A very philosophical and profound movie, once you understand the message (I had to watch it 3 times before I got it - but my poor hearing didn't help!).
Rick is to blame for this. He showed me a cell phone app that grades the healthiness of foods by scanning in the barcodes, and now I scan everything at the store and on our shelves at home.
And on top of that I have cut out like 95% of my sugar intake and 50% of my salt intake and don't eat stuff with "risky additives".
Happily, since I ate pretty healthy before this, it doesn't make a huge change in my habits. But I sure miss sugar in my coffee and oh I miss chocolate really bad.
But the switch from Frosted Mini Wheats to Muesili is going very well and I actually like the stuff.
Anyway (since I have nothing else to talk about) .... here is today's breakfast ...
Luka & Tux
Here I am today in my new gardner vest, doing gardner stuff. Trying to get back into planting / gardening after not doing it for 2 years (or is it 3?). It was even a challenge to find all my tools, etc. !!
(Music is a clip from Dave Brubeck's "Three to Get Ready")
Breakfast of Champions:
Ensure with a shot of espresso !
Artist of the Moment: Charles Sheeler
Whenever I have to wait for Deb, while she shops, I drop into B&N, check out the bargain book tables, and usually come away with a new car book or new art book. This week it was an art book - the works of Charles Sheeler. (new, $8, printed in China - this is they will take over the world !!! ).
(From the Metropolitan Museum of Art website) ....
Charles Rettrew Sheeler Jr. was born in Philadelphia in 1883. His education included instruction in industrial drawing and the applied arts at the School of Industrial Art in Philadelphia (1900), followed by a traditional training in drawing and painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1903). At the Academy, he studied with William Merritt Chase, a prominent American Impressionist. He visited Europe with his fellow students in 1904, and traveled abroad again in 1908 with his parents and his friend Morton Schamberg, another young artist. During this second trip, he developed a particular interest in the Italian painters of the late Middle Ages, particularly Giotto, Masaccio, and Piero della Francesca, and their simple, strong massing of forms. In 1909, he visited the Paris home of Michael and Sarah Stein, early patrons of Picasso and Braque; this experience inspired him to work in a Cubist style for several years.
Here are 3 paintings of his from the book. I don't like all his stuff, but the ones I do like I like very much !!
Mike & Chris have most of the vegies planted. The fruit trees (in the background) lost a crop due to that sudden frost we had weeks back. The remains of the ancient willow tree is looking extremely nice to me, but may or may not survive the woodman's axe this year.
June.14.... not much going on here. Had my 6mo adiologist visit - an hour of discussing future plans for my external electronics, and we decided Aug.2024 is a good time to upgrade. Happily no internal surgery will be necessary. This is a big deal between the hospital, the implant company and Aetna. This hospital is great as they do all the battling back and forth - the patient doesn't get too involved in these hearing implant cases.
Next ... my back is really hurting these days. Lower back problem that's been plaguing me for 40+ years. Hobbling around with a cane and using icy patches and thinking of Tylenol (but I hate more drugs in me)
Smiley news is Loretta's new tattoo. She is down in Disney with Jake, picking up Rachel.
It's been 970F air temp + sunny (add 100F!). I remember almost dying from the heat our last trip down there. Takes some getting used to.
Actually, at this very moment, Mike is on his flight down to TX to help Rebekah through post-op recovery.
Here, we see R being cared for by Mousse, her watch cat.
I shot this through the kitchen window & screen just now. These look too big to be this year's babies, but I never saw two adults together before, so ???? They run back and forth across the street for a few hours every evening. Munching on stuff.
You didn't ask, but ......
Massachusetts is home to two species of wild rabbit - the native New England Cottontail and the non-native Eastern Cottontail.
Both species breed in a variety of human-populated habitats including farmland, suburban yards, and even in isolated, weedy patches in the middle of cities. Since both cottontails and people exist in large numbers, they interact quite frequently - particularly when rabbit populations peak in late summer and early fall.
Cottontails are solitary creatures that are most active between dusk and dawn. Generally silent, rabbits may communicate by soft grunts and purrs and by thumping the ground with their hind feet. When caught by a predator, they can produce a bloodcurdling scream.
