February: The Longest Month

By the time February rolls around, most people in northern climates have had their fill of winter.  Count me as one of them.  Certainly winter has a charm, and I would not really wish to live anywhere without it.  New Mexico would be perfect, since one could live in the desert and watch the mountains fill with snow.  The ski hills are fabulous, so if one desired it, a weekend of winter activities could easily be arranged.  Then back to the desert.  In summer the opposite would happen; much more time would be spent in the higher altitudes.  In our area, winter overstays its welcome about now.  The pure white snow of last week is now drab and turning gray and brown.  And now for some winter pictures.

The first one was taken in 1972, and shows my brother Steve at the end of our driveway, after a typical Sudbury snowstorm.  The next two images are from last Saturday, and the last ones are from today, at the park in Kingsville again, and then at the Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary just outside Kingsville.  Jack Miner is a local hero, and was the first person to band geese and study their migration habits.  He was a hunter at first, until he noticed that a goose would never mate again if its mate was killed.  From then on he became a great conservation promoter, and the site in Kingsville lives on as his legacy.

Another blast from the past from my slide scanning project.  It's 1972 in Sudbury.  Need I say more?

Shipping continues on the Detroit River, but at a much reduced pace.  Each ship is accompanied by an ice cutter.  Even so, two ships have had to be freed from the ice recently.  This is a small oil tanker heading to Sarnia, seen from the cemetery across the road from the Homestead.

Compare this post-storm view of the Homestead with the one shown here on January 18th.  The fact that snow remains on our rooftop indicates that our attic insulation is working well. 

The creek at Lakeside Park, Kingsville.  There is very little open water anywhere right now.

 

The creek at Lakeside Park empties into Lake Erie.

 

Canada geese await dinner at part of the Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary, Kingsville. It is an incredibly loud place to visit. 

 

As mentioned in my last post, we have been watching lots of films, as per usual, but I haven't been reporting on them.  We recently saw some great short films, including Kapaemahu, a Hawaiian film telling the story of one of their legends.  Brilliantly done,  and well worth seeking out.  We also saw a two part short film series by Lotte Reiniger called Dr. Doolittle.  Her work, featuring meticulous cut out shadow figures, is always among the best animation ever created, and this story is no exception.  We also got to see her Aladdin, another minor gem of creation, and Papageno, with music by Mozart, the very best.

 

Now showing on Criterion.

 

Scene from Lotte Reinger's Dr. Doolittle in Africa. 

Also of note was a major Cinemascope production starring Harry Belafonte called Island In The Sun.  Filmed in Bermuda, it is one of the most beautiful and colourful films I have ever seen.  It tackles the theme of British colonial racism head on, and Belafonte is excellent in the role of a hometown boy running for the legislature against plantation owner James Mason.  Also starring Joan Collins, who isn't half bad at all in this role as sister to Mason.  The shooting locations are truly wonderful, and the wide screen forces viewers to scan back and forth across the picture frame to see everything.  While the drama itself is okay as far as Hollywood stories go, the real star here is the island and the way it has been captured on film.  Recommended if you have a large screen.

Now showing on Criterion, with an all star cast and among the best location scenery ever filmed. 

 

Until next time.

 

Mapman Mike

 

 

 
 

 

Winter Sampler

 The past two days have seen our coolest temps so far this season.  Tuesday it never got above 0 C, but today it managed to just sneak over the freezing mark.  However, predictions are for it to warm up again, through Solstice if we are lucky.  There is no snow; we had 3" early in the month but it is long gone.  We managed to get through an entire astronomy cycle with no clear nights suitable for dark sky work.  This is typical for late November and December, so I am not too surprised.

I'll begin with some art prints today, and move on later to movies.  The following two prints from the Detroit collection come from 1551 (earlier than Bruegel's signature works).  They make a pair, with confusing titles (see below).  These are fascinating works, though I have never seen them on display.

Two Pines and a Cabin Across From A River Town, 1551.  Hans Sebald Lautensack, German (1524-60).  Etching printed in black ink, 6 5/8" x 4 3/8".  Detroit Institute of Arts.  This is the left side of the pair.

