Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

 The wildfire smoke has peaked in our area over the last few days, and breathing the air has become "dangerous."  It's difficult to see across the river, and the smell of burning is everywhere.  For several hours over the last few days, Detroit and Chicago had the worst air quality in the world.  So the world is burning.  Big deal.  I think I'll stop at McDonalds and get something to eat (said no one at Lone Mtn. Homestead).  Despite the bad air, Detroit carried on with its annual major fireworks display.  That should help things improve.

We had to visit Deb's lawyer's office today in Kingsville.  The court probate certificate arrived, and next step is to get the money from Lois' estate transferred to a central holding area, where it will be distributed among her three daughters, Deb being one.  It is not a very large estate, but a sizable chunk of money will find its way into our bank account in a few weeks time.

In medical news, Deb's two shots she received to alleviate her hip pains seem to have worked rather well.  She will report to physio next week.  And I have attended two Iaido classes.  Techniques are slowly coming back to me.  Being in good physical shape has eased my transition also, as I have not suffered any undue aches and pains as a result of cutting with the sword again.

In anticipation of the arrival of the new piano, we are redoing the flooring in the music room.  That means moving filing cabinet and bookshelf, both major undertakings, ripping up the old carpet, getting the basic floor ready for peel and stick tile, and doing a bit of trim and baseboard painting.  At some point the piano will have to be moved, too, to get at the strip of carpet underneath.  The new tiles will arrived in less than two weeks.  They should lay down easily in one go; then we can move everything back where it goes.  Then the old piano will go out, and the new one in.  I won't even talk about our outdoor project right now, except to say that the removal of vast amounts of poison ivy is underway, next to the garage and other areas.

In movie news, it is my film festival at the moment, and we have seen three out of four selected films.  All were selected from the Sight and Sound Top 100 list, the ones available for view on the Criterion Channel.  First up was a short film by Chris Marker.  La Jetee is tied for 67th place in the list.  It is not really a film, but a narrated series of still images.  It is a haunting sf story about a man from a future wartime living in Paris.  He is puzzled and haunted by the vision of a woman and tries to track her down.  He is being used for experiments in time travel.  Quite a good film and worth more than one viewing.  It seems to have influenced, among other films, the recent Last and First Men we saw.  Recommended.

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

Also tied for 67th place is a short feature film from 2000 by Agnes Varda called The Gleaners and I.  It is a very original documentary picture about people who glean fields and orchards after the harvest.  But it expands on this theme, even following people who glean at outdoor markets, and who rummage in trash bins for food.  She uses Millet's famous painting as a goalpost, and goes from there.  Highly watchable and a totally fascinating film making.  Recommended.

 

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

Then came our second viewing of Godard's Contempt, from 1963 and tied for 54th place.  If you like to see Brigitte Bardot's bare bottom you might enjoy this picture.  If you realize that she has a fairly ordinary bottom, a somewhat tired looking face, large but empty eyes, and bleached hair, you may not enjoy the film so much.  She is in most of the scenes, so despite what critics might say the film is about, it's about getting Bardot on camera as much as possible.  The music is often overbearing, telling us to be sad and thoughtful often.  Give me Monica Vitti any day, and Nino Rota (and Marcello).  The film has two things going for it, though.  The first is that Fritz Lang is in it, playing the part of a film director filming The Odyssey.  The second thing is the location shots once the crew reaches Capri.  Wow!

 

Now showing on Criterion.

Coming soon!  June reading summary!  Stay tuned for this exciting event!

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

A Yamaha Avantgrand N3X

In piano news, we bought a piano.  Our house is too small for even a 5' grand piano.  As things stand, my Yamaha U1 blasts out the tones throughout the house.  There is no hiding.  So buying a grand piano would make the noise level even more absurd.  Headphones are not an option.  I have had two uprights in my time, and two digital pianos.  Yamaha has an exclusive line of three pianos that actually have Yamaha keys and authentic action, combined with the best in digitally sampled sounds.  The top model is the N3X, which we committed to purchasing last Wednesday, and will be delivered in early August.  D & S Pianos near London, ON will also take the U1 as a trade in.  Being a floor model we also got 15% off the sizable price tag.  We have put a down payment on it; the rest is due upon delivery.  We just happened to have a savings account all prepared to handle this huge expense.  My original U1 cost me around $8000 back in the late 90s, probably similar after inflation to what we will pay for the N3; the harpsichord was $5500, shipped here from California many years ago.

The new piano, coming soon.

The keys and action are identical to Yamaha acoustic grand pianos.  When I test played it it felt exactly like Paula's piano, a 5' Yamaha grand. 