Cottontails do not hibernate - they are active year-round. The average Massachusetts cottontail spends its entire life in an area of less than 1.5 acres, although in the winter it may move a mile or so from their summer feeding area to obtain better cover or a new food supply.
These rabbits will eat any vegetation - from grass, twigs, and just about anything growing in a garden. While they prefer to eat tender young shoots - clover, dandelions, prized tulips - they may also damage ornamental trees by eating the bark.
And, because I have nothing better to do at the moment .....
And here they are: Brer Rabbit (Song of the South), The White Rabbit (Alice in Wonderland or The Jefferson Airplane, as you choose), Peter Rabbit, Bugs Bunny, Thumper (Bambi), and Peter Cottontail .....
Ok that's all I'll say about rabbits.
Oh, wait .... I forgot the most dangerous rabbit of all ......
We drove to Deb's parents today. Nice drive along the "back roads".
Picked up scratch tickets on the way to see if our dreams would come true. They didn't.
I took that shot with my cheapo Amazon tablet - all I had with me. The lens flared a ton, maybe because it normally flares in bright light or maybe because it is dirty. Anyway, it gave this dreamy look to Deb and Elaine scratching their tickets. I think the "look" is the best feature of this otherwise boring image. There's something pleasant about dirty junk lenses !
Went to the German car "lawn event" at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum today. We dodged raindrops and did very well at doing that. Despite the threat of rain, lots of cars showed up. German car shapes are not as exciting as the Italians' . . . the German magic is supreme mechanical engineering that you don't see. The Italian magic is right-in-your-face exterior design (think Sophia Loren !!) and their mechanicals are more reckless than the Germans' ("Brakes? brakes? .... my cars are not designed to stop they are designed to go !!! " ).
More pictures here: Cars2023 (scroll down to the 2nd set of pictures there).
Pinhole Lens "Art"
Pinhole photos are interesting, but ..... really?
I go through this pinhole lens thing every few years or so.
That's a vintage Nikon 350mm lens I'm holding. A friend brought over a few bags of camera gear today, and asked me to assess if there is anything of value and like "how much value?". Looks like these have been stored poorly for a number of years - I see mildew which is bad.
Most of it has little value except this lens (possibly $1000 if I can verify that it works properly) and a seriously nice movie camera (that I haven't yet taken out of the bag).
The lens is a big challenge as it is a rangefinder lens with an adapter to work on an SLR. I've been reading a bit on the internet, to learn the history and operation and do's/dont's of it.
A short-notice visit yesterday from Jim and Audree, and we went to the local art museum to check out the 2023 Exhibit of Regional Art. It was okay, but only a few pieces were great (IMO).
Aside from that exhibit ....
After all these years going there, I "discovered" a back room exhibit with really interesting Egyptian art and artifacts. I was bewildered how I never found this room at the end of the downstairs corridor, but the nice lady said it's always been there.
Then there was a room dedicated to the photos of Rania Matar, and that was a very impressive body of work. Every image was a knockout!
Audree shows us the pants she modeled for this painting !!
Annual checkup today. Best ever for BP (122/66) & pulse rate (65bpm)*.
But he's recommending physical therapy for my back ( a chronic 40year old problem ). Okay, after hobbling around last 2 weeks on a cane, I'll give it a shot. What could happen?
* I believe the "no added sugar / no salt" diet I've been on gets credit for this.
This morning (warm, very humid, ocassional downpours) I am screwing on a vintage Minolta 35mm/f2.8 with a helicoil adapter. This adapter offers continuos focus from infinity way way down to very close, with any Minolta MC/MD mount lens. I've had the thing for years but never use it, as I have several other ways to shoot close up.
Here's a picture of the tip of a burnt incense stick. (All I could come up with for a first shot.)
Rick is to blame for this. He showed me a cell phone app that grades the healthiness of foods by scanning in the barcodes, and now I scan everything at the store and on our shelves at home.
Cottontails are solitary creatures that are most active between dusk and dawn. Generally silent, rabbits may communicate by soft grunts and purrs and by thumping the ground with their hind feet. When caught by a predator, they can produce a bloodcurdling scream. 
