We are in another string of clear nights, after nearly two weeks of cloudy skies. Some of those clouds came from the remnants of Helene, and we got some rain, too. Last time I posted the death toll had reached 40 from that storm. Now it's 227 and counting. Yeesh. We have a friend in North Carolina, but he lives in the east and was not affected. I listened to a program on BBC World Radio while driving to my astronomy site the other evening, about how such disasters can actually spawn thousands of deaths even years later. Stress from losing one's home, car, family, pets, belongings, etc can cause health problems that people don't usually relate to the original disaster. Not to mention PTSD from the event itself. A terrible time, and it hit in a place that wasn't expecting such a disaster from the storm.
Deb's sister Sharon passed away last week. She had been in a nursing home due to a severe stroke some time ago. Sharon was a retired special education teacher, and most recently resided in North Bay, ON. Deb has another older sister that lives in Calgary. There is no funeral.
A third and fourth night of astronomy await me tonight and tomorrow night, with skies having a rich dark blue today that gets me very excited about observing in a few hours. We have also begun our 5th week of mountain prep training. There is a huge difference between being basically fit, which I have been since June 2020, and being mountain fit. Here's hoping all that training pays off when we arrive at the mountains in Texas and New Mexico.
In other news from further afield, our London (UK) friend Caroline was recently accepted into a mentoring program for writers. She will likely get a novel published next year with a major publishing company! Here is a link to her profile, which gives an idea of what she is up to. Go Caroline!!
And closer to home, Deb has just won Best Micro-Short Animation at the Experimental Film Festival for her film Architect of the Liminal. See it here....
With all these high achieving friends and family, I can comfortably sit back and cheer them on! Go team!
In film watching news, here is the latest roundup. Mubi is one of our most watched streaming channels, and they recently completed their first film restoration project. They chose a 1965 Turkish film called Time to Love, directed by Metin Erksan. There was only one remaining print of the film, so it was badly in need of attention. A nearly emotionless painter falls in love with a large photo portrait of a woman when he is painting a house. When the woman unexpectedly shows up, he is completely at a loss. He tries to explain to her that he does not love her, the woman, but only her photo. A great little film shot in b & w, it shares one of my favourite themes, namely an off season atmosphere of an island that buzzes during the summer. It is now a rainy late autumn, and the mood of the film nicely matches the alienated feelings the painter and the woman experience. A very unusual event, this quiet film is a masterpiece of exploring themes and emotions rarely found anywhere else, except perhaps in poetry. A winner.
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An American Werewolf in London, directed by John Landis and from 1981, tries to mix humour with savage violence. Sort of like trying to mix humour with rape scenes, in my opinion. And despite the London setting, the smash-up, all-out violent ending is purely American in scope and stupidity. Recommended for werewolf fans, if there are any left out there.
Lastly comes a charming and humourous children's film from 1972 Czechoslovakia called The Girl on The Broomstick, directed by Václav Vorlíček. A young teenage witch attends magic school in her home land. She is punished for a transgression by 300 years of detention, but manages to escape to our world. She gets hooked up with a nice boy and three delinquent boys, getting into more trouble with every spell she casts. In order to remain there and escape her 300 year detention, she must drink Hag's Ear brew, and fast. Since no older woman is willing to give up an ear, all seems lost. A fun fantasy film with an engaging witch.
No time for Spirograph images today. Gotta run....
Mapman Mike
