North America has just recorded its hottest June ever. While we have not had extremes of heat here (33 C is pretty much normal anytime from June to early September), the heat is lasting longer, and the cool down periods are becoming shorter. So far, including today, we have had 21 days of temps 30 C or above. And the season is still young. The hotter the temps, and the higher the humidity, the more chance of severe storms, as Detroit saw less than two weeks ago. People are screaming at the city for not doing more to prevent flooding. However, 5" to 7" of rain in one or two hours is not preventable, and no sewer system can handle that much water. It has to go somewhere. So people's basements are fair game, as are low lying freeways and surface streets. Here at the Homestead, we have dodged some big storms this year, but enough rain has fallen. It gets harder each year to keep up with the weeding and overgrowth. It's impossible to work in the heat, so we wait expectantly for a cooler day to set to work. Besides, the mosquitoes are so bad, and they carry West Nile disease, that one literally risks one's life when outdoors unprotected.
Anyway, this most recent heat wave (lasting four days so far) has been the worst so far this year, but not any worse than other years. Our 30 year old AC system continues to cool the house to 77 F, and life goes on. So things are changing here, but slowly creeping at our location. We have smoke from the fires in British Columbia in our skies at the moment, too. Overall, things are happening very quickly, but we seem to have escaped the worst so far. And there has been no astronomy session this month, mostly due to heat and smoky skies.
In film watching news, my main choice for last week was Bergman's Smiles of a Summer Night. Witty, stylish, intelligent, and funny, it seems a perfect film for the Summer Solstice time.
In the going away category I chose two short films. Moments Without Proper Names is an autobiographical film by the Black director, photographer, poet, musician, and all round artist Gordon Parks. It pulls no punches in its 58', and contains many still photos of immense beauty and importance. Next was A Tribute To Malcolm X, from 1967 and lasting only 16'. Such an intelligent, well spoken man. Exactly the kind of Black man that any violent racist would want to assassinate.
Deb chose a hilarious animation called A Town Called Panic, a Belgian stop motion film from 2009. Starring Horse, Cowboy, and Indian (those tiny plastic figures so popular in the 50s and 60s), the film does eventually lose its way and become too intense in its need to be innovative. The first half of the movie, however, is probably the funniest thing we have ever seen. Many laugh out loud moments, sometimes nearly continuous. The first birthday party sequence is a classic.
From the leaving July 31st choices, Deb picked Death Takes A Holiday, starring Fredric March as the shadow who needs a vacation. From 1934, it shows its age but is still very well done and easy to watch, especially in the stunning b & w print Criterion provides. Filmed in one of the weirdest versions of a millionaire's mansion I have ever seen.
This has become a nutty week for us. Deb had a chiropractor appointment in Windsor on Monday, along with a visit to her mom in Kingsville. Tuesday was her RA infusion in Tecumseh. We got groceries Tuesday night. Today is her blood work, and a visit to Kingsville again. Tomorrow I see Dr. Ling, a follow up to my Meniere's days. As I write this, the piano tuner is here doing his job. And tomorrow afternoon the master measurer comes to measure our door frames.
Until next time...
Mapman Mike
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