There are several advantages to having this piano.  For one thing, the volume is adjustable, and the lid can be kept down when practicing.  For another thing, headphones can be used.  Deb can have some peace and quiet while I rampage through Beethoven and Bartok.  For another thing, it will fit in our house, in the music room.  And no tuning is ever required.  It has five built in grand piano sounds, and several other voices.  I may no longer even need the Roland harpsichord.

In other news, Happy Summer to all my northern hemisphere readers (there seem to be many these days, and from many far flung lands) and Happy Winter to those south of the equator!  We took a day trip on the Solstice to try out some pianos, and ended up liking one of them very much (see photos, above).  The night before I was out with the telescope, my last session of deep sky work during this lunar phase.  Observations will recommence sometime around 6th or 7th of July.

Deb's latest SF film continues to garner awards and acceptances.  The latest award is so new that we don't even know what it is for, other than she won a category.  See her web page using the link in the upper left margin of this blog.

There are two movies to report on, rather different from each other.  The first was an Anthony Mann directed western starring James Stewart as a bounty hunter chasing after murderer Robert Ryan.  The Naked Spur is from 1953. The main attraction in the film is the incredibly beautiful Colorado mountain locations and scenery.  On a big screen this must be overwhelming!  The story is a pretty basic western formula, with the murder of a dozen or so Natives, and Stewart and small company bringing the bad guy back to Kansas to face justice.  Forget the story and enjoy the colourful and free trip to Colorado!

Leaving Criterion June 30th. 

Next came a film showing on Mubi called The Topology Of Sirens.  From 2021, this film wins an Enigma award from us here at the Homestead.  A young woman appears at her aunt's house (we presume the aunt has died) and begins to discover strange little cassette tapes with strange music and environmental sounds on them.  One discovery leads to another, and as she explores a strange world of images and sounds we are left to wonder what the hell is going on.  Whatever is going on doesn't much affect the enjoyment of this puzzling but strangely beautiful film.  I wish I could have met her aunt.  A recommended film.

Now showing on Mubi. 

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

 

Doings and Happenings

It's been mostly a bust for astronomy, despite several clear nights.  Wildfire smoke continues to turn our skies milky in the daytime, and less than black at night.  I have managed two outings, both hampered by the amount of particulates in the air.  That's two months running now for smoke in our skies.  After talking with my parents recently, it's worse in Sudbury.

I took a week off from strenuous piano practice, following my program on the 10th.  I also took a week off from blogging.  But this week it's back to a full time work schedule, with a few new pieces added to the heap.  For now I will try for 2 1/2 hours per day, with a day off in there somewhere each week.  The Beethoven Sonata (Op. 10 #3) takes up the bulk of my time, but the Bach Prelude and Fugue (Book 2, Eb+) and Chopin Nocturne take up an hour.  I am also working with Paula on an (easy) piano duet for our next group gathering.  As for the Beethoven, I am now attempting to memorize the first movement.

Sunday we resumed work on the yard, mostly strenuous clearing out of weeds, and overgrowth from ivy and shrubs.  Only three large bags went out to the curb this time, but it's a start.  There has been some rain, but not very much.  We are not (yet) in another drought situation, but it won't take long.  The smoky skies have been keeping down the temperatures to the low 80s so far.  I guess one good thing came out of the smoke filled skies.  Plus some very red sunsets.

And last night I returned to Iaido training!  I thought today I would be in much worse shape, but aside from some stiffness in the hips, I don't feel too bad.  Relearning the basic katas will take a few weeks.  I hope to continue training over the summer, counting it as my cross training fitness day.  Being fit for three years now is paying off in having more energy overall, and recovering more quickly from strenuous activity.  Iaido also helps me with concentration, something I badly need to play piano successfully.  I have not trained in at least five years.  But last night felt good.  It was time to return, at least for the summer.  I was only able to dress in the hakama with help from Deb and the internet.

In movies news, there is only one film to report that I mostly enjoyed.   The Misfits is from 1961, directed by John Huston, screenplay by Arthur Miller, and starring everyone.  The film appears to be about Marilyn Monroe herself, who soars to new heights in this movie.  She plays a woman who has just divorced, and who teams up with three very different men (played by Clark Gable, Eli Wallach, and Montgomery Clift).  Highly watchable, though the wild mustang scenes might be too much for some people.  But therein lies the catch:  while Marilyn cannot stand to think of the wild horses being captured (they are to be sold for dog food), she is more than willing to take the wildness from Gable's lifestyle (it was time, anyway) and tame him.  The movie does feature several scenes, some of them eye popping, demonstrating Marilyn's sexual attraction to men (the famous bar scene where she bats a ball on a small paddle board over and over, to name one).  But her acting easily transcends those moments.  At times in control, at times totally vulnerable, at times womanly, and at times like a young girl, she attains depths in this film that must have made other actresses add another reason to hate her.  A very unusual Hollywood film, and not to be missed.

