Two Movies in One Day

I wanted to like both films I watched yesterday more than I did.

For those of you afar who were worried about Tropical Storm Isaac and Central Florida, you need not have because it was a total "non-event" around here. Yes, there was some rain, yes, there was a little wind, but nothing really out of the ordinary for our region in the summer. 2 1/2 inches of rain fell in about 24 hours which is really not that much. Or, at least that's what fell at our house according to my handy-dandy rain gauge.

That's not to say that it wasn't dreary because it sure was. I don't like dreary days one bit. This morning, while riding my bike, I realized that perhaps the reason I felt so dreary yesterday is because instead of changing into my shorts soon after getting up, I stayed in my robe until maybe 11:00 in the morning. Now, for some this may be no big deal, but I'm kind of a doer in case you haven't noticed. When I can't be doing, I feel a bit out of sorts. And, of course, Mr. Bruce is in California fighting his own battles.

My sunflowers are slowly dying, and I'm thinking I like their aging look, which of course means, let's take some pictures!

Fooled you, didn't I? Although it looked pretty good in the original, I thought the black and white fit yesterday's mood. I put it in front of the front door, which not only had rain drops, but was fogged up from the humidity. During a little break in the rain action I took the macro lens outside to see what I could see. Rain drops hanging onto the Nandina berries is what I saw.

About a month ago I took the screen off my kitchen window figuring I wasn't going to be opening it any time soon. Why bother? Well, lots of the bird pictures you see I've taken through the window glass; having no screen helps improve my chances of getting anything. A darling little Carolina Wren perched for a moment on my little bird house in the yard.

This is one tiny bird who moves very quickly indeed. Out back I saw yet another bird feeder casualty, and of course one of these guys is to blame.

Our very own backyard Nik Wallenda! Except ours needs no stabilizing bar! Really, I can hardly believe they can crawl on this wire suspended over the yard, but here's the proof that they can!

All of which led me to watch a movie; one I think I bought cheap when our neighborhood Blockbuster, now the new Applebee's, went out of business. Which means, I've had it for quite some time and never watched it. "A Single Man" starring Colin Firth had to be good, right? It was, and it wasn't. Stylistically it was incomparable; the scene when he and Julianne Moore do the twist was fantastic. The problem for me was it was almost too styled. I felt George's pain, who couldn't? Yet, somehow, the idea that he should have a heart attack after he fails to carry out his suicide plan seemed just a bit too contrived. I'm sorry if you loved it and I'm way off base. Perhaps it was my dreary mood.

Which, although I enjoyed meeting up with Bev and Linda at the Enzian, the film we saw did nothing to lift my spirits. In fact, it was depressing. I'm actually one who loves depressing movies, but "The Queen of Versailles" left me with more questions than answers. I questioned the film makers motives, the Segals for allowing the film to be made, and really, what were we supposed to glean from the excess the movie shows? Of course it is set in Orlando. Actually, their house is in a tiny town called Windermere which is about 25 miles from Orlando, but still. I've driven by their current home when I was going to my Biology professor's home in Windermere, however I've no idea where "Versailles" is. When asked why he was building such a large home, David Segal answered, "because I can" which pretty much sums it up. But, the real problem is, that although he did it on a humongous scale, other folks without means did it too. How else to explain someone making $40,000 a year thinking they could afford a $300,000 house? Everyone lays the blame at the banker's feet which to me seems a bit of a stretch. See it if you like, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Folks are seeing it in droves if our local theater is any indication. Thinking a stormy Monday night might be just fine, the line was long when Bev arrived. Amazingly some folks asked her if she wanted a free ticket which she accepted in a heartbeat! I was the last to arrive but Bev was kind enough to have purchased my ticket and in we went. The place was packed, the service was slow, and to cap things off, our checks came moments after the film ended. As we were settling things up, a server asked us to leave because another big crowd was waiting to get in. Go figure. Did I mention she shared her good fortune only charging me for half the ticket price. She's like that.

I went to be shortly after I returned home and woke up this morning to a new day and no rain. Into my shorts, camera in my basket, and off I rode through the neighborhood. It is a touch cooler right now but boy howdy, this humidity is something else. While I was out I took this which makes me wonder.

The scarecrows I got because there is an overgrown garden, but the chairs on the shed roof left me shaking my head.

"The Art of Fielding" is on my nightstand so I know what I'll be doing tonight. Do you?