Walking with Orthotics

Deb got new orthotics a few weeks back, at the same time I got my very first pair.  It's been making a difference, especially on longer walks.  While my legs still get tired, my feet remain comfortable and painless afterwards.  We both have indoor shoes that we wear with the orthotics, switching to our outdoor pair when needed.  They are easy to switch around.  No other insoles are needed, including the ones that come with the shoes.  Anyway, we've been putting in the miles lately, despite the warming temps.  Deb hasn't walked this much in a long time and while her breathing isn't yet at optimum levels, she is managing a 19 minute mile when it's flat.  So we can gobble up six miles in two hours, plus breaks.  If it's flat.  Here are a few pics from recent walks.

  

Due to recent rains the Canard River is flooding.  It's usually a quiet woodland stream.  

 

Canard River from a bridge along the rail trail path. 

 

 

A lot of trees were flowering today. 

A lady swan was sitting on her eggs today at the edge of a small island on our lagoon walk.  Deb spotted a tiny painted turtle, newly hatched, slowly dying on the path and in danger of being stepped upon.  We were able to place him in the water, where he seemed to revive quickly. 

 

As there were no suitable nights for astronomy (the fifth month in a row), my piano pieces are charging ahead.  About half of the program is memorized more or less, but there is still a considerable amount of work to do.  It is unlikely that the Chopin Nocturne will be ready, but I'll keep working on it for the next next recital (that is two recitals from now, not a typo).

 

In movie news there are two to report, one of them a feature film and the other a documentary about the picture.  Chess of the Wind is an Iranian film from 1976 which was virtually ignored when it came out, then banned in 1979.  All of the prints and negatives were reported to have been destroyed.  The documentary tells how the a copy of the negative was found, and how the film was restored to its original condition.  Directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani, he had given up on ever hoping to see the film again.  It had brought him so much grief that he had mixed feelings when it was rediscovered many years later.  With his help the restoration can be considered a very authentic one.  It is an edgy tale of murder set within an aristocrat's house in Tehran.  The use of colour is a wonder to behold, and the story will keep viewers off balance throughout.  
Recommended viewing.

 

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

The Majnoun of the Wind is a 2022 documentary by the director's daughter Gita Aslani Shahrestani, and is almost as good as the film.  There is a great section where the director of Chess (her father) takes us on a tour of the now abandoned house, reviewing scenes from the film where they were shot.  While the feature film stands on its own, having this documentary is a great addition for interested viewers.  Criterion also has a short intro by Martin Scorcese, whose World Cinema Project financed the restoration.

 

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

Mapman Mike