Almost $5 thousand dollars later, we have now replaced all the windows in our living space, including four in the basement, seven on the main floor, and two upstairs. It has taken a long time, and plenty of moola. The final two windows went in this morning, pretty much sealing up the house against both heat and cold as much as is possible for us to do. Along with the two new doors, we could probably safely switch to heat pumps when the time comes for a new furnace.
We have also stacked enough firewood to run the fireplace all winter if we needed to. We bought two wood stands from Amazon. The 8' one is filled with split firewood, and the 4' one with kindling and smaller logs. Both have sturdy tarps covering the wood. Ice storms will become more common as our winters get warmer (today was 54 F!), and ice storms often bring power outages. Freezer and refrigerator contents can be stored in the garage if it's cold enough. So we are ready for the worst, of course hoping it never comes.
In an unexpected surprise Christmas present, I enjoyed two wonderfully clear though cold nights out with the telescope this week. Tuesday it was 27 F when I left, and I was starting to get a wee bit chilly. But Thursday night it was still 36 F when I left. I could have stayed out for at least another hour, but the windows were coming early next day. I did happen to catch a few bright Geminid meteors, too. Now I'm beginning to wonder if I might get a few nights in January with the telescope. It's usually far too cold, but perhaps this will be the year.
We are now less than a week away from Winter Solstice. We are stocked with food, drink, and enough TV to last through the winter. Solstice will be an all day wood fire, plenty of snacks, and perhaps Siegfried, the 3rd opera in Wagner's Ring cycle. Christmas Day (not celebrated here at the Homestead) we plan to watch Prime's Lord of the Rings all over again, our 2nd viewing. We are eagerly looking forward to the next series.
In movie viewing news, I begin with the most recent film. Donnie Darko is a cult SF film from 2001, showing on Criterion until Dec. 31st. Well acted by its main teenage protagonist, Jake Gyllenhaul plays a highly intelligent teenager who finds it difficult to relate to the everyday world, especially school. Still, he mostly manages to keep his head down, but when he speaks out, he really goes all the way, often getting into trouble for it. He is awakened one night by a person in a scary rabbit suit (named Frank) and led from his house. He awakens on the green of a local golf course next morning, to find out that his house has been struck by a falling jet engine. He also learns that the world will end in just over 28 days. The film is fun to watch, impossible to predict, and generally avoids tropes (except for the inexcusable reason for not meeting up with Miss Sparrow). Highly intelligent production, and strongly recommended for SF fans. There is supposedly a poor sequel not involving the director, but he is working on trying to make one.
The Spine of Night is a decent animated fantasy feature from 2021, though extremely violent. A sacred plant gives knowledge and power, and of course totally corrupts the user. A naked woman priestess fights the evil it brings, and there is an awful lot of it to fight. Backgrounds are stunning, and the animated characters are good, even though they do not match very well. The story is a bit convoluted, encompassing many generations. This might have been better as a series rather than a one shot feature. Still good enough to recommend. Not for the kiddies.
Those were my two recent choices. Deb's main choice last weekend was Tesla, from 2020. Tesla, the man, is probably one of the least interesting characters one could imagine, and thus one of the hardest to make a film about. An undisputed genius, he seems to have had very few emotions, and cares only about his inventions. He would be a good candidate for an AI life form. The film puts his life into perspective, as the film also deals with Edison, and indirectly with Marconi. Tesla's greatest dream of instant communication across the planet remained unfulfilled due to lack of funding. The storytelling method is unique, mixing period and contemporary comment as told by the daughter of John Pierpont Morgan, who obviously had feelings for Tesla. Her father funded Tesla up to a point, then withdrew his support.
Now that the new windows are installed in the TV room, Deb is setting out to repaint the room. I wish her the best of luck with the project, and look forward to its completion.
In reading news, I have completed my required reading for the month, and am currently embarking on my "free" reads. First up is a 1920 SF by A. Merritt, The Metal Monster!
Mapman Mike
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