my Wed. teaching and we blasted off for Detroit. We left home at 6:15 pm and managed to get to the theatre by 6:50!! From Amherstburg to the heart of Detroit in 35 minutes is very impressive. Ten films were selected. Deb had entered "You Are Here," her post card film that takes place along a forested lake shore. At 59 seconds it was the shortest of the bunch. The only other film I really liked was called "White Time," about a bearded Yemeni American flying back to Yemen, and what he feels compelled to do to make his flight less challenging from a security angle. Thus he tries to make himself appear respectable and "more white." The film was amusing, but had a very serious message.
Today was just a normal day, with 3 1/2 hours of teaching. After finishing my astronomy notes I got to finally work on my London journal for a time. And I managed one genuine hour of piano practice, my first since Monday. A short but challenging bike ride got fit into my timetable as well.
We have been having a lot of heat and humidity for the past few days, but a strong cold front is moving in as I write. Some cold and cloudy, rainy days are ahead for the weekend. Sounds like a good time to stay home and get caught up on some reading, writing, and practicing.
Sunday, May 6th/18
Friday night turned into a beautifully clear night! I stayed two and a half hours at the observatory before heading home. Saturday was filled with projects, including getting the London photo prints developed, writing up observing notes from the previous night, and beginning to write this month's astronomy article for the club newsletter. It is due tonight, but will not be finished in time. C'est la vie!
It has been one week since returning from London. I am already looking forward to a return trip. We are so advanced on our walking program that it would be a real shame if we had to quit now. Before London,though, we are hoping for a return to Vienna. One short visit to that amazing city is not nearly enough!
New piano pieces have been officially underway for a week now. It was not a great week of practice, but I did manage more hours than I thought I would. Hearing someone like Louis Lortie perform with the Detroit Symphony is an experience that I find very uplifting, and it makes me want to practice as much as possible. The first half of my next program sounds a familiar theme--some short pieces by Bach, and two early sonatas by Haydn. The second half will be weighed down by a major piece by Robert Schumann, his Papillons. I hope to also include a few more of Alexina Louie's astronomy pieces. Someday I hope to perform the entire suite at one sitting.
We visited Randy and Anita today, as Anita prepares for a new phase of aggressive treatment for her liver cancer. Her first chemo in the new regime is scheduled for Thursday, preceded by a biopsy on Tuesday, both in London, ON. She still seems up for the fight, which is remarkable, considering what she already been through. It is nearly impossible to keep Anita from our thoughts, and we hope some positive vibes are emanating her way from our general direction!!
I am working hard on the written volume of our London adventures. In the meantime, here is a second photos from our recent journey.
A unique insect bench, along the London Loop between Fulwell Station and Hatton Cross Station.
Friday, May 4th/18
It's been a busy week back home. Though I did have a few absences this week from lessons, it still seemed as if everyone came. One week down, 7 more and a student concert to go. I have been editing London photos, and there are some lovely ones. I now have a batch ready for printing, and that will happen Saturday or Sunday. Then next week I can work on the written volume.
While we were away Deb had some amazing successes with her various movies. The main thing was that two of her films were accepted for screening at Origins in Columbus, Ohio. This marks the 2nd year in a row they have accepted two of her films! We will be in Columbus in mid-June. She also has acceptances from Cardiff, Berlin, Barcelona, and New York City. Not too bad for an Amherstburg gal!!
Today we went to hear the DSO perform in Detroit. Louie Lortie, one of my very favourite pianists (he is also French Canadian) was performing the Beethoven 3rd Concerto. It was pure poetry from start to finish between him and the orchestra. A very sublime experience! Also on the program were three Scandinavian works, all quite short, but quite good. The Nielson piece (he is Danish) explored the Faroe Islands. A piece on the 2nd half used recorded bird songs from northern Finland to accompany the orchestra, and worked quite well. The third movement was especially pleasing, with flocks of trumpeter swans flying overhead as the orchestra breathed along with them. Called "Concerto For Birds and Orchestra, Cantus Arcticus," we will hear it tomorrow again on the live internet broadcast from Orchestra Hall. The final movement on the program was the 7th Symphony of Sibelius, a one-movement work of unique scale and beauty. He uses the orchestra in wonderful ways, including a huge brass section.
While we were in Detroit there was a terrific windstorm and rainstorm. As of now, hundreds of thousands of people are without power in Michigan, and quite a few on our side, too. Winds went up to 65 miles per hour, and the rain pelted down like a hurricane. It is a clear sky now, and the wind is dropping. I am hoping to head out to Comber soon for some observing. Quite a day!!
