Silent Spring

Early Morning "Painting" By Evie

6:51

7:12

9:00

It's 7:20 and it has stopped raining, the sky still threatening, a mixture of gray and cream.  It's surprisingly warm out, 56º, and we must have gotten a couple of inches over the past 24 hours. I had a good paddle this morning, capturing my first sighting of a loon, and a couple of buffleheads.

Kayaking At  8:16

Sky At 8:50

A Solitary Loon

Yesterday was overcast and wet most of the day so we never did get out and walk, nor did I get to kayak.  So except for the weekly trip to the Transfer Station, we were in lockdown, Chautauqua style.  We wasted much of the morning until about 11:00 when Evie decided to make some lentil soup for the week.  While she cooked, I spent 40 minutes practicing yoga, following my own routine.  I have no need for a video because I know enough asanas from taking classes on and off for the past eight years.  If someone is interested in taking yoga, there are lots of free classes online. 

Female Bufflehead

A Handsome Male Bufflehead

Around 12:30, I had lunch, the chana dal, basically spicy lentils and I have to say, I don't think I will be making it again.  My cooking as been zero for two lately and I will have to rethink my recipes, my cooking.  Fortunately, I have a wife who knows what she is doing.  I tried to nap but couldn't even though I was up early.  So I read and about 3:00 we decided a good way to spend the afternoon was to watch a movie.  Earlier in the day, Evie had talked with our good friend Vi, the wife of one of my Ohio University teammates,  Lloyd, a former FBI agent. She recommended the Tom Hanks film, Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, about Fred Rogers. 

I admit to not being excited about watching a movie about Mr, Rogers but once again, I was wrong.  For one thing, it's not just about Mr, Rogers but also about a journalist tasked with writing an article about modern heroes by his editor at Esquire. He's skeptical of Mr. Rogers's heroism but agrees to the article.  How he is changed by his meetings with Mr, Rogers is the core of the film.  It's a great film for a family but I must warn all, it lacks sex, violence, action heroes, and car chases.   It's the kind of film that might have been made in the 1950s, a feel-good film where there's conflict but it's resolved in the end and you leave the theater feeling good about the world.  We worried it might veer towards sentimentality but it avoided it, for the most part.  Tom Hanks plays Mr, Rogers and Matthew Rhys, from The Americans, plays the journalist.  The film is based on actual events.  Watch it and thanks for recommending it Virpi.

Around 6:30, Evie got out the Unexpected cheddar cheese from Trader Joe's and crackers and I made us Manhattans and we sat down and listened to Apple Music, talked about our day (not much to say) until gloaming, around 7:45.  Dinner was heating up the leftover chicken piccata, still tasty, and we watched a film we happened upon called ELECTION.  We have watched it before but loved it.  It stars a young Reese Weatherspoon as Tracy Flick, an obnoxious high school go-getter.  It's based on a novel by Tom Perotta, once of my favorite writers.  We enjoyed blueberry pie a la mode as we watched it, of course, the culinary high light to our evening.

I'll end with a few words from Mr. Rodgers about how parents should think of their children:

                                      " I like you just the way you are."