Now showing on Criterion. 

Mapman Mike

 

 

Retiring the Piano Repertoire

The six Bach pieces and the Grieg Lyrical Pieces (Op 54) have been officially retired from my repertoire.  I managed to perform the first four Bach pieces back in February for the piano performance group; the last three Grieg pieces at the May gathering, and the first three Grieg pieces at the June gathering.  Yesterday I had a few close friends over to hear the entire program, the only time I got to perform all of it at one go.  Jenn came all the way from Cambridge to hear me play!  Thanks Jenn!  So now it's time to move on to some newer pieces, since I have run out of places to play my old ones.  I will resume work on the Beethoven Sonata Op. 10 #3 tomorrow, along with a little duet by Faure that Paula and I will perform at the July gathering.  The following week I will begin a new Bach prelude and fugue, and a Chopin Nocturne I haven't looked at since 1975.

I have been looking over some photos and descriptions from Caroline's train excursions that she sent us, from her first journeys within Switzerland.  She is back in London for two weeks and then setting off again to travel some German train routes.  It certainly makes me yearn for some Amtrak travel.  We have several major Amtrak trips planned, once the hiking days have ended.  Not having hiked in the mountains since 2018, I'm not even certain I can handle this autumn's planned hikes.  We shall see.  I am approaching the end of my 3rd year of continuous basic fitness, and I feel ready to take things to the next level to prepare for the hikes.  Fingers crossed and all that.  I would like to get at least one more season hiking in the mountains of New Mexico.  Five or ten would be even better.

I've just been talking with my parents in Sudbury.  Dad's eyes are getting worse, and the wildfire smoke has been quite nasty there.  Mom was coughing a lot during the phone call.  Dad has to get needles in each eye monthly now, instead of just one eye.  He can't read, and can barely watch TV.  My oldest niece was there to visit for a week.  She is a corporal in the armed forces, in the training division.  She wants to be a military police officer now.  My other niece is graduating from Gr. 8 this week, and will enter high school in September.

In other news, our two rose bushes decided to bloom this year like no other year.  We have hundreds of deep red roses, a record year of blooms.  It was similar with the lilacs this year.  There has been no rain yet, but we are promised some today.  But it's not looking good at the moment.

Two details of our rose bushes this June.

 Turning to film, there are three to report on.  The last of Deb's festival choices was another Franco-era Spanish comedy film, this one from 1953 and called Welcome Mr. Marshall.  A poverty stricken town in Spain prepares to welcome an American delegation bearing gifts.  The town goes all out, decorating itself like a town like Seville.  The humour is often subtle but very funny, and is easily on a par with the best of the British low budget comedies produced by Ealing after the war.  One of the funniest parts is the mayor's dream, coming home one night after watching an American western movie in the town hall.  Everyone in the dream (which takes place in a saloon) talks gibberish English, using words and sounds that make no sense.  The whole, quite long scene is rich and hilarious.  Of course at the end the Americans race through the village at top speed in a cavalcade, and some relief supplies arrive in a single air drop.  At the end the town carries on.  We have one more of these films to go.  Can't wait!

 

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

Next came my two regular choices for the week.  They Call me Bruce is a comedy from 1982, part of a series of films on Criterion called Asian American 80s.  The film is mostly very silly, but has moments of true hilarity.  It's a spoof on martial arts films, as a man who resembles Bruce Lee is often able to fake his way through dangerous situations by saying that his name is Bruce, and that he's Asian.  Probably a movie one should watch while high, but it's still pretty funny for straight viewers, too.  Some of the jokes don't come off well, but there are so many that one just has to wait a few moments for the next one.  The lead actor was a stand up comic, and he uses many of his jokes in the film.

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

My choice of film leaving this month was also from 1982.  Starring Jeremy Irons and directed by Jerzy Skolimowsky, Moonlighting is about four Polish workers who come to London to (illegally) renovate a flat there for their Polish boss.  Their month in London happens to coincide with the communist military clampdown within Poland, in an attempt to suppress Solidarity, though the foreman (Irons) manages to keep the news from his workers until the job is finished.  The film is mostly about the things that Irons has to do to keep his men working and fed, as he was not given enough money to live on.  They eat and sleep in the flat, using cans for pots and dishes.  In many ways it is a very sad and tragic film, though it barely touches on the exploitation of basic labourers.

 

Leaving Criterion June 30th/23. 