Right half of the pair.  See above for info.  6" x 4 1/2".

Deb combined the two prints on her photo program for a full landscape view.  Detroit has two other prints by the artist, both in landscape format.  Of course even in the mid 1500s it was ideal to live alone in the forest, but near a city.  My dream. 

In film watching news, Deb chose two shorter films as her main selection last weekend, and another Robert Mitchum feature from a Chandler novel.  First up was a 62' documentary on Lotte Reiniger, the woman who made outstanding animated films using cut out silhouettes, made famous by her feature film The Adventures of Prince Achmed.  Next came a 62 minute animated feature by Don Hertzfeldt, called It's Such A Beautiful Day.  What a great little masterpiece of filmmaking this is, and I highly recommend it if it can be found anywhere.  Here is a cut from the Criterion description:  "It relates the experiences, memories, and hallucinations of Bill, a stick-figure everyman undergoing an intense psychological journey as he attempts to repair his shattered mind. What emerges is an at once profound and almost unbearably moving meditation on life, loss, death, and the human condition."  Not to be missed!

Now showing on Criterion. 

The Big Sleep is from 1978, directed by Michael Winner.  Though this Robert Mitchum remake has its good moments, it is a letdown after the previous Farewell, My Lovely.  For one thing, Philip Marlowe is in London instead of LA.  For another, there are much fewer of Chandler's quotes in this film, and the supporting cast, despite a list of brilliant names, never really seems to connect with the old school private detective.  And for another, the script just isn't as good, either.  Mitchum is perfect, however, and the movie is fun to watch, wondering when Marlowe will get hit on the head or shot at.

Showing through Dec. 31st on Criterion. 

Until next time...

Mapman Mike

 

Doctors and Movies

It's likely the most perfect autumn weather week one could ever hope for.  After Deb's annual dental check-up and cleaning today, we walked across the university campus to a cafe with good vegan options.  We shared a bowl of pumpkin/beet soup, which was blood red, and a seitan sandwich.  Everything was excellent and inexpensive.  We also visited a new branch of the Windsor Public Library, occupying an old fire station in downtown Sandwich.  We lived in this area for four years when we attended university, from autumn of 1976 through summer of 1980.  We are often in our old stomping grounds, and today we enjoyed a great walk and a really good tour of the new library branch.

Besides her dentist, Deb has seen her shoulder doctor recently, two of her heart doctors, and a gynaecologist.  Her model year wasn't the greatest, as many parts are wearing out, and it's tough to get replacements.  Her shoulder doctor was very impressed with her progress since her surgery at the end of May.  Flexibility is good; now she must work on strength.  As far as her heart goes, we are in a holding pattern, awaiting word from London regarding a second catheter ablation.  And some laser surgery seems to be forthcoming for another matter.  So we have spent a lot of time lately driving back and forth to Windsor for appointments, and waiting in doctors' offices.  All done now for awhile, except for some physio appts.

Deb's movie choice last weekend was a 1926 silent animated film, called The Adventures of Prince Achmed.  It is pure visual poetry from start to finish, and the version we saw on the Criterion Channel was first rate.  It is a spellbinding adventure, using a process invented by the creator, Lotte Reiniger.  We had seen it many years ago, but I think in a very bad print.

 Deb's recent  film choice, from 1926.  Spellbinding!

 Three stills from Prince Achmed.  

Tonight we watched my choice of film.  I wasn't in the mood for anything, really, as I am behind on a few other projects.  So I picked Blow Up of Blow Up, from 2016, a documentary about the making of that great film, still a favourite of mine after all these years.  It runs less than an hour, which was perfect for me tonight, and is a great little film if you have seen the 1966 Antonioni film as many times as I have.  We get to visit all the locations, and talk to many of the people who were in the film and those who worked on it.  I really enjoyed it! 

I'm going with seasonal landscape art for now, from the DIA.  Here is the second in a short series of autumn works from the collection.  This one has always been a favourite, especially the hazy light of a late afternoon.

 Autumn, ca. 1865.  Homer Dodge Martin, American.  Oil on canvas.  17" x 31".

 Detail of right side.

 Detail of center.

 Detail of left side.  

Mapman Mike