 

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

 

 

Heatwave and Drought

 Just how dry is it?  The month of May tied the record for the least precip, set in 1870.  How hot is it?  While today is much improved, we had a run of several 30+ C days that was quite unprecedented for this time of year.  With humidity levels around 20%, it wasn't so bad as when the humidity is high.  However, for 8 days there were no clouds, just sun beating down upon everything.  Our county, Essex, is mostly farmland.  Farmers love sunshine, but they also love rain.  There is still no rain forecast in the next ten days.  At best we get a 25% chance sometime next week.  I haven't cut the grass here, allowing it remain long.  Neighbours who have cut it now have brown, crispy grass.  I worry for our trees, since we had a very drought last autumn, lasting into November.  And heavy wildfire smoke has returned to our skies.  I won't have time for astronomy this week anyway, so hopefully it will clear out by the weekend.

In piano news, last night was the 4th group performance session.  Six of our seven members were able to come out, the largest gathering yet!  Some very fine playing was to be heard, with lots of Chopin on the program.  But Alde performed a truly beautiful Song Without Words by Mendelssohn, and a tough Prelude and Fugue by Bach, and Paula played three great jazz arrangements.  I played the first three Lyric Pieces by Grieg, Op. 54.  We were guests of Dr. S and his wife Yvonne, and everyone got to play on the fabulous Fazioli!  It was a great night, with lots of discussion and anecdotes later on, along with wine and plenty of nibbles.  Next meeting is in early July.  The momentum seems to be carrying forward.

And this Saturday is my recital, here at home for a few close friends.  Bach and Grieg, before moving on to new adventures.

In film news, there are four views to report.  Deb gets five picks in a row, her usual two choices followed by the end of the month film festival, currently underway.  Kumiko The Treasure Hunter, from 2014, is a frustrating film to watch.  It's a out a total loser of a Japanese girl who travels to the US to find treasure, which is actually a huge stash of cash that was hidden in snow by Steve Buscemi in the movie Fargo.  She is convinced it is real.  This is a very sick girl, who spits in her boss' tea, steals the company credit card, is emotionless, has no friends, no prospects, and very little brain capacity.  She does not make for a very engaging lead character.  Exactly who this movie's target audience is is difficult to say.  The end is complete stupidity incarnate.  Best to avoid this one.

 

Leaving Mubi very soon.  Good riddance.  

Deb's regular choice for the week was a 1979 Czech film called Prefab Story, about a hideous apartment complex being built and inhabited on the outskirts of Prague.  The workmanship is shoddy, unfinished, and of very poor quality.  Women push prams through mud streets, and workers do their utmost not to do very much at all during the day.  Humour and social commentary mix, creating a scathing look at people's dreams being burst by a heartless reality.  Child care and access to medical care is ripped to shreds by the filmmaker.  It could have been a very downbeat movie, but somehow it isn't.  A lot of viewer head shaking goes on, though.  Worth a look.  It reminds us of the outskirts of Toronto today.

 

Prefab Story is showing on Criterion.  Communism never looked so unappetizing. 

 

Next come Deb's three picks that will constitute her festival choices for this time around.  She went with a comedy theme.  First up was A Great Wall, a film by Peter Wang from 1986.  A Chinese/American man (Wang) quits his job in America when he is overlooked for promotion because of his race.  He takes his family to China to visit his sister and her family.  The film has a definite Chinese slant, with some very funny commentary of what people there think of America and Americans (mostly true).  And of course the skinny, undernourished Chinese boy beats the healthy and muscular American boy in a major ping pong tournament.  The Chinese family has a rather empty-headed teenage daughter who likes to hang out with her American cousin, and they do make it to the Great Wall at one point.  It's fun watching the two families interact and learn about each other, after not meeting for 30 years.  Worth catching.

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

Next up (and last for this blog) is the first of three films we will eventually see by a Spanish director who made comedy films in the 50s and 60s during the Franco regime.  First up was the latest one, made it 1963.  The Executioner is quite a good comedy about an undertaker who ends up having to became a state executioner in order to get an apartment for his wife, child, and her father.  However, he wants nothing to do with the job.  His wife's father has just retired after 40 years of executions, and they will lose their apartment unless his son in law takes over the post. Directed by Luis Garcia Berlanga and starring Nino Manfredi (this one is an Italian/Spanish effort), the film dives head first into bureaucratic nightmares of getting a government job, and of getting a new apartment.  Manfredi is a bit over the top as a man who will do anything to avoid executing a man, but the film overall is a joy to watch.  Looking forward to the two others.

 

Now showing on Criterion.  

 

Mapman Mike